Raging! Zambezi Torrent (Stuart Randolph) skips clear to win the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes
Punters learnt the hard way again that there is no substitute for experience when Mike Bass’ Zambezi Torrent burst clear to beat the well backed first timer Excelero in the R135 000 Listed Gatecrasher Stakes at Clairwood on Saturday.
The early KZN juvenile form was turned on its head with the unbeaten Umkhomazi Stakes winner Colour Of Courage well beaten, amongst a few other recent winners.
The on course whispers spoke about one horse only. Vaughan Marshall’s R1 million Western Winter colt is certainly an imposing racehorse and his homework was all the talk as the money flowed bravely as his price fell from 7 to 1 and well into the red.
The odds on favourite was confidently taken to lead early by MJ Byleveld and they were followed by Alareef, Forest Indigo and Playingtheenemy.
Into the home run the challenges emerged but Byleveld sat dead still on Exelero aned he continued to gallop strongly and lead the way.
Into the final 200m he came under severe pressure though and it was the Mike Bass trained Zambezi Torrent who finished strongly under Stuart Randolph at generous odds of 15 to 1 to win going away by 2 lengths in a time of 85,82 secs
The well backed 15 to 20 first timer Excelero had no answer but stayed on for second ahead of Forest Indigo.
Alec Laird will be pleased with the Varsfontein bred Judpot colt Forest Indigo, who showed his liking for the ground and also stayed on doggedly under Kevin Shea.
The Highlands Stud bred Zambezi Torrent is by Captain Al out of the five time winning King Of Kings mare Zooming Zellie. The latter was also trained by Mike Bass and campaigned in the Beck silks.
He went for R1 150 000 at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1.
He made a shaky, albeit placed, three opening runs start to his career but improved quickly over the extra ground here.
Zambezi Torrent has now won once and been placed three times in four starts.
He took his earnings to R115 375 and now looks to have a promising Champions Season ahead of him.
