Dennis Bosch flyer Cue The Music maintained his unbeaten record from two starts and signalled his Gr1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion intentions with a facile victory in the R200 000 Gr3 Godolphin Barb at Scottsville on Sunday.
Anton Marcus and Cue The Music are tuned to the minute (Pic – Candiese Marnewick/Gold Circle)
In a disappointingly small field of seven, the red-hot Brett Crawford yard saddled Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes winner Traces, who attracted plenty of support to start an 18-10 favourite. But the one-eyed Australian-bred son of Snitzel had no answers to local star Cue The Music, who had shed his maiden on the Greyille polytrack three weeks earlier in facile fashion.
A horse earmarked as ‘something special’ early on by top jockeys Anton Marcus and Anthony Delpech, the well related Cue The Music duly delivered on his first run on the turf.
Allowed by Anton Marcus to track the Tobie Spies galloper Van Halen (another Oratorio), Cue The Music picked it up at the 300m and drew clear to beat Van Halen by an unextended 3 lengths in a time of 61,6 secs.
Oratorio thus marked his first SA Graded Stakes winner and his 51st black-type winner in style, as he sired the top two to finish. The Oratorio duo drew well clear of the third placed Traces, who was close on 4 lengths further back. The Crawford runner held off a late challenge from Goliath Heron, who had to settle for fourth.
Dennis Bosch – nice sort on his hands
Dennis Bosch described the winner as ‘the most expensive horse in my yard’. Racing Manager Des Gonzalves was on course to represent owner Mario Ferreira.
Anton Marcus suggested the best will be seen from Cue The Music as a 3yo – which must literally be music to the ears of his connections, based on what he has shown early!
A half-brother to Equus champion Val De Ra (Var), Cue The Music was purchased for R1,6 million off the 2017 Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale. He was bred by Avontuur from their international stakes producing sire Oratorio (Danehill) out of the prolific winner producing Minelli (Elliodor).
With his two-from-two strike, Cue The Music took his earnings to R190 625 and looks to add further to that on the big Scottsville sprint day on 26 May.
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Gr3 Godolphin Barb Stakes (SAf-Gr3)
Scottsville, South Africa, April 29, R200k, 1100m, turf, soft, 1.01.06
1 – CUE THE MUSIC (SAF), 60.0, b c 2, Oratorio (IRE) – Minelli (SAF) by Elliodor (FR). Owner Mr M J A Ferreira; Breeder Avontuur Farm; trainer DS Bosch; jockey A Marcus
2 – Van Halen (SAF), 60.0, b g 2, Oratorio (IRE) – Rock Concert (SAF) by Lecture (USA)
3 – Traces (AUS), 60.0, b c 2, Snitzel (AUS) – Traceability (AUS) by Charge Forward (AUS)
Margins: 3.00, 3.75, 0.05
