Top Ride! Chris Puller keeps Solar Blaze going to win the final leg of the Pick 6
A double for in-form jockey Sean Cormack, trainer Stan Elley overcoming a size issue in winning style, leading owner Hassen Adams admitting to a happy addiction and a great ride by the underrated Chris Puller brought the curtain down on an entertaining pre-Guineas afternoon at Kenilworth.
While it is generally regarded as bad manners to discuss age, the octogenarian trainer Alan Higgins won’t be sensitive about our observation that most people ten years his junior are passing their days enjoying a quiet life in rocking chairs and playing bingo.
But not Mr Higgins. The former jockey continues to train winners from his small string and the only difference from two decades ago to the present is that he has a younger Puller riding for him.
In what was the ride of the afternoon, Garth Puller’s nephew, Chris led all the way in the final event, a Maiden Plate over 1400m, on the 40-1 outsider Solar Blaze for the Higgins yard.
The full sister to the five-time winning Great Kalli (who ran unplaced earlier) jumped to lead from Katrushka and Caprisa and was never headed- although the fancied 16-10 favourite Maximum Jet ran on really well and should not be long in winning.
Higgins said that Solar Blaze had been fancied by the connections at her first two starts but had ‘messed around at the stalls.’ He said that he had regarded her a classic type filly, and she is thus one for the notebook.
Jockey Chris Puller said that Solar Blaze was a ‘big galloper’ who was crying out for the turn:
“ I begged Mr Higgins to put her over a bit of ground. She was relaxed in front and it was never in doubt,” said Puller.
Big Buyer. Hassen Adams leads Gouldikova in with Fareed Anthony up
Leading owner Hassen Adams celebrated An Australian-bred double on the afternoon by winning the second and third races. He conceded at the same time that he was an addict for buying horses.
Fareed Anthony rode the first Adams winner when the daughter of General Nediym, Gouldikova, came away to win the second race, a Maiden Plate over 1200m.
Queens Music and Surfer Girl made the pace into the headwind but Anthony rode a patient race, producing Gouldikova inside the final 300m.
Calling his one mount a ‘little bit one-paced’, Anthony said that she had probably one or two more wins in the tank.
Speaking afterwards, Adams said that everybody deserved a chance and that he was pleased that Fareed Anthony had a winner for him.
“I bought her as a weanling in Australia, but as opposed to the days when you could put four in a batch, it has become expensive,” he said.
On a subject that is often not brought into the public domain, Adams said that he preferred buying weanlings rather than yearlings as breeders had not yet had an opportunity to ‘pump them up.’
“They often drop away to nothing,” he said.
“But I am an addict for buying horses. I always say I am not going to buy, but always land up leaving with a horse,” he laughed. Adams said that he had so many fillies in training, he did not know where he was going to put them all.
The Adams silks were also to the fore in the third race, a Maiden Plate over 1400m,where the Elusive Quality gelding Elusive Love, won a three cornered contest.
Gerrit Schlechter, who is riding with amazing confidence since returning from a stint in the East recently, said his mount ‘didn’t try too hard and thus had scope for improvement’.
Eastern Cape owner, Hedley McGrath was on course to lead the gelding in and Adams thanked him for encouraging him to acquire a half share.
The day kicked off with a Maiden Plate over 1000m where the beautifully bred Hottojetto got the old team of Karl Neisius and Eric Sands back into the winner’s enclosure.
The 3yo son of Jet Master drew off late to beat the improved Bay Mariner, while the odds-on Golconda disappointed in third.
Sands attributed his yard’s form to good feeding and said that the winner was a decent horse who needed gelding.
Elley Track! Bernard Fayd’herbe produces American Fantasy to win the fourth race for Stan Elley
Stan Elley produced the exotic rocker in the fourth, a MR 74 Handicap for fillies and mares, when Bernard Fayd’herbe found the gaps and brought American Fantasy from stone last to win the 1000m event going away.
First Favour had led early from Knock ‘Em Out, but the order changed dramatically late in the race.
Elley said his mare had ‘tiny little hooves’ and that she could not gallop when the going was soft.
“ I may have found the trick, by not shoeing her in the build-up to the race. There was thus more growth, “ said the pleased as punch part-time television personality.
Winning rider Bernard Fayd’herbe said that Karl Neisius had told him that the mare had a 45m burst, and he had kept her covered till the last possible moment.
The winner was bred by Veterinarian, Dr Anna Peggram, and is one of only 9 foals ever produced by Northern Guest stallion, Noble American.
Justin Snaith had a quiet afternoon by his own standards, but had the pleasure of seeing his 3yo Lion’s Roar win a desperate call in the fifth, a MR 81 Handicap over 1400m.
Gooi Mielies led for much of the race, but the high –riding Sean Cormack rode the first leg of his personal double when he produced the ‘monster of a horse’ to pip the Page trained entire Strike Hands, on whom visiting apprentice Daniel Muscutt did not really distinguish himself.
Co-owners John Freeman and Jack Mitchell were on hand to lead Lion’s Roar in for his second consecutive win, Freeman proudly reminded us that Jallad was now retired in the Highlands paddocks but had sired 22 Gr1 winners. He also explained that the winner’s dam Voice Of Africa had been bought by him and raced by the Meakers, and then sold to Highlands. “It is a full circle,” smiled a pleased Freeman.
On The Up! Barosa (Sean Cormack) is led in by his breeder Jane Trotter who flew down from KZN to enjoy the win
Cormack and Dennis Drier had little stress when the Captain Al 3yo Barbosa won the sixth race, and MR 82 Handicap over 1000m with ease.
Drier said that he was a ‘good looking and very talented horse’ but that a bruised foot had delayed his prep.
“ I was nervous for this race, but I hope he will now go on to bigger and better things,” he said.
Jockey Cormack said his mount was off the bridle for the whole race, but he had done it with style:
“ I know that after Caravaggio was scratched it was a depleted field, but he won well and is a very special little horse to me.”
The winner’s breeder Jane Trotter showed plenty of confidence by flying down from Durban for the race.
Vaughan Marshall’s Black Toga led from the jump with his ears pricked to win the seventh race, a MR 94 Handicap over 1400m.
While President Of Pop had looked dangerous for a few strides, the son of Black Minnaloushe cpmpleted a workmanlike Guineas prep and his connections were well pleased with the effort.
Jockey MJ Byleveld said that the winner was ‘a big horse with natural cruising speed and he ran all the way to the line.’
