The Stuart Pettigrew-trained Surcharge threw down the gauntlet to the Highveld-classic bound three-year-olds when giving weight and a beating to a quality field in the Grade 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday.
Later, the Mike de Kock-trained filly Fish River stretched clear in the Grade 3 Three Troikas Stakes to build on her impressive victory over the course and distance in December.
Surcharge, a good looking colt by Gimmethegreenlight, has now won five of his seven starts. His two stakes wins to date have both been over the Standside 1400m and he has given weight to the field on both occasions. In the preliminaries on Saturday he did not strike as one who was fully wound up, which made his win all the more impressive. He relaxes well in the running and might in fact be a touch on the lazy side, but this sort of temperament is common among champions. His one fault is his lack of gate speed and in his only defeat this season, in the R2,5 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup, this proved costly from a wide draw as he turned for home out of his ground and then experienced traffic problems in the straight. On Saturday, Strydom dropped him out after his hesitant start and he turned for home in third-last position in the twelve horse field. He moved up under the hands, but by the 150m mark still had three lengths to make up on the horse who looked the winner, Sir David Baird.
Piere Strydom
However, Strydom then gave him a backhander and he changed effortlessly into a higher gear. Sir David Baird changed legs twice in the final stages and also hung inward and this helped Surcharge’s cause. Nevertheless, he still looked to have a bit in the tank when surging past to win by 0,6 lengths. What is also palpable is that he will appreciate a step up to the mile, and maybe more. The world looks to be his oyster and he joined the unbeaten Paul Peter-trained Majestic Mambo as the leading light for the forthcoming SA Triple Crown series of races. On paper Surcharge is at least on a par with Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner Tap O’ Noth on a line through Saturday’s third-placed Wonderwall, to whom he gave 2kg and a 1,6 length beating, as the latter finished fifth in the Cape Guineas, beaten 2,35 lengths. Sir David Baird, a handy to front-running sort, was the least fancied of Mike de Kock’s three runners on Saturday.
His stablemate Yakeen, the 16/10 favourite, was forced to commit a long way out after being handy from pole position, but found little extra and finished a 6,4 length sixth. He will prefer further and in his impressive recent win over 1600m he came from off the pace. De Kock’s Silvano colt Pietro Mascagni sat behind Yakeen in the running and plugged on for a 3,7 length fourth over a trip too sharp. Fifth-placed Ideal Secret had too much ground to make up from last and will also enjoy the step up in trip in the Gauteng Guineas. The Puma was tailed off last entering the last 400m so did well to run on for seventh. Investec Dingaans runner-up Seerite was off the bit a long way out but stayed on for ninth. He will prefer further and would also likely prefer some cut in the ground.
In the Three Troikas San Fermin had a chance to restore her lofty reputation, having failed in the Fillies Mile and followed it with a good third in the Listed Swallow Stakes over 1160m in just her third career start. However, despite starting 5/4 favourite, she proved no match for the De Kock-trained Australian-bred Canford Cliffs filly Fish River. San Fermin did admittedly have a wide draw to overcome, but found a nice spot on the rail after being dropped out. However, the classy Fish River kicked from a handy position and kept her at bay before finding another gear in the closing stages to win easing up by 2,1 lengths. The relatively small San Fermin finished second.
Dame Kelly gave cheek to Fish River until the 200m mark. She held on for third ahead of the winner’s big stablemate Takingthepeace, who gave 2kg to the whole field and was staying on well. Green Top, who is by Gimmethegreenlight out of Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic-winner Caughtintheslips, also ran on well for an encouraging fifth. Fish River provided Anthony Delpech with his 100th win of the season. He looks likely to defend his National Jockeys Championships as he rode a further two winners on the day to maintain his 25,69% strike rate and at stumps was 25 winners clear of second-placed Lyle Hewitson. Mike and Adam Azzie also scored a treble on the day and this included a courageous front-running win by the five-year-old Captain Al gelding Arctica under Craig Zackey in the Listed Wolf Power Stakes over 1600m.
By David Thiselton
