David Thiselton
Grant van Niekerk is at the centre of the controversy which saw the hot favourite One Stripe hampered on two separate occasions in the R5 million Big Cap, which was expected to be the superstar One World colt’s glorious swansong before departing for the big stage in the USA.
It is difficult to defend the jockey who has built up a reputation for causing interference and for gathering an above average amount of suspensions.
The interference was a pity on more than one count as it also detracts from the performance of the Van Niekerk-ridden winner All Out For Six, who is a Vaughan Marshall-trained stablemate of One Stripe’s, as he put in such a stirring performance he might have won the race anyway.
All Out For Six was actually weighted to beat One Stripe on the form of their meeting in the Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup over 1600m, although One Stripe put him in his place in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, beating him by 8,45 lengths.
The interesting point was that the Punters Cup was a small field and All Out For Six was able to get an easy lead.
One Stripe had to pull out all the stops to fetch him that day.
Van Niekerk went into the race believing he had a chance on the evidence of the Punters Cup as this race was over 1400m on a track running fast, so if he got an easy lead here there might be a repeat of One Stripe having to work hard to fetch him.
That is likely why Van Niekerk said afterwards on Saturday he believed he would have won easier if he had got to the front.
That plan was effected by All Out For Six not being able to outdo some of the others on the jump.
He was unable to beat a few of the others for gatespeed and early pace and from draw eight of nine ended up behind Coastal Commander, who had drifted outward from draw five and was in third place behind The Grey King and Passchendaele on the inside.
Van Niekerk’s first misdemeanour was at the 1200m mark when directing an overracing Hit For Six inward instead of outward when awkwardly placed on the heels of Coastal Commander.
This caused him to bump One Stripe, who faltered as a result.
However, it was understandable he did this as he was virtually at the turn and One Stripe had been running a couple of horse widths wide of the rail down the back straight, despite no horses being on his inside.
Furthermore, switching All Out For Six outward at the turn would have seen him slungshot way wide.
In the straight All Out For Six switches around Coastal Commander and masters him comfortably.
He now has The Grey King and One Stripe, who is aiming for a gap between the inside rail and Grey King, to deal with.
He reaches the Grey King traveling on a straight line.
The Grey King is traveling straight too and just before All Out For Six reaches him he shifts outward slightly and brushes the latter.
Thereafter, All Out For Six shifts inward continuously forcing The Grey King inward and the latter’s movement shuts the door on One Stripe, forcing Gavin Lerena to snatch him up to avoid being forced over the rail.
There will be an inquiry into this incident (which will include looking at the incident at the 1200m mark too).
The inquiry board will be looking at whether Van Niekerk made every effort to avoid hampering The Grey King.
The experts will be looking at Van Niekerk’s body and leg positions and his whip and rein actions and looking at head on and side on film to adjudge whether he is attempting to stay straight or whether he is deliberately hanging inward.
His whip remains in his right hand throughout the incident. The horse seems to be pointing outward, but is hanging inward. However, this is just from looking at YouTube replays and not hearing any evidence from jockeys.
All Out For Six, like One Stripe, is by One World and was bred by Drakenstein Stud, and he passed the line 1,75 lengths clear of the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Pomodoro gelding La Pulga, who came from a long way back with a strong finish.
Great Plains comes from second last and has to be eased and switched halfway down the straight due to the inside rail being blocked and he then uses his big stride to fly home when finding clear space on the outside of horses. He is beaten 4,50 lengths into third.
The Grey King plugged on for a 4,70 length fourth.
Empire State stays on well for a five length fifth, a length ahead of the unfortunate One Stripe.
All Out For Six is owned by The One World Syndicate.
All Out For Six ironically carried the Big Cap slot ticket of Hollywood Racing, who part-own One Stripe, with Rikesh Sewgoolam, part-owner of One Stripe, holding the voucher for One Stripe.
One of the spokesman for the One World Syndicate, Ken Truter, said the victory was “bitter-sweet”.
“I have been a huge fan of One Stripe and I had kind of hoped …”, he said before becoming quite emotional and asking for the mic to be redirected to the next syndicate member.
It was indeed one of those eerie occasions on the racecourse when the winner is greeted with little fanfare, as most around the country had hoped to see the equine hero One Stripe going out with a bang and arriving overseas without a blemish.
However, nothing should be taken away from All Out For Six, who certainly proved himself a top class racehorse.
Nor from Vaughan Marshall, who has had a fine season and when his chief stable star suffered one of those inevitable racing incidents that will happen in any horse’s career, it was his stablemate that was there to pick up the pieces.
