Quite A Ride! Karl Neisius outgunned MJ Odendaal in the last.
The vast chasm between the hype and glamour of this past Saturday’s royal raceday and this afternoon’s rather mundane midweek fare was vividly illustrated at Kenilworth on 11 January.
The question begs: should racing not be rather attempting to strike some happy medium rather than the rollercoaster ride of the present?
Things are completely out of kilter. Take a group of those party animal beautiful people who livened up Saturday’s show and drop them from a helicopter this afternoon, and they will probably think they landed on Mars. The one-off shows are not going to save the game, and we need to buy a measure of loyal patronage, rather than offering a suntan and hangover until this time next year.
It took a grandstand breathtaking finish by two of the more senior riders around to liven things up and it showed again that fairly ordinary horses can also provide entertainment.This was in the final race of the when two maidens with nineteen career runs between them went head for head to the line.
The Maiden Plate over 2000m saw eleven runners to post with form scant and the money for Joey Ramsden’s smallish half-brother to Silver Mist, Crown Of Gold. Que Sera Sera made the running under Karis Teetan but it was Karl Neisius in the famous Fieldspring silks who came forward looking a winner inside the final 250m marker. Riding in his first race on the African continent since returning from Mauritius, MJ Odendaal had ideas of waking up the Cape boys – and he almost pulled off a real scare on Neisius. The experienced Odendaal, who has ten years less on his clock than the Cape veteran, got Paddy Kruyer’s Dollar Bill Blues to rally, and what looked in the bag for Neisius, almost wasn’t.
Dollar Soars! Quite Something(near camera) and Dollar Bill Blues go head to head.
The photo-finish showed that he had got the verdict by a nostril and Odendaal will have to be a little more patient in opening his local account. The Brazillian bred winner was trained by Dean Kannemeyer and we don’t quite know if he is worth following – although as a well-bred three year old, he could yet improve in time.
Alec Forbes took a hammering from the post-race merchants following his second placing on the fancied Beach Beauty in Saturday’s decimated Gr1 Paddock Stakes. Forbes was blamed for not having the initiative to go a harder clip in the feature by all those Grandstand jockeys who also double as trainers and stipendiary stewards when the opportunity arises. But he set the record straight this afternoon for Dennis Drier on yet another daughter of Dynasty. He rode a cracker to get Happy Heart home in the Hassen Adams silks in the MR78 Handicap over 1600m, after looking a beaten horse 300m out. The Highands bred has now won two from seven outings and is Adams first Drier horse. The favourite Feel My Love disappointed again.
Top Drawer. Brandon Morgenrood drives Cavalli home.
Joey Ramsden and Yogas Govender shared the training honours with a double apiece. Govender won the second and third races courtesy of two confident rides by Brandon Morgenrood and Bernard Fayd’herbe respectively.Cavalli met a strong looking Graduation field in the second event, but after tracking the pacemaker M’Lords Throat, he skipped away to win well with a delighted Morgenrood waving his white gloved hand as if conducting the London Philharmonic.
Bernard Fayd’herbe got the luckless but consistent Dance For Gold home to win the Maiden Plate over a mile. Her only threat in the betting, Crystal Glitter, escaped Karl Neisius prior to the jump and the way was thus open for the daughter of Goldkeeper.
Ramsden opened the day when Glen Hatt steered the good-looking Caso Bravo home in the Maiden Plate over 1400m. The winner, who runs for Gisela Burg and Martin Wickens, blew in the betting and turned out to be the wrong Dynasty winner in the race for punters. Dynasty’s Secret was backed into favouritism, but he never threatened and went west early in the straight.
Golden Delicious. Glen Hatt rode a great race on Orchard House.
Joey showed that he has few peers in the local ranks when it comes to getting stayers fit. He sent the Casey Tibbs gelding Orchard House out for Fanny Thorogood, Ian Hogg and Sir William Piggot-Brown to win the MR96 Handicap over 2000m. Bill Prestage’s impressive Aussie bred grey Born To Be Wild was all the rage but was caught late after making the running. The son of Ferocity is certainly worth following over slightly further as he did things the hard way. Orchard House has won four from ten – that is not bad going for this lightly raced sort.
And Tellytrack once again contributed to our viewing displeasure. After the exciting last race finish and with 14 minutes to run to the next race at Ffos Las, it would have been wonderful to hear Karl Neisius’ live thoughts on his duel with MJ Odendaal. Instead we were treated to a run –down of the Kempton betting – which first race was over an hour away. Clueless is an understatement.
