The Vodacom Durban July day positivity and spirit of renewal took another step up with the big day Pick 6 pool rocketing way ahead of projections to reach a record R22 316 079.
And it was Stuart Pettigrew and Diego De Gouveia who had the big exotic players on the edge of their seats as the Biarritz colt Walter Smoothie stayed on best of the lot to gain a courageous career peak victory in the R500 000 Gr3 Gold Vase.
The Pick 6 showed a minimum of R10 after the first leg.
Diego De Gouveia produces a polished ride to get Walter Smoothie home (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
Richard Fourie took the luckless topweight Strathdon up to lead around the halfway mark of the 3000m contest and the son of Silvano, bidding for an overdue seventh career victory, was still plugging away at the 200m marker as the challenges came from all sides.
Just when the Ramsden filly Dynasty’s Blossom slipped through down the inside rail and looked the major threat, De Gouveia scythed through between runners, and Walter Smoothie stayed on smartest to win by a quarter length in a time of 194,85 secs.
Dynasty’s Blossom headed the gallant Strathdon into third, with the longshot Wealthy boosting the quartet dividend to in excess of R10 000 in fourth.
The favourite Sunshine Silk was not disgraced from her wide draw, and finished fifth, and under two lengths off the winner.
Bred by the Rous Bros, Walter Smoothie is a son of Biarritz (Count Dubois) out of the Strike Smartly mare, Wild Strike.
A winner of the 2018 Listed Racing Association Stakes as a career high, he took his tally to 5 victories with 10 places from 23 starts. Walter Smoothie has won R845 575 in stakes.
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Gr3 Gold Vase (SAf-Gr3)
Greyville, South Africa, July 6, R500k, 3000m, turf, good, 3.14.85
1 – WALTER SMOOTHIE (SAF), 57.0, ch c 4, Biarritz (SAF) – Wild Strike (SAF) by Strike Smartly (CAN). Owner Mr V C Veeramootoo; Breeder Rous Bros; trainer ST Pettigrew; jockey D De Gouveia
2 – Dynasty’s Blossom (SAF), 54.5, b f 4, Dynasty (SAF) – Crimson Blossom (IRE) by Danehill Dancer (IRE)
3 – Strathdon (SAF), 60.0, ch g 5, Silvano (GER) – Wintersweet (SAF) by Western Winter (USA)
Margins: 0.25, 0.40, 1.25
