The Justin Snaith-trained Okavango put up a fine Champions Season pipe-opener by winning the Listed King’s Cup (Picture: Race Coast)
The Listed King’s Cup, which was run at Hollywoodbets Scottsville over 1600m on Sunday, was once viewed as a fair Hollywoodbets Durban July pointer and this year’s winner Okavango put himself in line to become the third horse in history to do the King’s Cup/July double.
The 1967 July winner Jollify, who dead-heated in that famous race with the immortal Sea Cottage, won the King’s Cup on the way to that joint-victory and the 1969 July winner Naval Escort, who was a half-brother to Sea Cottage, also won the King’s Cup in the build up.
No fewer than 56 renewals of the King’s Cup have passed without their being another King’s Cup July/double, but on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, the Justin Snaith-trained Okavango gave hope that the sequence could end, because considering his fine WSB Met fourth place finish and his high 123 merit rating he should be in the Hollywoodbets Durban July final field.
In the Listed 1600m race yesterday the Master Of My Fate four-year-old gelding took the lead from a wide draw and staying on gamely in the straight under Tristan Godden, he managed to repel the favourite King Pelles despite carrying 63kg and giving the latter 1kg.
JP’s Palace, Field Marshall and Shoot The Rapids were the next three home but were well beaten.
The first race of the meeting, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m, saw a fluent victory for the 33/20 shot, the Kom Naidoo-trained Vercingetorix filly Cherryblossompink. Anushka (Declarationofpeace) had been a touch unlucky when beaten 1,70 lengths by Cherryblossompink in their previous start, but that was the latter’s debut and she now had the advantage of expected improvemement. Cherryblossompink pinged the gates under Keagan de Melo and Anushka managed to slot in behind her. Anushka looked the winner for a brief moment after switching outward at the 400m and ranging alongside Cherryblssompink, but she began tiring close to home. De Melo had left a bit in the tank and Cherryblossompink repelled Anushka to win by 0,70 lengths.
De Melo won the second too when traveling well throughout on the Nathan Kotzen-trained Hawwaam filly Luthando, who cruised to a cosy 1,10 length victory over the Dean Kannemeyer-trained first-timer Flying Fate (Master Of MY Fate), who drifted from 4/1 out to 16/1, but stayed on well from a handy position.
In the third race over 1000m the Michael Roberts-trained Fleur De Ling (New Predator) is never going to Hollywood, but in an uninspiring contest her second place finish last time over the course and distance was stand out form and she started 91/100 favourite. She never looked in danger of defeat and was chased home by the Paul Lafferty-trained Splash Of Love, who was returning from a seven month layoff but was interesting over a drop in trip because she had finished just 5,60 lengths back in a decent field over 1200m at this course on debut in April last year. Her strong finish carried her to a 1,50 length second and she should pay to follow in similar strength fields.
In the fourth over 1400m the province’s reigning champion trainer and current leading trainer Gareth van Zyl had Past Is Prologue involved. She won her maiden over 1200m third time out and the progeny of Futura are always going to improve as four-year-olds if not rushed. She was also going to enjoy the step up in trip and the good pace set by known front-runner Sneeuwitjie aided her cause. The ever-improving Nicholas Patel got her home by 1,30 lengths from the favourite Spirit Of Shimla.
In the fifth race over 1950m Sword Speed, by William Longsword out of the Galileo mare Zippy Zitter, relished the step up in trip and stayed on well from a handy position to beat Go Grayson Go by 0,80 lengths. Trainer Alyson Wright said afterwards winning was a prerequisite for the connections to have a tilt at the Gr 1 SA Derby.
In the sixth over 1600m the Stuart Ferrie-trained Master Bomber (Lancaster Bomber), was given a fine ride by Serino Moodley to get the bettet of Tyrconnell in a thrilling finish.
In the eighth over 1000m the Paul Gadsby-trained Vercingetorix mare Vision To Achieve made it a sixth career win when getting up by 0,80 lengths under Rachel Venniker from Wings Of Josephine.
Vercingetorix made it a third win on the day in the next over 1000m when 4kg claimer Sifisokuhle Bungane steered the Glen Kotzen-trained four-year-old gelding Circumbendibus to an easy 3,10 length victory.
The last race over 1000m saw a thrilling dead-heat between the Michael Roberts-trained Jane’s Vision (Visionaire) and the Glen Kotzen-trained Call Of The Karoo (William Longsword) under riders Rachel Venniker and Chad Little respectively.
