Jet To The Sun (What A Winter), running in the iconic Jaffee silks, clinches a five-timer for Justin Snaith and the third leg of a four-timer for JP van der Merwe at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth today. (Picture: Cape Racing)
Reigning SA champion trainer Justin Snaith won races 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth today (Wednesday) , three of them ridden by JP van der Merwe, who had a four-timer on the day..
Unfortunately Snaith did not have a runner in race 7 so was unable to make an attempt at equalling his own probable SA record of winning six carded races in succession, which he did at the Met meeting in 2016, where he won all of the meeting’s first six races (and won another two later at the 12 race meeting to score a world record eight wins in a day).
There have been plenty of five-timers in South African history, but a search through the archives to see how many times a trainer has won five successive carded races would probably be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Even when Alan Greeff won seven of eight races in January 2020, he did not land five carded races in a row.
Snaith’s fifth win today was fitting as it was in the famous Jaffee colours and Justin revealed how important iconic owners Laurie and Jean Jaffee had been to Chris Snaith’s yard in the days when he was putting Justin and Jonathan through school, having also just purchased a property.
The What A Winter filly Jet To The Sun is owned by Etienne Braun and Georgina Jaffee and JP extracted a strong finish out of her to win by 2,75 lengths in the Class 4 Handicap over 1600m at odds of 5/1.
The other fitting aspect was the race was named in the memory of the recently late stalwart horsewoman Jane Thomas, whose life was celebrated in a ceremony in the parade ring after the last race.
The Varsfontein Stud-bred Jet To The Sun has now won twice and Justin said he was glad to see her looking to be a happy horse as she was problematic and had to have her stable padded because of her tendency to kick everything.
Snaith’s run started in the second race when the Drakenstein Stud-bred three-year-old Trippi gelding Express Yourself enjoyed the step up to 2000m and won by a length under Richard Fourie at odds of 5/1, despite jumping from draw ten of eleven. Snaith got the exacta in the race as the 33/1 outsider Ahead Of The Facts (Futura) finished second.
In the third race the progressive four-year-old Drakenstein Stud-bred Silvano gelding Groovejet made it a third career win and a second one in succession when winning a Cape C Stakes over 2000m by 1,25 lengths under Van der Merwe at odds of 91/100 and it was once again a yard exacta as 8/1 shot Kwite A King (Vercingetorix) finished second.
In the fourth race over 1600m, a Class 4 event, the five-year-old Klawervlei Stud-bred Royal Mo gelding Rule Of Thumb made it a fifth career win, when staving off the Andre Nel-trained pair Hoodia and Zeitz to win by 0,30 length under Van der Merwe at odds of 25/2.
In the fifth over 1600m, another Class 4 event, the three-year-old Alec and the honourable Gillian Foster’s homebred three-year-old Legislate gelding Regulation produced a telling burst under Craig Zackey to win by two lengths despite odds of 20/1.
There was much jubilation when Jet To The Sun made it five in a row in the next race.
It was a fine day at the office for the Snaith team, who before the meeting had earnings for the season to date of R8,799,656, comfortably clear of Alec Laird in second place on the national log on R5,107,250.
