Warren Kennedy’s early treble at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday had racing historians searching through the archives as he had also won the last three races at the Vaal the previous days, which meant he had ridden the winner of six successive scheduled South African races.
Piere Strydom is the only rider to have ridden the Pick 6 in SA history but oddly enough he did not ride the winner of six successive scheduled races that day because the match race between Divine Act and Brainteaser was run in between two of the legs and he was on the defeated Brainteaser.
Aldo Domeyer rode six winners out of six rides at Kenilworth in January 2017 but they were not in six successive scheduled races.
Jeff Lloyd has ridden seven winners on a day on three occasions in SA and Garth Puller did it once and there have been many occasions of jockeys riding six in a day, but the records will have to be checked to see whether the same jockey has been aboard the winner of six successive scheduled races.
Kennedy started yesterday with a double for his guv’nor Gavin van Zyl. Greenlighttoheaven won the first, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m by a comfortable 3,75 lengths.
In the next Kennedy kept Miss Marmalade going to just beat the Mike Miller-trained Chanel Allure on the other side of the track by a quarter of a length.
Kennedy completed the treble when keeping The Paul Lafferty-trained Katie’s Treasure going to beat the Dennis Drier-trained first-timer Candyman by three-quarters of a length in the 1200m maiden.
Kennedy made it four later on when the Wayne Badenhorst-trained Mai Tai fulfilled the promise she had always shown by winning the seventh, a MR 76 handicap for filllies and mares over 1000m. The Vercingetorix three-year-old appreciated the step down in trip and has now won twice from six career starts.
Lafferty scored a treble on the day. He also won the fifth over 1750m with Dark Moon Down, ridden by Dennis Schwarz, and the last over 1950m with Rise, ridden by Calvin Habib.
The fourth over 1750m was the highest rated race on the card, a Progress Plate, and was won easily by the improving Robbie and Shannon Hill-trained Twice Over filly Moon In June.
Andre Nel’s Washington Square won the sixth over 1000m under 4kg claimer Jabu Jacobs.
Lafferty’s fine day saw him closing the gap on Garth Puller on the Hollywoodbets Sizzling Summer Challenge trainers’ table.
He started the day 52 points behind Garth Puller and after collecting 49 points to the latter’s 12 he is now just 15 points behind.
Kennedy started the day nine points behind Anton Marcus on the jockeys’ table but his 80 points compared to Marcus’ 54 saw him moving into a 17 point lead.
By David Thiselton
