The extraordinary story of Chad Little’s comeback to race riding at the age of 40 in November last year after teetering on the brink of the abyss of a nearly wasted life, received a Netflix-type boost at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday when he partnered his personal maiden elite level winner for a Grade 1-winning conditioner who was instrumental in pulling him out of the dark space that he found himself in.
Good For You (Chad Little) takes the gold. Intensity (Marco van Rensburg) obscured in the background, holds on for third (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The recovery of the former multiple champion apprentice from a five year ban for drug use to the Grade 1 winner’s enclosure is the emotional stuff of real life fairytales and his association with Glen Kotzen and the Woodhill Racing family was the rock on which the comeback from that dark space, was built.
And when Chad kept the well-backed Good For You (backed from 10’s to 4’s) going to beat Highveld raider and TAB Listed Storm Bird Stakes winner Charming Cheetah (7-1) by 0,30 lengths in the R1,5 million Gr1 Gold Medallion, there were very few hanging on to the Kotzen gelding’s tail.
Dennis Drier hands the trophy to Chad Little (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
A first Grade 1 winner for Legislate (Dynasty), Good For You clocked 69,13 secs.
MJ Odendaal would have been over the moon with the effort of recent maiden winner Intensity (20-1), who was 0,40 lengths back in third.
Bred by Oldlands Stud, Good For You, a maiden Grade 1 winner for most of his owners, is out of the Indigo Magic two-time winner, Slightly Blonde.
The winner, a R300 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, has now won 2 races with 5 places from 7 starts and stakes of R1 139 788.
