Andrew Harrison

Imposing has not put a foot wrong since joining Gareth van Zyl as the six-year-old and turned in another polished performance to win the Middle Stakes that headed the seven-race card on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.

Van Zyl was magnanimous in his praise for Imposing’s former trainer Michael Roberts and said that the horse had arrived in splendid condition, attributing the gelding’s new lease on life to a change of routine.

It was the fifth win for the yard in just six starts including the Christmas Handicap, all five with S’manga Khumalo board, but he did not have to do much more than a steering job as Imposing turned in a determined run up the straight to win as he liked.

Van Zyl expressed concerns that he may have ‘gone to the well’ once too often but his assistant and father Gavin, no slouch in his training days, convinced him that all was well.

The gelding is due a break and according to Van Zyl he’s hoping to punch a little higher come Champions Season.

It will have been drinks all round at The George, a popular watering hole with the racing fraternity in Umhlanga, as Dean Kannemeyer’s filly Back At The George took to the poly and won a smart race in the other Middle Stakes race for fillies and mares that headed the card.

It was all for the taking a furlong from home with almost the entire field aiming for a crack at the line, but Back At The George slowly got her nose in front and eventually went on to win comfortably.

Those punters who follow horses that arrive from the Western Cape were rewarded once again as Chasing Gold made short work of an admittedly shallow field in the first.

Chasing Gold had never started at odds shorter than 10-1 in her seven outings in the Cape, and mostly in triple figures, but she started favourite in the Open Maiden. Cole Dicken made good use of her light weight, making an early move on the turn as Chasing Gold skipped away from the opposition to win as she liked with Praise De La Rey bobbing in her wake.

Nicholas Patel is an under rated light weight and although Basie Raakvat was carrying in the high numbers yesterday, the dead weight proved no hinderance as MJ Odendaal’s runner arrived in the fourth. It was a surprise according to the stable, R20 a win on the tote, as the son of Flower Alley generally performs best over ground, but racing fresh he put it all together as he eventually outgunned visiting Zoom Bomber who just failed under a typically forceful Khumalo ride with Patel resorting to a couple of slaps.

Jarrett Rugg, now a hotel manager but a former trainer at Flamingo Park, always praised Patel’s work ethic and given that Patel is attached to top stables of the likes of Gareth van Zyl and Odendaal says much for his progress from the backwaters of Kimberly.

Dennis Bosch is a Gr1 winning trainer and one of the shrewdest around. Some with long memories will recall him riding a pick-up in the gallop before In Full Flight won the Durban July for David Payne. 1200m may have been on the short side for the stable stalwart Poursomesugaronme in the fifth, but Keagan de Melo rode the perfect tactical race on the mare, finishing off her run well with Lucienne on her outside keep her honest.

Anty punter in doubt of the strength of Cape form, especially in lower grade races, it was reiterated again as Umzingeli Wenyathi put them all to bed in the sixth. Syndicate rider Sean Veale possibly had the choice of rides but Clinton Binda stuck with apprentice Sifisokuhle Bungane and the 4kg claim came into play as he held off a determined challenge from Doug Campbell’s runner Magic Surprise who managed to unship his rider at his previous start.

Gary Rich is old school. He knows horses inside and out but is never one to promote himself in public so battles along without mainstream owner support and a string of moderates. But when the money is down, they seldom disappoint. Dawn Surprise came in for strong market support in the last and she landed the gamble as Rachel Venniker managed to stay aboard as the mare ducked sideways under pressure but still had enough in hand to hold off Jazz Diva and Queen Fenn to round off the day.