Wendy Whitehead was in as hot form as the weather as she saddled the winners of the first three races at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday, with =Calvin Habib doing the honours.
But the show was far from over.
Just to cement a red letter day, Ravens Sword made it four for the combination as he out-gunned all in the sixth and Sporting Post-sponsored Athandiwe Mgudlwa rounded off a memorable afternoon for Whitehead as Teichman carried on his good form to hold off Brave Voyager in the seventh.
Wendy raises her glass as she chats to GTV’s Warren Lenferna (Pic – Gold Circle)
Gold Circle report that Grande Lupo got the ball rolling with a narrow victory in the card opener. Master Of Defence took off like a scalded cat but was a spent force as Cotton Ron tracked him into the straight and went on by. Grande Lupo then loomed up dangerously on Cotton Ron’s inside and he then looked to go on by. However, Kabelo Matsunyane kept Cotton Ron honest and the result came down to a nod of the heads with Habib getting Grande Lupo charge home by the shortest of short heads.
All the late money was for Sky Café in the second and Habib didn’t take any prisoners in scoring a stable double. Out and gone from the jump, she was not for the catching with rank outsider Madam Zabre getting the better of Stealth Attack and Taste Maker in a scrap for the minor money.
Sky Café is owned and bred by Nothemba Mlonzi who has a small stud in Birnamwood near Howick and Mvulazana gave her a double as Habib tracked the pace and then cruised through to a comfortable victory in the third.
Garth Puller has a reputation of nurturing young talent and has done a great job with apprentice Siphesihle Hlengwa who continues to impress. Hlengwa almost parted company with the Puller-trained Ride The Lightning in the third as his mount threw up his head when the gate opened and losing his off-side iron. He finished the race Roy Rogers style.
Same owners, same trainer same jockey but different horse in the next as Hlengwa repaid to score a second successive win aboard High Velocity. Hlengwa took the shortest way home and managed to hold off the attentions of Tristan Godden and Wave Warrior, the two involved in a head-and-head duel.
Robert Khathi departed Cape Town looking for greener pastures and although he has taken some time to find the support, he seems to have found that with Byron Forster and the Andre Nel yard.
He made all to win on Cape Eagle in the Michael Roberts Stakes at Hollywoodbets Scottsville last Sunday and employed similar tactics on Son Of Silk, also in the Sabine Plattner silks, to win the fifth. Challenge by Cavalieri and Rugger Bugger, “it was a bit of a picnic,” out front said Khathi after easing up before the line.
The Whitehead / Habib show continued in the sixth as Ravens Sword put them all to the sword, leading all the way and getting home ahead of Phaka Imali and Miss Lialah.
The winner took advantage of Phaka Imali’s tendency to hang in under pressure. Cole Dicken had a hard time keeping a straight course and did well to hold on for second without knocking anyone over.
Gary Teichmann was a legend in his time as Springbok rugby captain before being done a dirty by coach Nick Mallett. The spelling may be missing an N but the equine equivalent delivered for Wendy Whitehead to make for a memorable afternoon for the Summerveld-based trainer with five winners in the box.
Mgudlwa took a lot of ribbing from his rivals before the contest but he rode a copybook race to deliver and give Whitehead a five from six with Rugger Bugger a touch unlucky after being caught in traffic but not likely to have caught Son Of Silk.
The original owners of Straight Up tossed in the towel after some physical set-backs but sometimes patience pays off as the gelding landed his sixth victory for an old firm of Duncan Howells and Sean Veale. They teamed up to round off a day that belonged exclusively to Wendy Whitehead.
