CASCAPEDIA (Ire) is shaping as a good 2018 Summer Cup prospect following her surprise win in Saturday’s Gr2 Joburg Spring Challenge.

The Irish-bred Cascapedia (7-1) bounced back fresh after a six month rest when she stormed to victory under the in-form Gavin Lerena.

The one-time Vodacom Durban July fancy was rested after an indifferent effort in the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes in April and was having her first outing as a 5yo – technically six months younger than her Southern Hemisphere bred counterparts.

Cascapedia, extended well.

Allowed to relax early and expected to need a bit further to show her brilliant best, Cacapedia came hurtling through her opposition from near last with the speed merchant pacesetter Wrecking Ball coming up for air at the 200m.

With Al Danza and Ghaalla finishing strongly, Cascapedia sliced down the middle to win by 0,30 lengths in a time of 87.23 secs.

Al Danza moved up menacingly down the outside to shade the winner’s more fancied stablemate into third.

“She was ill and to have come back so nicely says a lot about her class. We weren’t really worried about her fitness, she was pretty fit, but the distance was too sharp. The way she extended was unbelievable,” said Mike de Kock on Sunday.

He added: “Cascapedia is only maturing now and we’re excited about her. We’ll give her one more run into the Summer Cup, it will be a Pinnacle Plate or the Victory Moon. We want to avoid penalties. Well done to Jessica Slack for this win, she has had ups and downs with Cascapedia but she’s been patient.”

A €170 000 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale purchase by Form Bloodstock, Cascapedia has won 6 of her 8 starts for 1 place and stakes of R711 850.

A daughter of High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells), Cascapedia was bred by Tipperary-based Camas Park Stud and is out of the unraced Dansili mare Janoubi. The latter is a half-sister to dams and grandams of graded stakes performers in the UK & France, and hails from the female line of champion Al Bahathri.

-Extracts from Sporting Post.