The Cape raiders maintained their stranglehold on the East Cape Derby silverware when the Australian-bred Dorset Noble produced the best performance of his brief career to win the Fairview Saturday feature.
Craig Zackey steers Dorset Noble to a good first stakes success (Pic – Pauline Herman Photography)
The downgraded Listed R350 000 contest over the 2400m always produces a decent staying prospect and Candice Bass-Robinson’s Dorset Noble looks to follow in the hoofprints of a host of talented past winners.
The Canford Cliffs gelding produced the goods and categorically outstayed his nine opponents to register an eighth straight victory in the race for the Cape visitors – in the process becoming the first Australian sourced winner since Snaith’s Vettriano in 2005.
With Aldo Domeyer not making the trip, Lyle Hewitson was the newly carded substitute rider – but the young apprentice came crashing to earth in a horror fall in the third race, fracturing his collar bone in the process.
Craig Zackey proved a very capable replacement though and he had Dorset Noble relaxed in fourth position as En Gee Oh led Give It Away and Off The Bit into the straight.
Craig Zackey – bonus substitute ride
They fanned out at the 400m as Off The Bit moved up with Strathdon looking dangerous wide out.
But Dorset Noble was full of running inside the distance as he burst through the middle and confirmed the betting support as he swept into the lead to win going away by an easy 4,25 lengths in a decent time of 151,19 secs.
Story Of My Life went off at 25-1 but finished well enough for second to confirm his status as the officially highest-rated runner in the race.
En Gee Oh stayed on without threatening, another 1,25 lengths away in third.
Strathdon ranged up wide out but appeared to take a bump and fell away to run a weak fourth.
The R4,25 million Arabian Dynasty ran a poor race to run 11 lengths back in fifth, with KZN visitor Sabre Charge putting in a similarly dull effort, 15 lengths downfield.
The well-bred winner races in a partnership of Marsh Shirtliff and Bernard Kantor and looks like an astute buy at A$60 000 by Worldwide Bloodstock on the 2015 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
Bred by Austramore, NSW and consigned by Erinvale Thoroughbreds, he is by five time Gr1 winner and World Champion Miler, Canford Cliffs (Tagula).
The winner is out of the Listed winning and Gr1 SAJC Australasian Oaks runner-up Tingirana (Generous). This versatile and well performed eight time winner scored from 1200m to 2800m.
Dorset Noble made it 2 wins with 2 places from 4 starts and stakes of R300 750.
He could be a Cape Winter Derby contender on 24 June on this showing.
His victory rounded off a superb Saturday-to Saturday streak for Candice Bass Robinson after her Kenilworth double feature and superb Drill Hall Stakes success last weekend.
