Captain Of All filly Azaleas For All is the first leg of a double for her sire at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday and the stallion also had success at the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth meeting on Thursday. (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Captain Of All, who is now based at Camargue Stud in the KZN Midlands, displayed his versatility as a sire at Hollywoodbets Greyville’s polytrack meeting on Wednesday as his progeny won two of the nine races, one over 2000m and one over 1200m, the first of them a four-year-old filly and the second a three-year-old gelding.
He also had a winner at the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth meeting on Thursday.
Azaleas For All is a Fanie Bronkhorst-trained Nadeson Park Stud-bred filly out of Redoute’s Choice Australian-bred mare Red Azalea, who won easily on debut over 1160m at Turffontein Standside at 4/1 odds, but never won again in four further starts.
Azaleas For All has kept the stakes-winning cheques coming consistently throughout her career and as this was her first start on the polytrack she could have more to come, although she was raiding from the Highveld.
Her first ten starts were in the maidens and she accumulated four seconds, a third, a fourth and two fifths before winning her eleventh start over 1800m at the Vaal Classic track, beating the decent filly Forgiveness, who is today rated 94, by 1,25 lengths under Muzi Yeni.
She started off on a 79 merit rating and was always thereabouts, including running a 1,70 length fifth to the crack filly Frances Ethel in the Listed Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial over 2000m. She did not fare as well in the Gr 2 Bridget Oppenheimer Wilgerbodrift SA Oaks over 2450m behind the same filly.
She gained her second win in her 21st start when romping home by 3,25 lengths over 2000m at the Vaal Classic track under Gavin Lerena off a 71 merit rating.
She seems to have come into her own, because she won two starts later on Wednesday on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly off a 77 merit rating, despte having to lug 61,5kg.
She took an awkward step after jumping from gate four but then settled nicely in midfield in the eleven horse field in a one out position with cover.
As the pack was shuffled she got into fourth position and was in second spot on the train that was one off the rail.
She was traveling like a winner a log way out as she was relaxed and in a nice rhythm.
She switched out at the top of the straight and showed s fine turn of foot to strike the front at the 200m mark, before finding the necessary extra to repel Ideal Gift, who challenged on the inside.
Gavin Lerena said, “It is never easy to carry 61,5kg, but she has done it in fine style.”
She converted 18/10 odds and should have more to come.
The Clinton Binda-trained Kwagga Blitz is out of a Silvano mare, who ran one place over 1600m in five starts.
However, this Black Swan Stud-bred Hollywood Racing-owned gelding is a speedster.
He is a half-brother to the six time-winning What A Winter sprinter What A Honey, who won her last start off a 95 merit rating.
On the other hand Kwagga Blitz is also a half-brother to the four time-winning East Cape middle distance horse, Slainte Mhath.
Kwagga Blitz had four seconds, a third, two fourths and a fifth in his first eleven starts befoe winning his twelfth start over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.
He did not fare well in his next three starts over 1600m, 1160m and 1400m respectively, but enjoyed traveling down from the Highveld again and is now unbeaten in two starts in KZN.
In the 1200m Class 4 event event he started at 40/1 running off a 75 merit rating carrying 56.5kg and jumped from a tricky draw of six out of ten.
However, Chase Maujean got him into a nice handy position with cover and after creeping up on the outside he extracted a good finish from him under a strong drive.
It was also Kwgga Blitz’s first start on the poly, so there could be more fun to look forward to for the connections.
At Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Thursday, the hard knocking Vaughan Marshall-trained two-year-old filly Paralegal, who is out of a Dynasty mare, found a late surge to win at the fifth time of asking over 1200m under Brevan Plaaitjies.
That was Captain Of All’s fifth two-year-old winner this season.
It all goes to show that Captain Of All can throw hardy handicap types, who will have long careers, he can throw Gr 1 winners and he can throw precocious speed – a truly versatile stallion who will be a great assett to KZN Breeding.
- Captain Of All’s last five runners have yielded three wins and two seconds.
