A smart bit of initiative to skip the Derby Trial and take the older horses on over 2400m in the Listed Aquanaut Handicap at Turffontein on Saturday has set Vaal trainer Ashley Fortune up for a serious SA Derby bid courtesy of the classy Oratorio gelding Good Council, a well-bred horse with an interesting back story when denied access to a catalogue berth on the National Yearling Sale of his year.
The only 3yo in a field of hardknocking longhaul handicappers, the Avontuur-bred Good Council went from gun-to-tape under the red-hot Bryanston Auctioneers-sponsored Ryan Munger to register his maiden stakes success and flag his prospects as a serious SA Derby candidate.
Ryan Munger has a moment to salute as Good Council cruises in (Pic – JC Photos)
In what was to be the second leg of a feature double on the day for the Fortune-Munger combination (Ryan landed up with a treble after Apache Fighter won the Sun Chariot), a clearly happy and fit Good Council (9-2) benefitted from a well-judged ride to beat the consistent 5yo Raiseahallelujah (11-2) by 2,25 lengths in a time of 154, 41 secs.
The evergreen 7yo Marchingontogether, something of an ol’ man river type, is always a quartet rover, and while he doesn’t run too often, banked another cheque for his loyal connections in third.
The gutsy Good Council never looked like stopping though and he should be cherry ripe on 1 April for the R1,5 million classic where he will be asked to find 50m more.
A council of winners! The happy team lead their winner in (Pic – JC Photos)
While he is listed as a R150 000 CTS Ready To Run graduate, the Sporting Post recalls from the time that he was rejected by a selection panel for the National Sales Yearling Sale.
One accepts that the latter sale is the blue riband platform, and limited space means that the panel have to sometimes make tough calls.
While we couldn’t reach Avontuur’s GM Pippa Mickleburgh on Saturday, we know that she will be delighted with her boy’s progress and is on record some time back that this was ‘a Derby horse who will prove many people wrong.’ So he has – well done Pippa!
Bred by the famous home of fine wines and fast horses on the fabulous foothills of the majestic Helderberg, the winner is a son of the internationally proven Danehill stallion Oratorio out of past SA Horse Of The Year Legislate’s full sister Madame Justice (Dynasty). Mum raced for Charles Laird, but only won once and had some issues. She was a smart acquisition for the Avontuur broodmare band.
The winner is raced by the River Palace Racing Syndicate, and Messrs D Chinsammy, C Narayanasami & Waste Glass Recovery (Pty) Ltd (Nom: J H de Lange).
Now a winner of 4 races from 1700m to 2000m, with 3 places into the bargain for stakes of R328 000, this fellow can only improve as he matures.
Watch the replay here:
Good Council’s name will be there when WSB Gr1 SA Derby first entries close at 11h00 on Monday 20 March.
