The Rondeberg yard of leading owner Sabine Plattner headed by Andre Nel rounded off a terrific weekend feature double at Kenilworth on Saturday. The promising Captain’s Flame skipped clear in the final stages of the 1400m contest to overcome a wide draw and slam her opposition in the R150 000 Listed Sweet Chestnut Stakes.
Nel and his regular jockey Aldo Domeyer partnered up 1000km away 24 hours earlier to clinch the Listed East Cape Oaks at Fairview with the Querari filly Solana – and after their overall recent form showing and the quickly improving Captain’s Flame’s cracking win, the stable could enjoy a profitable winter season.
A competitive field of fifteen 3yo fillies lined up to contest the first leg of the Cape Winter Series for the fairer sex and after a rainstorm 24 hours earlier, the Kenilworth Saturday dawned bright and clear – albeit a tad chilly.
My Emblem, Let’s Go Get It and Supercilious showed the way as Aldo Domeyer had Captain’s Flame within three lengths and a little wide as she overcame her poor barrier position.
While the leaders continued to roll with a couple battling to make up ground, the race was over early in the straight.
Starting at 10-1, Captain’s Flame turned on the jets at the 300m and with a light show of the whip, she drew off to win very impressively by 1,50 lengths in a time of 86,33 secs.
The winner’s effort was made more striking by the fact that as an inexperienced filly having her first race around the turn, she also had to overcome a very wide draw.
Aldo Domeyer – three winners on the afternoon
The Plattner silks were also in the winner’s enclosure earlier in the day when Dark Chocolate shed her maiden under Domeyer.
The consistent Goodtime Gal ran on well as she slipped through down the inside rail to maintain her good form in second, while stakes winner Anglet ran a forward race after a 20 week break to grab third a further 2,25 lengths back.
Supercilious looked dangerous late after showing pace but faded late to hang on for fourth.
The major disappointment of the race was the 14-10 favourite Qing who failed to fire and ran one from last.
Bred by Cheveley Stud, Captain’s Flame is a daughter of last season’s champion sire Captain Al out of the one-time winning Fort Wood mare, Kindling.
She has now won 3 races with 2 places from 5 starts for stakes of R196 725. She also enjoyed the BSA Added Value Stakes Bonus of R77 500 here.
Owned by Sabine Plattner, the smart filly was signed for by John Freeman when the hammer fell at R1.2 million on the 2014 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.
She is a full sister to former Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes winner Fragrant Al and a half sister to Lady’s Bracelet winner Rekindle and is also very closely related to the high class speedster Barbosa (by Captain Al), now a stakes winner of eight races.
The next leg of the R600 000 Winter Series is the Listed Stormsvlei Mile run on Saturday 21 May.
Captain’s Flame looks sure to stay that trip.
