The Boland Stud-bred Var filly Cup Cake stole the show at Fairview on Friday with a facile victory in the R80 000 Breeders Guineas Plate to give S’manga Khumalo a hat-trick of winners on the afternoon.
Cup Cake and S’manga Khumalo are on their own where it counts (Pic – Coastal Photos)
Owner Fred Crabbia is enjoying a good run and he registered a double with the same trainer-jockey combination, with the fast improving Captain Quick coming home strongly to win an MR 71 Handicap a few races earlier.
But the day belonged to Cup Cake, a winner now of 4 of her 5 turf starts and she is a typical example of gutsy dynamite in a small package, with the heart of a lion to match.
Her racing career has been restricted to Port Elizabeth but she hails from a good family of winners – her half-brother Captain Aldo (Captain Al) won the Listed Wolf Power 1600 two weeks back – and it would be no surprise to see her take her chances up in KZN for the forthcoming Champions Season.
Lethal up to 1400m, Cup Cake went off at 2-1 second choice in the ten horse field, with the real support for the promising Kanara, who touched 18-10.
The 1400m turf non black-type contest was a formality, with Cup Cake jumping keenly and grabbing the lead early on, as she led easily.
Into the straight, she continued to find and then showed the sign of a decent horse, as she kicked again to draw clear to win by 3,25 lengths in a time of 84,27 secs.
S’manga Khumalo -cool ride from the front
It was a typically professional ride by Khumalo, who didn’t fight his mount, where lesser jockeys may have tried to settle her. Assistant Des Mclachlan saddled the winner for the Snaiths.
Girl In Time ran on nicely for second, with her stablemate Misnomer running a cracker for third.
The favourite Kanara faded disappointingly to finish 4,05 lengths back and out of the cash.
A R350 000 National Yearling Sale graduate, the Boland Stud bred Cup Cake is a daughter of Var out of the three-time winning Elliodor mare, Cuddle Me.
She has been a model of genuine consistency, winning 4 of 8 starts, for 4 places and R210 200 in stakes.
Trainers Duncan McKenzie and Alan Greeff shared the training honours with the Snaiths, with a double apiece.
