Snowdance, well-nigh invincible in Cape Town, has now been beaten in all three of her Durban starts. As in the Fillies Guineas and the Gold Challenge, she wasn’t beaten far in the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province and the odds-on shot looked all over the winner well inside the final furlong only to be pipped on the post.

Snowdance

“She is not the same horse here, she hasn’t settled in Durban and she hates it under the lights,” declared Justin Snaith but the Lammerskraal owner-bred Redberry Lane carried rather more stable confidence than her 22-1 price might suggest. “We came here upbeat about her chances,” said Sean Tarry and the way Lyle Hewitson kept driving was a sure indication of his belief that victory was well within the realms of possibility.

Jeff Lloyd flies back to Australia today to bring down the curtain on his great career and there was a huge cheer when he rode into the winner’s box for the final time in South Africa after landing the KZN Yearling Sale Million on Givinitsum.

This was the most valuable victory of Candice Dawson’s two and a half years as a trainer and for good measure she followed up with the Nooresh Juglall-ridden Infamous Fox in the finale.

By Michael Clower