The almost snow white After The Rain completed his Hollywoodbets Scottsville 1200m hat-trick in dashing fashion on Sunday, arriving as the first favourite to find the winner’s box on the afternoon.
In a convincing and stylish performance that suggests he could be a horse to side with , After The Rain kept exotic bet punters smiling. But despite the obvious banker arriving, the KZN Pick 6 still paid a healthy R173 329.
Anton Marcus punches After The Rain out (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The flashy and eyecatching 4yo has done little wrong since shedding his maiden over the course and distance at his third start on 11 July.
In a rare post-maiden feat at that level, he was out again on 21 August and took on an MR 92 handicap field to win at 10-1.
While Sunday’s field cut down to just six runners, the older hard-knockers always looked capable of keeping After The Rain on his toes and the son of Master Of My Fate did it the hard way.
Bowling down the centre, replacement rider Marcus kept him focussed to beat Go Man Go by an authorative 2,40 lengths in a time of 67,56 secs.67.56
Ridgemont Highlands rider Anton Marcus, a substitution for the indisposed S’manga Khumalo, said that the kudos had to go to young trainer, Gareth van Zyl.
“Restraint, patience and giving him plenty of time has done the trick. It’s actually poetic justice in a way. I rode him at Hollywoodbets Greyville at his first two starts and nothing went right. But he is very effective up the straight and is and probably looking for more,” added Marcus.
Watch the race replay here:
Gareth van Zyl said it was rewarding when it all comes together. He thanked his owners and must be pleased with the way his operation is performing.
TheVan Zyl team are well on track to beating their previous season performance, and took their tally to 16 winners for the term and a win strike-rate of close on 20%. He is at seventh on the national log with earnings of R991 000. This should even out though when the Cape and Gauteng big-hitters start chasing the feature silverware from this coming Saturday onwards.
The winner, who races in the interests of Mr & Mrs Graham Palmer, was bred by Spencer Cook’s Limestone Thoroughbred Trust and is by Varsfontein crackerjack Master Of My Fate (Jet Master) out of the one-time winning Medaaly mare, Swallow Flight.
