Samuel is an ‘Unbelievable Lad’
JARRED SAMUEL is one of the unsung members of the weighing room but given a chance he can match it with the best of them as he showed when getting Unbelievable Lad home in a driving finish in the Hunting Tower Handicap at Greyville yesterday. It may not have been the ‘July’ but Samuel gave Ivan and Darryl Moore’s gelding a peach of a ride.
For some reason, probably initiated by poly specialist Anton Marcus whose want is to head wide into the straight, swinging wide into the Greyville straight on the poly track appears to have some kind of benefit and Samuel, wide off the turn, went straight up the outside rail.
Royal Rustler
Highveld-based Craig Zackey sent Royal Rustler up the inside and the pair left the balance of the field chasing shadows as they hooked up 300 m out. It was nose-and-nose to the line with Royal Rustler angling out to join Unbelievable Lad but every picture tells a story and Samuel’s had his mount’s nose in front when it counted.
A wide draw on the poly track is not much of a handicap as Warren Kennedy proved in the seventh. He pressed forward early on Brett Crawford’s runner Savuti and then set his mount alight on the turn. It proved an inspired move as Savuti shot clear and was not for the catching.
Dance Off and favourite Gunner chased from well of the pace but were never in contention for the judges.
Barrier trials get up the noses of many a trainer but it was two trialists that fought out the finish in the third. Priceless Ruler and Ticket Holder, both prominent in their respective trials, fought out a protracted duel with Dennis Drier’s gelding, owned by wife Gill, getting home narrowly. Duncan Howells knocked Drier off his throne as KZN Champion Trainer last season (judged on number of winners in KZN) but Drier has turned on the taps to regain his crown and Priceless Ruler put him 9 ahead of Howells with about seven weeks of the season to run so it could still come down to the wire as it did last season when Howells sewed it up inside the final fortnight.
Bequia was labelled the ‘money horse’ in the card opener and didn’t let his supporters down, winning easily under Bernard Fayd’Herbe for Garth Puller ahead of favourite Majestica who trailed in nearly three lengths adrift.
Blinkers were the inspired addition to Vaughan Marshall’s colt Provocateur and he put four lengths on the opposition in the second and looks more than just useful.
Calladdi
Calladdi found his best form for Gavin van Zyl when he burst clear inside the last 100m to land the fifth. Up until then, Warren Kennedy was involved in a tight tussle with Muzi Yeni on Big King, but Calladdi suddenly found an extra gear and rocketed away with Bonnie Dawn running on late for third.
Sharpe’s Eagle had his wings clipped when favourite for the third but O’Keefe eased the pain for Andre Nel in the Summerhill Stud Handicap as she kept on resolutely to get the better of Kahula and Inga with Pumpkin Queen coming from well back to take fourth.