Crime Victim is geared down by Anton Marcus to win a good race
KZN champion trainer Duncan Howells sealed the first leg of his KZN Winter Challenge Series double when the consistent Bezrin gelding Crime Victim put his hard-luck stories behind him with a solid victory in the R200 000 KZN Winter Challenge 1950.at Scottsville on Saturday.
Crime Victim’s racing style of running on late in his races often means that he runs into traffic and gets there when the race is over. On Saturday, top jockey Anton Marcus made all the difference and ensured that there was no chance of that happening.
Kentucky Guest, Go West Mcgraw and Crime Vctim were slightly slow away as Discourse ripped off to show the way.
Off a solid gallop set by the Eudey runner Discourse, Marcus had Crime Victim relaxed in midfield and sent him on his way at the 350m marker. Despite drifting off a straight course he galloped powerfully as the leader fell away.
Crime Victim hit the front at the 300m marker and drew away from his field to beat Mike De Kock’s striking grey Jet Master filly Semra by 3,50 lengths in a time of 119,70 secs.
The winner’s stablemate His Approval flew up late for third, just ahead of Cat In Command, who looked dangerous at one point.
Crime Victim was scoring his second win over the Scottsville 1950 and his third victory from 18 starts with 9 places for stakes of R307 825. This was his first win in five months, after scoring at the same venue in January.
Crime Victim,who was enjoying a career peak payday, was bred at Yellow Star Stud by his owner Barry Reardon.
A son of Bezrin, he is out of the six-time winning Fahal mare, Ms Goldlfinger, who was trained by Robin Watkinson in her racing career – when raced in partnership by Reardon.
