The consistent gelding Union Jack maintained his solid form with a smart win in the R110 000 Cradock Place Stakes at Fairview on Friday to give the powerful champion combination of Alan Greeff and Greg Cheyne their only winner of the double header weekend.
With a 25% win strike-rate, the powerful duo would probably have anticipated a larger haul but things didn’t go according to plan, with Bernard Fayd’herbe finding the winner’s enclosure with Green Lantern on Sunday for the local champion yard, to restore some respectability to a tough weekend.
Greg Cheyne times it well to get Union Jack home ahead of Exelero (Pic – Pauline Herman Photography)
But there was plenty to like about the way the former Brett Crawford-trained Union Jack has settled down in the Eastern Cape and he notched his second victory at his fifth local start under a finely judged ride by Cheyne when rattling through late down the inside to nab the well-performed Exelero.
Union Jack won rather more easily than the 0,75 length margin suggested and registered 68,67 secs for the 1200m.
Another seasoned warrior, Captain Alfredo stayed on for third a quarter length back.
The Ridgemont bred Union Jack is a son of Captain Al out of the five-time winning Joshua Dancer mare, Badger’s Cove.
A winner of 6 races with 10 places from his 27 starts, Union Jack took his earnings to R428 875.
He races in the interests of the Braithwaite and Kieswetter families and should certainly pay to follow.
