French Navy Sails to Group I Upset in SAf

 

Sean Tarry-trained French Navy stamped himself as a leading contender for South Africa's biggest horse race, the Vodacom Durban July (SAf-I), with an upset win in the Daily News 2000 (SAf-I) May 30 at Greyville.

 

The start to the race was marred when longshot Ultimate Dollar injured himself in the starting stalls and was a last minute scratching. Run Rhino Run set a moderate pace, ahead of MLJet, Amsterdam, and Illuminati. Brilliant filly Siren's Call, one of the leading hopes in the race, was always being worked at by jockey Piere Strydom and she never really looked dangerous, eventually compounding to finish unplaced.

 

With 400 meters to run, the race was a match between the Mike de Kock-trained Ertijaal and favorite The Conglomerate. However, French Navy, ridden by in-form jockey Raymond Danielson, steadily began making up ground in the closing stages and looked a big danger with 200 meters out.

 

He eventually got the better of Investec Cape Derby (SAf-I) hero Ertijaal to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths, with The Conglomerate back in third. The winner, a son of Count Dubois, stopped the clock in the time of 2:02.79.

 

The first group I winner for breeder James Armitage, French Navy races in the well-known blue and red silks of prominent South African owner Chris Van Niekerk. He has won four of ten outings, and more than R3 million in stakes, and looks likely to run next in the Vodacom Durban July.

 

The other G1 feature on Greyville's Saturday card was the R1 million Woolavington 2000, for 3-year-old fillies.

 

The race saw young sire Ideal World off the mark when daughter Smart Call caused a 14-1 upset to pick up the first stakes win of her career. However, Smart Call's task was made considerably easier with the late scratching of hot favorite Majmu, after that Australian-bred filly was found to have an elevated temperature.

 

Trained by Alec Laird for owner/breeders Mauritzfontein Stud, Smart Call's neck victory over recent Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks (SAf-I) winner Pine Princess took her tally to three wins from just ten outings.

 

Smart Call, who had previously finished third to Siren's Call in the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas (SAf-II), is out of the Horse Chestnut mare Good Judgement, herself a half sister to former Vodacom Durban July winner Greys Inn.

 

The Woolavington was a doubly good result for Ideal World, with another daughter, Zante, filling the fourth berth. A stakes-winning son of Kingmambo, Ideal World, whose first crop of foals are now 3, is out of European and U.S. champion Banks Hill, herself a daughter of 2006 English Broodmare of the Year Hasili.