Winning Form-sponsored rider Richard Fourie built on his maiden WSB Cape Town Met winner on Saturday when he booted home five winners at a sun-drenched Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday.
On an afternoon where the top rider gloriously showcased his skills in the saddle, Fourie rode a quintet that included a victory in the feature, the inaugural running of the non black-type R175 000 The Clapham Stakes.
Silverlinks charges clear to continue the Fourie rout (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The 1800m contest is an add-on to the new looks Cape summer programme as a prep for the staying 3yo fillies.
Four of his five winners were for the Snaith team – Greg Ennion saddled the fifth – with Justin paying tribute and saying that just hours after winning the Met on Saturday, Fourie was at work in Philippi.
“Ï have not had an apprentice at work since Bernard Fayd’herbe, and we make a lot of use of the top-class workriders. But it shows Richard’s work ethic that he was there to pull our runners out on Sunday,” added Snaith.
In a slow-run race, Fourie dictated on Silver Links, gave his mount a breather as the pack loomed, and then came right back at them to hold a sustained late challenge by the well-weighted Hold My Hand (15-10) by 0,40 lengths in a time of 115 secs.
Fun Zone (11-2) looked a winner but was outrun late and had to be content with third, a further three quarters of a length back.
Second placed jockey Grant van Niekerk, who found his own form with two winners on the afternoon, was clearly aggravated by the slow pace. “It spoils our racing. The best horses should be winning,” he said, clearly disenchanted by the Fourie tactics.
It was also interesting to see how the inside going was good enough to win on – just days after they were hunting the outside strip!
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein, Silverlinks is a daughter of late multiple champion Silvano (Lomitas) out of the three-time winning Fort Wood mare, Close The Gap.
An astute buy at R200 000 on the National Yearling Sale, Silverlinks has now won 3 races with 2 places from 7 starts for stakes of R248 726.
