Justin Snaith put the frustrations of his Hollywoodbets Scottsville Saturday afternoon well behind him when bouncing back at his home base with four winners on Sunday, headed by a gutsy victory by the Danon Platina grey Absolutely Yes to win the R250 000 Listed Somerset 1200.
In the KZN Capital city on Saturday, Snaith had to watch months of work go up in a puff of smoke when the top-class Double Grand Slam failed to find a gap in the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint and finished out of the money.
JP van der Merwe drives Absolutely Yes to victory as Aldo Domeyer and Churchilllan chase hard in second – Three Tigers is obscured in third (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
But back on home turf at an historic first Race Coast hosted racemeeting at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, the SA champion found his rhythm.
A race won by the likes of the top-class Charles Dickens and Trip Of Fortune in recent years, the Somerset 1200 has never attracted bumper-sized fields and only five 2yo’s lined up for the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Sunday headliner, with three hailing from the Snaith yard.
But what the race lacked for in pure numbers, it made up in entertainment value with a grandstand three-cornered finish.
It’s not often that we see the dreaded ‘Cape Crawl’ up the sprint straight, but Winx jockey JP van der Merwe find himself a reluctant leader on the grey Absolutely Yes, and some of the opposition consequently found themselves holding on for dear life, with arms being pulled out of sockets behind him.
Thankfully the pace appeared to quicken up at the halfway marker, and with well-backed stablemate She’s My World, and Three Tigers challenging, van der Merwe had a race on his hands.
Despite being headed, Absolutely Yes (9-4) dug deep and railed to hold off a late challenge from recent maiden winner Churchillian (9-2) by 0,30 lengths, with Three Tigers (13-2) a neck back in third.
The winner, who races in a partnership of Greg Bortz, Gina Goldsmith (their second grey to won on the day) and Leon Ellman, gave van der Merwe his second winner on the card and clocked 73,23 secs for the 1200m.
The only filly in the race, She’s My World (13-10) appeared to get squeezed late and broke her stride, falling away to fourth. Be with her in her own sex company next time.
An R800 000 National Yearling Sale graduate selected by Gina Goldsmith, Absolutely Yes took his stats to 2 wins with a place from 4 starts and stakes of R309 501.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, the winner is a son of the Deep Impact stallion Danon Platina out of the five-time winning Tiger Ridge mare, Maybe Yes, a winner of the 2014 Gr2 KZN Fillies Guineas and also Gr1 placed in the Garden Province Stakes.
Looking at the day, Richard Fourie was the standout rider, producing three winners for the third consecutive raceday, to continue his bid to successfully defend the SA championship title.
Fourie’s first winner was the Varsfontein Stud-bred Roland Garros who won a ‘Langerman trial’ juvenile plate opener for the partnership of Greg Bortz, Gina Goldmsith and JP Cuvelier, when beating more fancied stablemate Randolph Hearst.
Apprentice Brevan Plaatjies rode his first career double, and is now just two wins short of National Apprentice log leader, Trent Mayhew.
One of the Plaatjies winners was for Milnerton soldier Greg Ennion, aboard Surge Of Power. Ennion has endured a drought of note and was clearly relieved to be back in the winners enclosure. He thanked owner Marsh Shirtliff for his loyalty, but didn’t show any love for the handicappers.
Futura Park-based James Crawford saddled his first winner for his own account when Chase The Rainbow confirmed his promise, making it three on the trot when streaking up on the wide outside to win the tenth under Louis Mxothwa.
The next Race Coast fixture is at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday 4 June.
