Savanna Valjalo scores a first professional win on the Gareth van Zyl-trained Royal Mo filly KMV Retrofit. (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
Andrew Harrison (Race Coast)
Yesterday was a day that apprentice Savanna Valjalo will have etched in her memory as she scored her first official win as an apprentice aboard the Gareth van Zyl-trained KMV Retrofit in the Open Maiden on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Always in front, she had the measure of stable companion Di Rosa and S’Manga Khumalo a long way out and such was her confidence that she cruised the last 50m under the hands.
Apprentice races are not always the easiest and coupled with a modest field of horses doesn’t make it any easier.
Purple Flower was friendless in the market but she won like and odds-on shot under Mauritian apprentice Girish Dookhit. Having her first run for Gary Rich who bought the mare on an on-line sale on the advice of his daughter Tess, Dookhit tracked the pace set by Blush Of Dawn from mid-field. At the sharp end of the race, Purple Flower was always traveling smoothly as she tackled Blush Of Dawn and in spite of looking to shift in late, she won well.
Wing Walker was always going to be the best bet on the card and Lucinda Woodruff’s charge made short work of the modest opposition in the first. Chad Little punched him for home crossing the subway and the result was never in doubt as the gelding quickened away to win as he liked.
Garth Puller was a master in the saddle and has been a mentor to many a young rider. But he can also be blunt. He has given 4kg claimer Mxolisi Mbuto plenty of rides but was hoping for a double starting with Blush Of Dawn in the apprentice race. “If he had let her go at the top of the straight she should have won,” he said after leading in Mbuto on Canyoudothehula in the fourth. Much improved on the poly last time out, Mbuto gave her a polished ride to get first run on stable companion and race favourite Fine Wine.
Puller was back in the winner’s circle the very next race as apprentice Brevan Plaatjies rode a smart race on Shiny Bob. Judging that there was plenty of pace in the race and apprentices are generally a bunch of tear-aways, Puller’s instructions to Plaatjies were to sit off them and wait his chance. Plaatjies carried out instructions to perfection as Shiny Bob quickened up with the leaders treading water and went on to win comfortably. The win gave Plaatjies the 40th of his career and he will claim 1.5kg next time he rides. The win also put him four clear of Trent Mayhew in the race for the Apprentice Championship.
You seldom see a horse trained by Dean Kannemeyer anywhere near the front in the early exchanges and Craig Zackey rode Gurkha to a Kannemeyer blue-print to win the sixth the son of Fire Away reveling over the ten furlongs. Trailing the field by close to ten lengths at one stage, Gurkha moved through the pack in the straight to hit the front and shake off the attentions of a game Papa C.
Paul Lafferty was quietly confident of a big showing from Mister Nibbles and his assessment was on the mark as Muzi Yeni pounced from off the pace and get the better of Star Of The Future in a tight finish. Favourite Prince Florian was awkward out of the gate, pecking and Zackey appeared to lose an iron. After closing up to the field, he was never in contention in the straight and eased out of the race.
The revamped poly surface is being praised as being fair for all horses. Earlier Gurkha came from last to win his race and Rooster Bradshaw closed off the meeting in similar fashion for Duncan Howells. Towards the back turning for home, S’Manga Khumalo took the ‘golden highway’ home and mowed them all down.
