INDEPENDENT ON SATURDAY DRILL HALL STAKES (Grade 2)
R7500 000 – 1400m 

GLADATORIAN

Trainer: Stuart Ferrie

Jockey: Sean Veale

Winner: GLADATORIAN BRED BY: Erasmus Thoroughbreds CC OWNED: Messrs Late Agasthamuni Gujadhur, E G Hart de Keating, M L Jean Hardy & M J L Nairac

    

WORLD SPORTS BETTING FILLIES GUINEAS (Grade 2)
R 500 000 – 1600m
  

MON PETIT CHERIE

Trainer: Brett and James Crawford    

Jockey: Richard Fourie   

Winner: MON PETIT CHERIE

BRED BY: Ridgemont Highlands

OWNED: Ridgemont (Nom: Mr Craig Kieswetter) & Mr Devin Heffer

WORLD SPORTS BETTING GUINEAS (Grade 2) – R7500 000 1600m

SAIL THE SEAS

Trainer: Justin Snaith

Jockey: Muzi Yeni

Winner: SAIL THE SEAS

BRED BY: Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert)

OWNED: Messrs R Gobel & D D MacLean, Countess S Labia & Kalinga

Yeni comes sailing home

Andrew Harrison

Muzi Yeni produced a vintage ride aboard Sail The Seas as he led home a Justin Snaith one-two in the Gr2 WSB Guineas in front of a festive crowd at a revamped Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday, 3 May 2025. Riding the Snaith ‘second’ string Yeni pounced at just the right time to edge out stable companion and short-priced favourite Eight On Eighteen and Cosmic Speed in a blanket finish.

In a change of tactics to his come-from-behind second in the Gr2 Hawaii Stakes behind Main Defender, Craig Zackey had no hesitation in taking Sean Tarry’s charge to the front in a field reduced to seven runners with the late scratching of Legal Counsel.

Cosmic Speed set sedate early fractions with Sail The Seas in close attendance and Eight On Eighteen off the pace but still in touch some six lengths off the leader.

Zackey sat for as long as he could once off the false rail but with Sail The Seas breathing down his neck he was finally forced to go for broke. But Yeni always had him in his sights and in a bit of tactical riding he moved up along side Cosmic Speed and steadily pressed him off a straight line without causing interference.

It was a move that probably won him the race as Cosmic Speed, game as he tried, was not able to hold off his rival and looked destined for second before Eight On Eighteen flashed up on his inside to snatch second.

It was a tremendous effort from all three and as Snaith commented post-race, this this year’s three-year-old male crop is out of the top drawer, siting the results of the Gr1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate and the Gr1 WSB Cape Met as examples.

Eight On Eighteen is destine for the Gr1 Daily News 2000 and a crack at the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July while his rivals will in all likelihood have the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over a mile as their target given their apparent stamina limitations.

Snaith also pointed out that the recent wet weather at Summerveld had hampered preparations and he felt that both his charges have more to come.

James Crawford expressed similar reservations as Mon Petit Cherie came with a storming late effort under Richard Fourie to collar Spumante Dolce with an ever game Be Merry hanging on for third.

James is one of the brightest young lights in the training ranks, having learnt well from his father Brett who has left the stable in his son’s hands as he tries his hand in the highly competitive ranks of Hong Kong.

Mon Petit Cherie was not without her supporters as she vied for favoritism with Spumante Dolce and there was little more than a neck between her and Mike and Mathew de Kock’s filly with Be Merry hanging on for third after being up with the pace and tracking Spumante Dolce all race.

Give Me Everything had her winning streak snapped but Dean Kannemeyer will have been well pleased with his filly as she came from last in the straight to finish a length off the leading trio. Given that she was drawn widest of all in the 14-runer field, it was possibly the best showing of all and the Gr2 Woolavington 2000 looks to be an obvious target.

Stuart Ferrie is one of the more reserved men in the training ranks be he has had a grounding second to none having been around the world before signing up for an extended stint with highly respected trainer Dennis Drier.

On Drier’s retirement he took over Drier’s yard and among the stable ranks was Gladatorian. Ferrie has handled the five-year-old with precision and was a deserved winner of the Gr2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes, albeit narrowly ahead of a seemingly rejuvenated See It Again and Great Plains who could be counted a little unlucky as he found traffic in the straight. Fourth was another Kannemeyer runner, The Real Prince, who was doing his best work from the back of the field and a wide draw.

Sean Veale got a dream split up the center of the field and Gladatorian responded with a fine turn of foot to hit the front when it mattered. See It Again ran on strongly up the inside fence to hold off Great Plains in a blanket finish.

Ferrie and Veale are convinced that Gladatorian has the stamina to see out the 2200m of the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July and is going about it in the right way.

Given the quality of horses and the major Gr1’s still on the horizon, local patrons are in for a treat this Champions Season.