The R300 000 Gr3 Cup Trial at Greyville on Saturday may prove to be a bitter-sweet affair for the Justin Snaith team.
Their smart Winter Derby winner Elusive Silva booked his July berth with a sterling showing, while his enigmatic stablemate Black Arthur looks to be sitting on a Vodacom Durban July knife-edge.
Richard Fourie gets Elusive Silva up in the final strides
Black Arthur gave Elusive Silva 2,5kgs and was only beaten a half length. But is third in the nine horse field after 3 unplaced efforts this term enough to swing the panel in his favour?
The two 4yo sons of Silvano have followed very different routes into the SA Champions Season arena but there is little question that Elusive Silva staked his big race claim in style and demonstrated that his flat effort in the Betting World 1900 was all wrong.
He came into that race off a lack of work, and found the odds stacked against him in the heavy going under the lights.
On Saturday Elusive Silva showed that he was still in need of the run, but produced a gutsy showing to get his head down when it counted, despite hanging badly over the final 300m.
Richard Fourie – great ride
After Crowd Pleaser had shown the way and stuck to his task down the rail, Fourie produced Elusive Silva with a powerful effort under what looked a difficult ride.
With Anthony Delpech throwing the kitchen sink at Black Arthur, the top two held their advantage to the wire, with Elusive Silva getting a narrow verdict on the line to win in 111,58 secs.
Crowd Pleaser was a half length in front of Black Arthur.
Winner of the big race in 2014, Richard Fourie said afterwards that Elusive Silva was a horse who ticked all the July boxes.
Sporting a blue eye, he said that he had looped his field before the straight. “My horse started hanging in over the final 300m. He needed the run still. I am looking forward to riding him in the July!”
Elusive Silva has won 4 races with 3 places from 10 starts and took his stakes earnings to R380 500.
The Nutfield Stud-bred gelding was a R375 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale buy.
He is a son of Silvano (Lomitas) out of the one-time winning Esprit (Fort Wood).
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Gr3 Cup Trial (SAf-Gr3)
Greyville, South Africa, June 10, R300k, 1800m, turf, good, 1.51.58
1 – ELUSIVE SILVA (SAF), 57.5, ch g 4, Silvano (GER) – Esprit (SAF) by Fort Wood (USA). Owner Messrs E G Bouwer, E A Braun, P S Loomes, Jonathan Snaith & K P Truter & Mrs Jane Truter; Breeder Nutfield Stud; trainer J Snaith; jockey R Fourie
2 – Crowd Pleaser (SAF), 53.0, b c 3, Captain Al (SAF) – Happy Jean by Charismatic (USA)
3 – Black Arthur (SAF), 60.0, b g 4, Silvano (GER) – Grace Me Guide (SAF) by Western Winter (USA)
Margins: 0.05, 0.50, 1.75
