Candice Bass-Robinson would have been particularly pleased to saddle the winner of a race at Kenilworth on Saturday named in honour of one of her Dad’s champions of yesteryear.
Whose That Girl storms home under Aldo Domeyer (Pic-Wayne Marks)
Whose That Girl has a long road to travel to be rated anywhere near the great Sweet Chestnut – but she started favourite and scored a smart win to give her sire his first stakes success.
The R150 000 Highlands, part of Ridgemont, Sweet Chestnut Stakes is the first leg of the R600 000 Fillies & Mares Winter Series, sponsored for the first time in 2017 by Highlands, part of Ridgemont.
Fourteen fillies lined up at the 1400m marker as an unseasonal heat wave cloaked the Cape Peninsula.
Power behind the throne – Mike Bass and Candice Bass-Robinson
Allowed to relax about five lengths off as Seattle Gold led Whispering Light and California Girl for home, Whose That Girl made up good ground under Aldo Domeyer to stave off challenges halfway down the straight.
The Gitano Hernando filly came up the outside with a strong run at the 300m and held on well to beat the fast-finishing Sylvanite by 0,75 lengths in a time of 86,74 secs.
The winner’s stablemate Extradite came out of the pack to run third, ahead of the pacy Seattle Gold in fourth.
Bred by Narrow Creek Stud, Whose That Girl was bought by Mike Bass for R85 000 at the Cape Thoroughbred Sales March Yearling Sale.
She has won 3 races with 3 places from 12 starts and took her earnings to R236 900.
The winner is by the well-performed young The Alchemy stallion Gitano Hernando out of the seven-time winning All Fired Up mare, Casual Gal.
A top class and durable racehorse, Gitano Hernando bears striking similarities to champion sire Silvano.
Both were bred by Dr Andreas Jacobs and both hail from the same Niniski male line.
Both were outstanding and tough racehorses, who raced in no fewer than six different countries, with both Gitano Hernando and Silvano landing the prestigious Gr1 Singapore Airlines International Cup.
Gitano Hernando’s greatest achievement was probably winning the Gr1 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita at the age of 3. Silvano and Gitano Hernando are thus both US Grade One winners.
Gitano Hernando stands at The Alchemy for a fee of R15 000.
The second leg of the Winter Series is the R150 000 Listed Stormsvlei Mile run over 1600m at Kenilworth on Sunday 21 May.
