Photo by Liesl King
Sunday, 22 January 2012: 2011 Equus Champion Sprinter, Val De Ra, gave a masterful display of sheer speed in the R600 000, Grade 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship at Kenilworth in Cape Town as she led the field from start to finish.
What A Winter chased hard in second, but the mare had his measure and won by half a length, with Rabattache in third and J J The Jet Plane in fourth.
The Dennis Drier trained Val De Ra has only been beaten once in her career and despite meeting the Cape champion, What A Winter( Karl Neisius) and the International champion J J The Jet Plane(Bernard Fayd'Herbe), the Cape Flying Championship was no different.
Out of the gate like a bullet, the mare quickly opened up a one length lead on the field. What A Winter tracked her in second and J J The Jet Plane, followed up the middle of the track.
With 350m to run the gap had lengthened to two lengths forcing Neisius to unleash the colt. With What A Winter's blistering finishing kick, it became a two horse race as they pulled clear of the field.
The colt started to reign in the mare in the closing stages, but Alec Forbes asked Val De Ra to change gears once again and the champion mare comfortably held off the colt, crossing the line a half length in front.
Rabattache finished in third a distant 4.1/4L back, with a tired J J The Jet Plane crossing the line in fourth. The time was 57.97 seconds.
Photo by Liesl King
“I am so lucky to train a filly of this calibre. She has shown today she is world class. I watched most of the race with my eyes closed. It was just the last two hundred that I open them and saw Mike's horse (What A Winter) flying. I knew then it was a two horse race. She is a brilliant horse, she looked superb, but I am glad it is over”, said a delighted Drier.
“She is a superstar, she has done it the hard way, after her ten month break (with peritonitis) she had to travel and take on the boys in Johannesburg. Then she had the one run here and it was a little bit nerve racking today with only one run under her belt. Alec gave her a brilliant ride, I think he knows her better than I do,” added Drier
“I am very relieved. I was like a five year old on Christmas morning. I arrived three hours early and I am so glad that she won. She really is the best horse I have ever sat on. She is tough she has never had to fight off a horse, but she fought him off today. What a filly”, said Forbes
“I attacked her at the right time, but as you get to her she just finds another half a length, she is so good”, admitted Nesius.
J J The Jet Plane, who was making his comeback run after recovering from a suspensory core lesion sustained during an overseas campaign, finished a gallant fourth. J J The Jet Plane looked slightly burly in the parade ring and he was blowing hard afterwards. Trainer Lucky Houdalakis was satisfied with the run and said that he was happy that J J returned sound and that he should come on from the run.
“It was tough, straight out of such a long layoff and straight into the deep end. He is having a good hard blow, he will improve from this, but there is nothing else for him till April. He is not a 1000m horse and that is the bottom line”, commented Houdalakis.
Photo by Liesl King
After failing to reach her reserve when offered for sale at the Bloodstock South Africa National Yearling Sale, Val De Ra was retained by her breeders Avontuur Stud and with guidance from Mike De Kock, she was offered to KwaZulu-Natal trainer Dennis Drier.
After a very promising start to her career she contracted peritonitis and there were fears that after the lengthy spell in hospital, she would never race again. Fortunately Val De Ra is the most relaxed horse by nature and she took it all in her stride and returned better than ever.
The Cape Flying Championship was the second time that she has taken the colts on in Grade 1 company and both times she returned to the number one box. With Drier's comments that she is world class, there would be considerable anticipation of a possible international campaign.
Val De Ra, out of the Elliodor mare Minelli, is a owned by her breeders Avontuur Stud, who also stand her sire the European Sprint Champion, Var. She recorded her 11th victory from 12 starts taking her earnings to R1 848 140.
