David Thiselton
The Gr 3 Lucky Fish Winter Stakes run at Hollywoodbets Greyville over 2400m on Saturday shaped up to be a crucial Hollywoodbets Durban July qualifying race, but ultimately it is unlikely to have any impact on the final field decision-making process because it was won by Native Ruler, who was in a comfortable tenth position on the last July log, and the second placed finisher, Imilenzeyokududuma, is not a July entry.
The July entries who desperately needed to win the race to put their hands up for a berth in the final field were Shoot The Rapids, who finished third, Tenpenny, who finished fifth, Holding Thumbs, who finished seventh, and Enflame, who finished eighth. None of them were in the top 20 on the log and they willl likely have to rely on scratchings to get in.
JP Van der Merwe rides for Greg and Gina Bortz, who own both Native Ruler and Tenpenny, but as Keagan de Melo has been pencilled in as Native Ruler’s rider in the Hollywoodbets Durban July he took the ride on the latter in the Winter Stakes, who was a 5/2 shot.
Van der Merwe has been pencilled in as the Bortz-owned Regulation’s rider in the July. For the Winter Stakes he was aboard Tenpenny, who drifted out from 5/1 to 17/2.
The Nathan Kotzen-trained Shoot The Rapids was backed in to 2/1 favourite and Gavin Lerena took him to the front from draw four.
The former Gold Cup winner Redoute’s Choice broke well from pole position and sat in the box seat behind Shoot The Rapids.
The second highest rated runner in the field behind the 121-rated Native Ruler was the 119-rated 9/2 shot Holding Thumbs and he was in third place in the running, but was unfortunately caught wide.
Holding Thumbs provided nice cover for Native Ruler, while Tenpenny sat on the rail inside of Native Ruler.
Son Of Raj was caught three wide on the quarters of Native Ruler.
Imilenzeyokududuma sat behind Native Ruler, Enflame sat behind Tenpenny and the former Gold Cup winner Future Pearl was at the back.
They kept that order until the straight at a steady pace.
Shoot The Rapids attempted to kick away coming off the false rail.
However, he soon had challengers on all sides.
Master Redoute was looming large on his inside, Holding Thumbs was on his outside and Tenpenny was making his bid on the inside rail.
However, none of them were going as well as Native Ruler, who had joined Shoot The Rapids by the 200m mark, despite his head being cocked sideways and appearing to be looking at the stands.
Native Ruler was just freewheeling up until that point, but when De Melo got to work he quickly put daylight between himself and the others and won with authority.
He was eased late which allowed a running on Imilenzeyokududumu to close within 1.05 lengths and the latter was in turn a quarter-of-a-length clear of Shoot The Rapids.
Master Redoute ran a good race ahead of his likely Durban Gold Vase engagement on July day. He stayed on for a 2,60 length fourth, a neck clear of Tenpenny, who stayed on steadily without ever looking threatening.
Future Pearl ran on well late to be beaten 4,50 length into fifth, but it was not a bad preparation for the Gold Vase, considering his best career form has been at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Holding Thumbs paid the price for not having any cover and faded to be beaten five lengths.
Enflame found nothing in the straight was beaten a dozen lengths, while Son Of Raj was a spent force a long way out and was tailed off.
Native Ruler finished a somewhat unlucky 3,95 length sixth in last year’s July and proved his class in the Winter Stakes.
He was bred in partnership by Maine Chance Farms and Coolmore and was a R1 million National Yearling Sale purchase.
This was his first stakes victory.
He has now had three wins and five places from 15 starts for stakes earnings of R792 038.
The stakes win puts Vercingetorix on 18 stakes winners for the season (of 27 races), meaning he is still in with a chance of matching or bettering the record he set last season of 23 stakes winners (of 33 races).
Native Ruler will be a big runner in this year’s July as the field does not look to be as strong as it was last year. He is unlikely to be raised for his win on Saturday, because he was well in at the weights and as things stand he will carry 58,5kg in the July.
The most eyecatching performance of the rest of the meeting was by the Corne Spies-trained African Pride, who followed up from his impressive two length win at the Vaal six days earlier by winning a Class 2 Handicap over 1000m, despite jumping from draw nine. The outstanding Mickaelle Michel has ridden him in both starts. The 1,5kg gender claim she gets is proving to be a bonus rather than a necessity.
She took him into a share of a lead after a good break and kept the long-striding three-year-old Rafeef gelding going well in the straight before getting to work at the 200m mark. The 10-1 shot held on well from the 3/1 favourite Position Of Power, who was flying at the finish and 7-1 chance Circumbendibus was a neck further back in third.
African Pride is at home over 1000m, but his first of four career wins was over 1200m, so the Gr 3 Post Merchants over 1200m on July day is a possibility.
