Richard Fourie has few peers when he is on song in the Cape and the top jockey rounded off a terrific L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Festival with the ride of the day on the 7yo Doublemint for the Snaith brothers.
Richard Fourie gets to work on Doublemint as stablemate xxx chases hard 9Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
While he is an important part of the Snaith’s success, it is worth quoting from John Freeman’s weekly newsletter to sum up the Snaith’s titanic two days.
“Justin is an asset to racing. His clean sweep of the features is testimony to the command he has of his craft. I have had the good fortune to be associated with Snaith Racing for quite a few years and know how hard working and efficient they are. Not just in training horses but in looking after their clients and in promoting the sport. Listening to Justin being interviewed on TV before races and in postrace interviews leaves you in no doubt that he is a master trainer. The info he provides is not only aimed at owners and breeders but is hugely important to punters and the tote. He never forgets to give credit and knows that he is backed up by a very good team. I always make an effort to congratulate head grooms Jabu and Patrick and their chaps.What many don’t realize is how hard the Snaith Racing machine work at buy horses, not only locals but their many international investors.
If Justin’s LQP success is a precursor to Cape Town Met day we might be in for a tote boost. The Met tote will be betting into Hong Kong pools. Thanks HJKC,” concluded the veteran bloodstock man.
And Doublemint’s second victory in the R250 000 Gr3 Okapi Chairman’s Cup – the gelding won the race in 2020 – was a sentimental climax to a memorable festival.
Gifted to the Snaith brothers by their longstanding leading owners, Alec and the Honourable Gillian Foster, Doublemint races these days in the historic Shirley Pfeiffer blue and white, carried to many famous victories by the likes of Flaming Rock in the 1991 Durban July and also the good mare, Outstanding Star.
1991 Gr1 Rothmans July Handicap winner Flaming Rock and Karl Neisius
“When I heard that the Pfeiffer family were relinquishing the silks I had to have them. Those colours put Justin and I through school,” explained Jonathan Snaith some time ago.
On Saturday the versatile galloper was given a peach of a patient ride and unleashed late in the contest to his more fancied stablemate One Way Traffic by a neck in a time of xxx.
Bred by Alec Foster, Doublemint has now won won eight times, with the millionaire gelding’s triumphs including five graded victories.
His sire Twice Over has some very exciting three-year-olds to his name this season, including the Gr1 Cape Guineas winner Double Superlative and Gr3 Politician Stakes entrants Senso Unico and Blizzard.
Doublemint was bred by Alec Foster and is by Twice Over (Observatory) out of the one-time winner Nepeta (Tale Of The Cat).
The gelding has won stakes of over R1,3 million.
His sire Twice Over has eight lots on the 2022 Cape Premier Yearling Sale, and a further five lots on the Cape Yearling Sale.
