On a sombre Sunday for South African horseracing following the tragic passing of Mauritian jockey Nooresh Juglall hours earlier, Plett-based breeder Rob Knuppe and his partner, PE Attorney Jonathan Connellan, kept their Vodacom Durban July dream on track when their lightly raced She’s A Keeper stormed home to win the R300 000 Gr2 World Sports Betting 1900 at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
The sad passing of the popular SA Jockey Academy graduate and former dual SA Champion apprentice cast a dark cloud over racing, but the show went on after a minute’s silence and a guard of honour by colleagues of the fallen jockey.
The Sunday headline feature was weighted on merit-rating bands and offers the clearly talented victress a ‘preferential consideration’ ticket into Africa’s Greatest Race on 3 July.
Warren Kennedy salutes as She’s A Keeper stays on track for the Vodacom Durban July (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Running off an admittedly unexposed rating of 90, the Gareth van Zyl-trained She’s A Keeper is ‘protected’ under the WSB 1900 race conditions, which limits any raise in MR to six points.
So she may get into the Vodacom Durban July well under sufferance – but who really knows how good she is?
Having only her sixth start on Sunday, the recent Listed Scarlet Lady winner bounded clear at 16-10 under 50kgs in the hands of regular rider Warren Kennedy to beat fellow July hopeful Matterhorn (12-1) by just under a length in a time of 114, 58 secs.
MJ Odendaal’s very decent 3yo Shavout (33-10), one of only two non July entries in the field, is finding his form again, and was 0,60 lengths away in third after looming dangerously late in the race.
The rest may have to pick up their July feet, with Snaith’s Crown Towers, ridden with more restraint than usual, showing no kick to finish 4,60 lengths away in fourth.
Defending Durban July champion Belgarion was scratched from this race 48 hours earlier due to an abnormal blood count.
Watch the replay here
The winner was bred by the Missing U Syndicate and is a very lightly raced (she was off for 18 months as a result of a tendon injury) daughter of boom sire Gimmethegreenlight out of the Trippi mare, Gold Trip.
She’s A Keeper has won 5 of her 6 starts with 1 place for stakes of R400 750.
