The Listed Algoa Cup, or PE July as it’s known in the Windy City, is not quite the sparkling race it used to be.
The lockdown hasn’t helped the occasion and with a stake of less than a quarter of the 2019 renewal, and a switch from the turf to the polytrack, there was considerably less incentive for the Cape raiders to hit the long road for the 2020 renewal on Friday.
Lyle Heiwitson has Cape raider Silver De Lange in command as Luke Ferraris keeps Seeking Wisdom to her task (Pic – Paul;ine Herman Photography)
This presented a great chance for the locals to pull one back after a blank scorecard since 2009, when the Strydom brothers won it with Surfin’ USA. It feels like a lifetime away!
And despite just two visitors making the trip up the Garden Route, and outnumbered by some talented locals, they made it eleven straight away wins when the Rondeberg-based Silver De Lange finished with a flourish under Lyle Hewitson to grab a belated first career stakes score at the age of 7.
The gelding stayed on strongly to beat the gallant pacesetter Seeking Wisdom (36-1) by 1,25 lengths in a time of 123,73 secs.
The fast-finishing Rock Aloe (4-1) was another quarter length back in third.
The 15-10 favourite Majestic Mozart finished an ordinary fourth.
Hewitson, who rides the fancied Cornish Pomodoro in the WSB Summer Cup, said that trainer Andre Nel didn’t give him instructions, but kept telling him what a lovely ride he was.
“Silver De Lange is clearly a yard favourite. I tried to give him a congratulatory pat at the line and he ducked. He is very enthusiastic!” said the young rider.
A Sabine Plattner home-bred from La Plaisance Stud, Silver De Lange has won 4 races with 11 places from 26 starts for stakes of R314 000.
A son of the retired national champion Silvano (Lomitas), the winner is out of the two-time winner Zabaya (Zabeel).
Algoa Cup winning trainer Andre Nel saddled two winners on the afternoon, while three combinations enjoyed doubles – Gavin Smith & Marco van Rensburg, Alan Greeff & Greg Cheyne, and Candice Bass-Robinson & Aldo Domeyer.
