Gimmelightning had the form to win race 9 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday and duly did so despite a big betting drift and the victory clinched a four-timer for Justin Snaith and a double for JP van der Merwe. (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Justin Snaith scored a four-timer on the Hollywoodbets winter course on Tuesday, while Candice Bass-Robinson and Andre Nel both had doubles. Aldo Domeyer was aboard both of Bass-Robinson’s winners, while Corne Orffer was aboard both of Nel’s winners, and there were also doubles for jockeys Richard Fourie and JP van der Merwe.
Graeme Hawkins wrote a report on the meeting (see below the statistics summary).
Snaith goes to 61 wins for the season and has achieved it at a strike rate of 15.44%.
Nel goes to 25 wins at 17.24%.
Bass-Robinson is on 23 wins at 9.58%.
Fourie is now in joint second on the national jockeys log together with Craig Zackey on 69 wins and he has achieved it at a strike rate of 23.79%. They are nine wins behind leader Gavin Lerena.
JP van der Merwe is on 20 wins at 11.83%.
Corne Orffer is on 20 wins at 13.16%.
Aldo Domeyer is on 19 wins at 16.24%.
The report on today’s meeting is written below:
Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle)
Gimmelightning was allowed to ease in the betting market from 3/1 to an overly generous 7/1, but he struck with a powerful last-to-first charge under JP van der Merwe to take out the ninth race at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday, a Class 3 Handicap over 1200m. Gimmielightning was a third winner on the day sporting the colours of Cape Racing’s Chairman Greg Bortz. War Chariot stayed on best of the balance to fill the Exacta position just ahead of Nordic Chief with the heavily supported Dumbledore rounding off the Quartet.
In the opening race, a Maiden Plate (F&M) over 1000m, Love Story (16/1) showed good improvement to easily account for the well fancied Heritage Ridge (5/2) by close on a length. Heritage Ridge tried to make all the running, but Love Story quickened nicely from a few lengths back and drew clear to score comfortably. The race favourite, Call Me Jane, ran well below her debut effort and failed to make the frame.
Cavalry Commander (50/1) was a shock winner of the second race, a Maiden Plate over 1200m, holding out Victor Hugo (5/1) by a neck with Cliff Swallow (6/1) and Masterofthedesert (2/1f) not too far away in the minor placings.
Something went amiss with the Candice Bass-Robinson trained Winter Gamble and she was not persevered with in the third race, an Open Maiden (F&M) over 1200m, leaving the way clear for Frida Kahlo (3/1) to run out a facile winner over Little Lexi. But Bass-Robinson enjoyed a welcome change of fortune in the fourth race, a Maiden Plate over 1400m, as King’s Quest (18/10 into 5/10) landed the gamble under a very confident ride by Aldo Domeyer. This was his first run as a gelding and the 3yo son of Querari looks set to make his mark in higher grades.
Gentleman Joe (33/1) had not won for just about a year, but he bounced back to best form and took out the fifth race, a Class 4 Handicap over 1600m, to continue the good form of the Andre Nel and Corne Orffer partnership. Touchdown looked the likely winner approaching the final 200m, but Gentlemen Joe showed plenty of resolution and got up in the shadow of the post to deny Vaughan Marshall’s runner.
Only half-a-length covered the first three past the post in the sixth race, a Cape C Stakes (F&M) over 1800m, with Lady Springfield (9/4) just getting home ahead of My Only Weakness and Among The Clouds to give Justin Snaith and Richard Fourie their second winner of the day. Snaith followed up in the seventh race, a Cape B Stakes (F&M) over 1200m, when the well-backed Siddeley (2/1f) led from pillar-to-post under Grant Van Niekerk to score a bloodless victory over Kyalami Girl.
Nel and Orffer struck for a second time when recently gelded O’Tenikwa showed good pace throughout and was never headed in the eighth race, a Class 4 Handicap over 1200m. Let It Be Said ran on strongly over the final 200m to finish a clear second, but without ever threatening the winner.
