The Duncan Howells-trained What A Winter filly Asiye Phambili was an impressive winner of the Gr 3 Poinsettia Stakes over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday under Rachel Venniker and is a genuine contender for the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Andrew Harrison (Gold Circle)
The last weekend in April is always important as far as pointers go to Hollywoodbets Scottsville’s big meeting – this year on Saturday, June 1 – as trainers look forward to the four Gr1 races in the Festival of Speed.
Yesterday, the four features gave up pointers to the form of those races, none more so than Asiye Phambili who made short work of the opposition in the Gr3 Dennis Drier Poinsettia Stakes over 1200m, the distance of the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint.
Duncan Howells has always held the filly in high regard after arriving in his stable from another yard and a close-up second first time out followed with three straight wins.
Rather than making the trip to Cape Town for the season with one horse, he handed over the reins to Cape Town-based and Hollywoodbets-sponsored Gareth van Zyl. Asiye Phambili stared at long odds in all three of her starts for Van Zyl, her best being a runner-up berth in the Gr2 Sceptre Stakes.
It has been telling that locally-based horses returning from trips to Cape Town for the summer have come back in fine fettle and it appears the Asiye Phambili is continuing that trend.
Rachel Venniker, having her first winner for Howells, was never in any difficulty allowing Asiye Phambili to use her big action from an outside draw. When the chips were down she strode away to win as she liked.
The balance of the field, that included the well-performed Kwinta’s Light, were hardly in the race and probably using it as a warm-up for the SA Fillies Sprint, but they have been given early warning.
King Of The Gauls also put his hand up for a crack at the Festival of Speed. The gelding has always been highly rated by his trainer, Tony Rivalland, and his faith in the son of Vercingetorix is starting to vindicate his view as he scored a most comfortable victory in the Listed In Full Flight Handicap.
Gelded after his third start, King Of The Gauls made a winning appearance first up at Kenilworth but was then stepped up in trip, a plan that did not work out as expected. Back to a sprint, he left Cape Town with a close-up third.
He made a winning return on home soil over the Hollywoodbets Scottsville short-cut and followed up with an impressive victory yesterday which must surely have booked him a place in the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint on June 1.
Sean Veale, deputising for regular rider Richard Fourie who was unable to make the 52.5kg, had King Of The Gauls in a good rhythm from the jump and it was clear a long way out that it would take a good horse to beat him. Travelling sweetly, he quickened up smartly under the hands and Veale was posing for the judges a long way out.
Quasiforesure is no slouch and chased hard for second but was never a threat although he was giving the winner 11kg and Peter Muscutt will have been well pleased with the run.
Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery winner Little Ballerina must rate as one of the best juvenile fillies racing at present and her form lines are riddled with subsequent winners. One of these was SA Fillies Nursery second Just Reckless who was surprisingly, given Little Ballerina’s form, priced up at 5-1 in the ante-post market for the Gr3 Strelitzia Stakes. That price did not last long as she went through the gate deep in the red to land a ‘touch’ for those who queued up to take the generous odds.
It was money on the mark as Mike Miller’s charge was never seriously threatened. Going through the 400 m mark, Fourie pulled the trigger on Dark Winter followed by Grey Fantasy, but Kabelo Matsunyane, who kept the ride after their Nursery second, still had plenty in hand. Punched out hands-and-heels, Just Reckless quicky had their measure and strode clear to win as she liked with the minimum amount of encouragement. The Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship must surely be on her radar.
Prolific owner Lawrence Wernars had a great week with four feature race winners leading into yesterday’s Godolphin Barb Stakes and Cymric rounded it all off with a smart win in the Gr3 sprint and surely a pipe-opener for the Gr1 Gold Medallion. Johan Janse van Vuuren’s smart looker gave leading sire Vercengeterix a feature double after King Of The Gauls, showing pace throughout and finding plenty under Gavin Lerena to keep Cats Pajamas and Chinaberry at bay.
Runner-up at his first two starts, Van Vuuren finally listened to the pleading from his jockeys that the horse needed gelding as he was getting far too heavy for his under carriage. “I’m not scared to ‘cut’ them,” said Van Vuuren, “but I liked this horse and was a little pig-headed about it. I finally listened.”
First up after gelding, Cymric hacked up in a maiden and continued his improvement with a solid win yesterday. A look at the course is always a bonus as the experience, and on occasion, can prove to be the difference between winning and losing in a tight finish.
Not happy on the day was Fine One who gave Tristan Gooden a difficult ride and was never going well.
