CHERRY ON THE TOP TRIUMPHS IN SA OAKS AND TRIPLE TIARA

Watch Cherry On The Top winning the SA Oaks and Triple Tiara
(Image and Footage : Racing International)

WILGERBOSDRIFT SA OAKS (Grade 2)
Final leg of the Triple Tiara
Turffontein, Turf, 2450m
27 April 2013

Mike Moon
TAB NewsCherry On The Top became only the second filly after the mighty Igugu to claim the coveted Wilgerbosdrift Stud Triple Tiara with her scintillating victory in the Grade 2 SA Oaks at Turffontein on Saturday.

Having doddled the first two legs of the Tiara series - the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and the SA Fillies Classic - Cherry On The Top was quoted at odds of 1-6 to complete the hat-trick.

She proved worthy of every bit of that respect, cruising to a two-length triumph to claim the R1million Tiara bonus for her owner Bridget Oppenheimer.

It was a real family affair with Mrs O - as she’s affectionately known - accepting the bonus cheque from her daughter Mary Slack, owner of sponsor Wilgerbosdrift Stud. Also, Mrs O’s Mauritzfontein Stud bred the winner from her top broodmare Carolina Cherry from a service by Wilgerbosdrift’s stallion Tiger Ridge.

The 2450m was taken at a slow pace, with the favourite’s rivals clearly plotting to ambush her with a sprint run-in. But the dark bay from the yard of wily veteran trainer Ormond Ferraris was just far too good in the end.

Cherry On The Top jumped away on terms from the rails draw and jockey Nooresh Juglall eased her into position behind the eager Moikavano, Rue De Rivoli, Secret Obsession and Princess Line. Second favourite Do You Remember was tucked in a few lengths behind.

The bunched field approached the final turn at little more than a canter, with Cherry On The Top just two lengths off the pace. In the Fillies Classic last month Juglall felt compelled to go early, getting plenty of criticism for his trouble, despite winning by six lengths. This time Juglall was all patience, waiting and watching as the front runners tired and a bunch of backmarkers moved up to challenge. With 250m to go, the young Mauritian rider shook the reins, the filly picked up her feet and the big crowd roared.

Do You Remember must be tired of watching Cherry On The Top’s rump disappearing into the distance. Geoff Woodruff’s filly was second for the third time in the Tiara races - some kind of record in itself, surely. Jet Bell (14-1), who trailed the field for most of the trip, ran on very well for third and Sky Pirate (15-1) was fourth.

Cherry On The Top has now won eight of 11 starts and many racing fans will be wondering why she hasn’t been nominated for the upcoming Vodacom Durban July. It’s possible the connections feel the three-year-old needs a rest after the extreme rigours of the eight weeks of the Tiara and will be a better winter season prospect as a four-year-old.

Mrs O isn’t keen to race her overseas.

Extract from TAB News

FILLIES AND LUCKY RED RODS

Cherry On The Top
(Photo : The Times)

CHAMPIONS DAY
Turffontein, 27 April 2013

Mike Moon
The TimesSuperstition abounds in racing. Fans have “lucky” hats they wear on the racecourse. Many refuse to wear anything green. Even the great Terrance Millard, trainer of six Durban July winners, had a pair of lucky socks.

I met a trainer who wore the same pair of red underpants whenever his horses competed. It paid off as he won the Summer Cup, though by then those rods were in tatters.

A partner owner of mine believed his mere presence was a jinx on winning and, at race time, would walk resolutely off the course into the nearby café for a few puffs on a fag as our horse galloped. The nag won just twice from dozens of starts but, for my mate, that was evidence enough of the efficacy of his strategy.

Such mysterious forces don’t usually bother me. But I am a little concerned that lately when I’ve written about horses or connections ahead of a race, they’ve failed to meet expectations.

The highlight of today’s Champions Day meeting at Turffontein is the bid by Cherry On The Top to claim the Triple Tiara by winning the Wilgerbosdrift Stud SA Oaks - completing three victories in the daunting series.

Ormond Ferraris, trainer of Cherry On The Top, recently chased a TV camera crew from his yard, apparently because he didn’t want to be jinxed by media hype.

So, given my record and Ferraris’ sensitivities, I’m loath to write about the big moment.

