Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Orbison shows his class

David Thiselton
The Herman Brown-trained Orbison brought joy to KwaZulu-Natal racing at Clairwood on Saturday when romping home a very impressive winner of the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1 800m under Raymond Danielson, booking his place in the Vodacom Durban July in the process. It was also a great day for the Mike de Kock yard, who landed three Graded features on the day and lost a fourth on an objection. Orbison, a rangy three-year-old gelding by Mogok, is trained In KZN, was bred in KZN by the Scott Brothers and is owned by one of the staunchest supporters of KZN racing, Paul Rhodes. Herman Brown himself and Robin Scott of Scotts Brothers also have a share in him. It was Rhodes first Grade 1 win while Danielson was winning this race for the second successive year, last year having done so on 40-1 chance Ivory Trail. Orbison disappointed the yard in his last start when running a close fourth in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over the same Clairwood 1 800m. However, after putting in some strong pacework with the sprinter Intellectual on Tuesday morning, he returned to the ring under Danielson without blowing at all and it was clear that Brown's assistant trainer, Frank Robinson, had him spot on for the Champions Cup.
However, such was the strength of the field that he was allowed to start at odds of 20-1. The Charles Laird-trained Galileo’s Galaxy went straight to the front and set a cracking gallop, while his stable companion Dan De Lago, unfortunately refused to jump for the second big race in a row.
Red Rake followed Galileo’s Galaxy and then there was a further three lengths back to Orbison who sat alone in third. Orbison was still full of running in the straight. He caught the leader at the about the 200m mark before going on to win by 2,5 lengths. Galileo’s Galaxy stayed on well for second.
Pocket Power had sat three wide in the vanguard behind Orbison in the running and stayed on well without showing the sparkle he has at his best.
Bold Silvano stayed on well for fourth while the Alec laird-trained Captain Scott ran a fair July trial in fifth, 6,5 lengths behind the winner.
The favourite Noordhoek Flyer ran disappointingly finishing ninth.
Danielson, when dismounting Orbison after his maiden win on debut back in September last year, said to Rhodes: “Orbison for the July.”
Rhodes was disbelieving at the time, but the pieces of that dream have now fallen into a realistic picture. The first Grade 1 on the card, the Golden Slipper for two-year-old fillies over 1 450m, saw the de Kock-trained Galileo filly, Mahbooba, producing a powerful finish under Kevin Shea from off the pace to romp home to a 2,25 length victory over the Justin Snaith-trained Fragrant Al, with the Glen Kotzen-trained Six Blue Notes running on strongly for third.
The Joey Ramsden-trained Flaming Alice just held on for fourth ahead of the Paul Lafferty-trained Legal Account. Mahbooba, bred in Australia, is owned by Sheik Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum. Shea and De Kock were first across the line in the Grade 1 Golden Horseshoe over 1 450m for two-year-olds with the odds-on favourite Kavanagh, who was involved in a thrilling dual with the Ramsden-trained Copper Parade, ridden by Piere Strydom. However, Kavanagh had shifted in a couple of horsewidths at about the 200m mark, causing Copper Parade to have to move away from him and change legs, and there was another coming together shortly thereafter. With Kavanagh having only won by the nod of a head the stipendiary stewards decided to upheld the objection lodged by Strydom. The Charles Laird-trained The Assayer stayed on from a handy position for third, while the de Kock-trained Zanzamar and the Sean Tarry-trained The Mouseketeer were next best. Copper Parade, by Lecture, is owned by FH McGrath and Optima Trust and was bred by Ascot Stud.

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