Her easy wins in both the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes and the Sceptre in her last two starts have exacerbated the disappointment of her earlier late scratching in the Gr 1 Avontuur Estate Fillies Guineas as it denied her and the racing public the opportunity to see how she would have fared against the filly regarded as the best in the country, the Mike de Kock-trained Majmu.

Cold As Ice has now won two Gr 2s this season, the other being the Gr 2 Choice Carrier’s Championships over 1400m in which yesterday’s runner up, the Glen Kotzen-trained Double Whammy, also finished second.

Double Whammy, who was one of three three-year-olds in yesterday’s small seven horse field, is the only horse to have beaten Cold As Ice, getting the better of her in heavy going over 1200m when the latter was making her debut. However, Cold As Ice proved her superiority yesterday. She used her immense natural speed to lead throughout and was never under any pressure. She crossed the line 2,25 lengths clear.

Ironically, an indication of how good she is can be proved through the formlines of the Cape Fillies Guineas. The 2,5 length runner up of the latter race, Inara, would have preferred further and duly won the Gr 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes over 1800m next time out, while third-placed Double Whammy would probably have preferred shorter and duly finished second in the Sceptre yesterday, beating some classy older females.

Cold As Ice started at 9/20 yesterday. Priceless Jewel, a Gr 3 winner over both 1200m and 1400m, was backed in from 10/1 to 5/1, while Double Whammy drifted out from 9/2 to 8/1.  Third-placed Lanner Falcon and the next best pair Priceless Jewel and Miss Saigon were beaten 3,5, 5,75 and 6,5 lengths respectively, which showed just how good the two three-year-olds ahead of them were.

Cold As Ice was bred by Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm and is owned by K Finch, BP Finch, B Kieswetter and Craig and Amanda Carey’s Ridgemont Stud.

Saint Sophia (left) and Gallica Rose (Liesl King)

There was drama in the Listed Sun Classique Handicap in which Catchphrase went some 20 lengths clear down the back straight after her saddle had appeared to slip. The Mike Bass-trained four-year-old Dynasty filly Saint Sophia, who was officially 1kg under sufferance, ran on strongly from midfield and became involved in a ding dong tussle with Gallica Rose, who had come from the back with a burst down the inside.

Gallica Rose crossed the line a nose clear, but had continually bumped Saint Sophia outward in the latter stages. Jockey Grant van Niekerk objected and it was not surprisingly upheld. Saint Sophia started at 9/2. In Limine, Varster and The Queen Vic were the bext best finishers but were well beaten.
Later the Dennis Drier-trained four -year-old Jet Master filly Gathering Fame produced a fine finish from behind under MJ Byleveld to win the Listed Jamaica Handicap over 1700m from Omaticaya, Cat And The Moon, Jeweller’s Joy and Can Cope in a tight finish. The 6/1 shot recorded a hattrick in the process, although this was her first start in Cape Town and her first race since winning on the Greyville polytrack in September. It was only her fifth career outing so she looks to be promising.
At Turffontein the classy Ormond Ferraris-trained Toreador filly Lazer Star, an easy winner of the Gr 3 Magnolia over 1160m on Sansui Summer Cup day, remained unbeaten when producing another fantastic finishing run under Weiho Marwing to win the Listed Swallow Stakes for three-year-old fillies over 1160m by an easy 3,5 lengths, despite carrying topweight.
Earlier, the promising Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Antonius Pius colt Belong To Me bounced back from his disappointing run in the R2 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes by winning a competitive Progress Plate over 1160m under comeback jockey Donovan Mansour, although he was favourably weighted.
At Meydan racecourse in Dubai Mike de Kock ran first and third with the USA-bred Almoonqith and the Argentinian-bred Lehaaf in a handicap over 1600m. Paul Hanagan rode the winner.
Earlier De Kock and Hanagan ran second with the South African-bred three-year-old Var gelding Mastermind in a 1200m handicap. Mastermind finished a 3,75 length second in the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes last April in his final start in South Africa.