Beating The Bends

Luxury Model. Piere Strydom steers Kolkata to a smooth victory in the Gr2 Gold Vase

The Requiem gelding Kolkata found his form at the right time to get the ball rolling on a dream afternoon for the Sean Tarry yard. Chris Van Niekerk’s Klawervlei bred  was an easy winner of the R400 000 Gr2 Mercedes Benz Gold Vase, run over a shortened 2400m.

Ridden to perfection by Piere Strydom, the 5yo shot clear at the 300m marker and was full value for his sixth win after a quiet recent spell.

Surface problems on the Greyville  in course access track that runs across the course just after the pull up necessitated a shortening of the race from 3000m to 2400m.

This no doubt pleased some and displeased others. But that applies to life in general!

Whatever your personal opinion, there is little doubt that it probably served as a more effective Gold Cup prep in its abbreviated form for some.

The race was run at a fair pace with Jeppe’s Reef leading Masai Warrior and Scoop The Pool.

Kolkata was eight lengths back but going smoothly.

Into the home run Masai Warrior moved forward menacingly as Scoop The Pool went with him, with Jeppe’s Reef angling down the inside and going very well.

At the 300m marker Strydom made the decisive move on Kolkata and he shot clear from the bunch.

The bay went on strongly to win by 0,75 lengths in a time of 146,37 secs,

Duncan Howells’ longshot Knight To Remember has always been a very highly thought of stayer, and found good form to run a cracking second.

Dean Kannemeyer’s Blake ran a great Gold Cup prep to fly up for third place.

Kolkata was bred by Klawervlei Stud and is by Requiem out of the American bred Capitol South mare, City Of Joy.

Kolkata is a winner of 6 races with 12 places from 30 starts for stake earnings of R874 325.

A R120 000 Ready To Run sale graduate, Kolkata will go straight into the Gold Cup from here.

He is a very fit horse.

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