Seven wins. Zero defeats. Two Group 1 titles. Gimme a Nother arrives in North America with a perfect record, but on Saturday, she faces an entirely new challenge in the Grade 2 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. It’s a debut that carries weight—not just for the filly but for South African racing as a whole. If she wins, it will reinforce what some have been saying for years: South African horses can compete and win on the biggest international stages.

Her journey to this point has been long and calculated. Formerly trained by Mike De Kock, Gimme a Nother was last seen in April 2023, winning the Group 1 Empress Club Stakes. From there, she underwent a two-month quarantine, where she was allowed to train but unable to compete. She arrived in the U.S. in late November, joining Graham Motion’s stable, and since early January, she’s been sharpening her form at Palm Meadows in Florida. The signs have been promising. In a Feb. 10 workout, she outworked Beach Bomb, a South African-bred runner who went on to win The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream. Two weeks later, she breezed alongside Sparkle Blue, last year’s Hillsborough winner, and they finished head-and-head at the wire.

Yet, the Hillsborough field is no easy starting point. Chad Brown, a six-time winner of this race, sends out three runners—Saffron Moon, Venencia, and Spaliday—all with strong credentials. Defending champion Sparkle Blue returns, though she hasn’t raced since October. Damaso, a local standout at Tampa, takes her first shot at graded stakes company. Meanwhile, Motion himself has a strong Hillsborough record and trusts that Gimme a Nother is ready. “She’s done everything I’ve asked her to do,” he said, a simple but telling statement from a trainer who rarely overstates his horses’ chances.

Motion also secured Irad Ortiz Jr. to ride—a significant move. Ortiz is 1-for-1 riding for Motion at Tampa this meet and remains one of the most dominant jockeys in U.S. racing. His presence suggests confidence. But racing in America is different. It’s a new pace, a new rhythm, a new challenge entirely. If Gimme a Nother adapts, her South African form could make her a major force on the U.S. turf circuit.

The stakes are high, the field is deep, and the expectations are mounting. But great horses don’t need excuses—they deliver. Saturday will reveal if Gimme a Nother is ready to do just that.