Kisshoten wins a fillies and mares handicap off a 97 merit rating to give Calvin Habib a quick double and she will likely be looking to pick up some black type soon
There were a trio of eyecatching winners by 90-something-rated horses at the Vaal Classic track meeting today.
Hawwaam’s progeny are beginning to blossom as three-year-olds and in the second race over 1000m the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Hawwaam gelding Pivotal Role opened at 83/100 before drifting out to 2/1, but he won as he liked under Muzi Yeni. Pivotal Role showed good natural pace to be up front and he accelerated away in the closing stages to win by three lengths.
In the fifth race, a MR 98 Handicap over 1600m, the Tony Peter-trained Kisshoten, carrying 59,5kg off a 97 merit rating, registered her fifth career win and did it easily, winning by 1,50 lengths under Calvin Habib. Kisshoten has three wins, two seconds and two thirds in her last seven starts and being out of a Silvano mare she can continue to progress.
In a Middle Stakes event over 1800m the James Crawford-trained 92-rated Gimmethegreenlight gelding Luce Verde quickened impressively under Callan Murray to win by 1,60 lengths. She won last time out in her third Highveld start since relocating from Cape Town and it once again underlined the strength of Cape Town racing, because horses often seem to have suppressed merit rating when they come from there. Luce Verde should win more races.
Calvin Habib rode a double and that saw him solidifying his third place berth on the national jockeys log.
Stallions Vercingetorix and Erupt had doubles and four of the winners at the eight race meeting were bred by Maine Chance Farms.
Habib goes to 30 wins and has achieved it at a strike rate of 13.64%.
