Gallant Grey. Stormy Coast (Stuart Randolph) gets the better of Daffodil Day to win the East Cape Paddock Stakes (Coastal Photos)
The tough as teak Fort Wood mare Stormy Coast completed the perfect circle for her breeders Ascot Stud at Fairview on Friday. Her win in the Parker silks in the R130 000 Listed East Cape Paddock Stakes run over a mile at Fairview was the perfect ending to the first chapter of an illustrious career.
Bred by the Parkers at Ascot Stud and sold handsomely at the time for R250 000 on the National Yearling Sale of her year, Stormy Coast raced with distinction for the Bassons in Gauteng, where she was trained by Uncle Georgie Scott and won five races.
Her return to her hometown earlier this year, after being bought back by the Parkers, produced a further two wins. She now goes to Ascot Stud a seven time winner, having appropriately picked up her stakes victory at her half century of starts.
The race was marked by drama at the start, when the Jet Master filly Jet In The Sky refused to jump. In the process, she took a multitude of PA tickets out with her and was treated as being under starter’s orders.
A bitter pill for punters to swallow as no mention was made of the incident by the commentator or the Tellytrack studio until some ten minutes after the race.
After Scented Ash had cut out a good gallop in front from Pamela Sue and Count To Ten, Alvilda moved up dangerously with Hurricane Katrina looking for space down the inside.
Stuart Randolph had been biding his time on Stormy Coast and he brought her with a storming run down the outside and she ran on strongly to hold the improved again Daffodil Day.
Stormy Coast won by a short head in a time of 99.21 seconds.
Daffodil Day ran on well for second, while the rested, but obviously very talented Show Time stayed on nicely for third. Watch this lightly raced filly in the near future.
The fancied Hurricane Katrina had a rare off day after showing up briefly .
Winning jockey Stuart Randolph said that the race had gone to plan.
She dropped the bit nicely with the blinkers on and picked it up smartly when I asked her for an effort,” he said.
Trainer Alan Greeff, who was celebrating a fourth winner on the day (ridden by four different jockeys). said modestly that the day had ‘gone along nicely.’
“Ashley (Parker) had bought this filly back for stud and he had always targeted this race as a nice one to win. Well done to his wife Beverley and Mom Rose,” he said.
Dr Ashley Parker was on course to lead Stormy Coast in.
“We bred and sold her and she did very well. We bought her back and then gave her a month break to freshen her up in the paddock, before she went back to Alan. That seemed to have worked well,” he said.
Stormy Coast is by Fort Wood out of the four time winning Kiconnel mare, Stormy Appeal.The versatile sort won from 1000m to 2000m.
She was bred by Ascot Stud and was sold for R250 000 on the National Yearling Sale.
Stormy Coast was registering a seventh win with 15 places from 50 starts and took her stake earnings to R647 900.
She should make a splendid broodmare.
