The possible threat of losing his ‘crown jewels’ appeared to lift the performance of the handsome Heartland, who booked himself a berth in the Snaith Dynasty trio for the 2016 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate with a thrilling win in the R150 000 Listed Jet Master Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Heartland (Bernard Fayd’herbe) gets the better of Silicone Valley (S’manga Khumalo) on the outside (Pic-Wayne Marks)
The Snaiths have an enviable arsenal of equine power and they are likely to run the lightly tried 4yo Heartland as a back-up to established Dynasty stars Legislate and Futura in South Africa’s premier weight-for-age mile on 9 January.
The 2015 Gr3 Byerley Turk winner Heartland has long promised to be a top campaigner and he endorsed the value of his 3yo feature success with a top-class effort to deny 5yo J&B Met entry Silicone Power in the final strides of an exciting contest.
Chestnut’s Rocket led the charge in the eleven horse field that boasted some serious seasoned campaigners, of the ilk of former KZN based No Worries and the solid miler, Ashton Park, who sadly wrecked his chances with a slow start.
MJ Byleveld had Chestnut’s Rocket out and setting a decent pace leading the cavalry into the 400m, just as S’manga Khmulo went for broke on Silicone Valley who hit the front full of running – as the Snaith pair of tote favourite Kingvoldt and Heartland commenced their charges.
At the 100m it was anybody’s race but Bernard Fayd’herbe had timed his effort to perfection as he gradually got the upper hand to win by a nose. No time was published.
Silicone Valley was not disgraced at his first run around the term, even though his connections were no doubt looking for a win to bring him a step closer to the Met.
The Andre Nel longshot Marchant stayed on best for third, with Light The Lights making up many lengths to run fifth – with Kingvoldt failing to go through with his run and running 3,40 lengths off and out of the money.
Jono Snaith
An elated Fayd’herbe said that Heartland had shown guts and proved that he wanted to win.
Assistant trainer Jono Snaith added that the high-class winner was a good looking horse and that is just why John Freeman had ‘loved him so much at the sale’.
Heartland has now won 4 races with 4 places from 10 starts for stakes of R401 725.
The R2,2 million National Yearling Sale purchase was bred by Highlands and is by Dynasty out of the one-time winning Cozzene mare, Moonlit Prairie.
As already suggested, that makes him a full brother to the brilliant Gr1 performer Jackson, who stands in the Highlands stallion barn.
And for now, gelding seems like the last thing on anybody’s mind.
