La Pulga, ridden by Serino Moodley, beats his Candice Bass-trained stablemate Viva’s Liberte (Craig Zackey) in the Gr 3 Legal Eagle Stakes over 1800m at Hollwyoodbets Kenilworth on Monday (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Mark Van Deventer (Race Coast)
Candice Bass saddled a stable exacta in the Legal Eagle Stakes Gr 3 over 1800m as 4YO LA PULGA narrowly outdueled year-younger companion, VIVA’S LIBERTE.
Hollywoodbets Durban July Gr 1 entry, LA PULGA made his move in the center of the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth track, then quickened clear as OTTO LUYKEN faded late, but had to dig deep to stave off VIVA’S LIBERTE’s rally.
FORTUNE FREE made ground on the inside to sneak third ahead of another one of the handy runners, MAGIC VERSE.
The final time was 115.00 seconds. LA PULGA hails from Millstream Farm.
Said Bass of her Pomodoro gelding, who is making incremental progress this year, “LA PULGA has a beautiful action and a nice turn of foot – he just needed to strengthen and put it all together as he matured. He will truck up to Durban on Tuesday, maybe go for the Cup Trial, then try for the July off a nice weight.”
VIVA’S LIBERTE may have come off second best yet retains serious potential. He will reach a peak in time over middle distances, the natural ability already evident having placed 3rd behind brilliant filly, WISH LIST in the Lucky Fish Cape Derby Gr 1 over 2000m in February.
TAG AND RELEASE raced prominently, then kicked clear to take out the Winter Nursery Gr 3 over 1100m, holding off the closing surge of rival 2YO Rafeef filly, SHEZARIPPER.
The winning juvenile is a son of Canford Cliffs ex Dad’s Catch, bred at Ten Einde Farm. The bay colt is trained by veteran conditioner, Greg Ennion, and was ridden by experienced jockey, Corne Orffer.
Speedy 40/1 longshot, MAGMA FLOW kept on resolutely holding third, with deep odds-on favourite, KALAHARI KING never looking likely, back in fourth.
Ennion who has a reputation for being an extremely sharp judge of horse flesh and has picked out star thoroughbreds at bargain basement prices, said. “I don’t look at top drawer horses, instead go for bottom- draw horse at the sales. It’s uncanny – the first horse I look at the sales, I usually buy; and this is the fourth or fifth time it has worked out, and they’ve turned out to be really good horses.”
TAG AND RELEASE, a 6/1 chance, completed the 1100m journey on a soft track in 66 seconds.
STORMWATCH blasted way clear of the opposition in the Ladies Mile Listed. Trained by Eric Sands and ridden with perfect judgement by Keagan de Melo, the 3YO daughter of Vercingetorix was restrained in fifth on the rail before only changing gears in deep stretch.
Hold up tactics were the riding instructions issued by Sands, who believes that STORMWATCH, with her potent burst of acceleration, is best constrained till the last possible moment. De Melo executed perfectly, saying, “I just needed to save her given her short run. She was always going a winner down the straight and bolted home.”
VIVA LA VIDA edged QUEEN REGENT for second spot. But they were left toiling 3.5 lengths adrift of STORMWATCH. The final time for the Ladies Mile Listed was 102.3, understandably well outside standard, given the yielding surface.
