SA champion trainer – jockey combination Sean Tarry and S’manga Khumalo made a cracking start to Classic Day at Turffontein on Saturday when they won the first three races on the card, including the opening feature.
Green Plains skips clear under S’manga Khumalo (Pic – JC Photos)
With a dramatic victory in the 2016 renewal of this feature under the belt with the talented Cloth Of Cloud, the champion pair had been this road before and the result was never in doubt.
Only six 2yo fillies turned up for the R200 000 Gr3 Pretty Polly Stakes, and with Tarry holding the aces with 50% of the field, it was hardly surprising to see him pick up the first two cheques.
Khumalo had the 14-10 favourite Green Plains tucked up two lengths off the gallop and produced the daughter of Gimmethegreenlight at the 450m mark.
It turned into a race for second at that stage as the pacy bay stretched well to win going away by 2,75 lengths in a time of 62,91s.
Stablemate Celestina, still a maiden, acquitted herself well to secure the R40 000 second cheque, while Star Profile was a half length back in third.
The Gary Player Stud-bred Green Plains is a fifth stakes winner for form sire Gimmethegreenlight, who also sired the winner of the Listed East Cape Guineas 24 hours earlier.
A R350 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale purchase, the winner races in the silks of leading owner Chris van Niekerk and is a first foal of the one-time winning Jet Master mare, Savannah Leigh.
She was registering her first stakes win and has won twice from three starts with one place for stakes of R202 250.
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Gr3 Pretty Polly Stakes (SAf-Gr3)
Turffontein, South Africa, April 1, R200k, 1100m, turf, good, 1.02.91
1 – GREEN PLAINS (SAF), 58.0, b f 2, Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) – Savannah Leigh (SAF) by Jet Master (SAF). Owner Mr C J H Van Niekerk; Breeder Gary Player Stud; trainer SG Tarry; jockey S Khumalo
2 – Celestina (SAF), 55.0, b f 2, Kahal (GB) – Sully’s Landing (SAF) by Jet Master (SAF)
3 – Star Profile (SAF), 58.0, b f 2, Bold Silvano (SAF) – West Wacker (SAF) by Western Winter (USA)
Margins: 2.75, 0.50, 0.50
