Fatal Flaw Wins Cape Fillies Guineas in South Africa

Bloodstock South Africa alumni dominated feature race action at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. Not only did BSA buys Fatal Flaw and Scarlet Macaw finish 1-2 in Saturday's G1 Cape Fillies Guineas, but fellow Bloodstock South Africa purchases Oriental Charm and Holding Thumbs won the G2 World Sports Betting Green Point Stakes and Listed World Sports Betting Cape Summer Stayers Handicap respectively on the same day.

The Brett and James Crawford trained Fatal Flaw showed her class when overcoming a poor draw to win Saturday's World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas in style. Under a great ride from Piere Strydom (who was winning the Cape Fillies Guineas for a first time), the filly was sent to the front in Saturday's Grade One feature and she was not to be caught. Under a confident Strydom, the Laurence Wernars bred filly kicked on strongly in the closing stages to win convincingly by two lengths. Owned by the  ASSM Racing Syndicate, Fatal Flaw came into Saturday's classic off a fluent win in the G3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes, and she has now won three of nine starts for earnings of R1,329,938.

Fatal Flaw, a R210 000 buy from the 2023 National Yearling Sale, hails from the second crop of the ill-fated New Predator, whose first crop yielded dual G1 winner and G1 Betway Summer Cup runner up Purple Pitcher.

The 2024 G1 World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas queen is out of the Rock Of Gibraltar mare Alinga, whose four wins included a triumph in the Listed East Coast Handicap.

Last season's G1 Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Oriental Charm made an impressive four-year-old debut when he downed a high-class field to capture the G2 World Sports Betting Green Point Stakes in front running fashion.

Trained, like Fatal Flaw, by Brett and James Crawford, the Cheveley Stud bred colt was given a strong ride by JP Van Der Merwe, who kept Oriental Charm to win a shade cosily by a length. Owned by Greg Bortz, Leon Ellman and Gina Goldsmith, Oriental Charm has won his last three starts in a row, and looks to be a leading contender for both the G1 L'Ormarins Kings Plate and G1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met.

One of seven winners for his sire Vercingetorix on Saturday, Oriental Charm was a R375 000 buy from the 2022 National Yearling Sale.

The colt, who is out of the stakes placed Greys Inn mare Souk, has won five of 11 starts and has earned R3,840,624 in prize money.

Vercingetorix enjoyed more feature race success on Saturday when his son Holding Thumbs won the World Sports Betting Cape Summer Stayers Handicap for Glen Kotzen and Sean Veale. 

Given a well judged ride from Sean Veale, the four-year-old kept finding in the closing stages of Saturday's Listed feature to claim his biggest win to date by a long neck. Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Holding Thumbs took his earnings to R425,188 with his win on Saturday. A R1 100 000 purchase from the 2022 August Two Year Old Sale, Holding Thumbs is owned by Messrs Bamford, MacLean & Player, Mrs J Doyle & Mr L S & Mrs Rayna Govender. The gelding is out of the Fort Wood mare Withbatedbreath, a three time winner who finished second in the Listed Oaks Trial. Closely related to champion Elusive Fort, Withbatedbreath is a full-sister to Listed Woolavington Handicap winner Benjan.