The old feature firm of Sean Tarry and Smanga ‘Bling’ Khumalo teamed up to win the R500 000 HKJC World Pool Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes with the Drakenstein-bred and raced 3yo Green Sapphire at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.
Green Sapphire (Smanga Khumalo) ran a top-class race under the dazzling new lights at Hollywoodbets Greyville (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
A winner of the Gr3 Umzhimkulu Stakes at end March, and then a no show on soft ground in the WSB Fillies Guineas at her last start, Green Sapphire ran a top-class race under the dazzling new lights after being caught wide out for much of the 1400m.
Into the final stages, Cape raider Callmegetrix (8-1) continued to roll out front and it took some intensely determined riding from the former SA Champion Khumalo to get the Drakenstein galloper to go and grab the leader.
Inside the final 100m, Green Sapphire (25-2) lifted her game and grabbed the gallant Callmegetrix to win by 0,40 lengths in a time of 85,71 secs.
Sprouting wings, Minogue (6-1) came from the clouds to grab third a further head back, with Oxalis Gold (8-1) rounding off the quartet in another closely contested feature finish.
Bred and owned by Drakenstein Stud, Green Sapphire has won 5 of 10 starts for 4 places and stakes of R764 938.
Green Sapphire is out of the Trippi mare Sapphire Gem, and is thus bred on the same Gimmethegreenlight-Trippi cross as the Gr1 winners Gimme A Prince and She’s A Keeper, as well as the graded stakes winning fillies, Green Diamond and Gimmie’s Countess.
