Mercurana a surprise winner
TWO miles and a blanket finish is the stuff of heart-stopping racing and the stuff that attracts punters back to watch the spectacle live. With only eight runners contesting the Kenilworth Cup, it was always going to be a tactical battle. Corne Orffer looked to have done it all right on Dynasty’s Blossom, pacemaker for much of the race, but although game in defeat, she was swamped inside the last 100m, Strathdon and Swift Surprise rallying to fight it out with the pack on top of them. However, Sandile Mbhele threaded the lightly weight rank outsider Mercurana (36-1) through a couple of tight gaps to get the Candice Bass-robinson-trained gelding up, a nod of the heads denying Swift Surprise with Strathdon and Troop The Colour a head each back in the minor placings. At Turffontein, Spiritofthegroove, after a below par performance in the Grade 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas where she pulled up distressed, was back in the groove for the Graduation Plate on the inner track. Green Gunston set the race up as he posted the early fractions but was a spent force when Gavin Lerena got Sean Tarry’s grey to motor home and win rather comfortable from Palace Assembly. Riverstown only got going late and 1200m looks to be on the sharp side for him at this stage of his career. Basadi Faith, favourite for the Grade 1 Allan Robertson at Hollywoodbets Scottsville last season, pulled up with a nose bleed and a suspension. Paul Matchett has taken his time with the filly and after a single comeback effort after seven-months off, she ran her field ragged in the Polydex Storage Systems Pinnacle Stakes. Apprentice Jeffery Syster got the filly quickly out of the gate and she was never headed as the challenges fell away behind her and she went to the line with over three lengths to spare over Mighty High.