Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Fourie targets Mauritius

MICHAEL CLOWER
Richard Fourie leaves for Mauritius on Wednesday and he signed off with a typically determined and skilful performance on Ben Ten at Kenilworth on Saturday. The Eric Sands-trained 6-1 shot looked set for a comfortable win in Candice Castro’s colours when taking it up just under a furlong out in the 1 600m maiden (race four). But he began to drift to the right, away from the whip, and then he suddenly ducked even further over. He was perilously close to throwing the race away but Fourie calmly put down his stick, straightened his wayward mount and drove him hands and heels to a three-quarter length win. Most jockeys moving to Mauritius do so because they reckon to make more money there but Fourie is adamant that this is not the reason for his 16-week stint. He said: “I’m going because it’s something new and something different. I’ve been offered jobs there in each of the last four years but I’ve always turned them down. This time I’ve said yes to the Fok stable but I will be back in mid-December.” The 24-year-old’s boots will not be easily filled. He has averaged 105 winners in each of the last three seasons during which he has recorded six Grade 1 wins. Express Princess got the meeting off to a shock start when storming home over five lengths clear under Grant Behr in the 1 000m fillies maiden. The 18-1 shot paid R33.20 on the Tote. Mike Stewart said: “I told the owners [Leanne Lane, Chris Nagel and Avril Shulman] that it would be worth coming but it was still a major surprise. I can’t work the filly with anything at home because she runs away with everybody - including me!” Piet Steyn trained his first winner for Hassen Adams when Fareed Anthony made all on Eagle Squadron in the 1 000m maiden 35 minutes late. The stable’s more regular patrons Chris Sandes and Jim Thomson are part-owners and they collected again with the Anthony-ridden Terry Lister in the next, a 2 000m maiden.
Riaan Van Reenen struck for the fifth time in 15 days when Niven Marday conjured up a renewed effort from Birthday Girl close home in the 1 600m handicap (race six) to record his third win. Shelly Steinberg’s mare was backed from 10-1 to 5-1. Ronnie Sheehan bought Lassiter for only R15 000 at the Odessa Stud dispersal and his wife’s mare won for the second time since under a good ride from Grant van Niekerk in the other 1 600m handicap (race five). The windy conditions became increasingly wet in the last two races but that didn’t worry the three successful Pick Six punters. They collected R169,530 each after Fieldspring Racing’s Chippendale scored an easy win for Dean Kannemeyer and Morne Winnaar in the 1 400m handicap, and Jessen Vyapooree snatched the 1 000m handicap on Glen Puller’s Twinkle Star.

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