Run Fox Run runs them off their feet in Cape Flying Championship

Run Fox Run blitzed a speed-packed field to claim the Cape Flying Championship on Met day at Kenilworth Racecourse.

“Blink and you’ll miss it” is the cliché used for 1,000m features races – and it was indeed applicable to this Grade 1 dash. This line-up was the most competitive in many a year for the weight-for-age event.

Jockey Anton Marcus described the winning filly (9/2 second favourite) as “an absolute star” after she’d led from start to finish and run fellow filly and regular nemesis Celtic Sea (18-10 favourite) off her feet for a change.

Celtic Sea, who was always in touch with the pace, eventually finished third, never able to match the winner’s speed or catch principal chaser Rio Querari (11-2).

Marcus also commended trainer Brett Crawford for “a training feat executed with military precision” and said he’d been very disappointed to only finish fourth in this race in 2020.

He revealed that a discussion about the merits of fitting blinkers had been settled with a compromise of cheekpieces, which turned out to be the perfect tweak.

Crawford admitted he’s been “so confident” about his filly’s chances after her preparation had gone perfectly.

“We said if there was one Grade 1 that we might win this year it would be this one,” said the trainer.

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