Garden Of Eden wins on debut over 1400m at Hollywoobets Durbanville (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Graded race markets are usually dominated by big yards and the colours of most of the runners near the top of the boards are familiar, while their jockeys are usually in the top echelon.
That same market principle usually applies to first-timers.
For example, Kommetdieding, trained by the small yard of Harold Crawford, ridden by Sihle Cele and owned by Ashwin Reynolds, who was an unknown at that stage, was allowed to go off at 16/1 on debut, just over a year before he won the country’s biggest race, the Durban July.
The top of the market for Saturday’s Gr 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship duly looks familiar with the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Khaya Stables homebred Gimmie’s Countess, with Craig Zackey up, being on top and deservedly so.
The Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Gr 1 third-placed Symphony In White is next in line.
Right at the bottom of the boards in a filly called Garden Of Eden.
The latter is from the small yard of Paul Reeves, will be ridden by the not too prominent Devin Ashby and the colours of the Turf Talk Syndicate have only appeared on a racecourse six times in total!
The Duke Of Marmalade filly has only run once and won by a shorthead at odds of 125/1, so the expectation is she will drift out even further than the current 33/1 on offer by Hollywoodbets for Saturday’s race at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
However, she is sure going to provide an exciting day out for the Turf Talk Syndicate members.
And a closer inspection of this filly’s credentials means they will arrive on course feeling their filly more than just deserves her place.
“Hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie” might in fact be the syndicate members’ motto for the day after the nominee Grant Knowles has explained to the British members of the syndicate what that now famous South African proverb means!
The first question is would a good looking Duke Of Marmalade filly bred by the highly respected Riethuiskraal Stud of Professor Altus Joubert be sent off at odds of 125/1 if it was firstly known she was out of a half-sister to a Listed winner, while she herself is a half-sister to a six-time winner?
Secondly would she have gone off at that price had she been from a bigger yard, been ridden by a top jockey and had more familiar colours?
This filly had always impressed the experienced horseman Paul Reeves and when putting in her first serious workouts it was confirmed she had a lovely action and she also struck as being a natural.
No trainer can give too much confidence on a first-timer, as inexperience can take its toll, and Garden Of Eden was duly slowly away and then green throughout on debut over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on October 5 … and yet she won, beating a decent field despite jumping from a tricky draw of nine out of 14 and having had to pass most of the field in the straight.
Devin Ashby commented that she had won on ability alone, so green was she in the running.
She now has draw six out of 12 and is already proven over the trip.
