THREE-year-old filly Ektifaa (AUS) has an excellent turn of foot, which carried her clear of her male rivals and helped her to hold on to win Saturday’s Gr3 Tony Ruffel Stakes over 1450m at Turffontein’s inside track.

Callan Murray shook the handy Ektifaa up with 350m to run and, on his call, she kicked clear by three lengths, which proved too much for the favourite Matador Man and Doosra to make up in the last 200m. Matador Man ran hard at Ektifaa late, but she held on well to win by half a length.

Ektifaa (Callan Murray), wins Tony Ruffel.

Mathew de Kock commented: “This was a top win against the males and Ektifaa’s collateral form pointed to the win by Anna Pavlova in the Gr3 Troikas Stakes. But the point to consider is that the time in the Tony Ruffel was almost 2s faster than the Three Troikas, which gives us confidence to try the Fillies Guineas with Ektifaa.

“We think her limit is a mile, she definitely won’t stay 2000m, so the Guineas looks an ideal race next. Her turn of foot will be vital again, and against her own sex she may well be able to hold on over 1600m.”

Disappointing in the Tony Ruffel was stable companion Al Fahad, who plodded on without showing much interest and Mathew said: “He is carrying condition and becoming a handful. He will be gelded and prepared for the SA Classic.”

Raced by Sheikh Hamdan of Dubai Ektifaa, by More Than Ready, has won four of seven races and R565,000 in stakes.