Trainer Gareth van Zyl capped a remarkable year-end purple patch for Hollywood Racing, when he saddled the 6yo Imilenzeyokududuma to a resounding victory in the R150 000 Listed Christmas Handicap at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the Day Of Goodwill public holiday.
Just weeks after sending out Asiye Phambili to win the World Sports Betting Gr3 Southern Cross Stakes for Hollywood Racing down in the Cape, Gareth van Zyl gave the passionate team their 600th winner on African soil when Luhamba Phambili won the Need For Speed Sprint, also at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, last month.
In-form Sean Veale grabs another feature success as Imilenzeyokududuma storms home (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The drama of a lengthy delay at the start threatened to put a damper on the final KZN feature of 2024, with a host of challenges, from the troublesome Palermo, who was given ample time before getting his marching orders, to a new shoe or two for Navajo Nation, and a headgear adjustment for Mexican Pete.
Ironically it was eventual winner Imilenzeyokududuma’s stablemate Natyam, who probably suffered the most.
The son of Noble Tune has been a bit full of nonsense at the start recently, and after he was loaded early, he and jockey Chad Little were left standing dead still for what felt like twenty minutes plus.
The Starter probably made a professional judgement call to leave him in, as there was no guarantee he’d have been happy to return if unloaded.
In the end, Natyam ran stone last. But what the start show must have looked like to the uninformed, and the international audience, is another story. A good reason to consider informing the public in future as to the rationale behind the decision as the action is unfolding? It’s all about information, surely?
After Strathclyde had led the backed Sundance Kid and the rest of the charge early, it was Imilenzeyokududuma (8-1) who was seen to good effect as he made ground up the straight.
Sporting Post-sponsored rider Sean Veale came in fresh off a big win on Outlaw King in the De Grendel Gr2 Cape Merchants at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth just four days earlier, and displayed his balance and fine judgement to get the Dynasty gelding home to beat Selukwe (8-1) by 2,20 lengths in a time of 96,52 secs.
In the previous renewal of the Christmas Handicap, run in January this year, Imilenzeyokududuma, had run second to Formagear.
Diani (16-1) stayed on to boost the trifecta, a neck away in third, with Navajo Nation (14-1) overcoming the trauma of being reshod behind the stalls to round off the quartet.
Imilenzeyokududuma, who was clearly revitalized after his break with Nicole Wille and the Hollywood Life After Racing Team, was scoring his maiden stakes success. He was bred by Ridgemont and is a son of late champion Dynasty (Fort Wood) out of the three-time winning High Chaparral mare Chevauchee.
A R400 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale graduate, he has won 6 races with 9 places from 24 starts and stakes of R626 850.
Imilenzeyokududuma is named after Hollywoodbets brand ambassador Jerry Sikhosana, an Orlando Pirates legend who scored the winning goal in the 1995 African Cup of Champions Clubs Final. Sikhosana’s nickname during his playing career was ‘Legs Of Thunder’, hence the Xhosa translation, Imilenzeyokududuma.
