Bold prediction for Do It Again
run,” while his trainer reflected: “He was taking on the best at their trip. I now know the strength of my horse and I’m happy as well as impressed.”
Sands deliberately took him late into the parade ring where the horse’s usual jigjogging was much less evident than before. But apparently the four-year-old had got himself as stirred up as ever earlier in the afternoon. “I’ve got work to do,” said Sands feelingly.
Undercover Agent
In this memorable finish of three short heads Undercover Agent was second (Corne Orffer: “We knew it was only a prep but it was a great run and very exciting”) and Brett Crawford added: “It is very hard being the hare but he will come on from it in the Queen’s Plate and the Met”). Legal Eagle, watched by proud Avontuur breeder Pippa Mickleburgh, was of course extending his unbeaten mile run to ten and somehow - only he knows how - Anton Marcus poached a big enough lead going to the front a furlong out to enable him to hold on when it must have seemed the hounds of hell were coming at him.
“Even when I got to the line I wasn’t sure,” he admitted. “Legal Eagle is a stronger horse this year than last despite the fact that he isn’t getting any better, and he is holding his form. You can set you clock by him. He is a special horse.” Sean Tarry was as full of praise for the four-time champion as he was for the horse and confirmed that he has been aiming for the same amount of improvement still in the tank for the Queen’s Plate as he achieved a year ago.
But a word of congratulation to Ravaun Smit. The commentator stuck his neck out as bravely as any of the protagonists and declared Legal Eagle a short head winner while the judges were still reaching for their magnifying glasses. Snowdance warmed up for her bid to become the first of her sex to win the Queen’s Plate since Mother Russia in 2011 by hardly breaking sweat in the pinnacle. She was almost unbackable at 1-3 with the bookies and 1-10 on the Tote. “She is in a good space which she wasn’t in the Durban season when she was always overracing,” said Snaith who confirmed that Oh Susanna runs next in the Paddock Stakes before attempting to win a second Sun Met. “I will have her spot on for the Paddock,” he insisted. “Last time I got caught out and I am not going to let that happen again.”
Hewitson
Lyle Hewitson, who played a part in Legal Eagle’s third Green Point by sitting on the horse as he was led round the parade ring, won both the Cape Summer Stayers on the Crawford-trained Gimme One Night and the Southern Cross on Princess Rebel for Yvette Bremner who is on holiday in Hong Kong. Hewitson’s father Carl stood in for her and plans bringing the filly back for the Cape Flying Championship. Magical Wonderland, the 2-1 favourite, was found to be coughing. WHEN Johan Janse van Vuuren raids KZN he generally returns home with some rich pickings but it all went pear-shaped for him and his supporters at Greyville this weekend.
The omens were good when Ottawa scored a bloodless victory in the first on Friday night, but it was all downhill from there as his fancied runners failed even to hit the boards yesterday.
Some rain on Saturday saw the track on the softer side of good but that did not faze Mark Khan who scored a quick double coming from way back at the top of the straight.
Howells
Mr Greenlight had surrendered tamely in the soft when making his debut at Scottsville but Duncan Howells instructed Khan to switch his mount off and come at them late. “Duncan knew what was going through my mind on the way to the start and I was tempted to sit handy after we jumped well,” confided Khan. “In the end I listened, but I was lucky to have the right horses around me and I followed Anton through.” Marcus was on the odds-on favourite Uncle Charlie who was soon in trouble as Mr Greenlight came from last to whistle past the opposition. Khan employed similar tactics in the third. Coming back from a lengthy break and gelding, Be The Right revelled over the extra ground. Again, Khan sat patiently at the back of the field and came sailing through for a smart win for Ashburtonbased Belinda Impey.
The Green Point Stakes finish at Kenilworth yesterday had all a-twitter with four smart horses finishing within a short head of each other, but there were a few close calls at Greyville too yesterday. Rae’s Dyna Jet, Red Al and Pumpkin Queen was involved in a similar finish to the fifth race with Rae’s Dyna Jet prevailing by the shortest of short heads.
Warren Kennedy has generally flown under the radar as far as being a ‘celebrity’ jockey is concerned but there is not doubting his talent.
Ovation Award
He is making the most of some better opportunities of late and currently sits sixth on the national table with 48 winners, including his double yesterday on Rae’s Dyna Jet and Ovation Award for Gavin and son Gareth van Zyl respectively.
Taking out a trainer’s licence in these tough economic times is a risky business and with owners an endangered species, so much can go wrong. But Daryl Moore has had a better grounding than most, being assistant to Charles Laird for many years and then joining up with grandfather Ivan Moore, a top jockey and trainer in his day, he has a better chance than most to succeed as he showed when Golden Pheasant got the better of Exclusive Quantity in the seventh.
Cause And Effect
It was another good day for Ashburton trainers who are generally out-done by numbers and the class of horse and Shane Humby rounded off the meeting with a close victory as Cause And Effect got home in another tight finish.