Lafferty has something to celebrate
IT WAS a case of more downs than ups for punters at Scottsville yesterday but those that plunged on Celebration Rock in the card opener were rewarded as Anton Marcus made all the running on Paul Lafferty’s Celebration Rock.
The Australian-bred colt was back over the course and distance where he was narrowly beaten on debut after being tossed in at the deep end on Gold Cup day, taking on winners in the Umkomazi Stakes.
Fitted with blinkers for the first time, Marcus had no hesitation making an early move on the colt and hit the front a long way out.
It was not an easy win, as Marcus had to work for his fee, but it was convincing.
“He will be a much better horse when gelded,” said Lafferty.
“I think they (the connections) will have a lot of fun with this horse.”
It was hero to zero for Lafferty as far as punters were concerned as 10-1 chance Generous Lady gave him a quick double at the expense of Cape Bluebell and favourite Vi Va Pi Pa who battled home in third and never dangerous.
In spite of a wide drawn, Craig Zackey always had Generous Lady in the vanguard and she kept finding when it mattered.
Purple And Gold and Little Audrey were involved in a rough finish to the third with the stipendiary stewards calling for a race review.
However, the stipes, chaired by Rakesh Jeewanlall, decided that it was a case of six of one and half-a-dozen of the other and let the result stand.
Muzi Yeni is a feisty customer in any boardroom but after reviewing the finish of the race conceded defeat.
At about 300m out Julie Dittmer-trained Purple And Gold took quite a hefty knock from Little Audrey who had shifted out under pressure.
Both horses then shifted in independently of each other but with Purple And Gold making contact some 50m out.
Purple And Gold
However, Purple And Gold was never headed and most were comfortable with the stipes decision.
The bell was tolling doom for the favourite belfry a long way out in the fourth as Regal River got home under Donovan Dillon for a relieved Doug Cambell.
“I needed that. It’s been a long drought,” said a relieved Doug Campbell.
The Ashburton-based pair of Sarabi and Rosie Bubbles fourth out the fifth with Paul Gadsby’s charge Sarabi giving red-hot apprentice Khanya Saki another winner, his sixth in little over a fortnight.
In what developed into a proverbial cavalry charge, Pata Pata went one better for Marcus and Brett Crawford as the pair got the better of top weight Neala inside the last 50m.
Marcus rode a clever tactical race on Roy’s Magic in the seventh when getting the better of Edge Of The Sun in a driving finish. Looking for his third victory of the afternoon, Marcus tracked the early pace set by Phoebus with Edge Of The Sun second in a line of three.
As the race warmed up, Marcus eased out from behind Edge Of The Sun and the two joined battle a furlong out with Roy’s Magic just getting the better of the duel.
After two runners-up berths on the day, the Duncan Howells/Muzi Yeni combination finally went one better in the last as Yeni rode a superb race on the favourite High Altar, the highly-strung filly completing a winning hat-trick.
Towards the rear of a big field, High Altar had a mountain to climb approaching the 400m mark as Yeni hunted for a gap.
When it finally came, he was quick to pounce and High Altar responded smartly. However, Hannah’s Answer looked to have pinched a winning lead before Yeni switched his stick to his left and High Altar gave another kick to win going away.