Whitehead Targeting 50 Wins For The Season

 

Wendy Whitehead is having the best season of her career and having reached 43 wins, surpassing her previous best of 37, she is now aiming to reach 50.

 

She has achieved this with just 29 horses and the highlight was a memorable five-timer on January 18.

 

Her best SA Champions Season hopeful is the two-year-old Erupt filly Hot Pearl, who finished second in the Grade 3 Strelitzia Stakes over 1100m.

 

She is being targeted at the Grade 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.

 

She is about fifth on the log for the big BSA Sales race on Hollywoodbets Durban July day too.  

 

One of the best runners in Whitehead’s yard is Beechamwood Boy, a four-year-old gelding by Eightfold Path, who has been transformed since gelding.

 

He reeled off four wins, a second and a third in his first six runs after a three month layoff and gelding.

 

In the last of the wins, by 4,20 lengths over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, he clearly had Keagan de Melo excited.

   

He was then tried in the Listed In Full Flight Handicap over 1100m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville but unfortunately drew highest of all in the 16 horse field.

 

His regular partner De Melo was also unable to ride him because Dean Kannemeyer had Tempting Fate in the race.

 

Under the circumstances he did well to be beaten just 3,30 lengths into 6th place.

 

However, the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint looks a bridge to far at present considering the 54kg minimum weight condition and his merit rating of just 90.

 

Whitehead is looking for one more ordinary race for him before deciding which option to take next.

 

He is due to run next week and looked in fine shape in a gallop up the hill on the bottom sand track.

 

After next week’s race the Grade 2 Post Merchants might be an option, although his merit rating at present is likely a bit too low to qualify him.

 

The lucrative KZN Breeders Mile could also be a possibility, although a mile will stretch him.