It is unusual for a Port Elizabeth horse to be seen running in features in the major centres of Cape Town, KZN and Johannesburg let alone winning them, but Yvette Bremner has already achieved the latter feat twice this season.
On Saturday her assistant trainer Carl Hewitson took the speedy Rebel King filly Princess Rebel to Kenilworth to run in the Grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m and she led from pillar to post under Carl’s SA Champion Jockey son Lyle to win by a cosy 2,25 lengths, beating the like of Magical Wonderland.
Last month the yard took their exciting three-year-old gelding National Park to run in the Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein and he slammed some good horses, including the highly regarded Chimichri Run, by 5,8 lengths under Ryan Munger.
National Park then started favourite for the prestigious Grade 2 Investec Dingaans over 1600m but finished a disappointing fourth, beaten 7,4 lengths by the top class prospect Hawwaam.
Carl said he believed the altitude might have affected the horse in the Dingaans and indeed there is anecdotal evidence that coastal horses raiding the Highveld hit a flat spot at about the 19 day mark that can last for a week. National Park’s Dingaans run would have fallen exactly in this period and Carl also pointed out the race had not panned out well as he had found himself having to do “the donkey work” in front, unlike in the Graham Beck when sitting just off the pace.
National Park is currently having a rest, but Carl said he had been “going bananas” in his paddock and looked keen to get back into work. He will be brought back shortly and aimed at the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas.
Carl said the yard would like to keep four-year-old Princess Rebel to the minimum trip of 1000m as her career record over this trip to date read six wins and two seconds in eight starts. This was despite her staying on strongly on Saturday over the tough Kenilworth 1000m.
The yard are thus likely going to avoid the Sceptre Stakes in Cape Town, as that is over 1200m, and are leaning towards the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein as her next out of province target. They also have no plans at present for the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint, which is over 1200m at Scottsville.
By David Thiselton
