Top Ride! Karis Teetan steers Polar Bound to his Gr2 victory.
Run For It ran a disastrous race in the R300 000 Gr2 Peninsula Handicap run over 1800m to throw the J&B Met ante-post betting into further disarray after the doubts around star filly Igugu. The feature at Kenilworth on 4 January was a triumph though for trainer Brett Crawford and jockey Karis Teetan. It was Crawford’s first Group win under his own name, and his 28th overall. He was formerly private trainer to Sabine Plattner.
Don’t be too befuddled by Port Elizabeth form. That was just one of the messages from the second consecutive Kenilworth meeting feature race winner as Polar Bound arrived on the big race scene and announced himself as a racehorse to be taken seriously when recording his first Group win in a thrilling finish to the Peninsula Handicap.
Justin Snaith’s Cap Alright won the Listed Southeaster Sprint at Kenilworth on Saturday, and like Polar Bound, he too had been slightly embarrassed in a raid earlier in the season to the Eastern Cape. Polar Bound had in fact been beaten into second position in a Conditions Plate at Fairview over 1400m when starting at 9-20 back in August 2011.
Teetan rode a cracker today. He produced the gelding about the 300m after a slight switch after Saluki had dragged the field along at a sedate pace. In a driving finish, the young jockey kept Polar Bound focussed and at it to hold off a determined Richard Fourie on Astro News.
Polar Bround is by Western Winter out of the Citidancer mare, Travel In Front. Bred by Lammerskraal Stud, who raced him early in his career, he has now won over R400 000 and five of his 16 starts. The Phillipi based Brett Crawford has formed a lethal combination with the young Mauritian born Karis Teetan and they look to have a ready made Met horse here.
Polar Party! The winning Gr2 Peninsula Handicap team celebrate.
The Western Winter gelding has certainly come a long way since winning his first race for the combination way back in the Cape winter darkness of June at Durbanville. He has won three on the trot now and accounted for the Racing Association Stakes winner Changingoftheguard at end of November. The catalyst to his climb up the ladder, besides natural improvement, is probably the fact that he has learnt to settle and thus now runs on.
Brown Penny also ran on well in fourth spot after a two month break and the run should bring him along nicely. The same cannot be said for his stablemate Super Storm who cannot get out of his fifth place box. Is he really good enough at this level? And besides Run For It’s disappointing run here after being made a fair amount of use of, few other horses deserve a mention. The diminutive three year old Astro News confirmed his Graham Beck Stakes win with a forward effort in second under his fighting 52kgs.
Greg Ennion may have further plans for the Crabbia horse in the months ahead. The Govender trained Cayman Island also ran out of his skin to run a great third. Full marks to Tellytrack on- course presenter Neil Pretorius, who tipped the narrow miss Polar Bound/ Cayman Island exacta. The swinger paid R8 odd and it is pleasing to see a tipster recommending something other than the top two in the betting.
Good call! Tellytrack's Neil Pretorius was on target in the feature.
Legendary owner Marsh Shirtliff enjoyed a double on the day with two different trainers and he acknowledged in his post-race interview that the first of these blew him out of the Pick Six. Ironically he bankered the second winner – but that was in vain as things turned out.
Jolly Good Fellow! Richard Fourie steers the Shirtliff winner Il Tanga to a convincing win.
The game Kahal mare Il Tanga has taken some time to find her feet in the Cape after starting her career in KwaZulu-Natal and she recorded a fine win in the MR70 Handicap over 2000m when holding off the improving R500 000 purchase, Winter Mist. Richard Fourie rode her for his father-in-law Glen Puller and the Bush Hill bred was always in touch with the front rank as Cool River pounded the drums by scorching out in front. Brandon Morgenrood got Winter Mist to fly late, but Fourie had ridden a gem, and the Puller charge proved too strong. Cool River stayed on but the rest were well beaten – with favourite Rush For John fading right out of it after looking dangerous.
It is good to see ill-fated stallion Eyeofthetiger making his mark with his small batch of representatives and Fareed Anthony enjoyed an armchair ride when he rode the first leg of the Puller double on the Boland Stud bred Stunning Tiger. Glen Puller owns the gelding who was allowed to start at a generous 3-1 on the seemingly inevitable betting support for Laurie’s Gold. The 1500m Novice Plate was run at a fair pace with Stunning Tiger just off Duke Of Beaufort early. Anthony sent him on his way early and he won really well. Recent Maiden winner Palos Verdes finished with a rattle to run second, while Sovereign Empire improved to stay on for third.
Stunning Tiger looks a progressive miler and has now won two of his seven starts for R83 000 in career earnings. He can be followed. The same cannot be said for Laurie’s Gold. The equisitely bred son of Silvano had no visible excuses here and he either needs gelding or a rethink of his real abilities.
Bernard Fayd’herbe rode the second of the Shirtliff winners when Splendid Sun won the MR70 Handicap over 1200m for the Mike Bass Racing team. The speedy Come On U made the pace in this fillies and mares low key handicap but shortened her stride at the 250m marker as the Kannemeyer blinker-strike Light Blue and Pasadera entered the fray with Splendid Sun. In a tight three cornered finish, Fayd’herbe broke his 22 strong run of losers since 17 December, when getting the daughter of Lundy’s Liability to rally smartly.Shirtliff owns the winner in partnership with Mike Bass and Warne and Wendy Rippon.
Pop Stars! John Freeman and the Hon Gillian Foster lead President Of Pop in.
A commentator on one of the racing chat forums observed just the other day that Felix Coetzee is past his best. Well if that be the case, then we would love to debate that little matter some more! His ride on the Justin Snaith-trained President Of Pop in the 1200m MR80 Handicap was out of the top drawer and a textbook example for young riders of how to keep a horse balanced and going when throwing the kitchen sink at him and with the odds against him.
Coetzee had the capable gelded son of Captain Al just off the pace as Santa Barbara ensured a solid gallop. President Of Pop hit the front about the 300m marker and then showed tremendous fight to withstand all challenges over the final stages – which must have felt like an eternity for his connections and supporters! Captain Al also sired the second placed runner Heralds Bay, while Question Time ran above his recent form to stay on for third. Richard Fourie had the fancied Strike Hands dawdling behind the field and the Page colt ran on far too late to grab fourth spot. He deserves another chance with a more assertive ride.
President Of Pop is owned by the Hon Mrs Gillian Foster and Mr Alec Foster and was bred by the latter. The Fosters were on course to enjoy the win and their scarlet and gold silks seem to have been around our winner’s enclosures forever. Captain Al Stallion Manager John Freeman was on hand to lead the three year old in.
