Safe Passage provided a second Grade 1 win of the season for Mike De Kock and a 131st one in his career while Silver Darling provided a 6th Grade 1 winner of the season for reigning champion trainer Justin Snaith.

 

It was a second Grade 1 of the season for Muzi Yeni and  Silver Darling also provided Grant van Niekerk with a second  Grade 1 win of the season. 

 

Both races appeared to have a lack of pace in them beforehand and it panned out that way too.

 

The hot favourite for the Daily News, the Snaith-trained Pomp And Power, was always going to be in danger of over-racing because he has tended to take a strong hold and was drawn in pole with no pacemaker apparent.

 

He was not relaxed in the preliminaries and went down with a pony.

 

Richard Fourie duly found himself in front with the chestnut fighting for his head.

 

Under the circumstances he did well to finish second. 

 

Yeni expertly reined Safe Passage back from the off and slotted him in near the back from a tricky draw of six.

 

The deck shuffled nicely for him as he ended up behind Hasta Manana who was caught one wide in third place.

 

Yeni, mindful of the slow pace, made a good decision to switch out before the straight.

 

Pomp And Power set sail for home with Aragosta the first to challenge.

 

Safe Passage crept up in the early part of the straight without looking like the winner but then turned it on at the 350m mark in exceptional style, especially considering De Kock confirmed afterwards he was “underdone” for the race.

 

Pomp And Power’s earlier exertions soon told and Safe Passage swept past to win by an easy 2,10 lengths.

 

Pomp And Power just held off Aragosta for second and Waterberry Lane ran on from last for a 2,25 length fourth.

 

The slow pace did Senso Unico no favours and he could only stay on for a 6,15 length fifth, which was similar to his Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby 6,25 length fourth.

 

In the Woolavington Monoshada managed to get to the front from a wide draw and set slow fractions.

 

Light Of The Moon sat in second but in retrospect might have been better off taking the lead herself considering she set the pace in the Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks and was beaten just 0,75 lengths by Rain In Holland.

 

Van Niekerk managed to put Silver Darling in the perfect position one wide with cover behind the leading line, despite having jumped from a tricky draw 8.

 

He was able to bring her around them into the straight while Light Of The Moon was trapped on the rail which cost her ground and momentum.

 

Nevertheless, Light Of The Moon would unlikely have beaten Silver Darling anyway as the letter’s big action carried her into the lead and kept her in front.

 

Light Of The Moon ran on down the inside to finish a 1,30 length second and give Drakenstein homnebreds a one-two.

 

The small filly Sprinkles stayed on gallantly for another classic race place.

 

Monoshada stayed on well for fourth ahead of fast- finishing pair Perfect Witness and Kailene.

 

 

 

Drakenstein had never bred a classic winner before this season and three of their progeny, all owned by them too, have now won six classics between them. Drakenstein homebreds have also scored classic exactas twice this season.

 

Earlier, the Sean Tarry-trained Shango (Captain Of All) ironically turned in his best performance of the season after being scratched from the Hollywoodbets Durban July, winning the Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m under Gavin Lerena. It was the second time Shango had won a Grade 3 at Hollywoodbets Greyville.