Graeme Hawkins
Promettere turned in a career best performance when storming to victory in Saturday’s headliner at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, the “Buy Tickets to WSB Cape Town Met on Quicket” Class 3 Handicap over 1600m. Ridden by Richard Fourie for trainer Vaughan Marshall, the 5yo son of Pomodoro accelerated smartly over the final 200m from some way off the early speed and drew clear to beat Future Turn by more than three lengths.
Future Turn (28/10) stayed on gamely from a handy position but was simply no match for Promettere (5/1) in the closing stages. Hat’s Pride (11/2) moved up threateningly approaching the final 200m but failed to sustain his effort and at the line was a neck adrift of Future Turn in third spot. Promettere was the second leg of a double for Fourie on a day when current log-leader Craig Zackey drew a rare blank. With Gavin Lerena riding a treble at Turffontein, the title chase looks as follows by the close of business on Saturday – Craig Zackey 119; Gavin Lerena 115 and Richard Fourie 114. With Fourie and Zackey getting the plum rides for trainers Alan Greeff and Gavin Smith in the Eastern Cape, Lerena faces an uphill battle to maintain his momentum and stay in touch.
Fourie’s first winner came aboard Okavango in the second race, a Class 5 Handicap over 1600m, for the Justin Snaith team, their sole winner over the 10-race programme. Okavango was backed to the exclusion of the field and justified odds of 7/10 with a bloodless 4-length victory over Cosmic Rhythm. Owner Nick Jonsson was on hand to lead in his 3yo son of Master Of Fate who was winning at only the fourth time of asking and may yet have scope for further progress.
Glen Kotzen would have left Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday with a smile on his face. Over the past few months his Woodhill Racing Team, based near Paarl, have been fighting a lingering virus and generally the horses have been performing well below par. But his six runners on Saturday yielded two winners, one second and two thirds, including saddling the Exacta in the third race, a Maiden Plate over 1200m. The lesser fancied of the pair, Tripping Thunder (Chad Little), held a clear advantage with 200m left to race, but his more favoured stable companion Circumbendibus (JP van der Merwe) was now in full cry and got up in the shadow of the post to win going away.
Chad Little had his moment in the sun in the seventh race, a Maiden Plate over 1800m. Little confidently took Bombers In The Sky forward from the start and the 3yo son of Lancaster Bomber was never headed, reaching the finishing post with nearly two lengths to spare over Future Frequency and Landoftherisingsun.
The almost inevitable Pick 6 “bomb” landed in the fifth race, a Maiden Plate (F&M) over 1200m, when the formless Princessontherun (with an official merit rating of 41) fought off the attentions of Lhasa (7/1) to score by a head at odds of 100/1. Following the shock victories at similar odds by Gem King and It Is My Time at the previous two race meetings, this was the third consecutive race meeting at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth to deliver such a turn-up for the books. While the remaining five legs of the Pick 6 all delivered favourable results, Princessontherun’s complete reversal of form resulted in a Pick 6 dividend of more than R500 000.
One of the more impressive winners on the day was the Des McLachlan-trained Shesgotclass (9/2) who raced away to an easy victory in the fourth race, a Maiden Plate (F&M) over 1200m. Having only her second career start, the 3yo daughter of Querari was never in danger of defeat under Morne Winnaar and, as her name suggests, she could be a cut above the average. Keep an eye on the runner-up, Sugarbush, who ran on steadily from off the speed and the well-bred daughter of Trippi should not be long in shedding her maiden ticket.
Alltheboysiveloved attempted 1400m for the first time in her fledgeling career in the ninth race, a Class 4 Handicap (F&M), and the Lucinda Woodruff inmate passed the test with flying colours. Ridden patiently from a wide draw by Grant Van Niekerk, Alltheboysiveloved made rapid headway from the rear and drew clear of the favourite Swiatek to score by the better part of two lengths. Swiatek has now been runner-up in her last three outings and her next career victory cannot be too far away.