I won’t dwell on how bookmakers are offering prohibitive odds of 1/6 on Mary Slack, Wilgerbosdrift’s owner and sponsor of the Oaks and Triple Tiara, handing the R1million series bonus cheque to her very own mum - Cherry On The Top’s owner Bridget Oppenheimer.

I won’t witter about keeping it in the family. Anyway, I’m sure Mary won’t appreciate jokes about her mother not needing the extra few bob. After all, Mary has said the sponsorship is to encourage the breeding of quality fillies in an industry she cares fervently about - and she clearly never had mater in mind when she got out her purse.

I’ll also not drone on about Mrs O’s record of a dozen or so wins in the Oaks, dating back 50 years.

Instead, I’ll focus on the host of other big races. In the President’s Champions Challenge, where anything could win, I’m going for Master Plan (16/1) and Shogunnar (6/1). Sorry for that.

Red Ray (5/10), in the SA Nursery, is rumoured to be dynamite and watching a potential superstar in action might be worth the visit to Turfies on its own.

In the SA Derby, bookies reckon Tellina (16/10) is a shoo-in, though I caution that any of the maturing three-year-olds might relish the gruelling 2450m they’re trying for the first time. Wylie Hall at 8/1?

Then there’s the Computaform Sprint. But, go on, you place your own curses.

Extract from The Times

MARY SLACK'S WILGERBOSDRIFT TO SPONSOR SA TRIPLE TIARA

Mary Slack
(Photo : Sporting Post)

WILGERBOSDRIFT
SA TRIPLE TIARA

Doyenne of South African racing and breeding, Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift Stud is to sponsor the 2013 SA Triple Tiara for three-year-old fillies.

The Triple Tiara comprises three races:

The R500,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas (Grade 2)
Turffontein, 1600m, Saturday 2 March

The R1million Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (Grade 1)
Turffontein, 1800m, Saturday 30 March

The R750,000 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks (Grade 2)
Turffontein, 2450m, Saturday 27 April

The Triple Tiara is the ultimate test for a filly and carries a R1million bonus for winning all three legs. Summerhill’s Igugu (2011) is the only filly to have won the Triple Tiara since its inception in 1999.

Mary Slack said: “Wilgerbosdrift is delighted to be associated with the Triple Tiara, three top-class races that cater for the country’s best fillies. It is essential for the breeding industry that fillies race for excellence in South Africa and are rewarded accordingly. Superior fillies produce champion racehorses and they are the flag bearers of our industry in generations to come. Igugu is the only filly in South Africa to have won all three legs and let’s hope that there is another champion in the wings,” she added.

Phumelela Sales Executive Clyde Basel said: “We are privileged to have Wilgerbosdrift as the sponsor of the Triple Tiara. They have bred multiple graded winners and are having a super season. To have a top breeder’s brand associated with the Triple Tiara series is fantastic for the event. Many thanks to Mary Slack for making this sponsorship possible.”

Extract from Tab News

IGUGU SCOOPS HORSE OF THE YEAR AT KZN RACING AWARDS

Igugu - KZN Horse Of The Year
(Image : John Lewis / MFP)

KWAZULU-NATAL RACING AWARDS
Durban Country Club, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal
20 October 2011

The KwaZulu-Natal Racing Awards for the 2010 / 2011 season were staged at the Durban Country Club last evening.

Igugu, heroine of the SA Triple Tiara, the Vodacom Durban July (Grade 1) and Equus Horse of the Year, secured awards for KZN Champion 3 year-old-filly as well as the coveted award for KZN Horse Of The Year.

Igugu is by Galileo out of Zarinia by Intikhab and was a graduate from the Summerhill draft of the 2009 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale. She has raced over 1 season with a record of 8 wins and 2 places from 10 starts and total earnings of R5,071,875.

Igugu’s feature race victories include :

Joburg Spring Fillies & Mares Challenge (Grade 3)
Gauteng Fillies Guineas (Grade 2)
SA Fillies Classic (Grade 1)
SA Oaks (Grade 2)
Woolavington 2000 (Grade 1)
Vodacom Durban July (Grade 1)

