In Command. Captain Of All gallops on under Sean Cormack to beat Willow Magic in the Tsogo Sun Medallion
Veteran KZN trainer Dennis Drier has won the Gr1 R600 000 Gr1 Tsogo Sun Medallion three times to date, and Duncan Barry’s Riverton Stud has had the honour of breeding all of those three winners. This incredible story unfolded at Scottsville on Saturday as Sean Cormack steered the Captain Al colt Captain Of All to an impressive win.
Drier received tributes all round for a top class training feat, as the young colt had won just a week earlier. In the face of some of the usual professional questions and criticism (there are more experts in this game every day!), Drier quipped afterwards that he was pleased that after 45 years of training horses, he could make some good decisions.
And a great decision and training feat it certainly was as Captain Of All jumped keenly as the fancied Normanz hesitated and lost ground.
Captain Of All was always up in the vanguard and led from Kochka, Tommy Gun, Willow Magic and Normanz.
In the final 300m Captain Of All turned on the rockets and stretched clear, chased late by the SA Nursery winner Willow Magic
Captain Of All won most convincingly at 9 to 1 by one length In a time of 68,10 secs.
Willow Magic ran on well and will win many yet, while another Captain Al colt in Captain’s Reserve ran into third ahead of Kochka.
The Godolphin Barb winner Normanz faded right out and there must be something amiss with him.We await the Stipes Report with interest.
Winning jockey Sean Cormack, who is riding with great confidence, thanked Dennis Drier.
“ This colt ran last Sunday and took that run well. I must thank Mr Drier who showed again why he is a top trainer. And I must mention Anton (Marcus) who stood back as I have done most of the work on the winner. I was flabbergasted with Captain Of All’s speed. I just let him roll and I thought in the final stages that he could only beat himself. He rolled in and out, but was always going well,” he said.
Trainer Dennis Drier thanked owners Ingrid and Markus Jooste and their manager Derek Brugman.
“It is a privilege to train for them and thanks particularly to a very smart horse. I don’t think he will race again this season,” he said.
Jooste Racing Manager Derek Brugman said that Captain Of All had come up for sale on the Klawervlei Farm Sale.
“It was a very festive occasion and in a typically Markus Jooste act of generosity he made a big donation to a very sick girl at Highlands.”
Captain Of All has now won 2 of 3 starts with 1 place and took his stake earnings to R434 400.
Bred by Riverton Stud, he is by Captain Al out of the once winning Fard mare, Serious Side.
Gold Medallion (SAf-G1) (5/25)
Scottsville, South Africa, May 25, R600.000, 1200m, turf, 1.08.10
CAPTAIN OF ALL (SAF), 58.0, b c 2, Captain Al (SAF) – Serious Side (SAF) by Fard (GB). Owner I Jooste & MJ Jooste; breeder Riverton Stud; trainer DR Drier; jockey S Cormack (R375.000)
Willow Magic (AUS), 58.0, ch c 2, Dubawi (IRE) – La Willow (AUS) by Tierce (AUS)
Captain’s Reserve (SAF), 58.0, b c Captain Al (SAF) – Private Reserve (SAF) by Model Man (SAF)
Margins: 1, 5, nose
