News

SA Champ Majmu Wins Cape Fillies Guineas

7th Dec 2014

Bloodhorse - By Sarah Whitelaw - Sunday, 7 December 2014

Sheikh Hamdan's South African champion Majmu outclassed her rivals to win the Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas (SAf-I) Dec. 6 at Kenilworth.

In landing the Guineas by 2 1/2 lengths, the Australian-bred daughter of Redoute's Choice took her record to five wins from six outings and stamped herself as the best 3-year-old filly in training in South Africa.

An impressive winner of the Starling Stakes (SAf-II) last time out for trainer Mike de Kock, Majmu always looked to be hard to beat in the Western Cape classic, and was duly priced a 3-10 shot to win the lucrative race.

Her biggest rivals in the Guineas appeared to be Cold as Ice and Double Whammy, the respective winner and runner-up in the Choice Carriers Fillies Championship (SAf-II) Nov. 8. But Majmu's task was made that much easier by the late scratching of second choice Cold as Ice, who dislodged jockey Bernard Fayd'Herbe in the starting gate and got loose only to run amok on the Kenilworth course.

The race itself worked out beautifully for Majmu, with jockey Anthony Delpech settling the gray into third place in the early stages of the 1600-meter (about one-mile) race as stablemate and fellow Australian-bred Ataab cut out the early running.

Ataab, by Flying Spur, kept up the gallop turning for home, but Majmu kicked clear with 400 meters to go, running on strongly down the inside. Inara, a 25-1 longshot, and Double Whammy struggled in vain to catch her, but Majmu's early move proved decisive as she strode home an emphatic winner in 1:39.26.

Inara produced the run of her career in finishing second, with Double Whammy, who had looked a picture in the pre-race parade, another half length back in third, ahead of Jet Set Go.

Remarkably, Inara's second-place finish gave sire Trippi a third consecutive runner-up in this race, his daughters Hammie's Hooker and Lanner Falcon having filled that berth in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Delpech was over the moon after the race, commenting, "I jumped smartly and my stablemate (Ataab) was slightly slow away but got there and set a good pace. I made my move early, as I worried I would get shut away. She is a very smart filly."

South Africa's champion 2-year-old filly last season, Majmu looks likely to have an overseas campaign at some stage, although her globetrotting trainer could first aim the brilliant filly at the J&B Met (SAf-I) in January.

Majmu is the third Cape Fillies Guineas winner saddled by de Kock, who was previously victorious with Emerald Beauty and Rumya. She was bred by Arrowfield Stud from Chilean classic winner Spontaneous, by Hussonet.

An Aus$300,000 buy from Arrowfield's consignment the 2013 Inglis Easter yearling sale, Majmu traces in tail female directly to Geisha, the dam of champion and influential sire Native Dancer.

Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/89079/sa-champ-majmu-wins-cape-fillies-guineas#ixzz3LFdMCO00