The Cheveley Farm Sale, scheduled for next week, received a timely boost with the victory of the Justin Snaith-trained Mercury Rising in the R85 000 Listed World Sports Betting Perfect Promise Sprint at Kenilworth on Wednesday.
Mercury Rising is out of the smart Captain Al mare Earth’s Orbit, who comes up at the reduction sale at the magnificent farm on Wednesday 16 June at 13h00.
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The unusual midweek feature double billing at the Southern Suburbs venue played out in glorious winter sunshine conditions, and what the field sizes lacked for in numbers, they more than made up for in quality.
Craig Zackey rides a well-timed finish as Mercury Rising flies late to catch Richard Fourie and Kwinta’s Light (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
In the typically Cape scenario of the free enterprise economics of a concentration of power in a few yards, only six stables were represented in the two 2yo features, with Justin Snaith and Candice Bass-Robinson claiming the top three cheques in both.
And both races produced rousing finishes.
Craig Zackey was at his talented best and rode the middle leg of his treble when he got Mercury Rising (10-1) to produce a sustained effort to nab her paternal half-sister Kwinta’s Light (6-1), who looked a winner late, in the Perfect Promise Sprint.
She got up to shade her stablemate by 0,30 lengths in a time of 73,05 secs.
The daughter of Gimmethegreenlight was her sire’s 36th stakes winner and easy to back at 10-1.
The result thus gave the Varsfontein stallion a notable 1-2 finish in the Listed feature.
Bred by Cheveley Stud, Mercury Rising registered her second win from three starts, and her first Listed win, for stakes of R99 450.
Mercury Rising, who is raced in partnership by recent milestone setting owner Etienne Braun, together with Bloodstock Consultant John Freeman and Snaith Racing assistant Jonathan Snaith, is one of 16 2yo winners for her sire this season so far.
