Andrew Fortune brings home Wish List in the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Nobody knows the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth racetrack as well as veteran rider Andrew Fortune, who won the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes down the inside rail despite having jumped from draw eight in the ten horse field on the Justin Snaith-trained Wish List.
It was a halcyon day for Snaith, who had six winners in all, including three Graded races in succession.
Fortune eased Wish List at the off and dropped her in onto the rail near the back.
It panned out perfectly, because he ended up following the second favourite and fellow three-year-old Reet Petite on the inside rail in the straight.
When Richard Fourie angled Reet Petite outward the door opened for Wish List and Fortune drove her through.
She was harried all the way to the line by Reet Petite, Rainbow Lorikeet, the favourite Double Grand Slam, who was defending her crown, and Minogue.
However, Wish List stayed on resolutely and prevailed by half-a-length with the aforementioned horses finishing behind her in the order mentioned.
It was Fortune’s second Paddock Stakes win, having first won it with the Tony Furness-trained League Title (Model Man) in 1997.
There was some irony in the victory, because Fortune had been successful on Double Grand Slam in the Gr 1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes and in her seasonal reappearance, but lost the ride when British Champion jockey Oisin Murphy was booked for the Paddock Stakes.
Wish List is by Legislate out of the Silvano mare Wind Chill, who won the SA Oaks, so she was always going to relish the step up in trip.
It was Legislate’s second Gr 1 winner.
Bred by Maine Chance Farms, Wish List races for Jonathan Bloch and Nancy Hossack
She was a R700 000 National Yearling Sale purchase.
Wish List is now a winner of 2 races with 4 places from her 7 starts and stakes of R836 238.
She started at odds of 8/1, having been backed in from 14/1.
Snaith and Fortune also combined on the day to win the Gr 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes over 1200m with Varsfontein homebred Gimmethegreenlight filly Gimme What I Want.
Snaith also won the Gr 2 Anthonij Rupert Premier Trophy over 1800m with Master Of My Fate gelding Okavango, who gave Oisin Murphy a winner.
