The Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge day last Saturday produced some top-drawer racing and inspiring performances on the track.
In our weekly Time Is Money column, we look at some of the standouts of the day
Hollywoodbets Greyville (turf) 7 June
Track Conditions
Going: Good
Penetrometer: 23
Rain: Last 24 hours Nil – Last 7 days 1mm
Irrigation: Last 24 hours Nil – Last 7 days 17mm
False Rail: 6m
Wind: 5-15km/h North Easterly head wind
Course Variant: 1,2s slow
Dave The King’s jockey Callan Murray hugs Mathew de Kock after the Hollywoodbets Gr1 Gold Challenge win (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Hollywoodbets Gr1 Gold Challenge 1600m
The winner of last season’s Hollywoodbets Gr1 Gold Challenge, and indeed, South Africa’s horse of the year, DAVE THE KING was sent off a warm 9/4 favourite in his bid to complete a double and he didn’t let his supporters down.
The pace was on from the start and credit must go to jockey Callan Murray for not going head to head and cutting throats. Instead, he sat third and cleverly took the shortest way home coming off the bend.
Dave answered every call after hitting the front early in the straight and held off a wall of horses to score by a head. Running on best of all to take third position was Gladatorian, and he is clearly one to follow.
Running on stoutly from 6 lengths off the pace, this son of Vercingetorix was fairly flying at the finish and was only beaten by a long neck. Gladatorian’s 400m to finish time was the second fastest of the afternoon.
HKJC Gr2 World Pool Stakes 1400m
Run in a time just 7/100th of a second faster than the listed Gatecrasher Stakes, this was the fastest of the three 1400m races on the card. Callmegetorix somewhat predictably made the running and beaten less than half a length kept on strongly all the way to the wire.
The well supported winner GREEN SAPPHIRE (clipped heels & stumbled 1200m) meanwhile sat seventh early on some five and a half lengths off the pace.
She ran on well in the straight and under a well-judged ride from former champion jockey S’manga Khumalo, she got up 30m from home.
Interestingly, it was the third placed horse Minogue who recorded the fastest 400m to finish time in this race. Four lengths behind the winner turning for home, Candice Dawson’s charge was gaining quickly below the distance, and she too was beaten less than half a length.
Hollywoodbets Sharks Listed Gatecrasher Stakes 1400m
The pace was a good one here and they recorded the fastest time of the afternoon rounding the turn. It was not surprising then that the leaders soon began to fade in the straight and as the field began to concertina it resembled a cavalry charge going through the 300m.
Malmesbury Missile (Richard Fourie) impressed with his first stakes strike (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The aptly named winner MALMESBURY MISSILE raced some eight lengths off the pace in ninth early on and still had plenty to do coming off the bend.
This son of Gimmethegreenlight ran on best of all in the straight though, and won well by a length from Aversator. The runner up also finished very well and was only 6/100th of a second slower than the winner over the final 400m.
Ridgemont Listed Devon Air Stakes 1400m
The easiest victory amongst the afternoon’s five feature events was undoubtedly that of QUICKSTEPGAL in the listed Devon Air Stakes. Sent off as a joint second favourite at 11/2, Tienie Prinsloo’s charge raced third for most of the journey just two and a half lengths off the steady pace set by Vanakkam.
She only had to be ridden with hands and heels in the straight and after taking up the running 300m out, she went on to score with authority by 2,6 lengths. Quickstepgal has now won three from four and clearly won’t be stopping here.
Hollywoodbets Dolphins Gr3 Cup Trial 1800m
There was no pace on in the early stages of the Cup Trial and although they did quicken a little on the bend, it still proved comparatively to be the slowest of the five feature races.
This false paced affair did produce a thrilling finish though. Both the second favourite Underworld and the unfancied winner MADISON VALLEY (40/1) were always handy and as they approached the 300m marker the battle commenced. Both gave their all in the run to the line with the son of Mambo In Seattle marginally getting the upper hand late. Third placed On My Honour finished best of all, and given the pace did very well to get within a neck at the wire.
Fastest Times:
1400m (3) Green Sapphire 85,71
1600m (3) Dave The King 96,44
400-finish Tara Star 22,53
Hollywoodbets Greyville (poly) 4 June
Track Conditions
Going: Standard
Rain: Last 7 days Nil
Wind: 30-35km/h South Westerly tail wind
Course Variant: 0,51s fast
Impressive Debut
A maiden juvenile plate over 1200m opened up proceedings on the poly track on Wednesday afternoon and here we saw an impressive debut performance from the Dean Kannemeyer trained newcomer ARISTOCRATIC.
Sent off favourite at 18/10, the son of Danon Platina was caught for early toe off a sharp pace and very quickly found himself with six lengths to find. Once in the straight though, he quickened in good style and won going away by three and quarter after striking the front 100m from home. One to follow.
Three 1000m Races
Three of the afternoon’s nine races were staged over 1000m. The bill topping Gallop Tv Youtube Channel Middle Stakes was the fastest of these and here victory went to the progressive filly PRINCESS HANNAH.
The pace was on from the start and squeezed out shortly after leaving the stalls, the daughter of Pomodoro was initially positioned at the back. Now a winner of six from 14, Paul Gadsby’s charge ran on well in straight and after hitting the front 100m from home, won well by a length. Both the second and third placed runners in this race finished strongly and neither found a clear passage.
Three 1400m Races
The Follow In The Box Seat Podcast Class 4 for fillies & mares was the fastest of the three 1400m races on the card and here the deposed favourite AMONG THE CLOUDS (28/10 to 4/1) scored a facile victory.
Although not the quickest around the turn, the pace in general was good and the daughter of Lancaster Bomber sat close up in second. She was asked to take up the running coming off the bend and quickly drew three lengths clear. She clearly had plenty in hand under one of those typically cool Andrew Fortune rides and could, had he had the notion, have won more easily than the official 2,1 lengths would suggest.
Fastest Times:
1000m (3) Princess Hannah 56,76
1400m (3) Among The Clouds 82,34
400-finish Masterbling 21,51
