The third horse this century after Ilha da Vitoria and Yorker to register the Summer Cup- Premier’s Champions Challenge double, the Wernars family’s gutsy Argentinian-bred Puerto Manzano came back to his best with a thrilling victory in the R2 million Grade 1 season climax at Turffontein on Saturday.
The World Sports Betting Gr1 Premier’s Champions Challenge was the final elite event of 4Racing’s inaugural ‘The Championships’, five high-octane racedays from February and which reached a summit on Saturday.
With 12 of the 13 runners Hollywoodbets Durban July entries, the 2000m race was always going to be a competitive affair, but the pace was sedate as Muzi Yeni dictated matters early on the front-running MK’s Pride.
Inside the final 250m, any one of ten horse could win it and the upset was on the cards as Chase Maujean bounced Second Base into a length lead.
Keagan de Melo (striped cap) gets urgent on Puerto Manzano as Chase Maujean and Second Base threaten the upset (Pic – JC Photos)
Riding for his life, Keagan de Melo had Puerto Manzano (6-1) building to full volume down the inside and in an unlikely catch, the son of Seek Again got up to nab his former stablemate Second Base (33-1) on the line to win in a time of 127,13 secs.
Second Base, who raced previously in the Wernars silks, had recently been sold into the Robyn Klaasen yard off a BSA Online Sale.
Rain In Holland (15-4) maintained her form resurgence in third and under a length off the winner, with the luckless favourite Billy Bowlegs (28-10) a short head away in fourth.
Registering his second Gr1 success, Puerto Manzano has now won 8 races with 8 places from 23 starts for stakes of R3 855 600.
Purchased by Justin Vermaak, the winner was bred by Dr Ignacio Pavlovsky at Haras Carampangue and is a son of Speightstown’s Gr1 Hollywood Derby winning son Seek Again out of the two time winning Orpen mare, Poser.
Racing was delayed due to storms over Turffontein after this race.
Watch the replay here:
