Gary Player sets sights on another major triumph
Is Gary Player — described earlier this year as “the youngest 87 year-old known to man” going to notch up his 10th Major — this time in the sport of horse racing? That seems a distinct possibility after Dave The King — a horse he bred and co-owns — finished second in Saturday’s Daily News 2000 at Greyville.
Before this year’s Masters, which Player won three times, the UK’s Daily Mail interviewed SA’s golf legend and labelled him as “the oldest swinger in town and the youngest 87-year-old known to man”.
Player has always loved racing and it would be a huge achievement to win SA’s most famous race — the Hollywoodbets Durban July — on July 1.
Understandably, all the plaudits on Saturday went to the winner See It Again and two veterans of the turf, jockey Piere Strydom and trainer Michael Roberts. The victory of See It Again — a three-parts brother to dual July hero Do It Again — was the best performance of his career.
The July sponsors, Hollywoodbets, cut the colt’s price for the July to 3.33-1 but World Sports Betting offer the son of Twice Over at 4-1. This may be because — as Player will be aware — that See It Again will have to give weight to Dave The King in the July while they met at level weights on Saturday.
Without Question, who drifted in the betting to start at 6-1, finished a creditable third but it’s likely this further confused Richard Fourie in his choice of mounts for the July.
There just seems to be no happy endings for this column’s fancy Cousin Casey who was the subject of a huge betting plunge and started at 5-2. As was the case in the KZN Guineas, Grant van Niekerk’s mount was involved in some scrimmaging with Without Question in the closing stages.
The stipendiary stewards held an inquiry into the incident but took no further action.
While Cousin Casey is out to 12-1 for the July, it might be dangerous to rule out last season’s champion juvenile. It remains to be seen whether Glen Kotzen keeps faith with Van Niekerk who is continually finding drama on the colt.
The July chances of Anfields Rocket and Son Of Raj — both beaten seven lengths — went out of the window to confirm the suspicion that this season’s highveld three-year-old crop is not a strong one.
After a poor performance in the Cape Met in January, Sean Tarry has got Rain In Holland back to her best and the fouryear-old earned the first cheque of R625,000 for Drakenstein Stud in the grade 1 Woolavington 2000.
This was the filly’s 11th win from 21 starts and means Drakenstein have an outstanding daughter of Duke Of Marmalade to breed with when she retires to the paddocks.
If you’d offered Brett Crawford second prize before Saturday’s race, he would probably have taken it. The Cape-based trainer — and the Hollywood Syndicate — will be delighted with the performance of Time Flies. The Dynasty filly has now earned close to R600,000 — not bad for a horse who cost R15,000 as a yearling.
The big disappointment in the Woolavington was another of Dynasty’s progeny, Saartjie. Second in the Fillies Guineas, the filly trailed in last about nine lengths behind the winner.
Punters were left shaking their heads after Sea Master — shock 33-1 winner of the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup — managed to pay just R12,20 for a win on the tote. This isn’t the advert the tote needs ahead of the Durban July.