Breeze Over was last away but first home at Turffontein Standside on Saturday and the win secured a feature race double for Muzi Yeni. (JC Photos).
Muzi Yeni rode a feature race double at Turffontein Standside on Saturday and it was also a fine day for big Johannesburg-based owner Larry Nestadt, who had a Gr 1 and Listed winner as a part-owner in Australia before landing a feature as a part-owner at Turffontein.
The Robbie Sage-trained filly Poplar Park, a R40,000 buy back by Met runner up Last Winter (Western Winter) out of a Judpot mare, jumped from pole position and needed every inch of the 2000m trip in the Ormonde Ferraris Oaks Trial.
Yeni had to push her at the top of the straight from midfield to stay in touch, but the further they went the stronger she got and she ran out a 2,40 length winner from Cocomelon with the rank outsider Fetching Flyer third.
Poplar Park only ran off an 82, despite going into the race as a twice winner, and she received 1,5 kg from the runner up and third-placed horses.
She was bred under the Tawny Syndicate banner by “JJ” van der Linden and Jeff Shill and “JJ” part-owns her together with Larry Nestadt, Mark Currie and M Lieveaux.
Poplar Park was put on the BSA November Two-year-old Sale, but was bought back for R40,000.
She looks to be one who will stay all day and in fact won her previous start over 2400m, so will be a most interesting runner in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks over 2450m.
In the Listed WSB Aquanaut Handicap over 2400m the Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Breeze Over dwelt and lost a couple of lengths, but Yeni decided to take him round horses to the front as that is where this horse likes to be. Fortunately, there was no early pace on and he got there without wasting any energy. The big horse dictated and kept going well in the straight to win by 1,70 lengths from Marauding Horde and Twenty Drachma’s with Raiseahallelujah and Thunee Playa next best.
Breeze Over became Drakenstein Stud’s tenth black-type winner of the season.
He is owned by Messrs S M Leahy & C H J Higgs.
