Neala gets it on the nod
NEALA, just short of a gallop when runnerup to Pata Pata according to Shame Humby, put her best forward in the Itsarush Pinnacle Stakes at Greyville yesterday. But it was a close-run thing as Captain’s Girl pressed her all the way to the line with the judges forced to resort to a photo to separate the pair.
Donovan Dillon rode a superb race on the winner, making almost all and hardly resorting to the stick as Captain’s Girl loomed alongside with Sherman Brown hard at work.
Brown is a hard man to beat in a finish and Captain’s Girl appeared to head Neala a stride before the line. But one jump later she was a millimetre behind.
Louis Goosen has earmarked a Highveld feature for Captain’s Girl during their spring season and she will strip at her peak.
Kateecador
Favourite Kateecador, no slouch when it comes to speed, was seemingly outpaced in a race that was run in a tick under 57 seconds.
Anton Marcus is a past master on the Greyville poly track and is almost set in they way he rides it.
Ping the gate, sit handy, swing to the outside off the turn and keep rolling as best he can.
Goosen had better luck in the card opener. The Ashburton-based trainer is wary of a deep draw on the poly, especially as regards front runners, but this did not faze Marcus.
He hopped out Goosen’s grey Wendylle and made all the running to hold the heavily supported Opensea by a nearly two-length margin.
“I knew we would run well,” said Goosen.
“But I was wary of all the money coming for the favourite, after all we were taking on a twotime winner - OK barrier trials - so I told Zane (Kirsten) to go softly.”
In the next, Marcus employed almost a carbon copy aboard Ultra Magnus as Brett Crawford’s colt kept finding extra to comfortably hold off the attentions of Global Exposure and the consistent Gordonstoun who finished a fourth successive third in as many outings.
Favourite Walterthepeniless was a little onepaced, a short-head back in fourth and may be looking for further at this stage of his career.
Apprentice Khanya Sakayi is one of the most improved riders around and notched the 32nd win of his career riding a particularly bold race aboard Craig Eudey’s outsider Kilvington in the fourth. He was up-side Marcus on the favourite Roy’s Novice turning for home and pressure his rival from the top of the straight with the younger filly responding well to Sakayi’s urgings.
Serino Moodley and Billy Jacobson were locked in a titanic struggle from a long way out as Spume and Zigi Zagi Zugi locked horns in the third. It was anybody’s call until the last few jumps as Spume got his nose in front for Frank Robinson.
Gunner, a Gr1 winner at the end of his twoyear-old career, took two years to win another race and the fact that he was always hovering just behind the placed horses saw his handicap mark stuck in the late 70’s.
“He was very precocious as a two-year-old and you have to be wary with those kinds of horses,” surmised Paul Gadsby.
“I know he won a Group 1. He’s a good horse but he’s not a group horse but he’s come down in the merit ratings and is now competitive.”
Marchingontogether was all the rage for the fifth but the three-year-old was a little out of his ground turning for home and forced to barge his way through the traffic.
Too late however, as Eric Ngwane had pulled the trigger early on Gunner.
O’Keeffe
O’Keeffe, only once beaten on the poly track and that by a short head, was back in the winner’s enclosure for the sixth.
Helped by a strong gallop as Morne Winaar let Star Evolution stride freely up front, Gareth Wright was content to sit off the pace. Serino Moodley made an early move on the grey Kilmokea, hunting for his second win, but Wright was stalking patiently and let O’Keeffe loose at just the right moment, his mount quickening up nicely to win rather cosily.
Touched off earlier on Gareth van Zyl’s Zigi Zagi Zugi, Jacobson went one better for Van Zyl as Calvary was backed as if the result was already known in the last.
And so it proved, as Jacobson hopped Calvary out in front and was never challenged, a timely win before Jacobson walks down the aisle on Saturday.