Stuart Pettigrew-trained Red Ray filly Alula’s Star (pink sleeves) won the Grade 3 Sycamore Sprint on Saturday at Turffontein Standside (JC Photos).
The Birch Brothers-based sire Red Ray had an easy winner at Hollywoodbets Scottsville last week before another of his fillies landed the weekend’s biggest feature.
On Wednesday, the Mike Miller-trained Red Ray filly Epic View won a Juvenile Plate over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville by 3,10 lengths in just her second start, despite starting at odds of 20/1.
Then On Saturday at Turffontein Standside, the Stuart Pettigrew-trained Alula’s Star’s, who is one of two Graded winners by Red Ray, added a second Grade 3 to her CV by winning the Sycamore Sprint over 1160m under a fine ride by Philisande Mxoli.
She ran off a merit rating of 102 and carried 57.5kg.
Alula’s Star broke well from a draw of five and her early pace allowed her to get over to the ground which is deemed favourable i.e. the middle to outside section.
She joined the speedy Cold Fact in the lead, the latter having also started well and led on the outside.
Cold Fact began hanging to the right from the 250m mark and she carried Alula’s Star and the running on Kiss Me Captain many horse-widths inward.
Alula’s Star got the better of Cold Fact, who appears to be better at 1000m.
She held on by a head from Kiss Me Captain, who has to be considered a touch unlucky considering she came from behind and was continuously carried outward.
Cold Fact was beaten 1,35 lengths into third and Emerald Princess and Miss Cool were next best.
Alula’s Star’s previous Grade 3 win was in the Joburg Tourism Magnolia Handicap over this same course and distance and she jumped from draw four that day under Mxoli.
Alula’s Star, who was bred by Winterbach Stud, is out of Captain Al mare Solar Voyager, a six-time winner.
It is not surprising the Lammerskraal-bred Red Ray stands at Birch Brothers, because his third dam was a top broodmare they bred, Port Wine, who was by one of the national champion stallions they stood, Plum Bold.
Port Wine was the dam of Royal Chalice (Royal Prerogative), who was one of the record eight July winners that forty-times champion breeders Birch Brothers bred and he was also a three-year-old champion and an ARCSA Horse Of The Year.