Apparition shows the extra gear

Mathew de Kock noted in his pre-race comments that newcomer Apparition was showing some speed and that he hoped that she’d show an extra gear when it came to the crunch.

To his delight, Apparition quickened smartly and won in 58.3s, a good comparative time on the day and faster than the time clocked by the winner of the equivalent Maiden Plate for colts.

“She broke well and was very professional. I never felt like losing, behind them. Thank goodness she found that extra gear Mat was so vocal about,” said Keegan de Melo, who rode Apparition to victory.

Mat was pleased, saying: “That was quite a spectacular debut. She raced very tractable and followed the speed. She’s extremely well bred and based on what we saw today, she has a nice future.”

Apparition is owned by Laurence Wernars and family, and Mat commented: “Thanks in particular to Mr. Wernars, who has supported the stable in a big way. His young horses have been late to come, but they’re starting to step out now and we’ll have some fun.”

Apparition is by Gimmethegreenlight out of Ancient Spirit, by Fastnet Rock.