Brevan Plaatjies – most improved claimer around (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
South African national champion apprentice log leader Brevan Plaatjies,riding with renewed confidence since relocating to the Western Cape two months ago,rode a swashbuckling race to get the 8yo Ralph The Rascal home to win the R100 000 Class 5 Apprentice Handicap at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Turning for home in the 1400m contest, Ralph The Rascal was near the rear on the outside, as Trent Mayhew gunned away out front on the Querari filly Messalina.
In a dramatic change of landscape, Plaatjies didn’t take the predictable outside route, rather switching in and, not surprisingly, encountering traffic issues from the likes of Lake Cuomo in the process.
Brevan Plaatjies drives Ralph The Rascal to victory, with fourth-placed Thesupernovastar (Kobeli Lihaba) in the frame (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
In a cavalier display, Plaatjies escaped trouble and ended up nearer the inside as the Bo Ngcobo trained Hollywood Racing gelding swept away to register his first win in two months short of two years, and only his second on the turf.
Clocking 85,49 secs for the 1400m, the evergreen gelding started at 5-1 and beat the 50-1 Corne Spies visitor Messalina by 0,40 lengths,
Recent icebreaker Savanna Valjalo was a short head back in third on Kimball O’Hara (10-1), with Kobeli James Lihaba rounding off the quartet on 66-1 shot The supernovastar.
The 5-2 favourite Soldier Boy was never going well under Jaycee Botes and ran downfield.
Ralph The Rascal has been a stalwart for the Hollywood Racing team, and made it 6 wins at his 60th career start, which includes ATM level places of 25 starts for gross stakes of close on R640 000.
A R180 000 Ready To Run graduate, he was bred by Moutonshoek and is a son of Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) out of the Toreador mare, Ice Link.
Ralph The Rascal was named after a longstanding team member in the in the Star Factory division of the Hollywood Group.
With 26 winners, Brevan Plaatjies looks a serious contender to secure national honours and is at 2-10 in the Hollywoodbets Apprentice Jockeys Challenge, with nearest challenger Trent Mayhew (21 winners) at 16-10). The rest are 100-1 and upwards.
Trent Mayhew – cannot be written off (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
In the Jockeys Championship chase, the position didn’t change with each of the top trio grabbing a winner apiece on Sunday.
At the close of play on Sunday evening, Gavin Lerena is on 243, with Richard Fourie on 239 and Craig Zackey on 236 winners.
There are 28 racemeetings left this season.
The next local racemeeting is at Fairview on Wednesday 2 July.
