In The Pink! Adobe Pink comes away under Grant Van Niekerk to win the Listed Graham Beck Sun Classique Handicap
This was honey sweet timing! Stallion Go Deputy produced his third stakes winner on the eve of the Cape Premier Yearling Sale with Adobe Pink’s runaway victory in the R125 000 Listed Graham Beck Sun Classique Handicap over 2400m at Kenilworth on Saturday.
There are seven youngsters by the Deputy Minister stallion on the premier sale, of which five are offered by Lammerskraal and the remaining two by Summerhill Stud as agent.
Go Deputy was a well-performed racer who won from 1700m to 2400m and his stakes winners appear to have inherited his versatility. They have now won from the 1400m of the Matchem Stakes, the 1800m of the Michaelmas, to Saturday’s 2400m.
The bonus of this win would have gone some way to appeasing the disappointment of Lammerskraal rather awkwardly drawing Lot 1 for Adobe Pink’s smashing half-brother by Western Winter.
The astute and informed are talking, and the general idea is that the place to be is the Cape Town International Convention Centre at about five o’clock on Thursday to see a yearling described as a ‘magnificently beautiful specimen’ (SP 1906 The Stamp Of Approval ) by the eagle eyed Cape trainer Joey Ramsden. But be warned. The colt may require some budget!
Trophy. Winning owner Sally Jourdan receives her trophy from Gold Circle Western Cape Chairman Vidrik Thurling
Glen Hatt took the 7-2 favourite Daily Flight up front in an attempt to control the race and the Jet Master filly led Open My Eyes, Takeyouroath and Hamba Kahle.
Into the 1000m marker Hatt slowed things up as the order remain unchanged, with Strawberry Line and Beulah bringing up the rear.
The speed went up a few revs into the home straight as Daily Flight went for home with penty of jockeying for gaps behind her as the field drifted to the outside. With Takeyouroath and Hamba Kahle coming under pressure , Grant Van Niekerk produced Adobe Pink down the middle with Lineal Factor commencing her finishing effort down the inside.
As Daily Flight stopped, none of the others had any answer to Adobe Pink who galloped on strongly and swept into the lead at the 300m marker. She charged clear to win at a generous 5-1 and beat Audrey Rose by 2,25 lengths in a time of 156,37 secs..
Lineal Factor stayed on best of the rest to bank the R12 500 third cheque. The favourite Daily Flight attempted to dictate the pace, but fell away early in the straight and ran a weak fourth.
Adobe Pink was a third stakes winner for Go Deputy
An upbeat and chatty winning trainer Neil Bruss said afterwards that Adobe Pink was Improving all the time and that a problem with her back had been resolved by a ‘man with two rubber hammers’.
Bruss said that he was concerned about her staying the trip, particularly in view of the strong winds that had blown in the days preceeding the race. He observed wryly that ‘even the seagulls were flying backwards.’
Winning jockey Grant Van Niekerk, who had picked up a chance winning ride on the filly last time as the result of Robbie Fradd’s flight commitments, said that Adobe Pink had won easily and had picked it up readily when asked. Van Niekerk observed that ‘every winner counted’ as he prepares himself for a two month holiday as a result of a recent weighing infringement.
Winning owner Sally Jourdan said that this was her first ever stakes winner and she was thrilled with the timing of the win on the eve of the Cape Premier Yearling Sale this week.
In a reference to the tough as teak improving style of the progeny, she added that when buying a Go Deputy yearling, one knew that you had a racehorse for a good few years.
Adobe Pink has won 4 of 16 starts for 2 places and R198 875 in stakes.
She was bred by Lammerskraal Stud and is out of the prolific producing four-time winning Pas De Quoi mare, Nacarat. She is related to some very smart sorts, including the Gr1 winner Nania.
Diarise Thursday evening. It could be a life-changer!
