Grant van Niekerk made a sensational start to his Hong Kong venture at Sha Tin yesterday, landing a first and last race double.
He won on his first ride, 73-20 chance Triumphant Jewel in the opening Harcourt Handicap. He was then unplaced on four rides before teaming up with the Tony Millard-trained World Record in the concluding Albert Handicap. The gelding drifted out to 162-10 just before the off and seemed to have no chance when sitting in last place for much of the way.
But Van Niekerk had other ideas. He got the horse running into the bit going into the final turn and, as he rounded it, he asked his mount to race in earnest. The gelding fairly ate up the ground to pip the favourite Rattani in the last half stride and win officially by a nose.
Grant Van Niekerk
Hong Kong owners, and therefore trainers, are notoriously fickle with so much depending on whether the jockeys are considered lucky. After this performance Van Niekerk’s name will be top of the popularity charts. He and Callan Murray (who had to be content with a half-length second from five mounts) were well supported by Millard and fellow South African trainer David Ferraris.
At Durbanville on Saturday the unbeaten Rainbow Bridge and Pleasedtomeetyou will both miss the 1 250m Pinnacle.
Eric Sands was unable to get permission to gallop the Winter Guineas and Winter Classic winner at Kenilworth on Saturday so Rainbow Bridge won’t be ready – “He takes quite a lot of sharp work until he is fit.” The Milnerton trainer still has the Matchem on October 7 on the agenda but he wants the horse to first prove that he is ready enough and that he will handle the course.
Andre Nel, who also has La Favourari and Percival in the Pinnacle, said: “Pleasedtomeetyou will either wait for a handicap at Durbanville on September 11 or the Fairview Wine Sophomore Sprint there four days later.
“Everything about him says that he will get further but Querari’s offspring have caught me out before and so I will run him over 1 200 or 1 250m next and see how he goes.”
Nel lost his appeal against the impressive debut winner’s 92 merit rating and both the adjudicators and the handicappers will be patting themselves on the back after the way Trip To The Sky, beaten over seven lengths into third, emphatically franked the form at Kenilworth on Saturday.
No specific plans have yet been made for Whisky Baron after his encouraging return at Goodwood nine days ago but Ridgemont racing manager Craig Carey expects last year’s Met winner to run quite soon because autumn is approaching in England and Whisky Baron doesn’t act in the soft.
Piet Botha, who had his first runner as a trainer on Saturday – the pace-setting Head Of The Pack who was sixth to Trip To The Sky- broke his right ankle in a fall when riding work and arrived at Kenilworth on crutches.
By Michael Clower
