David Thiselton
The Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein yesterday was won by the Tyrone Zackey-trained Johnny Hero under Kabelo Matsunane, who celebrated recently attaining his fully fledged jockey’s license by riding a double.
The Jubilee traditionally provides a last gasp opportunity for lower rated horses to make a bid for a place in the Vodacom Durban July field and the pair that fell into that category yesterday were the 111-rated former Dingaans winner Shango and the 107-rated Pack Leader.
Running Brave and ExpressfromtheUS were other July entries to run but they were high up on the last July log in tenth and twelfth position respectively.
Eight of the original jockeys had to be replaced because of the meeting coinciding with the postponed Hollywoodbets Scottsville Festival Of Speed meeting.
Matsunyane had landed a chance ride in the previous race on the well-bred Mike de Kock-trained Dynasty filly Desert Miracle. He brought this maiden home to beat some useful fillies going away in the Highveld Winter Juvenile Fillies Stakes over 1400m.
The early pace was sedate in the Jubilee and the known front-runner Running Brave had every chance to get over from draw five to take the lead but Greg Cheyne, riding her for the first time, opted to try and unsuccessfully restrain her instead.
Bingwa led and kept the pace steady with Running Brave racing too strongly on his outside.
Oyster King was in third between the pair with Green Haze in the box seat on the rail and Jet Start caught out wide.
Johnny Hero had nice cover behind Oyster King and Shango was behind him.
Christopher Robin was caught wide the whole way.
Pack Leader had nice cover third from last, while Chijmes tried the hold up tactics which had worked well last time over shorter and was on the rail one from last and ExpressfromtheUS was at the back having been dropped out from a wide draw.
Running Brave was soon a spent force, not surprisingly, as Bingwa strode out well in the front and was the target for the chasers.
Johnny Hero, who had snuck into the handicap with the minimum weight was the first to chase and was moving ominously well.
Shango and Pack Leader were also making a bid on the outside.
Johnny Hero forged to the front 200m from home and kept going to beat a charging Shango by 0,75 lengths with Bingwa staying on to be just a head behind that. Pack Leader was fourth, beaten four lengths, and ExpressfromtheUS was too far back and could only manage a 6,35 length fifth.
Running Brave ran her second shocker in succession and was beaten 26 lengths, although the riding tactics did not help, so her July place might now be in jeopardy. The breeding shed might be calling for this admirable mare.
Shango would likely have needed to win to get into the July and Pack Leader’s chances of qualifying for the big race are gone.
Johnny Hero runs in the same colours as the 2012 narrow July runner up Smanjemanje and it will be interesting to see whether he is supplemented. In 2017 Coral Fever was supplemented after winning the Jubilee with 53.5kg but he was not included in the final VDJ field.
Later the Johan Janse van Vuuren stalwart filly Lady Of Steel landed the seventh win of her career, a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1400m, in comfortable fashion under Marco van Rensburg, from Orpheus who enjoyed the step down in trip and strode out well in the front throughout.
Callan Murray took advantage of the jockeys’ absence and flew up from Cape Town to ride the first two winners on the card and both look promising. Big Burn by Elusive Fort is a full-sister to Catch Twentytwo and won the first over 1160m by three lengths for the Paul Peter yard.
Murray rode the Peter-trained Mufasa to a 4,25 length win in the second over 1160m. He is by What A Winter and is a half-brother to the Grade 3-winning Grade 1 runner up Magico.
The Fabian Habib-trained SA Derby winner Out Of Your League bounced back to form by winning the next over 2400m under Diego De Gouveia.
The Alec Laird-trained Spice Market won the fourth over 1400m from start to finish under 4kg claimer Mfanelo Zuma.
The fifth over 1400m was won by the Sean Tarry-trained Rain In Holland under Luyola Mxothwa. She easily accounted for the 1/4 favourite Smorgasbord.
