Elegantrix gets back on track

THE Corne Spies-trained three-year-old filly Elegantrix gave the stallion phenomenon Vercingetorix his eleventh stakes winner of the season when winning the Listed Betway Swallow Stakes for three-year-old fillies over 1200m on the Vaal straight course on Saturday.

- DAVID THISELTON

It has also been a fine season for Marsh Shirtliff's Greenacres Trust and Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud, who bred Elegantrix in partnership. Marsh stands his mares at David Hepburn Brown’s Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud and sometimes partners with the latter in the owning of mares, like they did with Elegantrix’s dam. Other winners Greenacres Trust have bred this season are the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas winner Quickstepgal (Vercingetorix).

Marsh has also done some breeding out of Australia in the past and one of the horses he bred was the exciting Australian-bred St Harry (Harry’s Angel), who was hugely impressive on debut at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth last week. Greenacres Trust also bred the Gr 1 winner from last season Fiery Pegasus, who has only had one start this season.

Vercingetorix

Vercingetorix broke a record for stakes winners last season with 23 black type winners and they won 33 black type races between them.

This season the reigning champion sire’s eleven black type winners have won 13 black type races between them and as the halfway mark of the season has not yet been reached he is on his way to breaking his own record.

Elegantrix was impressive from day one and was also a black type winner in her juvenile season.

After winning on debut, she later won the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes against the boys over 1100m, beating the subsequent Gr 1 Gold Medallion winner Good For You.