Ilha Bela, banked her biggest career cheque when winning the Gr2 SA Oaks
The striking little grey daughter of champion Ilha Da Vitoria, Ilha Bela, banked her biggest career cheque when winning the R750 000 Gr2 SA Oaks run over 2450m at Turffontein on Saturday. She now looks on course for a serious assault on theVodacom Durban July.
Mike De Kock is not known for flippant comparisons with champions of the past, but he paid the Wilgerbosdrift owned and bred Ilha Bela a gigantic compliment in the post-race formalities when suggesting that she was ‘as good, if not better than her mother.’
“She is a chip off the old block. A come-from-behind type of filly, she is so similar in character to Ilha Da Vitoria. She is always happy, always smiling- always on her toes,” waxed the understandably pleased champion trainer in the post-race formalities.
Stamina
Any doubts as to Ilha Bela’s stamina capabilities were comprehensively erased in the 156,91 seconds that it took her to travel the 2400m and account for her twelve opponents by a facile 6,25 length margin.
Sherman Brown took Bermuda Bowl out to lead early from Montpazier , Winged Foot and Classic Illusion. A reflection of Anton Marcus’ wonderful judgement and confidence is the fact that we watched him take the grey wide out halfway through the race and he also brought her three wide into the home straight.
At the 500mmarker Ilha Bela had moved up smoothly on the outside and she showed the turn of foot more characteristic of a good miler, when she streaked away. Katy’s Lane hammered away to get the better of Avenue Of Gold for second place. Ormonde Ferraris’ Markofdistinction ran below her best to finish ninth and 11,25 lengths off the winner. Jot this one down in the notebook for next time out over ground as she was poorly drawn here and may as well have stayed in her box.
Good Gamble
Ilha Bela was labelled by De Kock as his best bet on the day and she proved great value at 11-10. Our fancy Katy’s Lane was given a patient ride by Piere Strydom from near the rear. She had her excuses too as she returned to the unsaddling enclosure with a speedy cut on her near hind. She was comprehensively slammed by Ilha Bela though and we may have given her more stamina credit than she warrants. She looks a better proposition over 1800m to 2000m.
Her trainer Tyrone Zackey was also once again obliged to play second fiddle to Mike De Kock after running second and third behind him in the Gr1 President’s Champions Challenge. Mind you, while nothing beats standing on the winner’s podium, picking up the scraps behind giants can still pay the bills.
Excuses
Owned and bred by Wilgerbosdrift, Ilha Bela has won four of her ten starts for stakes of R821 000. It is quite astonishing to think that the best that she could do prior to Saturday was win a Fillies and Mares MR84 Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein on Christmas eve. She earned placed cheques in the Gr2 Fillies Guineas and the Gr1 SA Fillies Classic at her last two starts. Those were fair performances but we tend towards cynicism and nerves when excuses are made for horses. She may just have cleared up certain of our doubts and questions on Saturday.
Ilha Bela is by Fort Wood and is the second produce of the Candy Stripes mare Ilha Da Vitoria. Her dam won ten races and was a prolific favourite with her connections. If one goes on De Kock’s comments, then Ilha Bela still has plenty to come. The 2012 Vodacom Durban July picture is getting more interesting by the day.
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