Close! The Mouseketeer (pink/white silks) stays on best to beat Taptap Makhatini
Former Emerald Cup winner The Mouseketeer showed his love of the sand when he fought on to win a tight finish to the R200 000 Listed Highveld Sand Challenge at the Vaal on Tuesday. The field was decimated down to seven runners with the withdrawal of the three Mike Azzie runners.
And with no Azzie in the picture, trainer Sean Tarry’s trio was expected to dominate matters. He duly did so, finishing first, second and fourth.
The field of seven ran fairly well spread out with Taptap Makhatini leading the way from The Mouseketeer and Eastern Cobbler, with Roman Warrior further back.
Into the final 400m the leading duo of Taptap Makhatini and The Mouseketeer had the race to themselves as they went head to head down the inside. Wider out Mr Tobin was battling to get going, while Eastern Cobbler was finishing well enough.
In the final strides The Mouseketeer stuck his head in front at the right time and stayed on in a time of 100,03 secs by a short head. It was a good effort seen that he was conceding the fast improving TapTap Makahatini 7,5kgs.
Eastern Cobbler grabbed third a further 2,20 lengths back, to pip Mr Tobin out of the Place Accumulator money.
The Mouseketeer is a Bush Hill Stud bred son of Kahal out of the Northern Guest mare Look Sharp. The latter won one race over 1000m. The Mouseketeer cost R200 000 on the National Yearling Sale.
This was his eighth win with 4 places from his 28 starts for gross earnings of R1 105 650
While winning jockey Fanie Chambers said afterwards that if The Mouseketeer wanted to win again, he would have to ‘pick up his feet’, he could well be on track for another crack at the Emerald Cup given his current rate of improvement.
