Don't stop the rain! Aussie Rain Gal wins the second.
Australian-bred horses won four of the ten races on the card at Kenilworth on 27 August. Relative to their proportionate representation, those are impressive stats, but let’s just say that the fields were weak and it is still a lot cheaper and less hassle to buy a locally- bred horse these days.
2011 J&B Met winning owner Hassen Adams continues to show handsome rewards for his prudent and generous investments in thoroughbreds and the two imported fillies that won on the day were obviously purchased with a view to bolstering his burgeoning broodmare band.
Rain Gal was the first of Adams’ three winners. She is a four year old daughter of world champion sire Gallileo out of a Hurrican Sky mare. It was a most impressive win over the 1200m straight as she came from way back and took her me to get going. She looks to be needing a lot more ground and showedthe infinite benefit of patience by her trainer Darryl Hodgson. She looks like she could well develop into a filly to follow.
Three winners.Owner Hassen Adams had a good day.
Adams won the very next race over the same trip but this time with a granddaughter of Danehill for Justin Snaith. The Danzero three year old Enrani did it the hard way from up with the pace the whole way and she stayed on well to pip the luckless Infamy, who put her best foot forward today. Adams third winner was the smart Caesour gelding Adeste Fidelis, who trounced a weak field to record a personal hat-trick over the minimum trip.
Adams has spread his trainer base wide and is showing the benefits too of not putting all of one’s eggs in one basket. He also had another winner on Friday for Yvette Bremner. One way of placing horses where they are best suited and also keeping the trainers on their toes!
Dean Kannemeyer had two winners on the day, and while neither beat anything of note, they look colts with early classic aspirations. Kingslayer is a big handsome Rock Of Gibraltar colt who runs for the partnership of Markus Jooste and Fieldspring Racing and he won the first race, a Maiden Plate over 1200m, under a hands and heels ride by Karl Neisius. Well backed and understandably a little outpaced early, he swept through his field to win with a touch of class about him.
Kannemeyer is understandably a big fan of Dynasty and while lamenting that he may not be able to afford this emerging sire’s offspring next year, he looks to have bought well with the handsome Taipan winning the Pick Six opener, giving Neisius an armchair view of the small crowd. This R350 000 Two Year Old Sale graduate was bred by the Robertsons of Milkwood Stud and after two promising sprints, he took the quantum leap up to 1800m with ease. Jumping from a 12 draw, he was given a chance early and strode through late to win going away. He runs in the Shirtliff Power silks in a partnership that includes Warren Laird and Bryn Ressell. It is early days, but he has limitless scope and potential and Kannemeyer knows the route to the Classics.
Seven Up. Kirra Kotzen leads Super Seven and Sean Cormack in.
Trainer Glen Kotzen had a quiet day early on with a few fancied runners until he pulled a rabbit out of the hat by grabbing the last double. Mercurial Jockey Andrew Fortune missed yet another winning ride when Robert Kathi deputised for him in the ninth race on the longshot Gatusso, who put it all together in the MR 71 Handicap over 1200m. Her more fancied stablemate Blouberg Beach ruined her chances at the gate and after being bustled to get into the action, got tired late. The winner was bred by Beaumont Stud from Count Dubois and is owned by Paul Barrett and Kotzen’s Mom-In-Law Judy Wintle.
Kotzen trained the fourth and final Aussie-bred to win on the day when the Falvelon colt Super Seven showed the improvement expected after his gelding to win the final race. His sire, by Alannon, was a champion sprinter and once won seven races on the trot – hence this fellow’s name. He is owned by Fred Crabbia and while not necessarily built like a sprinter, he looks a horse who could go a mile in time. Sean Cormack would have been pleased to fly back to Durban with at least this one winner under his belt.
