Fighting Fit. Alcanina (right) comes home strongly to win the Man O’ War
A promising unbeaten daughter of Mogok downed the boys in a terrific display to win the R200 000 Gr3 Man O’War Sprint at Turffontein on Saturday.
While she came in with a handy galloping weight in the 1100m race after a lowly handicap win at her post maiden run, there was little to show that Alcanina would prove competitive against some very fast males. But she proved us wrong, when winning in emphatic style at 10 to 1.
The pace was on from the jump with Cookie Monster leading the way, closely followed by NiceStride and Strongmind and Mogok’s Desire, with Alcanina in the mix.
Inside the 300m Nice Stride looked dangerous as he moved forward to challenge Cookie Monster, but Karl Zechner was at work on Alcanina and she went on best of the three.
Alcanina won by 0,75 lengths in a time of 63,82 secs.
Wearing blinkers for the first time, the consistently versatile Cookie Monster stayed on nicely for second just ahead of Nice Stride.
The favourite Contador was never in the hunt and ran a disappointing 9,10 lengths off the winner with only two behind him.
Winning jockey Karl Zechner, who was to score a Group race double on the day, said that he came into the race confident in view of her weight pull. “She fought them off gamely and she is probably looking for a little bit further,” he said. Zechner has been in the saddle on all three races on Alcanina.
Trainer Brian Wiid said afterwards that she had won a good race in a very competitive field. “I think she will get a bit further. She is special as she was named after my granddaughters. And it is lovely on the big day as at least I seem capable of trainng a winner now and again,” he said with a smile.
Alcanina was bred by G&H Hodges and is by Mogok out of the four time winning Lambent Light mare In The Gloaming.
She is now undefeated in her three starts to date and has earned R218 750.
Result:
Man O’War Sprint (SAf-G3) (3/30)
Turffontein, South Africa, March 30, R200.000, 1100m, turf, good, 1.03.62
ALCANINA (SAF), 51.5, b f 3, Mogok (USA) – In The Gloaming (SAF) by Lambent
Light (USA). Owner BO Wiid, G Hodges, CK Yussuf; breeder G & H Hodges;
trainer BO Wiid; jockey K Zechner (R125.000)
Cookie Monster (SAF), 54.0, ch g 3, Kahal (GB) – Dream Starling (SAF) by
Northern Guest (USA)
Nice Stride (SAF), 57.0, ch g 3, Imperial Stride (GB) – Woodntitbenice (SAF)
by Fort Wood (USA)
Margins: ¾, nk, 2
