Seven officials, including three starters, oversaw the loading of the runners in the Hollywoodbets Scottsville opener on Wednesday in the wrong starting gates. One wonders what happened to the use of two-way radios and mobile phones from the boardroom to alert the start?
The official Stipes report states that from the front patrol film visuals, it was established that the horses in this race jumped from one stall gate up from their allocated starting stall gate. The Stipendiary Board after reviewing the start was satisfied that despite the numerical error in the front display of the starting stall numbering, that all horses had started from their appropriate and relative drawn position. The Stipendiary Board was satisfied that none of the runners were prejudiced by this misrepresentation. This matter will be investigated.
While none of the runners were thankfully prejudiced, spare a thought for the punters who enjoy the unique advantage in KZN of having their horse jump from the same gate as the saddle-cloth number.
Watch the replay of the first race here:
Andrew Harrison writes on www.goldcircle.co.za that sometimes it’s more amusing than serious and race caller Sheldon Peters was caught nonplussed as the runners for the first at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday jumped from the wrong gates. For some reason, known only to the starter, his assistant and the jockeys, the entire field moved one-up in the barrier.
Fortunately, the race was down the straight and that there were only 12 runners in the 13-horse barrier. The stipendiary stewards deemed that the error had no material effect on the race as favourite Totally Rocks backed up on her maiden win.
The Dennis Drier-trained filly was always up with the pace and drew off to win rather comfortably as Where’s The Party and Jazzbella fought it out for second.
All was back to normal in the second with the two first-timers Harley’s Fate and Maggie Smith came together in more ways than one.
Both were still learning what it was all about resulting in a little argey bargey with Muzi Yeni and Harley’s Fate getting the better of exchanges. The stipes called for a race review but took no further action although there was plenty of action on the inside rail as the field concertinaed resulting in a few hard luck stories.
It was Yeni’s 1992nd win of his career and he is generously, along with his sponsor Natal Wholesale Jewellers, donating R500 each to the winning groom and the Coastal Horse Care Unit until he reaches 2000 winners which he may well do before the season ends.
“This game has been kind to me. It’s had its ups and downs but I’m glad to have had a winner for Nathan (Kotzen) who taught me to ride.”
Yamkela Mvubu and Muzi Yeni enjoy the Natal Wholesale Jewellers hospitality ([Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
It was winner number 1993 for Yeni has he rode his usual animated race on Kom Naidoo’s filly Roy’s T’s.
It was not the strongest of fields but on bare form it would have taken a lot of persuading to have even a cent on the winner.
But there was obviously a plan with the money coming in spades as Roy’s T was backed in from 12-1 and stable rider Phume Mjoka setting a cracking pace for a field of this quality.
Sitting up third, Roy’s T’s looked a spent force as Natasha Rostov and Top Ten moved in to challenge, but Roy’s T’s kept finding and came back to win. Naidoo thought she was good enough to take her chances in feature company in her first two career starts. “We always thought a lot of her but those races were too short for her. She stays all day.”
Tristan Godden, back recently from a broken collarbone, rode the classic waiting race on Raspberry Beret for Carl Hewitson. Without a recognised pacemaker in the race, all were reluctant to take up the role until S’Manga Khumalo could wait no longer and let Wedding Bliss Stride clear with Godden biding his time in the dicky seat.
Wedding Bliss tried gamely to stay ahead but once Raspberry Beret found her stride to quickened past all to win under the hands
