Tenpenny (What A Winter) was an easy winner under JP van dr Merwe. (Picture: Wayne Marks).
Graeme Hawkins (Race Coast)
Tenpenny stepped up to the plate and came home a convincing winner of the sixth race at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth yesterday, a B Stakes over 1600m. Easy to back at 4/1 during the ante-post market, Tenpenny shortened in the betting as race time approached and was sent out 9/4 favourite. JP van der Merwe rode a supremely confident race, allowing Tenpenny to lope along at the back of the 8-horse field, but the eye-catching and imposing 3yo son of What A Winter, revelling in the rain and soft underfoot conditions, accelerated well to score with plenty in hand.
Bred in KwaZulu-Natal at Brett Van Laun’s Camargue Stud, Tenpenny was an impressive yearling and now on the racetrack, he is certainly heading in the right direction. He has been given time to develop into his large frame by trainer Paddy Kruyer and, going forward, I would expect Tenpenny to prove competitive in higher grades than he faced yesterday. Katsu ran on steadily to fill the Exacta position ahead of Captain West who stayed on from the back half of the field to complete the Trifecta.
In the opening event, a Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) over 1000m, apprentice Sifisokuhle Bungane rode his first winner since relocating to the Western Cape, steering home the 50/1 chance Between The Lines to a comfortable victory over the debutante, Stormwatch. Trained by Piet Steyn, Between The Lines had shown limited potential in her first three starts but clearly benefitted from a 4-month rest and won a good race in murky conditions.
The second race, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m, saw a most impressive debut winning performance by the Argentinian-bred colt Saudi Cat who drifted to 10/1 in the face of strong support for the odds-on favourite Chance Encounter. Chance Encounter and Saudi Cat joined issue at the 600m pole, but the latter quickened smartly under Gavin Lerena approaching the final 200m and put the race to bed in a matter of strides. Trained by Vaughan Marshall, Saudi Cat (Arg) is clearly well above the average and owners Rakesh Sewgoolam and Laurence and Jaryd Wernars have plenty to look forward to.
Although easing in the market to 7/2, Boundless Love was the popular choice in the third race, an Open Maiden over 1400m, and the 3yo son of Master Of My Fate duly delivered with the minimum of fuss. Ridden by JP van der Merwe, Boundless Love was always well placed and took command halfway up the stretch to beat Charlie Bucket cosily by more than a length.
Punters were again on the mark in the fourth race and opening leg of the Pick 6, a Class 4 Handicap over 1400m, when the well supported favourite Industrialstrength (9/4) ran out a smooth winner over the game front-runner Boogified (7/2). This was his first run since being gelded in March and Industrialstrength may yet train on to fulfil trainer Dean Kannemeyer’s high expectations of the lightly raced 4yo son of Gimmethegreenlight. This was Craig Zackey’s 225th winner for the season, closing temporarily to within five of current leader Richard Fourie.
It was a case of now or never for Midway (2/1) when he lined up in a shallow field for the fifth race, a D Stakes over 1600m. To cut the story short, Midway and Louis Mxothwa got the job done but only by the narrowest of margins over the 150/1 chance Royal Dawn, who’s previous seven starts were all unplaced efforts. Midway looked the right banker on yesterday’s card but I will not be in a hurry to label the 4yo son of Pomodoro again any time soon!
The distance for the seventh race, a D Stakes, was shortened from 2200m to 1950m due to concerns with the track and this played into the hands of the favourite Baton Rouge (15/10) who romped home with two lengths to spare over Twice The Master (9/2) and Gold Index (16/1). Trained by Piet Botha, Baton Rouge was Richard Fourie’s 231st winner for the season.
Apprentice Bungane struck for a second time in the eighth race, a D Stakes over 1000m, when pretty much going start to finish on the 16/1 chance Over The Atlantic for trainer Des McLachlan. The 3yo daughter of The United States was shedding her maiden ticket at the 19th time of asking and is clearly limited. The US Of A put an indifferent last run firmly behind him with a fluent victory in the ninth race, a Class 4 Handicap. The US Of A was a second winner on the day for trainer Paddy Kruyer and Champion jockey Richard Fourie.
