David Thiselton
THERE was a gulf between the respective purchase prices of the Mike de Kock-trained Malmoos and the Paul Matchett-trained War Of Athena but their now closely related careers provide a fine opportunity to highlight what the oft misused racing term “value” really means.
Both horses have just one 2450m hurdle between them and respective WSB Triple Crown and Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara glory after being given superb respective rides by Luke Ferraris and Muzi Yeni on Saturday in the Grade 1 WSB SA Classic and Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic.
Ferraris is fast gaining a reputation for his ice cool big race temperament and Yeni displayed his understanding of pace when playing his part in the successful implementation of War Of Athena’s pre-race strategy.
It is well documented that War Of Athena cost just R30,000.
The only filly that now stands between her and the Equus Champion Three-year-old filly crown is Cape stalwart Captain’s Ransom.
War Of Athena’s pedigree runs deep too so she is already commanding big paddock value.
However, she still has some way to go to match the value which Malmoos’ third dam Secret Pact represented.
Varsfontein Stud broke a South Africa record price for a broodmare when they went to R750,000 to secure Secret Pact at a dispersal sale in 1998.
They had shortlisted her from the Cheveley Stud draught at the 1992 Yearling Sales but held back as they were not convinced by Bush Telegraph as a sire and had questions about the family.
However, her full-brother London News then set the tracks alight and their determination to not make the same mistake twice was behind the record price of 1998.
Secret Pact was destined to become one of the leading matriarchs in the South African stud book and that R750,000 now looks like small change.
Varsfontein will reap the rewards of her influence for years to come. This was evident when Malmoos fetched R4,4 million at the 2019 National Yearling Sales and even that price can now be described as good value considering his racing class and his blue-blooded pedigree.
He is a son of Champion Sire Captain Al and his stakes-winning dam Justthewayyouare is a half-sister to the successful stallion Master Of My Fate.
Justthewayyouare and Master Of My Fate are the progeny of Secret Pact’s dual Grade 1-winning champion daughter Promisefrommyheart.
Another of Secret Pact’s Grade 1-winning daughters, Covenant, is dam of the current three-year-old Erik The Red, who has already been retired to stud as a superb looking winner of six races in ten starts, including two Grade 2s and a Grade 3.
Another of her stakes-winning daughters, Secret Heart, produced the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf winner and sire Pluck.
Other bold black type descendants of Secret Pact include Captain Splendid, Ghaala, Due Diligence, Favorita, Hashtagyolo, Hack Green and the USA-bred Three Hearts.
Malmoos unfortunately faces an uncertain future with the recent announcement that his owner Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum will disband the Thoroughbred holdings of Shadwell Stud Australasia and sell off his star horses in Australia and South Africa over the next few months.
The classy colt will surely still be with De Kock for his WSB Triple Crown bid in the Grade 1 WSB SA Derby on April 3.
However, the question is whether he will still be here for the SA Champions Season as he had Vodacom Durban July candidate stamped all over him in the manner of his victory on Saturday.
Malmoos has fine gatespeed so from draw six out of ten was going to require some luck, considering the handy to front-running pair Shah Akbar and Bingwa were in the field.
And so it proved because after initially being caught wide of Binga, who had waited for Shah Akbar to slot into the lead in front of him, Malmoos was provided with fortuitous cover by Dr Doolittle, who on the back of slow initial fractions pulled his way around the favourite into a position one wide and one back.
In the straight Ferraris soon realised Dr Doolittle was going nowhere so switched Malmoos out at the 600m mark. He did so in the nick of time as he otherwise risked being boxed in by Catch Twentytwo. Gavin Lerena aboard the latter had also summed up the situation and had switched off Malmoos’s heels a split second earlier.
Meanwhile, Second Base was bursting through towards the inside.
Ferraris knew he had a lot of horse underneath him and let out just enough rein to join Second Base.
He remained cool until the 150m mark before drawing the stick.
Malmoos then accelerated away to win by a cosy two lengths.
Runner up Second Base can also be pencilled in as a July candidate.
Catch Twentytwo was beaten only 2,25 lengths but could not match the turn of foot of the first two and was only making inroads in the final 100m, so it is questionable whether he will enjoy Hollywoodbets Greyville.
The big Judpot colt Flying Carpet, a 2,75 length fourth, was eyecatching in looks and performance. Raymond Danielson had some difficulty in reining him back into last position and yet he still ran on exceptionally well in the straight.
Fifth-placed Bold Jazz also stayed on well.
War Of Athena’s connections, in planning their strategy, had a number of known factors in their favour, i.e. she was proven better than the field, she relaxes well in the running and she has a tremendous turn of foot. There was only one unknown factor, the 1800m distance. On pedigree she should easily stay that trip but they had no need to risk finding out and thus nullified the stamina question mark by setting relatively slow fractions in front with War Of Athena’s pacemaker Only The Brave.
The small Act Of War filly used her turn of foot to maximum effect and won easing up by 1,80 lengths from the outsider Netta with Magical Flight a further 2,45 lengths back in third.
