Craig Zackey won both races held at the Vaal Classic track on Thursday and the opening race saw an eyecatching win by the Sean Tarry-trained The United States colt Tin Pan Alley. (JC Photos).
Craig Zackey was five behind the leader in the intriguing race for the national jockeys title after last weekend, but he has responded with a double on Monday at Hollywoodbets Greyville, a treble on Wednesday at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, he won both races before Thursday’s Vaal Classic meeting was abandoned and he had another treble on the Fairview turf on Friday.
He is now leading the title race by four.
He has 181 wins scored at a strike rate of 19.01%, to Richard Fourie’s 177 at 26.30% and Gavin Lerena’s 174 at 26.20%.
Zackey won the first race on Thursday over 1200m on a promising Sean Tarry-trained two-year-old called Tin Pan Alley.
This United States colt pulled away to win by two lengths having been backed in from 4/1 to 2/1.
In the second race over 1000m Wings Of Ice was backed in from 10/1 to 3/1 and looked the winner when she suddenly fell 70m from the line.
This allowed Zackey to get up on the Lucky Houdalakis-trained first-timer called Miss Novax, who had been backed in to 15/10.
She is by Flower Alley, so it was interesting that both winners in the soft going were by stamina influential sires.
Wings Of Ice got up after falling and ran through the line, while Philasande Mxoli reportedly had no serious injuries and was walking around later on.
The meeting was abandoned due to inconsistent going and divots.
