BILLY EYES DERBY

A Gr1-winning son of the great Galileo, Moutonshoek stallion The United States continues to grow in stature and has a promising Derby prospect in the shape of Billy Bowlegs who won the Gr3 Sea Cottage Stakes at Turffontein on Sunday in the manner of a decent sort.

Just 24 hours after his son Without Question booked his own Cape Derby ticket with a chasing second to highly vaunted stablemate Rockpool in the Gr3 Politician Stakes at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, Billy Bowlegs produced the performance of his short career so far to beat two promising fillies in the R250 000 Gr3 Sea Cottage Stakes run over 1800m.

Under a typically enthusiastic and confident ride by Muzi Yeni, Billy Bowlegs (28-10) outran the two fairer sex gallopers in the latter stages to register a half length victory in a time of 110,34 secs.

Billy Bowlegs (Muzi Yeni) storms home – second placed None Other is out of the pic (Pic – JC Photos)

None Other (3-1) stayed on for second, with the 28-10 Bonete plodding away a further 3,25 lengths back in third.

A broadly smiling trainer Alec Laird called the winner ‘an improving big puppy and the plan is coming together’. He observed that the colt is getting stronger.

That must be heartening news for owners Laura de Haast, Sita Govender, Krishna Nagendran – a big buyer at the recent Tattersalls Cape Premier Yearling Sale – and the International Racing Club, whose nominee is the UKbased Joao da Mata.

A R300 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, Billy Bowlegs took his stakes tally to R271 875, with his third win from just 7 starts.

A son of the exciting Moutonshoek Galileo stallion The United States, the winner is out of the one-time winning Captain Al mare Yourethetops and was bred by Wicklow Stud.

Two others for the Highveld Season feature black-book are Robbie Sage’s Unzen (Erupt) and Grant Marountrained Anfields Rocket (Coup De Grace). Both caught the eye on the afternoon.