Andrew Harrison
KOM NAIDOO boasts the largest string in Ashburton and he sends out winners on a regular basis. Vihzoe’s Magic, by his own admission had been disappointing before yesterday’s success at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Speaking after her final piece of work mid-week Naidoo comment; “She has been disappointing. She should have won her maiden a long time ago. She put up a cracking piece of work yesterday and I’m hoping that the blinkers make a difference.”
They certainly seemed to do the trick as the daughter of Willow Magic ran down the favourite Umzinduzi in the run to the wire for the first.
In behind pace-setter Captain’s Rosy for much of the race, Umzinduzi moved up smartly to take the lead crossing the subway with Tristan Godden hunting a gap on Vihzoe’s Magic. Once in daylight she started to reel in Umzinduzi with Captain’s Rosy staying on gamely. Umzinduzi drifted in sharply under pressure forcing Vihzoe’s Magic onto Rule The Runway who was forced to check out of a closing gap. But Vihzoe’s Magic was not to be denied and fought on to win well.
Tyrion Prince came in for a ton of market support before the off of the secondand the gamble looked to have been landed before outsider Palace Music slipped up the inside rail to run him out of it.
With a strong tailwind helping the runners’ home, the race was run at a cracking pace as Ashton Arries took no prisoners on Mark Dixon’s runner, stretching the field in what looked to be a winning gambit.
But it all came apart over the final furlong as the early exertions took their toll on Tyrion Prince who shifted to the outside rail. Warren Kennedy, deputising for a suspended Donovan Dillon, slipped Palace Wind up the inside rail to collar Tyrion Prince.
Palace Wind had finished a distant last at his previous start but as Wendy Whitehead explained, he had been loaded first in that race and played up in the stalls, losing any chance he had after blowing the start.
Reschooled and last up yesterday he produced the goods.
The former Kimberley trainers who moved to KZN at the beginning of the season are slowly making their mark. Kimberley had garnered a reputation as the last chance saloon for moderate gallopers but that in turn forced their trainers into becoming seriously good horseman in order to squeeze the best out of their charges.
Ashburton-based Tinnie Prinsloo snapped a string of placed runs with Jay’s Dancer obliging in the third, an apprentice handicap. In the money at his last five starts, yesterday’s win was not overdue although at one stage it began to look like another second.
Twice As Cold under Mfanelo Zuma shifted ground late onto Jay’s Dancer who for a few strides looked as if he was not going to make the gap.
However, Jay’s Dancer had plenty in hand, slipping though under Jeffrey Syster, a split second before the door slammed in his face and going on to win comfortably.
For the dedicated followers of the Star Wars series the double, Chewbaca and Carbon Fibre, was an obvious wager.
Chewbaca, Han Solo’s right-hand man, and Han Solo was frozen in Carbonite to be taken to JabbaThe Hutt. Originally Luke Skywalker was to be frozen in carbonite to be taken to the Emperor. A Geek tragedy in space.
There was no tragedy for punters as Chewbaca made heavy weather of shaking off Tiger Tank but prevailing in the end while Syster scored the second win of his afternoon as he drove Carbon Fibre home ahead of the grey Mighty Smart.
Drama came in the sixth as Matterhorn and Anse Lazio came together in the finish. Matterhorn, for no obvious reason, suddenly veered off a straight course, cannoning into his rival. With only a head in it at the line, the objection hooter was a foregone conclusion as was the protest being upheld.
