Jeffery Syster had the ride of the weekend when landing the Gr 3 TAB National Currency Sprint over 1100m on the Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Miami Mountain on Saturday at Turffontein Standside, a race in which many of the winner’s supporters would have been tempted to throw their tickets away before the halfway mark as the Canford Cliffs gelding was way out of his ground.
Both of the features on the day proved that the course’s perceived bias towards the higher drawn horses appears to have now been ironed out as both winners made their runs on the inside of the field and both came from low draws.
In the National Currency Sprint the Hollywood Racing-owned Miami Mountain was drawn one out of 12 with Jeffery Syster retaining the ride.
The race is for three-year-olds and has merit-rated band conditions with a benchmark of 60kg equalling a 110 rating and more, and there was a spread of five points for every 2kgs below that i.e. 58kg = 105 to 109, 56kg = 100 to 104 etc.
Miami Mountain was near the top of the 95 to 99 band off a 98 merit rating, but carrying 54kg made him officially 1kg under sufferance with the favourite Wild Justice, a Gareth van Zyl-trained KZN raider, who had been impressive in compiling a record of four wins from five starts.
Miami Mountain was wearing blinkers for the first time and started at 25/2 odds as Wild Justice shortened from 33/10 into 18/10 as the two other initial market leaders Zalatoris and One Fine Winter drifted out from 7/2 to 7/1 and 6/1 to 8/1 respectively.
Miami Mounain did not get the best of breaks and was soon tailed off by few lengths in last place, although in his favour was that there was a blistering pace up front being set by Vanakkam.
By the 500m mark Miami Mountain had overtaken One Fine Winter, whose rider felt something amiss, but he was still probably about eight lengths off the pace and about five lengths behind Wild Justice, who was moving in well on the outside.
The horses up front began wilting as the fast pace began taking its toll, but Miami Mountain, who has a nice big action, was still running on resolutely finish and he suddenly appeared as a big contender right on the inside.
Wild Justice was under pressure to keep going and he could not keep Miami Mountain at bay.
Miami Mountain won by 0,80 lengths from Wild Justice with Pop Chart third, beaten 1,40 lengths.
The Louis Goosen-trained KZN raider Blazing Fury stayed on well from a handy position for a two length fourth and in fifth place was the Last Duke, with topweight Charming Cheetah just behind him.
If there was sectional timing on the race, Syster would have been shown to have ridden a fine race as most of the rest of the field went too fast, including Wild Justice, whose second place finish might just have been earned in the end by him stopping less than the other prominent runners.
Miami Mountain is interestingly out of the first Gr 1 winner that prolific Durban-based owner Nick Jonsson both bred and owned, the Gr 1 Allan Robertson-winning Captain Al filly Miss Florida.
He was a R275,000 purchase and should win more races.
Considering he was 1kg under sufferance with the 104-rated Wild Justice, who looks to be the likely line horse, Miami Mountain looks set to be raised to a merit rating of 102.
In the Non-Black Type Bidvest Bauhinia Stakes over 1000m, the Sean Tarry-trained Green Diamond was not the only Highveld horse who did not seem to enjoy Cape Town this Summer as both her runs were way below par.
However, she bounced back with a fine win on Saturday.
She sat behind the seven horse field after Craig Zackey had taken a hold after jumping from draw three and dropped her out.
The seven-horse field congregated towards the outside and Zackey had to ease her slightly and switch her inward for a run, but she then found a strong finish to beat the number one draw Poblano by 1,80 lengths with a yawning 2,90 lengths back to third-placed Chasing Happiness, who was the 60kg topweight.
The race was also a merit rated band race with a benchmark of 118 = 62kg and more, with each 2kg decrease from there having a five point spread.
Green Diamond, a three-year-old Drakenstein Stud-bred homebred daughter of Gimmethgreenlight, carried 54,5 off her 105 rating and started at odds of 6/1.
The disappointment of the race was the 91/100 favourite Rifle Queen, who was prominent from a standside draw before fading tamely to finish last.
