Happy Archer (AUS) showed her class with an emphatic victory in the Gr 1 Durban Thekwini Stakes over 1600m at Greyville today, easily accounting for Silent Call (SAF), Six Blue Notes (SAF) and Cherry On The Cake (SAF).
Confidently handled by Anton Marcus, Happy Archer sat in midfield, about seven lengths off the early speed as Chatanooga Chuchu went out to lead from Fair Rosalind. Fragrant Al was forced to tack across from a poor draw and raced close up in third ahead of Stratisfaction, June Bug, Flaming Alice and Cherry On The Cake. Legal Account raced just ahead of Happy Archer while Silent Call and Six Blue Notes were held up a long way off the pace.
Fragrant Al moved up to take the lead as they came off the false rail but she had done plenty of work early on and it was no surprise to see her come under pressure. Legal Account quickened up smartly to emerge as the main danger but Happy Archer had made up ground effortlessly and once Marcus asked for an effort, she responded in the manner of a really good horse. The race was over a furlong out as she was going far too well for the rest and it was left to Silent Call to run on from well back to secure second place as Six Blue Notes flew up late to snatch third.
Happy Archer is a genuinely exciting prospect and we're going to be hearing a lot more from her if this performance is anything to go by. She's not the most imposing filly in the parade ring but she has all the attributes of a class act, being able to relax early on and deliver a killing turn of foot when it matters.
Silent Call was no match for the winner but ran a cracking race from a poor draw and finished by far the best of the rest. She went off at 40/1 but is clearly better than those odds suggest and looks to be a decent sort in her own right.
Six Blue Notes was another one forced to drop out from a bad draw and she has now put together a string of good placed efforts in very competitive company. She should soon hit the winning trail again.
Cherry On The Cake also caught the eye in fourth, having her first run out of the maidens. She's nicely bred and looks a nice middle-distance prospect if she can build on this effort.
2 ch f Dubawi (IRE) - So Tempted (AUS) by Jeune (GB)
Owner:Mr S M Nathan
Bred by Racetree, Qld
Winning trainer: Sean Tarry
Race 5 - R500K - DURBAN THEKWINI STAKES (Grade 1)
For 2 year old Fillies - 1600m |
| No |
Horse |
Jockey |
Al/Bl |
Kg |
Dr |
Fin |
Dist |
Time |
OP |
SP |
| 2 |
HAPPY ARCHER (AUS) |
Anton Marcus |
A |
58.0 |
8 |
1 |
0.00 |
96.73 |
15/10 |
18/10 |
| 7 |
SILENT CALL |
Stuart Randolph |
A |
58.0 |
16 |
2 |
2.50 |
97.19 |
33/1 |
40/1 |
| 3 |
SIX BLUE NOTES |
Derryl Daniels |
A |
58.0 |
17 |
3 |
3.75 |
97.43 |
14/1 |
18/1 |
| 15 |
CHERRY ON THE CAKE |
Aldo Domeyer *0.0 |
A |
58.0 |
6 |
4 |
3.80 |
97.44 |
25/1 |
33/1 |
| 6 |
LEGAL ACCOUNT |
Piere Strydom |
A |
58.0 |
9 |
5 |
4.05 |
97.48 |
4/1 |
75/20 |
| 10 |
LAS RAMBLAS |
Richard Fourie |
A B |
58.0 |
13 |
6 |
4.55 |
97.58 |
33/1 |
18/1 |
| 11 |
DIAMOND GAME |
Kevin Shea |
A |
58.0 |
15 |
7 |
4.65 |
97.59 |
7/1 |
9/1 |
| 8 |
STRATISFACTION |
Sherman Brown |
A |
58.0 |
4 |
8 |
5.65 |
97.78 |
16/1 |
45/1 |
| 12 |
BROWN EYED BEAUTY |
Raymond Danielson |
A |
58.0 |
1 |
9 |
6.40 |
97.92 |
33/1 |
35/1 |
| 9 |
FAIR ROSALIND |
Marthinus Mienie |
A |
58.0 |
3 |
10 |
6.50 |
97.94 |
12/1 |
16/1 |
| 17 |
JUNE BUG |
Juan Paul V'D Merwe *0.0 |
A |
58.0 |
5 |
11 |
6.60 |
97.96 |
14/1 |
13/1 |
| 14 |
KEEP ON DREAMING |
Muzi Yeni |
A |
58.0 |
2 |
12 |
6.70 |
97.98 |
33/1 |
66/1 |
| 1 |
FRAGRANT AL |
Felix Coetzee |
A |
58.0 |
18 |
13 |
8.70 |
98.36 |
7/1 |
14/1 |
| 5 |
FOLLOW THE PIPER |
Brandon Lerena |
A B |
58.0 |
10 |
14 |
11.20 |
98.84 |
14/1 |
20/1 |
| 4 |
FLAMING ALICE |
Bernard Fayd'Herbe |
A |
58.0 |
7 |
15 |
11.70 |
98.94 |
8/1 |
9/1 |
| 16 |
CHATANOOGA CHUCHU |
Karl Neisius |
A B |
58.0 |
12 |
16 |
43.70 |
105.51 |
25/1 |
20/1 |
| 13 |
BIG ON BROADWAY (AUS) |
Scratched |
| 18 |
AMICA |
Scratched |
|
