Title Fight

The front page headline on last week’s Sporting Post said it all: “JET MASTER vs THE SUMMERHILL SIRES.”

At Newmarket last night the Gr 2 Ipi Tombe Challenge (1600m) saw two representatives of “The Cape’s New Hero, Jet Master” face “the stallions from the camp of Champion Breeders Summerhill”. Jet Master had the MR 108 rated filly Soft Landing and the well fancied Stratos representing him. Meanwhile Summerhill was represented by First Again, a daughter of Muhtafal, who came into the race with 3 wins and 2 placings from her last 5 starts, Kahal’s Gr 2 winning daughter Bold Ellinore (KZN Breeders Outstanding Middle Distance Female), and Coconut Grove (a daughter of the now deceased Rambo Dancer). Fort Wood, Count Dubois, Allied Flag and London News constituted the sires of other starters in the field.

Ultimately it was no contest, First Again an easy winner against Stratos with Bold Ellinore just 0.1 length back in third.

Muhtafal has another Graded Stakes winner to his name; meanwhile Kahal has 2 Graded Stakes performers in the space of just 3 days: Majestic Sun 2nd in Sunday’s Gr 2 Green Point Stakes at Kenilworth and Bold Ellinore 3rd in last night’s Gr 2 Ipi Tombe Challenge.