Past KZN champion Dennis Drier celebrated a seventy-something birthday – in his 40th year as a racehorse trainer – when he dominated the Scottsville Sunday meeting with five winners.
Anton Marcus (green jacket) gets Seventh Plain up to beat Summer Sky (Anthony Delpech in blue) and Redcarpet Captain (Brandon Lerena), to win a thriller
The Drier winning streak got under way in the first race when the Golden Touch-bred Oratorio colt Sacred Flame waltzed home to shed his maiden at his third start for Mayfair Speculators. Anton Marcus partnered the half-brother to Gr1 winner Guiness and the R600 000 sales graduate looks a fellow who can only improve over further.
Sean Veale grabbed his chance in the third race when he partnered the well-supported Trippi filly Salimah to a facile win on debut. The Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein-bred 3yo cost Hartley SA (Pty) Ltd R450 000 on the National Yearling Sale and looks one for the notebook.
Past Gr1 winner Seventh Plain, a R400 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 2 purchase, has been something of a disappointment, but Marcus pulled out all the stops to collar Summer Sky late to win the fourth,a Pinnacle Stakes by a nose. The Klawervlei Stud bred son of Seventh Rock had Drier in raptures. “I almost stuffed this horse up. But I told Derek (Brugman) he is back. I am so pleased,” he said in the post-race interview.
Sean Veale has Salimah well in control
Anton Marcus was back in the Mayfair silks for their third winner (the Drier fourth) in the fifth race when the Australian-bred Lloyd’s Legacy produced the magic under 62kgs to register his third win from 7 outings. The son of More Than Ready has serious breathing issues which limits his scope and which restrict him to the sprints. He is one for the notebook – although can never be classed a confident punt!
Diego De Gouveia – top ride on Constantine
Apprentice Diego De Gouveia did the honours on the fifth Drier winner when he rode a sterling finish to keep the King’s Chapel gelding Constantine rolling down the inside to grab the 4yo’s second winner from ten starts. Constantine held on in a thriller to beat She’s A Fortress and Freddie Flint and give Hartley SA (Pty) Ltd their second winner of the afternoon.
Jockey Derryl Daniels – working hard for Corinne Bestel
It was good to see Corinne Bestel show a form return with the speedy Fort Wood mare She’s A Fortress showing up well under topweight after a 15 week break to go down narrowly. Jockey Derryl Daniels was aboard the early Bestel winner Rose Of Peru, who popped up at any price to win the second race. The Clifton Stud-bred daughter of Kahal had run very green on a fair debut and she was full value for her victory.
Antony Delpech rode two of the last three winners, including a happy return to form for trainer Dean Kannemeyer on the Tiger Ridge gelding One Man Show in the 2400m MR 86 Handicap. An extraordinary feature of this race was the antics of the Paul Gadsby-trained Techno Captain, who ran off the course at the first turn before joining the race – and then making the pace. The son of Captain Al probably ran 100m further than his five opponents but showed guts when staying on to be beaten narrowly into second.
But it was Uncle Den’s day!
