Champagne Haze (Kahal) provided jockey Gavin Lerena with a third feature win on the card when he defeated a top class field of sprinters to win Saturday’s Gr2 Senor Santa Stakes at Turffontein.

The four-year-old, runner up to Triple Crown winner Abashiri (Go Deputy) in last year’s Gr2 Gauteng Guineas, also provided his dam, Vin Fizz (Qui Danzig) with a second big race win on the day, with Champagne Haze’s half-sister Belle Rose (Golden Sword) having lifted the Listed Oaks Trial earlier on the day.

Betting for the 2017 Senor Santa was dominated by lightly raced Bull Valley (Toreador), who jumped the 17-10 favourite, after finishing a close second to top class stable mate Trip To Heaven –a late scratching from Saturday’s R400 000 Senor Santa Stakes.

Splendid Garden (Black Minnaloushe) went out to make the early running, as the favourite was slow away. Wrecking Ball (Great Britain) and former Senor Santa winner Dollar Dazzler (Var) were close up, as the likes of Will Pays (Imperial Stride) and African Ruler (Trippi) were outpaced early on.

With 300m left to run, Bull Valley began a forward move, but Champagne Haze looked threatening on the outside, and duly quickened up strongly to strike the front with 100m left to run.

It was Champagne Haze –a half-brother to former Gr1 winner Pierre Jourdan (Parade Leader) –who stayed on strongly to score by two lengths from lightly weighted Gr3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap winning filly Wrecking Ball, with front running Splendid Garden back in third, ahead of Bull Valley, who could only finish a disappointing fourth.

Bred by the Summerhill Stud, Champagne Haze stopped the clock in a time of 65.49. The gelding, who had previously lifted the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup as a 3yo, is owned by all of Messrs JF and LMF Wernars, Pravin Chetty, BG Gardner, AB Giuricich, J Labuschagne, GP Sadie, DA Simpson and Mesdames JP Gardner and AP Whicher.

Saturday’s win, a first graded victory for the gelding, was the Gary Alexander trained Champagne Haze’s fifth from 15 outings.