The handicappers made short work of Whizz Of Odds rise to fortune as the diminutive filly proved no match for Candy Galore at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday. There was six lengths between the pair when last they met over course and distance and Gavin van Zyl’s filly was lumped with a seven-pound penalty for that win. The 6kg difference was reduced to 1.5kg yesterday and Candy Galore gave young Gareth van Zyl his second winner of the afternoon after saddling Heroic Deed to a comfortable win in the card opener.
Apprentice Denis Schwarz, out of his time next week and Gauteng-based, is becoming a regular in KZN and his services will be in high demand if he continues to ride as he did yesterday, setting Candy Galore alight when it mattered and leaving Whizz Of Odds battling to hold off third-placed Be Happy.
In retrospect Whizz Of Odds had a lot against her and was beaten by an older filly that had looked to be going places earlier in her career.
Anton Marcus’s bid for five consecutive victories came up short in the fourth where favourite Paybackthemoney could only manage third. Marcus had two wins from two rides at Kenilworth on Saturday and had two winners from two under his belt going into the fourth.
Thabiso Gumede is one of the most laid-back apprentices in the Jockey Academy but has plenty of ability as he showed when getting Twice Golden to quicken from last to master Wildlife Safari and Paybackthemoney. Twice Golden was aided by a postage stamp on his back, the two older runners giving him 8.5kg and 12kg respectively.
Marcus kicked off the meeting with an easy victory on Heroic Deed in the first with favourite Forest Jump relegated to second once again with the luckless Khanya Sakayi winless for nearly six months after a stellar start to his career.
It was the turn of Gavin van Zyl and Warren Kennedy in the second as Living Waters built on his promising debut to run out a comfortable winner of the second even though Black Fox under Schwarz and Fade To Black under Keagan de Melo pressed hard at one stage.
Marcus earned every cent of his riding fee on favourite Imperial Rage as he got Glen Kotzen’s runner home in a driving finish.
Given a pedestrian early pace, Marcus took the initiative and went clear before the field turned for home. It proved an inspired move but the three-times champion jockey was forced to pump away for 800m to hold off Rock With Me and Cassius Colt.
Enjoy The View finished tailed off behind Spiritofthegroove with heat fatigue in his last start at Turffontein but his form before that had been patchy hence his 22-1 starting price. Serino Moodley made no mistakes on Michael Roberts’s charge yesterday as he pounced at just the right time to hold off the mare Made In Hollywood and favourite Wave.
By Andrew Harrison
