David Thiselton

The feature of the day at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth yesterday was the Listed Somerset 1200 that saw the sire Buffalo Bill Cody register another stakes victory over a sprint distance as the Glen Kotzen-trained Catwalk King caused an upset at 25/2 odds under a fine ride by Keagan de Melo.

Keagan de Melo is riding at the top of his game and his expertise played a big role in the win, as can be gleaned from his words in the winner’s enclosure.

He said, “I thought they went quite quick early and then they hit the anchors a little bit and that just allowed me to gather him up a little bit, because he was not traveling awfully well. I was able to get him back on to the bridle and he quickened like a smart horse today. I rode him a little bit like he would need the run and he’s still blowing quite a lot, but hopefully he will show the expected improvement from this run and we can look forward to a nice Cape season with him.”

The James Crawford-trained Shezaripper was backed into 5/2 with the Justin Snaith-trained Gimmthegreenlight filly Grapes Of Wrath, who is a half-sister to Charles Dickens, starting at 3/1 after an impressive debut win, while his stablemate Reef Runner, who had also won impressively on debut, starting at 4/1.

The race was weighted per number of wins with the fillies getting a gender allowance, so the only two-time winner in the field, Tag And Release, had to give 3kg to the males and 5,5kg to the two fillies, Grapes Of Wrath and Shezaripper. Nevertheless Tag And Release started at 5/1 odds and was actually the Tote favourite.

The penetrometer reading on the day was 26 on the turn and 27 on the straight, so the going was good to soft, and this meant timing was at a premium for the jockeys.

Magma Flow was the early leader on the inside with Reef Runner drifting over to sit on his quarters after breaking well. Shezaripper stuck to her stations from the widest draw of all of eight, while Grapes Of Wrath sat behind the leaders from draw four, but was immediately cramped for room. Catwalk King was dropped out from a wide draw of seven and sat behind the second line, while The Cullinan was detached at the back.

Reef Runner gradually moved up to Magma Flow and when Catwalk Wing began his run outside of him he kept Grapes Of Wrath in a pocket with nowhere to go as the 10/1 chance from the Snaith stable, The Cullinan, had taken up the rail run and actually hit the front at one stage in an inspired tactical ride by Craig Zackey.

Catwalk King ran on strongly to beat the staying on Reef Runner by a length, with The Cullinan not able to quite maintain his momentum, having come from so far back, and he was a neck behind the latter in third.

The long-striding Grapes Of Wrath was the hard luck story of the race and looks to be a fine classic filly in the making. She was a 2,95 length fourth with Tag And Release 1,5 lengths behind her.

The Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein-bred Catwalk King is out of the one-time winning High Chaparral mare Strut Your Stuff and she cost R200,000 at the Cape Yearling Sale. She is owned by Laurence Wernars and Mukund Gujadhur.

De Melo had recommended the gelding for Catwalk King and said afterwards it was gratifying when such a suggestion paid dividends.

It was a fine day for the Andre Nel yard as they scored a four-timer for owner Sabine Plattner and did it from just four runners. Plattner’s Australian-bred four-year-old Churchill homebred filly Berry’s Boogie won a Class 3 handicap over 1200m for fillies and mares under Muzi Yeni off an 86 rating to record her fourth career win and she could progress further.

Plattner’s three-year-old homebred filly Cutie Patootie is also a progressive type and made it three wins from five career starts when winning a Class 4 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m off an 88 rating under Chad Little.

The Varsfontein Stud-bred three-year-old Erik The Red filly Blue Lagoon gave Nel and Plattner a treble when winning a Class 5 Handicap over 1200m for fillies and mares off a 78 rating under Aldo Domeyer by 0,30 lengths. She fought back courageously after being headed by the promising two-year-old filly Enticement.

The four-year-old Ridgemont-bred gelding African Memoir completed the four-time for Nel and Plattner when winning the last race over 1000m under Yeni. It was a Class 5 event and African Memoir kept the challengers at bay to win by 0,40 lengths off a 68 rating to record his second career victory.

