Not effortless but well rewarded
IT has been a lean start to the current season for top trainer Louis Goosen with only one winner leading up to yesterday’s victory by Effortless Reward in the Logan Pillay Architectural Designs Pinnacle Stakes at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday.
In fairness, Ashburton-based Goosen has been caught up in his pending move to Summerveld at the end of this month and with most of his string mothballed after AHS vaccinations, yesterday’s win will have come as welcome relief.
The Australian-bred filly only had 46kg to shoulder, courtesy of Yuzae Ramzan’s 4kg claim, and the quickly improving apprentice made the most of it.
He took off from the gate like a dirty shirt and although it got a little squeaky over the last few jumps, Ramzan got the mare’s head down when it counted ahead of a strong challenge from Goliath Heron and replacement rider S’Manga Khumalo.
Wendy Whitehead pulled of a 300-1 double with Spiffy, a 28-1 shot, just getting the better of Keep It Real in a tight duel in the fourth and Sans Dancer, having her first outing for Whitehead and making a mockery of her Port Elizabeth form, finishing strongly to get the better of Love Theme and Royal Kaitrina in the sixth.
Royal Kaitrina
Royal Kaitrina was the first ride for apprentice Philasande Mxoli and he is a kid to keep an eye on.
He is well salted in race-riding, having been a champion in rural racing in the Eastern Cape, and he certainly looked at home in the saddle yesterday.
It is early days yet but title-chasing Warren Kennedy seldom goes home without a winner in his bag and he eased one clear of arch rival Muzi Yeni with a comfortable victory on Dancing Feather in the seventh.
Kennedy and Gavin van Zyl go back a long way as does owner Clive Murphy who looks to have a useful filly on his hands.
Not to be out done but having to work a lot harder, Yeni pulled level again as he got Mark Dixon’s runner William Henley’s nose down when it mattered in the last of the day. William Henley and favourite Mighty Smart hooked up a furlong out with the result resting on a nod of the heads.
Race riding is quite often a more dangerous sport than Formula 1.
F1 drivers are cocooned in state-of-the-art Kevlar that even a 300kph altercation with a barrier results in little more than a shaken driver and a multi-million-dollar car-wreck. Jockeys have a skull-cap, a safety vest and a comprehensive hospital plan should they part company with their mounts.
Athandiwe Mgudlwa and apprentice Ashton Arries took crashing falls in the third race.
Mgudlwa’s mount Twice Golden appeared to take a wrong step towards the end of the back straight dislodging the rider.
This resulted in Bayview Express falling heavily along with Arries.
Both riders were taken to hospital by the following ambulance but according to reports, although battered and bruised, there were no serious injuries.
After a track inspection and a delay, the rail was moved out with a 6m spur and the meeting continuing.
Twice Golden
Gold Circle senior track manager Kurt Groenewald said that it appeared that Twice Golden had taken a false step in a soft patch. There was no concrete evidence but the rail was moved out as a precaution and racing continued uninterrupted. SHEIKH Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Godolphin continued its dominance of the Keeneland seven-day September Yearling Sale during Tuesday’s second session by purchasing the day’s two highest-priced yearlings, headlined by the $4.1 million Curlin colt out of New Zealand champion sprinter Bounding (AUS), who is the most expensive September Sale yearling since 2010.
Godolphin also took home a War Front colt out of Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Believe You Can for $2.9 million.
Through the first two sessions of the September Sale, Godolphin has acquired six yearlings for $13,250,000, among them the four highest-priced yearlings so far in the sale.
They include Monday’s session-topper, a $2.5 million Tapit colt who is a half-brother to champion and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist and a Medaglia d’Oro colt out of Grade 1 winner Tara’s Tango for $2.15 million.
Bloodstock agent Anthony Stroud, who signed the tickets for Godolphin’s purchases, explained Sheikh Mohammed’s strong participation in the September Sale.
“The love of horse racing and the hope of finding a champion,” Stroud said.
“He loves this sport, He loves coming to America and he loves Keeneland – all those things. That’s why he’s doing what he’s doing.”
Godolphin outbid Irish-based Coolmore to acquire the top seller, the most expensive yearling sold at public auction anywhere in the world in 2019.
“It makes me feel better, because they’re so talented at what they do,” Stroud said about Coolmore. “I think it’s a huge compliment that they liked the horse because they’re a great group of people and they buy wonderful horses.”
On Tuesday, five yearlings brought $1 million and more to increase the total number of seven-figure horses sold during the first two sessions to 12.
Elliston
“What an incredible day,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. “Today the average horse sold for $451,000 and the median jumped $50,000 more from yesterday – that’s just staggering. It wasn’t just the $4.1 million colt or the $2.9 million colt.
There was depth to the market; the increase in the median shows you it wasn’t two horses that caused those numbers to jump.
There was incredible trade throughout the course of the day, a lot of people struggling to get horses bought. People whose names we see every day on the summaries. I talked to one who is a consistently top five buyer – he’s bought two so far and has been the underbidder on about 10.
“I’m hoping they don’t get frustrated; I know they’re going to find quality.” “Sheikh Mohammed really liked this horse,” Stroud said of the top seller. “It was a great deal of money.
“He is obviously by a great stallion and from a Grade 1 mare. He is bred right by a fantastic stud farm, and he has the conformation to suit. We thought he was a really, really good horse.
“(Other bidders) pushed us all the way,” Stroud said. “Hopefully, he will prove well worth it, but (the price) was more than we anticipated. (The price) shows the market is buoyant at the top. There is a demand for good horses.”
- Keeneland