Sudden Storm gelding Sudden Song (closest) gives Luyolo Mxothwa and Brett Crawford a treble together at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle)
Futura Park trainers Justin Snaith and Brett Crawford dominated the race meeting held at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, saddling three winners apiece across the nine-race programme.
Snaith was the first to draw blood when Knockout, who drifted alarmingly from 9/2 to 14/1, stormed home from the back of the field under Grant Van Niekerk to win the second race, a competitive Middle Stakes (F&M) over 1400m, beating the Crawford pair of Princess Izzy and Enemy Territory by a comfortable margin. Snaith and Van Niekerk followed up in the third race, the Cape A Stakes over 1100m, when We’re Jamming (5/1) finally put his act together to claim a long overdue victory at the expense of his lesser fancied stable companion, Speed Machine.
Snaith’s third winner came in the fifth race, the R200 000 Winter Country Final (Class 5) over 1400m, when Anthony Andrews produced the 20/1 chance Cloud Chaser with a good finish to easily beat home the favourite Spirit’s Unite. Her unexpected victory paved the way for a massive R68 000 Jackpot dividend as well as a Pick 6 Carryover on a challenging day for punters, as racing returned to a sticky Kenilworth following a lengthy absence due to the record rains experienced in July.
Crawford’s first winner came in the opening leg of the Pick 6, a Class 3 Handicap over 1400m, with Solar Power, who relishes soft underfoot conditions, scoring a dominant victory over the Snaith pair of Future Turn and Innamorare. In the seventh race Crawford’s Great Cat was scratched due to elevated TCO2 levels but stable companion, Night Bomber, came to the yard’s rescue, leading from start to finish under Louis Mxothwa to post a 3-length victory over Lunch Money. Crawford and Mxothwa completed their hat trick in the eighth race, in which Sudden Song (10/1) bounced back to his best form to hold off King Pelles and Twice The Master in a hard-fought thrilling finish.
Punters began the race meeting on the front foot when La Pulga (16/10) took out the first race, an Open Maiden over 1400m, in very easy fashion and the progressive son of Pomodoro looks a cut above the average. Thereafter it was generally very tough going for punters, but some relief came in the last race won in good style by the favourite Holding Thumbs.
