Christmas looms for the ‘Captain’
AFTER two-month break, Scottsville patrons were greeted by a strip of manicured lawn and competitive fields as trainers lined up for a crack on the almost virgin turf.
It was not all good new for punters as a few long shots made catching the exotics tricky but not so Redcarpet Captain. “He’s a good horse,” said a cuffed Mark Dixon after Brandon Lerena got the gelding home in a tight finish to the Reddy’s Cartage & Tanker Services Pinnacle Plate.
“He’s a lazy horse and thank goodness we had Brandon aboard. He had to get into him a little bit at the end.”
The Christmas Handicap in next on the agenda for Redcarpet Captain with Dixon confident that his charge will get a mile. a
Seventh Plain
Seventh Plain was game in defeat and The Poet, returning from a lengthy break, only surrendered late as his condition gave out. There were no secrets in the first juvenile scurry of the season as the well-backed Vertical Decent landed the odds.
The word was out early in the week that Mike Miller’s charge would be hard to beat and so it proved although the colt made Gavin Lerena work for his riding fee.
Vertical Decent was all over the course when under pressure but under Lerena’s skilled hands he landed the odds comfortably ahead of Special Force and Play The Tune, the first runner for freshman sire Noble Tune.
Replacement rider Warren Kennedy had a nightmare ride on Love Theme in the second as he dropped his near side rein when switching his crop.
It all became a bit of a tangle before he got straightened out but the bird had flown as Anton Marcus on Prosecco took full advantage of Kennedy’s misfortune.
Buying full siblings to champions does not always guarantee in a repeat but Statute, a full sister to Vodacom Durban July winner Legislate, got her racing career off to a bright start as she spread-eagled her field in the opening leg of the Pick 6. It was not the strongest of maiden fields but Michael Roberts’s charge sped clear with a furlong to run and the result was never in doubt.
Wynkelder
The KZN Summer Challenge Series of races proved as competitive as ever with Wynkelder giving Mandla Ntuli a deserved win for Tony Rivalland, catching favourite Di Mazzio close home.
Saint Marco continued his consistent form when finishing too strongly to deny Viento a hat-trick of victories.
Possible disappointment of the afternoon was a below par showing by Zen Arcade, strongly fancied for the Series mile. He struggled to quicken as Seattle Skyline finished with a wet sail to out-run Admiral’s Guest and game front-runner Baltic Amber.