Just a fortnight after Pathfork produced Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship winner Mighty High, the Highlands stallion celebrated his daughter Madame Speaker’s second stakes success with a storming victory in Friday’s R150 000 Listed Lady’s Slipper Stakes at Fairview.
Teaque Gould drives Madame Speaker out to an impressive victory (Pic – Pauline Herman Photography)
Running over her champion Dad’s favourite trip – Pathfork was undefeated in three starts over 1400m at 2 – Madame Speaker showed that her Nursery win against the boys was definitely no flash in the pan as she stepped up in trip and produced a sustained late dash to win.
With five runners in the twelve horse line up, Alan Greeff must have always felt that he could win this. But for many it was the wrong one in the coupling, with the talented Oratorio filly Carlita a warm order at odds-on to pick up her second stakes score.
But after The Bluff had set a decent gallop early, Carlita fought rider Aldo Domeyer all the way around and into the home straight.
She managed to stay in contention until the 250m marker. But her race had been run and she went uncharacteristically one-paced as she faded late to run her worst race in five starts for a 4,50 length fifth.
Madame Speaker, on the other hand, took off under Teaque Gould to win going away by 0,75 lengths in a time of 86.85 secs.
In a Bold Silvano second and third, the recent Yvette Bremner debutante maiden March Music ran a cracker to grab second a quarter length in front of Klever Kathy and Just Chaos.
The latter, the ride of Robert Khathi, switched in sharply at the 250m marker and bumped Watsonia on to Fairyinthemist. The Stipes Report is awaited.
Pathfork – a son of Distorted Humor
Bred by former Maine Chance Stud Manager Stanley Bennett, the winner is a daughter of Pathfork (Distorted Humor) and is the fourth foal of one-time winner Word Perfect (National Assembly).
A 2017 BSA National 2yo Sale graduate, Madame Speaker was bought back for R25 000 and is leased to trainer Alan Greeff.
A winner of 3 of her 6 starts with 2 places, Madame Speaker took her stakes earnings to R299 275 is a strong contender now for champion 2yo East Cape Filly.
In a joint venture partnership, Highlands-Ridgemont based Pathfork will stand at James Armitage’s Sandown Stud in the new season. He looks a sire worth following.
