GALLIC PRINCESS SWEEPS TO TOMMY HOTSPUR WIN

Five-year-old Gallic Princess was rewarded for consistency when she captured the G3 WSB Live Blackjack Tommy Hotspur Stakes (1000m) at Turffontein on Tuesday evening.

The race, already postponed from Saturday after heavy rains, suffered a further delay on Tuesday when a thunderstorm hit Turffontein just after the running of the fourth race.

Trained by Candice Dawson, Gallic Princess had finished second in the G3 Lebelo Sprint last time out and reversed the form with Lebelo winner Anna Capri (who was 2.5kgs worse off with Gallic Princess) in Tuesday’s sprint.

Under Keagan De Melo, the daughter of Vercingetorix raced just off the early pace, before De Melo bought his blinkered mount with a late challenge down the centre of the course.

Despite facing a wall of challenged, Gallic Princess (50-7) dug down to win a good race and score by a convincing two and a quarter lengths.

Winter Stories, stablemate to the beaten favourite Master Archie, stayed on for second spot, with Sweet Future and Anna Capri fighting out a tight finish to take third and fourth respectively.

Bred by The Alchemy, Gallic Princess claimed Tuesday’s first prize of R156 250 in a time of 56.42 seconds.

Now a six time winner from 24 starts, Gallic Princess, who had been placed in four graded races prior to Tuesday’s initial graded breakthrough, is the 17th stakes winner for the Maine Chance Farms based champion Vercingetorix –who currently heads the South African General Sires List.

Gallic Princess is out of the Julliard mare –a half-sister to dual G1 winner, and Equus Champion, Aslan –sired, like Vercingetorix, by Silvano.

Images: JC Photos