Oriental Charm, the 2024 Hollywoodbets Durban July hero, made a magical return to racing action at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, scoring a resolute pillar-to-post victory in the R600 000 World Sports Betting Gr2 Green Point Stakes over 1600m.
Oriental Charm (JP van der Merwe) takes the lead. Second-placed Royal Aussie (Richard Fourie, check cap) and fourth-placed Without Question (Gavin Lerena) are in the background (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Racing for the partnership of Cape Racing Chairman Greg Bortz, Leon Ellman and Gina Goldsmith, the 4yo son of Vercingetorix was taken to the front by JP van der Merwe and, despite not having raced since 6 July, Oriental Charm showed no signs of being ring-rusty and is now likely to be installed a firm favourite for the R5-million World Sports Betting Cape Town Met on 25 January.
Oriental Charm was bred at Vaughan Koster’s Cheveley Stud although his dam, Souk, has changed hands a few times since.
His victory on Saturday marked the first major success for the newly formed father and son training partnership of Brett and James Crawford and they now have every reason to look forward to the balance of the Cape Summer Festival of Racing with great optimism.
Royal Aussie tried gamely to make late inroads into Oriental Charm’s advantage, but he was a length adrift at the line with Sugar Mountain, who threatened briefly to upstage his more fancied rival, rounding off the Trifecta.
Clearly something went seriously amiss with Green With Envy who trailed in close to a dozen lengths behind the winner and it’s back to the drawing boards for Dean Kannemeyer.
