UK-bound Greg Cheyne produced a beautifully balanced ride in his final Kenilworth racemeeting on Saturday, when he got the Dynasty filly Walk Of Fame home in the R200 000 Western Province Nomads Gr3 Champagne Stakes for his longstanding sponsors and supporters Ridgemont Highlands.
Champagne was the operative word for the 46 year old Greg Cheyne and owners Ridgemont, after Walk Of Fame found her best form to register her maiden stakes success in good style.
Greg Cheyne ends on a fairytale high as Craig and Wayne Kieswetter lead in Walk Of Fame, his final feature winner at his home track (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The 4yo daughter of the iconic Dynasty (Fort Wood) was given a patient ride early on before being brought into the fray with 350m to go.
As the determined Richard Fourie unleashed the favourite Major Attraction (9-4) down the inside rail it looked like a fairytale farewell for Cheyne was consigned to history.
But Walk Of Fame (6-1) was part of the happy story and she dug deep to keep going in fighting style and head Major Attraction in a heads-up heads-down affair.
Walk Of Fame got the verdict in a time of 76 secs.
Third placed Sonic Burst (16-1) was 4,25 lengths back, with East Cape raider Fly My Flag (10-1) in fourth.
Trainer Brett Crawford paid a farewell tribute to Cheyne, describing him as the “most thorough professional.”
In turn, Cheyne credited Crawford for his horsemanship skills over the years, exemplified yet again with this strapping but difficult filly who required plenty of attention before landing this bloodstock-boosting, Grade 3.
Bred by Klawervlei, the winner cost R1 million at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale and is out of the five -time winning Street Cry mare Hollywoodboulevard.
She has won 4 races with 6 places from 14 starts for stakes of R306 725.
The race brought the curtain down on the Cape feature programme for 2021/22.
