Quick! Val De Ra(no 6) holds What A Winter at bay.
Val De Ra is Africa’s Champion Sprinter. She proved that today by winning the R600 000 Gr1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship in emphatic style at a Kenilworth Racecourse that basked in glorious sunshine.
The highly trumped three cornered duel of the speed titans produced everything expected of it. Breathtaking speed, a burst of emotion in the final stages and a finish that would have had all our hearts racing – no matter where the mindbending rands or loyalties lay.
The six horse field all emerged as heroes for participating and making it a helluva day for horseracing – but there was only one winner, and that was Pippa’s girl, Val De Ra.
The Avontuur flagbearer won her eleventh race from twelve starts. She produced this dazzling performance with perfect timing – on the track and in the record books. Avontuur have a smashing bunch of youngsters coming up on the Cape Premier Sale this week, and while there are still those that think Var needs to prove something, they may just have to pay a little bit more if they want a piece of the quick action now. As they say – you snooze, you lose.
V for Victory! The victorious Val De Ra Team celebrate.
Alec Forbes bounced the speed-queen into an early lead from her 1 draw and she was never headed thereafter. Forbes had the impeccably behaved champion racing hard against the steel for much of the trip and only got slightly animated very late as Karl Neisius launched an assault on the brilliant What A Winter on her outside.
One just has the feeling throughout that eternal last 100m though that the eleven time winner always had things under control and she is surely headed for an overdue date with destiny overseas, possibly in the USA. She really has achieved everything she needs to on African soil.
Trainer Dennis Drier commented afterwards that ‘she has said it all’ and admitted with a bemused and rather shell-shocked smile that he had watched 700m of the contest ‘with my eyes closed!’. Jockey Alec Forbes laughingly suggested that he had been like a ‘five year old on Christmas day’ and said that he had arrived on course three hours early.
After the excuses made following the Computaform Sprint, What A Winter was gallant in defeat but he was beaten by the better horse and his connections will concede that fact. JJ The Jet Plane looked burly in the pre-race parade and ran accordingly. This race will signify the symbolic handing over of the crown to South Africa’s best sprinter, of probably the past three decades.
Hot Stuff! Glen Hatt drives Team Valor's Comtesse Dubois up to win.
The R125 000 Listed Laisserfaire Stakes was the supporting feature on the fast fuelled afternoon menu and Justin Snaith’s seemingly unstoppable five pronged stranglehold almost came undone courtesy of his high-riding neighbour Brett Crawford. Snaith sent out five of the eight fillies in this race and it was Hassen Adams’ Aussie bred Enrani who was fancied to lead the Snaith charge.
But after the longshot Jean’s Pride had shown the way, it was the bang in-form Glen Hatt who produced Team Valor International’s smart Count Dubois filly Comtesse Dubois with a sustained finish to hold off a harrowing and determined late burst from the Crawford outsider Sweet Aria, who we thought was a bit out of it at the weights.
This was a first stakes win for the Maine Chance bred three year old who has won four times from eight starts- and looks destined for KZN Champions Season. She is interestingly out of the Rakeen mare Katherine- who raced in Bernard Kantor’s silks and was, for trivia’s sake, Basil Marcus’ first winner as a trainer. Sky’s David Raphael brought a nice touch as a guest commentator calling this race – and what an outstanding job he did after being absent from the commentary box for some six years now. Well done David!
Gauteng based owner Con Yiannakis and his family made a rare but very well-timed visit to Cape Town and they were on hand to lead in their winner in the first race. Greg Ennion appeared to have found the right race for the Spectrum gelding Lake Superior and he started a warm order at 6-10 to win the Maiden Plate over 1200m easing up. The Highlands Stud bred took all of thirteen runs to record his first win and one probably wouldn’t want to be keeping any of the moderates that finished well off him – but Lake Superior could well continue to pay his way.
Great Call. David Raphael called a top race in the Laisserfaire.
Trainer Justin Snaith has a knack of timing the winners for the big owners on the big days, and the speedy Drakenstein Stud owned and bred Winter Heart made short work of her opposition in the second race, a Maiden Plate over 1000m. Felix Coetzee tracked the pacemaking Magnolia Park and cruised clear in the final 200m to win going away. The pacemaker stayed on nicely for second , while Kiss And Tell caught the eye on debut when rattling through late for third.
South Kensington returned from a four month rest and shed his maiden certificate in fine style leading from the jump to win the third race, a Maiden Plate over 1400m, at 12-10. With reasonable past form to the likes of Gimmethegreenlight and Variety Club, the Vaughan Marshall-trained Albert Hall gelding looked a reasonable bet in a fairly weak line-up and Avontuur sponsored MJ Byleveld made no mistakes in the saddle.
After three straight favourites on the trot, Tellytrack on-course Presenter Stan Elley brassed the 19-10 shot Bambina Stripes in the jackpot opener, a MR80 Handicap run over 1600m.Elley had obviously not heard the rave reviews given the Argentinian-bred filly by her trainer and jockey after her maiden win, and she vindicated the belief in her ability with a smooth win here. She came up the inside after Bella Nero had come across from her wide draw shortly after the start to lead. Bambina Stripes looks to have a very bright future
At last! Dean Kannemeyer and Gaynor Rupert lead Luno in.
Joey Ramsden looked to hold all the aces in the MR79 Handicap run over 2500m with 50% of the field carrying the Good Hope Racing flag. And not unexpectedly he sent the long-striding Arboreal to stretch the eight horse field out early and in so doing ensure a genuine test of stamina. The Fort Wood gelding was allowed to run very freely by his young rider and was swamped as the field turned for home with the luckless Luno finally putting his best foot forward to register a second win at his 24th start. Trainer Dean Kannemeyer celebrated a 100% strike rate with his only runner on the afternoon and regular pilot Karl Neisius rode a polished race on a horse he knows a little better than his wife. It was Drakenstein Stud’s second home –bred winner of the day.
