Names like Mysterious Hal, Yardmaster and Fast Gun evoke some heady memories of the Spies – Makins partnership of days gone by and the senior Vaal trainer gave the veteran owner a timeous 85th birthday present for Tuesday when the handsome grey True Words charged home to win the R110 000 Flamingo Park Handicap on Monday at the Kimberley track.
It has been three runners and three winners in the Northern Cape for the familiar yellow and blue silks carried by many top horses over many years and the two seniors are teaching the young guns a thing or three about raiding faraway places!
When the Pick 6 is partly carried over and the Place Accumulator pays a paltry R16, one gets the idea that it was something of a manic Monday at the Diamond Dustbowl of Flamingo Park.
It was day where every single tote favourite ran a drum but only two obliged and delivered the winning goods!
True Words gallops away from his field under Jarryd Penny (Pic – JC Photos)
But the Tobie Spies trained Byword gelding True Words, originally a R2 million purchase by Markus Jooste’s Mayfair Speculators off the Cape Premier Yearling Sale, and purchased by David and Mertha Makins for R100 000 produced the gung ho showing of the afternoon to pull off an authoritative victory in the non black-type 100m feature.
“We got him from the late Leon Erasmus and he was a headstrong tearaway type who knew only one way. But he has learnt to relax and settle nicely – and he is unbeaten in two starts in Kimberley,” said a pleased as punch Tobie Spies as he reminded us of the fact that Tuesday 5 March was owner David Makins’85th birthday.
The former Joey Ramsden trained galloper stormed clear inside the final 250m to beat the gutsy mare Charter Jet – also a former Leon Erasmus snr trained galloper – by 2,25 lengths in a time of 112,94 secs.
Tobie Spies – great winner (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
The favourite Brookie stayed on for third.
A son of Byword (Peintre Celebre), the winner was bred by Rob and Michele Pickering and is out of the three-time winning Daylami mare, Kalami.
Acquired by Rob Pickering and Ashley McNabb from Juddmonte Farms, Byword defeated a strong field which included beating Twice Over at even weights – winning the Gr1 Prince Of Wales’ Stakes at Ascot. He also took home the Gr2 Prix du Muguet at Saint-Cloud and the Gr2 Prix Jacques Laffitte, as well as placing third in the Gr1 Juddmonte International and second by just half a length to Goldikova in the Gr2 Prix Foy and Gr1 Prix d’Ispahan.
The winner has won 4 races from 1160m on the turf up to 1800m on the sand with 9 places from 23 starts for stakes of R337 400.
Tobie Spies suggests that since True Words has learnt to race and based on his earlier turf form, he won’t necessarily be restricted to Kimberley.
“I’m thrilled for the Makins’ and he is a lovely horse who can certainly win more races.”
