The Entertainer. Dave Mollett always worth a watch.
Flamboyant Tellytrack presenter Dave Mollett summed up the tough results at the Vaal on 6 October when suggesting that his planned dinner on the town with his wife was in jeopardy. In spite of the fancied horses failing to deliver, the effervescent Molly kept plugging away like the battle-hardened professional that he is.
It must be very difficult behaving professionally at all times though in this industry. Take the case of the first-timer in the third race, that just wasn’t – or was it? All we know is that It takes ‘sheer courage’ to overlook the constant bungling by officialdom.
The dogs have been barking about this all week! A familiar Mollett phrase to indicate that the word on the ground says that it is all systems go. Sadly the dogs were hoarse and the pockets empty after a few costly flops – which included the highly vaunted Stan Ferreira charge Kalaam, and the Mike Azzie trained Valmorne, in that murky third race.
Valmorne is an enigmatic, but talented sort who had won two from six starts. The gelded four year old son of Var had won his last outing over the course and distance in a handicap with ease, and he stepped out in the Pick 6 opener under Weichong Marwing, run over 1000m, as a likely banker. But he never showed at all in this Graduation Plate and it was left to the Paul Matchett-trained ‘first-timer’ Sheer Courage, backed from 14-1 to 8-1, to get up late and beat the claimed-at-long-odds, Baron Of Breedon. Mining Prospect caught the eye after a lay-off by running on late into third, in a PA knock-out. But the winner was not a first-timer. He is a lightly raced one-time winner, who appears to have entered South Africa wearing a disguise and with a false CV!
Paul Matchett. Trainer of the spook - needs to answer questions.
The official race-card publications declared the Invincible Spirit four year old to be a first timer. Molly advised prior to the race that his trainer felt he ‘was a nice horse’. Then jockey Randall Simons said he was ‘working well at home but it could be a bit short.’ Why did nobody mention the undisputable fact that he had run before ? Or maybe even that he had won previously? He was treated as a first-timer for Pick Six purposes with the second horse qualifying for the exotic. But who got the money in the end? And surely the National Horseracing Authority – and trainer Matchett- should be answering to the racing public? This matter won’t end here if we have our way.
The Mike Azzie yard have had a lovely run recently but were flat as a doughy pancake this afternoon with Valmorne flopping and then Kings Square falling away to nothing in the very next race. Most of the horses from this stable run aggressively from the front and the writing was on the wall for both horses early in their races. Two place cheques on a day that promised so much must be of some concern and punters should exercise caution with their runners.
Piere Strydom won the fourth race, a Graduation Plate over 1400m, in sensational style on the classy Sean Tarry trained Massimiliano and was also expected to bring home the bacon on the barked about Kalaam in the sixth. After being backed into odds on and given every chance, the daughter of Kahal stopped dramatically as Denies Lee flew through late on Piere Strydom’s brother-in-law’s Var filly, Maclaine, to win well.
Go girl! Denies Lee rode a great double.
Lee in fact recovered from a horrific fall at Kimberley on Monday to bounce back and score a double on the afternoon. She won the Apprentice MR68 Handicap over 1600m for fillies and mares when producing the Woodborough mare Imogen with a well-timed run down the middle. Zimbabwean apprentice Boniface Vengesa looked to have stolen a well-timed march at around the 400m marker on Syd Cassel’s striking grey mare Arctic Bear, but a determined Lee rode for all she was worth in a rousing finish. These apprentice races are always hotly contested affairs and the authorities will hopefully continue to stage them – although it would be nice to see the Cape and PE youngsters getting an invite to participate.
The National Horseracing Authority have announced an Inquiry into the Sheer Courage incident. We await the outcome thereof with bated breath. One wonders though how the ‘police’ will police themselves, and they may want to reconsider handing the matter to an independent body for investigation. Especially if the motives behind the incident are more about incompetent administration than of a sinister nature?
