The Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship produced a grandstand finish after a hell-for-leather paced battle that turned scrappy late.
Justin Snaith produced the goods courtesy of the Captain Al filly Miss Florida who survived an objection to give apprentice Luke Ferraris a career first Gr1 success.
The 2yo fillies contest always had the looks of a hotly contested affair and the pace was on from the word go with the fleetfooted Singforafa showing the way ahead of the favourite Basadi Faith and the local hope, Yessiricanboogie.
The pic says it all! Singforafa is closest to the camera (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
With Singforafa coming under fire in the closing stages, young Ferraris switched Miss Florida out and running around as a result of inexperience, she bumped Yessiricanboogie but put her head down and held off the luckless Sean Tarry-trained flying Cavivar by a nose in a time of 68,23 secs.
The pacy Strelitzia Stakes winner Singforafa did all the donkey work and only came under pressure in the final 150m to stay on for a gutsy third, with local Yessiricanboogie running a cracker in fourth.
The unbeaten Gauteng challenger Basadi Faith was never going as well as her previous performances and ran almost ten lengths off in 13th position.
An objection was lodged by the trainer of the runner-up on the grounds of initimidation in the latter stages but was overruled by the Stipes. Probably, fairly so.
Ferraris hails from a famous SA racing family and his win came in the same month that his legendary Granddad Ormond decided to call it a day after training horses for over 50 years.
This was his 68th winner of the season and he is currently in 11th position on the national log.
Bred and owned by leading owner Nick Jonsson, Miss Florida is a daughter of the deceased champion Captain Al (Al Mufti) out of the five-time winning Trippi mare, Diva’s Daughter – who was also trained by the Snaiths.
She has won two from two and took her stakes earnings to R534 375.
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Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship (SAf-Gr1)
Scottsville, South Africa, May 25, R750k, 1200m, turf, good, 1.08.23
1 – MISS FLORIDA (SAF), 60.0, b f 2, Captain Al (SAF) – Diva’s Daughter (SAF) by Trippi (USA). Owner Mr N Jonsson; Breeder N Jonsson; trainer J Snaith; jockey L J Ferraris
2 – Cavivar (SAF), 60.0, ch f 2, Var (USA) – Control Freak (SAF) by Tamburlaine (IRE)
3 – Singforafa (SAF), 60.0, b f 2, Potala Palace (SAF) – First Whistle (SAF) by Whistling Wood (SAF)
Margins: 0.10, 0.05, 1.50
