Drier does it with five

DENNIS DRIER, pipped at the post for last season’s KZN trainer’s championship, has made a flying start to the new season and celebrated his birthday with a five-timer at Scottsville yesterday along with a large bowl of ice cream and chocolate sauce courtesy of long-time friend Bill Lambert.

However, it was not so much the number of winners that were satisfying, but also that one of his best horses found his better form after a lengthy spell out of the winner’s enclosure and also having two winners for China-based businessman Hui Guo who has invested heavily in South African Bloodstock.

Three of Drier’s winners came for Mayfair Speculators, all three ridden by Mayfair’s retained jockey Anton Marcus.

Sacred Flame

All the money came for Sacred Flame in the first who made short work of the opposition even though Marcus cut right across the field to finish on the outside rail.

After the race, training colleague Dennis Bosch’s eyes lit up like a cat who had found the cream as Sacred Flame franked the form of Cape Town-headed Billy Silver who had beaten him by five lengths when making his debut.

Billy Silver is eligible for the lucrative CTS sales races in January and will be headed for Cape Town shortly where he will be stabled at Geoff Woodruff ’s Milnerton satellite yard.

Former Gr1 Tsogo Sun and Golden Horseshoe winner Seventh Plain has been dogged by illhealth but three seasons later added a fifth win to his CV as he got the better of Summer Sky in a tight finish to the fourth, Marcus and Mayfair Speculators to the fore again and Drier sitting in his ‘lucky chair’.

“I thought we got beat,” he said a relieved Drier after the slow-mo replayed showed Seventh Plain a nose ahead of Summer Sky and Redcarpet Captain.

Peter Gibson has made his trips to mainland China with the South African trade delegations count and Chinese businessman and trader Hui Guo has invested heavily in South African racing and bloodstock. He was rewarded with a double as the well-supported Salimah led her field a merry dance in the third and the photo showing Constantine getting the better of She’s A Fortress and Freddie Flint in the sixth.

Guo trades in South Africa under Hartley SA (Pty) Ltd with Peter Gibson as nominee.

“The first horse he bought was Tipo Tinto but he now has 65 horses in South Africa, including 25 broodmares and shares in stallions.

“He is the main partner in (Scott Bros-based) Eightfold Path,” said Gibson.

Constantine

Constantine denied Corrine Bestel and Derryl Daniels double as earlier Rose Of Peru put one over males, hanging on gamely to out-point favourite Amritsar who arrived on the scene a fraction too late. A cornel collar, designed to keep the airways open, appears to have done the tricky for Lloyd’s Legacy who kept finding to win a smart race in the fifth although there was some debate in the winner’s circle. “I don’t think he needs it,” said Marcus. “I think he does,” retorted Drier.

“After five winners on the day – we stay with the trainer!” CLASS came to the fore in the 241st Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday as Capri and Ryan Moore combined to win the William Hill-backed Classic and provide trainer Aidan O’Brien with yet another high point in what has been a memorable 2017 for Ballydoyle.

Winner of the Irish Derby, Capri missed his intended prep race for Doncaster when absent from the Great Voltigeur and his stamina had yet to be tested over the 2 900m St Leger trip. But none of this mattered for the 3-1 favourite. What ultimately propelled Capri to a second Classic was his own inherent talent and that of the man in the saddle, who was winning the St Leger for the first time and completing a full house of British Classics in the process.

Impressed

Moore hardly revelled in wearing the oversized winning rider’s cap, but the performance of Capri did impress him.

“He’s a very good horse, he’s an Irish Derby winner and a Group 2-winning two-year-old as well,” Moore said.

“He’s run in a lot of good races this year, he’s a very good horse and very honest.

“It was a good Leger and the first three home are horses that are very good.

“I think it was a very classy performance and the form will stand up well from this.”

Capri followed Milan, Brian Boru, Scorpion and Leading Light in becoming a St Leger winner for O’Brien and the Coolmore partners, and the trainer was struck by how deep the grey dug. “He’s a horse that has a lot of class,” O’Brien said. “He’s won an Irish Derby and it’s his class that’s won that today.

“He’s a mile-and-a-half horse but he’s got the pace for a mile and a quarter.

“A mile and a half is where he’ll really show his ability. He’s also got courage and stamina.

“It was a great performance.”

The Anvil

While O’Brien celebrated his 18th Group/Grade 1 of the season, he was quick to praise the performances of his riders after The Anvil had set a searing gallop.

He said: “If anybody wanted to go faster [than The Anvil] they could but everyone was happy where they were.

“Ryan hadn’t ridden Capri since the Beresford, so that was a worry, but he gave him a class ride.

“Seamus [Heffernan] has always believed in the horse. He rides him at home, in a lot of his work and his races and he’s always believed in how much class he has. Everyone’s delighted.”

Capri was cut to 20-1 (from 25) by Ladbrokes and Paddy Power for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and O’Brien added: “We thought Capri would actually improve for this race as he had a hiccup before York.

“The Arc is something we’ll think about for him, but the lads will make that decision.” - racingpost.com