Lyle Hewitson is a young man going places. After all the fuss over his first group winner for Justin Snaith in the East Cape Derby in mid May, he was back amongst the feature winners at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Lyle Hewitson has Francia in full stride as Heavelon Van Der Hoven ranges up on his outside on Harlem Shake (Pic – Wayne Marks)
Hewitson showed maturity, balance and ability beyond his years when getting the Snaith’s Francia up in the last stride to withstand a nagging challenge from the tough as teak Harlem Shake to win the R150 000 Listed Winter Oaks.
The win would have been a gigantic confidence booster for young Hewitson, who has his first July ride on Saturday – just four months after throwing his leg over Russian Girl at Scottsville on 6 March in his first professional ride.
Lyle Hewitson (photo: Coastal Photos)
He rode his first winner on Blizzard Belle in PE for his former jockey Dad, Carl, on 18 March and has galloped to over 50 winners in what must be near record time for a new apprentice.
Hewitson is single digit winners off toppling the more experienced Callan Murray atop the National Apprentice title log.
Francia was one of two Snaith runners in the Oaks and her first stakes win came as little surprise as she started at 7-1.
Harlem Shake finished a head back in second and is always full value in fillies company, while Jetano made up oodles of ground to run 2,50 lengths away in third.
The favourite Goodtime Gal missed the PA with a slightly disappointing one-paced run in fourth.
Dynasty (Fort Wood – Blake’s Affair) churns out the winners and has four runners in Saturday’s Durban July
Francia was bred by Haras Del Carmo and is a daughter of Dynasty out of the solid winner producing Rakeen mare, Venturesome – only a one time winner but a half sister to the well performed Hinterland.
Francia was purchased for R200 000 by Jack Mitchell off the 2014 BSA National 2yo Sale – she was named Merovingian at the time.
The scopy Dynasty 3yo has now won stakes of R161 625. That total excludes the R77 500 BSA Added Value Stakes Bonus which she earned on Saturday.
This was her second win with 4 places from 7 starts and was the first leg of a Kenilworth classic double for the high-riding Justin Snaith team.
