Andrew Harrison

THERE is a racing truism that ‘weight stops trains’ but class generally triumphs over weight and Crown Towers, who had mixed it with the best over Champions Season, never looked in danger as the Australian import lumped top weight of 62kg to an emphatic victory in the Listed Michaelmas Handicap at Hollywoodbets Greyville today.

Justin Snaith, up from home base in Cape Town to oversee his string of Summerveld satellite runners, made much of it when interviewed after Rite Of Passage opened his account in the second.

It was more a cautionary notice than an emphatic statement but supporters needn’t have worried.

Anton Marcus was not shy to use his mount up early and took his time overcoming a deep draw. He finally found the rail at around the 1000m pole and Crown Towers was moving like a well-oil machine as Duc D’Orange took the field along.

Travelling sweetly at the top of the straight, Crown Towers was given his head and he accelerated away to a comfortable victory.

Warren Kennedy on the favourite Sworder Street, always had Crown Towers in his sights but when the chips were down, he was not able to go with the winner.

Marcus had to call on all of his expertise to get Rite Of Passage home but came unstuck in the Beach Beauty Mile just when he looked to have the race sewn up on favourite Maria Corolina. It was a tight tussle to the line with Treasured Pearl chasing hard but just as Maria Corolina looked to have the upper hand, the two come close together with Marcus having his stick struck out of his hand by a hard-driving Ashton Arries. It was an accidental coming together but the slight change in momentum was enough for Mike Miller’s charge to get her nose in front when it mattered.

There are always one or two upsets when it comes to the Pick 6, the trick is finding which races are the most likely to provide the upset and load up. Highveld visitor Rebel’s Champ was coming off a good second and started favourite but was never in the hunt. Donovan Dillon slipped Sunset Eyes up the inside rail and looked all over a winner before Stuart Randolph produced Hard To Play with a telling late run up the centre of the track chased by Hudoo Magic, both getting to grips with Sunset Eyes inside the last 50m. In this case the 62 kg allotted Sunset Eyes proved his undoing as he gave the winner 6kg and the runner-up 2.5kg.