Summerveld trainer Robbie Hill’s Pathfork colt Red Chesnut Road was the talk of the Scottsville meeting on Sunday after running away with a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m on his debut.
Later there was a good front-running performance from the useful Sean Tarry-trained Serissa to win the Listed Easter Handicap over 1950m under S’Manga Khumalo, while the Louis Goosen-trained Trip Tease showed how classy he is by coming from off the pace to win the innovative Easter Dash over 600m.
Red Chesnut Road (Nkosi Hlophe)
Hill, a top jockey for many years who once completed a rare Durban July/Gold Cup double, knows the game well and is not allowing himself to be carried away by Red Chesnut Road’s performance, despite the effortless win by 7,75 lengths under Brandon Lerena.
The Highlands-bred chestnut colt showed fine gatespeed and early speed, allowing him to overcome a high draw, which is usually viewed as unfavourable down the Scottsville straight. He steadily increased his lead under hands and heels.
The only possible downside to the victory was the winning time of the following race, won by the strapping Gavin van Zyl-trained two-year-old Just As Well filly Princess Analia. The latter’s time was just 0,48 seconds slower than Red Chesnut Road’s. This might bring in to question the quality of the field Red Chesnut Road beat. However, the Dennis Drier-trained Western Winter colt Lee’s Star, who was beaten 11,5 lengths into third place, was the subject of a big whisper and started 13/10 favourite, so must show a lot at home. Furthermore, Gavin van Zyl rates Princess Analia a “smart filly” and she certainly gave that impression in Sunday’s race, which followed her debut second on the poly in which she was green. Her big action took her to the front and she held on by 0,75 lengths from the Drier-trained debutant Sail, who is by Philanthropist. The 8/10 Duncan Howells-trained favourite Dawn Calling was beaten 3,5 lengths with the rest beaten ten lengths and more.
Hill liked Red Chesnut Road from the moment he saw him at the KZN Suncoast Yearling Sale and was surprised to pick him up for just R250,000. His pedigree suggests he should get a mile and more. Pathfork by Distorted Humor won a Gr 1 over seven furlongs at the Curragh in Ireland in soft going and the narrow runner up Casamento subsequently won a Gr 2 over a mile by four lengths before winning the Gr 1 Racing Post Trophy over a mile at Doncaster. Red Chesnut Road’s dam Scarlet Sky by Fort Wood won three times from 1200-1600m and his second dam Fading Light won the Gr 1 Empress Club Stakes over 1600m and was third in the SA Oaks.
Princess Analia (Nkosi Hlophe)
Hill has had a high regard for Red Chesnut Road from day one, but is wisely not getting ahead of himself. The acid test will obviously be when he faces some of the best from the Highveld and the Cape. Consequently, no Gr 1 targets are being spoken about just yet.
Front-runners appear to be favoured by small fields, as they are able to dictate, and such was the case with Serissa in the Easter Handicap over 1950m. The tough six-year-old gelding by Black Minnaloushe started favourite despite having been given a six point merit rated raise to 95 for an easy win in the Non-Black Type Umthombothi Stakes over 2000m on the poly in his penultimate start. The Dean Kannemeyer-trained Solar Star, who sat second in the running, was chasing throughout the straight but was still 1,5 lengths shy at the line and second favourite No Worries finished third. Serissa is just below the best, so won’t be easy to place during the South African Champions Season. However, he has proven able to stay 2400m and has not been tried over further than that yet, so there are a range of possibilities.
Trip Tease was able to come from about two lengths off the pace under Gunther Wrogemann in the Easter Dash, despite his rivals going all out from gun to tape, and he got up in the shadow of the post to beat outsiders Piano Man and Zinnavar by 0,75 lengths.
By David Thiselton
