Legal Counsel was an impressive start to finish winner of the Gr 3 Cape Mile and gave both Justin Snaith and Bluesky Thoroughbreds a feature double on the day (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Justin Snaith won two of the three supporting features at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday with Legal Counsel and Ahead Of The Facts respectively, while Bluesky Thoroughbreds also had a double as they bred both Legal Counsel and the other supporting feature winner on the day, Disting.
Legal Counsel is a rangy type who keeps on improving and he had a taking win in the Gr 3 Cape Mile as he led from start to finish under Callan Murray.
Considering he jumped from draw nine out of nine that was no mean feat.
He might be a useful participant in the Gr 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate.
It is difficult to see him winning it, but his presence could well ensure a good pace and he could make a bid from the front to steal it.
However, he has won over 1800m before and the Gr 2 Premier Trophy over 1800m on LKP day would be a more likely option and he will have plenty of supporters if he does run there.
Justin Snaith labelled the winner a horse ‘who does everything right and has stayed under the radar. He remains a summer season feature prospect.”
Bred by Blue Sky Thoroughbreds, Legal Counsel is by the 2013/14 SA Horse Of The Year Legislate (Dynasty) out of the Silvano mare Imperial Wish.
Legal Counsel is owned by Jonathan Bloch, Etienne Braun, Tony Cotterell and the Stonebridges and has won 5 of his 10 starts with 2 places for stakes of R897 127.
Underrated East Cape jockey Yuzae Ramzan was brought to Cape Town by Justin Snaith for the 2023 Listed Woolavington Stakes in order to ride Mucho Dinero, who had been set a weight of 50kg, and he duly won the race, which was run over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville that year.
Snaith did not forget that and he brought in Ramzan for Saturday’s Woolavington to ride Ahead Of The Facts, who had also been set 50kg.
It was over 2500m this time and Ramzan rode a peach of a race, coming from second last to win going away by 2,50 lengths on the Syrilla Stud-bred Futura gelding.
The King Pelles staying form has often been franked lately and it was franked again in this race as Ahead Of The Facts had finished a 4,60 length third to King Pelles in the Gr 3 Durban Gold Vase over 3000m on Hollywoodbets Durban July day.
Ahead Of The Facts was a bargain R100 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, inspired by Jonathan Snaith, and has won 3 races with 5 places from his 12 starts for stakes of R386 275.
The Futura (Dynasty) gelding is out of Silvano mare Nicety and is owned by Zev Blieden, Ryan Copeland, Darren Smith, Jarrid Murcia, Dave Musikanth & Garth Musikanth.
The ride of the day was by Craig Zackey on the Glen Kotzen-trained Disting in the Listed Laissefaire Stakes over 1100m. The long-striding Global View filly was squeezed out at the start from draw six. At the 400m mark she was last with a whole field of horses in front of her in the 15-runner contest. Zackey managed to switch her to the outside without losing momentum. The four-year-old filly’s big stride then began eating up the ground and she won going way by 0,30 lengths.
She is owned by Viv Burgess.
A R140 000 graduate of the 2023 BSA KZN Yearling Sale, the previously stakes-placed Disting now has two wins from 15 starts, with 5 places, and she has valuable black type.
Her stakes earnings are now R330 813.
