Talented Fastnet Fillies Impress

Champion sire Fastnet Rock had two impressive three year-old fillies keep their unbeaten records intact in Australia and South Africa over the weekend. Promising filly Jolie’s Pearl (3f Fastnet Rock x Jolie’s Shinju, by Jolie’s Halo) was a debut winner at Hawkesbury last month and was able to score again at the same venue on Sunday when stepped up to 1400 metres. Prepared by Peter and Paul Snowden, she was allowed to settle back near last in the field of six and surged up along the fence for Nick Heywood to score a three-quarter length win as favourite. Jolie’s Pearl carries the colours of renowned West Australian owner/breeder Bob Peters, who owns the filly in partnership with Coolmore. She was an $850,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Coolmore draft and is the third winner for Singapore Horse of the Year, Jolie’s Shinju (Jpn). Coolmore will offer the current yearling from Jolie’s Shinju, a colt by Fastnet Rock, at the 2017 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. As a half-sister to 2011 South African Horse of the Year Igugu, Ngaga (3f Fastnet Rock  x Zarinia, by Intikhab) has a lot to live up to, but made it two wins in as many starts when saluting at Kenilworth in South Africa on Saturday. Prepared by Andre Nel, she scored by a long neck beating older rivals over 1200 metres as favourite. Ngaga was a $250,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Kia Ora Stud draft for James Bester Bloodstock and runs for his long-time client Mrs Sabine Plattner. “This filly was a ‘stand-out’ on physique - a big, strong, good-moving Fastnet Rock filly with a lot of quality,” James Bester recalled. “Her front legs, however, left a little to be desired, which put buyers off her at Easter. “I thought she was a near-million-dollar filly if legs had been perfect, so was happy enough to buy her ‘on spec' at the heavily-discounted reserve price. “I offered her to Sabine Plattner (for whom I’d previously bought the likes of Laisserfaire, Joie de Grise, more recently Acrostar, etc.). Sabine and her trainer Andre Nel were unhesitating in snapping her up and, judging by this debut win, are going to have a lot of fun with a filly whose residual value is huge.” Bred by Kia Ora, Ngaga is the fifth winner from Zarinia (IRE), who in addition to producing four-time Group I winner Igugu has also left Group III winner Honorius and Group III placed Sweet Fire.