The three finals in the 2017 KZN Winter Challenge were run at Greyville on Saturday and provided some outstanding racing action for the large crowd.
Capacity fields lined up in all three races.
The Howells’ charges slog it out – but Muzi Yeni gets it right on Chicago Beat
The challenge, which is designed to give the average handicapper an opportunity to compete for higher stakes, ran from 20 January to 24 May.
All races, excluding Features, Maiden Plates & Maiden Juvenile Plates, run in KZN between 20 January 2017 and 24 May 2017 counted as qualifying races to earn points provided that the nett Merit Rating of a horse (after WFA Allowance) did not exceed 94 in the race in which it participated.
Kumaran Naidoo – first cheque of R28 500
An incentive bonus of R50 000 was paid to the three trainers whose horses finished in the top 3 positions in the final log on 25 May 2017.
1st cheque of R28 500 was awarded to Kumaran Naidoo
2nd cheque of R14 000 was awarded to Dean Kannemeyer
3rd cheque of R7 500 was awarded to Lezeanne Forbes
The three finals provided some exciting racing.
Trainer Duncan Howells made a clean sweep of the R200 000 KZN Winter Challenge 1600, when his three runners filled the first 3 places.
The Ascot Stud-bred Silvano gelding Chicago Beat got up on the nod to beat the year younger Wild Wicket (Dynasty), with Baltic Amber (Alado) in third.
Richard Fourie drives the improving New Fort to win the KZN Winter Challenge 2000
Glen Kotzen has done a terrific job with the Lammerskraal Stud-bred 5yo New Fort (Fort Wood) who won the R200 000 KZN Winter Challenge 2000 from the worst of the draw.
Richard Fourie, who had won earlier on Elusive Silva in the Cup Trial, steered the winner home for his third success in 4 starts. He held off the flying Night Circus, with Calabash rounding off a great day for Brian Burnard in third.
Anthony Delpech times it perfectly as Over Sure gets there to win the KZN Winter Challenge 1200
Trainer Yogas Govender had to wait all day to lead in a winner, but he was all smiles when the Mayesh Chetty bred Over Sure (Mogok) flew up late to win the R200 000 KZN Winter Challenge 1200.
An unsound customer, the 3yo Over Sure was registering his 3rd win in 15 starts and was beautifully ridden by Anthony Delpech. The top jockey had won the opener, the Listed Devon Air Stakes on Meryl for Dean Kannemeyer.
