Wondering if he will get a turn?
IT’S MY TURN opened the door for a place in the field for next month’s Vodacom Durban July with a thoroughly professional, if workmanlike, victory in the Track & Ball Derby at Scottsville yesterday.
“He was weighted to win this race,” surmised Dean Kannemeyer.
“I would have been disappointed if he didn’t win.”
“In fact, I was happy with both horses.”
Mr Winsome giving Kannemeyer a one-two.
Mr Winsome, last year’s Derby winner, suffered his first reverse at Scottsville but was game in defeat as he rallied from off the pace to relegate favourite American Landing into third.
Discomfort
This was Anton Marcus’s second ride back since breaking his wrist and although he was reluctant to admit it, he did appear to be in some discomfort after the race.
“I’ll take the fifth,” he said when questioned by television presenter Deez Dayanand.
“But there’s no medication like winning.”
“He certainly stays like an annoying relative,” summed up Marcus.
“He dropped the bit too early but there was more in the locker.”
It’s My Turn took over at the top of the straight and stayed on dowerly with nothing coming to threaten.
In spite of being 10.5kg out at the handicap, the money was all for EP Derby winner American Landing but he is a horse that still has to furnish and this race against older opposition probably came too early in his career.
He looked the part in the paddock but Peter Muscutt, assistant to Brett Crawford, was not overly confident.
“He’ll be a real horse in six months’ time.”
“He ran a great race,” said Muscutt post-race.
It remains to be seen whether It’s My Turn did enough to impress the July selection panel, the answer to which will be known come mid-day Tuesday.
The Slade
The Slade’s chances of making the VDJ field also fizzled out in the straight and Flichity By Farr will be another to fall by the VDJ wayside as she battled into second behind seasoned campaigner Witchcraft in the Track & Ball Oaks.
Champion jockey elect, Lyle Hewitson showed that he fully deserves his place at the top of the pile with a finely judged front-running race on Sean Tarry’s mare.
Without a win for close on two years, the victory was a change of fortune but Hewitson read the race like a book.
There was no pace on and he had no hesitation in taking Witchcraft to the front.
Piere Strydom was wise to Hewiston’s ploy and tried to keep Flichity By Farr in touch but she was unable to stay with her older rival.
Tarry’s KZN assistant Lorenzo Karriem summed it up.
“Credit must go to Lyle, he rode the perfect race.”
The Ferraris family set something of a record last week with grandfather, father and son all having winners on the same day.
They went one better yesterday as apprentice Luke Ferraris scored on Autumn Rain, a gelding owned by his father David and trained by Grandfather Ormond.