Joey and Fee Ramsden. A file pic of the Cape champion and his lovely wife from Epsom 2012
Joey Ramsden’s impeccable record with a fabulous family was cemented further when the Cape champion trainer sent out the Silvano gelding Crown Of Gold to a superb win in Friday’s R130 000 Listed Port Elizabeth Gold Cup at Fairview.
Ridden by Glen Hatt, the 4yo ran on strongly in the Markus and Ingrid Jooste silks to win South Africa’s longest race after outstaying his ten opponents in a titanic battle for supremacy over the final 300m.
Ramsden previously won this event with the Saumarez gelding Omega Code, who triumphed in 2008 under Richard Fourie.
The race probably lost some sparkle with the late scratching of Mike Stewart’s recent Listed Glenlair Trophy winner and Gold Cup hope Paddy O’Reilly and Ramsden looked to have a strong tactical hand with his two runners.
And predictably it was his Caesour gelding A Boy Named Sue who dashed off to show the way.
There was a margin of uncertainty early in the race as they jostled for position with the pack charging off into the country the first time past the post.
Off a pedestrian pace, Mucho Gold went around his field at the 2400m, but A Boy Named Sue and Vertical Drift were determined to show the way.
Great Ride. Glen Hatt rode a confident race on Crown Of Gold
A Boy Named Sue galloped ahead of Vertical Drift and the two skipped clear of Mucho Gold, with Drill Sargeant relaxed about 8 lengths off.
The leading pair increased their margin around the final bend and led the bunch a good six lengths as they turned for home.
Into the home run A Boy Named Sue kept on relentlessly as Drill Sargeant moved up looking very strong, with Key Castle making his run down the outside.
All the while Glen Hatt was weaving his way through on Crown Of Gold and the chestnut finished with a sustained sense of urgency as Key Castle looked dangerous on his outside.
Crown Of Gold powered on to win by a length in a time of 233,00 secs,
Joey has had tremendous success with the progeny of the Australian bred Palace Music mare, Palace Bride. And she has been nothing short of a true star, producing stakes winning progeny from 1200m to 3600m.
He has trained all of Silver Mist (Western Winter), Shades Of Indigo (Indigo Magic) and Crown Of Gold.
Silver Mist was a superb late run specialist miler, who famously got closest to dethroning Pocket Power in his heyday.
Few of us will forget how we held our breath when he got to within a whisker of the legend in the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate in December 2006.
The 7yo Shades Of Indigo won the 2011 Gr2 Cape Merchants, in a trojan career of service to Gisela Burg and Martin Wickens.
Palace Bride(AUS) also produced the promising Mike Bass 3yo Ze Kaiser, who is a full brother to Crown Of Gold, and is stakes placed.
The 9yo Key Castle, a winner of this event in 2011, ran on gallantly for second.
Jockey Andrew Nienaber rode an innovative race on Jacques Strydom’s old warrior who was taken down the outside rail in the home straight, and he never stopped galloping all the way to the line.
The irony in him possibly looking to upset the odds is the fact that he was formerly based with Joey Ramsden in Cape Town. Jacques Strydom has certainly done very well with Key Castle.
The ever game Drill Sargeant moved up well, but stopped inside the final 200m. It may well be that he is best over slightly shorter.
The winner was bred by Midlands Equine and cost R225 000 on the National Yearling Sale.
Crown Of Gold is now a winner of 4 races with 9 places from 20 starts.
He has earned a total of R327 610 in stakes.
He will now be returning home and has earned a break, according to his trainer.
