POCKET POWER finished down the track at his final start in the G1 J&B Met at Kenilworth on Saturday.
The South African hero had won the J&B Met three times and was a close up third to his younger sister River Jetez last year. He settled midfield on the fence but, off a slow pace in front, couldn’t make an impression as the leaders kicked in the straight.
Past Master (4g Jet Master – Early Thaw by Western Winter) established a clear margin at the furlong and comfortably held off favoured mare Mother Russia to score by over a length. The winner went off at $17 after a disappointing sixth to Mother Russia in the G1 Queen’s Plate on January 8.
Trained by Darryl Hodgson for leading owner Hassan Adams, Past Master won the G2 Selangor Cup at Kenilworth in November 2009 but was subsequently off the scene for nearly a year. He resumed with a third to Pocket Power in the G2 Green Point Stakes last November and then added a G2 in the Diadem Stakes before that loss in the Queen’s Plate
SOWETO SLEW came close to giving Adams a Listed win in the Summer Juvenile Stakes earlier in the day. The Australian bred youngster got to the front but was claimed by Princess Victoria (Victory Moon) close to home.
Soweto Slew (2c Oratorio – Rose A Slew by Slew City Slew) won on debut at Kenilworth in December and followed up with a second to Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) in the Listed Protea Juvenile Plate on Queen’s Plate day.
Soweto Slew’s dam Rose A Slew is a USA bred half-sister to G1 racehorse and sire Codex (Arts and Letters) and she was exported to Australia in September 1996.
Rose A Slew changed hands several times (for as much as $245,000) before Emerald Thoroughbreds owner Bill Benson sold her to Crowning Stone for $12,000 at the 2008 Inglis Broodmare Sale. She was carrying Soweto Slew and Crowning Stone sold him for $80,000 at the 2010 Inglis Premier yearling sale.
IL SAGGIATORE was another Australian bred galloper in the money on the J&B support card. He was being hailed a winner of the G1 Cape Derby until Top Seller (Al Mufti) motored down the outside to beat him a head.
Il Saggiatore (3g Galileo – Smidgin by Snippets) was bred in Victoria by Glentree Downs and was exported to South Africa in July 2008. He was purchased by Marcus Jooste for R750,000 at the 2009 South African National yearling sale.
Trainer Joey Ramsden had placed him to advantage with a winning hat-trick earlier this season including a Listed victory in the Greyville Guineas Trial. He is also a half-brother to Australian winners by Encosta de Lago, Rory’s Jester, Flying Spur, Danehill Dancer and Grandera.
Yallambee Stud will sell their Excellent Art half-brother at the 2011 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale.
GIBRALTAR BLUE completed a day of near misses for the Australian connection when third home in the G1 Majorca Stakes. She led them up but was claimed by Pocket Power’s stablemates Covenant (Western Winter) and Love Is In the Air (Jet Master) in the closing stages.
Gibraltar Blue is an Irish bred daughter of Coolmore shuttler Rock Of Gibraltar and started her career with a maiden win at Fairyhouse. She was sold to South African owner-breeder John Koster and was a G2 winner of the KRA Fillies Guineas and Tibouchina Stakes last season.
She resumed to win the Listed Gardenia Hcp by four lengths in November and then added a G2 in the Ipi Tombe Challenge at Turffontein. In her final lead-up for the Majorca, she failed to handle the drop back from 1600m to 1000m in the Cape Flying Championship on January 22.
Majorca winner Covenant is a half-sister to the dam of 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Pluck (More Than Ready) who has been signed up as a future shuttler to Vinery.