Jet Belle and Greg Cheyne pose for the camera in an easy win
Paarl-based trainer Glen Kotzen made it two feature winners on the afternoon when the versatile Jet Master mare Jet Belle registered a second R150 000 Gr3 Poinsettia Stakes victory in a row when scoring an easy win at Scottsville on Sunday.
Jet Belle had won the 2014 Poinsettia Stakes when it was run for the last time at Clairwood. She showed no nerves in her first appearance at Scottsville and proved again that she is a versatile, classy galloper – she has won from 1160m to Gr2 2000m and is also multiple Gr1 placed.
The plan this season is to change course slightly and Kotzen said that she was being aimed at the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint next month.
The race panned out perfectly for Jet Belle as she relaxed five lengths off as the favourite Rich Girl showed the way, with Caviar, Littleblacknumber and Varikate in attendance.
With Varikate looking dangerous down the outside, Cheyne slipped Jet Belle through a gap at the 300m as Rich Girl went out the back door.
Varikate and Jet Belle briefly matched strides before the latter took control and charged clear to win by 4 lengths in a time of 68,23 secs.
Varikate ran another solid race for second ahead of the Australian bred Goldie Coast in third.
Jet Belle was bred by Luke Bailes and is by Jet Master out of the seven time winning Ahmed mare, Bella Bianca-interestingly a former Gold Cup winner!
She took her stakes tally to R1 173 200 from her 7 wins and 6 places from her 21 starts and was a genuine bargain R275 000 National Yearling Sale buy, with a promising paddock career still ahead of her.
Drakenstein Stud bought into her a few seasons ago and race her with original owner Colin Bird.
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Gr3 Poinsettia Stakes (SAf-Gr3)
Scottsville, South Africa, April 26, R150k, 1200m, turf, good, 1.08.23
1 – JET BELLE (SAF), 60.0, b m 5, Jet Master (SAF) – Bella Bianca (ARG) by Ahmad (ARG). Owner Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert) & Mr Colin Bird; Breeder TL Bailes; trainer GS Kotzen; jockey G Cheyne
2 – Varikate (SAF), 60.0, ch m 5, Var (USA) – Katies Star (SAF) by Modern Day (USA)
3 – Goldie Coast (AUS), 58.0, ch f 4, Choisir (AUS) – Drama Of Life (USA) by Royal Academy (USA)
Margins: 4.00, 0.15, 0.15
