Sensational sire Dynasty won the Gr1 Cape Derby in 2003 and produced his third son in five years to win the great race when the genius of Piere Strydom prevailed to deliver the Justin Snaith-trained It’s My Turn in an extraordinary tale of fate and good fortune.
It’s My Turn (Piere Strydom) flies up the outside to win a thriller (Pic- Wayne Marks)
There has never been any doubt as to Strydom’s genius and when the multiple champion produced Black Arthur with a sensational late dash up the inside rail to win the Gr3 Politician Stakes a fortnight earlier, the Derby was on the cards.
For reasons unknown to us, Strydom then found himself jocked off Black Arthur – and after Prince Of Wales was scratched, the Snaiths stuck him on the lightly tried It’s My Turn, who runs off a modest rating of 87.
That was the beginning of the fairytale.
“Jono (Snaith) phoned me and said we must run It’s My Turn as Investec were flying owner Fred Crabbia out for the race and it was important that he has a runner,” recalled Justin Snaith afterwards.
Strydom was fresh out of Meydan just 48 hours earlier, but showed no signs of jet lag as he had the magnificent, albeit unfancied, son of Dynasty hard against the steel some ten lengths off the gallop set by Kemal Kavur early on.
Kemal Kavur continued to gallop strongly as Liege challenged into the home run, with Strydom looking for a run behind Royal Badge about 12 lengths behind the pacemaker, who had taken the shortest route home down the inside rail.
With Royal Badge shifting out under pressure, Strydom was closer to the outside rail, and opted for that route as It’s My Turn found a powerful finish.
Just as fate had forced him take the inside rail on Black Arthur two weeks earlier, he had committed to the outside rail today and was taking his chances.
Justin Snaith – thrilled with Derby win
With Kemal Kavur under a drive of a ride and still leading at the 200m, It’s My Turn loomed wide and stormed into the lead.
The picture for the places changed dramatically inside the final stages as Cape Guineas runnert-up Brazuca found his stride and made up lengths to nab second, just ahead of a flying Marinaresco.
Black Arthur failed to produce his spark as anticipated and was relegated to fourth, heading the game Kemal Kavur in the last stride.
It’s My Turn got a well deserved verdict to clock 124,03 secs, and beat the strong finish of Brazuca by 2 lengths.
The winner and third placed runner were both drawn wide and proved the fair nature of the Kenilworth 2000m.
Piere Strydom – different class
Jockey Piere Strydom modestly attributed it all to ‘sheer luck’ as he recounted the sequence of events that found him on the 16 to 1 shot.
“The horse has improved and we enjoyed a nice pace with a headwind to help us in the home run. I wanted to track a few horses through and when I found my way blocked I didn’t want to ease him at the 500m. So I went to the centre and then to the outside. He feels like an out-and-out stayer. Thanks to the Snaiths and it’s been ages since I rode a winner in the Crabbia silks,” he said.
An elated Justin Snaith said it ‘was amazing how this game works out’, as he basked in the afterglow of his third win after Russian Sage (2008) and Legislate (2014).
A R400 000 National Yearling Sale graduate, It’s My Turn has won 2 races with 3 places from 5 starts for stakes of R700 325.
He was bred by Willempie Engelbrecht jnr and is by perennial classic producer Dynasty out of the rather modest one-time winner Jallad’s Queen (Jallad).
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Gr1 Cape Derby (SAf-Gr1)
Kenilworth, South Africa, January 23, R1 million, 2000m, turf, good, 2.04.03
1 – IT’S MY TURN (SAF), 60.0, b g 3, Dynasty (SAF) – Jallad’s Queen (SAF) by Jallad (USA). Owner Mr A L A Crabbia; Breeder WJ Engelbrecht Jnr; trainer J Snaith; jockey P Strydom
2 – Brazuca (AUS), 60.0, ch c 3, Teofilo (IRE) – Base Paradise (AUS) by Choisir (AUS)
3 – Marinaresco (SAF), 60.0, b c 3, Silvano (GER) – Gay Fortuna (SAF) by Fort Wood (USA)
Margins: 2.00, 0.40, 0.20
