Paul Peter regards his unbeaten three-year-old colt Majestic Mambo as probably the best horse he has ever trained and is still “mind-boggled” that he secured him for a mere R40,000 at the CTS Ready to Run Sale presented by Lanzerac.

Mike de Kock also looks to have a top filly on his hands in the Irish-bred Cascapedia.

On Sunday Majestic Mambo made it three from three when winning the Listed Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m on Turffontein Standside by a comfortable 2,35 lengths under Anthony Delpech.

He sat near the back before showing a fine turn of foot and putting the race to bed some way out beating two well regarded Mike de Kock-trained horses in Royal Crusade and Alshibaa at level weights

Peter said the beauty about this horse was his magnificent acceleration as he could be dropped out to the back and was always going to make up the ground.

He will now go straight into the Gauteng Triple Crown classics without have any more preparation outings.

The first of these races is the Grade 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas on March 3.

His wins to date have all been over 1800m.

On debut he was ridden by French jockey Thierry Thulliez in one of the International Jockeys Challenge races on Turffontein Inside. After losing two lengths at the start he showed an effortless turn of foot in the straight to win by 5,5 lengths, despite having been ignored in the market and starting at odds of 11/1.

Second time out in a Novice Handicap in a night race on the Standside track, he was dropped out and came wide into the straight, although he did have cover. He then showed exceptional acceleration again to win by four lengths.

Peter, asked whether he would find the 1600m Guineas trip to sharp said, “We initially thought it would be but Anthony Delpech said it would not be a problem as he has such good acceleration.”

On Saturday Delpech apparently deliberately sent him for home too early to test his suitability to the mile and he responded instantly.

Peter added, “He is a very easy horse to train as he shows so much ability. He takes a lot of work, but has a good appetite and eats up well and he has been nice and sound.”

Regarding his temperament, Peter said, “He is massive and knows his strength, so he does bully us a little bit … but he is entitled to!”

The Moutonshoek-bred Mambo In Seattle colt went through the ring unsold at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale and a “buyer’s levy” was not paid against him, so he does not qualify for the lucrative US$500,000 CTS Mile on Sun Met day.

However, this could be a blessing in disguise for Peter, who did not want to mess the horse around at this stage by travelling him down to Cape Town.

Peter does all the selecting and buying for his chief client, the Hyperpaint Syndicate.

His method is to attempt to look at every single horse on a sale and make comments, and only then does he check the pedigrees.

Majestic Mambo made a big impression on him at the Ready To Run breeze ups.

He said, “I loved his action and the way he moved and he was such a nice looking, big and imposing individual.”

Peter will likely be able to keep Delpech aboard as Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud, who retain him, look unlikely to have a horse running in the male Johannesburg classics this season.

Peter also goes into the Triple Tiara with a fine chance of success as he trains the crack Tiger Ridge filly Folk Dance.

He was impressed by her “athletic” looks at the National Yearling Sale and also has a high regard for her breeders, Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Studs.

He secured her for R100,000.

Peter is loath to put her ahead of his classy five-year-old mare, Fort Ember, just yet. The latter ended last season by winning the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m at Greyville and in her last run finished a fine second in Johannesburg’s biggest race, the Sansui Summer Cup over 2000m. She also won the Grade 3 Flamboyant Stakes over 1600m at Greyville last season. Fort Ember will be targeted at the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Challenge.

Folk Dance, like Majestic Mambo, has a fine action and tremendous acceleration. She has won four out of six starts, including the Grade 3 Fillies Mile on Summer Cup day. Interestingly, she beat Aurelia Cotta at level weights by three lengths in the latter race which compares to Majestic Mambo’s 3,15 length defeat of this same horse on Saturday on weight for age terms.

Folk Dance will also go straight into the Triple Tiara without another preparation outing. She will be hard to beat in the first leg, the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas. The furthest she has been to date is a mile, but as she is out of a half-sister to the dam of Summer Cup winner Dancewiththedevil and might stay further.

Peter has 100 horses in his yard at the moment and is enjoying his best season to date. He is lying in sixth place on the National Trainers log and has already had 47 wins at a strike rate of 16,91%.

Mike de Kock is the only trainer who has a higher strike rate than Peter out of the top ten trainers on the log.

De Kock has been turning out well-bred horses in conveyor belt-like fashion this season.

On Sunday his Irish-bred daughter of High Chaparral slammed the boys in the Grade 3 London News Stakes over 1800m on Turffontein Standside. She is six months younger than her four-year-old contemporaries, being Northern Hemisphere-bred, yet beat the Triple Crown hero by 1,4 lengths under Delpech on Sunday despite only receiving 3kg. She has won five from six starts to date and is improving all the time, so has a promising career ahead of her. Form Bloodstock secured her for  ‎£191,165 at the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale of 2015 on behalf of Mauritzfontein Stud. Her dam Janoubi is an unraced horse by Dansili and is a half-sister to Radevore (Generous), who won a Group 2 and a Group 3 in France.

By David Thiselton