Racing fans who attended Gold Cup Day will attest to the fact that, among a number of exhilarating races, one stood out. The likes of Princess Of Gaul, Jan Van Goyen, King Pelles and Gladatorian all posted impressive and memorable wins, but one winner made onlookers gasp for breath – Golden Palm!
That she overcame a poor start in the Grade 1 Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes over 1600m – one that nearly sent jockey Richard Fourie over the rail – then recovered with gallant ease to clock a faster time than the smart Jan Van Goyen managed in the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes, just about tells the story. But not quite all of it. Do yourself a favour and watch the race replay below. See how Golden Palm ignites the engines and sweeps past her rivals. Watch her stride – the power, the rhythm, the sheer ease of her victory.
Owner Peter Moor’s hugely talented filly returns to the track for the first time at Fairview on Friday after her Thekwini success. Her legion of fans will be glued to their television sets for another ‘fix’ of Golden Palm (which sounds like something you can buy at one of those shops with a Leaf on the door), and is perhaps just as intoxicating.
Golden Palm will line up in the Listed Racehorse Owners Association Stakes over 1600m and, for punters, this looks like the proverbial ‘slam dunk’. Stranger things have happened, and she does face a few useful stable mates, but it will come as a real surprise if she fails to deliver after her break.
Moore, the modest Zimbabwean who bred Ipi Tombe – arguably the greatest filly in South African racing history – noted after the Thekwini that ‘some two-year-olds don’t train on’ – but we’d venture to say he expects this one to go all the way. On what she’s shown, Golden Palm has ‘Cape Fillies Guineas’ written all over her (and that is said with the acknowledgement that her stablemate Anotherdanceforme may be just as good and will be presenting Greeff with an interesting series of conundrums this season). The sky is truly the limit.
Greeff said in a 4 Racing ‘Track Talk’ interview with Nadine Low Ah Kee yesterday: “The Racing Association Stakes is a good starting point for Golden Palm’s three-year-old career. We hope to get her on the boil and head for bigger fish afterwards. (I suppose) she is hard to oppose.”
The racing public will ‘suppose’ so too, but even if Golden Palm gets beaten today, she’ll be forgiven, because everything points to her being a filly on her way to superstardom, and many champions have tasted defeat after a rest.
But this one, she is special!
Racehorse Owners Association Stakes is off at 15:30 on Friday.
