While it was a quiet day by his own high standards, reigning SA champion jockey Richard Fourie displayed his tactical mastery at a sunny Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday when he steered a ring rusty Snow Pilot to an eyecatching victory over champion 3yo One Stripe in the R135 000 Progress Plate.
The country course season is winding down with only three fixtures left as the action is scheduled to return to Hollywoodbets Kenilworth for the running of the Gr3 Cape Classic and two support features on Saturday 2 November.
Richard Fourie after his terrific ride on Snow Pilot (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The 2023 Hollywoodbets Gr1 Cape Guineas winner, Snow Pilot (18-10) hadn’t won since his career peak day on 16 December 2023. But he was weighted to win on Saturday, receiving a kilo from the year younger Marshall star One Stripe.
The Ridgemont -sponsored Fourie bounced Snow Pilot out, and despite carrying some condition without any work under the belt, the son of Lancaster Bomber sprouted wings and never looked like being caught as he went on to hold One Stripe (14-10) to a length in a time of 84,38 secs for the 1400m.
The runner-up’s stablemate Talk To The Master (10-1) was way out of his ground early, but made some ground to grab third spot.
While Vaughan Marshall and visiting Highveld jockey Gavin Lerena would have been disappointed that One Stripe didn’t start his classic season with a victory, the duo will be happy with their double of overdue maiden victor Water Dragon, and the revitalized 7yo Seeking The Stars who came off a 54 week break following a tendon injury to beat a hot Cape A Stakes field in the lucky last.
A son of the ill-fated 2018 Gr1 Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Lancaster Bomber (War Front) Snow Pilot is out of the Cape Fillies Guineas winner Snowdance, who was also conditioned by Snaith.
Now a winner of 3 races with 9 places from 15 starts, Snow Pilot clearly wasn’t happy on the right-handed KZN tracks during the SA champions Season, and but for hanging across Hollywoodbets Greyville, could well have beaten the top class Green With Envy in the WSB Guineas.
Snow Pilot took his earnings to R1 593 838 on Saturday and could be a R3 million L’Ormarins King’s Plate candidate come 4 January 2025.
Richard Fourie rode only the one winner on the afternoon, with the big disappointment for his followers being the fly jump at the start of the chaotic ninth race by the previously consistent The Abdicator, who dashed many exotic hopes when ruining his chances at the gate.
That said it was a great run by the Ridgemont-bred Dean Street, who enjoyed a superb ride by Sporting Post-sponsored jockey, Louis Mxothwa. The 6yo kicked on repeatedly when challenged to register his sixth victory from 25 starts.
Training honours on the afternoon were shared by Justin Snaith (both progeny of Lancaster Bomber), Vaughan Marshall and Gareth van Zyl.
Grant van Niekerk, who said he would have won the ninth if things had gone his way on the very good-looking Handsome Prince, shared riding honours with Gavin Lerena, both grabbing two.
- The next Hollywoodbets Durbanville racemeeting is on Saturday 19 October.
- A reminder about the second in the series of breakfast gallops at the same venue on Thursday 17 October at 17h30.
