Paul Peter has gone clear of Justin Snaith in the race for the National Trainers Championship.
He was helped by the victory of MK’s Pride in the Grade 1 R1 million Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Stakes on Saturday and the win of Master Archie (Rafee) in the R250,000 Grade 3 Man O’ War Stakes.
Peter had earned total stakes (in unrestricted races) of R14,373,188 by the end of the weekend.
Snaith was R1,098,725 behind on R13,274,463.
Peter said, “Everybody is starting to make a big thing of it, so it is adding a bit of pressure! But I have a lot of respect for Justin and am sure he will pull a rabbit out of the hat at some stage.”
Snaith did not hide his admiration for MK’s pride on the occasions he saw him in KZN.
Peter revealed Snaith had sent him a congratulatory message after the HF Oppenheimer and had concluded the message by saying, “If ever a horse deserved to win a Grade 1 it was this one.”
Peter sent out his first runner, Rocabar (Victor Moon), almost exactly 12 years ago on April 8, 2010.
Five-times Champion trainer Sean Tarry won the R750,000 Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks on Saturday to bolster his stakes total for the season and seven-times Champion Trainer Mike de Kock won the R1.5 million WSB SA Derby.
Tarry remains in third place on stakes of R9,464,563, which is R4,909,625 off the pace.
De Kock is on R8,665,750, which is R5,708,438 behind Peter.
The Eastern Cape’s leading trainer Gavin Smith is in 5th place on the log with stakes of R6,303,600, which is R8,070,588 behind Peter.
Peter would have increased his lead slightly today as he scored a treble at Turffontein Inside.
He has sent out the most winners this season on 153, followed by Snaith on 117, Smith on 92, De Kock on 70 and Tarry on 66.
Picture: Paul Peter (left) pictured after the running of the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Stakes with MK’S Pride’s owner MK “Koos” Nkale and Kaiser Chiefs MD Jessica Motaung. (JC Photos).