The World Sports Betting Summer Cup day was always scripted for drama. And the weather-delayed feature programme started with a rumble as Cape jockey Grant van Niekerk survived an objection from runner-up Warren Kennedy, to maintain the top position in the World Sports Betting Gr3 Magnolia Handicap.
An exuberantly talented rider on any raceday, Grant van Niekerk has had his share of run-ins and bumps over the years.
With his mount Sound Of Warning and Kennedy’s Big Burn coming together in the final stages, it was hardly surprising to see why the former SA champion thought he had scope for an objection.
The Stipes didn’t spend too much time overruling the matter though, and Van Niekerk duly kept the race with Sean Tarry commencing his assault on what was to turn out a great day at the office.
Sound Of Warning started at 7-1 and got the verdict by a quarter length in a time of 67,18 secs.
Big Burn (2-1) made it a 3yo exacta, with the winner’s stablemate Zimbaba (33-1) shading another Tarry resident in Full Velocity out of third.
Bred and raced by the rampant Drakenstein Stud, Sound Of Warning is a daughter of the farm’s champion sire Trippi (End Sweep) out of the terrific five-time winner Siren’s Call (Elusive Fort), who also raced out of the Tarry yard for owner Peter de Beyer.
A winner of 3 races with 2 places from 5 starts, Sound Of Warning has earned R335 125.
OFFICIAL RESULT:
| TRAINER | JOCKEY | DISTANCE | BETTING | ||||
| 1ST | 10 | SOUND OF WARNING | S G Tarry | G van Niekerk | —– | 13/2 | |
| 2ND | 7 | BIG BURN | P A Peter | W Kennedy | 0,25 | 0,25 | 9/4 |
| 3RD | 3 | ZIMBABA | S G Tarry | A Arries | 1,50 | 1,75 | 33/1 |
| 4TH | 13 | FULL VELOCITY | S G Tarry | K de Melo | 0,05 | 1,80 | 13/2 |
| 5TH | 6 | WINTER SMOKE | A B Fortune | C Habib | 0,45 | 2,25 | 20/1 |
| TIME OF RACE: 67.18 s | |||||||
| Tote Fav | 7 | BIG BURN | P A Peter | W Kennedy | 0,25 | 9/4 | |
