Michael Roberts spoke yesterday of his pleasure at seeing horseracing finally being recognised as a sport at the annual Scottsville race meeting which is named in his honour.
Roberts became the first jockey inducted into the South African Hall Of Fame last week.
In the Listed Michael Roberts Handicap the Dennis Drier-trained Wealthy was 1kg under sufferance and the trip of 1750m was considered on the sharp side so he was ignored in the betting and went off at 22/1. However, he relished the decent pace and stormed home from last under Sean Veale to win going away by a comfortable three-quarters of a length from the topweight Dark Moon Rising. Affranchi handled the step up in trip well and finished third ahead of Amor Ardiente. The favourite Pietro Mascagni finished a disappointing fifth. He looked to be over racing in the early stages and did not move up as well as he did last time in the London News over 1800m at Turffontein. Wealthy has turned the corner since a wind operation and might be able to read racecards as he has made a habit of winning when the prize money is good.
Anton Marcus kept up his phenomenal strike rate with a treble. Punters were holding their breaths in the final stages of the opening race as the 1/3 favourite Agent Murphy was being challenged by the well supported Thomas Shelby and by Mr Minister. However, Marcus had left enough in reserve for the Alyson Wright-trained What A Winter colt to win by a quarter of a length.
In race five, a Maiden over 1600m, Marcus rode the first leg of a quick double for Highveld trainer Johan Janse Van Vuuren. The Oratorio filly Giglio is immature, but the penny dropped yesterday as she travelled well throughout and then pulled away from her market rival Leanna to win as she liked. Thru The Trees ran on strongly to claim second place.
In the next race over 1200m Marcus won on Mardi Gras and this classy grey sprinter showed his credentials for the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint to be run over this trip in May as he found another gear under pressure to win impressively.
Veale rode a double having won the third race over 1200m on the Drier-trained debutant Sacred Journey.
Tony Rivalland also had a debut winner in Extravargent who was brought home by Stuart Randolph.
Both of those debutant winners had run decent barrier trials.
Louis Goosen’s yard is in fine form having been through a bleak spell and outsider Shwanky never looked like losing the eighth over 1200m under Deon Sampson.
The Sean Tarry Play The Night is on the up and won the fourth over 1400m well under Luke Ferraris.
The last race saw a stampede for the finish line and Ferraris made it a double and Drier a treble when Daydream Believer got up.
By David Thiselton
