Bernard Fayd’herbe takes the mount on the Klawervlei bred Fake News in the first of nine races at a well patronised Kenilworth meeting today.
Fake News, a gelded son of Philanthropist makes his debut having already made the news for the fuss over his name. After trainer Justin Snaith found the youngster to be vocal, unruly, unmanageable and a nightmare to work with, he was appropriately baptised President Trump and duly registered with the NHA. The racing regulator had second thoughts about the smart Snaith call after discovering a leader of the western world went by the same name. He was then renamed Fake News.
Snaith has 19 runners on the card and a trio in the race, with Grant van Niekerk partnering the Patricia Devine-bred first timer Love Happen.
Justin Snaith – 19 runners carded
This son of Silvano is probably bred to go further than the 1200m but is the third foal to race of the high-class Jet Master mare, Love Is In The Air. Trained by Mike Bass and racing in the Devine Jet Master silks, Love Is In The Air won 8 races from 1500m to 2200m. Her successes included wins in the 2010 Gr1 Majorca Stakes in the hands of Karl Neisius and the Listed Stormsvlei Fillies Mile and the Winter Oaks.
With two potential top jobs at the Bass-Robinson and Andre Nel yards already behind him, 2017 is not yet turning into a golden year in the career of 26 year old Cape-based lightweight, Grant van Niekerk.
But things change overnight in horseracing, and a hat-trick of winners at Kenilworth on Saturday will hopefully go some way towards rebuilding the young man’s confidence. He won for Joey Ramsden, Vaughan Marshall and Justin Snaith last Saturday, and all three top trainers have thrown him another bone this Saturday.
While Marshall awaits the return of the globetrotting MJ Byleveld, the Snaith and Ramsden jockey posts don’t appear exactly cut-and-dried. Often a second stringer for one of them is better than some of the lesser opportunities at the smaller yards.
The first race is off at 13h05.
The first leg of the Bipot is race 2 at 13h45.
The first leg of the PA is race 3 at 14h25.
The first leg of the Pick 6 is race 4 at 15h00.
