Smart Winner. Sean Tarry is ready for the big Summer Cup day.
An unremarkable looking Vaal programme played itself out on a rather tatty looking sand surface on 22 November with one jockey casualty and a few form knockouts to speak of. One aspect that makes interesting reading is the stakes of their rather drab maiden plates in Gauteng. They earn R70 000 gross a pop against the R53 360 of their Western Cape counterparts.
Against the background of this mathematical variance, and with the additional option of the sand surface, it is not difficult to argue the rationale and strategy of the owners of the first race winner. The day started on a happy enough note with Abram Makhubo steering the fancied former Western Cape based filly Precious Ruby home to win the Workriders Maiden Plate (F&M) over 1200m. The grey Spectrum filly cost a rather expensive looking R325 000 at the National Yearling Sale and this was her thirteenth run, having now grossed around R60 000. She looks unlikely to recover even half of her purchase price but at least she has more opportunity and earning opportunity up here as opposed to the Cape.
The smaller the field, the bigger the upset. We love these time-tested clichés in horseracing, but to they keep coming back to bite us when least expected. This certainly was the case in the second race, an MR96 Handicap run over 2000m for a mouthwatering R95 000. With all due respect to the connections, this was a largely tired looking sextet that went to post for the PA opener. Predictably Pimp My Ride made the pace under replacement rider Fransie Naude, and just as predictably, he was running on empty in the final 200m. Twenty year old apprentice Neo Quale produced Tyrone Zackey’s King’s Destiny late to overhaul the pacemaker and win going away. The youngster can ride and lists his favourite aspect of his career as being the fact that ‘jockeys work four hours per day.’ Maybe he needs to employ a PR manager!
Hard worker? Apprentice Neo Quale rode a great race on the Zackey horse.
The winner King’s Destiny is a pony with a big heart and he was recording his seventh win from his 49th outing- sans the alumites as per the Zackey routine. The highly rated De Kock gelding Burmese Cat ran a shocker to stagger into fourth spot and the Tiger Ridge three-time winner may be more at home in Kimberley on this form.
Jannie Pienaar trained a rare Gauteng winner when Sherman Brown steered the pretty grey Daylami filly, Greylami, to a gutsy win in the third race. She was not a cheapie at R150 000 and ran well enough at Turffontein on the turf at her previous outing when poorly drawn to suggest she could provide a bit of fun still for Jannie and his Dad. Lance Wiid’s Sakkie Sakkie caught the eye running in strongly into third place, and is one for the notebook.
Twenty-one year old Tshwaro Appie was the most successful rider on the day with a well taken double. He rode the first of his winners when he got the Mogok gelding to run away from his field inside the final 200m of the Graduation Plate over 1450m. The former PE based horse, now with Mike De Kock, looks promising but he is a camel of a horse who takes forever to pick up his feet and will probably be better over further. He beat a very weak bunch here.
KZN trainer Kom Naidoo’s Assistant Candice Dawson was on hand to lead his gallant Dancing Duel gelding in after an emphatic win in the Conditions Plate over 1000m. He has now recorded three from three on the sand and it is difficult to have seen him as a five-time winner from nineteen starts had he stayed in Durban. Naidoo is to be lauded for taking the plunge to go North in a quest to diversify the options for his owners. Smaller trainers who don’t take these steps and start thinking laterally are going to struggle to survive in a competitive and tough environment.
Sean Tarry won the sixth race, an MR72 Handicap over 1200m, with the classy looking Mythical Palace who always had more pace and the measure of his field. The well-bred four year old was returning from a six month rest and this told in the final 50m as Denise Lee crept through the middle and flew late on the unfancied Memghar. Fradd showed his years of international experience by keeping his cool as his mount lugged out and away from the whip and tired. Magica Roma continued Paul Peter’s miserable day by fading out of contention late and spoiling his otherwise exemplary four-run formline.
The loyal and game seven year old mare Woman Of The Year chalked up her tenth victory to grab the title as by far and away the best daughter of champion Horse Chestnut to race here to date. The son of Fort Wood now stands at Drakenstein Stud and will no doubt be making a name with his progeny of these days again. His daughter won the MR84 Handicap over 1600m in good fashion under an elated Marthinus Mienie. The veteran rider had her in second tracking Strydom on Altair and he pounced at the 300m marker. Trained by Roy Magner, she is part-owned by Adv Brett Maselle who will have enjoyed this consolation after the disappointing run of Enchanted Guest on Sunday at the Vaal.
Two Winners. Tshwaro Appie looks very promising.
The bomb dropped in the last when Tshwaro Appie scored his second winner of the day. Chris Erasmus went into this MR72 Handicap over a mile with an obviously well thought out strategy. His stablemate Monarco was sacrificed to ensure a good pace for eventual 45-1 winner Blue Concorde, who Appie produced late. The trainer was full of credit for the young jockey, who rode the Al Mufti gelding last time out under lights over the Turffontein mile. Apparently Appie had suggested the mile on the sand and asked for the ride again. Funny how we always hear these plans and confidence after the race has been run! At R49-40 a win and R18-80 a place, we certainly could not have gotten too hurt.
