Monte Christo obliges in day of upsets
RIDGEMONT intend producing more of the calibre of Front And Centre in the next few weeks and their runners could prove profitable for Anton Marcus followers.
“We are hoping that some of the fillies will prove good enough to compete in the big races in the Cape season,” said racing manager Craig Carey at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Front And Centre in the TAB Telebet Maiden was the fourtime champion’s first Ridgemont-retained winner and she drifted from 5-1 to what turned out a richly rewarding 11-1, making up three lengths inside 150m to win going away by a length and a half.
Marcus said: “I didn’t want to get after her too soon as Brett asked me to ride her to finish.
“This cut into my normal riding instructions as I like to get the run of things. She is a very nice filly but incredibly immature and going down to the start I thought she was probably going to need it.”
Crawford, on the mark with Hudoo Magic, thinks a lot of the half-sister to Potala Palace and said: “Her two grass gallops were exceptional, she has improvement to come and she has the pedigree to go further.”
Sandile Mbhele was at the forefront of much of the rest of the action and landed his first treble (at 353-1) on his three rides for Vaughan Marshall who was understandably full of praise, saying: “He is a rider with a lot of talent and I think he is going places.”
In some ways the most interesting of the three Marshall winners was The Silva Fox in the Interbet.co.za Handicap because Etienne Braun’s gelding was still a maiden.
Handicaps
Running maidens in handicaps is quite common in some European countries but it is relatively rare in South Africa. However Marshall said: “More people should do it because you get the weight advantage. I myself have often done it, especially over ground.
Mbhele, now on the 26-winner mark, had to sweat on it for quarter of an hour while the stipes deliberated whether he should keep the Tabonline.co.za Maiden on Sandy Sport after his mount had carried Carlas Mambo halfway across the course.
Richard Fourie on the neck runner-up objected for intimidation and interference. The head-on in the boardroom showed two incidents.
In the first the apprentice had his whip in his left (ie wrong) hand but by the time of the second one he had pulled it through to the correct hand.
Stipe and ex-jockey Nick Shearer explained that they decided to let the result stand because the winner had started his run behind the second horse, the verdict was a neck rather than a head and, above all, that under the rules they had to be satisfied that the second would have won had there been no interference – and they could not be certain of this.
Justin Snaith, trainer of Carlas Mambo, did not have his field day and had to be content with the first in which Clouded Hill led a one-two- three despite losing a front shoe.
Bountiful Strength ran so badly in this – he finished over six lengths last - that Joey Ramsden promptly scratched all his remaining five runners.
The course vet reported that the gelding had an elevated heart rate and Ramsden said: “My horses haven’t been right since I vaccinated them. They ran like drains at the previous two meetings and this one did the same.”
THE little bit of rain that fell at Scottsville on Friday night was manna from heaven for Peter Muscutt as Monte Christo revelled in the going to run out a comfortable winner of the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap.
“He’s had his problems,” said Muscutt, KZN assistant to Brett Crawford, “and the rain definitely helped.”
It was the first official run for Crawford who acquired the gelding after Charles Laird retired.
“The (two) barrier trials were a big help. We would warm him up without any pressure and we didn’t have to smash him on the track.”
It was a comfortable win by the favourite who got home ahead of Tribal Fusion, giving Shane Humby his third runner-up finish in two meetings.
Monte Christo’s win was a tonic for backers of favourites as they were in short supply in the opening exchanges.
Francisco started a short-priced favourite in the first but the strapping son of Fort Wood still has a bit to learn.
He was tardy out of the gate and never got his act together.
Winner, Flying George, had finished a neck behind Francisco when last they met but Mark Dixon’s runner made the necessary step up.
“He didn’t take to the poly track last time and is much better on the grass.”
La Valette
La Valette was the next favourite to go “missing” only managing fourth behind the first timer Le Bella.
The going down the inside of the Scottsville straight again appears to be something of an issue.
Whether it’s just perceived or a reality is hard to tell with jockeys ducking for the inside and horses drawn towards the outside rail appearing to struggle.
Le Bella had an inside draw and Garth Puller’s filly ran on strongly to beat Second Request, both horses coming off barrier trials. La Valette was drawn 15 and seemed to battle to get going.
Bronnie took a squeeze shortly after the start dislodging apprentice Eric Ngwane.
He escaped battered and bruised but otherwise unscathed.
Duke Of Spin
Tactics played a vital role in the third as Muzi Yeni took Duke Of Spin to the front and the opposition had a lengthy view of his backside as he went all the way and never looked like stopping.
“He’s a nice horse. He has a big stride and we didn’t want to have him stop starting in the pack,” said Duncan Howells.
“So, we decided to take him to the front and it paid off.
“He’s a horse that will go 2000m. I think you will hear a lot more about him.”
Mark Khan is becoming a regular at KZN tracks and paid for his flight from Gauteng, getting home on 11-1 chance French Legend for Mike Miller in the Track & Ball Gaming Handicap.
This was the five-year-old mare’s second win.
Apprentice Khanya Sakayi is riding with supreme confidence at the moment.
He scored a treble last Saturday and is proving full value for his 4kg claim as he notched a double for Garth Puller, giving the Summerveld trainer a treble.
Both wins came after titanic struggles.
He stalked the pace on Los Barbados and came together with Crime Victim nearly two furlongs out.
The pair drove head-to-head for the wire with Sakayi’s 4kg claim probably the difference between winning and losing.
Next up he took Rio De La Plata to the front and 400m out was in danger of being swamped.
But Sakayi kept hard at his mount and took on favourite Verdier who was challenging strongly. Again it was a desperate finish with Rio De La Plata lasting home by a short head.