S’manga ‘Bling’ Khumalo added to his growing array of achievements by booting home 6 winners on Turffontein’s 9 race card on Saturday. Five of his 6 wins were for the Sean Tarry yard – it was his second career ‘sixer’, having achieved it in Kimberley previously.
Six of the best
S’manga’s day got off to a winning start in race 1, when he piloted Mrs Auby’s 3yo Toreador filly, Never Give In, home by 2 lengths in the 1000m maiden plate for the Sean Tarry yard.
S’manga Khumalo steers Peggy Jay to a smooth win in the Sun Chariot Handicap (Pic JC Photos)
In race 3, he was aboard the 3yo Jay Peg filly, Peggy Jay for the Gary Player Stud Farm (Nom: Mr G J Player), Mr M S Jolly, See You Next Tuesday Syndicate (Nom: Mr J W Dewes) & Mr & Mrs R A Wiggill trained by Lucky Houdalakis, and got her home 0.5 lengths to the good of Callan Murray and Zafira in the non-black type Sun Chariot Handicap over 2450m.
S’manga finished 5.75 lengths 4th aboard Count Tassilo in the 4th, before being back in the winner’s enclosure in the 5th race on the day’s card, the 1000m Listed Storm Bird Stakes. He produced a flying finish aboard Chris van Niekerk’s 2yo Trippi colt, Flying Myth, to grab the honours by half a length from race favourite, Rivarine from the Michael Azzie yard.
In the second of the day’s features, S’manga put in a polished performance in the 1000m Listed Ruffian Stakes aboard Sean Tarry-trained race favourite Exquisite Touch (Var – Lavender Sky), securing victory by 1.3 lengths in the blue and red Van Niekerk silks.
S’manga finished just out of the placings in the Listed Bauhinia Handicap, before rounding off the afternoon with a winning double. He held off Pure Blonde in the 1100m Non-Black Type Gold Rush Sprint aboard race favourite Buckland, a 3yo Western Winter colt who campaigns in the red and white silks of Michael and Norma Rattray for the Sean Tarry yard, before finishing the afternoon with a 1.5 length flourish on Intergalactic (Kahal – Nojoom) in the 1600m FM 76 Handicap, also for Sean Tarry and his patron Chris van Niekerk.
It could not be better timing for the 2014 SA Champion jockey, who holds a narrow lead over Anthony Delpech on the national jockey jockey log. His 6 wins on Saturday’s Turffontein card come on top of two winners at the Vaal on Thursday, 3 March and another double at Fairview on Friday, 4 March 2016.
Many congratulations, Bling!
