A lightning fast son of multiple champion sire Snitzel, the Ridgemont-based Real Gone Kid has made an uber-encouraging start to his first season with runners on the track, and only a neck separated his daughters Say A Prayer (6-10) and debutante Carnival (9-2) in the 1000m polytrack Maiden Juvenile Plate.
J Lordi led the charge early, as Richard Fourie stalked in the box seat on the Alan Greeff-trained Say A Prayer.
Into the home run Say A Prayer cut back the deficit with Gareth Wright on the Dean Smith-trained Carnival outpaced and looking pushed to run a drum.
Say A Prayer (6-10) hit the front with authority inside the 200m, as Carnival(9-2) suddenly realised what it’s all about, and took off to make up many lengths and get to within 0,10 lengths of the winner, who clocked 57,73 secs for the all-weather 1000m.
Both the top two are raced in partnership by Ridgemont and Devin Heffer
Say A Prayer, whose Canford Cliffs half-brother Heathcliff won up to 2700m, is out of the Gitano Hernando Winter Oaks winner Whose That Girl.
Gitano Henrnado was a top-class globetrotter, who earned more than $2 000 000. His peak wins came in the 2009 Gr1 Goodwood Stakes and Gr1 Singapore Airlines International Cup of 2011.
Carnival clearly pleased Dean Smith on debut and she should win next time. She is out of the Patricia Devine Investments (Pty) Ltd-bred Var five-time winner Variety Star, a winner of the Listed Milkwood Stakes in 2014.
The handsome chestnut Real Gone Kid showed plenty of pace during his racing career with the now Hong Kong-based Brett Crawford, with his six victories, from 13 starts, coming from 1000m to 1250m. His six successes included a four-race winning streak, during which he accounted for champion sprinters Kasimir and Rio Querari, among others.
Real Gone Kid is a son of the late Redoute’s Choice star Snitzel, who has already claimed four Australian Champion Sires titles.
Interestingly, it was just a week back that Real Gone Kid’s Starspangledbanner half-brother Bling Bling Genius registered his second win in Hong Kong.
The Irish bred five-year-old made all under Lyle Hewitson to win The St George’s Challenge Cup at Sha Tin by half a length.
Trained by Douglas Whyte, Bling Bling Genius is one of four winners produced by South African champion In The Fast Lane.
A half-sister to fellow Gr1 winning Equus Champion Let’s Rock ’N Roll, In The Fast Lane is also the dam of 2023 Gr2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes runner up Stiptelik.
A daughter of multiple champion sire and broodmare sire Jet Master, In The Fast Lane was the Equus Champion 3YO Filly of 2013-2014, with her five victories including triumphs in both the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas and Gr1 Woolavington 2000.