Scottsville: South African Fillies Sprint (Grade 1) 6f, turf, 3yo+ f/m Captain’s Gal beat a top class field on Saturday to score her first grade 1 that included two brilliant three-year-olds, Gibraltar Blue and Val De Ra. The Sean Tarry-trained four year old Captain's Gal, a 13-2 chance, got the better of the former Tommy Stack-trained Gibraltar Blue close home to score another group 1 for Captain Al by a neck.
Gibraltar Blue, who runs in Klawervlei silks, is now trained by Mike De Kock. She broke fast and went on just under two furlongs out but the age differential may have told - she met the others on six months worse than weight-for-age terms. Val De Ra, not extended in five previous starts, was a length and a quarter back third.
Sean Tarry said: "We decided to raid with Captain's Gal from our Johannesburg stables because our Durban yard isn't quite right, and it's paid dividends."
This is Captain Al’s third Group 1 winner after Captains Lover won the Cape Fillies Guineas in 2007 and Exhilaration won the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes last year.
This win with Captain’s Gal propels his sire to 1st on the overall stakes leading log by stakes winners (12) and third overall for the 2010 racing season.
Captain Al progeny enjoyed further success on the weekend with Snaith trained double at Kenilworth, firstly with School Captain in a maiden juvenile plate in the third, and then with the Grade 2 Odessa Stud Fillies Champion Townsend, who won the Stormsvlei mile, a listed feature for fillies on the day.
Allagain, the Klawervlei bred daughter of Captain Al also broke her maiden at the first time of asking in the first at Scottsville on Saturday.
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