Orpheus wins The Sledgehammer (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
The five-year-old Western Winter gelding from the Mike and Adam Azzie yard, depending on how he does in the traditional 1 900m preparation opener for Vodacom Durban July entries, may even throw his hat into the ring for Africa’s greatest race.
The Sledgehammer, run over 1 800m, had been switched from Scottsville to the Greyville poly track where Orpheus made his first all-weather appearance and relished the going under jockey Marco van Rensburg. He blistered away from the opposition to set a new 1 800m course record for the poly 1 800 of 106.64 secs and following the manner of his sensational win, the stipendiary stewards requesting explanations from the other riders in the race.
But in an interview with Sporting Post, Marco said he had learned how to ride the gelding in his two previous races on him saying Orpheus was a horse that was going to be “something smart” and he would love to ride him over 2 00m on the turf at Greyville. Marco said the gelding loved to go fast using his elastic stride “and he doesn’t stop.” He was so confident in the ability of his mount that “uses his stride and has a high cruising speed” that he told other riders at the start of The Slegehammer that “they were going to feel like they had been in a 1 000m race.”
Final declarations for the World Sports Betting 1900 are on Thursday, May 9
For all Horses
WFA: 2yrs-12.5kgs 3yrs-2.5kgs
No Apprentice Allowance
| 17 | Eyes Wide Open | (4C) | 58 | 109 | A | Glen Kotzen | |
| 29 | Roy Had Enough (AUS) | (4C) | 58 | 109 | A | Frank Robinson | |
| 14 | Made To Conquer | Accepted | (5G) | 58 | 108 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 2 | Kampala Campari | (5G) | 58 | 107 | A | Andre Nel | |
| 20 | Dawn Assault | (5H) | 58 | 106 | BAT | St John Gray | |
| 10 | Dark Moon Rising | (5G) | 58 | 105 | A | Paul Lafferty | |
| 9 | Alyaasaat (AUS) | (3G) | 56 | 105 | A | Mike de Kock | |
| 1 | Zillzaal | (3C) | 56 | 105 | BAT | Sean Tarry | |
| 5 | Doosra | Accepted | (5G) | 56 | 104 | BA | J A Janse van Vuuren |
| 6 | Doublemint | Accepted | (4C) | 56 | 104 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 12 | Magnificent Seven | Accepted | (4G) | 56 | 104 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 7 | Strathdon | (5G) | 56 | 102 | A | Justin Snaith | |
| 22 | Social Order | (5G) | 56 | 101 | BAT | Sean Tarry | |
| 21 | Fresnaye | (4F) | 55.5 | 108 | BA | Joey Ramsden | |
| 27 | Sabina’s Dynasty | (5M) | 55.5 | 106 | A | Brett Crawford | |
| 3 | Camphoratus | (4F) | 55.5 | 105 | A | R A Hill/S R Hill | |
| 26 | The Dazzler | (4G) | 54 | 99 | A | Mike de Kock | |
| 8 | Pilou | (5G) | 54 | 98 | AT | Sean Tarry | |
| 11 | Platinum Prince | Accepted | (5G) | 54 | 97 | BA | Justin Snaith |
| 28 | Fiorella | (4F) | 53.5 | 100 | A | Duncan Howells | |
| 15 | $Orpheus | (4G) | 52 | 94 | AT | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 23 | Warrior’s Rest | (4G) | 52 | 94 | BAT | Sean Tarry | |
| 4 | Protea Paradise | (3G) | 52 | 92 | BA | Mike de Kock | |
| 25 | Silva’s Bullet | (4G) | 52 | 91 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 24 | Royal Italian | (3G) | 52 | 87 | A | Sean Tarry | |
| 13 | Silver God | (4G) | 52 | 85 | AT | Sean Tarry | |
| 18 | Mr Greenlight | (3C) | 52 | 83 | A | Duncan Howells | |
| 19 | Roy’s Riviera (AUS) | (4F) | 51.5 | 95 | A | Frank Robinson | |
| 16 | Flichity By Farr | (4F) | 50 | 94 | A | Alyson Wright | |
| (29) | |||||||
