Andrew Harrison
WITH the Kimberley sand now consigned to the dustbin of history and Fairview on the other side of the country, the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly track is likely to attract a lot more up-country visitors looking for the synthetic surface.
Clinton Binda and Weiho Marwing are regulars and they seldom leave without the odd plum. Binda got off the mark in the first with the filly Afriel. Quizzed post-race he said the daughter of Master Of My Fate, himself an up-tight individual, was ‘scared of everything’. He said that she was alright at home where she gets ridden bare-back but it was a different story at the race course.
He also revealed that as a young horse she had escaped from her box early one morning and was found in a ditch where Binda had to use a front-end loader to get her out. He said it was a long time ago but the memory has surely stuck.
Nirvana Girl looked to be one of the better bets on the card and was duly sent off in the red, but after making most of the running she was nailed on the line by Doug Campbell’s lightly raced filly Montfort.
Marcus made plenty of use of the favourite getting to the front early and extended his lead to a good few lengths at the top of the straight.
However, with Nirvana Girl crying for the line over the last 100m, the pack was closing fast led by Montfort and replacement rider Keagan de Melo timed his run to a nicety, getting up on the line. According to Campbell, the daughter of Elusive Fort, one of the country’s most under rated stallions, is a big immature filly who should go much further than the mile of yesterday.
Montana Sky has been knocking at the door for Ashburton-based Tienie Prinsloo and had to settle for second once again as Captain Zee showed remarkable improvement to run him out of it with Whateverittakes, the ham in the sandwich, game in third.
It was a quick double for the Sabine Plattner/Andre Nel yard as they followed up Captain Zee with Run To Denmark in the next. It was a case of anyone’s race approaching the final 100m but Run To Denmark stuck to his guns to keep reserve runner Samsonite at bay. Kyle Strydom picked up the ride on Dennis Bosch’s charge and the apprentice continues to impress.
Jabu Jacobs, under the tutelage of Garth Puller and Peter Muscutt, seldom lets them down and he rode a copybook race in the fifth on Purple Persuasion who put her recent disappointment behind her, when drawn 12 from 12. She fired all the way to the line to hold a late-charging light weight Marsanne.
Binda earlier indicated that Phinda Mzala was the main reason for this raid but after cracking on the pace the plan fell apart. It was probably pace that was his undoing as Whizz Of Odds and Di Mazzio came from off the gallop to dispute the finish where it was the seasoned champion Warren Kennedy putting one over his apprentice rival as Strydom got his reins in a tangle.
