FOLLOW ME GAME IN FILLIES MILE TRIUMPH

Trainer Stuart Pettigrew enjoyed a memorable day at Turffontein on Saturday when winning three of the first five races on the nine race card. The Pettigrew triumph was highlighted by a game win by his charge Follow Me in Saturday’s Turffontein feature, the G3 Fillies Mile (1600m), a feature for three-year-old fillies.

Blinkered on Saturday, Follow Me, who races for HSH Princess Charlene du Monaco Grimaldi, had caught the eye on her previous start when fourth in the G3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes, and she duly built on that effort with a courageous win in Saturday’s R175 000 Fillies Mile.

Under Diego De Gouveia, the Varsfontein Stud bred filly raced keen early on, as Hollywoodboulevard set the early pace.

De Gouveia opted to let his mount stride out, as Follow Me went on to make the running, and the 100-33 shot duly went on to set her own pace.

With 200m left to go, Follow Me looked all but impossible to peg back, and so it proved, with the Pettigrew trained filly staying on to win by just over a length and a quarter.

Eternity Ring stayed on to take second spot, with a less than half a length separating the second, third and fourth finishers. Third place finisher Sprinkles and fourth home Marigold Hotel only got going when the race was over, with the Peter trained Sprinkles finishing under a length and a half off the winner with Marigold Hotel another head away.

Tote favourite Clafoutis never looked dangerous, and had to settle for fifth -four lengths off Follow Me.

The latter claimed her biggest win in a time of 99.51 seconds, with Follow Me having now won three of just six starts.

Saturday’s Fillies Mile suffered two delays, with lightning forcing a delay to racing at Turffontein, before Fillies Mile runner Juliet Tango had to be reshod at the start.

A R180 000 buy from the 2020 National Yearling Sale, Follow Me is the 38th stakes winner for South Africa’s reigning champion sire Gimmethegreenlight