The exotic bomb dropped at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday with the Tobie Spies pair of recent 40-1 maiden winner Cockney Pride and Devon Air Stakes victress What You Are dominating matters in the R600 000 Gr2 Golden Slipper.
A prolific and fearless traveller with his horses to the far flung reaches of South Africa, it is something of an anomaly that there is often little respect in the betting markets for the Spies runners.
Craig Zackey makes the Gr2 win look easy as Cockney Pride storms clear (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
That was the case again in the 2yo fillies feature, with the Spies exacta paying a healthy R281, while all the hype and interest was in the Duke Of Marmalade filly, True To Life, from the Johan Janse Van Vuuren yard.
After the Spies pacemaker Singforafa had cried enough, there was a roar from the crowd as Anton Marcus produced Tue To Life with what looked like a double handful down the centre of the track. Whether by design or not, Craig Zackey had been following the Van Vuuren runner and he switched Cockney Pride out and she coasted by True To Life.
Zackey then had to contend with his stakes winning stablemate What You Are, who had slipped through on the outside.
In the run to the wire, Cockney Pride asserted herself and she stayed on best to beat What You Are by 0,70 lengths in a time of 84,63 secs.
Gabor came out of the pack to snare the third cheque in a PA knockout.
Gr1 Allan Robertson runner-up Cavivar ran on strongly for fourth to turn the tables on her conqueror Miss Florida – who ran stone last.
Craig Zackey said that he had opted for the ride on Cockney Pride over the well-performed stablemate Singforafa, as the winner had given him a top-class feel when she had won her maiden.
“She has scope, she’s athletic and she has a bright future,” he said.
Bred by Ambiance Stud, the winner is by Maine Chance stallion Querari (Oasis Dream) out of the Rakeen mare, Lovely Jubbly.
A R150 000 National 2yo Sale buy, she has won 2 of her 3 starts and has earned R440 625.
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Gr2 Golden Slipper (SAf-Gr2)
Greyville, South Africa, July 6, R600k, 1400m, turf, good, 1.24.63
1 – COCKNEY PRIDE (SAF), 60.0, b f 2, Querari (GER) – Lovely Jubbly (SAF) by Rakeen (USA). Owner Messrs A Pawson, F N Englezakis, D S Jolly, R P Macnab & T Spies; Breeder Ambiance Stud; trainer T Spies; jockey C Zackey
2 – What You Are (SAF), 60.0, b f 2, Captain Of All (SAF) – Twinkle Star (SAF) by Counter Action (SAF)
3 – Gabor (SAF), 60.0, b f 2, Kingsbarns (IRE) – Se Agabor (SAF) by Trippi (USA)
Margins: 0.70, 1.50, 1.10
