While only just over five lengths covered the entire field at the finish and the race produced the most exciting finish of the Kenilworth Saturday afternoon, the R85 000 Listed Woolavington Stakes threw a minor curved ball into the exotic mix.
The 2400m race changed complexion a few times in the final 350m after the favourite Bayberry (7-4) had tracked the leader Cedar Man all the way around.
Into the final 200m they were spread across the track, with Joshwin Solomons looking a likely winner wide out on the handily weighted Holy Warrior, who was thundering home under a wet sail.
But the Master Of My Fate gelding appeared to lug in slightly late and this cost him at the wire as Keagan De Melo produced Crome Yellow with a last gasp scything lunge two off the rail.
Crome Yellow (Keagan de Melo) pops up to beat Holy Warrior (Joshwin Solomons) and Magnficent Seven (Richard Fourie) in a thriller (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The photo showed that the Plattner runner, who had two good staying performances to his name with seconds in both the Gr3 WSB Cape Summer Stayers Handicap and the 2019 Gr 3 Heineken Chairman’s Cup, had hung on to deny Holy Warrior by a nose in a time of 154,32 secs.
The winner is trained by Andre Nel.
The Snaith’s Magnificent Seven (15-2) is finding his form of old and ran a much better race, finishing a neck back in third. His more fancied stablemate Bayberry was not disgraced, finishing only 0,65 lengths behind after possibly not enjoying the way the race was run.
This was a 79th individual stakes winner for the winner’s sire, past SA Champion, Trippi (End Sweep).
Owned and bred by Sabine Plattner, Crome Yellow is out of the four-time winning Jallad mare Senorita Sol.
Crome Yellow has won 7 races with 14 places from 26 starts for stakes of R598 450.
The Stipes reported that Kampala Campari, which was hanging out, brushed the hindquarters of Black Knap at the 50m.
Magnificent Seven was directed to the outside of Bayberry to continue its run at the 100m.
Bayberry was tightened for galloping room on the inside of Magnificent Seven which rolled in slightly away from Crome Yellow at the finish.
