David Thiselton

Nathan Kotzen and owner Syd Moodley are on a roll at present having landed two features together over the weekend, a Gr 2 with Cats Pajamas in Johannesburg and a Listed exacta with Field Marshal and Shoot The Rapids in KZN, and then on Wednesday the exciting prospect Bangladesh returned from a long layoff to win easily in his second career start on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly.

Cats Pajamas was sent off at 25/2 for the Gr 2 TAB Hawaii Stakes, but Kotzen felt he had a fine chance.

He said, “He doesn’t seem to like the straight. Almost all of his runs down the straight are shocking, but if you go 1200m bend or 1400m bend he is alright. Before the race I also knew he had turned the corner. In his first run for me (in the African Holly Stakes over 1100m finishing a 5,60 length last of five) Craig (Zackey) came back and told me he wasn’t striding a hundred percent, he said he was a little bit short. I was obviously a bit disappointed when I watched the race, but I went back and thought about it and realised it wasn’t actually a bad run, 5,50 lengths off a top sprinter (William Robertson) at level weights and he was a bit scratchy, which I knew I could work on and get him better. So I just got him right and then worked him and his final gallop was exceptional. I said ‘wow’ this horse has turned the corner after seeing that gallop. His gallop was good, he was in a good space and I said ‘He’s ready for Jo’Burg’.”

He traveled up with Choice Carriers leaving at midnight on Thursday and arriving on Friday morning.

In the race the four-year-old Rafeef gelding jumped well from draw one under Richard Fourie and this enabled him to get a tow from the pacemaker Money Heist.

This augured particularly well, because the horse to beat, the favourite One Eye On Vegas, was in last place having been dropped out from a wide draw, while one of the other chief contenders, Texas Red, was caught one out and one back without cover.

In the straight Cats Pajamas had soon powered past Money Heist and although One Eye On Vegas had sliced through the rest of the field in impressive style while still on the bit he was unable to make much impression on Cats Pajamas.

The athletic bay went on to win the weight for age with penalties event by 2,10 length carrying 58kg with three-year-old One Eye On Vegas (55,5kg) next best and they were folowed by Money Heist, Main Defender and Cosmic Speed.

Nathan said, “Richard Fourie said he didn’t have to do much, the horse just pulled him through and won full of running.”

It was the sixth career win for the former Frank Robinson-trained gelding and his second career Gr 2 victory.

Nathan said the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Staks over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the first weekend of May was the obvious target for Cats Pajamas.

On Sunday the Lancaster Bomber four-year-old gelding Field Marshal was dropped out to last in the Listed  WSB Sledgehammer over 1750m by Craig Zackey. He was carrying 59,5kg in the benchmark 52kg = MR92 handicap, but that did not stop him scything through the centre to win by 1,60 lengths from stablemate Shoot The Rapids (Erupt), who carried a welter 64,5kg and came from second last  with an eyecatching run.

Nathan views Field Marshal as “an improving type of a horse” and hopes to qualify him for the Gr 1 R10 million Hollywoodbets Durban July.

Field Marshal was raised three points to 110 and Nathan is eyeing the Gr 2 Colorado King Stakes over 2000m on April 25 at Turffontein Standside as his next target.

The 117-rated Shoot The Rapids is one of the best stayers in the country and will likely go that route.

On Wednesday Nathan revealed that Bangladesh had suffered a continual stream of irritable minor issues, which had explained his long break of ten-and-half months.

However, he thought the Buffalo Bill Cody three-year-old would be hard to beat in the Maiden over 1200m.

He said, “Frank (Robinson) had always told me he thinks he is a nice horse and we did the gelding, which had been thought about before, and since then he has just got better and better. I thought it was the right race for him and based on his work I thought he would be hard to beat.”

Bangladesh broke well under Zackey and sat in a handy position before being switched out and winning full of running by 4,70 lengths from the consistently placed maiden Xiphos.

Nathan said he would find a handicap forBangladesh and if won that he would look for a little feature for him.

He believes he will need 1400m to a mile to be seen at his best.