Brett Crawford’s patience with the infamous Cape crawl finally gave out at Kenilworth on Saturday and he gave vent to his feelings after he and Fransie Herholdt decided to take the last by the scruff of the neck and make all on Miss Smarty Pants.
The Philippi trainer said: “I don’t know what we are trying to prove by running races in times four to six seconds outside the average. That doesn’t give horses a fair chance and to me it’s not racing.”
Aldo Domeyer
For Aldo Domeyer, though, it was a significant day. Not only did he break through the 100-winner mark for just the second time in his career but he took his tally to just eight short of his best and he put two more really smart Candice Bass-Robinson two-year-olds into his bank for next season’s top races.
Mixed Signals and Russet Air both started odds-on and won with authority while second-placed stable companion More Magic looked a certain future winner when throwing down the gauntlet to the second of these two. He had the third nearly eight lengths back
Domeyer, who completed a quick-fire treble on Blue Flower for Andre Nel, said: “Mixed Signals doesn’t show a great deal at home and when I asked her for an effort I was surprised at the way she turned it on. The trip was way too short for Russet Air but he had the class to pull it off.”
Ronnie Sheehan,82, and wife Jackie – both in the Panorama Mediclinic – had a badly needed tonic when Watch Me Dad proved too strong for Domeyer’s mount Frozen Tune in the Supabets Maiden Juvenile. The well-backed winner is owned by an enthusiastic group of Mauritians.
Robert Khathi, who rode him, donned the Bryn Ressell colours to get up inside the last 100m of the Play Soccer 6 Handicap on 9-1 shot Metorite who cost just R15 000 at the CTS Two Year Old Sale.
Piet Steyn said: “Some horses cost so much that they don’t even win the VAT back! When you ask a guy to come in at the sort of price this one fetched they sometimes think there is something wrong with the horse but Bryn has been very good to me.”
Jono Snaith celebrated his 41st birthday by naming Jailhouse Rock as the banker of the day on Under Starter’s Orders and Callan Murray did the rest on the 2-1 favourite in the 1 800m handicap.
Chatuchak, scratched from the Winter Classic, was a reluctant leader early in the Interbet.co.za Handicap but Gareth Wright made all for a half length win. Nel has supplemented Selailai for Saturday’s race.
By Michael Clower
