El Romiachi after scoring a hattrick in his 102nd start. (Pauline Herman Photography).
Every now and then a sportsman or a racehorse defies logic and this has been the case with the incredible Zietsman Oosthuizen-trained Riethuiskraal Stud-bred Elusive Fort gelding El Romiachi.
The evergreen eight-year-old caused a few eyes to open wide when he won his 100th career start, then caused a few mouths to gape open when winning his 101st start and it then became a story for racing folklore when he won his 102nd start.
Tomorrow (Friday) he will attempt to remain unbeaten since passing the milestone 100 run mark and if he does make it four in a row it will have both official and amateur handicappers scratching their heads.
His feat is almost certainly a world record.
Zietsman has searched online and the closest he could find was a horse of Jacques Strydom winning his 100th start.
Zietsman said the sudden rich vein of form was inexplicable.
He said, “You know, he is the juvenile in the stable (despite being an eight-year-old) . If you ask which horse is trying to buck a rider off after work everyday, it is El Romiachi. But if you ask me what brought about the change, I can’t pinpoint it because he is a sound horse and I didn’t change anything. His work is still the same routine. Feed-wise nothing changed. No extra vitamin, nothing!”
His 100th run was over 1600m on the poly with Luyolo Mxothwa aboard and he had been given a sudden six point drop in the merit ratings after being beaten 5,60 lengths in his previous start.
This took him to a merit rating of 70, which was eleven points lower than his highest ever mark and five points lower than his highest winning mark.
He scraped in by 0,25 lengths on that occasion and was given a three point raise.
Zietsman believed that would put him under pressure in the handicap, so put the 2,5kg claimer Nirvan Nastili aboard in another 1600m handicap on the poly next time out.
This time he got home by a head and the handicappers raised him to 79, just two points lower than his highest ever mark and four points higher than his highest ever winning mark.
Eldin Webber was then put aboard the gallant eight-year-old.
Zietsman said, “I could’t believe he won that last start. You can’t explain it. And the fact that they left him in front and then that loose horse came and challenged him at the top of the straight … you know he is a gutsy horse, he will fight. So the loose horse did help him a lot. But to run his 102nd race off a four point higher rating than his highest ever winning rating and to win so easily (by 2,25 lengths), it’s unreal!”
He continued, “If you look at this horse, I am now his fourth trainer and in his first six starts he managed only once to come within ten lengths of the winner and that was 9,75 lengths. So in his first six starts he was beaten a combined margin of over 100 lengths!”
El Romiachi has another rare claim to fame in that he actually won two maiden races.
When he finished second in a maiden on 21 July 2020 at the Vaal in his 20th career start, the winner was later disqualified and El Romiachi was awarded the race.
However, before the disqualification had become official he had run in two more maidens and won the second of them on August 17, 2020.
So he is actually an eleven-time winner overall and a twice maiden winner.
The other thing that could explain El Romiachi’s sudden rich vein of form is that this is the second hattrick he has had in his career and his first hattrick three years ago had some remarkable similarities.
It was shortly after he had arrived in the East Cape in 2021 and he won his second poly start over 1600m off a 69 merit rating, then followed up over 1600m on the poly off a 71 and claimed the hattrick on the poly over 1400m off a 75.
Amazingly enough every one of his three wins in his first hattrick took place in the month of November and every one of his three wins in his second hattrick took place in the month of November!
Perhaps he should be nicknamed “Mr. November”!
One happening that did inadvertently help El Romiachi was when he pulled a muscle while rolling one day early this year.
Zietsman decided to then give him a much deserved “proper break”.
As a very sound horse he had been on the go almost from day one in his career.
So he had a break of almost five months from mid-January this year to June.
He has been consistent since then and was always thereabouts before his hattrick.
Can he do it on Friday?
Zietsman sent a video of him and to say his coat is looking dappled is an undertstatement.
El Romiachi looks full of well being ahead of his run in a MR 86 Handicap over 1600m on the poly where he will have to try and overcome a seven point merit rated raise. He carries 60kg off an 86 merit rating and Charles Ndlovu rides him for the first time from a draw of six in a field of 12.
Zietsman concluded, “He is so well and if he wins tomorrow I will not be at all surprised.”
Zietsman’s booming voice will be heard shouting him home and another industryman who is gaining popularity is his young toddler son, Hanco, who will as usual be copying his Dad’s antics alongside.
Zietsman owns El Romiachi in partnership with George Chrisochos.
