Jockey Grant Behr emerged from the gigantic shadow cast by his veteran colleague Karl Neisius to show that he can ride feature winners if just given the opportunity. Behr rode a cracker of a race to seal top honours when getting the lightly tried Captain Alfredo home in the R150 000 Listed Southeaster Sprint at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Grant Behr drives Captain Alfredo past the tiring Talktothestars as Ernie flashes up the inside (Pic- Wayne Marks)
Neisius’ recent retirement from race-riding has opened a gap for the likeable Behr who has spent the last few years riding the Dean Kannemeyer second-stringers, with mixed success.
But on Saturday he was thrust into the hot seat and acquitted himself with aplomb, when scraping home on the Fred Crabbia owned Captain Alfredo in the 1100m sprint feature.
Kannemeyer, who continued with his purple patch 2000km away in Durban with a hat-trick at Greyville just 24 hours earlier, was as pleased as punch afterwards.
“Pound for pound, Grant is as strong as any jockey around and I’m really thrilled that he won this race. It will boost his confidence and that is a major factor for any jockey. He just needs the chance to show his talent,” he said.
The race was on from the jump with Coenie De Beer’s speedy Overlord gelding Talktothestars stretching them and looking a winner with a three length lead at the 300m marker.
Grant Behr said that when he looked up ‘that horse was gone’.
“I was sitting eight to ten lengths back. Captain Alfredo has a turn of foot and he gave it to me – I thought that I had left it a bit late. I got a fright when I saw the horse (Ernie) sneak up on the rail as I thought I was clear,” he said.
Behr put his head down on the smart Captain Alfredo and the Highlands bred 4yo kicked strongly.
The Mike Bass trained Ernie powered on from lengths back to ghost up unseen by Behr down the inside rail.
He failed by a head and the winner clocked 64,11 secs for the 1100m.
Past and present – Grant Behr is congratulated by Karl Neisius who came along to support his understudy
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer was full of praise for stallion Captain Al.
‘Well done to Mike Sharkey – Captain Al has another good one. And to Fred Crabbia and Emma Rorke, I appreciate their support. Captain Alfredo won his last start well and that was a strong race. I was impressed with the way he went to go and fetch that horse in front. I probably erred in running him in the Guineas and trying to get him to stay. He is a talented sprinter witha nice turn of foot,” he quipped.
The Highlands bred Captain Alfredo is another smashing son of Captain Al out of the five time winner Zooming Zellie.
A R750 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 purchase, Captain Alfredo has now won 5 races with 1 place from 9 starts.
He took his stakes earned to R264 138 and has won from 1000m to 1300m.
