A determined ride by the often maligned Grant van Niekerk got the Trippi filly Miss Katalin up in the last stride to clinch the lion’s share of the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday and celebrate a second consecutive success in the rich race for the fairer sex.
Grant van Niekerk gets the best out of Miss Katalin (blue silks) to beat Bold Respect (Corne Orffer) and Pack Leader (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
The roller-coaster talents of Grant van Niekerk often comes to the fore in the big races, and just a few weeks after he travelled to Johannesburg to win the Gr2 Charity Mile on Hat Puntano for Mike Azzie, he produced a bit of magic for the Justin Snaith team at home.
With Sihle Cele taking Phelan Lucky to lead his stablemate Bold Respect, who had rushed over from his wide gate, Van Niekerk had Miss Katalin relaxed against the rail in midfield.
Into the winter home straight, he was forced to switch Miss Katalin to centre field for her bid for glory as Bold Respect continued to gallop powerfully, with Pack Leader looking threatening.
Miss Katalin appeared slightly reluctant and had her head twisted to the side as Van Niekerk urged her to run straight. Inside the final 100m, Corne Orffer looked to have done enough as Bold Respect stuck gamely to his task.
But in one of those rare moments of fortune-fuelled genius, Van Niekerk had timed his effort perfectly and Miss Katalin got the verdict by a short head in a time of 84,78 secs. Her win made it two in a row for the girls after Safe Harbour won it last year.
Bold Respect used up plenty of energy to overcome a wide draw and was gallant in defeat.
Glen Kotzen’s Listed Racing Association Stakes winner Pack Leader was just outpaced late, but stayed on well a further 0,80 lengths back in third.
Drakenstein’s Kevin Sommerville gives Grant van Niekerk a congratulatory hug (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
The winner’s stablemate Sir Frenchie came from miles back to grab the R125 000 fourth cheque away from Big Mistake.
The top four finishers are all Cape-based horses, with Sean Tarry’s Barrack Street best of the visitors in sixth.
Stakes were paid all the way down to tenth , where Virtue finished just over 5 lengths off the winner and banked R30 000 for his efforts.
Bred by Drakenstein and Team Valor International, Miss Katalin is a daughter of Trippi (End Sweep) out of the twice winning Gr1 Empress Club Stakes winner Little Miss Magic (Jet Master) – whose own dam is by champion broodmare sire Al Mufti out of Gr1 Fillies Guineas winner State Treasure.
A R400 000 Cape Ready To Run Sale graduate, Miss Katalin took her stakes earnings to R1 637 000 at her second win with 3 places from her 5 starts.
