The Woodhill Racing machine has kicked into top gear ahead of their big home season and just a week after saddling a Fairview feature exacta, Glen Kotzen brought the whole family to Gqeberha town – including his beloved Mom In Law – and ended up winning the 102nd renewal of the R350 000 Listed TAB4Racing Algoa Cup.
The race known in days of yore as the ‘PE July’, has been dominated by the Cape raiders, with the last local headline grabber being Surfin ‘USA all the way back in 2009.
Calvin Habib steers Han Solo to a smooth victory (Pic – Pauline Herman)
And as it turned out again on Friday, the locals will have to patiently wait another 12 months after Calvin Habib produced the game as gold Han Solo, one of a quartet of ‘Woodhill Warriors’, down the inside rail with a sustained late charge.
Burying the disappointment of his connections losing the top cheque for the Listed Hollywoodbets Settlers Trophy to Somerset Maugham in the boardroom at Hollywoodbets Durbanville just over a month ago, Han Solo (4-1) maintained his impeccable form since being pushed up in trip, when he grabbed Jaeger Moon (14-1) to win by three quarters of a length in a time of 124,10 secs.
Kuyan Kotzen and Granny Judy celebrate the big win (Pic – Pauline Herman)
The runner-up’s stablemate Never Ending Rain (5-1) was 0,75 lengths back in third with Candice Bass-Robinson charge Arctic Drift (20-1) flying late for fourth.
Bred by octagenarian Judy Wintle, who was on course as a part-owner and family matriarch to enjoy the celebrations, Han Solo hails from a solid Wintle family.
A son of Master Of My Fate (Jet Master), he is out of the Model Man one-time winner I’m Too Sexy, who also produced the cleverly-named Cathy Specific, Judith Anne (that’s Gran!) and Revelry.
Han Solo is a winner of 5 races with 8 places from 19 starts for stakes of R 577 213.
It was Glen Kotzen’s second Algoa Cup win after Cat Daddy won in 2019.
