Girl Power. Jessica Goslett rode a smart race on Northern Emperor.
High jinks at the start of the Clairwood third race marred an otherwise pleasant afternoon’s racing on 20 December. It is not the starter’s job to be Mr Popular, but the KwaZulu-Natal starter may want to go on a Dale Carnegie course and back to the basics judging on what we witnessed here.
Mr Paul Hepworth has been Chief Starter in that province for some years now. Word has it that the KZN starts are the worst in the country. One would think that with the nature of the average problematic horse that lands up in the Eastern Cape, then that centre should enjoy that unenviable label. We realise it is a tough job, and are people just being unfair and relying on false perceptions?
The real issue lies in the complete absence of communication channels at the National Horseracing Authority. After that circus yesterday, the CEO or a senior official should take a drive down to the Rivonia studies this morning and do a bit of basic Public Relations. Demand five minutes live air-time on Tellytrack, and talk to us.
Simply explain what went wrong, that it was out of their control and they are doing x, y and z to ensure it doesn’t happen again. That might just throw some cooling water on the flames and sparks of rumour and criticism doing the rounds.
The third race was a Maiden Plate (F&M) over 1200m and looked like a routine bunch of average fillies in a difficult first Pick 6 leg for exotic punters. But it was to prove a horrendous race – that was not helped by the starter who clearly raised his all-clear flag behind the stalls and then marched back to the rail with his back to the outer bank of stalls. Surely in this crucial few seconds prior to the jump, all eyes-and hands- need to be on deck?
What made things worse was that the 11 saddle-cloth filly Cerise Silk was announced as a withdrawal – but she actually ran. Not professional, is it?
The official Stipes Report says: The start of the 3rd Race was delayed as a result COUSIN (*A Ngcobo) and STUCK UP (L: Africa) breaking through due to a faulty gate and both horses were pulled up and returned to the start to be reloaded. There was a further delay as a result of the stirrup iron breaking on COUSIN (*A Ngcobo) and needing to be replaced and thereafter the runners having to be moved one position down due to the stall gate #13 being damaged.
A false start (14:12:29) was called as a result of the Handler impeding DAWN ECLIPSE (M Yeni) and all horses were pulled up after approximately 400 metres and returned to the start. The horses were checked by the Veterinary Surgeon (FLASH GIRL and PRINCESS KAHAL scratched by the Veterinary Surgeon) and reloaded.
This does not tell the full story. We need an inquiry. We need to know what went wrong. We need to know what mysterious technical faults can creep into a simple mechanism like this. We need to know why they thought 11 was scratched.
Jackpot! Marcus drives Poweroftheflower through to win a great race.
It was a good day, in spite of the shenanigans at the start, for Anton Marcus, Charles Laird and the Joostes. They went first and second in both the first two races. Jessica Goslett does not ride many winners, but she was thrilled to pilot the nice first-timer Northern Emperor to a surprise win in that first race. And then in the fourth, Marcus showed his value as a thinking man’s jockey when he literally carried the very moderate Albert Hall gelding Poweroftheflower over the line to win the Maiden Plate over 2500m. Marcus had observed that the further they went, the weaker the racing – and he was spot on. Ian Sturgeon took the favourite Sugar Ray up to hasten the gallop after Marcus had slowed things down on the Charles Laird to a common canter down the back straight. The plan backfired though for Sturgeon as the favourite was run off his feet as the race turned into a sprint in the home straight.
Marcus had sneakily gotten away from his field on Poweroftheflower and the line came just in time as Sturgeon got the favourite to re-rally . But the result was in the frame and the Laird horse was the winner. Sugar Ray should not be long in winning but maybe a set of blinkers will get him to up the ante with his toe and pace.
Another Var Flyer. Lamorna wins well for Cassel and Roberts.
Avontuur stallion Var is enjoying a dream run of winners and his daughter Lamorna enjoyed the going on top in a fast run race to win the MR70 Handicap(F&M) over 1000m under replacement jockey Alec Forbes. Trained by Michael Roberts, and owned by the Cassel Family Trust, the mare was winning her third from 23 starts and will make a smashing broodmare.
Apprentice Julius Mariba gave his more senior colleagues a lesson in confident race-riding when recording his fifth career win on the Mike De Kock-trained Viva Maria in the MR85 Handicap over 2000m. With a paper-weight of just 48kgs on her back the young jockey did not fight the daughter of Jet Master and let her stride in front. As the field turned for home, she looked like she would be swamped but miraculously kept plugging away and survived a late dive by the very capable Saltwater Girl. It was a promising post-maiden run and the Lammerskraal Stud owned and bred only needs to be half as good as her five-time winning dam, Bardot, to be worth following.
Yet another post-maiden winner popped up in the next race when Flex Coetzee enjoyed an armchair ride to steer Chestnut Model home in the MR67 Handicap(F&M) over 2000m. Lorne Cottage made the pace here but faded as Chestnut Model swept effortlessly into the lead. Crystal Bay had been backed at long odds but had no chance with the winner in second, while the Lafferty-trained Pamina caught they eye with a cracking effort to get up from last for third place.
Anton Marcus took Academy Of Music up to set the pace in the closing race, a Maiden Plate over 1600m. The heartless Albert Hall gelding fell into a hole turning for home and it was left to Turkestan and Gida who took up the cudgel. Felix Coetzee had been nursing the smart blinker-strike Mogok gelding Mr Gigilo just off the pace and he produced him late to get up and win a good race. It was a welcome double for Coetzee, who has been out of sorts lately. Garth Puller trains the four year old for Moodley’s Racing, and he looks like one to be with again.
The Turffontein night meeting saw the return of a few big names in the Pinnacle Stakes over 1600m. Link Man was sent out a 9-10 favourite but after being given every chance, was beaten fairly and squarely by the Gavin Van Zyl pair of The Apache and Seal. The Apache was given a peach of a confident ride and squeezed his way through a fast evaporating gap to win easing up.
If Link Man is to have L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate aspirations, he will have to up his game a few notches. Delpech made up for the disappointment on the De Kock grey by riding a hat-trick of winners on the evening.
