KZN Champion owners The Hollywood Syndicate continued with their purple victory patch when the Var gelding Shampompo Shampizi finished with resolution to win the R90 000 WSB Club Prive Fever Tree Stakes at his first ever start at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Despite stepping up in class and being out at the weights in the 1500m standside feature, the handsome bay delivered after being backed in to start an easy-to-back (5-1) tote favourite in a competitive line-up
Warren Kennedy had the powerful gelding settled in midfield as Al’s My Daddy led the change ahead of Chatterton’s Keeper and the consistent 7yo, Socrates.
Shampompo Shampizi storms home under Warren Kennedy as the obscured Socrates (Kyle Strydom) tries his heart out (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
In the home run, Kennedy let Shampompo Shampizi build up before switching him out for a winning charge.
At the line the 4yo was too strong and held off a late challenge from Socrates (9-2) by a quarter length in a time of 88,67 secs. Shampompo Shampizi was the Hollywood Syndicate’s 54th winner of the term.
Full Blast (5-) ran another solid race to finish third a further 1,25 lengths adrift, with the hard running pacemaker Al’s My Daddy (10-1) not disgraced in fourth.
Winning rider and SA national log-leader Warren Kennedy had a good day in the purple and yellow branding – he also steered Imilenzeyokududuma home for trainer Peter Muscutt to an emphatic victory in the third race.
Trainer Alyson Wright was pleased as punch and has done an outstanding job with a horse given to bouts of aggression that match his good looks.
Alyson and Kevin Wright celebrate the victory with Anthony Delpech (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Kennedy confirmed that the pair had enjoyed a perfect race.
“He built up nicely and finished his race off well,” he added.
Bred by Carl and Amanda de Vos, the winner is a 4yo son of the late Avontuur flagbearer VAR (Forest Wildcat) out of the five time winning Victory Moon mare, Light The Night.
A R300 000 National Yearling Sale buy, Shampompo Shampizi He has now won 3 races with 5 places from just 10 starts for stakes of R200 750.
The Var gelding was named by the late Kaunda Ntunja, who was a well known rugby pundit and Xhosa rugby commentator.
He hosted the Phaka rugby show on SuperSport, which was proudly sponsored by Hollywoodbets, and laid the foundations for future Xhosa rugby commentators to make their mark in the broadcasting game.
Kaunda sadly passed away on 20 July 2020 at the age of 38.
The name Shampompo Shampizi stems from Kaunda’s commentary in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, when winger Makazole Mapimpi scored South Africa’s first ever try in a World Cup final.
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His enigmatic commentary was trending for days around the world, with many reciting his words: “Liqhashu! yiBubbly, shampompo, shampizi! Izinto ezihlwahlwazayo!”
The sentence translates to “The cork is popping! Bubbly, champagne, sparkling wine! All things that sparkle!”
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