The Captain Al gelding Doosra has often lived up to his name and has had punters playing some poor shots over the years.
But maturity has changed his approach to racing and he put it all together to score a career first victory over the mile when staying on well to win the R150 000 Listed Wolf Power 1600 at Turffontein on Saturday.
Named like many Varsfontein breds after cricketing terminology, Doosra won the Graham Beck Stakes as a 3yo and bright things were expected of him. But the son of Captain Al was often his own worst enemy by using too much energy in races.
Anton Marcus keeps Doosra going (Pic – JC Photos)
On Saturday Anton Marcus had him beautifully relaxed off the pace set by Puget Sound, The Dazzler and Divine Odyssey and he moved up powerfully down the outside halfway down the home straight.
Looking like he would draw clear at the 300m, the 11-2 Doosra came under fire but kept going to beat The Dazzler by 0,30 lengths in a time of 99,40 secs.
The favourite Zouaves found his way down the middle to grab third ahead of the pacemaker Puget Sound, who held on well for a 2,45 length fourth after a 21 week break.
The winner was bred by Varsfontein Stud and is a son of the mighty Captain Al out of the high quality five-time winning daughter of Caesour, Caughtintheslips.
The ‘horse of the sale’ in the words of his trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren, Doosra is a R900 000 Val De Vie Yearling Sale graduate, and has won 6 (two stakes features) from 23 starts and 13 places with stakes of R822 050 .
