"She's tough, and she stays!"

"She's tough, and she stays," said Hollywood Racing's Anthony Delpech after Curious Girl registered her third win from five starts in the Lucky Fish Power Pick 6 Stakes over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.

Mike and Mathew de Kock enjoy training runners like Curious Girl – sometimes they’re not the brightest talents on the block but they show heart and fortitude, which helps them to win multiple times, especially over ground.

Curious Girl was pushed along from a wide draw after she jumped from the pens. She got into a position where she was able to bowl along to a pace that changed from fast to slow and then fast again, and then outstayed her rivals in the straight.


Curious Girl (Sean Veale), with Michael Ndzilana, Anthony Deplech and Simpiwe Magudule.  (Race Coast).

“Before she won her Maiden, I never thought she’d win a race,” jockey Sean Veale noted. “But it just shows what a little bit of time can do. She feels like she’ll stay all day long. She took it up a bit early, she was wandering around a bit in front.”

Curious Girl showed some grit when she was challenged late in the race, much like she did when winning her first two starts. It’s an encouraging sign, because she also has more improvement to come.

“She’s still learning, very immature” added Delpech. “After her Maiden win, Mike suggested we give her a bit of a break. We sent her to (our training centre) at Ashburton for four months. When they stay well like this, they always have a chance.”

Curious Girl was raised at Riyo Stud and her stamina comes from both sides of her pedigree – her sire Futura is known for producing outright staying types and her unraced dam, Idaho, is a granddaughter of Daphne Donnelly, one of the Oppenheimer family’s dominant female lines in recent decades. This line produced Bouquet Garni (Strike Smartly), who won the 2009 Grade 1 SA Derby (for De Kock and Delpech), and 2024 Hollywoodbets Durban July winner, Oriental Charm (Vercingetorix).