Bernard Fayd’herbe has his eye on the prize as Futura storms home with Louis The King threatening down the rail (Pic:Bay Media)
This is a game of soaring highs and testing lows. While one champion son of Dynasty was going out of the back door another was writing his name into the South African horseracing history books. Brett Crawford’s outstanding Futura set course for a serious assault on the J&B Met in three weeks time as he stormed to victory in the R1 million L’Ormarins Gr1 Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday.
With three winners to their credit on the elegant blue and white afternoon, the all-conquering Justin Snaith team had the Vodacom July winner and hot public favourite Legislate turned out looking a million dollars for South Africa’s premier weight for age mile.
The recent Green Point Stakes winner went off a prohibitive 9 to 20 favourite in a small field and his shocking demise was to prove a knockout blow for his connections and thousands of Pick 6 tickets that led to the exotic dividend rocketing to a massive R1 511 360.
Aldo Domeyer took Ashton Park to lead Tellina with the only 3yo Kingvoldt nicely relaxed in third. Louis The King and Legislate were eyeballing each other a further length away.
At this stage, Bernard Fayd’herbe had the Gr1 Champions Cup winner Futura parked in last and watching his eight opponents from seven lengths back..
Into the home run the field tacked to the outside rail with Ashton Park making things very tight for Louis The King on the rail as Fayd’herbe made his move down the inside and shot clear with Legislate making no impression.
I’m home! Bernard Fayd’herbe punches the air in glee (Pic: Bay Media)
Inside the final 150m, Strydom got going as Louis The King saw daylight on the outside. But by then the race had been won by Fayd’herbe’s finely timed move, which had been perfectly executed.
The 4yo son of Dynasty held a storming Louis The King at bay to win by 0,75 lengths in a time of 101,59 secs.
In his first Cape outing, Triple Crown and Summer Cup hero Louis The King ran a cracking Met trial after having to check late in the race, while Sean Tarry’s longshot 7yo Gold Onyx stayed on doggedly to run third a further length back.
The jury will be out on beaten favourite Legislate. He finished stone last and had nothing to come after turning for home in a perfect position.
But he is just too good to be written off and Justin Snaith will be going back to the Met drawing board, knowing that he has a mountain to climb. He reported afterwards that his charge had ‘pulled up fine.’
The Futura connections enjoy the moment
Winning rider Bernard Fayd’herbe said that his race had worked out perfectly .
“I expected Legislate to quicken up but he had been pulling hard and there was nothing there. Obviously Futura doesn’t take as much work as we may think!” he said in a reference to the winner having missed his Diadem prep as a result of coughing.
Trainer Brett Crawford, who finally got it right after being a Queen’s Plate runner-up in the last two years, was ecstatic.
“We were worried that there was going to be no speed on. But Futura has always been a class horse and this is a race every trainer dreams about winning. I am looking forward to the Met in three weeks time!” he said.
A R500 000 National Yearling Sale product, Futura was bred by Guy Murdoch and races in the interests of three very wise racing men in Ian Longmore, John Freeman and Jack Mitchell.
Dynasty’s son is a first foal of the lightly raced one-time winning Badger’s Drift mare, Scribblin’ The Cat.
Futura has won 6 of his 10 starts with 4 places for stakes of R1 890 075.
Bring on the J&B Met!
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Gr1 Queens Plate (SAf-Gr1)
Kenilworth, South Africa, January 10, R1 million, 1600m, turf, good, 1.41.59
1 – FUTURA (SAF), 60.0, b c 4, Dynasty (SAF) – Scribblin’ The Cat (SAF) by Badger’s Drift (SAF). Owner Messrs John T Freeman, I W Longmore & W J C Mitchell; Breeder G Murdoch; trainer BJ Crawford; jockey B Fayd’herbe
2 – Louis The King (SAF), 60.0, b c 4, Black Minnaloushe (USA) – Pamushana (SAF) by Rich Man’s Gold (USA)
3 – Gold Onyx (NZ), 60.0, br g 7, Black Minnaloushe (USA) – Egoli Lass (NZ) by Kaapstad (NZ)
Margins: 0.75, 1.00, 0.10
