Flying High! Pan Amm is driven clear by Chris Puller to win the Listed Graham Beck Jamaica Handicap
Patience and belief in a little grey filly produced some unlikely black type for longstanding Cape owners on Saturday. A year ago few would have believed that Jet Master’s daughter Pan Amm would be winning the R125 000 Listed Graham Beck Jamaica Stakes in such fine style.
Saturday’s Kenilworth supporting 1700m fillies and mares feature provided a perfect platform for the handily weighted 4yo filly to showcase her talents and produce a sparkling win in the internationally recognised bright yellow silks that were carried with distinction by the great Pocket Power’s sister, River Jetez. Former professional golfer Cedric Amm and his wife Barbara have raced some other very good horses too.
It’s a story of an approach that is a valuable lesson for any first-time prospective owner attending next week’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale in Cape Town.
When Pan Amm scraped home to win a weak maiden over the Durbanville mile at the beginning of the Cape winter of 2012, nobody was particularly excited about her prospects of ever winning again, never mind earning black type. The cautionary sentiment of , ‘we’ll see where we go from here’ was expressed, and it would not have been surprising to have found her racing in the Eastern Cape in the ensuing months.
She has however proven a veritable consistent ball of fire and produced a career best performance on Saturday.
The underrated Chris Puller, who has been aboard for all her three wins, had the grey nicely settled about eight lengths off in seventh as Bois De Boulogne set the fractions ahead of Bella Nero and Margaret Court.
Happy Amms. Peter De Beyer presents the trophy to Cedric and Barbara Amm
Puller had no hesitation in taking Pan Amm to the outside rail turning for home as Margaret Court followed her. The field was split by this move, and most moved across to the middle outside like sheep as Bella Nero and Rivatorio looked dangerous, with Jet Supreme cruising up to the leaders.
But all efforts were in vain as Pan Amm, who had been claimed from 8-1 to 5-1,won going away by 3,50 lengths in a time of 106,14 secs.
She beat the favourite Jet Supreme, who became very one-paced late in the race.
Another Bass runner in Margaret Court stayed on for third to hold the flying Reeves runner Nonki Poo, who ran a great fourth – despite bolting prior to the start.
Trained by Mike Bass and bred by Ambiance Stud, the winner is by Jet Master out of the twice winning Centenary mare, Peliadora.
She was signed for at R155 000 by Anton Shepherd at the 2009 Ambiance Stud dispersal sale. The Shepherds and the Amms are great family friends, and if one considers that Pan Amm was an 8-month old weanling at the time, R155 000 was quite a hefty price to pay.
The sale was held on the retirement of Ambiance Stud owner Dr Marianne Thomson.
Pan Amm has run 13 races for 3 wins and 6 places. She has earned R181 060.
