Quizzed earlier in the afternoon on the chances of Hashtagyolo in the Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes, Anthony Delpech hedged his bets. “She has a hard task and want’s further so if she wins today she is really something special.”

Those words of caution may have lead to Hashtagyolo being easy to back, going through the gates at 5-2 as the money arrived for facile maiden winner Statute, but it proved not race. Hashtagyolo roared down the Greyville straight sounding an ominous Champions Season warning, the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 an obvious target even this early in the season.

Hashtagyolo

Barbara Bardenhorst does a fine job at Dean Kannemeyer’s Summerveld satellite yard and was understandably happy with the result. “There were a lot of questions going into today, the step up in class, the distance, because she’s looking for further.

“Jeez, by the way she won today I think we have something special here.”

Delpech confirmed.

“She really gave me a feel today. She’s something special. She’s a star!” he concluded.

“The last time I rode her I felt she did too much even though she won. Today I found cover but they kept pulling slower and slower and I said if I stay here I’m going to get beat.”

Sail set a desperately slow early gallop tracked by top weight She’s A Giver and kept finding in the straight for a game second. She’s A Giver surrendered tamely as Roy’s Riviera finished well for third.

Dawn Calling tracked Hashtagyolo into the straight but the red light on the dashboard was flashing early.

The afternoon yielded a double for Dennis Drier as the well-supported Crown And Country made a winning debut in the opening Juvenile Maiden and followed up in the fourth where Rani, switched to the turf, got home under a hard ride from apprentice Diego de Gouveia.

Also rounding off the Old Year with a double was Duncan Howells as The North Face finally got his act together and Byline gave rookie stallion Byword a double after Crown And Country.

By Andrew Harrison