The high-riding combination of Andre Nel and Grant van Niekerk enjoyed a feature double at Kenilworth on Saturday when the La Plaissance Stud home-bred Young Love followed up on So Flawless’ victory in the Ladies Mile, with a gutsy showing to win the R150 000 World Sports Betting Listed River Jetez Stakes.
Trainer Andre Nel said that some of the riders to have partnered Young Love tried to dissuade him from running her over the 2400m, as she has loads of quality and class. But with no staying races on the calendar, he took his chances and it paid dividends in style.
Grant van Niekerk enjoys an armchair ride on Young Love (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
A winner of the Cape Winter Series first leg, the Listed Sweet Chestnut Stakes back in April, Young Love was cleverly drifted across to the outside rail at the 300m by the quick-thinking Van Niekerk.
Young Love (28-10) joined the gallant free-striding Maria Querol (6-1), and after a brief hesitation, straightened and drew off in her blinkers to beat the Snaith filly by half a length in a time of 157,47 secs. The rest were well beaten.
A La Plaissance Stud-bred daughter of the high-class Twice Over (Observatory), Young Love is out of the Plattner-raced four-time winner Rosie Tibbs (Casey Tibbs).
A winner of 3 races with 1 place from 7 starts, Young Love took her earnings to R245 000.
Hopefully the race programmers are listening to the concerns raised by Andre Nel: “We may as well send her to stud now. There are no staying races for her,” he quipped.
