Tradition key to Triple Tiara success – Takingthepeace’s owners

The day before Takingthepeace won the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas in March and then the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic a month later, joint owners Mike Shea, Murray Makepeace and Mathew de Kock set a precedent.

“We played a round of golf on the new mashie course at the Country Club in Woodmead and then headed off for a braai at around 3pm,” said Makepeace.

Today Takingthepeace will be looking to become only the third filly in South Africa to claim the R1-million Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara when she lines up for the Grade 2 SA Oaks over 2 450m.

“We’ve now built up a tradition and we’re not allowed to change a thing,” said Makepeace.

Interestingly, trainer and joint owner Mike de Kock was overseas when the daughter of Visionaire won the first two legs so, in keeping with the concept of “not changing anything”, Makepeace had an idea of “giving him a ticket to Australia”.

That did not happen and De Kock will be at Turffontein today to take the blame should the filly get beaten.

Takingthepeace has been the first horse for these owners – and what a success story this has turned out to be. She won on her second visit to the course, followed up with a second victory immediately and in her fourth start finished third behind Big Bear in the R2.5-million Ready To Run Cup over 1 400m at Turffontein from a wide draw.

“Once she ran third in that race we knew she was above average,” said Shea. “Our goal from then on was to get her into the Guineas.”

Makepeace said that although she had run well in her build-up to the Guineas, there was nothing in the formline that indicated she had a winning chance. “We were pretty nervous and her odds of 25-1 reflected how we saw the race. We had lots of friends and family at the course and the only thing we said to ourselves was please don’t come last.”

When she came from last and got up to beat stable companion Silver Thursday, the volcano erupted. Makepeace and Shea could not contain their joy and they hugged one another and all the grooms, and anybody standing in their vicinity.

“It was such a great thing that somebody caught it on camera,” said Shea. “The response was totally unrehearsed and unplanned.”

Assistant trainer and co-owner Mathew de Kock gets a kiss from owner Mike Shea and jockey Callan Murray while co-owner Murray Makepeace joins in after Takingthepeace won the Gauteng Fillies Guineas at Turffontein. Should the three-year-old filly win the Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks over 2 450m today, the owners will have won the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara and the R1 million bonus that goes with it. Picture: JC Photographics

Takingthepeace drew wide again in the Fillies Classic but by then, the owners knew they had a decent filly on their hands.

The next question was: would she stay 1 800m? Once again, jockey Callan Murray dropped her to the rear of the field and she turned for home about 14 lengths off the leader.

She moved up well early and just when it looked as if she would win easily, Green Top suddenly went clear and it looked as if Takingthepeace would, at best, run second. But this filly does not like to lose and she flew up late to get up on the post.

“I never thought she would get up,” said Shea, “but when she did the Butch James in me came out.”

Once again, the excitement and partying went on well into the night.

“The whole objective of why we bought the filly was to get youngsters involved and bring new people into the sport.

“There are some very big earners who have spent millions on horses and not had the success we have had with this filly. She’s turning into South Africa’s Zenyatta [the American mare who only lost once in her career but loved coming from way off the pace to win her races].

“As far as the Oaks is concerned, I’m not worried about the race. I’m just happy to be there.

“Let it just be a good race because every horse is capable of winning. Nobody is going to give an inch and we’re not asking for it.

“We just want a good race and to have a good party.”

– news@citizen.co.za

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