David Thiselton

The second biggest race in Durban, if not the country, used to be the Gold Cup and Glen Kotzen has now done the career double of two iconic races, albeit 17 years apart with Big City Life having won the July for him in 2009 and the big Vercingetorix gelding Holding Thumbs winning the World Pool Gold Cup on Sunday.

Jockey Chad Little is old enough to recall that great racing era when the 3200m long Gold Cup was huge.

After executing one of the rides of the season he likened winning Sunday’s big World Pool-sponsored race to winning the Hollywoodbets Durban July, even though it has been downgraded in recent years to a Gr 3.

Fittingly, Holding Thumbs was bred by the Oppenheimer family’s Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein stud operation.

The victory falls 68 years after Chad Little’s grandfather Benny Little gave Harry and Bridget Oppenheimer of Mauritzfontein Stud their first July win in 1959 in his first July ride on the homebred Tiger Fish.

The Gold Cup win ensured the Breeders Championship had been regained by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein, who pulled away on the final big day of the season from this season’s nearest rival Varsfontein Stud to win it by over R2 million.

The sire phenomenon Vercingetorix took his number of stakes wins for the season to 34, which was one more than last season, but despite winning three stakes races on the day with Zeitz, Palace Of Avernia and Holding Thumbs respectively, the Maine Chance Farms-based stallion’s tally of individual stakes winners in a season remained on 21, two short of the SA record he had set last season.

Nevertheless, Vercingetorix has run away with his second Sires Championship, finishing close to R11.5 million clear of the three times Champion Sire Gimmethegreenlight.

For owners Messrs P Bamford, D D MacLean & Gary Player Stud Farm (Pty) Ltd, Mrs J Doyle & Mr L S & Mrs Rayna Govender it was also a huge moment.

Gary Player also part-owned last year’s winner King Pelles and this was his third Gold Cup win in all.

It would have been a race of mixed emotions for Player as King Pelles, who started as hot 13/10 favourite, was pulled out of the race by Lyle Hewitson. Thankfully, the horse was okay, although he did have to be subject to ongoing veterinarian checks.

Last Tuesday at Summerveld Glen Kotzen had ended an interview by saying,  “I don’t think Hollywoodbets Greyville suits Holding Thumbs, but we’ve got a plan.

It was easy to work out that with no obvious pace in the race and Holding Thumbs being a big galloping type the plan would be to go to the front.

Kotzen had also said in the interview that the Champions Season hadn’t been great for Holding Thumbs, “but I think we have now turned him for the Gold Cup.”

It was revealed after the race on Sunday they had made some changes to his work program and in particular he was given more short, sharp work as opposed to long work.

Kotzen said it could be seen when Holding Thumbs walked into the ring that the new program had made all the difference.

Kotzen said about Chad Little’s ride, “Chad is a top jockey, he just needs confidence. This win is going to give him that confidence.”

Holding Thumbs jumped from draw 13 of 13, which at least allowed him a clear passage to the front.

The big bay pinged the gates and was far enough clear when reaching the turn to slot in front of Shoot The Rapids.

Little had got his trigonometry just about perfect with Holding Thumbs having gone on virtually a straight line from starting stall to the inside at the end of the first straight.

That ensured he would have expended as little energy as possible in the first 450m and it also meant he had the rail for the rest of the journey i.e. the shortest way home.

That was the first prerequisite for a perfect ride ticked off.

He then ensured no more than a steady pace from then onward.

King Pelles was in midfield sitting in a one wide position with cover when he suddenly came off the bit and began backpedalling as they approached the 1000m mark. Hewitson had no option but to ease him out of the race. He had run a fantastic third in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, but it had been tough race for him and the Gold Cup might have proved a bridge too far.

Meanwhile, the second favourite Ahead Of The Facts was travelling well, but his supporters’ concerns were  mounting, because he was closer to the back than the front in a relatively slow run race.

Richard Fourie had the room to switch Ahead Of The Facts out at the 800m mark and he began inching closer as they came up the hill.

The exceptional turn of foot Ahead Of The Facts had displayed in his Gr 3 Durban Gold Vase victory over 3000m was evident in the straight as he had soon mastered the chasing vanguard.

However, Little had fulfilled more criteria for a perfect ride by giving his horse some rein as they approached the straight and then by kicking away at the top of the straight.

This was a vital move aboard a resolute galloping type and he had soon opened up a four length gap

It was apparent the long-striding horse was going to be hard to haul in.

Little showed perfect timing in drawing the stick as late as the 250m mark.

He later executed a deft change of whip hand which saw Holding Thumbs changing legs and finding another gear.

He pulled off another whip hand change when Holding Thumbs hung in on to the rail.

However, he can only be given 99% for the ride because in his understandable excitement he stood up and saluted  a stride or two before the line.

Ahead Of The Facts stayed on well for a two length second, leaving Justin Snaith still chasing a first Gold Cup.

The Robbie and Shanon Hill-trained filly Jazz Cafe enjoyed a third successive step up in trip and stayed on well for a 2,90 length third.