Singapore bound JP van der Merwe rode a clever race on the super consistent joint topweight Klever Kathy to upstage the odds-on favourite Madame Speaker and win the R110 000 Aloe Handicap at Fairview on Friday.
JP van der Merwe has Klever Kathy in control (Pic – Pauline Herman Photography)
The Champion 2yo Filly of last season, Madame Speaker is a model of consistency herself, but it was JP van der Merwe who made all the difference, tracking the leader Flame Of Fire before grabbing a match winning two lengths at the 300m marker.
Madame Speaker was relaxed just back of midfield for much of the 1300m non black-type contest, but had no answers to Klever Kathy’s burst. Caught flat-footed for a brief moment, Madame Speaker was gaining on the leader, but the post came too soon.
Klever Kathy chalked up her fourth win from 14 starts to take her bank to R298 075and won rather easily by 1,25 lengths in a time 78,12 secs.
Pacesetter Flame Of Fire stayed on well enough for third a further 2,25 lengths away, with Vertical fading late into fourth.
The Gavin Smith-trained winner, a daughter of Gr1 Vodacom Durban July winner Bold Silvano (Silvano), who started his career in PE and raced in the same silks, was bred at Gail Thomson’s Bathurst based Riyo Stud and is out of the Casey Tibbs mare, Bretton Wood.
Bold Silvano, who won from 1100m to 2200m, stands at Ascot Stud for a 2018 fee of R12 000.
Lyle Hewitson registered his first winner as a fully fledged jockey when he steered Malinda home for Yvette Bremner in the second race.
Alan Greeff was the most successful trainer on the day with three winners.
