3 minute read
Super Elegant, trained and part owned by Piet Steyn, finally lived up to her trainer's steadfast belief in her ability when she beat a very useful field in the R150 000, Grade 3 Victress Stakes(1800m) at Kenilworth on Saturday.
After finishing a surprising third in the Grade 3 Champagne Stakes(1200m) in August, Steyn explained that the filly suffered from stomach ailments that had prevented her from showing her true ability.
She clearly had overcome this problem when finishing second in the Listed Sophomore Sprint(1200m) behind Soweto Slew(AUS). Yet with Hollywoodboulevard, conqueror of the mighty Igugu and J & B Met entry Beach Beauty in the field, few gave the daughter of Daylami any chance.
Croc Valley was best away and led the field into the first turn, with Super Elegant racing back in midfield. At the 300m mark the field caught up with the front runners and fanned out across the track.
Beach Beauty took the lead as expected, but not for long as the cerise and neon green silks of Super Elegant found daylight up the middle under apprentice Grant van Niekerk.
A chase ensued with a determined Super Elegant snatching the lead with 50m to go and going on to win by three quarters of a length. Beach Beauty was not disgraced in second and the 2000m of the J & B Met will clearly be more to her liking. We Three finished in third another 1.5L back.
“This is a top filly with a lot still to come. She was very sick when I got her. She was purging constantly and she still won like that, so now that I got her right, she is in a different class”, said Steyn
/p2“I must admit I did not give her much of a chance with such top fillies in the race. So I was very surprised when she quicken so easily and I realised that I could win the race”, added Van Niekerk.
Super Elegant by Daylami out of the Model Man mare Pacific Gem, recorded her third victory in a time of 112.05 sec, to take her earnings to R217 980 for owners Mrs E C Thomson and Mr E L P Steyn.
ENDS