Bargain filly has sights set on rich Cape race
Captain Peg takes on older rivals at Turffontein before the R600,000 Cape Racing Ready To Run Stakes
A filly who cost just R70,000 as a yearling is being aimed at a R600,000 race in the Cape in October. Win or lose in the Cape Racing Ready To Run Stakes at Kenilworth on October 30, three-year-old, Captain Peg, is already looking a bargain buy. An inmate of Stuart Pettigrew’s stable, Captain Peg will bid to complete a hat-trick when she takes on older rivals in the sixth race at Turffontein on Thursday.
It’s perhaps no surprise the filly was picked up cheaply from Nadeson Park Stud. She is a daughter of Jay Peg whose progeny do well but — when it comes to bloodstock sales — buyers are usually chasing the offspring of Gimmethegreenlight, Vercingetorix and Rafeef.
Though bookmakers quote Captain Peg as the evens favourite for the Turffontein race, it may be no walk in the park as her rivals include four-time winner, Dancing Arabian, and Ashley Fortune’s daughter of Rafeef, Special Variety.
Add into the mix Captain Peg’s stablemate, Princess Philippa, who got home in a 1,400m race at the city track last month.
Whatever her fate in Thursday’s race, Captain Peg looks certain to get a run in the rich Cape race. She is in fifth place on the log which is headed by Candice Bass-Robinson’s colt, Piroshka.
Fortune sends 10 horses to Thursday’s meeting and her best chance of success may rest with her Flower Alley gelding, Jaimala, who faces just five opponents in the second race.
That opposition includes the four-time winner Outofthedarkness who will have red-hot jockey Keagan De Melo in the saddle. The gelding’s latest effort was a third behind Sovereign Spirit.
One runner who will be familiar to Business Day racing followers is Imperial Ruby who nearly landed the Durban Gold Cup at the huge odds of 40-1. The selection was snared close home by Paul Peter’s runner Shanmgani.
The distance of 1,800m should be too short for the six-year-old though he’ll be running on and can earn a place cheque.
The training partnership of Adam and Mike Azzie could have a successful meeting with the chance of three winners of the four they are sending to the track.
The pick of the quartet could be the Drakenstein owned and bred Quest From Afar, who has the advantage of pole position and was an impressive maiden winner on the Turffontein inside track in June.
Punters looking for a swinger bet should consider another Fortune inmate, West Point, who has dropped from a merit-rating of 77 to his current mark of 63.
West Point is looking an expensive purchase as the son of Oratorio cost R625,000 when sold by Avontuur Farm as a yearling. The four-year-old has earned just a sixth of that figure.
Fortune also saddles Ridge To Reef and the four-year-old will have his seventh different jockey in his past eight outings. This time S’manga Khumalo is entrusted with the ride.
Earlier in the meeting, Khumalo rides White Fang for the Azzie stable and the son of Futura is weighted to turn the tables on the five-year-old mare Flying First Class.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (4) Hertzoggie (3) Miss Tango (5) Ultima Ictu (6) Voshaarnooi
2nd Race: (4) Jaimala (3) Outofthedarkness (5) Bold Fortune (2) Imperial Ruby
3rd Race: (12) Raven Black (1) Phantomoftheforest (6) Burgess (10) Pragmatist
4th Race: (1) White Fang (3) Flying First Class (4) Arlington Action (6) Kind Judy
5th Race: (6) Coldhardstare (1) United Express (5) Dancing Dora (3) Outlaw
6th Race: (2) Captain Peg (3) Special Variety (1) Dancing Arabian (4) Princess Philippa
7th Race: (1) Lucy In The Sky (4) Crimson Princess (2) Definitely Maybe (5) Paton's Tears
8th Race: (4) Quest From Afar (6) West Point (1) Ridge To Reef (12) Fantasy Flower