The Sabine Plattner Racing Team got their SA Champions Season campaign off to a flying start when their well-backed home-bred O’Tenikwa held on by a fast shrinking hair-breadth to win the R225 000 Listed In Full Flight Handicap at a sunny Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Corne Orffer times it finely as O’Tenikwa hangs on to beat the obscured Fastnet Filly as Smanga Khumalo peeps his head in on Luhamba Phambili (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
With the money pouring on from 10’s into 33-10, the 3yo son of Vercingetorix registered his maiden stakes success with a hard fought victory as tote favourite as he staved off a gutsy late dash from the lightly raced Irish-bred mare Fastnet Filly (11-2) in a thrilling finish.
The photo showed that the Andre Neil-trained gelding had secured the verdict by a shot head in a time of 63,03 secs for the 1100m.
Luhamba Phambili (20-1) ran on stoutly for third a half length back, with the lesser fancied of the Kannemeyer duo, Outlaw King (8-1) capping the quartet and running a cracking prep for the Golden Horse Sprint. His stablemate Teflon Man did not enjoy the give in the ground and produced no finish.
Now a winner of 4 races with 4 places from 10 starts, O’Tenikwa took his stakes bank to R497 357.
Bred by La Plaissance Stud, O’Tenikwa is a gelded son of Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the four-time winning Captain Al mare, Kwitzina, who also raced under the Plattner flag.
