Dubai Gina showed her potential for further staying performances with an easy win in the R125,000, listed, Sun Classique Handicap (2400m) at Kenilworth on Saturday when the Vaughan Marshall trained filly thrashed the fillies and mares by 4 1/4L easing down.
Photo by Liesl King
The Australian-bred filly was racing for the seventh time and she had never been out of a place, and on Saturday she made the step up to 2400m for the first time in impressive fashion.
The field was led by the favourite, Mary Hinge(56.5kg) and Sean Cormack after a battle for the early lead followed by Rushing Elf and Aldo Domeyer and Inca's Spirit and Gerrit Schlechter. Dubai Gina (54kg) and M J Byleveld settled fifth on the outside after coming across from barrier eight.
The order stayed the same as Mary Hinge went out by 2L taking the field to the main straight. Byleveld was sitting quietly on Dubai Gina as they went past the 400m mark, but then he sent the filly forward.
With 225m to run Dubai Gina was leading and then she went away with considerable ease leaving the field to decide the minor places. Byleveld looked left and the right to check on progress with 50m to run, but the field was so far back he would not have seen much except clear turf.
Photo by Liesl King
Satin Silver (AUS) (54kg ) (Commands) and Grant van Niekerk came into second with Mary Hinge (Second Empire) staying on for third, the margin 2 1/4L. Bermuda Sloop was fourth,
The time was 1.53.58 on the Good rated track.“She has started her career off very nicely. With seven horses in the field under sufferance, we shouldn't get too excited, but she won well today” commented Marshall
“They went a nice pace. I was worried about getting in from the draw and hoping that they didn't slow down and then sprint at the end. She won a very good race today. We always thought that she will stay and it was just a matter of whether she would be strong enough against the older horses” said Byleveld.
Dubai Gina is by Dubai Destination out of the Sunday Silence mare Anemometer and she was bred by Darley Australia. She is owned by Marshall and Ken Truter and she has earned stakes of R202,060.
