Jack Milner
Champions Day at Turffontein promised to be a meeting of equine stars – current and future – competitive racing and drama.
The meeting turned out to be all of that – and more.
Stars there were aplenty. There were outstanding performances from a number of the two-year-olds in the Grade 2 TAB SA Nursery and the Wilgerbosdrift Fillies Nursery and even those who finished behind the winners showed enough to let us know they will be making their marks in the future.
Competitive it certainly was – five of the Graded races were won by no more than 0.25 lengths as we witnessed these races coming to thrilling conclusions.
And as for drama, well, there was probably a lot more of that than most pundits really wanted as two of the Grade 1 races had to be decided in the boardroom.
The first came up in the Computaform Sprint as gutsy William Robertson (77-100) kept going to beat filly Golden Sickle (8-1) by a neck with Winds Of Change (25-1) the same distance back in third.
Halfway through the interviews the announcement came through that there had been an objection lodged by the connections of the third horse against the winner. Jockey Ryan Munger was stunned by the announcement as was trainer Corne Spies.
The stipendiary board, after giving regard to the evidence presented by the relevant parties, the proximity of the incident to the finish line and the finishing distance of 0.50 a length between these two horses, could not be comfortably satisfied that the result had been affected by this incident, therefore overruled the objection and allowed the judges result to stand. Their deposit was refunded.
However, the bad news for the connections of William Robertson is that he bled during the race and has been suspended for 60 days. That will put a dampener on their plans for him as his next run was due to be the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville on 3 May.
Ryan Munger, who has ridden this six-year-old gelding in his last three starts for three wins, has a massive soft for the son of Rafeef. “I’m going back to Canada on Friday and I would love to take him back with me,” he laughed.
“The race went perfect, I had the gap opening for me at the right time. I might have pulled the trigger a little bit too early but like top horse does, he gave a hard run to the line and it’s was just an unbelievable win from him.
“A top horse, he produced a top run and I’m just privileged to be standing here as the jockey.
“Of all the horses who deserve a Grade 1 win, I may be biased, but he was definitely that one.”
If on thought that race was dramatic what happened next in the Grade 1 HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge made it look like a light comedy.
Over final 100m it was left to 13-10 favourite Fire Attack and last year’s winner Royal Victory (5-1) to fight out the finish. In the concluding stages Royal Victory, ridden by Muzi Yeni, shifted out away from the crop while Fire Attack with Richard Fourie up, shifted in away from the crop, and the two came together and bumped, and shortly after that bumped again.
At the line it was Alec Laird-trained Fire Attack who won by a neck but shortly after the numbers went up Yeni lodged an objection.
It was clear this decision could go either way but the stipes, after giving regard to the evidence presented by the relevant parties, the movement of both horses which caused the first bump, the proximity of the second contact to the finish line, the distance of 0.25 lengths between these two horses and the manner in which both horses finished the race, “could not be comfortably satisfied that the result had been affected by this incident, therefore overruled the objection and allowed the Judges result to stand and the deposit was refunded”.
Third place went to Purple Pitcher with Atticus Finch in fourth.
Legend Of Arthur finished fourth in the Gauteng Guineas and then third in the SA Classic but Sean Tarry’s charge finally had his day with a narrow with in the TAB SA Derby. Going off at 4-1, Legend Of Arthur produces a sustained finish to get the better of Luck Houdalakis-trained Wild Intent by 0.25 lengths with Mark Khan-trained 66-1 shot Solar Sail just 0.20 lengths back in third.
Cape Fillies Guineas winner Fatal Flaw added a second Grade 1 success to her tally by running out a 1.25-length winner of the Empress Club Stakes, using her usual front-running tactics, Gavin Lerena had her in the lead shortly after the start and she never let up to hold off Spumante Dolce with White Pearl in third.
The money did not stop pouring on to the Brett and James Crawford-trained filly and they punters were spot one.
James Crawford say she will be aimed at the Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes at Greyville in July.
This article was originally published on TAB and is reposted here with permission.
