Punta Arenas charges clear to win the Cup Trial
Philippi trainer Stan Elley may have been training racehorses for over four decades, but few winners could have given him more satisfaction than Punta Arenas’ facile victory in Saturday’s R250 000 Gr3 Cup Trial at Greyville. Looked at holistically, it was the standout July prep of the weekend – and let’s not forget that it was the son of Silvano’s first win in over two years!
Punta Arenas was pegged at 18th position on the Vodacom Durban July log when it was rehashed for the second time on Tuesday 2 June and there must have been a few borderline connections that had quietly hoped for the Badge Boys’ 6yo gelding to run down the drain and work himself out of contention.
He has, after all, had two previous July tilts, finishing best in 2014 when a sixth place behind Legislate – or was it Wylie Hall?
Let’s face it. Punta Arenas is yet to win anything better than a Gr3 – and that was in the dreary dark dead of the Cape winter close on three year back when he beat the current PE Gold Cup double hopeful Crown Of Gold and a surprise subsequent J&B Met winner in Hill Fifty Four. No doubt, Joey Ramsden, Tara Laing and Vaughan Marshall will endorse that form as quality. But it is little more than a paragraph in the modern history text-books of Cape racing.
And despite the lack of silverware on the mantlepiece, Punta Arenas has always been the classic fringe horse and run some fair races to the best around. His earnings – now over R1 milion – bear testimony to that. And Stan hasn’t exactly raced him every week.
When he lines up on 4 July for his third time lucky potshot at July glory, it will be just his 34th career start. He can write his name into racing’s folklore by giving one of the game’s true gentleman, and a small time trainer, a rip roaring send off.
What a story that would be!
When Ian Sturgeon produced Punta Arenas from a poor draw and 12 lengths back in the home straight on Saturday, he cut them down and made them look ordinary. It was also apparently a 150th winner for the Badge Boys, who have been Elley’s biggest supporters over the years.
Jockey Ian Sturgeon was over the moon:
“He has a helluva turn of foot and booked his July berth. He really put this field to sleep,” he said.
Stan Elley confirmed that opinion.
Mike De Kock’s 2014 Gold Cup runner up Wild One, having his first run in 45 weeks, ran a cracking prep to fly through late for second 1,25 lengths back.
He beat Dynamic, who looks to be a few lengths short of a serious July shout.
Helderberg Blue had every chance from a 1 draw under Anton Marcus and stayed on for fourth, ahead of Kochka, who looked to have not seen out the extra 200m.
The winner’s stablemate Dynastic Power, failed to live up to his dazzling Gr2 Betting World 1900 win of a fortnight ago and ran downfield.
He had been treated for an abcess on his hoof and the run is best ignored. He will take his chances in the July according to his trainer, and looks safe off his log position at 15, given the form and crcumstances of a few of those behind him.
The Maine Chance bred Punta Arenas was a R525 000 National Yearling Sale buy.
This was his fifth win from 33 starts for 12 places and R1 136 635 in stakes.
He is by Silvano out of the unraced Candy Stripes mare Peru – a half sister to the well performed Paraca.
What price Punta Arenas for the July?
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Gr3 Cup Trial (SAf-Gr3)
Greyville, South Africa, June 6, R250k, 1800m, turf, good, 1.48.73
1 – PUNTA ARENAS (SAF), 58.0, b g 6, Silvano (GER) – Peru (SNL) by Candy Stripes (USA). Owner Messrs M I Fullard, J H Drew & D Watson-Smith; Breeder Maine Chance; trainer S Elley; jockey I Sturgeon
2 – Wild One (SAF), 54.5, b h 5, Mogok (USA) – Endangered Species (SAF) by Sapieha (IRE)
3 – Dynamic (SAF), 55.5, b g 5, Dynasty (SAF) – Lanquid Lady (USA) by Theatrical (IRE)
Margins: 1.25, 0.50, 0.75
