Just over a week after his return to the saddle following a two month injury enforced break, Muzi Yeni banked three winners at Turffontein on Saturday, including a confidently restrained ride on Mike de Kock’s Greaterix in the R350 000 Betway Gr3 Got The Greenlight Stakes.
The uber competitive Yeni was in the leading brigade on the national champion log until that terrible fall from Back In Business on 2 November in the Allied Steelrode-Onamission Charity Mile put paid to his grand plans.
Now some 30 winners behind the likes of Gavin Lerena, Craig Zackey and Richard Fourie, Muzi knows that catching the ‘three musketeers’ is going to be well nigh impossible.
But the former multiple regional champion is not short of inspiration and motivation and the Stone-Stamcor sponsored rider produced a cracking confident ride on Greaterix in the Betway Got The Greenlight Stakes.
After the grey son of Vercingetorix took Quid Pro Quo on with a bold front-running attack in the Dingaans in November, whereafter he reportedly pulled up distressed, he was given a chance on Saturday and delivered in style, moving up late to at 7-10 to hold off a sustained challenged by Fire Attack (17-2) to beat the Laird inmate by 0,70 lengths in a time of 86,59 secs for the 1400m.
Cosmic Speed (15-2) stayed on best of the best for third and 2,40 lengths back, with the 66-1 Potberrie capping the quartet.
Now a winner of 4 races with 2 places from 6 starts, Greaterix took his earnings to R556 875.
Bred by Al Adiyaat South Africa (Pty) Ltd, and raced by the breeders in partnership with Messrs Mike de Kock, Chris Haynes, George Ragunan & Noelene Malherb, the winner is a son of Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the thrice-winning Jet Master mare, Semra.
We imagine we could see Greaterix line up in the Cape Derby on 22 February.