Richard Fourie clinched a double when winning on the Brett and James Crawford-trained Canford Cliffs filly Strawberry Thief. (Picture: Cape Racing)
Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle)
Gavin Lerena struck three times and Richard Fourie twice at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Wednesday as the race for the Jockeys’ Championship heats up. At the close of business yesterday Craig Zackey maintained his position at the summit with 209 winners, but Fourie (207) and Lerena (206) are in his slipstream, and we are in for an exciting 11 weeks before the season ends on 31 July.
Follow Your Heart (11/2), having his first start as a gelding, took out the opening event, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m, coming with a sustained run from off the pace to collar Star Major (11/2) over the final 50 metres. The money came in a big way for Bugle Boy (8/1 into 28/10) but the 2yo son of Elusive Fort weakened in the closing stages and could only finish fourth, a head behind third-placed Ashikule. The impeccably bred Rockanrollin (Aus) caught the eye on debut, finishing on the heels of the placed runners and only a shade more than two lengths adrift of the winner Follow Your Heart, and the 2yo son of Wootton Bassett (GB) is likely to win soon.
Take It As Red had run fourth in all four previous career starts but the 2yo daughter of Hawwaam was fitted with blinkers for the first time and she ran out a pillar-to-post winner of the second race, a Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) over 1400m. Easy to back at 10/1, Take It As Red quickly overcome a wide barrier position under Chad Little and despite racing very green had enough in hand to hold off the late-charging Mighty Mary (12/1) by a diminishing half-a-length. Take It As Red is owned by the Turf Talk Syndicate and trained by Piet Steyn.
Three Tigers (8/10) looked the nap of the day in the third race, a Maiden Plate over 1000m, and the 2yo son of One World duly delivered with a comfortable victory over Iko Iko (11/2) and Red Wave (4/1). Ridden by Gavin Lerena for the Harold Crawford/Michelle Rix stable, Three Tigers was winning at the third time of asking and he should prove competitive beyond the maiden ranks.
There were no surprises in the opening leg of the Pick 6, a Maiden Plate over 1400m, as One Stripe’s half-brother, Vapour Trail (33/10), scored a comfortable end-to-end victory at the expense of the favourite New World (18/10). Trained by Vaughan Marshall, Vapour Trail gave Gavin Lerena a quick race-to-race double and his 205th winner of the season in his quest for Championship honours.
Richard Fourie got on the board in the fifth race, an Open Maiden (F&M) over 1400m, steering Sweet Conifer (9/2) to a hard-fought victory over Club Captain (4/1). The winner’s stable companion, Miss William, drifted sharply in the market as race time approached and faded away tamely after setting the early pace.
Beneath The Clouds (2/1) gave Lerena his third success of the day when coasting to a wide-margin victory in the sixth race, an Open Maiden (F&M) over 1800m. Touched off by English Mistress a month ago, Beneath The Clouds made no mistakes this time around and from a handy position turning for home, raced away from Sesame (8/1) and Loui’s Star (6/1) to win easing up.
Fourie completed a double for owners Ridgemont and Devin Heffer with Strawberry Thief (9/2) coming from the tail of the field to score fluently in the seventh race, a Class 4 Handicap (F&M) over 1800m. Lavendar Bay took up the running early in the stretch but was no match for Strawberry Thief over the final 200m and the improving 3yo daughter of Canford Cliffs drew clear to beat Lavendar Bay by more than a length.
Babelicious (9/4) was rewarded for consistency with a well-deserved victory in the eighth race, a Middle Stakes (F&M) over 1100m. Aldo Domeyer had to pull out all the stops to keep Pink Pigeon (7/1) and Winter Rainfall (10/1) at bay, but Babelicious stuck to her task well to score by under a length.
Apprentice Brevan Plaatjies is making waves in Cape Town and his mount Avignon travelled sweetly throughout the ninth race, a low-grade D Stakes over 1200m, landing a tidy gamble as the 4yo son of Master Of My Fate shortened from 14/1 to 5/2 before the off. Avignon was never in danger of defeat and strolled home nearly two lengths ahead of Becky Sharp. With fancied runners dominating proceedings the Pick 6 returned a modest R6371-60.
