Close! Glen Hatt gets Schism to grab the upper hand in the final strides of the Listed Winter Oaks (Equine Edge)
Klawervlei stallion Count Dubois registered his second feature win of the afternoon on Saturday when his fast improving daughter Schism ran out an impressive winner of the R125 000 Listed Winter Oaks run over 2200m at Kenilworth.
Joey Ramsden’s 3yo was well ridden by Glen Hatt, and it was quite some feat of training by the Cape Champion after his filly had only come off a tough race a week earlier, when winning at the same venue.
Zafonic stallion Count Dubois had also sired Counts Rocket, the winner of the Listed Winter Juvenile Stakes a half hour earlier.
In yet another tentatively slow run affair, Bernard Fayd’herbe took Count To Ten out to lead from Showdown and Maximum Jet, with Gypsy Madonna further back.
As they went through the turn Aldo Domeyer shook Maximum Jet up and she ran through her field to lead. Domeyer seized the initiative and upped the ante as they went for home.
With Maximum Jet rallying smartly, Karis Teetan looked to cause the upset as he got Showdown to put her head down and she edged ahead as the pair battled it out.
But Showdown’s lead was shortlived as Glen Hatt excelled in a driving finish to get Schism to dig deep and pass the Snaith filly late to grab the verdict by a head in a time of 144,11 secs.
The winner started at a generous 9 to 1.
The 16 to 10 favourite Maximum Jet stayed on well enough for third after running out of steam late. Her jockey’s initiative in having to speed up the pace had worked to a point, but took too much out of her.
Schism was another feature winner on the afternoon for Count Dubois and was bred by Bernard Kantor out of the five time winning Wolf Power mare, Wild Wolverine.
A winner of 3 races with 2 places from 8 starts, Schism has found her best feet over ground and took her stake earnings to R171 650.
