Roland Garros, JP Van der Merwe and Justin Snaith are the toast of the crowd on the opening day of Champions Season (Picture: Race Coast)
In the R6 million Race Coast Sales Big Cap over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greuville on Saturday the winner was Roland Garros from the yard of champion trainer Justin Snaith and this horse runs in the Greg and Gina Bortz colours, which were carried to Hollywoodbets Durban July glory by Oriental Charm two years ago. Greg and Gina need no introduction and own Roland Garros in partnership with Hong Kong-based JP Cuvelier.
Both Roland Garros and Oriental Charm are by Vercingetorix, a sire which Greg had famously targeted at the Sales before his stallion profile had reached the phenomenal heights of today. The strategy has brought him his two biggest pay days in racing.
Three-year-old Roland Garros was officially 2,5kg out with the best weighted runner, the filly Just Be Lekka, but he faced the four-year-old favourite Talk To The Master as well as the two other prominent three-year-olds, Randolph Hearst and Malmesbury Missile, on exact handicapping terms.
Roland Garros’ form on paper was virtually on a par with Malmesbury Missile, but he had the advantage of pole position, whilst the latter had a tough draw of nine in the 12 horse field.
Roland Garros was also entitled to have come on from his last start, a close runner up finish in the March Stakes over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on March 1, as it provided a springboard into the Big Cap.
Roland Garros had been beaten 1,40 lengths by his stablemate Randolph Hearst in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, but his form points to him being better over shorter and in fact Roland Garros had beaten Randolph Hearst as a juvenile over 1500m, albeit by a shorthead.
Talk To The Master, like Roland Garros, was also well drawn, in barrier two, while Randolph Hearst had a fair draw of five.
As it happened JP van der Merwe used Roland Garros’s good gatespeed and good early speed to find the perfect position on the rail behind Isivivane, who was sitting behind the pacemaker Just Be Lekka.
The filly was setting a fair pace.
The 18/10 favourite Talk To The Master sat behind Roland Garros in the running.
However, Roland Garros was able to steal a march on him turning for home.
Talk To The Master came around What A Fortune, who turned for home alongside Roland Garros, but whilst Craig Zackey had to ride the favourite all the way down the straight, JP van der Merwe still had Roland Garros in the hands at the 200m mark. The writing was on the wall.
Roland Garros won by 1,80 lengths from Talk To The Master with What A Fortune staying on to be beaten just a head into third and next best were Isivivane and Randolph Hearst.
Malmesbury Missile had to come from last after being dropped out and was too far back, finishing a 4.05 length sixth.
The first prize was a cool R3 million, in comparison to the R2,94 million Oriental Charm had banked for his July win.
Greg Bortz purchased the Varsfontein Stud-bred Roland Garros for R1.3 million at the Race Coast Sales Cape Premier Yearling Sale.
Justin Snaith said it had been “a hard slog” to won the race with it having been switched to Hollywoodbets Greyville on a date which required him to come to KZN earlier than usual.
He was full of praise for his new Summeveld assistant trainer Frank Robinson, who has done a phenomenal job for Sanith Racing this season, having also helped prepare See It Again, Double Grand Slam and Okavango and travel with them for their successful Highveld raid.
Justin Snaith has won three of the four “buy a slot” sales races held in SA to date, winning the R7.5 millin Gold Rush with Royal Mo colt Royal Aussie, winning the R7.5 million Gold Rush with Danon Platina Platina gelding Rapidash in 2024 and now the R6 million Big Cap with Roland Garros.
