On Fire! Jet Aglow (inside) kicks again to beat Hammie’s Hooker in a thriller (Equine Edge)
Dennis Drier and Sean Cormack burst onto the Cape summer scene after a quiet season so far, with a terrific feature double at Kenilworth on Saturday. Vanessa Harrison’s crack 4yo Jet Aglow rounded off a great afternoon for champion stallion Jet Master and the De Vos family of Varsfontein Stud, when she won the R150 000 Gr3 Victress Stakes in a thriller.
The afternoon was owned by Jet Master, who sired three winners on the trot, including the feature double. Dennis Drier and Sean Cormack secured both features, while Carl and Amanda De Vos, who manage Varsfontein Stud, personally bred Jet Aglow, and would have enjoyed Master Of My Fate’s good win a half hour earlier. He was bred at Varsfontein.
Jet Aglow was always at the top of the boards and the promising daughter of Jet Master only gave her supporters a mild panic attack at about the 200m marker when her arch rival Hammie’s Hooker ranged up alongside her. But trainer Dennis Drier summed it all up by suggesting that ‘when they are good, they are good!’
Drier was referring to his filly and his jockey, as it was a superb performance by both horse and rider.
The popular master horseman showed his personal humility by adding that horses like Jet Aglow ‘make us look good.”
Tellytrack presenter Stan Elley also summed up the thriller rather well, by suggesting that ‘if you don’t enjoy that finish, you don’t enjoy racing!’
Sean Cormack.Great feature double
Cormack’s problems (dare we call them that?) had probably started when he hit the front earlier than he wished. But his charge was so keen, he took the only sensible step in the process.
After Hammie’s Hooker had come alongside at the 200m marker, Cormack put the whip away and showed his years of international experience by pushing with the hands to get Jet Aglow’s engines firing again.
It worked a charm, and the hapless Grant Van Niekerk must have thought he had been snookered after he demonstrated the body language of a winner in the final thrust.
The race was not run at a particularly quick pace and Greg Cheyne took charge by taking Priceless Jewel up to lead Count To Ten. Jet Aglow was relaxed in third, with Hammie’s Hooker five lengths off the leader at this stage.
Priceless Jewel led for home but was soon running on reserve as Jet Aglow glided into the lead at the 400m marker. The wide awake Grant Van Niekerk (how this young rider has improved) sent Hammie’s Hooker to chase the obvious horse to beat, with nothing much else running on.
At the 100m marker Jet Aglow picked up the pieces like a good sort and went on to draw clear and win by a neck in a time of 112,86 secs.
Hammie’s Hooker was beaten by the better filly on the day, while, in what was a separate race effectively, Dubai Gina stayed on gamely in third.
Cormack, who must take a large portion of the credit for the victory, said that Jet Aglow made his job easy, but that he felt she was not one hundred percent, possibly as a result of the second run after a rest: “She makes it easy with her ample gate speed. It would have been nice to have some cover, but I was not unhappy with my position. She wasn’t as forthcoming as last time with her effort and she is better than this in my opinion. In the end I really thought Grant had me, but Jet Aglow gave me a little more when it really counted,” enthused the quietly spoken rider.
Dennis Drier. Pleased as punch with his feature double
Jet Aglow’s trainer Dennis Drier said: “ For a second or two there I thought Mike’s (Bass) filly had us. It was a great ride by Sean. I don’t believe in the second run syndrome, because when they are good, they are good. We are going to take it race by race from here.”
Owner Vanessa Harrison, who was elegantly attired in her cerise and while racing colours, was just as happy as her trainer and confirmed the team sentiment of those nailbiting final stages: “ I also thought Mike Bass’s horse had us. But it worked out well. What a great team effort and thanks to Dennis ,Sean and Carl De Vos. She has the fighting spirit needed for racing and is a top filly. This was her first stakes win and she will be going into the Paddock Stakes.”
The winner was bred by Carl and Amanda De Vos and is by Jet Master out of the three time winning Argosy mare, Lighthouse Girl.
The breeders sold her privately off their farm.
Jet Aglow has now won 4 of her 11 races with 5 places, for total stake earnings of R584 820.
While the smiling Dennis Drier was not giving up any state secrets, Jet Aglow’s thrilled owner proudly announced that the Paddock Stakes was her filly’s next mission.
