Paarl-based trainer Glen Kotzen and jockey Morne Winnaar were the toast of Kenilworth on a sunny winter’s Wednesday afternoon with the duo celebrating a treble.
Glen Kotzen – form stable
The winter ‘off-season’ in the Cape often creates opportunities for the less celebrated jockeys to showcase their talents and Joey Ramsden’s former protégé has taken the opportunities with both hands at the scenic Woodhill Estate.
Winnaar is a deceptively powerful rider and he showed he can do the business given the opportunities. His treble included the recently deceased Crusade’s daughter Kathleen, who improved on her only start to win the first well. Saint West and Lanza were the duo’s other two winners.
It was also a winning Wednesday for two Ridgemont Highlands stallions, with the champion producer’s triple Gr1 winning hunk Jackson producing another eye catching two-year-old winner in the form of the catchily named Pretty Young Thing – who gave Ridgemont Highlands jockey Anton Marcus an armchair ride.
Anton Marcus steers Pretty Young Thing to a facile victory (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
Ridden by Anton Marcus, the Brett Crawford trained filly showed maturity to win going away by three lengths – from a very wide draw. Marcus was impressed and indicated that she has a bright future.
Racing in the interests of the Kieswetter brothers and Ridgemont Highlands, Pretty Young Thing was bred by Highlands from the Commands mare, Nona In Command.
Jackson (Dynasty – Moonlit Prairie)
The winner’s sire Jackson, whose top level wins included scores in all of the Gr1 Investec Cape Derby, Gr1 Daily News 2000 and Gr1 Champions Cup, is one of the best performed sons of deceased star sire Dynasty currently at stud in South Africa.
The well related sire, whose relatives include the outstanding US champion sire Smart Strike, made a bright start with his first crop (now 3yos) headed by Gr1 filly Can You Feel It, Gr3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery third Mr Crumford, and the smart Zimbabwean performer Action Jackson.
Jackson has four lots on next month’s KZN Yearling Sale.
Another Ridgemont Highlands sire in the news on Wednesday was international five-time Gr1 winner Canford Cliffs whose two-year-old son Money Matters making a winning debut at Belmont Park in Australia.
Trained by Adam Durrant, and ridden by William Pike, Money Matters registered a 0.8 of a length win first time out when victorious over 1000m.
The debut winner was produced by the Danehill mare Miz Nicholls.
Canford Cliffs could be on track for bigger success with his top-class daughter Princess Posh set to contest Saturday’s Gr1 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Tiara at Eagle Farm.
