The Snaith Racing Team unleashed a seriously progressive 3yo in the shape of Futura’s son Rockpool to win the R300 000 Gr3 Politician Stakes at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
The traditional Derby trial has unveiled exciting prospects in the past, and this colt could be right up there.
The R1,5 million Gr1 Cape Derby will be run at the same venue on 25 February and trainer Justin Snaith is clearly excited.
“The last horse who carried his head so low in his races was Legislate. He used to race like a snake. I really love this horse,” enthused the Cape champion.
Backed from 5’s to 14-10, Rockpool was unleashed late in the race by Winning Form rider Richard Fourie and he put his field to bed in a matter of moments, his beautiful stride carrying him clear to beat stablemate and another Jonsson galloper in the shape of Without Question (25-1) by a deceiving half length in a time of 112,58 secs.
Rockpool (Richard Fourie) strides clear to beat Without Question (JP van der Merwe) in an excellent Derby trial (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The topweight and 11-10 favourite At My Command was dropped out by Keagan de Melo and had every chance. But he really had no chance with the Snaith pair, managing to save Place Accumulator players by running into third, and 2,25 lengths adrift of the second horse.
Brett Crawford confirmed: “The winner got first run on us, plus we had to give him 6kg’s. At My Command will definitely go for the Derby next.”
Experienced top jockey Richard Fourie labelled Rockpool a ‘fantastic horse’.
“It’s taken him a while to figure out that action. He has a beautiful temperament and Justin had him spot. The owners have a really lovely horse on their hands,” he added.
A broad smiling Justin Snaith is probably already eyeing the Daily News 2000 up on the East Coast in three months from now.
“That’s as confident as we have ever been for the Politician Stakes. He is called Chad Le Clos as he has such a fluid action. I love this horse. To give our horse 6kgs was always going to be a hard task for At My Command. Richard really didn’t want to know about losing!”
“Do you want the ride in the Derby?” Justin Snaith chats to Richard Fourie as Chris Snaith looks on (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Raced by Nic Jonsson and Nancy Hossack, Rockpool was bred by Ndoro Stud and is a son of South Africa’s 2014/15 Horse Of The Year Futura(Dynasty) out of the Jallad one-time winner, Miss Delish.
Futura won from 1200m and never raced in the Derby, winning the 2015 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and Met of that year, as well as two Gr1 Champions Cups, amongst his 9 wins. One wonders, without putting the mokkas on, that Rockpool may well be his overdue maiden Gr1 winner.
Like the runner-up, Rockpool was a R300 000 buy from the National Yearling Sale and took his stats tally to 3 wins with 2 places from 6 starts for stakes of R341 750.
Another man who would have been smiling after the race will be Moutonshoek’s Dr Bennie van der Merwe. A firm believer in the classic merits of Galileo’s son The United States, he will be at the Cape Derby to cheer on runner-up Without Question.
Exciting days as the temperatures rocket in the inaugural Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Summer Festival.
Watch the feature replay here:
