Purple Pitcher (black sleeves) fends off Pure Predator to his left and Mondial to his right in another courageous display that earned him a second successive Gr 1 (Candiese Lenferna Photograph)
Pitch the Robyn Klaasen-trained Purple Pitcher into a street fight and he will likely be the last man standing.
The actual fights he has won so far have been a number of eyeball to eyeball contests in the final stages of horse races on the Highveld.
The Stincky Pooe-owned son of New Predator won his second Gr 1 in succession at Turffontein Standside on Saturday when fending off another son of New Predator, the Fanie Bronkhorst-trained gelding Pure Predator, as well as the Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Flower Ally gelding Modial, in an enthralling battle for supremacy.
Mondial had been seen to be outpaced in some of his earlier races over shorter and Adam Azzie in tbe build up to the Derby confirmed that he was looking for the 2450m trip.
Mondial was taken to the front by Muzi Yeni.
Purple Pitcher sat one out and one back.
Kabelo Matsunyane did not waste any time sending Purple Pitcher for home, knowing that he is a resolute galloper who always finds extra when challenged.
He went ahead of Mondial and Pure Predator was meanwhile delivering strong challenge on the outside rail from near the back.
Pure Predator moved up to Purple Pitcher’s quarters, but the latter responded by finding extra and keeping him at bay.
The then seemingly beaten Mondial began fighting back.
He went within a neck of the lead on the inside of the two others, but once again Purple Pitcher refused to relinquish his lead.
However, Mondial was fighting on.
Muzi Yeni might have retrospectively rued the decision to change stickhands to his left hand because this caused Mondial to lug inward badly. Yeni could be forgiven for resorting to that last ditch measure, because Purple Pitcher had already gained a reputation for being one who is very difficult to get past. However, the hanging inward must have cost Mondial some ground and in the end he was beaten just 0,40 lengths by the winner Purple Pitcher and a long-head by the runner up Pure Predator.
Purple Pitcher looked beaten in the Gr 2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans and found an amazing late burst to get up.
In the Gr 1 TAB SA Classic over 1800m he was headed after leading and then fought back before keeping odds-on favourite Sandringham Summit at bay in the final stages.
He had now repeated the dose in the SA Derby.
His only defeat in seven starts since joining Klaasen was in the Gr 2 TAB Gauteng Guineas, a run he would have needed having been laid off since the Dingaansand a mile is ideally too sharp for him too.
Hollywoodbets now have him at 17/1 for the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
