Justin Snaith repeated his exacta feat of 2016 in the R150 000 Listed Jockey Club Stakes at Fairview on Friday. The former SA champion saddled the first, second – and fourth for good measure – to finish in the fillies and mares 2000m contest.
Louis Mxothwa steers Harvard Crimson to a smooth win in the Fairview feature (Pic – Pauline Herman Photography)
With Fairview scheduled for a spring treatment, punters savoured the Eastern Cape’s last turf race-meeting until the end of October, when the grass hosts a Friday-Sunday double header. The ‘PE July’, the Gr3 Algoa Cup, is the big attraction.
But that’s light years away in punting terms and it was a day of fair results – and very pleasing to see the young Louis Mxothwa register a double – after his treble of the previous Friday.
The Snaiths know a good thing when they see it, and had to dig deep to find four top jocks for their feature quartet. And it was Mxothwa, the SP Digest Stats Star of the week, who drew the right one.
See Louis Mxothwa in the SP Digest
Snaith had saddled the Australian-bred Acrostar to win the 2016 renewal of this feature and after Harvard Crimson had run a game second last year, the daughter of Dynasty made amends in fine style this time round.
Luyolo Mxothwa – good double on the day
Mxothwa deserves plenty of credit. He rode a beautifully judged race , after the mare had found herself caught wide early on.
As Money Penny led Peach Delight and Qing into the straight, Mxothwa angled Harvard Crimson towards the centre inside, but found his way blocked and had to switch out for a clear passage.
With stablemate Nima shadowing her, Harvard Crimson asserted her superiority late and drew away.
She finished best of the lot under the in-form rider to win by 2,75 lengths in a time of 127.32 secs.
Nima, under a determined Richard Fourie, came in here off some decent strength KZN Champions Season form, but had no answers to the year older lady.
The ever consistent Crackpot is something of an equine ATM for staunch Gauteng owner Graham Roberts and she stayed on for third – beaten 7,25 lengths by the winner.
Qing, the third of the Snaith runners to place, was a half-length behind her in fourth.
The favourite Beataboutthebush moved up with what looked like a double handful halfway down the straight, but her effort was as flat as a pancake and she faded to finish over 12 lengths off the winner. A disappointing effort
The Snaith Racing-bred Harvard Crimson is a 6yo daughter of Dynasty (Fort Wood) out of the four-time winner Badger Express (Badger Land). Highlands stallion Dynasty has made a cracking start to the season – and the Highveld feature season only gets under way next Saturday!
A R60 000 CTS 2013 Cape Ready To Run Sale bargain, she was registering her first stakes success and her 6th win from 28 starts for 7 places – and stakes of R428 425.
Dorrie Sham took the training honours on the afternoon with a treble, while Louis Mxothwa and Muzi Yeni shared the riding accolade with two winners each.
