Nicklaus in the nick of time
THE Duncan Howells-trained seven-year-old gelding Nicklaus proved yesterday he is a horse to be ignored at one’s peril as he downed his stablemate Wild Wicket in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1 600m on the Greyville polytrack.
It was a good day for Ashburton trainers as both Howells and Paul Gadsby landed doubles and Des Egdes also had a winner.
The rangy Brazilian-bred Nicklaus, by Point Given was officially 0,5kg under sufferance with Wild Wicket but ended favourite at 3-1 as Wild Wicket drifted out to 32-10.
Wild Wicket tracked Nicklaus around the final bend but Howells’ chief stable jockey Keagan de Melo switched him inward and made his run down the middle. Anthony Delpech hooked Nicklaus on to the outside rail.
Wild Wicket
It would be no surprise to see Wild Wicket fitted with blinkers next time out as he is a classy sort who tends to become reluctant when hitting the front.
On this occasion Nicklaus was hidden behind the horses on Wild Wicket’s outside.
Consequently, when Nicklaus suddenly swept past Wild Wicket, the latter had no time to respond and was beaten by 0,75 lengths.
The admirable Mumsy’s Jet was going for a poly hat-trick and finished third, albeit well beaten by 3,25 lengths.
He was followed home by Secret Warning and Breakfast Club.
The best weighted horse, the mare Lala, ran disappointingly for the third time in succession and finished last.
The meeting opened with a head bobbing thriller in a Maiden over 1 600m. The outsider Mighty Mississippi, returning from a long layoff, only just failed to hold off the Howells-trained 9-2 shot Zenzero ridden by De Melo.
Zenzero is by Byword, as was the disappointing favourite Bypass, who finished downfield.
The second, a Maiden over 2 000m, saw the favourite Lucky At Last just failing to catch the Paul Gadsbytrained Ideal World three-year-old gelding Ataturk, who was given a well-timed ride by Sean Veale.
However, favourite backers had consolation in the next when the seemingly beaten Joey Ramsdentrained Australian-bred Yess produced a sudden late surge under Anthony Delpech to win the Maiden for fillies and mares over 2 000m by the narrowest of margins from the 8-1 chance The Matador.
Russet Roses
The first leg of the Pick 6, a MR 70 Handicap for fillies and mares over 2 000m, produced yet another thriller and it was the Dennis Drier-trained Dynasty filly Russet Roses who just got the better of Ideal Winter, despite starting at odds of 21-2.
The winner was ridden by 1,5kg claiming apprentice Diego de Gouveia.
The first leg of the Jackpot, a MR 60 handicap for fillies and mares over 2 000m, saw a duel down the straight between Peggy’s Dream and Eina.
The former, a four-year-old Jay Peg mare, gave Gadsby and De Melo a double each.
In the seventh, a MR 70 Handicap over 1 400m, the Egdes-trained Just As Well mare Just Rap flew up late under Ian Sturgeon to just deny Noodle.
Roy Is Second
In the eighth, also a MR 70 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1 400m, the Alyson Wright-trained Roy Is Second kept going well under Delpech to win by a comfortable two lengths.
In the last, a MR 66 Handicap over 1 400m, Candice Bass-Robinson and Gareth Wright combined to win with the six-year-old Jet Master gelding Rocket Master, who just held on from the fast finishing Fantasy Art. CUBAN EMERALD displayed the sort of acceleration Usain Bolt wishes he still had when powering home in the Buco Handicap at Kenilworth on Saturday but, for the moment at least, Justin Snaith has no intention of upping him in class.
He said: “The next level is a big jump and I am happy to keep the horse in this company. He is still a big immature type and he hated every minute of the hard training tracks in P.E. Indeed he disliked the whole environment there.
“Then Kevin Sommerville (Drakenstein racing manager) identified that he was looking a bit awkward behind. We brought in a physio and that has made all the difference.
“We also found that he was losing his races at the start as he is such a big horse so we now trot him round behind the pens to warm him up.”
Second-placed Power Grid put last time’s flop behind him and indeed looked all over the winner until Richard Fourie pressed the detonator to such explosive effect. “He had a speedy cut and an over-reach last time. Here he was back to his best,” said Andries Steyn’s wife Jennifer but the horse continues to confound veterinary opinion, not least with the way he walks round the parade ring as if he is lame.
New Caledonia
New Caledonia, though, has had more than his share of injury and he twice did a lower suspensory ligament last year. The five-year-old bounced back to make Lucy Woodruff’s 23rd birthday in the Isotherm Handicap with Grant van Niekerk throwing accepted tactics to the wind by going on just under two furlongs out.
“My stomach went to my mouth and I nearly had a heart attack,” said Geoff Woodruff ’s daughter, mixing her medical metaphors. “New Caledonia likes to run at horses but I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present.”
It was also a memorable day for Dan Katz who had his first winner since his appointment as Hassen Adams’ private trainer when Jason Smitsdorff sprang a 25-1 shock on Lalena in the Medal Paints Maiden.
Ken and Jane Truter are doubtless wishing they had chosen a more peaceful place than Barcelona for their European holiday but their Vaughan Marshall-trained Flash Twice had no problem landing the odds in the last to complete a double for Aldo Domeyer who was also on the mark on Queen Moira in the Matus Maiden.
Glen Puller was another to double up with Piet Botha on Steel Rose wearing down the luckless Varside in the first and Akshay Balloo on 15-1 shot Miss D’Aray again showing his talent for slipping the field two races later.
In-form Piet Steyn had his fourth winner in three meetings when Sihle Cele on Call Me Darling got up in the last three strides of the Steinbuild Handicap.