His sire’s first ever winner, the handsome Speed Machine struck another impressive blow for the 2014 SA Horse Of The Year Legislate, when he bounded to an easy victory in the Listed Sophomore Sprint at Kenilworth on Wednesday.
One of a duo of Justin Snaith-trained offspring of Legislate in the line-up, Speed Machine accelerated smartly over the final 250m to give his sire an early stakes icebreaker from a handful of runners, and Grant van Niekerk his fourth winner of the day.
Grant van Niekerk has Speed Machine in control (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
“Wow. He gave me goosebumps as he was pulling hard at the back. They were going slowly and he just refused to drop the bit. But he somehow still produced the turn of foot to win going away,” said the in-form Van Niekerk, who seems to be over his Hong Kong experience and a happier rider back in his hometown.
Starting at 9-2 Speed Machine powered away to beat Dean Kannemeyer’s recent debut winner Russian Rock (20-1) by 2,25 lengths in a time of 77,12 secs.
The favourite Purple Cloud (3-1) was outrun late for third, with the winner’s Legislate stablemate Hoedspruit (9-2) a well beaten fourth.
Raced by Nic Jonsson, Speed Machine was bred by Collins Stud Farm and is out of the Western Winter one-time winner Tamora.
He looks like he could go further and it’s worth noting his half sister by Elusive Fort won to 2400m.
A winner of 2 of 3 starts (all over the Kenilworth 1200m) after running second on debut, Speed Machine has earned R85 000.
The colt is a R90 000 buy from the 2019 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.
One of the best sons of four times Equus Outstanding Stallion Dynasty, Legislate was South Africa’s Horse Of The Year, Equus Champion 3yo Colt and Equus Champion Middle Distance Horse in 2014, and South Africa’s Equus Champion Miler the following season.
Legislate won seven times and emulated his own sire Dynasty by landing all of the G1 Vodacom Durban July, Gr1 Cape Derby and Gr1 Daily News 2000. The current record holder for 1600m at Kenilworth, Legislate won a total of six graded races including the 2015 Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.
He has sadly not proven very fertile at stud.
