The Sabine Plattner-owned Cape Eagle made it a hat-trick of victories and registered his first stakes success when he went from gun to tape to win the R100 000 Listed Michael Roberts Stakes at a sweltering Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
On one of the longest-standing ‘honorary’ racedays in a sport that tends to forget about the legends of the past, Gold Circle paid tribute, as they do annually, to eleven-times SA and one-time UK champion Michael ‘Muis’ Roberts.
All races on a sweaty 37 degree Pietermaritzburg day were named in honour of horses ridden by the ace.
It’s quite bizarre to remember, and enough to make any of us feel dated, that Muis rode his first career winner at this very track over 54 years ago!
Robert Khathi celebrates a plan come together as Cape Eagle storms home (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
A powerful and relentless galloper with a nice stride on him, Cape Eagle was bounced out at the 1750m by regular pilot Robert Khathi, and there they stayed.
Going into the final 250m, Cape Eagle (33-10) looked to have found another breath, and he stayed on unthreatened to beat the improved again Juan Carlos (16-1) by 2,80 lengths in a time of 106,16 secs.
The trifecta dividend was boosted by Duncan Howells’ 6yo mare Aquae Sulis (33-1) in third, with Kannemeyer’s Dawnofanewday (9-2) well beaten back in fourth.
Byron Foster saddled the winner, a galloper he labelled a ‘flagship horse’, for the West Cape-based Andre Nel. Foster said it was an honour to win a race named in honour of a childhood hero of his.
The winner was bred by La Plaisance Stud and is a son of Maine Chance kingpin Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the Plattner raced two-time winner Joie’s Winter (Western Winter).
A winner of 5 races with 6 places from 13 starts, Cape Eagle has banked stakes of R343 500.
