High drama and a boardroom decision partially clouded a cracking climax to the Heritage day public holiday meeting at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday.
The R150 000 Listed Hollywoodbets Settlers Trophy ended well enough for most punters with the tote favourite winning it to save those that included the fancied Baratheon who kicked the back gates of the starting stalls and caught his leg in the back gates, before being withdrawn.
Han Solo sticks his neck in front of Somerset Maugham and Thefutureisbright (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
It was a terrific day on the racing and social front, with the feature sadly being decided in the boardroom after the gallant Han Solo (28-10) came from last into the final 350m but brushed the free-striding Somerset Maugham late in the race.
The decision to award the race to Somerset Maugham may have left the Stipes in a pickle as how do they offset the crop infringement by Richard Fourie?
The interference by the original winner and the transgression by the rider of the original runner-up are clearly separate incidents – but what’s really fair? And in legal terms, Fourie came to ‘court’ with bloody hands, in essence, didn’t he?
For the record, the Stipes reported that:
At the 100m SOMERSET MAUGHAM (R Fourie) changed stride and became momentarily unbalanced when brushed inwards by HAN SOLO (C Habib), which was hanging in and shifted in. After being straightened HAN SOLO (C Habib) continued to shift in slightly and brushed SOMERSET MAUGHAM (R Fourie) shortly before the finish. Trainer SJ Snaith called a race review regarding this incident, which was followed by an Objection being lodged by Jockey R Fourie, the rider of the 2nd placed horse SOMERSET MAUGHAM against the winner HAN SOLO (C Habib) on the grounds of interference in the latter stages. The Objection Board, after giving due regard to the evidence put forward, reviewing the patrol films and giving consideration to the margin of 0,05 of a length between the two horses concerned, was of the opinion that but for the interference SOMERSET MAUGHAM would have finished ahead of HAN SOLO had this incident not occurred and therefore upheld the Objection. Jockey Fourie’s deposit was refunded.
Jockey R Fourie was charged with a contravention of Rule 58.10.2 (read with Guideline M on the use of the crop) in that he misused his crop by striking SOMERSET MAUGHAM more than 12 times in the entire race. Jockey R Fourie signed an admission of guilt and was fined R2500,00. In determining penalty, the Board took into account the distance over and manner in which Jockey R Fourie used his crop, Jockey R Fourie’s recent record, the number of strikes (14) over the permissible level and the value of the race.
After a lengthy deliberation, the Stipes upheld the Fourie objection and reversed the result with Somerset Maugham (5-4) a popular winner.
No time was published.
Han Solo (Calvin Habib) ranges up on the outside of Somerset Maugham (Richard Fourie) and third placed Thefutureisbright (Sihle Cele) in the closing stages of the feature (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
A Drakenstein home-bred, Somerset Maugham is a son of champion Trippi (End Sweep) out of the five-time winning Dynasty daughter Demanding Lady.
A winner of 4 races with 12 places from his 22 starts, Somerset Maughan took his stakes tally to R338 700.
Jono Snaith sportingly acknowledged on the podium that nobody likes to win races in the boardroom.
The 5yo gelding was a second winner on the day for the Justin Snaith and Winning Form rider Richard Fourie combination.
Standout for us on the day was Somerset Maugham’s full-brother Charles Dickens who romped home in the Graduation Plate last race after a three month break to make it three wins from three starts. Here’s a Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas candidate in the wings, if we have ever seen one. Candice Bass-Robinson must be excited about this fellow.
