David Thiselton
THE highlight of Hollywoodbets Scottsville’s meeting yesterday, which contained six maiden plates in eight races, was a Graduation Plate over 1 750m and it turned into a thrilling dual between the two market leaders Native Tongue and Shareholder.
Shareholder was officially the best weighted horse in the small eight horse field but on their last meeting the Justin Snaith-trained Native Tongue had the edge at the weights and was also drawn in pole under Anton Marcus.
Power To Command set a strong pace and built up a big lead and Shareholder looked the winner when running on strongly from midfield. However, Native Tongue had moved up well from further back and found more than Shareholder to score by a length and convert 14-10 odds. Banzai Pipeline was a further four lengths back in third.
The first race was a Conditional Graduation Plate for work-riders over 1200m and the Dennis Bosch-trained Master Of My Fate gelding Knight Warrior recorded his second career win in his 16th start when being kept in touch by Mzwandile Mjokwa and staying on to cross the line 0,90 lengths of Charlie Fox.
The first two returned odds of 18-1 and 25-1 respectively and were followed home by 23/4 chance Kings Crusade with the market leaders Drama Queen (17-10) and Father’s Frost (33-10) only managing fourth and fifth in the eight horse field.
However, punters could have made amends in the second over 800m when the Kumaran Naidoo-trained Visionaire filly Aisling, who was sent off at 6/10 odds under Donovan Dillon, kept up a strong gallop from the off to lead from pillar to post and win by 1.05 lengths from the Rafeef first-timer Civil Rights.
In the third race over 1000m the Louis Goosen-trained What A Winter three-year-old filly Beckoning Beauty was in touch from the off from draw one and stayed on strongly to deny the favourite Alwaysonmymind by 0,70 lengths.
This win gave Ashton Arries his sixth win in the space of eight days.
Arries was denied by a shorthead in the fourth race over 1200m on the 50-1 shot Trumpet Voluntary when the handy-running Toothless, a Garth Puller-trained Coup De Grace three-year-old gelding, was kept going by Lyle Hewitson to win his second career start. The 13-20 favourite Camora was handy throughout but ran out of steam and was beaten 0,35 lengths.
The fifth race over 1200m was ultra competitive and KZN Champion trainer Puller made it a quick double when Luke Ferraris brought home the Elusive Fort gelding High Velocity, who was also having his second career start and converted odds of 13-2. He won fluently by 1,50 lengths from the 11-10 favourite Winter Waves.
In the sixth race over 1500m the improved Michael Roberts-trained Byword gelding Tree Of Knowledge found the trip ideal and won cosily by 0,75 lengths under a good front-running ride by Gareth Wright, converting 17-2 odds. Kinskey’s Tune at 25-1 and the 21-4 first-timer Galabier were next best. The 14-10 favourite Cafe Pacifica let down PA punters by only managing sixth.
Nathan Kotzen scored a one-two in the last race over 2000m when two horses he had brought on slowly but surely, Great Affair and Ellis Island, ran on strongly from way back in a fast-paced race. Muzi Yeni was aboard the 47-20 winner who is by Gimmethegreenlight. The 5-2 favourite Italian Dynasty finished third.
