Picture: Rouge Allure being led in yesterday by, among others, trainer Stephen Moffatt and Albert Rapp (both to the right of the horse). (JC Photos).
The amazing Stephen Moffatt-trained eight-year-old mare Rouge Allure (she will be nine this time next week) caused a sensation at the beginning of this month when winning her 100th start and thus recording her 14th career victory.
Yesterday she went out and won her 101st start and once again it was the twice SA champion jockey Gavin Lerena who was in the irons.
Part-owner Albert Rapp said after her 100th start he would only retire her if he was given a good enough offer for her as a broodmare.
There were one or two raised eyebrows and the odd comment that she now deserved retirement.
But as John Gosden said at the beginning of this week about Stradivarius that as long as he was still enjoying his racing and still able to perform up to his best he would continue.
He emphasised that the horse would tell them when he had had enough.
In the same way Rouge Allure is in the best form of her life.
Moffatt said he had never trained one as sound as her and she certainly does not show her age in any way.
Rapp part-owned National Emblem, who won 16 races, and he hinted after yesterday’s race that setting Rouge Allure that target, which would require just one more win, might be something to consider.
It has been a fine training feat by Moffatt to have trained the mare to four wins as an eight-year-old and, most remarkably, to have landed the first stakes win of her career in the process (she won the Listed Jacaranda Handicap in March).
Rouge Allure was bred by Summerhill Stud and is the last progeny of their former stalwart stallion Kahal still in training in South Africa, although there are still two running in Mauritius, seven-year-old mare Dunzie and eight-year-old gelding Midnight Messenger.
She is part-owned by Mick Goss’s Summerhill Stud Syndicate.
