Grazinginthegrass (Philanthropist) scores his 15th career win, his 14th in the East Cape, and Richard Fourie equals Greg Cheyne’s record of 116 wins in an East Cape season in the process (Pauline Herman Photography)
Richard Fourie has equalled Greg Cheyne’s record of 116 wins in an East Cape season.
He fittingly did it in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1800m on the turf aboard the prolific Alan Greef-trained Grazinginthegrass, a six-year-old Drakenstein Stud-bred Philanthropist gelding who was recording his 15th career victory and 14th win in the East Cape.
There are still four more East Cape meeting this season, so it is just a matter of time before Fourie breaks the record.
The win was also of vital importance to Greeff as he is locked in what has bcome a perennial battle for the East Cape trainers championship together with Gavin Smith.
That win took Greeff to 133 wins in the East Cape for the season, seven clear of Smith.
Later, Greeff made it five wins on the day when Charles Ndlovu brought home the 16/1 outsider Strange Music in the 8th race over 1400m.
Greef’s tally was now 134 wins for the season and he was eight clear of Smith.
Smith did close the gap to 133 though by winning the last race.
Smith had started the day just four behind.
However, Greeff won four of the first five races at the meeting, the first being in a workriders maiden with the former Cape horse Breede Baby, who started at 25/1 but won comfortably with a strong late run under Zuzile Matwa.
Gavin Smith beat Greeff into second place in the second race, but Fourie and Greeff then reeled off a quick treble together.
