Yogas Govender and stable jockey Aldo Domeyer – a big day at the office on Saturday?
Rondeberg–based trainer Yogas Govender is expecting a decent afternoon at Kenilworth today as he showcases his J&B Met and Cape Derby prospects, as well as a beautifully bred 3yo daughter of Var out of his boss’ best ever racehorse, the champion Laisserfaire.
The likeable Yogas is private trainer to powerful owner Sabine Plattner, whose picturesque establishment on the Cape West Coast ranks as one of South Africa’s prime racehorse training centres.
Govender has had plenty of success in his nine years with the Plattner operation (he started out as an Assistant in 2005) and the 2013 J&B Met victory of their Silvano gelding Martial Eagle must rank as one of the team’s highlights.
The supporting feature on the nine-race Kenilworth card on Saturday is the R150 000 Listed Laisserfaire Stakes run over the 1100m straight and named in honour of Plattner’s best horse.
The Australian-bred daughter of Danehill was purchased at the Sydney Easter Sale and went on to be crowned Equus Champion Older Female Sprinter in 2000 and 2001.
She won 12 races from 1000m to 1200m, including the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship (twice), the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint (twice), the Gr1 Computaform Sprint (twice), the Gr2 Sceptre Stakes (3 times), the Gr3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery and the Gr3 Southern Cross Stakes.
Yogas Govender & Aldo Domeyer after the 2013 Met (Photo: Liesl King)
An omen for punters could come early on in the second race and Bipot opener, as Yogas saddles Laisserfaire’s daughter, the Plattner home-bred La Di Var.
We asked him if the filly’s second racetrack appearance had been timed to coincide with her dam’s feature?
“To be honest, no! This is just how her programme panned out.I felt that she was not quite ready to win on debut, but she was not disgraced either, by any means. Then we had a minor administrative issue as her original name (La Di Da) was queried by the NHA and we had to have it amended. So her passport was not available for a period. We have Glen Kotzen to beat, otherwise I would be very confident,” he said.
He then saddles his latest Met prospect in the striking grey New Zealand-bred 4yo, French Revolution, who steps out looking for his fourth straight win in the eighth race, an MR 92 Handicap.
He is by Montjeu stallion Guillotine, a versatile stakes winner of 4 races from 1200m to 1900m.
“We have entered French Revolution for the 2015 J&B Met. He is a lightly raced colt for whom we have very high hopes. He has won fifty percent of his starts and has worked his way through the divisions with authority. I expect him to go very close on Saturday,” he said.
Yogas’ Derby prospect Krambambuli runs in the ninth race, an MR 71 Handicap over 1800m.
“He is a big strong strapping son of Black Minnaloushe and quite a physically imposing specimen. He impressed when winning his post-maiden with ease and he comes in fit in this 1800m handicap. I know there are one or two others that are rated in the field but he is another who should go very, very close to winning.”
