SA-based owner Braam van Huyssteen and his Australian partner William Henderson experienced the highs and lows of the game in 24 hours from Fairview in Port Elizabeth on Friday to Rosehill in Sydney on Saturday.
Trainer Yvette Bremner gives Wayne Agrella a leg-up in the safety of her barn
The partnership’s Choisir gelding Sir Frenchie, trained by Yvette Bremner, started favourite under topweight for the R90 000 Pinnacle Stakes fifth race at Fairview on Friday.
But after bizarrely being forced to be saddled up in his box and walked under armed guard to the racecourse, he never threw a punch in anger as the rest of the meeting was abandoned for safety reasons after Grooms were protesting on course.
Sir Frenchie heads to races under armed guard. He never ran after the meet was abandoned
On the flipside of the racing pleasure coin, Braam and William at least managed to have some fun 10500 km away when Hugh Bowman piloted their 7yo Mustajeer to victory in the Listed Parramatta Cup run over 1900m at Rosehill the next day.
The Kiris Lees-trained Mustajeer highlighted the class that saw Australian Bloodstock snap up the British import for a Melbourne Cup campaign last year with an impressive performance to start his second Australian preparation.
“It was far from a surprise,” Bowman said. “He was favoured to run very well in a Caulfield and Melbourne Cup and he did run very well in the Caulfield Cup. Melbourne Cup not so much.
The 7yo Mustajeer
“Although I didn’t ride him there, I did pay attention to him and he did get himself very worked up close to the race. I have so much admiration for Kris and his team, the way they have managed to settle down within himself.To perform like that, albeit in inferior company spells good things for the autumn.”
Lees has only had Mustajeer for his two Melbourne starts but is getting a better handle on the import heading into the autumn.
Lees said he plans to look towards the GrI HE Tancred Stakes later in the autumn.
Mustajeer’s 5 wins and 6 placings from 22 starts have earned him just over the equivalent of R15 million.
Sir Frenchie’s 11 wins with 9 places from his 33 starts have earned him just over a million.
- Fairview racing continues today, with the first scheduled for 12h40
