Zinovi wins cosily from Royal Aussie to give Luyolo Mxothwa a four-timer (Picture: Pauline Herman)
The Alan Greeff-trained Heavenly Blue gelding Zinovi defied the weights in the Listed Memorial Mile on the Fairview turf on Friday to win by a comfortable 1,25 lengths under Luyolo Mxothwa, who had a four-timer on the day, two of them for Sharon Kotzen.
The five-year-old Zinovi carried 59kg and with a 114 merit rating he was officially 3kg under sufferance with the two best weighted runners, the 120-rated pair Royal Aussie and Bingwa, both of whom also carried 59kg.
Zinovi was slow out but burst through late to beat the accomplished Royal Aussie (2-1) by 1,25 lengths in a time of 97,48 secs for the turf mile.
The 11-10 favourite My Best Shot loomed up dangerously after tracking Bingwa for much of the race, but his effort petered out and he held on for a modest third, some 2,25 lengths off the Snaith runner-up. My Best Shot was having his first run since an unplaced effort in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, and he must be watched to make amends next time.
Zinovi was well regarded by former trainer Mike de Kock early on. However, he developed a breathing problem.
An early wind op and gelding was intended to bring the best out of him and he might well be enjoying the kinder climes of the Eastern Cape.
Bred by Danika Stud, Zinovi is out of the one-time winning Jallad mare, Zayna.
A R200 000 National Yearling Sale buy, Zinovi took his stakes earnings to R631 531 with his 6th win and 8 places from 21 starts.
He is owned by the ASSM Racing syndicate of Arun Chadha and Warne Ripon, who have enjoyed a good week as they collected an Equus Award for their filly Fatal Flaw (New Predator) on Thursday night.
Alan Greeff had a double on the day.
Chase Maujean rode a double on the day for Tara Laing and that included the first stakes race of the SA season, the Listed Jockey Club Stakes over 2000m with the Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein-homebred Master Of My Fate mare Epikleros.
Mxothwa is now on eight wins for the season at a strike rate of 24.24% and he is two wins behind the joint log-leaders on ten wins apiece, S’Manga Khumalo and Muzi Yeni.
Maujean’s double was his first two wins of the season and he thus has a strike rate so far of 5.71%.
Greeff is on eight wins at 18.18%.
Sharon Kotzen is on four wins at 16%.
Laing’s double was her first two wins of the season and she has a strike rate of 12.50%.
