Here To Win (BRZ) ensured a memorable finale to the day - and the season - for jockey Anthony Delpech and trainer Mike de Kock as she flew up late to deny Imperious Star (SAF) in the Gr 1 Garden Province Stakes over 1600m at Greyville on Saturday. Dance With Al (SAF) stayed on for third ahead of a fast-finishing Autumn Gold (SAF).
Captain's Gal broke well from an outside gate and tacked across to lead from Imperious Star and Sparkling Gem with Kiribati and Prestic next best. Secret Babe followed, just ahead of Dance With Al, Mitra and Flirtation as Here To Win and Autumn Gold sat at the rear, easily a dozen lengths off the leader.
Captain's Gal kept going for some way in the straight and still had her head in front 300m out. However, the challengers were lining up and Imperious Star took over entering the last furlong with Dance With Al trying to get on terms. Here To Win, meanwhile, had been threading her way through and she started to close in hand over fist.
Imperious Star got the better of Dance With Al but had no response to the late thrust of Here To Win and the latter ensured that her jockey and trainer would go home with a big-race treble, having earlier won the big one of the day, the Vodacom Durban July, as well as the Gold Vase.
Here To Win has been a model of consistency and, in a season where the pecking order of the 3-year-old fillies has been confusing - to say the least - she's been one of the few to have held her form across a string of graded races. This was her second Gr 1 win of the season, to go with her deadheat in the SA Fillies Classic, and it surely sets her up for the Equus award for her category.
Imperious Star is also a previous Gr 1 winner, having landed the Woolavington 2000 at this track and indeed, she may well have come within half a length of Equus honours herself, given that no other 3-year-old filly has managed to win more than one Gr 1 event this season. She has also been very consistent and established herself as one of the top fillies of her age group.
Dance With Al hasn't been at her best this winter but this was a much more encouraging effort. She was beaten by two smart fillies with more scope for improvement and her backers got a fair run for their money.
Autumn Gold was out of the picture for most of the race but she kicked on strongly and was flying at the finish. She lost her way for a bit, following a very promising start to her career, but has come right back to form this season and her connections can look back on a very respectable winter campaign.
3 dkb f Roi Normand (USA) - Ascot Belle (BRZ) by Falcon Jet (BRZ)
Owners: Messrs B E Lobben and M Myhre
Bred by Haras Santa Ana Do Rio Grande
Winning trainer: Mike de Kock
Race 10 - R500K - GARDEN PROVINCE STAKES (Grade 1)
Fillies and Mares at Weight-For-Age - 1600m |
| No |
Horse |
Jockey |
Al/Bl |
Kg |
Dr |
Fin |
Dist |
Time |
OP |
SP |
Prev |
| 11 |
HERE TO WIN (BRZ) |
Anthony Delpech |
A |
59.0 |
12 |
1 |
0.00 |
96.83 |
7/1 |
13/2 |
CD955 |
| 12 |
IMPERIOUS STAR |
Derryl Daniels |
A |
59.0 |
3 |
2 |
0.50 |
96.92 |
7/1 |
11/1 |
GE931 |
| 6 |
DANCE WITH AL |
Felix Coetzee |
A |
60.0 |
5 |
3 |
1.75 |
97.15 |
6/1 |
15/2 |
GE933 |
| 8 |
AUTUMN GOLD |
Kevin Shea |
A B |
60.0 |
11 |
4 |
2.00 |
97.20 |
8/1 |
20/1 |
GE974 |
| 7 |
MITRA |
Anton Marcus |
A |
60.0 |
2 |
5 |
2.10 |
97.22 |
7/1 |
11/2 |
TN1116 |
| 13 |
TASSIE BELLE |
Glen Hatt |
A |
59.0 |
10 |
6 |
2.35 |
97.27 |
14/1 |
28/1 |
CD955 |
| 3 |
PRESTIC |
Aldo Domeyer *0.0 |
A B |
60.0 |
1 |
7 |
3.60 |
97.50 |
9/2 |
5/2 |
GE933 |
| 15 |
SECRET BABE |
Stuart Randolph |
A |
59.0 |
9 |
8 |
4.35 |
97.64 |
25/1 |
55/1 |
CD982 |
| 16 |
TREE OF PERFECTION |
Gavin Lerena |
A |
59.0 |
6 |
9 |
5.85 |
97.92 |
33/1 |
28/1 |
TN1245 |
| 9 |
PRECEDENT |
Marthinus Mienie |
A |
60.0 |
17 |
10 |
6.10 |
97.97 |
20/1 |
15/1 |
GE931 |
| 4 |
MOCHACHINO |
Karl Neisius |
A |
60.0 |
4 |
11 |
6.15 |
97.98 |
16/1 |
18/1 |
GE933 |
| 1 |
CAPTAIN'S GAL |
Piere Strydom |
A B |
60.0 |
15 |
12 |
6.25 |
98.00 |
6/1 |
9/1 |
CD1001 |
| 2 |
SPARKLING GEM |
Richard Fourie |
A |
60.0 |
16 |
13 |
6.50 |
98.04 |
10/1 |
22/1 |
GE933 |
| 10 |
KIRIBATI |
Jeff Lloyd |
A |
60.0 |
7 |
14 |
7.25 |
98.19 |
16/1 |
18/1 |
GE928 |
| 5 |
LADY WINDERMERE |
Greg Cheyne |
A |
60.0 |
18 |
15 |
7.35 |
98.21 |
33/1 |
28/1 |
GE928 |
| 14 |
FLIRTATION |
Johnny Geroudis |
A |
59.0 |
13 |
16 |
8.60 |
98.44 |
8/1 |
20/1 |
CD955 |
| 17 |
JO PIPER |
Scratched |
GE974 |
| 18 |
CANDY SINGER (ARG) |
Scratched |
SV1016 |
|
