The Dean Kannemeyer-trained three-year-old Mambo Mime was the most significant winner over the weekend in KZN, although the older horses Barbosa and Bold Inspiration confirmed their class with sterling performances.
The Greyville polytrack proved its worth again as rain fell continually at the Friday night meeting, but this did not stop it from being completed, while yesterday’s meeting was able to be moved from Scottsville which could well have been too waterlogged to stage the racemeeting.
Mambo Mime’s ability was apparent in his second career start in May, a maiden over 1600m on the Greyville turf, as he pulled hard throughout but still managed to win. He over raced again in his next start in mid-July in a handicap against older horses on the Greyville poly over 1600m but still managed a short-head second to his promising contemporary Celtic Captain.
Mambo Mime winning at Greyville on Friday night (Nkosi Hlophe)
He faced older horses again in a handicap over the same course and distance on Friday night and was racing off a merit rating of 88, so didn’t face an easy task. However, the writing was on the wall for the opposition when he settled beautifully in the hands of Anthony Delpech, who was riding him for the first time. He duly pulled clear in the straight to win by a comfortable 1,75 lengths, converting odds of 5/2. The good looking bay colt by the ever more exciting sire Mambo In Seattle will now head for Cape Town and will soon be tested against the best of his age in the country.
The Dennis Drier-trained Barbosa, a six-year-old gelding by Captain Al, has really come into his own and the Greyville poly suits him due to his telling kick in the straight. He showed his class under Sean Cormack over his favourite trip of 1000m on Friday night and converted odds of 12/10. His main rival Viva La Var, to whom he gave 3kg, did hang outward which helped his cause and the latter, trained by Charles Laird, was having his second run after an eight month injury layoff so could still be a force to be reckoned with.
Laird’s five-year-old Horse Chestnut gelding Bold Inspiration loves the poly and powered clear from a handy position with topweight of 60kg in a MR 99 handicap over 1600m under Anton Marcus to win comfortably by 2,75 lengths. He does have feet issues, one reason why he prefers the kinder poly surface. The runner up in this race Baracah must be followed over a mile as he became stuck in campaigns over longer distances after winning over 2400m 18 months ago, but his two best recent runs have been when dropped back to a mile and he is now off a competitive merit rating.
Others to follow from Friday night are the Weiho Marwing-trained Khonza, a three-year-old filly by Kahal who is full-sister to Kwinta, and the Gavin Van Zyl-trained Sarge gelding Harrison. The former produced a powerful late run under in form Ian a sturgeon to get up in a fillies and mares maiden over 1400m and looks to have plenty of scope for improvement. Harrison produced a strong finish from behind after jumping from a wide draw over 1200m under Brandon Lerena and he could also progress further.
Four-year-old Toreador gelding Thrust produced another telling late kick to claim a 1000m hattrick at Turffontein on Saturday and he could continue to go through the divisions as he strikes as being better than his 70-something merit rating.
The Lucky Houdalakis-trained Count Dubois gelding Counterstroke is another four-year-old who is ever improving and his victory over 1600m off a merit rating of 76 suggested he had more wins in the tank.
– David Thiselton
