Top Form. Glen Hatt rode a smart treble.
A torturous heat wave cloaked the Western Cape in a hot blanket today and had punters in a sweat with a few form reversals and tough results. But the unbearable heat did not detract from some competitive racing at Kenilworth.
Glen Hatt was the victor ludorum on the jockey front with a winning treble , the first leg of which came courtesy of the boardroom after he lodged an objection in the second race.
Jockey Felix Coetzee though could probably lay claim to the ride of the day in a race that produced what Tellytrack on-course presenter Stan Elley termed a ‘bit of magic.’ Coetzee won the opener, a Maiden Plate over 1200m on the nicely bred Pointing At A Star after the Jallad filly had looked to be in a hopeless position 300m out. Highly rated by her trainer, who referred to her start on L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate day as a set-up that went wrong, she won like a filly with plenty to come – even though Coetzee must take all the credit for plugging away from the 500m marker and never relenting.
The speedy Var filly Varushka won the highest rated race on the day, the MR88 Handicap over 1000m when she made all the pace to win a great race under a solid and typical Richard Fourie ride. She beat a fair field of males that included Royal Tribe and another Var product in the lightly campaigned Victor Ivo. Mike Stewart has done an outstanding job with Varushka who has won five of her 28 starts and looks to have plenty of zest for further racing.
It was Glen Hatt’s day though and the talented jockey has had something of an up and down season. He has now ridden thirty-one winners and enjoys a national mid-table position that will undoubtedly keep him keen and riding plenty of work. Resident on a luxury golf estate on the Cape West Coast, Hatt is extremely fit and is a vigorous rider who produces some powerful driving finishes.
Star Bound. Felix Coetzee gets Pointing At A Star up to win the first race.
His tussle with up and coming youngster Grant Van Niekerk in the second race, a Maiden Plate over a mile, produced a rousing duel that could have gone either way between two promising Silvano geldings. Van Niekerk got the better of things on Paddy Kruyer’s improved Act Of Faith, but an objection was lodged immediately afterwards by Hatt-and the race awarded to the fancied Joey Ramsden –trained Sylvidae. We feel that this was a fair turnaround after Van Niekerk had battled vainly to keep his mount straight in the final stages .
The lack of initiative shown by Tellytrack in producing a constructive viewing experience was again demonstrated in the third race, where the Darryl Hodgson trained Trizas reared as the field was released and dropped jockey Karl Neisius. Commentator Jehan Malherbe was quick to observe the incident but throughout the race and interviews, we were not shown a brief replay of what happened. Trizas was eventually declared a non-runner. A pity.
The race produced Hatt’s second winner and went to the impeccably bred Colorado Ski who came through to overhaul the pacemaking Tower Power to win well at his eleventh outing. Owner Robin Bruss explained that he and St John Gray had bid on the then eighteen year old Epsom Oaks winner Jet Ski Lady at a mares sale in the UK and he had harboured dreams of breeding a Derby and July winner. As it turned out, his classic stayer has evolved into a middle of the road sprinter, although jockey Glen Hatt said that Colorado Ski was quick enough to win a few more.
Joey Ramsden looked to have a powerful hand in a moderate looking closing race where he sent a four way coupling to post. The consistent Right Approach filly Genteel Approach is not the biggest horse in racing, but she has the heart of a lion and looked an unlikely winner with 200m to run of the MR70 Handicap. Hatt didn’t panic though – keeping her wide and then punching her out confident for his hat-trick and the filly’s second win from eight starts. She is a Hyjo Stud bred half-brother to Met runner Fabiani and while she is limited, will pay to follow in these type of races.
Flying High. African Airways beats a weak field under Bernard Fayd'Herbe.
Mike Bass found the right race for his talented Jet Master filly African Airways and she toyed with her seven opponents to win the jackpot opener, an MR72 Handicap over 1000m, under a hands and heels ride by heavyweight jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe. This rather weak field included two battling maidens who proceeded to run second and third. The form may thus be very suspect by Marsh Shirtliff looked a relieved man as the beautiful chestnut had cost him and partner Bryn Ressel R700 000 as a yearling.
She had apparently had a setback and pulled muscles off her spine as a youngster and didn’t stride out last time when disappointingly running unplaced behind Therese Of Lisieux.
Report Back: Following our Random Thought of 15 January entitled Flying To Jamaica, we questioned why senior jockey Karl Neisius appeared upset at young Apprentice Jason Smitsdorff in the final stages of the third race at Kenilworth on Saturday 14 January. The Stipes Report of the day throws some light on the theatrics:
CHIEF PIGEON (App J Smitsdorff) was unbalanced when bumped by DAILY FLIGHT (K Neisius), which was carried outwards by IMPRESSIVE ROCK (AUS) (F Coetzee), which rolled outwards when taking an awkward stride. DAILY FLIGHT (K Neisius) was baulked for a clear run for a number of strides on the heels of a tiring MASTER COPY (B Fayd’herbe) approaching the 500 m.
