El Dante crosses the line ahead of Birthright, but not before carrying him across half the width of the racetrack (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
There was a raised eyebrow or two after an objection lodged by S’Manga Khumalo on behalf of his Alec Laird-trained mount Birthright at Hollywoodbets Greyville today (Wednesday) was overruled.
Birthright is a big horse and led into the straight before being overtaken by the MJ Odendaal-trained El Dante, who slipped down his inside under Athandiwe Mgudlwa.
However, Birthright then fought back but was never able to fully extend into his big stride because he was being continuously carried out and was bumped off balance once or twice.
Just before the line Khumalo even had to stop riding with El Dante not relenting in his outward shift.
Most horsemen would have regarded an upheld decision as automatic, because even under those circumstances Birthright was only beaten 0,30 lengths.
The sequence of photographs below show just how far Birthright was carried accross the course and the video replay confirms he was bumped off balance at least once.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE REPLAY
One has to ask how much more interference must there be before an objection is upheld?
Alec Laird often brings horses down to KZN at this time of the year because of the superior grass at Summerveld compared to the Highveld and the racecourses are also more forgiving than the Highveld’s at this time of the year too.
He does it especially in the case of a horse like Birthright, who had not raced since December last year.
He would rather come down to KZN and get the horse going than having to wait for the rains on the Highveld.
The most famous case in which Laird came down to KZN to take advantage of the superior conditions down here at this time of the year was in 1995 with a horse called London News. This son of Durban July winner Bush Telegraph had made an inauspicious debut on the Highveld, beaten 16,50 lengths in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m at the Vaal in June. He ran a fair fourth over 1200m at Clairwood in his KZN debut, then won by 4,5 lengths when stepped up to 1600m at Scottsville and he went on to win the Dingaans by 5,40 lengths, the Gr 1 Adminstrators Classic by 7,25 lengths, the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 by 4,20 lengths in course record time, the Durban July, the Queen’s Plate, the Met and the QE II Cup in Hong Kong.
