A shrewd move to optimize the benefits of the bottom weight allocated to the progressive 4yo staying prospect Mucho Dinero at the son of Twice Over’s first foray beyond 2000m produced a happy outcome for Justin Snaith and his connections at a sunny Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday.
While the enigmatic One Way Traffic was the most fancied of the Snaith trio in the R200 000 Listed Woolavington Stakes topliner, a scramble and concerted effort at acceptance time to find a jockey who could do the 50kgs on Mucho Dinero was to pay dividends for the industrious team.
Yuzae Ramzan salutes with joy as Mucho Dinero soars to victory (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Widely regarded as fierce competitors on an average day, and clearly more fired up since Cape Town has become a welcoming home-from-home for top trainers like Gareth van Zyl and Adam Azzie, the Snaiths securing of low-key Gqeberha resident Yuzae Ramzan was to prove a masterstroke.
Justin Snaith told how he had originally tried to engage the ‘50kg go-to man’ Joshwin Solomons, who he found was already riding Ennion’s Love Is A Rose.
“I called all over, including trying Martin Ball at the SA Jockey Academy in KZN. Eventually I thought of trainer Gavin Smith in Gqeberha. He suggested Yuzae Ramzan as a hardworking and talented jockey. I rang owner Nic Jonsson. He said let’s give him a chance. The rest is history,” added the SA champion trainer.
With last year’s top two Baratheon and Salvator Mundi in the line-up, the 2400m contest looked tricky, but One Way Ticket had to be the right horse on form and on the weight turnover with Senso Unico.
Richard Fourie took Baratheon out to lead at a sedate gallop, until Grant van Niekerk saw red around the mile marker and took One Way Ticket around to lead, and then slowed things down. This was to initiate a game of musical chairs between the two leaders, as Ramzan bided his time near the back of the bunch on Mucho Dinero.
Baratheon regained the lead turning for home and was galloping relentlessly into the final 300m.
But under a slightly awkward looking right-handed ride, Ramzan had Mucho Dinero (9-2) in full flight up the outside, and in the run to the wire the thrilled Eastern Caper had time to affectionately smack his mount down the shoulder as he drew away to a 4,25 length win in a time of 153,53 secs.
Defending champion Baratheon (28-10) was not disgraced in second, with One Way Traffic a nostril away in third. The games playing had not worked in their favour, but certainly worked for Mucho Dinero.
Cape Racing’s Justin Vermaak presents Yuzae’s trophy (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
A R1,4 million BSA National Yearling Sale purchase, Mucho Dinero was registering his maiden stakes win here at his first try beyond 2400m.
Now a winner of 5 races with a place from 12 starts, Mucho Dinero has earned R432 063 in stakes.
Bred by Drakenstein Stud, the winner is a son of Twice Over (Observatory) out of the prolific stakes-winner producing four-time winning Casey Tibbs mare, Cash Register.
A full-sister to Equus Champion and Gr1 Durban July winner Big City Life, Cash Register has produced no fewer than five stakes winners.
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