A 13 saddle-cloth and barrier gate proved the lucky omen for the Klawervlei-bred Seeking The One as the son of What A Winter stormed home at any price to win the R600 000 Ready To Run Stakes at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Sunday.
Restricted to eligible graduates of the 2021 Ready To Run Sales of the now defunct Cape Thoroughbred Sales, the 1400m contest produced a thrilling finish, with Louis Mxothwa riding a patient corker from the wide gate on the jointly most expensive purchase in the line-up.
Seeking The One (Mxothwa) splits the trio as Piroshka (Domeyer) and the obscured Royal Aussie (Fourie) battle on gamely (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Into the final 100m Aldo Domeyer looked to have done enough on the cruising Piroshka, who went past the pacesetting Royal Aussie looking a winner.
But the rampant Mxothwa had other ideas as Seeking The One (20-1), one of a trio of Brett Crawford flagbearers dug down deep and turned on the jets to cause the upset, beating Piroshka (33-10) by 0,20 lengths in a time of 85,66 secs.
The game Royal Aussie (9-4) was a neck back in third, with Robyn Klaasen’s Turffontein raider Johnny Dogs (66-1) staying on well for the R32 000 fourth cheque.
Stakes were paid down to eighth finisher, with Vaughan Marshall’s Ensuing enjoying the honour of the R10 000 final consolation cheque.
The winner was picked by Grant Knowles, who races him with Messrs Paul Barrett, Jacques Chowles, Ross Kieswetter, Ricky Sewgoolam, and Mesdames Gwen MacGregor and B A Moody.
Bred by Klawervlei Stud, the winner is a son of Equus champion What A Winter (Western Winter) out of the three-time winning Count Dubois mare, Schism. That makes him a half-brother to the 2021 Gr3 Matchem Stakes/Gr2 Green Point Stakes winner, Seeking The Stars (Vercingetorix).
