Knock On Wood – an easy winner of the feature
A Gauteng horse spoilt the KZN party at Greyville on Sunday, when the inaugural running of the generously fattened R1 million KZN Breeders 1600 went to the Muhtafal gelding Knock On Wood.
Besides a measure of dissatisfaction in certain quarters, the race was an unqualified success and the future serious warrants more than a passing interest by owners and trainers. It can only be a real winner!
Besides increasing the stake 400% on last year’s base prize for this historic race, the KZN Breeders also recently announced a bonus of R1 million for any horse who can win the new R1 million Juvenile race to be held on July Day 2013, as well as the KZN Breeders 1600 for the next two years thereafter.
The KZN Breeders 1600, a conditions race , was open to all KZN-bred three and four year olds.
The Brett Crawford-trained Kahal gelding Black Wing was backed in to start favourite, but had to be satisfied with second cheque after running on stoutly late in the race. But Bernard Fayd’herbe rode a pearler for Ormonde Ferraris.
Owned by the legendary horseman and his Hong Kong-based trainer son David, the four year old was allowed to drift to 9-1 but after battling to settle around the foreign Greyville turn, he ran on best to score by a diminishing 0,75 lengths from the valiant Black Kite, with The Mouseketeer tiring to run a one-paced third.
The winner was bred by the legendary elder statesmen of KZN Breeders George Rowles out of the unraced Rocky Marriage mare, Kiss Me Kate. The good-looking boy cost R140 000 at the National Two Year Old Sale and was winning his fifth race from 15 starts. He has earned a hefty R928 000 thanks to the welcome boost of this healthy first cheque of R625 000.
A winning concept by all accounts and full marks to all those driving it.
Now let’s just sort out the minor administrative quirks and red-tape regarding what we understand are the very essential rules and qualifying criteria.
We shouldn’t lose any future prospective quality participant through technical issues.
