Class! Razzle Dazzle Rose wins well from her poor draw.
How does a seemingly dumb ride become a clever ride in less than two minutes? Ask top heavyweight rider Bernard Fayd’herbe. Tiger Wright’s talented grandson rode four winners for three different stables at a sundrenched Kenilworth on 8 February.
It was Fayd’herbe’s winning ride on the Yogas Govender-trained Razzle Dazzle Rose from the worst of the draw in the fourth race that took the cake. He jumped the highest rated filly in the MR 70 Handicap and kept her straight before drifting her across gradually and slowly in what looked like a suicide run to start with.
He then cleverly tucked her away from the South Easterly headwind behind runners before Paul Reeves’ Lemon Meringue took the brunt of it out front. Razzle Dazzle Rose strode to a lovely win and after her fair Fillies Guineas effort behind the brilliant Princess Victoria after being slow off, she looks promising. Had Fayd’herbe lost this one, he would have been labelled a clown. Instead he wears the crown.
Tellytrack on-course presenter Neil Pretorius made an inauspicious start to the exotics when his suggested Place Accumulator perm went due west with all of three horses in the opening leg. Greg Ennion achieved a smart training feat in the Maiden Plate over 1200m when he produced the obviously talented Var gelding Money For Love very fit after a five month break to win well for Fred Crabbia. Robert Khathi rode a confident race.
The gelding’s best two runs were over the course and distance and the form frankly looked too strong for this field– although the Ennion stable jockey choice appeared to favour the consistent battler Wing And A Prayer. Dean Kannemeyer’s Noordhoeklightning ran on well for second while Felix Coetzee produced Stan Elley’s Fort Nelson to run third – bowling the tiring Wing And A Prayer in the process. The supported first-timer Sage Of Sivana ran on well to run fourth and should be monitored for improvement with experience
Pretorius redeemed himself somewhat in the the Pick Six opener when his suggested exacta ‘play of the day’ arrived – albeit paying R5-20 as the top two horses in the betting. The Badger’s Drift filly It’s Exciting started at 17-20 and looked overdue to shed her maiden for Joey Ramsden. She made the early pace until the formless Ezio took over going into the turn. Felix Coetzee had been bustling the grey Kiss And Ride around the field and she burst clear as they spun for home. Her effort was shortlived though with Hatt producing taking the favourite down the middle. She held Europe To Africa at Bay with Atlantic Beach finishing with a rattle for third. The rest looked to be going nowhere fast.
Count to three! Fayd'herbe drives Western Count to a smooth win.
Fayd’herbe completed his hat-trick in the MR 78 Handicap over 1400m when he rode a confident race on the long overdue Western Count – a horse that owes him a debt after a suspension incurred on a forgettable Wednesday once upon a time at Durbanville! Brian Boru led early from the handsome Virtuoso but Western Count moved up smoothly under the hands to win a good race. Erfaan maintained his recent improvement to run a decent second.
Western Count has now won three from twenty two starts and the Drakenstein Stud owned and bred gelding could pay to follow and seldom misses the cheque queue.
The MR 72 Handicap run over 1000m saw ten mostly battling speedsters go to post. And the race was largely uneventful with the speedy Justin Snaith gelding Flightofthephoenix leading all the way to win. Felix Coetzee allowed him to drift to the outside rail at the 400m and he ran right away from them. Gareth Grey stayed on to earn another place cheque while Vardashian improved at his first try at 1000m.
A disappointment here was the impressive recent maiden winner Colorado Ski. The well bred son of Western Winter showed no pace and ran a dismal last. It may be time for him to try Kimberley or the Eastern Cape.
Fayd’herbe put the cap on a great day when he steered the Mike Bass-trained Latin Magic to a smooth win in the MR 71 Handicap over 1800m. Noordhoek Hero made the pace but folded late as Quite Something moved up well on the rail. But none had any answers for Latin Magic who picked up his second win after a consistent run of places. The fancied Sovereign Empire ran an absolute shocker – hardly raising a decent gallop.
Joey Ramsden enjoyed his usual productive day at the office when he drew the curtains on the afternoon with a winner in the final event – after opening the Pick Six. Boreas led the Maiden Plate by three lengths from Afore The Flow and Wotta Smasher. Craig Du Plooy still harboured hopes of a shock win for his boss of many years, Vaughan Marshall at around the 350m marker, but Boreas ran out of juice as Putney Flyer and Crown Of Gold started accelerating. Karl Neisius looked to add some respectability to his afternoon as Putney Flyer kicked nicely but Glen Hatt had things under control on the little Silvano gelding. Crown Of Gold races in the Ingrid and Markus Jooste silks and won here at his fifth start – although he has a long road to walk to emulate his Group winning half-brothers Silver Mist and Shades Of Indigo.
The loyal mare Aggravacious held the distinction on the day of being the most experienced participant on track – she was having her 72nd start. Spare a thought though for Dvinsky who was making his 200th – yes, 200th– appearance tonight in the eighth race at Kempton!
