Mother Russia (SAF) was backed to the exclusion of the field in the Gr 3 Riverworld Stud Prix Du Cap over 1400m at Kenilworth today and it proved well justified as she came home a comfortable winner ahead of Temair (SAF), Journal (SAF) and Purple Orchid (GB).
As usual, the Majorca Stakes winner raced handy, tracking stablemate Ice Belle who went out to make the running as Temair raced up in third ahead of Joshua's Mistress who raced three wide. Journal was next best ahead of Cocoa Beach and Nordic Moon as Purple Orchid raced fourth from last.
Mother Russia moved in to challenge for the lead soon after turning for home and put her head in front but Temair came out to make a race of it with none of the others looking likely to get in a blow. Temair threatened for a while but Mother Russia asserted herself over the last 150m and won easier than the official margin suggests. Temair was very game in second with Journal running a cracker in third ahead of Purple Orchid who yet again finished on the fringes in a feature event but was not disgraced conceding weight all round.
There's still a long way to go before the end of the current season but Mother Russia is certainly a front-runner for the champion 3-year-old filly award at this stage and the diminutive daughter of Windrush (USA) can be relied on to give her all wherever the rest of her programme takes her.
Mother Russia is a 3-year-old filly by Windrush (USA) out of Russian Muse (SAF) by Russian Fox (USA). She is owned by Klawervlei Stud (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr J P Koster) and was bred by Normandy Stud.
Winning trainer: Joey Ramsden
Race 7 - R150K - RIVERWORLD STUD PRIX DU CAP (Grade 3)
Set Weights Plus Penalties (F & M) - 1400m |
| No |
Horse |
Jockey |
Al/Bl |
Kg |
Dr |
Fin |
Dist |
Time |
| 7 |
MOTHER RUSSIA |
Glen Hatt |
A - |
54.5 |
2 |
1 |
0.00 |
86.37 |
| 12 |
TEMAIR |
Nicky Roebuck |
A - |
50.5 |
11 |
2 |
0.50 |
86.46 |
| 6 |
JOURNAL |
Greg Cheyne |
A - |
55.0 |
1 |
3 |
1.25 |
86.61 |
| 1 |
PURPLE ORCHID (GB) |
Fareed Anthony |
A - |
58.0 |
12 |
4 |
1.50 |
86.65 |
| 11 |
COCOA BEACH |
Richard Fourie |
A B |
51.0 |
5 |
5 |
2.00 |
86.75 |
| 9 |
EMPRESS CROWN |
Aldo Domeyer *0.0 |
A - |
54.0 |
4 |
6 |
2.25 |
86.80 |
| 4 |
ROSE LIPPED MAIDEN |
M J Byleveld |
A - |
55.5 |
7 |
7 |
4.50 |
87.22 |
| 5 |
NORDIC MOON |
Karl Neisius |
A B |
55.0 |
13 |
8 |
5.75 |
87.46 |
| 8 |
ROSE RESERVE |
Robert Khathi |
A - |
54.5 |
8 |
9 |
5.80 |
87.47 |
| 3 |
ICE BELLE |
Andrew Fortune |
A B |
56.0 |
3 |
10 |
7.05 |
87.72 |
| 2 |
JOSHUA'S MISTRESS |
Felix Coetzee |
A - |
56.5 |
10 |
11 |
7.30 |
87.76 |
| 10 |
MISS KOOL KAT (USA) |
Scratched |
| 13 |
SEAL OF APPROVAL |
Scratched |
|
Mother Russia was ridden out vigorously until the final two strides, when her rider took a hold of her to make the win appear easier than it was.