Bernard Fayd’herbe – nice return win
Crack heavyweight rider Bernard Fayd’herbe finally broke the ice since returning from an extended international campaign a fortnight ago, when he booted The Right Road home for Justin Snaith in the third race at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Fayd’herbe rode at his first meeting on 4 April on his return from Mauritius and Dubai, and made amends on Saturday on the smart looking Pathfork gelding.
The Highlands, a part of Ridgemont bred The Right Road had run second under Fayd’herbe at his first meeting and it was fitting that he got one home for Justin Snaith, who has provided the majority of his riding opportunities.
The combination were beaten in the first race when starting favourite with Angel’s Trumpet.
The Querari filly had no answers to the 75-1 Bezrin debutante Too Phat To Fly – a catchy name for a fleetfooted girl!
The R20 000 CTS graduate races in a partnership of her trainer Glen Kotzen and Sean Pillay and romped home unfancied under MJ Byleveld.
The second race, won by Somerset 1200 candidate Dutch Philip, played host to the two comeback veterans Piet Botha and Jannie Bekker, and both riders acquitted themselves well after a long absence.
Alistair Cohen – jumped in to save it for viewers
The broadcast of the race was marred by a rattled ‘silent’ call by trainee commentator Warren Randall.
Alistair Cohen showed his skills by coming to Randall’s rescue halfway through the race to call it off the screen from the Tellytrack studio.
The difficulty with assessing and blooding racecalling talent is that the live-to-air broadcast is the only means of sifting the wheat from the chaff.
On the flipside of the coin, another trainee looks to have a bright future in broadcasting.
Newbie Brandon Bailey showed no nerves when calling a race from the Champ de Mars from the studio.
Racecalling is a bit like dancing. It looks easy – but you either have the rhythm or you have two left feet.
There is little in between.
