Turn It Up treats the field with contempt in the R3 million Race Coast Slipper (Picture: Race Coast)
There was a remarkable result in the R3 million Race Coast Sales Slipper as the first three past the post were all part-owned by the racing partnership of Laurence Wernars, Rikesh Sewgoolam and Mukund Gujadhur, while Wernars was sole owner of the fourth-placed horse.
Sean Tarry was trainer of the victor, the Querari colt Turn It Up, who was the joint-most impressive winner of the day and looks to have an exciting future ahead of him.
The half-brother to the Gr 1 Gold Medallion winner Proceed (Gimmethegreenlight) was also bred by Wernars.
After being dropped out from a wide draw of ten in the 1200m contest he made up the ground effortlessly on the outside under Keagan de Melo and won easing up by 2,20 lengths.
The Vaughan Marshall-trained One World colt World Series was second followed by the Piet and Elbert Steyn-trained Gr 3 Ridgemont Cape Of Good Hope Nursery winner Red Spice (Erik The Red).
Next best were the Louis Goosen-trained Erik Dubois (Erik The Red) and the Tarry-trained Secretary Bird (Rafeef).
Turn it up will have a fine chance of following in the footsteps of his half-brother Proceed by winning the Gold Medallion.
He also looks to be a sort who will go further than sprints.
The other most impressive winner on Saturday was the Vaughan Marshall-trained Questioning, who won an A Stakes race over 1200m.
This result fitted in well with the two big Sales race results in the day, because Questioning is owned by Greg and Gina Bortz’s in partnership with Mukund Gujadhur and the Wernars Family.
Questioning came from a wide draw in Saturday’s race and carried top weight of 61,5kg, but he looked a class above the field throughout the race.
The 127-rated five-year-old found cover in midfield under Richard Fourie and in the straight he mowed the leaders down to win easily.
Jersusalema Rain ran a fine 0,5 length second, although he was receiving 9kg from the winner, and Aristocratic ran on in eyecatching fashion for third in his first run as a gelding.
Questioning has blossomed this season, winning the Gr 3 Race Coast Matchem Stakes over 1400m and the Gr 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes over 1200m, although his best performance was undoubtedly his shorthead second in the prestigious Gr 1 wfa L’Ormarins King’s Plate.
The Querari gelding sounded a warning to the older horses in the Champions Season and will likely be a big runner in both the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 140om and the Gr 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m, which are his likely big race targets.
