Andrew Harrison

It has been over a year since Tempting Fate won the Gr1 Gold Medallion at Hollywoodbets Scottsville but a trip to Cape Town, five races later and an operation to sort out a breathing problem, saw Dennis Drier’s charge back in top form at the same venue yesterday.

An issue that ostensibly started in Cape Town, saw Tempting Fate struggling to breath because of an entrapped epiglottis. But Drier was lavish in his praise of some delicate surgery by vets Johnny Cave and Manfred Rower that appears to have been successful as Tempting Fate landed the race and the money.

It was a competitive handicap sprint and Light The Loose gave plenty of cheek, but Tempting Fate put it all together and won well enough to suggest that he still has plenty to offer.

Pray For Rain, second to Tempting Fate in the Gold Medallion, was a winner last time out but after showing early pace, trailed in last. 

For TAB punters, the meeting got off to a rocky start. According to a terse e-mail, the TAB pools for the first race failed to close on time and some bets were struck after the race had been run. TAB payouts were suspended immediately.

After a lengthy delay, it was later announced on course that all TAB bets were to be refunded and the race, for TAB purposes, was declared null and void and all bets struck to be refunded.

However, the result of the race does stand. A spokesman for bookmakers Hollywoodbets said that as an official result was declared, they would be paying winning fixed odds bets.

The stipendiary board  have launched an inquiry into the incident.

October Song put the record straight when getting the better of a duel with Lucky Miss in the fourth. On debut, Mike Miller’s charge was rumoured ‘unbeatable’ but a lack of racing experience cost her dearly as she went under to the Gary Rich-trained Kitten’s Adventure.

Serino Moodley had things a little easier this time around although he had to survive a race revue as he crossed Lucky Miss late with Muzi Yeni having to ease off her heels.

These two were many lengths clear of the opposition  and both should pay dividends in the future.

Hasta Manana finally got his act together when winning the fifth for Gareth van Zyl. Stable supporters took time to get off the mark as the well fancied Drive By came under pressure early in the card opener and failed to get in a blow as the Mark Dixon-trained Shell Seeker, who came in for a ton of late money, landed the gamble in emphatic fashion and looks to be one for the notebook.

Indigo Fields was next up for the stable, also starting at cramped odds, but backing first timers again showed that it can be a tricky business as the more experienced and progressive Sting Ray and  Queen Mercury proved more than a match for a filly that was all at sea when it counted.