G G’s Dynasty is something of a Hollywoodbets Scottsville specialist. He arrived in KZN to join Brett Crawford’s Summerveld yard a maiden winner and seemingly having lost his way and his first local start did not give away much of what was to follow. But since then he has never been out of the first two in six starts, four of those wins, and three at Scottsville.
He was sent out a short-priced favourite for The White Horse Function Room Handicap yesterday and never looked like losing. Peter Muscutt, Crawford’s Summerveld assistant, said prerace that his only concern was that GG’s Dynasty was a small horse with a big weight but the gelding made light work of his burden, coming clear over the final 400m to win as he liked leaving Walterthepennyless and Williams Landlocked in a tussle for second with the former prevailing by a short head.
The Michael Roberts-trained filly Be Happy was another comfortable winner as Warren Kennedy punched her out hands-and-heels winning by an ever increasing 2.75 lengths. “I knew she had a big chance,” said Kennedy. “She finished just over two lengths behind Whizz of Odds and she is a smart filly who will probably be going for the features this season.”
Kennedy opened his afternoon’s account with Vernichey for Gareth van Zyl in the Maiden Juvenile Plate. The daughter of Vercingetorix put up a pleasing barrier trial and found mountains of support to start deep in the red. It was money not misplaced as she quickened away from her field to win as she liked. Ziva De Grace, who had the benefit of a race, matched strides in the early part but proved no match for the winner.
Favourite Explosive Beauty is proving to be something of a handful and blew her chances at the start of the third. It is seldom that Anton Marcus gets his mount left in the gate but Paul Lafferty’s filly gave her field start and although making up a lot of ground she could only manage fourth as apprentice Thabiso Gumede took full advantage of his 4kg claim to get the Louis Goosen-trained Uptotrix to reverse the form of their last meeting.
Calvin Habib is becoming a regular visitor to KZN and turned in a polished performance, producing Andre Nel’s runner Room At The Top with a well-timed finish to out-gun recent maiden winner Joseph Jagger and long-time leader and favourite Sea Sponge in the last few jumps.
Suzie Woo has been building for another win and replacement rider Gareth Wright made no mistakes as he kept Shane Humby’s mare fighting to the line; Bint El Malak and favourite Purple Persuasion both given every chance.
By Andrew Harrison
