Newly-crowned East Cape champion trainer Gavin Smith has a host of exciting 3yo’s and syndicate patrons for next term! This was illustrated when the Querari colt Questor made it a hat-trick of wins for the Smith Super Syndicate when capturing the R200 000 Listed Champion Juvenile Cup at Fairview on Friday.
One could be forgiven for thinking that 4Racing had employed a few casual actors to appear on-course for an advertisement. Such were the expressions of joy and animated delight from a handful of the winning syndicate members as Smanga Khumalo moved up down the inside on the low-flying Questor, and then dropped his crop at around the 200m, as if to add a touch of drama.
At the 100m the race was still in the balance.
Smanga Khumalo gets Questor home ahead of Fairy Knight (Richard Fourie), third-placed Vision Of Grandeur (Louis Mxothwa), and Grant van Niekerk on Underworld (Pic – Pauline Herman)
But with his gloved left hand exhorting every ounce of effort from his mount, Bling was the hero as Questor (11-2) showed he is no ‘one trick poly pony’, registering his impressive first turf success as he put half a length between himself and the smart Fairy Knight (14-10) to score in a time of 85,22 secs.
The winner’s stablemate Vision Of Wonder (5-1), probably in need of the unkindest cut of all, was a neck away in third.
Snaith challenger Underground looked a million dollars in the prelims, but despite being given every chance from a tough draw, came up for air late, and ran fourth.
A R150 000 BSA Cape Yearling Sale graduate, and described as a ‘burly boy and front-row forward type’ by his trainer, Questor was bred by Varsfontein from Querari (Oasis Dream) out of the two-time winning Fort Wood mare Gypsy Madonna, a half-sister to top performers Gypsy’s Warning, Surabi and Romany Prince.
He looks sure to go a trip in time and looks very astutely bought!
Questor has won 3 races with 2 places from 5 jumps for stakes of R243 500.
Hollywoodbets-sponsored Gavin Smith and jockey Smanga Khumalo celebrated a well-taken treble on the day.
Enjoy the feature replay: (Watch the guy in the blue shirt at the finish!)
