Picture : Mrs Geriatrix staves off White Pearl (JC Photos)
The Sean Tarry-trained champion Vercingetorix filly Mrs Geriatrix stamped her claim to be the leading Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas candidate in the country when winning her seasonal reappearance in the BSA Sales Cup over 1450m at Turffontein Inside on Saturday under regular pilot Richard Fourie.
However, the race also gave a foretaste of what the sire Danon Platina’s first crop could do as three-year-old’s because two of his progeny finished first and second and one of them, the Mike de Kock-trained White Pearl, was beaten just a head at level weights.
The Clifton Stud-bred Mrs Geriatrix was keen early and pulled a bit when restrained as White Pearl came around her to take the lead.
Mrs Geriatrix ambled in to the lead in the straight and it looked like it would be another rout.
However, the grey pacemaker then fought back and Fourie had to work hard in the end to maintain Mrs Geriatrix’s unbeaten record.
It was Mrs Geriatrix’s sixth win, so there was yet more to celebrate for the Magical Lady Syndicate, who were as usual dressed in their pink outfits in support of Mrs Geriatrix, who runs in the pink silks of the syndicate.
Talk might soon start about the 1965-born Home Guard’s 54 year old SA record of eleven unbeaten wins being under threat by Mrs Geriatrix.
The last to horse threaten it was the Paul Peter-trained Summer Pudding, who won her first nine starts before tasting defeat for the first time when unplaced in the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes in January 2021.
Summer Pudding was by Silvano, who is of course the sire of Vercingetorix.
Meanwhile, Mauritzfontein stallion Danon Platina is yet to have a black type runner, but he is being widely tipped as a future champion stallion, because his first crop performed well as two-year-old’s, despite being types who were expected to improve with age and over distance.
White Pearl’s performance backed up that claim as he is merit rated only 101, compared to Mrs Geriatrix’s 123, and was beaten only a head.
The Stuart Pettigrew-trained Danon Platina filly Betula finished third, albeit beaten 5,60 lengths.
Betula won the Durban leg of the BSA Sales Cup over 1300m on Hollywoodbets Durban July day, beating the Duncan Howells-trained Danon Platina filly Oriental Bouquet by a short-head.
