Glen Kotzen – a good day
A bang in form trainer Glen Kotzen and stable jockey Greg Cheyne dominated proceedings at Durbanville on Saturday with a cracking hat-trick of winners. The most impressive of the lot was arguably the Drakenstein Stud-bred Horse Chestnut colt Westchester, who looks a good sort in the making.
With 12 winners recorded since 30 August, the Woodhill Racing shares have soared.
While their PE satellite yard under the charming and enthusiastic Lunga Gila is firing on all cylinders, there is no doubt that the return of their KZN Champions Season runners have added life to the local outfit.
Westchester is one such example.
He had two runs for the Kotzen Summerveld string managed by Frikkie Greyling, who interestingly rode Westchester’s sire in work.
Returning from a nine-week break and off his peak, he asserted himself to win the final race, a Maiden Plate over 1300m.
The favourite Around Not Across blew his chances at the start, by playing up.
Greg Cheyne rode all three Kotzen winners and got the day off to a flying start when he brought the Parade Leader filly Sweet Parade with a good finishing effort to hold off Dean Kannememeyer’s well-supported Var first-timer, Vivarani, who should not be long in winning her race.
A R20 000 Cape Ready To Run graduate, the Reinel Hass-bred Sweet Parade was not winning out of turn at her seventh start.
Kotzen was on the board again in the second race when the R1,7 million Jet Master gelding Stratocruiser showed his liking for Durbanville by registering his third win from ten starts.
He easily held Captive Action and In Tribute, with the Bass’ African Fish Eagle running a shocker.
Antonia’s Fortress skips clear to win easily (Bay Media)
After a double on Wednesday, the Govender-Domeyer combination came out firing again to score with the well-backed Aussie bred first timer Lohnromance and the classy mare, Antonia’s Fortress.
And while Kotzen and Cheyne dominated, the form return of the Yogas Govender yard was another particularly pleasing feature of the meeting.
Prior to his double last Wednesday at Durbanville, the West Coast conditioner must have thought that he had done the racing gods a dirty-his last winner being Slip ‘N Slide all the way back on 2 July!
His debutante, the Australian-bred Lohnromance, already a 4yo, made short work of her admittedly limited opposition when winning the third race with consummate ease.
Acquired at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, the rather smart looking Lonhro filly out of the Royal Academy mare Patpong was knocked down to James Bester Bloodstock for AUS$510,000. No cheapie!
Consigned by Holbrook Thoroughbreds as agent, she is the highest priced Lonhro filly ever sold.
Three races late Domeyer and Govender were back in the winner’s enclosure with the Fort Wood mare Antonia’s Fortress storming home to register her fifth win in the MR 85 Handicap run over 1400m.
Appearing to be boxed in in the final stages, the classy Plattner home bred showed courage to draw clear and win easily.
The Kotzen and Govender yards will pay to follow.
