Otto Luyken only just gets up and secures a third win on the day for owners Greg Bortz and Gina Golsmith. (Picture: Wayne Marks).
Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle)
Garrix, seeking a clean sweep of the Winter Series, looked to be on his way to a champagne-popping victory when Gavin Lerena made his move between runners from off the pace in yesterday’s R350 000 Pocket Power Stakes (Listed) over 1950m. But the 3yo son of Vercingetorix failed to sustain his effort all the way to the line and Otto Luyken rallied strongly over the final 50m to deny Garrix by a whisker.
A short-head separated the pair in the Legal Stakes over 1800m three weeks ago and at the revised weights Otto Luyken had a clear chance of gaining revenge, but consistency has never been Otto Luyken’s strong suit and the 5yo son of Flower Alley was allowed to start at 14/1. Racing for the partnership of Greg Bortz and Gina Goldsmith, Otto Luyken has clearly benefitted from the addition of blinkers to his racing equipment, and it was pleasing to see James Crawford’s charge string two good runs together under a driving ride by Louis Mxothwa. Garrix was beaten but by no means disgraced, and a good summer in the Cape beckons for his connections.
Beware The Bomb (33/10) ran her opposition ragged when storming to an easy start-to-finish victory in the supporting feature, the Listed R200 000 Stormsvlei Stakes (F&M) over 1800m. Beware The Bomb tends to over-race and Richard Fourie opted to allow her to stride from the jump, setting decent fractions throughout. The favourite Time For Love was perfectly poised to have a crack at the leader at the top of the stretch, but Gavin Lerena’s mount failed to respond, and it was left to Gold Poker Game (3/1) and Fun Zone (8/1) to chase Beware The Bomb home.
Beware The Bomb, a 3yo daughter of Lancaster Bomber trained by Justin Snaith for Owner-Breeders Drakenstein Stud, has now recorded three victories from only seven starts and may prove capable of scoring at a higher level in the future.
Richard Fourie edged ahead in the race for the Jockeys’ Championship registering his 214th seasonal victory on the 14/1 newcomer, In A Timely Manner, in the first race, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m. Trained by Justin Snaith the 2yo son of Legislate accelerated smartly from off the pace to beat Sardinia Bay (13/2) going away by a length. The favourite Chance Encounter, also on debut, was all at sea during the first half of the race but he finished powerfully to grab third spot and looks to be a winner in waiting.
Hollywood Racing recorded their 100th winner for the season, and Sean Veale his 99th, when Inside Voice (5/4) justified solid market support with a comfortable victory in the second race, a Maiden Juvenile (Fillies) over 1000m. Inside Voice was quickly into stride and kept on strongly to hold out Du Maurier (3/1) and Marketa (10/1) by a little more than a length.
For all the money in the world it appeared to the naked eye as if Dawn Till Dusk (25/1) had snared Air Raid (14/10) on the line in the opening leg of the Pick 6, a B Stakes over 1400m, but the official photo-finish showed otherwise with Air Raid prevailing by the narrowest of margins. Trained by Candice Bass-Robinson and ridden by Aldo Domeyer, Air Raid has now won three races from eight starts and leaves the impression that further improvement can be expected.
The juvenile Happy Verse showed himself to be a smart horse in the making when scoring an emphatic victory in the fifth race, a Class 5 Handicap over 1400m. Yes, the opposition was limited, but for a two-year-old to win so convincingly in open company under 60kgs in only his second racetrack appearance augurs well for this future. Now unbeaten in two starts to date, Happy Verse is an imposing son of Vercingetorix with a potentially bright future, possibly even a Classic contender in the making.
Happy Verse was the first leg of a race-to-race double for Andrew Fortune as recent maiden winner, English Mistress, followed up with a last-gasp victory in the sixth race, a D Stakes over 1800m. Just as the heavily supported Baton Rouge (18/10) gained the upper hand over Midway (13/2), Fortune produced English Mistress (6/1) with a late charge to nail the favourite in the final few strides. Fortune added a third winner in the ninth race as Flying Finley (33/1) proved too quick for his eight rivals in the C Stakes over 1000m, with the Paul Reeves trained 3yo son of Oratorio ensuring a massive R304 000 Pick 6 dividend.
Fortune made it a fourth in the last race on the Ricky Maingard-trained Thomas Jenkins (Buffalo Bill Cody) and fittingly the runner up was called What A Fortune.
