Andrew Harrison
Sabine Plattner has got to be one of the most patient owners in the sport. Her familiar green and indigo colours are always prominent in the Western Cape, where Plattner has a private training facility up the West Coast, but also in Kwa-Zulu Natal where Byron Forster does duty for boss Andre Nel at Summerveld. Mostly home bred at Plattner’s La Plaisance Stud, Nel is never one to rush his charges and is afforded the luxury of an understanding owner.
Pleasedtoseeyou is a five-year-old La Plaisance-bred who only had 13 races under his saddle until yesterday but paid his way with his second win in the fifth on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Serino Moodley has become part of the furniture in Nel’s Summerveld yard and he rode the perfect front-running race. Along with stable companion Mac Hardy, they cut the early fractions before Mac Hardy threw in the towel leaving Ultra Quick the main challenger. However, Ultra Quick’s challenge faded to nothing leaving Got The Word and Navajo Dancer keeping Pleasedtoseeyou honest.
There was a flood of late money for Willow Valli in the first but unfortunately for her backers she also arrived too late. Asgardian Queen made all the running under Calvin Habib with Wendy Whitehead’s charge staying on the lead in a grinding finish to hold off Blazing Belle before Willow Valli arrived late to snatch second.
Gold Gold Baby, dropped back to a mile with first time blinkers, held off a determined challenge from Treasure Island to win the second under Chad Little. Leading for most of the way, Gen Kotzen’s filly kept finding in a pressure-cooker finish to keep Treasure Island at bay.
Princess Trippi looked to be one of the better bets on a tricky card and so it proved as Keagan de Melo waited his turn at the top of the straight before streaking away to win as he liked. It was the second winner for Whitehead and although the opposition did not stack up to much, it was a win full of merit.
Game in defeat, Ebisu was unable to peg back the year older Sesame in the fourth, a Class 4 over 2000m. Giving the winner 8kg, 4kg courtesy of apprentice Anaas Mosaheb, the two fillies joined battle over a furlong out. Sesame appeared to have the upper hand over the final 50m but Callan Murray got Ebisu to rally again but just not enough to deny Glen Kotzen a double on the day.
On the verge of being retired from racing four runs back, blinkers, back-to-front alumites and intensive physio has seen Meerkat Moon reach his full potential as he ran out and easy winner of the sixth.
Sean Veale made the most of his inside draw on Mark Dixon’s runner and made not mistakes. The gelding had the run of the race, slipping up the inside rail before drawing off to win as he liked.
It was also pleasing to see the blinkers removed from Meerkat Moon before the lead-in according the horse some dignity and owners who don’t remove their dark glasses before their interviews should take note.
Nathan Kotzen is a staunch supporter of Dezahn Louw and the promising apprentice delivered a confident front-running ride on the well-supported Chicarito in the seventh. The gelding does not have the best of legs (for the layman – not the best conformed according to strict equine physiology), and has taken to the poly track and recorded back-to-back wins. Ante-post favourite Bangkok Magic drifted in the market but still finished a creditable second to edge out Winter In London.
The judges took their time declaring the winner of the last as pacemakers B Fifty Two and Victor Rail fought out a desperate finish. There was nothing separating the two over the final 50m and little more than a piece of paper as Kom Naidoo’s outsider added a zero onto the Pick 6 payout.
