One Fell Swoop, ridden by Kaidan Brewer, completes a memorable weekend for owner Suzette Viljoen. (JC Photos)
The Tony Peter-trained Lancaster Bomber filly One Fell Swoop took advantage of a handicapping anomaly to complete a fine weekend for owner Suzette Viljoen by winning the Gr 3 Betway National Currency Sprint over 1100m at Turffontein Standside on Sunday.
Viljoen and Justin Snaith have had good success together but recently parted ways as far as her outright-owned horses were concerned, so it was somewhat ironic she won two features with part-owned horses trained by Snaith at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, with Double Grand Slam winning the Gr 3 SplashOut Prix du Cap over 1400m and Royal Aussie winning the Listed Pongracz Jet master Stakes over 1600m. On Sunday she not only won the National Currency Sprint but also the Non-Black Type TAB Bauhinia Handicap over 1000m, also with a Tony Peter-trained horse, Golden Sickle. Both One Fell Swoop and Golden Sickle were former Cape Town-based horses who started out in the Snaith yard and both were bred by Varsfontein Stud.
On paper, the R250 000 SplashOut Prix Du Cap (F&M) over 1400m seemed very competitive at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, but Double Grand Slam turned the race into a procession. Rascova took up her usual pacemaking role and was three lengths clear at the top of the straight. She stuck to her task well all the way to the line but was no match over the final 300m for Double Grand Slam, who sprinted away to put three lengths between herself and her rivals. October Morn got up to finish second ahead of Rascova with Mrs Geriatrix not too far way in fourth position.
Gary Player races Double Grand Slam in partnership with Dave MacLean and Suzette Viljoen and the golfing legend was present to welcome his daughter of Vercingetorix into the winner’s enclosure.
Double Grand Slam was the second leg of a race-to-race double for Suzette as she also has shares in Royal Aussie, a dominant winner on Saturday of the Listed Pongracz Jet Master Stakes. Sent out 9/4 favourite, Royal Aussie was never in danger of defeat and stormed home with more than a length to spare over Gold Poker Game, Ponte Pietra and Quasiforsure. Both Double Grand Slam and Royal Aussie were ridden to victory by Grant Van Niekerk and trained by Justin Snaith. Viljoen owns Royal Aussie together with DA Squance and Dr Jill Warner.
On Sunday at Turffontein Standside One Fell Swoop, who is owned outright by Viljoen, was up against the superstar Sean Tarry-trained Lucky Lad, who had swept all before him in sprint races as a two-year-old, but who was now returning from a seven month layoff to make his seasonal reappearance.
Lucky Lad was officially the best weighted horse in the race, but a closer look at the form showed One Fell Swoop to be the best handicapped.
In the Listed Swallow Stakes over 1160m, which is a level weights race for three-year-olds plus penalties, there was a condition that placed horses could not get more than a three point merit rating increase and at level weights One Fell Swoop split too horses in that race who were considerably higher rated than her with the rest of the field five lengths back.
She would have been given far more hefty raise than three points if it were not for that condition.
She thus went into Sunday’s race carrying only 51,5kg and she was officially half-a-kilogram under sufferance with Lucky Lad. However, amateur handicapping officionados would have known that she was the best treated horse in the race.
Nevertheless, such is the reputation of Lucky Lad that he started odds-on at 87/100, while One Fell Swoop started 7/2.
One Fell Swoop did also have a lower draw than Lucky Lad on a track where low draws are considered disadvantageous by trends. She was drawn three out of eight and Lucky Lad was drawn five.
One Fell Swoop got a good break under Kayden Brewer, while Lucky Lad, not for the first time, was slowly away.
One Fell Swoop was soon in front but Ziyasha, who was bumped at the start, soon joined him towards the outside.
Ziyasha took the lead on the favourable outside and was going well with long strides.
However, One Fell Swoop produced a fine kick to get up by 0,40 lengths with Cliff Hanger next best, beaten 1,20 lengths.
With the front-runners dominating it was tough for Lucky Lad to find a way through and he was switched right to the inside at the 200m mark. He ran on but was beaten 1,45 lengths.
The 2,25 length fifth-placed Billy Ruiters-trained Halbardier will be a warm order in a handicap next time out, considering he was 9kg under sufferance with Lucky Lad and was beaten only 0,80 lengths by him.
That was One Fell Swoop’s fifth win in seven starts on the Highveld and she now has valuable black type.
Earlier, the Vercingetorix filly Golden Sickle made a mockery of a weight turn around in favour of the talented Sean Tarry-trained Troppo Veloce in the Bauhinia. The latter was lkg better off with Golden Sickle for a 1,25 length beating. However, Golden Sickle, who did have an advantage of draw four versus draw two, dominated from the off and draw away to win by 2,50 lengths. She converted odds of 33/20 with Troppo Veloce starting at even money. Golden Sickle has now won four in a row and she has five wins and a second in six Highveld starts.
