Karl Zechner drives Arabica up to beat Kumiko in a thriller (Coastal Photos)
The diminutive Dorrie Sham-trained Lateral filly Arabica produced a previously unseen turn of foot to score a shock 40-1 win in the R80 000 Breeders Guineas at Fairview on Friday afternoon. Not bad for a filly with skew legs, a parrot mouth and who changes legs every second stride like a dressage horse!
The clouds cleared and the sun shone over Fairview just as the field of nine 3yo’s jumped in the non black-type 1400m feature after a day interrupted by lightning and rain, and a few bomb results into the bargain.
The Justin Snaith-trained Princess Chloe was installed an even money favourite on the strength of her fairly decent Cape form and she was expected to go close in the hands of Grant Van Niekerk.
She was settled some 7 lengths off the pace and looked to have every chance throughout.
The in-form Greg Cheyne took the initiative and bounced Kumiko into a 3 length lead from early on and the promising Silvano filly maintained her initiative into the 300m as Van Niekerk was seen hard at work on Princess Chloe.
With Kumiko looking a certain winner, Arabica was switched out late by Karl Zechner and she flew in the last 100m to grab and beat the gallant pacesetter, who literally did everything but win.
The winning margin was a deceptive 0,25 lengths with the winner clocking a time of 86,28 secs.
Princess Chloe had nothing to come and finished fifth and 4,50 lengths behind the winner.
The Maine Chance Farms-bred Arabica is a daughter of Lateral out of the Al Mufti mare Arabian Story. She has now won 2 races with 8 places from her 16 starts with stakes of R145 125. She had won her maiden on the polytrack at her 13th outing.
Trainer and part-owner Dorrie Sham said there was not much to the very slight Arabica, other than her heart.
“Thanks to John Slade and Andreas Jacobs. They have given us some lovely fillies. And well done to the jockey – that’s a good example of how to ride a horse all the way to the line!” she said enthusiastically.
Karl Zechner – powerful driving finish
Jockey Karl Zechner, who rode a determined race, confirmed that Arabica was a gutsy filly with a massive heart.
“She is a very small filly but a nice easy ride. They went a decent pace which helped and she settled nicely. At the top of the straight they quickened away from us. But she stayed on strongly and wanted to go inside the leader. I thought it best to switch her out and it worked as she kicked strongly,’ he said.
The Zechner-Sham combination were successful earlier on when Symbolik scored a hat-trick when winning the fifth race.
And in a typically miserable Friday 13th for punters, only 1% of the Pick 6 was won.
