Cutting Edge (Anthony Delpech with white cap) gets up to beat Natal (inside) and Chosen Dash
Trainer Dennis Bosch provided colourful KZN owner Alesh Naidoo and his Fire Racing Trust with the cherry on top of a memorable Vodacom Durban July day when he saddled the Clifton Stud-bred A P Answer gelding Cutting Edge to a thrilling victory in the KZN Yearling Sale Million.
The Fire Racing Trust enjoyed a great day – both the winner and the third placed Chosen Dash raced in their silks – and they also won the second race with Resolution, as well as enjoying a second place with Bold Inspiration in the eight race, the Listed Canon Business Centre Handicap. All three of the latter-mentioned runners are trained by Charles Laird.
The big money sales race for graduates of the 2014 KZN Yearling Sale brought the curtain down on the twelve race July day programme and saw punters scrambling for cover as the fancied fillies Royal Pleasure and Speedy Suzy failed to find a place – Royal Pleasure finishing ten lengths behind and Speedy Suzy running stone last.
Sixteen 2yo’s lined up for the third running of the 1300m turf contest and S’manga Khumalo bounced Paul Peter’s Just Africa into an immediate lead, and was chased by Royal Pleasure and Natal, with the Fire Racing Trust horses further back.
Into the home run Michael Roberts’ debut winner Natal continued to gallop strongly as Anton Marcus produced Chosen Dash, with Cutting Edge also making good ground from off them.
Into the 200m Chosen Dash looked a likely winner, but Anthony Delpech was determined not to leave the track without a winner and he got the fit as a fiddle Cutting Edge up to win by a short head in a time of 80,28 secs.
Trainer Dennis Bosch (in foreground) leads the happy lead in
Natal came back strongly to grab second, a neck in front of the weak 4-1 favourite Chosen Dash, who tired very late.
An eyecatching run was that of Sean Tarry’s twice-raced maiden Rikitikitana, who was last turning for home and made up lengths under Craig Zackey to cut through his field to finish 1,50 lengths off the winner in fourth. He will start very short next time.
The Clifton Stud-bred Cutting Edge looks like a bargain at just R80 000 on the KZN Yearling Sale and took his earnings to R685 800 with his second win and two places, from his 4 starts to date.
He looks a versatile sort with a win on turf and the poly to his credit.
He is by A P Answer out of the one-time winning Secret Prospector mare, Glitterstone. This mare has been a faithful servant, having produced a host of good winners.
