The switch from a soggy Scottsville to the Greyville poly yesterday was always on the cards according to the weather bureau and although the fields were thinned out by withdrawals and the need to trim to 12-horse fields, the poly held up well under persistent rain. But it was all sunshine for apprentice Denis Schwarz who booted home four winners that included all four legs of the jackpot.
Barrier trials are still a bone of contention in many quarters but whatever the merits or otherwise, Everlasting Love was the first trial winner to translate that to a race proper as Robbie Hill’s filly ran out a comfortable winner to give Schwarz the first of his four winners. Owned and bred by Bernard Kantor, the daughter of France-bred sire Lawman was always in control ahead of Victorious Diva and Silver Raisin.
Lala (Candiese Marnewick)
In a race cut to just five runners, top weight Lala scored a bloodless victory for Doug Campbell in the Pinnacle Stakes. Well weighted given the conditions of the race and beaten by the highly rated Neptune’s Rain last time out, Lala was surprisingly easy to back as the money came for Onesie. But it was all one-way traffic as Schwarz allowed Lala to tackle pacemaker Karatage early in the straight to boot home his second winner of the afternoon.
Schwarz rode two mature races on Cosmia for Garth Puller and Hey Georgie Girl in the eighth, giving Campbell his second winner, in the last two legs of the jackpot. Sitting well off the pace on both, Schwarz timed his runs to perfection to out-run the opposition.
Two-year-olds endured a baptism of water in the card opener. But rain, puddles and a stretch to an extra furlong did not deter Crimean Queen who made all the running under Warren Kennedy for Mike Miller. Miller is now two-for-two in the first KZN juvenile races of the season with Vertical Decent winning the season’s opener at Scottsville on Sunday.
Mbali, much improved at her second start after a modest debut, went one better in the second as she led all the way under apprentice Eric Ngwane for Ashburton-based Louis Goosen. Mbali, racing in earmuffs, was pushed to the line by Seattle Silva who made a smart local debut for Brett Crawford, with apprentice Ashton Arries replacing his junior Luke Ferraris who has yet to complete his qualifying rides and not yet cleared to ride the turn.
Apprentices Sandile Mbhele and Arries were involved in a thrilling finish in the opening leg of the PA. With the track running fast, Mbhele was out to make it wire-to-wire on the Paul Lafferty-trained Moon Shadow but halfway down the home straight Arries produced Great Dictator with what looked to be a winning run. However, Moon Shadow refused to give in and fought back from a length down to snatch it back on the line.
Ouzo was the first of the day to win from off the pace but Brandon Lerena still sat handy on Alyson Wright’s runner and he quickened away to win the fourth easing up. He raced in the colours of Gold Circle CEO, Michel Nairac.
By Andrew Harrison
