Summerveld trainer Alistair Gordon’s gelding Beat The Retreat became the latest KZN-trained three-year-old to boost the returns of the discarded stallion Argonaut and displayed his Gr 2 Byerley Turk credentials in the process.

Beat The Retreat had a classy Progress Plate field over 1300m on the Greyville turf spread out like the washing behind him last Wednesday.

He galloped clear under Alec Forbes to beat the former Gr 3-winning Cape horse Captain Chaos, who is now with Mark Dixon, by an astonishing 5,5 lengths.

Beat The Retreat (Nkosi Hlophe)

Beat The Retreat started favourite as he was receiving 5,5kg from the classy Gr 3-winner Redcarpet Captain, but few would have predicted him beating the latter by 12,75 lengths and finishing 15,75 lengths ahead of another classy sort in Main Submission. The latter pair were admittedly having comeback runs and will certainly improve on those performances.

Beat The Retreat joins the Michael Roberts-trained Natal as a son of Argonaut with South African Champions Season credentials.

The 1400m trip of the Byerley Turk, to be run on the Greyville turf on Friday night April 8, should be ideal.

Meanwhile, Gordon has said Royal Life is unlikely to be aimed at any features this season and will instead be given easier, confidence boosting tasks.

The Lammerskraal-bred son of Dynasty ran an eyecatching third in a MR 81 handicap over 1400m on the Greyville poly on March 9.

Royal Life was purchased out of the Duncan Howells yard as a three-year-old by former Lammerskraal owner Mike Rattray after winning his maiden over 1600m by 6,5 lengths at Scottsville in January last year, but a serious virus he contracted after being gelded delayed his debut for the Gordon yard.

By David Thiselton