The Ridgemont-sponsored reigning SA champion jockey Richard Fourie followed up his five-timer at Fairview last Friday, with another four winners, including his season century milestone for his sponsors, in Gqeberha on Tuesday.
Splicethemainbrace (Richard Fourie) wins the Aloe Stakes (Pic – Pauline Herman)
On a day dominated by the power players, Alan Greeff and Richard Fourie enjoyed four winners, with Gavin Smith’s trio coming courtesy of Craig Zackey (2) and Stallone Naidoo.
Tara Laing and Chase Maujean were the only other combination to have a say, when the 16-1 Thread Of Life won the fourth in an exotic bump.
But the day largely belonged to Fourie, who has clearly turned up the volume to start 2025 with a soaring win strike-rate.
The champion’s season century was registered in the opener when he celebrated the milestone for his sponsors Ridgemont who bred the Canford Cliffs filly, Baie Mooi, who was a runaway winner on debut. Raced by Ridgemont and Devin Heffer, she is out of the Stratum two-time winner, Mushi Sterek.
Fourie then made it 101 in the day’s feature, the R150 000 non-black type Aloe Stakes.
Starting at 4-10 in the six horse field, the diminutive Splicethemainbrace shot clear 350m from home under Richard Fourie to beat stablemate Ignitethelight (10-1) by 1,50 lengths in a time of 75,45 secs for the polytrack 1300m.
Alan Greeff saddled the trifecta, with Can’t Say No (50-1) a further half length back in third.
Bred by Varsfontein, the winner is by Master Of My Fate out of the Sail In Seattle mare, Summer Cruise.
Splicethemainbrace has now won 7 of her 9 starts and took her earnings to R540 625.
She was a R200 000 purchase from the 2023 August Two Year Old Sale.
Fourie then won the sixth, an MR 81 Handicap, on the seasoned sprinter Whatever Next.
A nasty accident in this race saw Marco van Rensburg take a tumble from Purple Operator, who was humanely euthanized. Van Rensburg came away with a broken arm and is likely to be out for six weeks.
While the mood on course had become sombre after the tragic incident, Fourie capped his four-timer on the Gimmethegreenlight filly, Sweet Nothings in the last.
The 3yo showed little in the Cape for Justin Snaith, but has turned her prospects around in two starts in Gqeberha.
The next Fairview racemeeting is on the turf on Friday 10 January, when the Lady’s Bracelet, now a non-black type contest, heads the card.
