Muzi Yeni booted home his second winner of the afternoon at Turffontein on Saturday when Stone Cold produced a minor surprise to win the R95 000 Egoli Mile for Mauritius-based owner Vicky Veeramootoo and the Hollywoodbets sponsored CK Horse Racing Team.
Just a fortnight earlier, the powerful all-lady Randjesfontein outfit had indicated to the Sporting Post in an article that their goal was to be competitive in the Highveld Autumn and KZN Champions Season features.
Muzi Yeni and Stone Cold have the victory sealed as Gavin Lerena and favourite Puerto Manzano fight on late (Pic – JC Photos)
And while this was a humble non black-type contest, they celebrated their first feature strike for their sponsors Hollywoodbets, their lightly raced charge showing guts in the face of a threat from the visibly more imposing favourite, Puerto Manzano.
Muzi Yeni had Stone Cold in midfield after a keen start, off a decent pace set by topweight Shah Akbar.
Despite having to switch out off the heels of the horse in front of him at the 350m marker, Stone Cold quickly regathered his stride and maintained his momentum with a powerful gallop to hold off Puerto Manzano (2-1) by a half length in a time of 98,34 secs.
The pacemaker’s stablemate Invincible Warrior (8-1) stayed on best of the rest for third and a further 1,50 lengths off the runner-up.
The winner races in the same silks as CK Horse Racing’s maiden 2020 Gr1 winner Sentbydestiny – who also gave her owner his prized first ever Gr1 success.
Trainer Candice Dawson labelled the win ‘a pleasant surprise’ and thanked her owner and the team, as well as her sponsors.
Jockey Muzi Yeni said that he was aware of the collective doubts over the winner’s ability to see out the mile and had made every effort to conserve his mount’s energy early on. It was a job well done and Yeni expressed the hope that this would trigger more opportunities from the top stable.
A son of the ill-fated Soft Falling Rain (National Assembly), the winner was bred by Moutonshoek and is the second offspring of the two-time winning Orpen mare, She’s So Cold.
CK Racing signed for the gelding at the 2019 BSA Ready To Run Sale for R240 000.
He has won 2 races with 2 places from 7 starts for stakes of R135 000.
