Retained riders, lucky enough to earn a contract, are a travelling band, clocking up the air miles as they flit from centre to centre without making a dent in their own wallets. The retainer does come with its share of pressure but it paid dividends for Greg Cheyne, retained by the combination of the Kieswetters of Highlands Stud and Ridgemont Racing, as Emma’s Oracle waltzed home to shed her maiden in facile fashion in the sixth at Greyville yesterday.
There were a few who in the race that fancied their chances, notably supporters of The Matador for Yadav Singh, saddling his first runner since taking out his trainer’s brief again, but Duncan Howells will have been well aware of what he was up against given that the runner-up had recently left his yard. In retrospect, Emma’s Oracle obliged at fairly generous odds of 9-10.
Emmas Oracle (Candiese Marnewick)
Age is never a factor when a horse stays sound and enjoys his racing and Crime Victim rewarded owner/breeder Barry Readon with his fourth win from 40 starts, giving Howells his second winner of the afternoon, when accelerating away from his field to win the Racing. It’s a Rush Handicap over 2400m. Crime Victim had been dropping steadily in the handicap but his poly debut last time out saw him run well below what he is capable off.
The handicappers generously dropped him a further four pounds after that race but are likely to put a cork in the gap after yesterday’s fluent victory.
Flichity By Farr franked the form of recent KZN Fillies Guineas Trial winner Hashtagyolo, when speeding to a comfortable victory in the Track & Ball Fixed Odds Handicap.
Under a polished ride from Anthony Delpech, he had Alyson’s Wright’s filly tracking the early pace before pushing the button two furlongs out and accelerating away to win as she liked with favourite Shirley Valentine chasing shadows.
Paul Lafferty got his meeting under way in good style as apprentice Diego de Gouveia took advantage of a strong tail win to lead all the way on outsider Exquisite Eight and Francesco sealed a fine afternoon in the office for Lafferty as red-hot apprentice Ashton Arries rode a confident race to steer his mount to a comfortable victory.
Outsider Air Salute saw the Pick 6 dividend rocket in the last as the Lezeanne Forbes-trained gelding belied his current form. He hooked up with strong favourite Sovereign Master at the top of the straight but keep rolling resolutely to win rather comfortably at the death.
By Andrew Harrison
