Stalwart Cape trainer Brett Crawford seldom leaves KZN in the autumn without a Graded trophy in the bag and he secured his first big race victory of this year’s SA Champions Season on Saturday when the speedy four-year-old Dynasty filly Alexis proved her liking for Greyville by running on strongly under stable jockey Corne Orffer to win the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m.

Crawford admitted 1400m was probably the small filly’s best trip. However, she gets a mile and will line up next in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m on Vodacom Durban July day.

Alexis has now won three of her four starts at Greyville, including last season’s Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas, which proved her effectiveness over a mile. The Connemara Stud-bred filly is owned by Delma Sherrell, whose former Springbok rugby-playing son Lance has become very passionate about horseracing and made a rare non-appearance on course on Saturday.

The Mike Bass-trained pair Silver Mountain and Inara ran second and fourth respectively in the Tibouchina. Assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe was pleased with both runs going into the Garden Province. They were split by the ever-improving Weiho Marwing-trained Sensible Lover, whose days of being sent out in big races at long prices are over, despite her still relatively lowly merit rating of 95. She is also an entry in the Garden Province.

The front-running Duncan Howells-trained Little Black Number was swamped late but earned a cheque for a gallant fifth place finish.

The Frank Robinson-trained Olma raced wide from a high draw and finished a 2,75 length sixth. However, Piere Strydom climbed off and immediately asked Robinson for the ride in the Garden Province, which the latter obviously jumped at.

In the Garden Province Alexis has drawn 15 of the 21 nominations, Silver Mountain has drawn five, Sensible Lover eight, Inara four and Olma thirteen.

Crawford’s charges have tended to need their first runs in KZN this season, so should all be watched from now on in.

He later sent out Big Cat in the Gr 2 Cup Trial, but this horse did not appear to be himself and ran last.

Big Cat’s passionate part-owners James Drew and Mike Fullard also have shares in Punta Arenas, who ran ninth in the Cup Trial for the Dennis Drier yard.

The pair had a rare winter last year in which they had no concerns about the perennial borderline Punta Arenas qualifying for the July, as he won the Cup Trial, before going on to finish an unlucky second in the big one. However, it a reversion to finger-nail chewing time again this year.

Drew was initially disappointed in Punta Arenas run on Saturday. However, he was later shocked to see he had only finished 2,65 lengths back, so then became hopeful again as the horse had carried topweight off his 107 merit rating and in his opinion had fulfilled the criteria of “showing his well-being.”

David Thiselton