Andrew Fortune has many admirers, also some detractors, but there is no doubting his talent.
Although it’s early days in the season he is pressing hard for his second National Jockeys title, already 21 winners ahead of his nearest rival, and if he keeps touring and riding the way he coaxed State Ballet to the line at Durbanville yesterday, barring suspensions he will finish streets ahead.
Carl Burger and Riaan van Reenen’s filly has been pressing hard for a win, leading for most of the journey before being caught at the death, but under Fortune she won rather cosily. The field was no worse than what she had had met in the past, indeed taking on males, but Fortune had them on a string from the start.
Leading from the jump as has been her want, challengers came thick and fast approaching the final furlong but Fortune did little but let out some rein and the chasing pack was left going up and down as the filly scored comfortably, seemingly never in trouble.
It was a riding lesson from a master.
Favourite Over Drive, having his first outing since January, was treading water inside the last 200m but should come on lengths from this outing.
Jockeys of old would never let a rival up their inside and those that dared going that route risked being stuck over the inside fence. As it was yesterday, Grant van Niekerk aboard favourite Ovar left the door wide open for stable companion Percival in the card’s top liner and Corne Orffer took full advantage. Slow out of the gate, Percival was amongst the back markers in a small field in the early exchanges but hugging the rail he came through smartly to win going away.
To be fair, Percival was always going the better and probably would have won where ever he made his run, but it could have been made a little more difficult.
It was a lot easier in the next as Lucky Tuesday followed up on the bounce with a facile win in the fifth. Van Niekerk always had the situation summed up although it turned into little more than a steering job as Candice Bass-Robinson’s mare was hardly off the bit.
Captains Companion, given a more patient ride after trying to make all the running in her two previous starts, finished a game winner of the sixth. Tucked in on the rail behind pace-making Hilaria, Orffer produced Brett Crawford’s runner when it mattered and she kept rolling strongly to win comfortably.
> Yorker found one better in the filly Quebee in a Listed feature in Sandown in the UK yesterday. Possibly undone by an early stroll in the mile race, Yorker fought on courageously. Just when he had it won, Quebee ran him down in the shadow of the post.
Andrew Harrison
