Graeme Hawkins

On the form of last season, the Glenn Kotzen-trained Rascova looked well held by both Mrs Geriatrix and Winter Cloud but that proved to be of little account in Saturday’s R400 000 Western Cape Fillies Championship (Gr 2) over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville as the daughter of Lancaster Bomber stormed home from pillar-to-post under Craig Zackey to score a dominant victory.

Racing in the now familiar blue and white silks of Eugene and Sandy Arundel’s Itssa It & Business Solutions, Rascova, who was voted KZN’s Champion 2yo filly of last season, defied odds of 40/1 to make a sensational start to her 3yo campaign. The race was over as a contest halfway up the home stretch and it was left to the well-supported Double Grand Slam and the winner’s stable companion, Royals, to chase her home, but they were more than three lengths adrift at the line.

So, what happened to Mrs Geriatrix and Winter Cloud? It’s not a good habit in our profession to make excuses for beaten horses but sometimes you just have to pretend a race “never happened”. Things went completely awry from the start for Mrs Geriatrix (just as with then unbeaten Lucky Lad on World Pool Gold Cup raceday), only this time Mrs Geriatrix was drawn 5 and not 15 as was the case with Lucky Lad. Nonetheless Mrs Geriatrix never settled, had difficulty in trying to negotiate the Durbanville corner and found herself hopelessly wide on the bend.

Even the most optimistic fan of Mrs Geriatrix would have known then already that the writing was on the wall, and it was testimony to her courage and ability that she recovered somewhat to finish fifth. I chatted to Sean on Sunday morning and fortunately it would appear that, save for a few minor “cuts and scratches”, Mrs Geriatrix pulled up sound and the R1,25million WSB Fillies Guineas (Gr 1) on 2 December is still very much on her radar.

Winter Cloud on the other hand was not persevered with and trailed in more than thirteen lengths behind Rascova. She was also headstrong in the early stages and never travelled comfortably, but fortunately the own sister to Clouds Unfold has also pulled up well and was in good shape on Sunday morning. Speaking to Candice Bass-Robinson, she is keeping an open mind as far as the WSB Fillies Guineas is concerned, as she harbours some doubt as to whether Winter Cloud will be effective over 1600m. The Sceptre Stakes may be her preferred route, leaving Beach Bomb as one of the stable’s Fillies Guineas’ options.

Saturday’s race meeting at Durbanville also saw the return of the reigning Horse-of-the-Year, Princess Calla, in a Cape A Stakes over 1250m, and what a fine comeback run it was. Fourie gave the 6yo mare every chance, but she just failed to get to terms with the in-form and race-fit King Regent with a neck separating the pair at the post. Princess Calla, having her first run since winning the 1800m HKJC Champions Cup (Gr 1) in July, will no doubt come on a ton from this race and looks very much on track for another highly successful Cape Summer Season. Given her versatility, Tarry is spoilt for choice when plotting the immediate way forward for Princess Calla.

But all credit to King Regent, who is clearly a sprinter of some class. Although he has been tried over varying distances of up to 1800m, it is clear that the son of Dynasty is in fact a quality sprinter. He is unbeaten over 1200m to 1250m with all four career victories coming over these distances. Given his pedigree, one can’t blame Glenn Kotzen for believing King Regent should be effective over further, but the formbook certainly suggests otherwise.

The “old man” and former Champion Sprinter, Rio Querari, was doing his best work late to grab third spot ahead of the winner’s stable-mate Countdown and it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that the 7yo son of Querari could add another major victory to his impressive CV.

Trainer Piet Botha has done an amazing job with Montien, and the son of Louis The King stepped up in class with aplomb to deny Richard Fourie and Royal Aussie victory in the R300 000 Cape Mile (Gr 3). Royal Aussie appeared to be in control with 200m to run but Montien found another gear close home and snatched victory in the shadow of the post. Cosmic Highway ran on steadily at the finish to complete the Trifecta. Unfortunately, Trip Of Fortune bled (bilateral epistaxis) and was pulled out of the race halfway up the home straight.

On a highly frustrating afternoon for Richard Fourie, he also had to settle for the runner-up berth in the 1000m Laisserfaire Stakes (Listed) on the well-backed favourite October Morn. In a fast run race October Morn settled about five lengths off Candy Town with the speedy Baltic Secret in a handy position. Baltic Secret took over from Candy Town approaching the final 200m, getting first run on October Morn who accelerated smartly but failed narrowly to make up the leeway.