There is a well known saying “Everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong” and such was the case for a race over 1000m at the now defunct Clairwood on March 17, 2013.
The hot favourite for the race suddenly veered left behind the starting stalls and dumped her jockey. Later, after being loaded, she reared up and then sat down on her haunches. The handlers managed to reverse her out and she was subjected to a veterinary test. She trotted out sound and the vet did not believe the hairs missing from her nose were of significance. She was then reloaded and the field was ready to jump.
The starter pressed the button and lo and behold the favourite’s gate did not open. She fly-jumped and burst through the gates in spectacular rodeo bull-like style, but the rest of the field had broken cleanly and had clearly gained an unfair advantage.
Her jockey, and at least one other jockey, expected a false start to be called and he eased his mount. However, the call did not come and by this time she was hopelessly out of her ground.
The jockey then decided to ride her out and she began making up ground on the backmarkers in the small six horse field.
The race had been a mess but surely nothing else could go wrong.
But it did and commentator Craig Peters announced in an exasperated tone, “And now there is a dog on the track!”
A dog had suddenly appeared behind the field, if memory serves correctly it was a sheepdog, and was chasing the horses, no doubt barking at the same time! He or she was quickly outstripped and gave up the chase.
But it did not end there. The real drama was still to come.
The filly ran on so well she finished third.
She had been bankered by many in the Pick 6 and Jackpot but fortunately the second favourite had won the race, so punters waited expectantly for the favourite to be declared a non-runner, which she surely had to be, and they would still be alive.
However, the last part of SA racing rule 61.5.10.1 states “ … the SB may, after a hearing, declare any HORSE, which was impeded at the start by a front gate not opening, a non-runner provided that a horse which is ultimately declared first, second, third or fourth in a race by the judge shall not be declared a non-runner.”
The stipendiary stewards’ hands were bound. They were not able to declare the third-placed favourite a non-runner.
The punters protested outside the weighing room and refused to budge. The stipendiaries soon declared the meeting abandoned.
Roll on nine years and the filly at the centre of the storm, My Sanctuary, is now the centre of attention as the dam of Safe Passage, who has won five-in-a-row including the Grade 2 WSB Dingaans and Grade 2 WSB Gauteng Guineas. Safe Passage has been made a 7/2 shot by WSB to give Mike de Kock his third SA Triple Crown winner. Furthermore, the homebred was only the second classic winner Drakenstein Stud had ever bred, their first having happened just over half-an-hour earlier when their homebred Sean Tarry-trained Rain In Holland won the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.
Drakenstein inherited My Sanctuary as part of the package when they bought her Duncan Howells-trained Grade 1-winning stablemate Same Jurisdiction from owner Ian van Schalkwyk.
The stud’s racing manager Kevin Somerville described My Sanctuary as not at all difficult these days and as “very pleasant”.
He also pointed out she was not only the best performed Antonius Pius, being the only one of his progeny to ever win at Grade 2 level, but she has now also become the first Antonius Pius broodmare to produce a stakes winner.
He added, “She was sent to Kingsbarns when it was still unbeknown to us the latter was known to produce colts with relatively nice temperaments but potentially extremely hot fillies and the resulting filly, Queensbarns, although beautiful, was one of the ‘most challenging’ Justin Snaith has trained. She then produced a Futura filly who was also hot.”
My Sanctuary’s temperamental side might have played a role in her first two foals’ behavioural issues, but her third foal Safe Passage (by Silvano) was always an outstanding specimen and has a lovely temperament.
Somerville said, “He was gelded as a two-year-old but the reason had nothing to do with his temperament and it has benefited his racing career.”
Mike de Kock has spoken about the amazing engine Safe Passage has too, describing his heart recovery rates as “freakish”.
Meanwhile, the winner of that fiasco of a race at Clairwood, the Non-Black Type King’s Pact Stakes, is also doing well at stud. She is the Captain Al mare War Path who stands at Klawervlei Stud and from just three runners she has produced the quick five-times winner Bella Chica (Rafeef), the twice-winning stakes-placed Fearless Warrior (Vercingetorix), who has raced as Super Commander in Hong Kong, and the twice-winner Eager Duchess (Duke Of Marmalade).
