A patient week of kicking his heels at Ashburton paid off for trainer Corne Spies when the Silvano gelding Imperial Ruby dictated matters under Craig Zackey to win the World Sports Betting Highland Night Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Friday evening.
It was Zackey’s fourth winner in five days for the Vaal-based Hollywoodbets-sponsored Spies team, and the World Sports Betting-sponsored jockey rode a peach of a race.
Craig Zackey rode a confident race on Imperial Ruby (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The feature was originally carded for Sunday, but the well-documented adverse weather conditions in the region put paid to that slot.
With the scratching of Catch The Tune, the field was reduced to seven runners – and potential pacesetter Extract’s slipped saddle shortly after the jump reduced the opposition even further.
Allowed to bowl along at a muddling gallop for much of the 2400m trip, past Gold Bowl winner Imperial Ruby (6-1) showed his fitness and stamina when staying on well to beat the determined looking Decorated (8-1) by 0,70 lengths in a time of 154,95 secs.
The 9-4 favourite Rex Union was a further 0,40 lengths back in third and looked to just be in need of it.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, the winner is a son of deceased multiple SA champion sire Silvano (Lomitas) out of the unraced Sadler’s Wells mare Ruby Necklace, who is out of the Irish champion 2yo Necklace.
Now a winner of seven races with 5 places from his 39 starts, the gelded Imperial Ruby took his stakes earnings to R521 500. He was a R50 000 buy from the 2018 Emperors Palace National 2YO Sale.
Watch the replay here:
