Gavin Van Zyl and Raymond Danielson
Former jockeys seldom make it to the big time in the training ranks, but Summerveld based Gavin Van Zyl bucked that trend when he followed up his first Grade 1 win as a trainer recently in the SA Derby with Seal, when he sent out The Apache to win the R1 million Grade 1 Daily News 2000 at Greyville on Saturday 4 June.
In a thrilling finish the son of Scott Brothers stallion Mogok downed the Western Cape big gun Run For It and made his R80 000 price tag look decidedly cheap when measured against his R1 million earnings in just eight career outings.
Van Zyl has fond memories of the Daily News as he has the distinction of having won it as a jockey on the brilliant race-filly Roland’s Song for the legendary Jean Heming twenty two years ago. He will be hoping that he achieves what Roland’s Song couldn’t and go on and win the Vodacom Durban July. His catchily named three year old certainly appears to have hit form and at the right time as we go into the crucial final three weeks build up to big race. One wouldn’t think that the Dingaans winner’s racing style suits the Greyville circuit either but this was a victory full of merit as he made up many lengths in the final 300m after turning for home closer to last than first. He is owned by the Hong Kong-based Winston Chow, who had dreams of racing him in the former British colony until fate dealt him a joker and African Horse Sickness put paid to his quarantine plans. It turned into an Ace for Van Zyl and an extremely happy conclusion to a hard luck story. And what a memorable season this could yet turn out to be for the eloquent former jockey.
The Apache’s sire Mogok, named after a city in the Mandalay region of Burma, stands at HIghdown Stud in KZN and is a son of Storm Cat(USA). He churns out the winners with regularity and until The Apache arrived on the scene would have listed the multiple Group-winning mare , now based in the USA, Gypsey’s Warning and Grade 1 Champions Cup winner and July placed Orbison as his chief flag-bearers. As a colt still, The Apache has the world at his feet and his win in this sought after race takes on serious proportions when one considers that he jumped from a poor draw, overraced early and was having just a second run after his Dingaans win in November last year. Jockey Raymond Danielson has shown that he has the big match temperament and rode a cool, calm race which received lavish praise from the winning trainer afterwards. The Apache had the best of his year behind him here and beat the whole bunch on merit. At this rate he could yet land up pursuing his career in the East. It was a close call again for Dynasty and Run For It’s trainer Justin Snaith will be itching for revenge in the Vodacom Durban July . The fact that Igugu ran the same trip in slower time an hour earlier makes for an interesting poser for the form studiers. The Apache was flat to the board and Igugu, in sharp contrast, was in cruise mode with her jockey exchanging pleasantries with the crowd. What a helluva race the July is turning into!
The Jet Master gelding Vertical Takeoff may have recorded his most recent win in a mickey-mouse handicap on the Vaal Sand just three months ago but somebody was astute enough to have landed a shrewd gamble when backing him from 40-1 to start at 20-1 to win the first of the day’s features, the R184 000 Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup, in scintillating style. Anthony Delpech overcame a draw somewhere on the Durban beachfront on the Sean Tarry trained gelding and then raced three wide in a rough race. He catapulted clear about 300m from home to win under a hands-and-heels ride. The favourite Esteco, under replacement jockey Billy Jacobson, ran a well beaten second after ducking out dangerously in similar fashion to the incident recently in the KZN Guineas and this stretch of track may warrant investigation as something may be spooking the runners as they dash for home. Very impressive stuff indeed by Vertical Takeoff and after his solid second place to Ancestral Fore in last year’s Grade 1 Canon Gold Cup, this was his first victory over serious ground after winning the Grade 2 Colorado King Stakes over 2000m in April 2010. He has won eight races now and has only just surpassed his purchase price of R750 000. Hailing from Zandvliet Stud, the home of wonderful wine and Pocket Power, he started his career as something of a boom baby winning his first two races. His career went off the rails somewhat after that but he appears to have found his niche over ground and will be a serious Canon Gold Cup contender on this performance..
Igugu wins the Woolavington
Delpech rode his Pick Six hat-trick when steering the brilliant Triple Crown winner Igugu to an expected easy victory in the R500 000 Grade 1 Woolavington 2000. There is little to report here other than to record that she jumped out and was never headed. Her Vodacom Durban July bid looks well on track after her master trainer said he had her ‘short of her best.’ She won by two and a half lengths with her jockey saluting strides before the line, and the biggest news may be on how the Stipendiary Stewards handle the early salute. Let’s hope they don’t spoil the party for Delpech as the Stipes at Epsom did for the Derby winning upstart just ten minutes later. In a humorous reference to the friendly competitive spirit between the Snaith and De Kock yards, Igugu’s trainer in an affectionate reference to Justin Snaith said he noticed ‘Justin Bieber in the number two box.’ All in good spirits and shades of Ipi Tombe as De Kock sets himself up for a big day at Greyville on 2 July.
The day started on a winning note for visiting Cape trainer Justin Snaith, who has not exactly had the most memorable start to his much vaunted and hyped up Champions Season campaign. The young man from Phillipi on the Cape Flats sent Hassen Adam’s Australian import Gimmethegreenlight to post for this Juvenile Plate over 1300m and he retained his unbeaten record when winning his fourth start on the trot. Jockey Felix Coetzee rode a confident race and had the good-looking two year old colt a few lengths off the pace before storming clear halfway down the landing strip to stay on well to beat his six rivals. It was his first time around a turn and on a right-handed track, and it is difficult to guage the true strength of the opposition but both the second placed Charles Laird-trained Rio Carnival and the third placed De Kock-trained Second Tycoon were R1 million purchases at the 2010 National Yearling Sale – which while not speaking of the strength of the form, means they can’t be squibs, having both won their first race early. Gimmethegreenlight looks a serious contender for the title of Cape champion Juvenile and is by the American-bred Southern Halo stallion, More Than Ready – a prolific producer of stakes winners internationally.
