Summerveld trainer Peter Muscutt pulled one back for the often maligned KwaZulu-Natal racing community when the Narrow Creek Stud-bred Isivunguvungu stormed to victory under Richard Fourie for the high-riding Hollywood Syndicate in the R1 million Jonsson Workwear Gr1 Computaform Sprint at Turffontein on Saturday.
The well-travelled Isivunguvungu (5-1) ran a cracker when third behind Gimme A Prince in the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship on Cape Town Met day.
But there were no doubts of who was boss on Saturday when the 4yo grabbed the limelight in style as he charged away to put 2 lengths between himself and the gallant William Robertson (7-1) to win in a time of 56,11 secs.
Isivunguvungu storms clear under Richard Fourie – 3rd placed Princess Calla (Gavin Lerena) chases hard (Pic – JC Photos)
Both the top two finishers are by past Computaform Sprint winners in What A Winter and Rafeef – although the latter has also sired an SA Derby winner. So as leading bloodstock man Robin Bruss would say, class horses can do it all!
The smart mare Princess Calla (9-4) was run off her feet early but grabbed third ahead of Sheela(4-1).
Jockey Richard Fourie was in rich form.
“It’s a plan well executed. I’m glad it went well today. He stumbled at Hollywoodbets Scottsville last time and got beaten. But today he was on song and it went like a dream,” said the Capetonian, who had won all three features of the day to that stage.
Veteran trainer Peter Muscutt celebrated his first Gr1 winner and said that his charge has grown up and was no longer a tearaway as he was when he was a 2yo.
Happy team! Anthony Delpech, Richard Fourie, Peter Muscutt and Ros Coetzee enjoy the podium moment (Pic – JC Photos)
“A huge thanks to Jonsson Workwear and most of all thanks to Owen and Devin Heffer and Anthony Delpech and the whole Hollywoodbets team,” he added.
Hollywood Syndicate manager Anthony Delpech, who won the Computaform Sprint four times as a jockey, was over the moon as Isivunguvungu is the first Gr1 winner for the Hollywood Syndicate chosen by their selection team.
Isivunguvungu, meaning ‘storm’ in isiXhosa, is a son of 2013 Computaform Sprint winner What A Winter (Western Winter) out of the four-time winning Tiger Ridge mare Miss Tweedy, who won up to a mile.
Bred by Narrow Creek Stud, the winner was purchased privately by the Hollywood Syndicate in 2020, in the dark days of the covid pandemic.
Now a winner of 4 races with 5 places from 12 starts, Isivunguvungu has banked earnings of R1 085 050.
Enjoy the replay here:
