Dean Kannemeyer struck early gold with his first syndicate venture when the super smart Boland Stud bred African Warrior streaked to victory in the KZN Yearling Sale Million at Hollywoodbets Greyville on July day.
A pleased Kannemeyer may have found this race as much pressure as producing his trio of past Durban July winners, after some DK Racing Syndicate members flew in from overseas to enjoy the big day.
Keagan de Melo drives African Warrior out – third placed Hooves Of Troy (Bernard Fayd’herbe) is close up (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
“I can still train a racehorse, you know,” he quipped as he welcomed and thanked his elated group of owners. “By the way, I bought another one at Sibaya yesterday,” he laughed.
A winner of the Godolphin Barb and close up in the Gr1 Gold Medallion behind Eden Roc, who franked the form earlier in the afternoon, Keagan de Melo rode a confident race on African Warrior who drew off to beat the fast-finishing Wave to win rather comfortably by a length in a time of 78,75 secs.
The PE visitors Hooves Of Troy and the 100-1 Scarborough Fair ran decent races to complete the quartet.
African Warrior was bred by Boland Stud and was astutely picked up by Dean and Jane Thomas for R100 000 at the KZN Yearling Sale. He is out of the one-time winning Jet Master mare, Allez Afrique.
The gelding has won 3 of his 5 starts with a place for stakes of R844 875.
