Fourth Stakes Win For Crusade This Season
The smart Crusade colt Alfeo looks to have booked his berth at Greyville on 30 June for the richly endowed KZN Breeders Race Day after a facile victory in Saturday’s R150 000 Listed Dahlia Plate at Fairview.
The race has been dominated by Alan Greeff and the Scribante family, as well as trainer Gavin Smith, and the top local yards and they filled the first four places again.
Aldo Domeyer had Alfeo in touch up the outside as Super Socks led Madame Speaker.
Alfeo started running at the leaders at the 300m and drew away to hold the fancied Madame Speaker to 1,25 lengths in a time of 71,1 secs.
Born A Bully by Eightfold Path was slightly slow away and lagged behind the early charge to be beaten into third, a further 2,25 lengths.
Bred by KZN-based Piemonte Stud, Alfeo was bought back for R20 000 at the 2017 BSA KZN Yearling Sale and took his earnings to R211 850 with his third win and second place from five starts.
Lee and Dino Scribante of Piemonte Stud are having an outstanding season, producing 42.6% winners to runners to date, with 90 places and 2 Black Type Winners this season – all from 54 runners with over R2,1-million in earnings. The Piemonte horses can be easily recognised at the tracks, all sporting Italian names.
The 2017 KZN Yearling Sale draft for the Scribante’s has produced the outstanding Carlita and debut winner Di Me, as well as Alfeo.
A son of Crusade (Mr Greeley), Alfeo is out of the one-time winner Singapura Cat (Black Minnaloushe). This is the exceptional family of Scented Royal (his third dam), which has produced the likes of Franny and more recently, Dubai Gr2 winner Janoobi.
His Gr1 winning sire Crusade is a half-brother to several Group Winners and performers, including multiple Gr1 winner Seventh Heaven and Cristoforo Columbo, and this is his fourth Stakes Win this season – the previous coming from Covered In Snow (with 2 Listed Wins) and Butchie Boy in Zimbabwe.
Crusade held his own at the recent Nationals, averaging R280 000 in Session 1 and R150 000 in Session 2, for a combined total of 12 yearlings sold.
He stands for R20 000 at the Scott Bros Highdown Stud.
-extract sportingpost.co.za
