Smart Call Tops Male Rivals in J&B Met
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Mare Smart Call downed the favorites when she ran out an emphatic winner against males in the Jan. 30 J&B Met (SAF-I) at Kenilworth.
The 5-year-old daugther of Ideal World, who won her three previous races, went off at 8-1 odds, with recent L'Ormarins Queen's Plate (SAF-I) winner Legal Eagle sent off as the 16-10 favorite.
Legal Eagle was perfectly placed by jockey Anton Marcus, with the pair just off pace-setting Legislate, with Helderberg Blue and Captain America in third and fourth, respectively.
With 300 meters left to run, Legal Eagle hit the front and was quickly challenged by Smart Call, who pulled away decisively under JP Van Der Merwe.
The Alec Laird-trained mare pulled clear to register a 3 1/2-length win over the favorite, with Captain America back in third and outsider Light The Lights beaten less than five lengths in fourth.
Smart Call, who stopped the clock in 2:03.17 for the ten furlongs, has now won her past four outings. A winner in seven of 16 races, Smart Call's third career group I win pushed her career earnings to just under 3.5 million rands.
Originally carded to be ridden by the sidelined Weichong Marwing (who also unfortunately missed the winning ride on CTS Million Dollar winner Illuminator last week), Smart Call was the ultimate pick-up ride for winning jockey Van Der Merwe, who earned the biggest win of his career.
"She is a very nice filly, and it was unfortunate for Weichong to miss the ride. I waited until this morning when arriving in Cape Town to be confirmed as the rider," Van Der Merwe said. "I have never ridden her in a race before, but know her well, as I ride her at home a lot. I pulled out with 300 meters left to run and she quickened up beautifully."
Smart Call provided Laird with a second win in the Met. Laird sent out London News to win the Cape showpiece race in 1997. She is the first female to win the Met since Igugu triumphed in 2012.
Bred and owned by Mauritzfontein Stud, Smart Call is the first group I winner for the farm's resident sire Ideal World, a stakes-winning son of the recently deceased Kingmambo out of 2001 U.S. champion grass mare Banks Hill.
Saturday's other group I race on the card, the Betting World Cape Flying Championship, saw a thrilling finish where less than a half-length separated the first four.
Jockey Corne Orffer, who celebrated the first group I success of his career, narrowly prevailed aboard Gulf Storm, who also won at the top level for a first time. The 12-1 shot narrowly denied Brutal Force by a head, with favorite Carry On Alice beaten less than a half-length in third, a short head in front of Tevez.
Trained by dual Met-winning conditioner Brett Crawford, Gulf Storm, who finished second to champion sprinter Captain Of All last season, has won eight of 24 starts and the Ascot Stud-bred 5-year-old pushed his earnings to more than 1.3 million rands with Saturday's big win.
Saturday was also a great one for trainer Justin Snaith, who saddled eight winners on the 12-race card, with his charges landing both the The Sun International Summer Juvenile Stakes and the JandB Urban Honey Stayers Handicap (SAF-II).