It is written for Kannemeyer
THE Vodacom Durban July-winning combination of Dean Kannemeyer and Stuart Randolph added the Gr 3 Christmas Handicap over 1600m at Greyville to their collection yesterday as the five-year-old Dynasty gelding It Is Written took advantage of a pole position draw in rain affected ground.
Keagan de Melo rode a brilliant fourtimer at the ten race meeting, which had four races on the poly and six on the turf, and Anton Marcus rode a double.
The classy and progressive Duncan Howells-trained Saratoga Dancer was seeking a hattrick and started favourite in the Christmas Handicap at odds of 15/4, despite having to contend with a tough draw of 13. His market rival was the Charles Laird-trained Stormy Eclipse, who had a good chance on paper, as he was 0,5kg better off with Saratoga Dancer for a 1,5 length beating the last time they met over this trip, but was jumping from a fair draw of six. He was duly backed in to 4/1. It Is Written started at attractive odds of 12/1, considering he was back to the same merit rating of his last win, which was over this trip on the Greyville poly and since then he had not been disgraced in three races in strong company.
The pace was set by the gallant nineyear-old Royal Zulu Warrior. It Is Written found a nice position in midfield on the rail. Stormy Eclipse was off the rail, but found a comfortable position in midfield with Saratoga Dancer behind him.
In the straight It Is Written dived for the inside and made resolute progress. Meanwhile, Stormy Eclipse switched to the outside and Saratoga Dancer was angling to go outside of him but had to switch back inward when the former went to the rail. Saratoga Dancer looked a big threat when going through the gap but then failed to quicken quite as well as he has done on occasion. Stormy Eclipse then became the main danger to It Is Written, who had struck the front. However, It Is Written had been able to go the shortest route the whole way and in the end this proved telling as he reached the line a comfortable 1,25 lengths clear of Stormy Eclipse. There was a further 0,5 lengths back to Saratoga Dancer and 28/1 shot Royal Zulu Warrior hung on to fourth at the expense of the winner’s 10-1 chance stablemate Solar Star.
It Is Written, who was bred in KZN by Keivan Stud and is owned by Fred Crabbia, has now won seven times and earned black type for the first time.
Kannemeyer is the leading trainer at Greyville this season in terms of wins with 22 at a strike rate of 27,5%.