Fiery Pegasus, pictured winning a Maiden Juvenile Plate in May, looks to be going places. (JC Photos)
The Joe Soma yard is a small outfit in numbers and budget but punches above its weight year after year and he could have another three-year-old classic contender in the Captain Of All filly Fiery Pegasus, while his William Longsword five-year-old gelding Back In Business has burst into prominence as one who could go all the way to the top.
Fiery Pegasus finished second in Saturday’s Gr 2 Betway Jo’Burg Spring Fillies And Mares Challenge over 1450m despite being considerably under sufferance as a three-year-old rated 104 carrying 52kg and she also jumped from a tricky draw of ten under Malesela Katjedi. To compound matter she was caught wide which forced Katjedi to take her forward. She came into the straight way wide and hit the front a long way out. Katjedi began riding her at the 400m mark and she still managed to show a good turn of foot. The eventual winner Celtic Rumours took over the lead going well, but when Fiery Pegasus changed legs at about the 200m mark she came back at the latter and failed by just 0,25 lengths to get up. She looks like one to follow and being a full-sister to Shango, who won the Gr 2 Dingaans over 1600m, the Gr 3 Hollywoodbets 2200 and the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m, she could feasibly go for all of the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara races.
Joe confirmed this and said, “One to keep an eye on is Fiery Pegasus. She ran an unbelievable race and that showed me also what I had always believed in her and Rachel Venniker had also confirmed that opinion when she rode her at Hollywoodbets Scottsville. The future is bright for her and we will aim her at the three-year-old classics.”
Joe has always had a high regard for Back In Business and he was full of praise for replacement rider Rachel Venniker, who rode him to victory in the Gr 2 Betway Jo’Burg Spring Challenge over 1450m at Turffontein Inside on Saturday.
Soma said, “I’ve always rated Back In Business very highly so it was no surprise to me. It is always hard to win any race, even a maiden plate never mind a Gr 2 or Gr 1, but he showed me how good he is.”
Back In Business is now unbeaten in three starts this season.
He was only merit rated 106 going into Saturday’s race so was way under sufferance and thus opened at around 16/1.
However, the fact he had been entered in a race like the Gr 1 weight for age Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes last season told the story of how well he was regarded and the impression he created in his first two wins this season told the story of how this Klawervlei Stud-bred five-year-old William Longsword gelding had come into his own.
It was just up to in form Venniker to convert and she did so with professional aplomb.
She managed to keep him settled from draw two while getting him on to the rail in a handy position. She sent him for home coming off the false rail and only two back handers were required to get him home for a cosy victory by 1,50 lengths from the classy Barbaresco. Back In Business was carrying 57kg and was officially 6kg under sufferance with Barbaresco and was officially 9,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted runner, Main Defender, whom he beat by 4,70 lengths.
Soma said, “It was an absolutely beautiful ride. Rachel has a very bright future, very, very professional as well … I went to speak to her and she had already done her homework. She is in the top echelon of riders in this country, there is no doubt in my mind.”
Rachel was substituting for Muzi Yeni, who was away performing heroics at Kranji racecourse in Singapore.
On Back In Business’s plans Soma said, “I don’t know what we are going to do with him next. He is back at work, he is fresh and has taken the race very well, it’s just a matter of picking the right race for him. Do we go a mile now? So let’s see what happens. We will make up our minds over the next few days.”
Joe believes he will get a mile.
He said, “The way he has won with 58kg under those conditions and I thought he won fairly easily and the time was still very good. I thought he still had a lot in hand and Rachel confirmed that as well, so I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t get an extra 150m. If you count his stride 150m is about ten to twelve strides, so there is no doubt in my mind he will get it.”
He continued, “However, he had a hard campaign and this was always our aim at the start of the season. He’s had three races and horses aren’t machines, so from that point we’ve got to just regroup and take our foot off the pedal and then look at his next three starts by looking at where we are going to aim at – what we are aiming at is most important and we will not just be taking what is there. He still has a good merit rating. We’ve got a few pounds in hand, so that is always a good thing.”
Back In Business could only be raised a maximum of eight points due to a condition of the race, so he is now officially merit rated 114, despite running to a mark way above that.
Both horses should give their connections a lot of fun for the rest of the season and are ones to make a note of.
