Bring On The Bling!

Rock On! Heavy Metal storms ahead to win the Vodacom Durban July

The Silvano gelding Heavy Metal made it terrific  back to back wins for trainer Sean Tarry and owner Chris Van Niekerk, as he swept to a glorious victory in Saturday’s R3,5 million Gr1 Vodacom Durban July  run at Greyville Racecourse.

Tarry and Van Niekerk won Africa’s greatest horserace in 2012 with Pomodoro.

The brilliant Jet Master colt was better drawn last year but had to carry weight this time, and he ran unplaced here behind the powerhouse 4yo gelding, on whom jockey S’manga  ‘Bling’ Khumalo rode a copybook race.

The stylish streamlined Khumalo also became the first jockey of colour to win the race. In a glorious twist of irony, the large crowd was called upon to mark a 67 second moment of silence to honour the extraordinary contribution to this wonderful country of Nelson Mandela.

The race that had hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons in a rollercoaster build up, lived up to its historic reputation and blue chip status as one of the world’s great racing events

And what a thriller it was after a forgettable week of mudslinging (literal and figurative) and uncertainty, contributed by boardroom decisions and inclement weather!

He Ain’t Heavy! S’manga Khumalo celebrates the moment

The illustrious trio of Van Niekerk, Tarry and Khumalo were not the only starring players in the rainbow nation’s fairytale of hope and glory.

The star studded thriller included the ‘mistaken’ Silvano, a horse that didn’t warrant a place in the race in the opinion of some and the filly that is small enough to have run under the opposition, in the words of her trainer.

Those three stars filled the trifecta in a thrilling finish to a race that captures the very essence and intrigue of thoroughbred horseracing at its very best.

For winning owner Chris Van Niekerk it was dreamy déjà vu of the memory of a year ago. He won’t mind us quoting him on what he said that wonderful afternoon in 2012:

“You dream of it, but when you taste it it’s even better than the dream.  Unbelievable.  I can’t tell you how I feel.  I will remain a fool and buy more!”

For Khumalo the Durban July capped a terrific season that saw him registering his fourth Gr1 win, which included SA’s three richest races.  That feat is something that most jockeys are known to take a lifetime to achieve. If they are lucky. Or talented enough.

For Sean Tarry, the win was the culmination of a great afternoon and an even greater season. He had earlier won the Gr1 Golden Slipper with For The Lads for owner Chris Van Niekerk. The Trippi filly was also ridden by the high riding Khumalo. He is now within striking distance of toppling Mike De Kock as  SA champion trainer.

The going held up remarkably well, with an early morning penetrometer reading of 30 going in the right direction thanks to clear skies.

The Justin Snaith trained Jet Explorer deposed Dean Kannemeyer’s Capetown Noir at the top of the betting boards as the South African national anthem echoed through the historic city venue, accompanied by a string quartet just moments before the twenty strong field jumped.

The race was run at nice gallop and E Jet and Wagner disputed matters before Wagner took over and brought the stampede for home.

Winners! The post race celebration gets under way

Into the straight they fanned out off the 9m false rail as Jet Explorer looked dangerous with a beautiful run down the inside, as a few of them got bogged down in the going.

Inside the final 300m Run For It commenced his charge as Khumalo kept a cool head and pushed Heavy Metal through to challenge.

In a desperate charge for the wire, Heavy Metal stormed clear to win by 0,25 lengths  in a time of 135,44 secs.

He held off the persuasive challenge of Run For It, who ran on well for second, just ahead of the only filly in the race, Do You Remember.

No Worries charged through to pip Jet Explorer for fifth, while  the second Tarry horse to finish, Whiteline Fever, was the last horse to qualify for a Saftote place dividend in sixth spot.

The brilliant Capetown Noir, who jumped from a wide berth, ran into traffic problems up the straight, and had nothing more to offer down the outside. He was not disgraced in seventh position and just over four lengths behind.

Trainer of the second placed Run For It, Justin Snaith, paid tribute to jockey S’Manga Khumalo, and said that he ‘didn’t mind running second to a great story.’

Snaith’s confidence in his charge was vindicated after many had felt that the yard had pulled off a bizarre marketing coup of sorts by getting the Dynasty gelding through the backdoor into the final field.

Geoff Woodruff was all smiles after his pocket rocket Do You Remember completed the Silvano magic, with a dashing late third. The Gr1 Woolavington 2000 winner is all heart and ran the race of her life as a 3yo filly.

Gavin Van Zyl filled fourth spot with the Kahal 3yo No Worries, a horse about whom we feel we will hear plenty about in the seasons ahead.

The Bosworth Farm Stud bred Heavy Metal is a son of Silvano out of the once winning and lightly raced Baroon mare, Percussion.

Proving what a funny old game this is, the story goes that Lyth Orford of Bosworth Farm, who is known as something of a student of the science of breeding racehorses, sent two mares to be covered. One was going to Victory Moon and the other to Silvano.

A rare administrative error saw them being switched, but following her initial disappointment, Lyth felt after reconsideration, that if Percussion, who landed up being covered by Silvano, produced a colt, the error might not be such a bad one.

Heavy Metal just about cleared that slate of doubt three and a half million times over on Saturday!

A R250 000 National Yearling Sale graduate, he registered his sixth win from 20 starts with 9 places, with his earnings totalling R3 833 900.

What a great race. What a great day.

Just goes to show to everybody involved, that it is not how you start. It is how you finish. Who would have bet on that on Thursday?

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