Milnerton veteran trainer Greg Ennion continued on something of a feature purple patch at a chilly Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Wednesday when his Canford Cliffs colt Lines Crossed went all the way to win the weather-delayed R400 000 Cape Racing Farm Sale Stakes.
On Saturday the former leading amateur rider saddled impressive Gr3 Final Fling Stakes winner Love Is A Rose, also in the Etienne Braun silks, at the same venue.
Grant van Niekerk has Lines Crossed in control (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Restricted to eligible graduates of the 2022 CTS Farm Sale, the 1200m non black-type contest was originally slotted for the Tuesday 18 July card, which was lost after the running of just one race.
Headlining the Wednesday 26 July programme, the race was a satisfying victory following a well-conceived plan come together for the seasoned trainer and jockey Grant van Niekerk.
“Grant van Niekerk rode him at Hollywoodbets Durbanville over a week ago. He suggested we put the blinkers on and they wouldn’t catch him. As it turned out, Lines Crossed kept turning around with the blinkers, so this morning I took them off and put the pacifiers on,” said the astute horseman, who makes do with well-bought horses and has already forgotten, what many of the new generation are yet to learn.
Van Niekerk rode a confident race, allowing the free-striding Lines Crossed to bowl in front and was then on his bicycle before his two main protagonists had woken to the fact that he wasn’t stopping.
At the line, 3 lengths separated Lines Crossed (4-1) and the only winner in the race, Sprit’s Unite (9-4), who made up some good ground late. Both the top two carried the Etienne Braun silks. The longstanding owner, who won the then Gr1 Gold Cup with Desert Links in 2008, was clearly pleased with the result.
Warm Winter Nite (9-4) was well beaten a further 2,25 lengths back in third.
The winner clocked 78,06 secs.
Bred by Ridgemont, Lines Crossed is a son of the Kieswetter’s five-time Gr1 winning champion Canford Cliffs (Tagula) out of the Var mare, Saltire.
A winner with 2 place cheques from his 5 starts, Lines Crossed took his earnings to R266 000, with ‘more to come’, in the words of his rider.
Enjoy the replay:
