Irish Champion Pathfork, set to stand at the Sandown Stud in 2018, looks to have an East Cape champion on his hands in the form of 2yo filly Madame Speaker.
The latter, who was bred by Stanley Bennett, took her tally of wins to four, from seven outings, when she was awarded victory, in the boardroom, in Friday’s Listed Champion Juvenile Cup over 1400m at Fairview on Friday.

Trained by Alan Greeff, and ridden by Greg Cheyne, Madame Speaker was beaten narrowly by National Park but was promoted to second following a stipes  objection.

Madame Speaker, who looks hard to oppose for the title of East Cape Champion 2YO Filly of the season, had previously won both the Listed East Cape Nursery and Listed Lady’s Slipper Stakes and Friday’s win pushed her earnings to R424 275.  The remarkably consistent filly, never unplaced in her seven starts, was also runner up in both the Listed Dahlia Plate and Listed East Cape Fillies Nursery.

She was one of two winners on Friday for the former Irish Champion 2YO Pathfork, whose daughter Lucky Lulu scored over 2000m.

Pathfork had an excellent weekend, with his four  winners including talented filly Township Melody, who picked up her second career victory when saluting at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day on Saturday.

Winner of both the G1 National Stakes and G2 Futurity Stakes at two, Pathfork looks to have another potential award contender in the form of unbeaten G1 Allan Robertson Championship heroine Mighty High.

A son of US champion sire Distorted Humor, from the family of champion sires Redoute’s Choice and Northern Guest, Pathfork is also responsible for graded stakes winners My Friend Lee and Red Chesnut Road.