Eating Fire! Bernard Fayd’herbe drives Festival Of Fire home
Mike De Kock launched his Champions Season assault in fine style when the outstanding daughter of Kaha, Festival Of Fire, outgunned her rivals to clinch a smooth victory in the R300 000 Gr2 KRA Fillies Guineas run at Greyville on Saturday. Cape heavyweight jockey Bernard Fayd’herbe enjoyed an armchair ride.
De Kock was to pull off the Guineas double on a profitable and rewarding afternoon for the champion yard, and Festival Of Fire registered her biggest career win to date in the process.
In an eleven horse field in which the provinces, barring the Eastern Cape, were well represented, The Which Doctor sped off and ensured a good gallop ahead of Jet Supreme and Jet Aglow with Path To Travel and Izora further back.
Festival Of Fire was relaxed further back ahead of King’s Temptress and Priceless Jewel, with Antonia’s Fortress just behind.
Into the straight The Which Doctor tired as Jet Supreme and Path To Travel looked momentarily dangerous. But none finished stronger than Festival Of Fire who burst through down the inside to win going away as Jet Aglow stayed on strongly down the outside.
The winner started a 22 to 10 favourite and won by 2,25 lengths in a time of 95,96 secs.
The Kotzen trained Jet Aglow held on well for second and ran a cracker in the circumstances, if we consider that she had missed her prep run. She looks overdue to score something big and can only come on leaps and bounds with this run under the belt.
Jet Supreme ran on well for third, while Kum Naidoo’s King’s Temptress was not disgraced in fourth, just over three lengths back.
Winning jockey Bernard Fayd’herbe said that he had opted to ride Festival Of Fire ‘quietly’ and that she had turned it on to win a very good race.
Trainer Mike De Kock labelled the winner a ‘really smart filly’.
“She wants to be ridden cold just as Bernard did here and runs her best races that way. She is closely bred to Jet Master himself and is really going about things the right way.”
Festival Of Fire is by Kahal out of the one time winning Russian Revival mare, Fuel The Fire. She races for her breeders, Lady C O’Reilly and Mr Chris Saunders.
She has now won 6 of her 10 starts with 2 places for stakes of R789 750.
