Beach Beauty (SAF) thrilled the Greyville crowd with a commanding victory in the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m on Saturday. Ice Machine (SAF) ran on well for second, ahead of Hill Fifty Four (SAF) and Run For It (SAF).
There were a few front-runners in the line-up and it was no surprise to see Bielorusso going out to show the way from Always Al and Viva Maria. Occhi Di Lupo and Happy Archer were also in contention early on, albeit racing very wide, while Beach Beauty settled in between horses, giving about three lengths' start. Captain's Secret was next best, being tracked by Ice Machine while Hill Fifty Four sat near the tail end of the field, with Run For It dropped out to last.
Always Al and Viva Maria moved in to tackle Bielorusso as they entered the straight but all eyes were on Beach Beauty, who saw daylight early and was travelling with a ton in hand. The result could have been called 300m out as Sean Cormack could hold back no longer and let the 5-year-old daughter of Dynasty go. That was that, the trademark acceleration coming into play and effectively ending the race as a contest. Ice Machine gave chase gamely but Cormack was able to ease Beach Beauty down inside the last 100m and still win with nearly two lengths to spare.
Beach Beauty has gotten better with age and was recording her eleventh career victory, seven of which have come in graded events. Having established herself as the country's top middle-distance female, she will surely be prepared for another tilt at the Vodacom Durban July this season and has proved to be a marvellous advertisement for her sire.
The placed horses had no chance with the winner but their respective connections all have reason to feel delighted. Ice Machine bounced back to form following a failed summer campaign in Cape Town while Hill Fifty Four and Run For It are both July contenders and turned in excellent winter warm-ups over a trip that would have been on the sharp side for both of them.
5 b m Dynasty - Sun Coast by Capture Him (USA)
Shanks Syndicate (Nom: Mr W G Kidd)
Bred by Mr T Armitage
Winning trainer: Dennis Drier
Race 8 - R350K - DRILL HALL STAKES (Grade 2)
Horses at Weight-For-Age - 1400m |
| No |
Horse |
Jockey |
Al/Bl |
Kg |
Dr |
Fin |
Dist |
Time |
OP |
SP |
| 13 |
BEACH BEAUTY |
Sean Cormack |
A |
57.5 |
2 |
1 |
0.00 |
82.15 |
2/1 |
16/10 |
| 6 |
ICE MACHINE |
M J Odendaal |
A |
60.0 |
5 |
2 |
1.75 |
82.46 |
33/1 |
11/1 |
| 1 |
HILL FIFTY FOUR |
Anton Marcus |
A |
60.0 |
10 |
3 |
2.75 |
82.64 |
4/1 |
9/2 |
| 5 |
RUN FOR IT |
Robbie Fradd |
A B |
60.0 |
4 |
4 |
3.50 |
82.78 |
14/1 |
12/1 |
| 14 |
HAPPY ARCHER (AUS) |
Gavin Lerena |
A |
57.5 |
8 |
5 |
4.75 |
83.01 |
10/1 |
10/1 |
| 7 |
BULSARA |
Brandon Lerena |
A |
60.0 |
12 |
6 |
4.85 |
83.03 |
33/1 |
40/1 |
| 4 |
LAKE ARTHUR |
Stuart Randolph |
A |
60.0 |
1 |
7 |
4.90 |
83.04 |
33/1 |
25/1 |
| 10 |
HAMMIE'S DYNASTY |
Karis Teetan |
A |
60.0 |
3 |
8 |
5.00 |
83.05 |
33/1 |
66/1 |
| 2 |
CAPTAIN'S SECRET |
Bernard Fayd'Herbe |
A |
60.0 |
7 |
9 |
6.00 |
83.24 |
8/1 |
7/1 |
| 12 |
EXCUSE MY FRENCH |
Alec Forbes |
A |
60.0 |
13 |
10 |
6.05 |
83.25 |
50/1 |
35/1 |
| 8 |
ALWAYS AL |
Kevin Shea |
A |
60.0 |
9 |
11 |
7.80 |
83.57 |
20/1 |
33/1 |
| 15 |
VIVA MARIA |
Anthony Delpech |
A |
57.5 |
11 |
12 |
9.05 |
83.80 |
8/1 |
10/1 |
| 11 |
OCCHI DI LUPO |
Ian Sturgeon |
A B |
60.0 |
14 |
13 |
12.55 |
84.46 |
50/1 |
66/1 |
| 9 |
BIELORRUSO (ARG) |
Nicky Roebuck |
A |
60.0 |
6 |
14 |
20.55 |
86.00 |
50/1 |
66/1 |
| 3 |
DIVINE JET |
Scratched |
|
