The upwardly mobile Dynasty gelding African Night Sky raised the rafters at Kenilworth on a beautiful winter Saturday afternoon when he stormed to victory in the R250 000 Gr3 Winter Derby, to become only the second horse in history to win the Cape Winter Triple Crown.
Bernard Fayd’herbe and African Night Sky charge into the history books (Pic – Wayne Marks)
What a day for the sponsors – who also happen to be the breeders! What a day for Bernard Fayd’herbe! What a day for Justin Snaith! What a day for international owner, Fred Crabbia!
Simply, what a day for Cape racing!
Bernard Fayd’herbe – lightning strikes twice
It’s easy to attribute good decisions to genius. But sometimes things just pan out beyond the wildest dreams by chance. When the Highlands, Part Of Ridgemont, brains trust sat down a few months ago to commit to the sponsorship of the Cape Winter Series, they couldn’t have hoped to strike gold as early as their opening year.
But that’s what happened on Saturday, as a son of their flagship stallion charged to the easiest victory we have seen in the race in years.
It’s only twenty years since he started his apprenticeship, and at the age of 35 he seems too young to be mentioned in the same breath of champions of yesteryear, but Fayd’herbe wrote his name into the history books in 2006 as the winning jockey on the express train rise to prominence of a future treble SA Horse Of The Year in the legendary Pocket Power, who won all three legs of one of the toughest series of races in South Africa.
On Saturday, the talented heavyweight rider teamed up with a former SA champion trainer and good friend Justin Snaith, and besides the doubts expressed of the gelding’s stamina capabilities in some quarters, it was a formality.
Justin Snaith – follows in the footsteps of Mike Bass
Relaxed in the pack as longshot Soaring Past made the pace, Fayd’herbe pressed the button on African Night Sky at the 350m marker and it was race over.
The pair drew clear under the hands to win by 5,50 lengths in a time of 149,37 secs.
Joey Ramsden’s Elusive Fort gelding Paddington came on late for second – in a different race, really.
Selected, purchased and pre-trained by Jane Thomas of Far End Racing, the winner is an R850 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale graduate.
He has won 5 races with 1 place from 8 starts and took his stakes to R581 900, excluding the Winter Series bonus of R250 000.
Bred by Highlands, he is a son of the perennial producer of champions, Dynasty (Fort Wood), out of the six-time winning Starzene (Cozzene).
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Gr3 Winter Derby (SAf-Gr3)
Kenilworth, South Africa, June 24, R250k, 2400m, turf, good, 2.29.37
1 – AFRICAN NIGHT SKY (SAF), 60.0, b g 3, Dynasty (SAF) – Starzene (USA) by Cozzene (USA). Owner Mr A L A Crabbia; Breeder Highlands; trainer J Snaith; jockey B Fayd’herbe
2 – Paddington (SAF), 59.0, ch g 3, Elusive Fort (SAF) – Catapult (SAF) by Silvano (GER)
3 – Ollivander (SAF), 59.0, b g 3, Silvano (GER) – Cast A Spell (SAF) by Rambo Dancer (USA)
Margins: 5.50, 1.00, 0.30
