Drifting Dusk – impressive on debut (JC Photos)
Cape based Highlands Stud produced three winners at the Turffontein racemeeting on Saturday, including an outstanding debut win by a Cape Premier Yearling Sale debutante who looks to have plenty to come. Four winners for seasoned rider Weichong Marwing almost passed by unnoticed in the wake of the hype over the four-legged performances.
Weichong Marwing – four winners
Marwing was in prime form and besides his 4 winners, also banked a second and a third placed cheque.
Disappointingly, he failed on the favourite The Big Easy in the last race, when looking to add to his winning haul.
The son of Big Brown was never in it.
Marwing was at his best in forcing the pace in the day’s topliner, a R120 000 Pinnacle Stakes run over 1000m, when the seasoned National Emblem flyer Sharp Design won his tenth race, and his first on the Turffontein inner track.
His victory was the second leg of a double for the Ferraris-Marwing combination after Ron won the second race with a storming late run to nab the favourite Respectable Ruler, whose wide draw cost him when it counted.
But the big talk on the day was all about the Lucky Houdalakis’ first-timer Drifting Dusk who races in the now well recognised silks 0f July hard-luck owner Michael Leaf.
Backed into 12 to 10 favourite in the third race, the Highlands Stud-bred daughter of Dynasty made an impressive debut over the Turffontein 1200m when catapulting clear in the final 300m to score a runaway 7,25 length win.
Drifting Dusk is out of the five-time winning Bel Byou mare Fading Light, who also produced winners, Tender Twilight (Western Winter), Scarlet Sky (Fort Wood) and Twlight’s Rush (Windrush).
The winner cost R375 000 on the Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 and although she beat little of obvious note, she really could not have been more impressive.
Owner Michael Leaf’s opening winner was the former Glen Kotzen-trained Princess Aura, who opened her account with a good win in the fillies and mares Maiden mile.
After battling for 10 runs to win, her victory put the strength of the Gauteng versus Cape maiden strength into some perspective.
The beautifully-bred R375 000 Cape Ready To Run graduate should win a few more on this showing.
Sean Tarry – this man is back in form!
Sean Tarry’s yard has turned for the better this week after a quiet spell. He had a winner at the Vaal on Tuesday, another on Thursday, a winner at Greyville on the poly on Friday evening and then a lovely double today.
He enjoyed a most impressive winner when recent runner-up on debut Trip To Heaven showed his field a clean pair of heels to win the fifth race from end-to-end under S’manga Khumalo.
Like Drifting Dusk, a CPYS Book 1 graduate, the Highlands bred Trippi colt is a half-brother to The Hangman and cost R1,4 million.
Disaster almost struck at the start when Tiger On The Prowl, who was drawn alongside him, reared as the gates opened and nearly came down heavily on Trip To Heaven’s hindquarters.
Highlands made it three winners when the Antonius Pius colt Belong To Me (a R170 000 Cape RTR graduate) registered his second win in five starts for trainer Johan Janse Van Vuuren in the 1200m Progress Plate.
He beat Pennington Sands and the two look top contenders for a major payday in the CTS RTR Cup at Kenilworth next month.
Piere Strydom got to within 27 of his 5000 winner target, when he steered the Peter De Beyer owned and bred Siren’s Call to win the Novice Plate run over a mile for Tarry’s double.
This was a quality field and the daughter of Elusive Fort looks to be going places after coming up unfancied on her Vaal sprint debut at end August.
Mike Bass’ satellite yard continued their great run that commenced with the Gr2 Joburg Spring F&M Challenge last Saturday when they ended the day with a win by the Avontuur-bred Epic Tale in the last.
Marthinus Mienie rode a good race after the Western Winter gelding looked to have nowhere to go in the final 300m.
The day was a generally form one with the Pick 6 paying a dividend of just over R3000.
