An unheralded half-sister to Tony Peter’s recent Gr1 Douglas Whyte Stakes winner Bavarian Beauty, the aptly named 4yo Bad Hair Day produced an early knockout for punters at the Vaal on Thursday when she she shed her maiden for the fourth trainer of her short career.
Knocking 10 000 of the 10 739 Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge players for an early six, Bad Hair Day caught most of us napping!
Unplaced in eight career starts to date, and having only her second run for the Heinrich van der Westhuizen stable, the Maine Chance-bred Duke Of Marmalade 4yo Bad Hair Day raised her game marginally to earn her first cheque when winning the 1200m Workriders Maiden Plate which opened a competitive looking card on Thursday.
Tom Lukhele gets Bad Hair Day home ahead of Bees And Honey (Myendeki) in the Vaal opener (Pic – JC Photos)
Allowed to build her rhythm and find her feet late, Bad Hair Day (40-1) finished best under a well-balanced ride by Tom Lukhele to beat Bees And Honey (15-2) by marginally under a length in a time of 72,50 secs.
The favourite Potato Salad (2-1) showed plenty of speed but faded to run a 4,50 length fourth.
The well related Bad Hair Day – her Querari half-sister Bavarian Beauty caught the eye with an impressive Gr1 win on World Pool Gold Cup Day – started her career with Glen Kotzen in the Cape, before moving on to Paul Peter and then to Jaap Visser, before having her second start on Thursday for the Van der Westhuizen yard.
Bad Hair Day changed hands on the BSA August 2022 online sale when bought by Manuel Lima for R5 000.
We tried without success to reach current owner Wendy van der Westhuizen to find out more, and how the filly landed up in her present stable.
Interestingly, she was the joint lowest-rated horse at a modest MR of 35 on the Vaal nine-race card on Thursday.
Trainer Heinrich van der Westhuizen was probably the least surprised person on course after the race and indicated that he had expected a place from his charge at her first start for him. She ran sixth at her Vaal mile start on 25 July, and 16,50 lengths off Summer Of Dreams.
The experienced conditioner produced the ace by dropping her in trip, and his talented rider clearly listened to his instructions.
“When Steven Moffatt’s filly was scratched, I thought we had a chance. It wasn’t the strongest field,”conceded Van der Westhuizen.
A clearly pleased rider Tom Lukhele thanked James Maree for teaching him to ride hands and heels and declared that he ‘would ride anything’, if so called upon.
He obviously got great pleasure out of beating his colleague Sam Mosia, who gave Potato Salad every chance to run fourth.
The Van der Westhuizen’s 8yo Jet Cat ran just out of the money in the final race of the day, and based on a hint in the Bad Hair Day post-race interview, it may be worth black-booking him.
Enjoy the Bad Hair Day replay:
Players get another chance to win the Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge at Fairview on Friday.
Get your entry in at least five minutes before the first race at 11h35.
