Reece’s Wish canters to a five length victory (JC Photos)
The most eyecatching winner of last weekend was the Candice and Tammy Dawson-trained Reece’s Wish and considering the performance this filly put up in a 1600m Middle Stakes event at Turffontein Standside on Sunday it would have been no surprise for anybody to discover she is by stallion phenomenon Vercingetorix.
Vercingetorix’s famous six-times champion stallion father Silvano was also resposible for an eyecatching win over the weekend as his eight-year-old son Sugar Mountain showed he is not slowing down when running on strongly to win an A Stakes race over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
In the Middle Stakes race at Turffontein Standside Kabelo Matsunyane did well to settle four-year-old filly Reece’s Wish at the back after jumping from draw five out of six as she had threatened to overrace for a moment or two.
Matsunyane’s next good move was to take her on to the rail as they approached the false rail.
Upon seeing daylight she moved up exceptionally well, while still hard on the bit and had soon hit the front.
Matsunyane was looking around a long way out and without ever having to do more than just hold her together the four-year-old Ratmore Stud and Gary Player-bred filly won easing up by five lengths.
It being a Middle Stakes, she was well weighted only because she got a 2kg gender allowance, because she was actually at the bottom of one of the merit rated bands off as nett 86 merit rating.
The imported British-bred New Bay entire Calla Lagoon was officially only 1kg under sufferance with Reece’s Wish, but that was alleviated by the 2,5kg claim of Divesh Ramkhalawon.
However, she still slammed the latter, who finished third, by 5,25 lengths.
The runner up, Winding Power, who was coming off a hattrick, was officially 2kg under sufferance with Reece’s Wish, but was well beaten.
All in all it was a fine performance by Reece’s Wish.
Candice said afterwards the penny had begun dropping for the filly as her work had begun improving and she had come on from her previous start too.
She hinted about a feature campaign now being on the cards.
Reece’s Wish was bred by Rathmor Stud and Gary Player and is owned by Player in partnership with Larry Netadt and the Wernars Family.
At Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, Aldo Domeyer had suggested to trainer Candice Bass that the Silvano eight-year-old gelding Sugar Mountain be tried over the shorter trip of 1200m and believed he would win.
He was very well weighted in the A Stakes event off his 122 merit rating and and was officially 2,5kg well in with the second best weight horse Dance Variety.
He duly came from off the pace in a smal field of five with a strong late run to catch The US Of A and beat him by half-a-length.
There had been rumours that it would be the Moutonshoek-bred ASSM Racing Syndicate-owned Silvano gelding’s last tun, but Domeyer said the win had opened up some new doors as he was normally kept to a mile with the odd 1400m race in between.
Candice Bass said it had been the intention for this winter to be the yard favourite’s last campaign, but she added with a chuckle that the winter was not yet over.
It will be interesting to see whether the connections decide to extend his career in order to try him in feature sprints.
