Moment of truth for Xavier Carstens on Grue Of Ice (blue cap) as Rob Khathi ranges up wide on I’m The Buzz – Royal Lytham (Grant van Niekerk) won easily (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Whatever possessed jockey Xavier Carstens to take his foot off the gas just a matter of strides before the post in the finish of the ninth race at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday, has cost the young man a month on the sidelines.
Replacing the stood down Ashton Arries on Lunga Gila’s 40-1 shot Grue Of Ice, Carstens made the running on the mare, before being passed late by the high-flying Grant van Niekerk on the eventual winner Royal Lytham.
Grue Of Ice is the pacemaker in the pink sleeves:
Grue Of Ice, who ended up in third a nose behind the runner-up, paid R8-40 for a place on the tote, with the Exacta 7/13 showing a dividend of R 110-20, the Trifecta 7/13/9 paying R 1 768-30, and the Quartet 7/13/9/10 R13 137-90
Whether he didn’t see Robert Khathi ranging up wide out on I’m The Buzz, fractionally misjudged the line in a lapse of concentration, or just got tired, Carstens was charged with a contravention of Rule 62.2.3.
The Stipes felt that he failed to ride Grue Of Ice out to the end of the race to their satisfaction, thereby prejudicing his chances of obtaining second place.
Carstens signed an Admission of Guilt and is suspended from riding in races for a period of 30 days. (Dates to be advised)
The 2014/15 Cape Apprentice Jockey of the Year, Xavier Carstens has ridden one winner this term.
Richard Fourie takes the walk of honour (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
In a fitting gesture, Saturday’s recordbreaker Richard Fourie was given a guard of honour by Cape Racing personnel and fellow jockeys.
Fourie was subsequently stood down after the eighth race and will not be riding at Hollywoodbets Greyville today in terms of rule 25.12.
He deserves a break as there is plenty of speculation as to what season total he is likely to amass by 31 July.
There was no TCO2 testing at yesterday’s racemeeting.
- The next Cape racemeeting is on Tuesday 18 June at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
