Cold As Ice cruises in under Bernard Fayd’herbe (Bay Media)
A sparkling performance by a very smart looking 3yo filly from the Joey Ramsden yard and a double for holidaying jockey Karis Teetan were the highlights of a competitive day’s racing at Kenilworth on Saturday.
With the Pick 6 paying a life-changing R 1 064 861 to just a fraction over 1 ticket, it was an up and down day for most punters.
But it certainly started brightly enough for Joey Ramsden and his owners Kathy Finch and Wayne Kieswetter.
Touted as the best bet of the afternoon, the Avontuur bred Cold As Ice jumped deep in the red but never gave her supporters a moment’s anxiety as she stretched clear to win the Maiden Plate 1200m unextended by 5,75 lengths under Bernard Fayd’herbe.
Cold As Ice had bumped a good sort in Double Whammy on debut when well supported and going down narrowly, but she showed the benefit of that experience and looks a serious racehorse in the making.
Cold As Ice is the second foal of the super fast seven –time winning daughter of National Assembly , Viva, who raced in the red and yellow Taberer silks for Glen Kotzen.
She was purchased for R875 000 at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 last year.
The timing of the win was fortuitous as Viva foaled a full sister to the unbeaten Viva Le Var on Thursday night.
“She produced another cracker 48 hours before the race- a big, strapping, high-quality filly and she is due to visit Silvano this season,” said an excited Avontuur GM Pippa Mickleburgh on Saturday.
Viva has a Trippi yearling, called Live Life, at foot, and who is likely to be offered on the Cape Premier Yearling Sale in January.
Karis Teetan – happy holiday double at Kenilworth
Mauritian born SA Jockey Academy graduate Karis Teetan is holidaying in Cape Town before the start of the Hong Kong season next month, and he produced a great double from 7 rather ordinary rides, his first of the new season.
He won the fourth race on the 25 to 1 Lady Ami for Neill Bruss and then produced recent maiden winner Harvard Crimson in the last at 14 to 1.
His ride on Lady Ami foiled some great initiative by Bernard Fayd’herbe, who took Royal Foundation wide around her field into the straight and charged down the inside rail in what looked a winning move.
Fayd’herbe has a cracking strike rate for Mike Stewart, but he didn’t reckon on Teetan’s surprise burst on the Daylami filly.
Teetan had a superb last season in Hong Kong after coming in as a lightweight replacement for Richard Fourie.
A former SA champion apprentice, he has matured as a jockey and should pay to follow in the next few weeks.
Aldo Domeyer shared the riding honours with Teetan.
He got Stan Elley’s promising Ideal World 3yo My World home for Pick 6 punters in the first leg of the carryover exotic.
MJ Byleveld tried to poach the race in the home straight on Captain Romanov, but Domeyer was wide awake and was riding the best horse in a modest field of battlers.
Finish of the day – Tobe’s First(centre) beats Shishangeni and Golden Dane on the outside (Bay Media)
The winner, the only 3yo in the field , looked to have a tough task, but he looks a progressive sort.
Domeyer also got the Fort Wood mare Lobolo home for Mike Robinson in the closing leg of the jackpot.
The lightly raced 5yo was registering her second win from 10 starts.
The top-rated race of the day was the fifth, an MR 86 Handicap run over a mile that produced a thrilling three-way finish.
Grant Van Niekerk was at his brilliant best as he got the rested Tobe’s First to rally strongly to hold Craig Du Plooy on the topweight, Shishangeni.
8yo Golden Dane was slow away but he flew up under Aldo Domeyer, to be denied only two short-heads for third.
