Let’s Go Now, a full-sister to Gr 1-winning HDJ third-placed Bless My Stars booked a berth in the Gr 1 Douglas Whyte Stakes when making it two wins in three starts at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Wednesday (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
Kestorm Investments, whose nominee is Kenneth Pillay, splashed out R540,000 to purchase the Gimmethegreenlight filly Let’s Go Now at the BSA August Sale last year, but that is now looking to be a shrewd investment.
Her full sister Bless My Stars, who was bought by Kestorm Investments for R250,000 at the BSA National Yearling Sale of 2021, would have had just two runs by the time of that Sale, a 6,25 length victory over 1400m at the Vaal on debut and a 0,35 length third in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes.
Bless My Stars, trained by Sean Tarry, is now a high value filly.
She went on to win the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic and in her last run she finished an outstanding third in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Let’s Go Now has been entered in the Gr 1 Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes and trainer Tarry would have been keen to ensure a berth, because she drew two out of 26 entries.
On Wednesday she booked her place in the line up by becoming a two-time winner.
However, the connections said after the race today there would be no pressure on the trainer to rush things.
Tarry said he would accept for the Douglas Whyte Stakes and then monitor how well she recovered from today’s race.
She is duly among the runners who are set to line up next Saturday.
Let’s Go Now won in fluent style over 1600m at the Vaal on June 27 in her second career start, running on strongly from off the pace.
However, that first win was not a strong race, despite the form having since been well franked.
Therefore, Tarry made sure of it by running her today, eleven days before the Thekwini, over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.
Gavin Lerena sat in midfield in the Juvenile Plate for fillies and he had to work hard in the straight to get the green filly going.
However, when the penny dropped she produced another fluent finish and got home by 0,25 lengths from hard-knocking maiden Woodland Glade, to whom she gave 3kg.
Lerena confirmed she was green in both the preliminaries and in the race and “probably too relaxed for her own good.”
If Let’s Go Now is seen in the Thekwini Stakes, she will attempt to make amends for the narrow defeat of her sister a year ago.
The dam of the Varsfontein Stud-bred sisters is the former Justin Snaith-trained Silvano mare Star Express, who was held in high regard. She finished second in the Gr 1 Majorca Stakes as a four-year-old and subsequently won the Gr 3 Victress Stakes over 1800m among other good runs.
Star Express’s One World filly at this year’s BSA National yearling Sale went for R800,000, purchased by Adam Marcus Racing.
