Richard Fourie salutes as Anotherdanceforme lands Alan Greeff his first “Gqeberha July”, the Algoa Cup (Picture: Pauline Herman)
The Listed Algoa Cup is Gqeberha’s biggest race and Richard Fourie was understandably animated when crossing the line first on the second favourite Anotherdanceforme as it was his guv’nor Alan Greeff’s first win of the race often known as the “Gqeberha July.”
That would be an amazing fact for many, because Greeff has been a dominant trainer in the region, winning the East Cape trainers title no fewer than 17 times.
However, it must be remembered that raiders from the country’s strongest jurisdiction, the Western Cape, have dominated the race in recent times.
It has now been won by an East Cape trainer for the last three years in succession, but before that it was not since 2009 that a local trainer had won it.
Another reason for Fourie’s celebration salute would have been that the Varsfontein Stud-bred Peter Moor-owned Master Of My Fate filly remains unbeaten in the East Cape after no fewer than 12 starts. She has had three starts in other centres and won one of them.
“I crown her The Queen of the Course here at Fairview,” he quipped after the race.
Anotherdanceforme was only the second female to win the Algoa Cup this century, the previous female winner being the Glen Kotzen-trained Escapology in 2006. Escapology was by Jet Master, who interestingly is the sire of Anotherdanceforme’s sire, Master Of My Fate.
Western Cape and national champion trainer Justin Snaith was chasing a sixth Algoa Cup win and his raider Prairie Dawn started 15/10 favourite despite officially being 1,5kg under sufferance.
The four-year-old The United States gelding had been stepped up in trip in his last two starts to 1950m and 2000m respectively in the Listed Pocket Power Stakes at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and the Listed Settlers Trophy at Hollywoodbets Durbanville and proved himself suited to the trip, finishing a 0,55 length third and a 0,75 length second in those two races.
Unfortunately, the Algoa Cup meeting had to be switched from poly to turf for the umpteenth time this season and it was going to be Prairie Dawn’s first run on the surface, while Anotherdanceforme’s three runs on the surface had yielded three comfortable victories, including winning the Listed East Cape Derby by 7,25 lengths.
Anotherdanceforme also had a draw advantage of four against seven.
However, it was not surprising Prairie Dawn started favourite because the success rate of Cape Town horses making their debuts in other centres is high as the superior class of horse in Cape Town tends to keep merit ratings relatively suppressed and Prairie Dawn was receiving 7,5kg from Anotherdanceforme.
The Dean Smith-trained Zatara Magic went off at 20/1 having won it from start to finish last year off a 108 merit rating and now running off a 113. He tried to repeat last year’s feat and immediately took up the running under trainer Dean Smith’s stable jockey Craig Zackey, who was out to win the race for a third time in succession having also won it on the Jacques Strydom-trained Fireallay in 2024. The latter also ran on Sunday and started at 66/1.
Zatara Magic set a steady pace followed by Firealley running one wide and the 10/1 chance Bad Medicine was in the box seat on the rail.
Enchanting Choice was next best on Bad Medicine’s outside and Prairie Dawn sat behind him in a one wide wide position with cover, while Anotherdanceforme sat behind Parairie Dawn.
When they swung for home Anothedanceforme still had eight lengths to find.
However, the top class Fourie correctly assessed that he could go accross the rapidly fading no-hoper San Quintin and grab the inside rail as they turned for home.
This was the winning move as Anotherrdanceforme has a tremendous turn of foot and within a matter of strides she had hit the front down the inside.
The path Fourie took allowed his mount to steal a march on Prairie Dawn, who went for his run down the outside.
This proved vital to the outcome because the 59,5kg weight began to tell on the filly, whilst the 52kg Prairie Dawn carried saw him running on strongly in the closing stages.
Fourie produced another master class in the last 200m, changing whiphands twice, which helped her change legs in the first instance and straightened her the second time as she had begun to hang inward.
It was the fourth time Fourie had won the race, but he was clearly thrilled his guv’nor had finally done it and he aimed his victory salute at him as he crossed the line.
She won by half-a-length with Zatara Magic third, 2,25 lengths behind runner up Prairie Dawn.
“To give the Boss his first Algoa Cup winner was pretty awesome,” Fourie said afterwards.
He described Anotherdanceforme as “special” and said with the big weight on her back she had dug down deeper than she had ever done before.
He gave special accolades to her groom Oyitanda Sikiti and to her workrider Xola Jacobs as he said she was “a handful”.
“Xola makes me look good all the time,” he added.
Greeff invited Xola on to the winning stage and said, “He works her everyday and without him this filly would not be where she is today.”
