Andrew Harrison
Glen Kotzen was not complimentary of the handicapping of his filly Lock And Key, given that she once garnered a rating of over 100. But down to an 87 rating after two years plus a 4kg claimer aboard she got home in the Middle Stakes that headed the card on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.
Although only shouldering 50.5kg, the instructions to promising Mauritian apprentice Anaas Mosaheb were not to go to the front. That instruction went out of the window from the jump as Lock And Key broke well and nothing willing to take her on.
The filly kept rolling all the way to the line with the well supported Thisiswhatitmeans chasing hard but once up to the girth of the filly the 13kg swing in the weights came into play and MJ Odendaal’s gelding was more than game in defeat.
Back against her own sex after an eye-catching run behind the progressive Green Energy, Mike Miller’s filly What A Classic was relatively easy to back in the first with all the late money coming for Sei Bella and Red Hot Miss.
Tristan Godden was content to sit off the pace as the two market rivals disputed the lead and it looked to be a boat race up the straight. However, What A Classic started to warm up and Sei Bella, starting to feel her early exertions, dropping out of the challenge. Red Hot Miss kept finding but was unable to hold the challenge from What A Classic who finally got home quite comfortably.
Garth Puller’s filly Amphitrite was a boil-over in the first leg of the PA as apprentice Dezahn Louw took his medicine at the start but brought his filly with a storming late run to collar the year younger Christmas Rose with the balance of the opposition fighting over scraps.
The pace was on early as Dee Day took off like a scalded cat with Amphitrite jumping sideways out of the gate and left in the dicky seat with Christmas Rose just ahead.
A furlong out, it was the proverbial cavalry charge but both Christmas Rose and Amphitrite were given a clear run at the line. Wide into the straight, Christmas Rose was the likely winner before Amphitrite arrived on her outside to snaffle the race.
Gimme The Truth drifted alarmingly in the market before the first leg of the Pick 6 in spite of some smart recent form but those that followed the market came up short. In instructions were to stay wide and Glen Kotzen’s gelding arrived with a wet sail under apprentice Damyan Pillay putting plenty of daylight between him and Crimson Typhoon with favourite Good Omen never going well and finishing out with the washing.
Lucinda Woodruff has had a strong KZN winter season and added another to her tally as Ebisu ran her field ragged in the Class 4. Sweating up in the preliminaries would have put some punters off but Callan Murray had no hesitation in taking her to the front and there she stayed, winning as she liked chased home by favourite Red Coral and Chasing Gold. Woodruff confirmed post-race that the filly did tend to sweat up before a race.
Woodruff was back in the winner’s enclosure in the fifth as Innerbloom made all the running under Calvin Habib. Making her poly debut, Innerbloom looked to be under pressure crossing the subway but challenges fell away and she went to the line a comfortable winner with Dawn Surprise staying on for the minor money ahead of December Dawn.
The mare Diamondsandpearls was a hard-knocking mare for Shane Humby but only produced one foal before being found dead in her paddock one morning. However, her legacy lives on as her only foal, Last Margarita, went back-to-back. Stepping up to a mile, she made all the running in the Class 5 to give Puller and apprentice Mosaheb a double on the day.
Dancing On A Cloud always seemed to be something of an under performer but the switch to the quieter climbs of Ashburton and a lengthy break saw him back in the winner’s box for Wengi Masawi who attested to the fact that he was a bit of a handful at home. Sean Veale came from well off the pace to produce Dancing On A Cloud to win with something in hand.
