Emblem Of Liberty ran the race of her life and defied all odds to land possibly South Africa’s richest race for fillies when she won the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes at Kenilworth this weekend.
The daughter of the Klawervlei based stallion, National Emblem, saw out the testing nine furlong trip comfortably one her first attempt to finish ahead of River Jetez and Equine hero Dancers Daughter who could only manage to place in third.
The Gauteng raider has burst onto the big race scene after having come off two facile group victories in the Renounce Stakes and the Ipi Tombi stakes in Gauteng and came into the race a very fit horse said trainer Geoff Woodfuff. He was thrilled at the fillies surprise win but said that she had deserved a shot at the paddock stakes after her recent success. “I brought her down here with the Majorca Stakes on Met day being her ultimate goal, and I knew she would give a good account of herself in this race”. “We were hoping to run a second or a third to Dancers Daughter who looked difficult to oppose, but you have to take your chances in a race like this”
Owner Lionel Cohen, who would have watched the race from Australia, must be understandably over the moon with her achievements. With his champion filly Sun Classique temporarily sidelined, the astute horseman will be thrilled at the prospects of his new star.
Jockey Greg Cheyne, produced a perfect ride to clench his second group 1 this season, after having ridden Desert Links to victory in the Canon Gold Cup at Greyville last August, and would have ridden his heart out here for his wife Claire who, with Greg, leases a half share in the filly.
Emblem Of Liberty’s paddock value will now be worth a gem, and I get the feeling the best of this talented four year old is yet to come. Her record thus far is impressive having won half of her 12 starts for earnings of R1,12 million. She has now won 5 stakes races including a group 1 beating amoungst other top filly’s Dancers Daughter and Rver Jetez, the promising de Kock runner Milk and Honey, Gr1 winner Gypsy’s Warning and last time out feature race winner Prestic.
Emblem Of liberty is sired by National Emblem and is the seventh foal produced by her Australian dam Dafka , who is by the French classic winner Kendor – also broodmare sire of champion Marchand D’Or. She was an unsold graduate to come off the 2006 Vintage Sale, Equimark’s premier yearling sale, and the first crop of National Emblem since his relocation to the Cape from KZN. She is now his 28th stakes winner.
