Last week Glen Kotzen saddled his first winner after a frustrating six week drought. On Saturday the Woodhill Racing Team were celebrating a heartstopping Grade 1 victory after the gutsy dual Grade 2-winner Rascova had pipped her arch-rival Double Grand Slam to win the R1 million Maine Chance Farms Gr1 Majorca Stakes.
A heartstopping moment as Rascova (Gavin Lerena) pips out Double Grand Slam under Richard Fourie (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Silence descended on a bustling Hollywoodbets Kenilworth in the dying strides as the 7-10 favourite Double Grand Slam looked to have the prestigious trophy in the bag.
But a determined Gavin Lerena had other ideas and the photo showed that the bang in-form Highveld rider had gotten Rascova (5-1) up on the line to win by a nose in a time of 98,34 secs for the mile.
The moderate pace of the race didn’t pan out for Double Grand Slam, and a rematch during the SA Champions Season could be a mouth-watering possibility!
Roccapina (7-1) was 1,25 lengths back in third.
It was a first Grade 1 success for owners Sandy and Eugene Arundel, and a landmark success for trainer Glen Kotzen who would have assisted Clodagh Shaw with dual Majorca winner Donatella back on 1999 and 2000.
The now 4yo Rascova was her sire’s first winner and also his first black type winner when she won the Listed City Of Cape Town Summer Juvenile Stakes Christophe Soumillon on Met day 2023. She also happened to be the son of War Front’s maiden Gr2 winner.
A R260 000 Cape Yearling Sale graduate, the Cheveley Stud-bred Rascova is out of the five-time winning Western Winter mare, Netsuke.
Now a winner of 6 races with 10 places from 20 starts, Rascova took her stakes earnings to R2 371 363.
