Cape Apprentice of The Year Joshwin Solomons demonstrated his fast growing confidence when he produced a finely timed run to get Captain’s Ransom up on the line to win the R100 000 Gr3 Diana Stakes for trainer Justin Snaith and owner Suzette Viljoen at a sunny Durbanville on Saturday.
It was the young Cape Town-born rider’s maiden Graded race success and it’s a race that senior jockey Morne Winnaar’s good son will remember for a long time.
This was also his 20th winner and in terms of Rule 54.14 he may now claim 2.5 kg’s until the end of the race meeting in which he rides his 40th winner.
Solomons enjoyed a career milestone first treble, when he booted home three winners for the powerful Snaith Racing Team at a chilly Durbanville on Monday 14 September.
A big day for young Joshwin Solomons (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
After Aldo Domeyer had set sail on the topweighted champion Clouds Unfold at the 250m marker, it looked to be race over.
But taking full advantage of her light weight and running fresh off a break of nine weeks, Captain’s Ransom showed a terrific turn of foot as a beautifully balanced Solomons timed it perfectly from five lengths off the gallop.
Captain’s Ransom (9-2) got up to win going away by 0,30 lengths in a time of 83 secs flat.
Captain’s Ransom gets up late to win going away (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The 26-10 favourite Clouds Unfold will strip fitter next time and she just ran out of momentum late.
The consistent Pretty Young Thing (7-2) ran a typically game third 2,25 lengths back.
Captain’s Ransom, a R225 000 buy from the 2019 National Yearling Sale, enjoyed the distinction of being the 100th stakes winner for Klawervlei’s deceased champion sire Captain Al (Al Mufti) when she won the Listed Perfect Promise Sprint last term.
Bred by Moutonshoek, Captain’s Ransom is out of unraced Red Ransom mare Cinna’s Ransom. The latter, dam of multiple winners in Britain, is a half-sister to Gr3 Prix de Saint-Georges winner Black Rock Desert and multiple Japanese stakes winner Toyo Seattle.
Cinna’s Ransom’s own dam, the Plankton Stakes winner, City Dance is a full-sister to multiple Gr1 winner, and successful sire, Slew City Slew.
Captain’s Ransom has won 3 of her 4 starts, the only time being beaten when second to Caya Coco in the Irridescence Stakes and took her earnings to R172 875 on Saturday.
