Major Tommie provides Serino Moodley with the second leg of a treble (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)
Andrew Harrison (Race Coast)
The switch from turf to poly after the weekend’s rain put the kybosh on Hollywoodbets Scottsville, Garth Puller was left in two minds whether to run Major Tommie in the Class 3 Handicap that headed the card at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Tuesday.
With all the withdrawals, Major Tommie only had five in the opposing ranks but he delivered in emphatic fashion vindicating Puller’s decision.
At the back of the field in the early exchanges, Serino Moodley – three from three on Major Tommie – looked to have made a fatal error trying for a rails run. But when the gap failed to open, he switched early and Major Tommie responded with a tremendous turn of foot, skipping clear to win as he liked.
It was a day of favourites as late market support for the Robbie Hill-trained Mystic Dancer proved on the mark in the first as Kabelo Matsunyane kept her hard to her task to get the better of long-time leader Malshana Mou in a driving finish with Coccolina some way back in the minor placing.
Eric’s Legacy, hot favourite in the second, looked to be in a scrap crossing the subway as War Emperor and William Of Orange stuck to his heels, but once Moodley asked his mount to get serious, Andre Nel’s gelding responded like a horse with a future, lengthening his stride to waltz clear of the pair. It was not a field of any strength but Eric’s Legacy won well enough in spite of racing green to give Moodley his fiftieth winner of the season.
Greatest Hits scored a bloodless victory in the third for Wengi Masawi. Sean Veale always had the pacemakers in his sights and when it came to the business end, the son of Canford Cliffs had little trouble holding off Bourbons Beast with the balance well beaten.
The run of winning favourites continued into the first leg of the Pick 6 as Green Glow landed the odds for Dean Kannemeyer. With the field reduced to five runners, pace was always going to be an issue and they dawdled the early fractions with Veale taking the initiative on High Queue.
Coming up the hill Moodley and Craig Zackey started to hustle their mounts and the two charged to the front crossing the subway. But there was always only going to be one winner in spite of Master Du Rouvray’s game effort as Green Glow got his big frame into action and won rather comfortably. The son of Gimmethegreenlight gave plenty of cheek in the preliminaries but does appear to be going places as a colt winning off a slow pace and the runner-up no slouch.
Wendy Whitehead’s filly Buttercup Baby led from start to finish in the fifth under Rachel Venniker but was kept honest by favourite Light Of Gabriel with Zackey pressing hard up his rivals inside. The pair raced close together for most of the way up the straight with the stipendiary stewards calling for a race review. The two came together around the 150m mark with Buttercup Baby shifting onto Light Of Gabriel but the contact appeared to be minimal with no further action.
Moodley had a fine afternoon as he rode a tremendous race on Mark Dixon’s mare Captain’s Christy for this third winner. Patient off a strong early pace, he sat in behind runners for many strides up the straight before pouncing and getting the better of a game Convocation.
In spite of returning from a lengthy break, Position Of Power found solid support in the eighth and Alyson Wright’s gelding charged home to snaffle long-time pacemaker Luneluck.
Fate Of Fortune didn’t enjoy the best of luck out of the gate to be shuffled back in the pack but when asked the question he made light work of his 63kg, streaking home win going away to give Wright and Venniker a closing double.
