The Moutonshoek bred Mambo In Seattle gelding Fortune Fella showed genuine stamina when leading all the way of the 2850m to win the R250 000 Gr3 Caradoc Gold Cup at Turffontein on Saturday.
Muzi Yeni gets Fortune Fella to come right back and win a cracker. Cool Chardonnay (Callan Murray) ran a close-up fourth (Pics – JC Photos)
Despite two obvious odds-on bankers in the Pick 6, the big exotic paid a healthy dividend of R75 316 and this was rounded off and boosted by the arrival of the 10-1 Fortune Fella in the final leg.
Ten of them jumped at the 2850m marker and Muzi Yeni had no hesitation in taking Fortune Fella out to lead at a relaxed gallop.
He maintained his superiority the whole way around and into the home straight, where Anthony Delpech produced the gallant former Cape-based mare Marmalady down the inside and she grabbed a length on Fortune Fella.
At the 250m marker Fortune Fella came back to regain the lead with Cool Chardonnay and Arch Rival chasing hard.
But nothing had the juice to stay with Fortune Fella, who was brought to the races fit and full of fire by Devin Little, and he outgunned the rest to go on and win by a half length in a time of 190,87 secs.
Gavin Lerena came on best of the rest on Arch Rival, to head the omnipresent Marmalady into third, with another head away to Cool Chardonnay.
Fortune Fella was bred by Moutonshoek and is a 4yo gelded son of Mambo In Seattle out of the Al Mufti mare, Carnival Girl.
He looks a fair stayer in the making and was winning his third race with 5 places from 12 starts for stakes of R328 750.
_________
Gr3 Caradoc Gold Cup (SAf-Gr3)
Turffontein, South Africa, April 2, R250k, 2850m, turf, good, 3.10.87
1 – FORTUNE FELLA (SAF), 52.5, b g 4, Mambo In Seattle (USA) – Carnival Girl (SAF) by Al Mufti (USA). Owner Mr D Fleischman; Breeder Moutonshoek; trainer D Little; jockey M Yeni
2 – Arch Rival (SAF), 55.5, ch h 5, A P Arrow (USA) – Competitive Edge (SAF) by National Emblem (SAF)
3 – Marmalady (AUS), 54.5, b m 5, Duke Of Marmalade (IRE) – Heaven Instead (AUS) by Carnegie (IRE)
Margins: 0.50, 0.10, 0.10
