Bloodstock South Africa graduate Zarina showed her class when downing a top-class field to win the G1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes (1600m) at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.
Trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, Zarina stormed home from off the pace to land Saturday’s R750 000 race in dramatic fashion.
Under Keagan De Melo (who was winning the race for a second year in a row), the Oldlands Stud bred three-year-old flew up late to land her first G1 race by a short head.
In the process, Zarina accounted for seven graded stakes winners, notably a pair of outstanding, fellow BSA graduates in the form of Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara heroine War Of Athena and multiple G1 winner Captain’s Ransom.
Racing for Greenacres Trust in partnership with Ian Longmore and Bryn Ressell, Zarina was a R200 000 buy from the 2019 Cape Yearling Sale.
A daughter of Varsfontein Stud’s impressive sire, and former National Sale buy, Master Of My Fate, Zarina is out of the winning Kitalpha mare Mamalushka.
The filly has now won five of just ten starts, for earnings of R686 325, with Zarina’s previous victories including a triumph in this season’s G3 Vasco Prix Du Cap.
Zarina was one of two Bloodstock South Africa graduates to win a graded stakes at Greyville on Saturday, with Dean Kannemeyer saddling the promising two-year-old Waterberry Lane to win the G2 Durban Golden Horseshoe (1400m) in stirring fashion.
Also ridden by Keagan De Melo, the Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein bred colt produced a tremendous turn of foot which propelled Waterberry Lane to a near three-parts of a length victory, over fellow BSA buy AJ’s Captain.
Racing for Mike and Norma Rattray, Waterberry Lane, who has now won two of just five starts, was a R250 000 buy from the 2020 Cape Yearling Sale.
A son of Wilgerbosdrift’s short-lived National Assembly horse Soft Falling Rain, Waterberry Lane is out of the winning Fort Wood mare Gain Ground, and his granddam is a half-sister to Equus Champion Long Dollar.
The inform Master Of My Fate is also the sire of fellow BSA graduate Native Tongue, with the latter ending a great day of racing when he won Saturday’s Listed Compendium Insurance Brokers Handicap (1600m) at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
A R450 000 buy from the 2019 KZN Yearling Sale, Native Tongue picked up the biggest win of his career when landing Saturday’s Listed feature over a high-class field.
The Justin Snaith trained gelding, under a fine ride from Richard Fourie, fought on gamely to beat G3 Cape Classic winner Silver Operator by a neck, with the likes of stakes winners Cat Daddy, Capoeira, and African Night Sky further back in running.
Native Tongue, who was bred by the Wicklow Stud, races for Nick Jonsson, and he has now won four of just nine starts for his connections.
The progressive three-year-old is out of the Silvano mare Nature Girl -a winning half-sister to G1 Cape Derby winner Top Seller.
