Turf Talk-sponsored rider Chad Little gets Sweetie Darling up on the line to win the East Cape Breeders Stakes (1st Leg Eastern Cape (F and M) Challenge – Non-Black Type) over 1200m at Fairview today (Friday).
The Glen Kotzen-trained three-year-old Royal Mo filly Sweetie Darling illustrated how Cape Town horses’ merit ratings can be misleading when running in other centres as she was officially 9kg under sufferance in the Non-Black Type East Cape Breeders Stakes over 1200m on the Fairview turf on Friday and yet still got up to win under Chad Little.
The action was all on the stand side of the track as something went amiss with the hot favourite Splicethemainbrace on the far side and she was eased out of the race, while the winner on the far side, the Gauteng raider Winter Greeting, coul only manage an overall 3,40 length sixth.
Sweetie Darling, a started at odds of 40/1 and beat the 20/1 shot Montelina by a short-head with the fancied Gimmie’s Lassie beaten a long-head at odds of 5/1.
Priscilla Maisey at odds of 33/1 was next best beaten just 0,65 lengths and there was then a 2,35 length gap back to fifth-placed Song Of Myself.
The quartet paid a whopping R33,580.20.
Sweetie Darling was bred by Patricia Devine Investments (Pty) Ltd and is owned by Messrs B J Fegen & R Fegen.
Justin Snaith and Muzi Yeni had a double together at the meeting and there were doubles too for Alan Greeff and Kelly Mitchley.
Richard Fourie and Craig Zackey only had one winner each, so the situation in the national jockeys championship is Fourie 233 wins, Lerena, 227 and Zackey 226.
Alan Greeff is now on 155 wins for the season achieved at a strike rate of 17.96%.
Justin Snaith is on 153 wins at 14.74%.
Kelly Mitchley is on 46 wins at 6.82%.
Muzi Yeni is on 136 wins at 12.76%.
