Former Zim veteran Roy Magner bought a maiden years ago for R1000-00. He went on to win 22 races including 3 Thomas Meikles, 2 Queen Elizabeth Cups, the Castle Tankard and 10 other group races.
But while that’s modern history in the scheme of the top horseman’s career, the man with the midas touch produced the goods again at Turffontein on Saturday, when the smart 4yo Team Gold bounced back from a short rest to win the Topbet Listed Spring Spree Stakes and give Mr Magner his third winner in four renewals of the early Highveld Spring season feature.
Topbet’s Kevin Pillay and elated owner Tyrone Barnard with the Spring Spree trophy (Pic – JC Photos)
Prince Of Kahal (2019 when it was a Gr3) and Vaseem (2021) were the previous Magner winners, and Team Gold stamped himself as a fellow to side with this season. Not quite there with the best as a 3yo, he started at 8-1 and turned on the jets alate down the outside on Saturday under replacement rider JP van der Merwe to record his first stakes success, beating the lightning fast Sheela (33-10) by 0,30 lengths in a time of 70,65 secs.
Val D’Orcia (2-1) was not disgraced, a further 1,70 lengths back in third. Last year’s winner Vaseem was well beaten in fourth.
Now a winner of 4 races with 9 places from 17 starts, Team Gold has banked R460 000. He cost R140 000 on the National 2yo Sale.
Bred by Ridgemont Highlands, he is a son of Twice Over (Observatory) out of the four-time winning Kingmambo mare, Kelly’s Olympics.
Team Gold is raced by young owner Tyrone Barnard, who was on course to lead his first feature winner in.
Topbet has come on board as sponsors of the Topbet Spring Challenge this year and kicked off their partnership with 4Racing on Saturday.
Topbet will sponsor two features on1 October, both prominent in the calendar as they are two Gr2 events and form an excellent lead up into future races during the season, culminating in some of the runners aiming for Summer Cup glory.
The R400 000 Topbet Spring Challenge and the R300 000 Topbet Spring Fillies and Mare Challenge are both Grade 2 events at weight for age with penalties.
