Vaal-based Stephen Moffatt has been in the training game for some 35 years either in an assistant or licensed capacity and his biggest result before last Saturday was in the Grade 3 August Stakes on the Vaal Sand with Roman Carnival in 2015. 

On Saturday he ran one-two with Rouge Allure (Kahal) and Opera Glass (Flower Alley) in the Listed Jacaranda Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m. 

This was a fine training feat because Rouge Allure gained her first bold black type at the age of eight, whilst progressive four-year-old Opera Glass has run a Grade 3 third and a Listed second in two successive races whilst being 4kg under sufferance with the best weighted horse in the first of them and 2kg under sufferance on Saturday. 

Moffatt said Rouge Allure would have another couple of runs before going to stud.

He confirmed she used to be a pacey front-running type best suited to 1200m to 1400m.

However, on Saturday over the middle distance she came from last to mow the field down and win by a length under Dennis Schwarz.

He said, “As she has got older she has learnt to settle and can come with a late rattle.”

Rouge Allure is a Summerhill Stud home-bred raced by the Summerhill Stud Syndicate (nom Mick Goss) and Albert Rapp.

Moffatt’s wife Julia had always wanted a Wilgerbosdrift horse and they found Opera Glass, bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud, at the National Two-Year-Old Sale and managed to get her for R70,000.

She is out of the three-time winning Listed-winning and Grade 3-placed Loupe (Fort Wood) and has proved to be a bargain buy not only because she has won five races and been Graded-placed but also because she is a half-sister to the useful three-year-old Barend Botes and Yolandi Vosloo-trained Eternity Ring (Ideal World) as well as to Grade 3-placed Petra (Oratorio).

Julia owns her in partnership with PJ, N, R and S Delport and TJ Shawe.

Opera Glass is a tall filly and always had a tendency to overrace but between July and November last year she won four races and rose from a 63 merit rating to 84.

She was still taking a strong hold though, so looked to have the potential to step up in class if settling better.

Instead Moffatt threw her into the deep end knowing the pace would be 
stronger in a higher class race and that was likely going to help her. It proved to be a shrewd move. 

Moffatt said, “She always showed us a helluva lot and I always knew when she strengthened she would be up to this class.”

He continued, “I want to try further with her up to 2400m. We just have to get her to relax. She is starting to settle down.”  

He said she has had a lot of racing so might have a little break although the Listed Spook Express over 2400m on April 16 might be an option.

Moffatt had a winner today at The Vaal with the five-year-old Dynasty gelding Afraad over 2000m, so is in a good patch of form.

He is glad to be based at the Vaal which he believes has the best training tracks in the country.

He finished a narrow runner up in the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas with Rio’s Winter (Oratorio) a couple of years ago and she went on to finish fourth in the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic.

She has won four races in total and finished second in the Grade 3 Sycamore Sprint last season. 

However, he is battling soundness issues with her and she finished unplaced in Saturday’s Sycamore.

Moffat said she would be going to stud.

Picture: Rouge Allure runs on strongly to beat her stable companion Opera Glass in the Grade 3 (JC Photos).