Cape Town - The Ridgemont Highlands-bred Dynasty filly Make It Snappy showed a great turn of foot in the closing stages to win the R1-million World Sports Betting Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
The outcome ensured that it was a maiden Grade 1 win for the Hollywood Syndicate and jockey Luyolo Mxothwa, who timed the race to perfection, after starting from a wide 11 draw. The Brett Crawford-trained Make It Snappy produced a kick at the end, leaving the accomplished favourite Ciao Bella (9-4) in its wake, and 1½ lengths clear.
After the textbook ride, Mxothwa said: “She pricked her ears into the final stages and I saw Ciao Bella and Richard (Fourie) out of the corner of my eye.
"I can’t believe winning a Gr1 is this easy when you have the horse!
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"Well done to Brett Crawford and his team, the Ridgemont Highlands team and the Hollywood Syndicate!”
Deep-closer, Hold My Hand and Golden Hostess rounded off the finishing order, making belated moves into the headwind but they could not get close to the supremely fit winner with Mxothwa on board.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said a stunned Mxothwa afterwards, with a broad, toothy smile.
Make it Snappy, out of Western Winter mare, Icy Winter Air was placed on debut in a late August sprint. This was her third win on the bounce since shedding her Maiden tag as recently as October.
In earlier action, Trip of Fortune zipped through super-impressively on the grandstand rail in the World Sports Betting Green Point Stakes (Grade 2) over a mile to claim the honours and notch his seventh win from 13 starts. He was followed in by a resurgent Universal who just edged favoured Kommetdieding with Golden Ducat fourth in a quality WFA showdown.
Top class at three, then given time to develop both physically and mentally by patient horsewoman, Candice Bass Robinson, Trip of Fortune (supported from 25/s into 16/1) built on some excellent recent form since that layoff to produce a stylish career best as a four-year-old and prove that he is as adept at a mile than shorter cuts.
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Universal kept going gamely at his second start since a long injury-enforced rest (and gelding) to hold second. He is one to follow over mid-distance races, whilst Kommetdieding, who was buffeted by the wind making his run down the exposed inside, was resolute but comprehensively outrun by boom sire Trippi’s son.
Proven Grade 1 winner, Princess Calla, sporting a big class edge, came to the fore over a distance short of her optimum in the wsb.co.za Southern Cross Stakes (Grade 2) over 1 000m.
Gavin Lerena had the, now-Sean Tarry trained, mare powering through in the centre of the course to overhaul clear leader, Iphiko, with Stiptelik, Santa Maria and fifth-placed Bella Chica all clustered at the wire within half a length of the sweet travelling daughter of Flower Alley.
The consistent Princess Calla has won six of 16 starts, only once missing a place. Remarkably, she can sustain high-level form from these 1 000m dashes right up to 2 000m. She started at 5/1 in an open betting race which duly produced a blanket finish. Trainer Tarry intimated that perhaps the Sceptre Stakes over 1 200m could be her next mission.
Dynasty gelding Navy Strength showed that longer routes are his game when nabbing 25/1 outsider Master Redoute on the line in the Drakenstein Stud Cape Summer Stayers Handicap (Grade 3) over 2 500m.
Trained by Justin Snaith and ridden with fine judgement by promising young pilot, Kabelo Matsunyane, the four-year-old came from midfield and then launched a spirited bid on the outer to just get up at an SP of 17/2.
Another lightweight, Arctic Drift came on late to be third a length away and will stick to tests of endurance in future.
IOL Sport