Denis Schwarz has King Regent in full cry as Richard Fourie (black/green cap) tries to spoil the party on Luna Halo (Pic – Pauline Herman)
Glen Kotzen’s very consistent 5yo gelding King Regent looks ready to bank the R250 000 bonus and claim top honours in the 2024 Nelson Mandela Bay Racing Poly Challenge Triple Crown on 18 October, after storming home from last into the straight to win the 1400m second leg at Fairview on Friday.
Winning jockey Denis Schwarz kept labelling his mount a ‘good sprinter’ but we have recorded previously that King Regent is a full-brother to a Gold Bowl and Consolation Durban July winner in 7yo Crimson King, and he is bound to return in October to put the cherry on the top of the challenge and try the mile for the first time.
He has a fourth in an 1800m Grade 3 race to his credit – and ridden the way Schwarz has perfected, he could probably go 2000m.
Slightly slow off on Friday, Denis Schwarz, who has built a good rapport with the son of Dynasty, played a confidence rich waiting game, dawdling in last position all the way around.
Switched wide in the run for home, King Regent (11-10) lengthened impressively and gobbled up the ground to hold off the talented local Luna Halo (8-1), who gave some cheek late.
King Regent clocked 81,61 secs for the 1400m and the winning margin was a half length.
Justin Snaith’s Silver Falcon (7-2) was1,25 lengths back in third.
Now a winner of R1 184 188 with 6 wins and 7 places from his 16 starts, King Regent is raced by longstanding former UK and now Cape residents Martin Wickens and Gisela Burg, and cost R225 000 at the Cape Yearling sale of his year.
Bred by Ridgemont, the winner is a son of the farm’s late iconic sire Dynasty (Fort Wood) out of the three-time winning Mogok mare, Cup Of Rubies.
The Woodhill Racing Team under the management of Kuyan Kotzen and Chad Little enjoyed a double on the day with Denis Schwarz after recent maiden winner On My Honour made it 2 wins from 3 starts when winning the fourth race for Eugene and Sandy Arundel’s Itssa It & Business Solutions.
The third and final leg of the triple crown is the R175 000 Nelson Mandela Bay Racing Poly Challenge 1600 to be run on 18 October. King Regent looks hard to beat.