Champion Two-Year-Old Filly
Princess Victoria
Champion Two-Year-Old Colt / Gelding
Fighting Warrior
Champion Three-Year-Old Filly
Igugu
Champion Three-Year-Old Colt / Gelding
The Apache
Champion Older Filly / Mare (four+)
Val de Ra
Champion Older Colt / Gelding (four+)
August Rush
Champion Sprinter (1000m - 1200m)
Val de Ra
Champion Stayer (2400m+)
Knight To Remember
Horse Of The Year
Igugu
Anita Akal Award
Chris Saunders
Champion Owner
Ingrid and Markus Jooste
Champion Breeder
Scott Brothers
Champion Trainer
Mike de Kock
Champion Jockey
Anthony Delpech
Champion Apprentice Jockey
Athandiwe Mgudlwa
Groom Of The Year
Lindile Danzi

IGUGU DELIVERS SA OAKS AND SA TRIPLE TIARA

Click above to watch Igugu winning the SA Oaks (Grade 2)
(Image : JC Photos - Footage : Tellytrack)

SA OAKS (Grade 2)
Turffontein, Turf, 2450m
30 April 2011

“FINAL LEG OF SA TRIPLE TIARA”

England was presented with a new princess on Friday when Prince William married his Catherine with much pomp and ceremony writes Nicci Garner. A day later on Champions Day at Turffontein, South Africa crowned its own princess with almost as much revelry when Igugu (AUS) (Galileo (IRE) - Zarinia (IRE) brought a huge crowd to its feet as she annihilated her opposition in the R750,000 SA Oaks (Grade 2) to take the SA Triple Tiara, and the R1-million bonus.

Igugu, a Summerhill Stud graduate from the 2009 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale, tracked pacemaker Princess Of Light and took over as the field cornered into the long straight. She never looked like getting beaten after that. Princess Of Light battled bravely, but could not sustain her effort as Igugu went away in the final 400m to win by 5.75 lengths.

Princess Of Light kept going gamely to finish second, 6.50 lengths ahead of Igugu’s stablemate Ilha Grande.

Igugu had been impressive in winning the first two legs of the Triple Tiara, beating Hollywoodboulevard by 4 lengths in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas (1600m) on 26 February and scoring a 10.25 length victory over Las Ramblas in the second leg, the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic (1800m) on 26 March.

Her victory in the Grade 2 SA Oaks on Champions Day rewrote the history books. No other filly had managed to win all three Triple Tiara races since the series was introduced by Phumelela in 1999. That year her trainer Mike de Kock saddled the mighty Horse Chestnut to win the Triple Crown, the male-female equivalent of the Triple Crown, and he is still the only trainer to have accomplished that feat.

Many racing fans globally agree that, in the words of jockey Anthony Delpech: “Mike de Kock is a legend.”

De Kock said afterwards that he had studied the methods used by American trainers in preparing their horses for the famous USA Triple Crown and that together with the knowledge he acquired from Horse Chestnut had been invaluable in preparing Igugu for her Triple Tiara bid.

When asked to compare Horse Chestnut and Igugu, he said: “It’s tough to compare generations. I wouldn’t slot her in second behind Horse Chestnut, but she is right up there with the best fillies I have trained.”

All being well, Igugu will now head to KwaZulu-Natal for the winter season and is set to run in the Woolavington Stakes (Grade 1) and the Vodacom Durban July (Grade 1) before heading overseas for the 2012 Dubai International Racing Carnival.

SA OAKS (GR2)
FINAL RESULT

#	LBH	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	0.00	IGUGU (AUS)	58.0	109	2	A Delpech	Mike de Kock
2	5.75	PRINCESS OF LIGHT	58.0	92	6	M Mienie	Geoff Woodruff
3	12.25	ILHA GRANDE	58.0	90	4	G Lerena	Mike de Kock
4	22.00	MAR LODGE	58.0	75	1	G Wrogemann	Robbie Sage
5	25.00	STORMY COAST	58.0	92	9	S Brown	George Scott
6	27.50	CHERRY ON THE CAKE	58.0	85	7	D Mansour	Gavin van Zyl
7	27.75	MICRO JET	58.0	73	3	M V’Rensburg	Stuart Pettigrew
8	31.00	KEEP ON DREAMING	58.0	77	5	*N Juglall	Kumaran Naidoo
9	43.00	JUSTTHEWAYYOUARE	58.0	95	8	A Marcus	Geoff Woodruff
		Late Scratchings
10	0.00	CHECCETTI	58.0	97	1	K Shea	Mike de Kock
11	0.00	NAUTICAL	58.0	68	4	D David	Brian Wiid

Extract from TAB Online

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