De Melo had a double as he rode the Greg Ennion-trained She’s Chosen to victory in the first race over 1000m, a Maiden Juvenile Plate. Having her fourth career start, she was bred by Klawervlei Stud and is out of Street Cry mare Hollywoodboulevard, who was one of only two horses in SA to ever defeat the great Igugu. She won by a comfortable 1,75 lengths.

The Candice Bass-trained Autumn Rush, bred by Owloon Horses – Dr Christian Elleke, won an Open Maiden over 1200m at the tenth time of asking under 2,5kg claimer Sifisokuhle Bungane, who rode a fine race down the inside rail to get up by 0,75 lengths..

The Shane Humby-trained four-year-old Ridgemont Highlands-bred filly Kisses won a maiden over 1600m by 1,25 lengths under Ossie Noach at the eleventh time of asking.

The Justin Snaith-trained three-year-old What A Winter filly Music Of The Night did well off a merit rating of 86 to win a Class 4 Handicap over 1200m by a neck under 4kg claimer Eduan Muller.

Andrew Harrison

Star Major put himself firmly into the picture for the R10 million Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July with a smashing victory in the Gr1 Daily News 2000 run at Hollywoodbets Greyville this afternoon.

In a carbon copy of his victory in the Gr2 WSB Guineas, visiting French rider Mickaelle Michel held her nerve for her first Gr1 victory as Star Major swept past his rivals chased home by Happy Verse and favourite Note To Self with pacemaker Viva’s Liberte staying on for fourth.

Trainer James Crawford joins his father Brett in training a winner of the Daily News and he could follow in his footsteps in the July, Brett having trained Winchester Mansion to victory in 2023.

Craig Zackey set a solid early pace on Viva’s Liberte with two of the more fancied runners, Note To Self and Jan Van Goyen well back in the early exchanges.

Viva’s Liberte led into the straight chased by Chronicle King whose challenge soon petered out. Crossing the subway Happy Verse was making progress under Richard Fourie while Andrew Fortune had slipped Note To Self up the inside of the pack. All this time Star Major was making up ground quickly and swept past Happy Verse  to win going away.

Note To Self was running on but lacked the finishing speed of his two rivals while disappointment was Jan Van Goyen who was never in the race and finished in the pack. He may well be a better horse over much shorter.

 The betting for the Gr2 Lucky Fish Woolavington 2000 suggested that it would be a doddle. It eventually turned into a dog fight as short-priced favourite Wish List scraped home ahead of the mare Minogue.

In a race run at no great pace, Muzi Yeni took the initiative and sent Candice and Tammy Dawson’s mare to the front, gradually stepping up the pace until he had built up a commanding lead turning for home.

Andrew Fortune was content to sit back in the pack but the warning signs were up early as Wish List was stuck behind two runners. He was eventually force to switch off their heels and run wide into the straight. Wish List appeared to be slow into gear but like all champions she gradually started to unwind and make up the leeway. She again showed a tendency to shift in under pressure with Fortune reluctant to break her stride and it was head-and-head over the final 100m with Minogue refusing to give in, in spite of Yeni losing his near side rein.

Much to many punter’s relief, the victory margin was a nose with Keukenhof coming from last for the minor money. In spite of the close finish, Fortune said that Wish List was still his choice of ride for the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.

Weichong Marwing is no stranger to the winner’s circle in big races, once being the regular pilot of the mighty Horse Chestnut, and although Dance King is hardly in the same league it was a win full of merit and emotion as his son Wesley steered the 20-1 outsider to an emphatic victory in the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup (Listed).

Out for over nine months with a knee injury, this was the younger Marwing’s first winner since returning to the saddle. From his pole position draw, Dance King had the run of the race and Marwing was able to keep close tabs on the favourite Curious Girl.

The early pace was muddling with the lead changing on a number of occasions but Curious Girl was always in the firing line and Dance King stalking her.

The first worrying signs for the favourite came as the field climbed the hill with Sean Veale beginning to niggle at Curious Girl. Given that she was under pressure that early, she did well to  stay on for third. Dance King on the other hand was full of running and went to the line with lengths to spare while Ahead Of The Facts, who was giving away lumps of weight to almost the entire field, finished off strongly from near last to take second in a run full of merit.