After a string of close calls, Dennis Bosch’s consistent mare Shezaleader finally got another victory under her girth at Scottsville yesterday, but even then she did not cross the line first in the White Heart Décor Handicap. It took the stipendiary stewards what seemed an inordinately long time to decide on what looked to be fairly obvious interference by the winner Free State given that the margin of victory was a couple of pixels.
Inside the final furlong Free State shifted sharply inwards cannoning into favourite A Womans Way who in turn rolled onto Shezaleader, both of whom had been up with the pace throughout.
A Womans Way was checked out of the sandwich and switched from behind Free State but her race was already compromised. Alec Forbes did manage to straighten up Free State in the rush for the line but the damage had been done.
Shezaleader (left) and Free State (Nkosi Hlophe)
Forbes knew it as he unsaddled outside of the winner’s circle, so did Muzi Yeni aboard Shezaleader who made a beeline for the boardroom. The stewards quickly called for a race review but it was left to Yeni to lodge the successful protest.
Apprentice Calvin Habib is unbeaten aboard the Michael Roberts-trained Muscatt over the Scottsville short-cut and he made it three from three in the Niresh Gayadin Financial Plate in spite of the gelding returning from a five-month break. The seven-year-old son of Victory Moon is lengths better with some cut in the ground and he made it count yesterday.
Making all the early running he looked to have done his dash approaching the final furlong as favourite Swakopmund hit the front ahead of a chasing pack. However, the race changed complexion in a matter of strides as Swakopmund started treading water along with the chasers. Muscatt kept plugging away up the inside rail as the opposition fell away and he won rather comfortably in the end.
Earlier Habib had caused an upset on the James Goodman-trained Salsa Queen to get the Pick 6 off to a dodgy start for most punters.
Scent Of The Tiger overcame a horrific injury to win the Steel Doctor Maiden for Mark Dixon. Out resting in his paddock, he somehow took off half of one of his hooves. Nursed back to full soundness he showed no ill effects yesterday as he dug in stubbornly refusing to give in to favourite Cabinda.
Duncan Howells, fresh from a win with Gingerbread Man at Greyville on Friday night, saddled a treble with Accidental Tourist landing the odds in the card opener. Two races later Amazon King, also starting favourite, kept Rand Hedge at bay and Enlightenment rounded off a satisfying afternoon for the yard under Grant van Niekerk.
Anthony Delpech always had his race in hand aboard Accidental Tourist who had raced against winners at her previous start but he was second best aboard Rand Hedge who was unable to peg back the short-priced favourite Amazon King with Niekerk aboard. These two had the race to themselves with the balance of the field some seven lengths in arears.
Andrew Harrison
