David Thiselton
Gareth van Zyl had high hopes for his two first-timers at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Monday and felt he had some other fair chances, but he never expected to have a six-timer.
There were only eight races at the meeting and Gareth revealed that he had a very strong chance with a scheduled race that was scrapped, so it could have been seven. His previous best on a day was four winners.
The six-timer has seen him pull six wins ahead of Garth Puller in the KZN Trainers Championship, so he should retain his title.He is now on 44 wins achieved at a strike rate of 13.84% with Pulller on 38 wins (10.95%), Alyson Wright on 35 (10.06%), Dean Kannemeyer on 34 wins (16.50%) and Peter Muscutt on 32 wins (21.62%.).
Gareth’s day started with an unusual first-timer, a horse bred by Sabine Plattner’s La Plaisance Stud but sold at the Sales.
Gavin van Zyl spotted this Vercingetorix colt, Wild Justice, who is a half-brother to the like of recent Gr 3 WSB 1900 winner Selukwe and to the decent 119-rated Supreme Warrior, and had to go to R900,000 to clinch him at last year’s BSA August two-yar-old Sale.
Nicholas Patel is very much part of the Van Zyl yard team and he was given the ride on the 4/1 shot Wild Justice, who showed great resolve to get the better of the 87/100 favourite Holy Star. Wild Justice is owned by Al Khayl Breeders (Pty) Ltd, Lucky Vest 12 CC (Nom: Mr Ravi Padayachee) & Miss Trinisha Pillay.
Gareth’s high hopes that the Laurence Wernars-owned Blue Sky Thoroughbreds-bred Legislate filly Serengetti Sun would make it two first-timers on the trot then came to fruition as the tall filly responded to strong urgings by S’Manga Khumalo to get up by a head and convert 83/100 odds. This half-sister to the ultra consistent Mogok 102-rated sprinter-to-1400m horse African Skyline went for R600,000 at the BSA August Two-year-old Sale after being chosen by Gavin van Zyl and Justin Vermaak. She looks like she might need a bit further.
In the third race Gareth said Futura filly Are You Sure, who is out of a Gimmethegreenlight filly, had shown herself to be a 1000m horse early on but having strengthened and matured she enjoyed the step up to 1200m and won by a cosy two length under Khumalo to convert 18/10 odds. She thus got rid of her maiden tag at the eighth time of asking but not before running three seconds, a third and three fifths for owners Mrs I Reddy,Messrs Kenny Naidoo,T Pillay,Theron Pillay,J A Vosloo,Lucky Vest12CC(Nom:Mr Ravi Padayachee) & SMB InsuranceBrokersCC(Nom:Mr M A Brackett). She was purchased for R160,000 at the BSA National Yearling Sale.
Gareth then made it a fourth win in the first four races when the consistent older filly Prankster (Canford Cliffs) won under Khumalo by three lengths over 1100m, despite 6/1 odds. Gareth had hopes for her as she had “seemed to be getting a little bit lazy” and the strong rider Khumalo was thus a “significant jockey strike.”
The yard’s only race contested that they did not win on the day was the fifth over 2400m and Gareth knew that the maiden King Celtillius would be up against it his first attempt at a staying trip running against winners in a C Stakes event under 4kg claimer Mxolisi Mbuto. So it proved as he could only manage a 4,25 length fourth.
In the seventh race Gareth felt Luhamba Phambili (Danon Platina) had credentials on form and the she duly delivered with a comfortable 2,50 length victory at odds of 5/2 to give Khumalo a five-timer on the day as he had also won the sixth race on the Wendy Whitehead-trained Giambattista.
Gareth said, “As the third, fourth and fifth winnners progressed I was just going through the day and enjoying it, but when I was hoping for the sixth that’s when the awareness and the tension set in.”
The punters also latched on to the trend for the day as they backed the Rafeef gelding Rafa’s Boy from 7/1 into 4/1 for the 1000m Bright Future Class 4 Handicap.
Gareth felt Rafa’s Boy might battle to overcome the seven point raise after his easy course and distance win in his previous start.
However, Anthony Delpech provided some excellent advice for Sean Veale.
Gareth said, “Anthony had noticed the ground had cut up and suggested Sean go to the front.”
It is harder for horses to fetch a leader when the ground is loose.
Veale rousted his mount out of the gates and took the lead towards the outside, having jumped from draw ten.
He drifted steadily inward to the inside rail and Rafa’s Boy held on from a fast-finishing Mar Del Plata to win by 0,60 lengths and clinch a quick double for Hollywood Racing.
Gareth said retaining the championship had been one his chief goals since closing his Cape Town operation and he will be hard to catch now.
This is actually the second time a trainer has won six races on a day this calendar year. Alan Greeff did it on 21 February on the Fairview polytrack, also at an eight race meeting. Greeff also scored a six-timer, at a ten race meeting at Fairview, on 14 April 2023.
Van Zyl and Khumalo had a fine long weekend together as they also won the Gr 3 Tote Derby on Saturday with Duke Of Marmalade gelding King Pelles. Gareth said he would find a race for this horse on Hollywoodbets Durban July day before thinking about running him in the Gold Cup.
