Track holds up in spite of the weather
GREYVILLE yesterday was meant to be all about Anthony Delpech. In the end it was all about the weather as the course was hit by a deluge just before the start of the fifth race which was run in pouring rain which continued into the sixth where Collabro and High Green slogged it out through the puddles.
Shortly after the jockeys lodged a protest complaining that an area of the pull-up, which had been compromised by a burst water main over-night, had become unsafe with the extra water.
After a lengthy delay and a track inspection by a group consisting of all interested parties, the jockeys were over ruled.
By the running of the seventh, the surface water had drained and the race was run without incident and the meeting completed albeit 40 minutes later than scheduled.
Louis Goosen got his afternoon off to a cracking start with a quick double, apprentice Jason Gates leading all the way on the filly Wishful Words and then Khanya Sakayi riding a driving finish in the second on Bravo Zulu.
This was a particularly good effort by the young apprentice who had to continually straighten his mount to prevent interference which could have caused mayhem with five runners closely bunched crossing the line almost as one.
Jo Mambo
Icing on the cake for Goosen came in the last with Lyle Hewitson getting the best out of Jo Mambo for a stable treble.
The adage, breed the best to the best and hope for the best doesn’t always work out but the arrival on these shores of the first foal by super sire Frankel out of the cracking mare Val De Ra put pressure on Dennis Drier especially after the filly fluffed her lines on debut.
It’s been a long road back to the winner’s box but things appear to be back on track as she run on smartly under Keagan de Melo to score her second success in six starts. Elusive Diva has been expensive to follow but finally got her act together under Anton Marcus who had stayed with the filly in spite of her previous four defeats when sent out favourite.
There is not better rider around at present than current champion Hewitson, as his poise, balance and ability to place his mounts is impeccable.
Collabro
He was not deterred by bucketing rain and a sloppy track as he steered Solsbury Hill home for Alyson Wright followed by Collabro for Dennis Bosch.
Favourite High Green again finished runner-up, his fifth in succession for Lowan Denysschen with Marcus tracking Collabro all the way but not able to find a way past. Drier completed a double as Sean Veale got Forehand to skip clear at the top of the straight to comfortable hold the grey Kilmokea.