The Candice Bass-trained four-year-old filly Rahhabba gave both Serino Moodley and Vercingetorix respective trebles on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly on Wednesday. She runs in the familiar colours of Ian Longmore, who owns this Syrilla Stud-bred filly in partnership with LCA Bouwer (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Serino Moodley has been in devastating form recently and has had ten wins at a strike rate of 50% in KZN this month, while he has ridden 16 wins overall in November at a strike rate of 22.54%.
Today on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly he recorded another hattrick to take his tally for the season to 59 wins at a strike rate of 15.57%, with only Craig Zackey (92 wins at 17.62%) and Richard Fourie (75 wins at 26.13%) ahead of him.
Andrew Harrison of Race Coast wrote the below report on the meeting:
Andrew Harrison (Race Coast)
The switch from turf to poly favoured some, not others but Rollo The Viking was in his element on the synthetic surface as apprentice Dezahn Louw powered home on Nathan Kotzen’s charge to land the Middle Stakes over 1400m that headed the card at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday..
It was not all plain sailing for the winner as Sean Veale aboard Isivivane hung him out to dry, keeping the apprentice three wide for much of the race. But Louw is one of the more promising apprentices and currently full value for his 4kg claim. Wide into the straight he kept Rollo The Viking on a straight and clear course for the line and the gelding responded readily, putting the race to bed a good furlong out with Queue Wing finishing best of the rest.
The Middle Stakes for fillies and mares cut up to six runners with the scratching of Forward Motion so pace, or lack of it, was always going to be an issue. After cruising the first couple of furlongs, S’Manga Khumalo tried keeping the opposition honest and making an early move on Hierkommiebokke. All the while Serino Moodley kept watch from behind on Ice Rain who was hunting the seventh win of her career for Andre Nel. Hierkommiebokke did not go on with her effort as Moodley sent Ice Rain for home and she gradually reeled in the pacemakers to win going away with the grey Perilla making late headway for second but never a serious threat.
Sword Speed looked to be the ‘right’ horse in the first and was well supported in the market. It turned out to be close call for backers of the favourite as rank outsider Desert Dog made him work for victory with Red Cardinal and Day Two also in close attendance.
Taste The Rainbow set a solid pace allowing Athandiwe Mgudlwa to settle his mount in off the front runners. Green on the turn, Mgudlwa was scrubbing along to hold position while Rachel Venniker made an early move on the well supported Red Cardinal.
Desert Dog, up with the pace throughout refused to throw in the towel and Sword Speed had to work hard to peg his rival back. Still learning the ropes, Alyson Wright commented post-race that turf and more ground would be more to her charges liking.
James Lihaba cut his teeth riding in ‘bush’ races in the Free State and had a jump on his year’s apprentice intake and was one of the first to ride out his claim. He has since moved to the Highveld where Weiho Marwing is one of his biggest supporters. Lihaba was up against a host of fellow apprentices in the Apprentice Class 5 Handicap, all still claiming but he had Yogas Govender’s Sail To The Moon in a handy position from the jump. For a few strides the lightly weighted Professor Lupin looked to have his measure it was Grand Appeal the flashed up late to snatch second.
All the money was for Glen Kotzen’s charge Circumbendibus in the fifth and it was money on the mark as Serino Moodley took no prisoners for his second winner of the afternoon. It was very much straight forward as Circumbendibus came out in front and stayed there, winning by many lengths, the chasing pack in a scrum behind him.
It was a duel in the market that externed to the track as Rahhabba and Grand Occasion came together over the subway. Grand Occasion was all the rage in the betting, backed in to favourite with Rahhabba her ante-post rival, drifting like and untethered barge. For many strides the race was there for the taking but Grand Occasion finally buckled under pressure leaving Rahhabba to pull clear and win rather comfortably in the end. It was Moodley’s third winner of the afternoon and a win for Terry Fripp who is at the helm of the Candice Bass Summerveld operation.
A change of riding tactics proved to be the key to French Trip’s victory in the Class 4 Handicap. Duncan Howells admitted that the gelding was not the easiest to catch right on the day but he obviously enjoyed the way he was ridden yesterday. Up with the pace for most of his recent starts, regular rider Kabelo Matsunyane dropped his mount out as Magma Magic tore off to the front. He was a spent force halfway up the straight with the pack closing but none quicker than French Trip. He scythed through his field to win going away with Gotta Go Eddie and Red Mountain fighting for the shallow end of the purse.
There have not many aspirant female jockeys that have made the grade locally. Lisa Prestwood springs to mind and Nadine Rapson more than held her own before Rachel Venniker put her hand up. Most others were front-running merchants who mostly did not ride out their claims.
Savanna Valjalo is in a different mold. Starting at the academy relatively late she displays a more mature attitude and tactical nous to her riding and it is starting to pay dividends. Still claiming 4kg, she has had good success on the Highveld and yesterday showed off her potential as she rode the perfect waiting race on Kom Naidoo’s mare Roy’s Grace. Instructed to look for cover, she was some way back early as academy colleagues Louw and Lihaba set a maniacal pace but when asking Roy’s Grace for an effort, the mare having her 18th start, rocketed home to win as she liked.
