DATE: Saturday, 23 May 2015
AGE/ CONDITION: Fillies and Mares at Weight – For – Age
ENTRIES: 11:00am Friday, 8 May 2015 – Fee: R 1368
SUPP ENTRIES: 11:00am Friday, 15 May 2015 – Fee R 5472
WEIGHTS: Friday, 8 May 2015
DECLARATIONS: 11:00am Monday, 18 May 2015 – Fee R 5472
2014 CITY OF PIETERMARTZBURG FILLIES SPRINT (GRADE 1)
Horse: Via Africa
Jockey: Kevin Shea
Trainer: Duncan Howells
Owners: Messrs A J Boshoff & G A Haiptfleisch
Breeder: Mr G A Hauptfleisch
About CITY OF PIETERMARTZBURG FILLIES SPRINT (GRADE 1):
Initially run as the Natal Fillies Sprint and making its appearance on the programme for the first time in 1971 with a stake of R5 000, this weight-for-age race for fillies and mares is the ultimate test for the ladies on the South African calendar. The status of the race was upgraded in 1984 when it became the South African Fillies Sprint and has carried Grade 1 status for some years.
The top sprinting fillies and mares in South Africa meet in this race and the list of winners includes great speed horses like Mildenhall, Paschal, Marie Galante. Joie De Grise and Lassefaire, the last three having each won the race twice.
In recent years there have been the two Sean Tarry-trained fillies National Colour who set a new race record in 2006 and stable companion Ethereal Lady who broke that record and established the quickest time ever for the race of 67.23 seconds last year.
ROLL OF HONOUR:
2014
As expected, the four-year-old Var filly Via Africa won the R600 000, Grade 1 The City Of Pietermaritzburg SA Fillies Sprint but it was only by a whisker. Having led throughout under Kevin Shea she looked home and hosed until the Mike Bass-trained Jet Master filly Fly By Night produced a devastating finishing burst under stable jockey Grant van Niekerk to close rapidly on the tiring Via Africa to fail by the shortest of short heads. Via Africa won this race last year and at the weights looked impossible to beat. She led for most of the way and it looked like she would complete the double comfortably but it was not to be and her win was by the narrowest winning margin she had ever had to endure. Jet Aglow from the Dennis Drier yard ran a super race to take third place ahead of another outsider Varikate from the Justin Snaith yard.
2013
In the South African Fillies Sprint the large crowd was treated to a spectacular performance by the fabulous filly Via Africa as she led from the start and accelerated in the final rush to the line to win majestically by a length. She beat the top fillies Festival Of Fire, Princess Victoria and All Is Secret and trainer Duncan Howells commented that she was a brilliant filly and the public didn’t know just how good she was.
2012
1st Ebony Flyer; 2nd Welwitschia; 3rd She’s A Stunner; 4th Chocolicious.
