Andrew Harrison
Hot Pearl often lives up to her name and Wendy Whitehead was having anxious moments as the course ambulance came to a halt before the start of the second race at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday. “I was having heart failure because she doesn’t like to wait for anyone. She’s very impatient and it was a long wait for the ambulance.”
Regular rider Calvin Habib had it all under control and managed to keep her quiet. “She handled herself professionally behind the gate,” he said post-race.
However, neither jockey or the filly’s connections needed to worry once the gates opened as Hot Pearl streaked clear and was not for the catching as she put five lengths on her nearest rival, Rapid Fire who just got the better of favourite Vision To Achieve.
If you want to know why Richard Fourie is champion jockey elect and well on his way to breaking Anthony Deplech’s record of 334 winners in a season, watch the head-on replay of the Fillies Maiden Plate, third race on yesterday’s card won by Canford Queen.
Always handy and on the quarters of pacemaker Lemon Scent, the race was unfolding as expected until Lemon Scent lost her compass under pressure. Fourie found himself hunting running room as Lemon Scent continued to drift outwards and Canford Queen continually blocked.
“She was dead,” commented Gavin van Zyl, assistant to his son Gareth, post-race but Fourie finally managed a clear run and his filly responded gamely, taking off over the final 100m to snatch the decision ahead of City Lights. “You can’t get there without the horse,” said Fourie in a typical understatement.
Down in class but carrying the ‘grandstand’ Rachel Venniker rode a patient race on Chara Sands from his wide draw in the sixth and gave the gelding a copybook ride as he glided to victory with Venniker posing like a statue. Michael Roberts, recognizing talent, took Venniker under his wing from her first days in the Jockey Academy. A better mentor she could not have asked for. A champion rider on two continents, Roberts is a hard task master but Venniker has repaid with hard work and yesterday rode her 100th winner for the stable, fittingly aboard a horse bred and owned by Michael’s wife Verna.
The Little Ballerina form lines have been some of the hottest in recent memory with a host of winners finishing behind her. The Mask was another as Glen Kotzen opened his Champion’s Season account, the son of Gimmethegreenlight bounding clear in the straight to win the first unchallenged.
Gelded after his debut behind Little Ballerina where he ran into traffic to finish nine lengths off the winner, there were no mistakes yesterday as Athandiwe Mgudlwa steadied him around the turn. A sling-shot into the straight saw the traffic melt away and The Mask was not for the catching. Always Shining tried gamely but was hard-pressed to hold debutante Bound By Destiny, Dean Kannemeyer’s runner definitely one for the notebook.
Muzi Yeni is possibly the hardest rider to get past in a tight finish. His low centre of gravity allows him to keep balance when throwing the kitchen sink as he showed on Tom’s Act. He had Doug Campbell’s runner poised in midfield before making his challenge and the son of Act Of War responded to Yeni’s vigorous urgings to get his head in front of a closing pack headed by San Marzano.
Lucky Dollar backed up on his recent victory with a strong finish to land the fifth for Stuart Ferrie. The lightly weighted Action Stations with 4kg claimer Brevan Plaatjies aboard, was always in front until challenged by Lucky Dollar, Tristan Godden timing his run to perfection.
The combination of Venniker and Dennis Bosch have been in good form of late and it was back-to-back wins for Venniker as she sent favourite Poursomesugaronme up the inside rail to score a bloodless victory in the seventh.