Champagne Haze back to best
THE Grade 3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap over 1 000m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday saw a scintillating performance by the Gary Alexander-trained Champagne Haze, who is now eyeing one or two of the big SA Champions Season sprint events.
Alexander thus achieved the rare feat of winning a race which was named in honour of a horse he trained and remarked it was very rewarding to have done so.
Meanwhile, Lyle Hewitson, who rode Champagne Haze, edged closer to breaking the all-time South African record for the number of winners as an apprentice.
Alexander
Champagne Haze, a five-year-old gelding by Kahal, is a half-brother to “The People’s Horse”, the Alexander-trained Pierre Jourdan. Therefore, he is not surprisingly better from 1 200-1 400m than 1 000m.
Carrying 61,5kg on Saturday he was duly outpaced.
He was near last going through the half-way mark and still had about five lengths to make up. However, as the leaders began running out of steam, he hit top gear and was soon eating up the leeway. He passed the line 1,7 lengths clear, a result which had looked impossible halfa-minute earlier.
Computaform Sprint
Alexander said Champagne Haze would now defend his title in the Grade 2 Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m at Turffontein on March 31 and he would then have a go at the Grade 1 weight for age Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein on May 5.
The gelding's SA Champions Season targets would likely be one or both of the two big sprints at Greyville, the Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1 200m on June 15 and the Grade 1 weight for age Mercury Sprint over 1 000m on July 28. Champagne Haze ran in the Mercury Sprint last year and finished a decent 2,4 length fifth from draw 14 of 14. Alexander won the Merchants two years ago with Kangaroo Jack. Champagne Haze was bought for R280,000 at the CTS Johannesburg Ready To Run Sale. To date he has won six races, including the R2,5 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup, and has earned R2,268,950 in stakes.
Pierre Jourdan
However, he is only halfway to the R4,598,173 earned by his half-brother Pierre Jourdan. Both horses were bred by Summerhill stud and are out of the four time-winning Qui Danzig speedster Vin Fizz, who finished third in the Grade 2 Sceptre Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth.
Tommy Hotspur was the best sprinter Alexander ever trained. He won his first eight races before being defeated narrowly at odds of 6-10 in the Computaform Sprint by Shoe Shac. However, he exacted revenge in the following year's Computaform Sprint, winning at odds of 17-10 and finished his career as a tentime winner. The best female sprinter Alexander trained, Ruby Clipper, was also a ten time winner.
Tommy Hotspur is not the only Alexander-trained horse who has a race named after him. His dual Grade 1 winner Drum Star, who was a 1993-born foal by Hard Up out of the Equus Champion broodmare Star Drums, has a Listed race named after him.
Hewitson
Hewitson is only three victories away from equalling the all-time South African apprentice winners record of 284, currently held by Gavin Lerena.
However, Hewitson is currently serving a suspension from 18 to 24 February.
The now 32-year-old Lerena’s record has stood for 11 years. He ended his apprenticeship in July 2007.
“Perhaps that [the suspension] will give me the chance to break the record on Guineas Day,” said Hewitson, referring to the big race day on March 3.
Hewitson only started his apprenticeship in March 2016, whereas Lerena served the usual five-year apprenticeship. However, Hewitson had plenty of race-riding experience behind him when arriving at The Academy after completing his matric. He rode 23 winners as a workrider. Due to his previous experience, he will serve only three years as an apprentice.