Grant Van Niekerk and Inara (inside) get up to beat Cold As Ice (Piere Strydom) in a thriller (Bay Media)
Some days are diamonds, some days are stone. Just ask Joey Ramsden. After a heady summer of glorious Group race victories, the Milnerton conditioner banked three relatively modest feature runner-up cheques on a frustrating Met day. Both of his Gr1 stars were gallant in defeat but just failed to stay their respective journeys.
Ramsden’s Western Winter filly Cold As Ice was going for her sixth consecutive win when attempting her first Gr1 and maiden try at a mile, but her brilliance deserted her in the final strides as the Mike Bass-trained Inara swept to victory to add the R1 million Gr1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes trophy to her first Gr1 in the Paddock Stakes, weeks earlier.
Two Gr1 winners in the space of three weeks on the same 3yo filly is no mean feat and young Cape jockey Grant Van Niekerk has formed a serious combination with the talented Drakenstein Stud-bred daughter of Trippi.
The combination were to prove the downfall of the fancied Cold As Ice, who was gallant in defeat but just failed to pull off what would have been an heroic victory.
Grant Van Niekerk – on a Gr1 roll this season
The Mike Bass-trained Inara had provided Van Niekerk with his first ever Gr1 winner when she won the Gr1 Paddock Stakes on L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate day in a thrilling finish and she showed her courage and ability again when getting the better of the top-class Ramsden filly on Saturday.
After a protracted duel in the final 300m, Inara held off Cold As Ice to win by a short head in a time of 98,96 secs.
That means Inara ran second behind Majmu in the Fillies, and won the remaining two fairer sex Gr1’s. Not bad for a young lady who had come out of the Cape winter with a modest maiden win to her credit!
Cold As Ice just didn’t seem to stay the mile and as brilliant as she is around 1200m to 1400m, Gr1 competition tends to find the flaws when pushed beyond parameters of proven brilliance.
Read our interview with Piere Strydom next week to get another angle on this question.
Glen Kotzen’s Jet Belle stayed on for a solid third, ahead of outsider Red Flame.
Sean Tarry-trained Carry On Alice looked dangerous in the final 400m, but her Gr1 Cape Flying Championship exertions of seven days earlier may have told in those last few strides.
Winning jockey Grant Van Niekerk said he was proud of Inara – and so he should be as she has provided him with two Gr1’s in a short space of time.
“When I saw Cold As Ice two lengths in front I knew she would be hard to beat. As we went past the post together, Piere Strydom said I think you just ran second. But I knew I had won – I have been riding at Kenilworth long enough,” he said half cheekily.
Trainer Mike Bass made a rare appearance on the winner’s podium.
“This is a very special win and to be victorious on both the Paddock Stakes and the Majorca Stakes takes a special filly. Inana is an absolute pleasure to train and I am happy it worked out so well. She carries quite a bit of constitution this filly and I think it is fair to say we can’t take anything away from Cold As Ice – she ran her heart out,” he said sportingly.
Inara was bred by Drakenstein Stud and is a 3yo daughter of Trippi out of the very well related Shirley Heights mare, Mountains Of Mist.
She has now 3 races with 4 places from 8 starts and R1 530 325 in stakes.
There were whispers of a possible overseas campaign in the pipeline after the race.
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Gr1 Majorca Stakes (SAf-Gr1)
Kenilworth, South Africa, January 31, R1 million, 1600m, turf, good, 1.38.96
1 – INARA (SAF), 55.0, b f 3, Trippi (USA) – Mountains Of Mist (IRE) by Shirley Heights (GB). Owner Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert); Breeder Drakenstein Stud; trainer MW Bass; jockey G v Niekerk
2 – Cold As Ice (SAF), 55.0, b f 3, Western Winter (USA) – Viva (SAF) by National Assembly (CAN)
3 – Jet Belle (SAF), 60.0, b m 5, Jet Master (SAF) – Bella Bianca (ARG) by Ahmad (ARG)
Margins: 0.10, 1.25, 0.75
