King Pelles (Duke Of Marmalade) makes it a double on the day for both trainer Gareth van Zyl and jockey Grant van Niekerk and a treble on the day for two of his owners, Gary Player and David MacLean (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle)
Kwa-Zulu Natal Champion trainer Gareth Van Zyl has endured a lean and frustrating time with his small satellite string in the Western Cape, but he bounced back with a fine race-to-race double at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday.
The good-looking Otto Luyken had signalled a return to form in his last start back in June and he stepped up nicely under a powerful ride from Aldo Domeyer to edge out Blue Bay in the sixth race, a Class 3 Handicap over 1800m. Greg Bortz and Gina Goldsmith bought Otto Luyken for Gareth Van Zyl during the course of last year, but the 5yo son of Flower Alley has taken time to notch up his third career victory. Van Zyl followed up in the seventh race, a Cape C Stakes over 2000m, when his charge King Pelles, a desperately unlucky loser behind Sudden Song two weeks ago, strolled home to a bloodless victory under Grant Van Niekerk.
King Pelles is part-owned by Gary Player and Dave MacLean and the pair had two winners earlier in the afternoon, both in the famous Player white and black silks. Plus Four (10/1) returned from an 8-month absence to take out the third race, a Maiden Plate over 1400m, in the manner of a horse who could be worth following. The favourite Cumbre Vieja (13/10) tried to make all the running but he had no answer to Plus Four’s surging run from near the back of the field. Trainer Candice Bass-Robinson was clearly impressed by the performance and is upbeat about the future for the 4yo son of Vercingetorix.
Player and McLean will be equally pleased that Holding Thumbs appears to have turned the corner after several indifferent efforts. Trained by Glen Kotzen and ridden by Dennis Schwarz, Holding Thumbs (9/4) was a dominant winner of the fifth race, a Class 4 Handicap over 1600m, drawing clear of the opposition to win by the proverbial country mile.
Brett Crawford’s good form continued at the rain-affected meeting with two excellent winners in the second and fourth races. Captain West (28/10) took up the running shortly after the start of the second race, the R200 000 Restricted Maiden Plate over 1250m, and thereafter the 3yo son of One World was never in danger of defeat. Runner-up On My Honour caught the eye on debut and he will improve a ton with the benefit of this run under his belt. Festival Chic (28/10) was an equally impressive winner of the fourth race, a Maiden Plate (F&M) over 1400m. Having only her third career outing, the daughter of William Longsword beat her stable companion National Disgrace a tad cosily and there should be further improvement to come.
Justin Snaith saddled the exacta in the opening event, a Maiden Plate (F&M) over 1000m, with the lesser fancied of his pair, Elizabeth Grace, proving too speedy for stable companion Champagne Kisses. From A Distance (7/10) was a big disappointment here, but may be worth another chance over a touch further as she appeared to be run off her feet in the early stages of this dash.
Following the running of the seventh race, the jockeys lodged a successful protest due to rapidly deteriorating track conditions and the last three races were abandoned.
