Former Equus Champion Elusive Fort has had a great run of success this season, and his form continued when his daughter Elusive Heart won Friday’s Listed East Cape Paddock Stakes over 1600m at Fairview racecourse.
The five-year-old mare had finished second in the Listed East Cape Breeders Stakes at her previous start but made amends for that defeat with a convincing win in Friday’s R85 000 feature.
Luyolo Mxothwa drives Elusive Heart to victory (Pic -Pauline Herman Photography)
Elusive Heart was given a fine ride by Luyolo Mxothwa, who did well to get his mount in from a wide draw of 11, to second place off the front runner Dancing In Seattle.
When the front runner faded out of contention, 300m from home, it was left to Elusive Heart and tote favourite Madame Speaker to fight out the finish, with the former proving too strong for the favourite.
Elusive Heart bounded clear to post a fluent one length win over last year’s runner up, and former East Cape champion, Madame Speaker.
The Kotzen trained Elusive Heart claimed her seventh win from 28 starts in a time of 98.\,71, with the five-year-old having now finished first, second or third in nine black type races.
Bred by Narrow Creek Stud, Elusive Heart, an R100 000 buy from the 2016 Val De Vie Yearling Sale, has now earned R828 475 in prize money.
The mare’s victory continued the great run enjoyed by her G1 SA Derby winning sire Elusive Fort, also responsible for this season’s Gr1 SA Derby winner Out Of Your League, 2019-2020 stakes winners Chitengo and Elusive Trader, and recent Klawervlei Farm Sale Graduate Race winner Kommetdieding.
Triple Gr1 winner Elusive Fort, whose notable recent winners include promising debut winner Red Ten, has five lots on the upcoming National Yearling Sale.
