Last year Vaughan Marshall did the trick with Seeking The Stars, a Klawervlei-bred son of Vercingetorix, and repeated the feat in the 2021 renewal with Fifty Fiver getting the verdict under a driving ride by Anton Marcus in a thriller of a finish.
While Justin Snaith assessed earlier in the day that it was an interesting race on the 1400m short run-in winter course with the better horses drawn wide, Fifty Fiver’s (9-2) connections weren’t complaining – Anton Marcus was their jockey and they had the pole position gate.
Winner Fifty Fiver is obscured as Aldo Domeyer swoops late on Dancetildaylight, with Keagan de Melo and Queen Of Shadows in third (Pic – Wayne Marks)
And the race turned out perfectly, although Aldo Domeyer – drawn on the wide outside – got the promising Dancetildaylight (10-1) to lift superbly late.
The daughter of Gimmethegreenlight came flying up the centre from miles back, and probably cost herself valuable ground when lugging in slightly.
She was going like an express train and only lost it on the bob of the head, the R460 000 winner’s cheque going to the Marshall owners.
There was no action on the race review, but her connections had to be content with the R195 000 consolation cheque.
First of the Snaith quintet home, Queen Of Shadows held on well for third a further three quarters of a length back and earned SA Champion owner Suzette Viljoen R105 000.
Recent MGAS Bloodstock Online Horses-in Training salestopper Full House was last coming for home but found his feet run just under five lengths back in fifth and collected the final cheque of R17 000.
The thrilled winner is led in by Dr Rynier Gabler, Cheryl Gabler, Jane Truter and Ken Truter (Pic – Wayne Marks)
Bred, as already pointed out by Klawervlei, Fifty Fiver cost R470 000 on the 2020 Cape Ready To Run Sale, where buyer Ken Truter put together a partnership a quintet of purchases, with this race in mind.
It all worked out well, and with 2 wins and 3 places from his six starts with R521 175 in the bank, the colt has a bright future and owes his owners nothing right now.
He is a son of Maine Chance’ new generation star Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the one-time winning Trippi mare, Polar Trip.
Buy next year’s champion – the sale starts at 14h00 on Sunday!
