Bacchus saunters in under Piere Strydom at the Vaal today. (JC Photos)
The Fabian Habib yard look to have an exciting horse on their hands in the three-year-old Maine Chance Farms-bred Master Of My Fate gelding Bacchus.
Jonathan Nassif revealed the gelding was not “right” last time when coming back from illness and yet he still ran the exciting three-year-old prospect Heather’s Boy to a half-a-length in that 1600m event when receiving only 1kg.
Today he was backed in to 6/10 and won under Piere Strydom by 1,50 lengths despte the race not panning out at all well.
Strydom revealed that he had planned to use his long stride and be near the front.
However, Bacchus did not jump well and this forced Striker “to give him a chance.”
He added, “I found myself in a very bad position.”
Striker had eased over to the outside but then found himself behind a crowd of horses on the outside rail.
He attempted to go in and then out to extract himself from the position to no immediate avail.
However, a slight gap presented itself on the outside rail and Bacchus, when asked to go through it, accelerated impressively and soon had a clear run, although a horse on the outside rail who was going nowhere was impeded slightly.
Bacchus used his big stride to make up the leeway and was still in the hands when hitting the front at the 250m mark.
He went on to win by a cosy 1,50 lengths.
Bacchus was purchased on the BSA August Two-year-old Sale for R250,000.
He is out of the Gr 1-winning Lateral mare Bilateral, who won the Golden Slipper over 1400m at Greyville when it still had Gr 1 status in 2014. Bilateral was trained by Weiho Marwing and went on to finish fourth in the Gr 1 SA Oaks and had a Listed second and a Grade 3 third, although she won only three races in her 22 start career.
Bilateral is a half-sister to Listed winner Blaze Of Fire (Victory Moon) and also a half-sister to twice winner Ramazotti (Restructure), who is the grandam of the Gr 2 winner Bereave.
Bilateral hasn’t excelled at stud to date and Bacchus is in fact her first winner of three runners todate. Kudos to the connections for spotting the good physical specimen.
Bacchus looks to have plenty of stamina in his pedigree and will be an interesting candidate for the Triple Crown races.
Today he carried 59kg off a 92 merit rating and beat hardened older handicappers down the Vaal straight, which is no mean feat.
Bacchus is owned by Messrs Tony Zackey, D Chinsammy, G J Nassif, J Nassif & Tri-Deal Sixteen CC (Nom: Mr Z L Nassif) .
