The R1 million Gr1 Computaform Sprint is the next target for Corne Spies’ top-class Rafeef gelding William Robertson who lumbered top weight of 62kgs when running out a convincing winner of the R300 000 TAB Gr3 JJ The Jet Plane Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday.
Ridden by Bryanston Auctioneers’ Ryan Munger, who won his maiden at the Vaal in June 2021, and returns to Canada on 31 March, and thus probably a partner for the 6yo in the Champions Day Grade 1 contest on 29 March, William Robertson was always going superbly well in the 1000m contest.
On this showing, nobody told William Robertson that he had blown from 4’s to 10’s on the betting boards!
William Robertson (Ryan Munger) cracks his 14th victory! (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
At the 200m marker it was race over and William Robertson (10-1) went on well to beat tote favourite Golden Sickle (33-10) by 2,25 lengths in a time of 57,32 secs.
Maintain Fabian Habib’s happy day, the 66-1 Mover And Shaker completed the trifecta.
Raced in a partnership by Rob Macnab, Keegan Govender, Xander Spies, Corne Spies Racing (Pty) Ltd & Jannie de Lange’s Waste Glass Recovery (Pty) Ltd, the Ridgemont- bred William Robertson is by the champion farm’s in-form sire Rafeef (Redoute’s Choice) out of the thrice winning Trippi mare, Massachusetts.
The 6yo gelding cost R500 000 on the BSA National 2yo Sale and is a winner of 14 of his 41 starts with 16 places – he has earned R2 407 375.
Some readers are puzzled as to why Karate Kid, who unseated Rachel Venniker inside the gates, was not declared a non-runner, while Main Defender was.
The rationale is that Karate Kid was deemed to be the master of his own undoing, even though he reared a split second before the gates were sprung.
On the flipside, Main Defender turned his head and stuck his muzzle in the gate, which forced the handler to react and hold on to him momentarily, which caused him to be considered slightly prejudiced.
Had Main Defender finished in the money, the Stipes would have been obliged to consider him a runner.
