Hot! Mr Vindaloo (Francois Herholdt) storms clear to cause the upset at Kimberley today
Perseverance and patience certainly pays and the Muhtafal gelding Mr Vindaloo underscored the tenacity of owner Paul Barrett by scoring an impressive end to end win in this afternoon’s shock result at Flamingo Park.
The 5yo former turf campaigner, who raced for Glen Kotzen originally in the Cape where he won his maiden, and moved to PE later on, turned a dull spell on the sand on its head in under sixty seconds today when winning the R45 000 MR75 Handicap run over 1000m.
Mr Vindaloo had not won a race in over a year, and with five dull sand efforts behind him, he was allowed to start at 33 to 1.
Trainer Sarel Von Willingh Smith had him primed to the moment and the gelding suddenly found an enthusiasm to run which has not been evident in his last starts. Always blitzing out front, he ran on well to win by 2,75 lengths in a time of 56,89 secs.
That’s not half bad going when measured against Cyber Case’s course record of 56,40 secs!
Francois Herholdt rode a confident race to seal a personal double on the afternoon.
The consistent Bomber Bill was forced to switch late, but ran his usual game race in second. S’manga Khumalo deputised on the Vernon Rugg runner for Sherman Brown, who had injured his thumb earlier in the day.
Starfire stayed on for a distant third, some seven lengths behind the action.
Mr Vindaloo has now won 4 races with 9 places from 36 starts.
He took his earnings to R191 950.
He was bred by Barton Hall Stud and is by Muhtafal out of the once winning All Fired Up mare, Forever Flaming.
Mr Vindaloo was a R110 000 National Yearling Sale graduate.
The removal of the blinkers and the tongue tie may have initiated this astonishing turnaround in form. But be careful until it is franked though.
