Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Pocket Power rewrites the record books

Press release

Pocket Power galloped into racing history at Kenilworth racecourse yesterday when landing his third successive R2,5 million J & B Met (Gr 1). In a feat unprecedented in the annals of the South African turf, Pocket Power not only won his third Met, but he had also won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (Gr 1) on three successive occasions, a feat unlikely to be repeated in the near future.
Pocket Power and Dancer’s Daughter, with their thrilling Vodacom Durban Jully dead-heat still fresh in the memory, once again fought out a tremendous finish with the gelding proving the stronger on the day as he rallied to a half-length win. His full sister, River Jetez filled third for a memorable day for trainer Mike Bass. Kapil was a further three lengths back in fourth place.
The drama was played out in front of 35 000 spectators who enjoyed a sunny afternoon of top class racing, cooled by a stiff southerly breeze.
Tote takings on the J&B Met itself was 4% up on last year but total takings for the day were down by 3% to just under R21 million.
Chairman of the Gold Circle Western Cape Racing Board, Ashraf Mohamed, said that racing was not “inoculated” against the current economic climate and under the circumstances Gold Circle was very happy with the situation.
The race was also televised and bet on in France where one million Euros were bet on the race.
Graeme Hawkins, Gold Circle Racing Executive, said that this was a platform to launch a world wide initiative.
Pocket Power, owned by Marsh Shirtliff and Arthur and Rina Webber, took his stake earnings to a massive R7,7 million and will now be rested before heading for the KZN Champions season this winter.
Being a gelding with no stud prospects, an international career starting in Dubai is still on the cards for Pocket Power who trainer Mike Bass rates on a par with the best in the world. However, a final decision will be taken after the winter season.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Glen Kotzen-trained Big City Life found his best form to land the R600 000 Investec Cape Derby (Gr 1), running away over the final 200 m to win comfortably from rank outsider Bluemambo and the favourite Le Drakkar, who battled into third.
There was a tremendous finish to the R500 000 Fancourt Majorca Stakes (Gr 1) as Mother Russia, under a tremendous rie from Glen Hatt just got the better of an extremely game Sparkling Gem with favourite Embelm Of Liberty also back in third place.

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