Glen Kotzen’s Woodhill Racing team celebrated a notable exacta in the R200 000 Monaco Sport Of Kings Listed Kenilworth Cup on the Royal Raceday at Hollywoodbets Kenilwoth on Sunday.
Biscuit! Sean Veale salutes as Glen Kotzen’s Holding Thumbs goes all the way (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
While the money came for the Paarl stable’s Bombers In The Sky, it was their very progressive 4yo Holding Thumbs (33-10) who went from start to finish under Sporting Post-sponsored jockey Sean Veale to record his second stakes victory this summer, beating his revitalised stablemate Blackberry Malt (25-1) by a facile 3,25 lengths in a time of 151,31 secs.
Groovejet (33-10) plugged on a mile back for third, with the fancied Triple Time fading after upping the ante in mid-race, to run last.
Holding Thumbs reminds us a bit of the perpetual motion machine Saccharum, who raced for the Fleggs and was trained by the late Theo de Klerk in the 1970’s. The son of St Cuthbert became a fan favourite as he used to bowl along under Dana Siegenberg and always found more.
Sean Veale clearly enjoys the partnership and has won 3 of 4 races on Holding Thumbs.
“Mr Kotzen keeps trying to tell me to tuck this horse in. But with an action like that, I allowed him to stride,” quipped the charismatic Veale.
Glen Kotzen saddled the exacta (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Glen Kotzen, who earlier this season labelled Holding Thumbs as a potential Hollywoodbets Durban July candidate, said that his charge was strengthening and getting better all the time.
“I managed to get hold of all the owners to express our confidence,” added Kotzen.
It was a special moment for seasoned owner Jill Warner who represented the partnership on her birthday.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Holding Thumbs is by super sire Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the Fort Wood mare Withbatedbreath.
A R1 million BSA National 2yo Sale graduate, Holding Thumbs is now a winner of 7 races with 3 places from his 17 starts, and has earned R729 782.
