Andrew Harrison
Coast Of The Sun missed the bus as far as the two-year-old features went this season, but he is likely to be in front of the queue to catch the next one given his performance at Hollywoodbets Scottville yesterday.
Not having run since shedding his maiden in May, the son of Hawwaam was entitled to be ring-rusty but Tienie Prinsloo, who cut his teeth in the competitive climbs of the now defunct Flamingo Park, was never going to run the colt in a race that he could not win.
There was some money for Ricky Maingard’s charge Klein Karoo but Coast Of The Sun was never challenged at the top of the boards and Tristan Godden, riding at the top of his game, quickly found the rail after the start and gave Coast Of The Sun the perfect ride.
It was clear a long way out that Coast Of The Sun was all at sea as the older and more experienced Klein Karoo pressed forward but ears flat and asking for some guidance from the saddle, victory was never in doubt.
A stunning specimen, Prinsloo intimated that a trip to Cape Town for their Summer season may be on the cards but be that as it may, Coast Of The Sun is one for the notebook.
Mike and Mathew de Kock took the wraps off a trio of smart colts in the first three races and all three look to be heading in the right direction.
All were racing in the now familiar Hollywoodracing silks that will be crowned Champion Owners this season with their tally up to 178 come the close at the end of the week.
In the card opener, the two fancied runners Scots Wae Hae and Lenoxx took each other on for most of the race and just when Lenoxx looked to assert his authority Scots Wae Hae found an extra gear to get past and win going away.
Stable rider Gavin Lerena was of the opinion that 1000m was at the bottom of the colt’s range and a step up in trip is on the cards.
Next up it was Gimme A Fireball and it appears that the son of Gimmethegreenlight lives up to his name at home. Mike de Kock said that they had held off ‘picking his pockets’ because of his pedigree but he was not an easy horse to work with. “He’s a bit of a meneer,” he said and complimented jockey Sean Veale for doing all the hard work in keeping the lid the colt.
He made short work of his rivals as he strode away to a four-length victory and the family jewels should be safe for the immediate future at least.
Sparrow Man completed the stable hattrick. Stepping up to a mile after an eye-catching sprint debut, he showed plenty of potential as he quickened away from his rivals to win as he liked. There were still signs that the penny having not quite dropped but he won well enough to suggest that the De Kock’s and Hollywoodracing can look forward to a potentially stellar season that starts on Saturday with the unbeaten Gr1 Gold Medalion winner Haute Couture also in the yard.
Apprentice Damyan Pillay rode his 40th winner and is down to a 1.5kg claim after booting home Soho Celebrity for Yogas Govender in the fourth. Magical Spring set a searching gallop with Pillay keeping a close eye and poaching the lead at just the right moment as Magical Spring faded. Favourite Blenheim Palace was out with the washing in the early exchanges but made up a huge amount of ground rapidly in the straight. At one point it looked as if he would pass Soho Celebrity but came up empty over the final furlong and not getting home as Soho Celebrity kept on finding.
Lucinda Woodruff rounded off an exceptional three months of Champion Season campaign as the heavily backed Sohot Sowhat gave Gavin Lerena his third winner of the afternoon in the Middle Stakes but it was a close-run thing with Lerena showing why he is paid the big bucks.
He will have worked out that Tara Star, drawn on his inside, had plenty of speed so he was content for her to lead him on. Maybe what he didn’t count on is Darryl Moore’s mare staying on doggedly and he was forced to call on maximum to get his filly home ahead of Tara Star and land the gamble.
It’s seldom that you see a Kannemeyer horse going to the front. The seasoned trainer generally likes to see his runners charge from off the pace. It didn’t quite pan out earlier for Blenheim Palace who came up short but stable rider Craig Zackey changed tactics on Spirit Of Shimla and led all the way to win the Class 4 and was never for the catching.
Cole Dicken tried his best to copy Zackey in the last as he allowed Gardeners Pride to take a hold of the bit and make all the running, but try as he may Yadav Singh’s gelding was not able to hold off the challenge from Double Olympic who gave Govender a double on the day.
