Drill Sargeant (Raymond Danielson) beats Current Event (S’manga Khumalo) to win SA ‘s longest race (Coastal Photos)
Varsfontein’s Carl and Amanda de Vos’ SA champion broodmare Star Of Arcole produced yet another feature winner when Dynasty’s game staying soldier Drill Sargeant won South Africa’s longest race, the R150 000 Listed PE Gold Cup, at Fairview on Friday.
Dynasty is a perpetual producer of stakes winning versatility and athletic class on four legs, and Drill Sargeant’s 3600m victory came just a week after another of the Highlands stallions sons, Daring Dave, had won a thriller in the Gr2 Post Merchants run over 2400m shorter at Greyville.
It was an emotional afternoon at Fairview for the horse loving Tara Laing, who also trains Crown Of Gold, the winner of this race for the past two years. The son of Silvano was not in the state of health required to run this time round – but his stablemate Drill Sargeant (who also races in the Jooste silks) stepped into the breach and carried the Team Tara flag to a glorious win under a capable ride by the flu stricken Raymond ‘Stingray’ Danielson, who was stood down for the rest of the meeting.
Danielson will hopefully be fit for another ‘military’ themed ride – that of the fancied French Navy in Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July.
After Motoman and Varster had perfomed the pace duties in the ten horse field, Drill Sargeant joined the enthusiastic Current Event at the 400m, as the duo drew off to do battle.
Tara and Stingray Danielson-top combination in PE
Drill Sargeant, who went off at a generous 5-1, was always going the better and he held off Current Event by a half length in a time of 237, 76 secs.
The rest of them were in another race, with Shannon Devoy steering the third-placed Badger’s Trail into third – a further 9,25 lengths back.
Even local commentator ‘Bumpie’ Schoeman was exhausted after the marathon call.
Bernard Fayd’herbe’s only ride of the afternoon, the 18-10 favourite Paddy O’Reilly, finished sixteen lengths off and was never going well. The jockey reported that he felt something amiss with the Cape-based gelding.
Drill Sargeant, who left the Justin Snaith yard in Cape Town a modest one-time winner in 2012, has now won 12 races from 2200m to 3600m with 16 places from 45 starts – with stakes earned of R751 275.
He cost R170 000 on the National Yearling Sale, and was bred by Carl and Amanda de Vos from Dynasty out of their champion Foveros mare, Star Of Arcole.
Amanda and Carl de Vos
The de Vos’ are on holiday and Varsfontein’s Jaco Erasmus told us that Star Of Arcole had been a ‘bit unlucky’ in the past few years and that they were trying to get her in foal again.
“She is no spring chicken and her last foal was Ash Cloud, who won the Gold Circle Oaks at Scottsville last Sunday” he said.
He recalled Drill Sargeant well as a yearling.
“He was on the slight side, but I said to Carl (de Vos) – any horse with a walk like that must be able to run. I am so pleased that he has done so well.”
Star Of Arcole was crowned SA champion broodmare last year and when the now dual Oaks winning Ash Cloud won the 2014 Gr1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks, she became her dam’s third Oaks winning progeny.
She had been preceded by Arcola (also SA Oaks) and Princess Of Light (Gold Circle Oaks).
Star Of Arcole is out of former Gr2 Natal Oaks winner Arcole – herself dam of Gr2 SA Oaks third place finisher, Rose Of Arcole. Star Of Arcole’s sire, Foveros, himself sired SA Oaks winner Fast Break.
There can’t be too many mares who have produced three classic winners.
