No ‘blues’ for Goosen this winter
IT was only a four-horse contest but Winter Blues put in a tremendous gallop to warm up for Greyville, Saturday, July 7, with an emphatic victory in the Fresh Eyes Communication Handicap at Scottsville yesterday.
“The yard is starting to tick up,” said Louis Goosen whose stable was one of those hardhit by the now notorious Ashburton virus.
Apprentice-ridden Swakopmund looked the only real danger but he was on the receiving end of a race-riding lesson from the wily Bernard Fayd’Herbe.
As former champion jockey Michael Roberts told his riders, “You are up against one of the best.
“Let’s see how good you are.” Unfortunately, neither of Kingsmead or Flamboyant could keep up the pace.
Winter Blues
There was no malice or anything sinister in Fayd’Herbe letting Winter Blues range up alongside Swakopmund, but it did pressurise young Luke Ferraris to go early, leaving the door open for Winter Blues.
There is not much of Winter Blues in height, but he has filled out into a solid galloper and this was his fifth win from nine outings.
Ferraris was quick to make amends as he made full use of his 4kg claim to steer Miss Calypso to a convincing win in the fourth for Gavin van Zyl with the Duncan Howellstrained Beat It ridden out for second.
Howells has had an extraordinary run of runner-up berths in recent weeks and finally broke his run with Fire Song who was in the last chance saloon after a string of disappointing runs.
Always travelling well under Muzi Yeni, the colt looked set for a romp in the park but when the taps were turned on, the water was slow to flow.
“I was going so easy, I thought I would win by five or six (lengths), I think he needs gelding,” said Yeni bluntly.
Garth Puller is in a rich vein of form and Roman Dancer showed a fine turn of foot to land the card opener.
“We fancied him last time,” said the seasoned horseman, “but he got hit over the head, not the best for a two-year-old.”
“He shows a lot of speed, that’s why I kept him to a sprint but I think he will go further.”
Pickawinner
Third-placed Pickawinner was well fancied but found the 1000m dash too short. “Muzi said he only pulled him up at the 1400m mark,” said Howells. That’s nearly a full loop of the track. Gary Rich finally appears to have got to the bottom of Pina Colada who obliged under a vigorous ride from Sherman Brown.
Always there or thereabouts, Rich was uncertain as to what the filly’s optimum trip was.
“I tried her over sprints and the jockeys told me to go further. I put her over 1400m and they said go back to a sprint. I really didn’t know where I was so just stuck her over a mile.
She won well today and I think she will go even further. She has the action of a stayer.”