| Great Results From KZN-Breds On Vodacom Durban July Day |
The KZN-breds have once again made their presence felt on Vodacom Durban July day this year. With the heavy rains during the week the first two races were cancelled, and the Mango 2200 Gr 3 kicked off a glorious day.
Kinmount Stud’s Patriotic Rebel by Stronghold finished a quarter of a length off Master Plan in the Mango 2200 – and his Silvano half brother would go onto place later in the day.
The Mercedes Benz Gold Vase Gr 2 saw Kolkata by Requiem take home the honours – Requiem stood for a time at Spring Valley Stud. Six year old grey gelding Knight To Remember by The Sheik ran a very close second, with Miesque’s Approval’s Putney Flyer finishing fourth just three lengths off. Both The Sheik and Miesque’s Approval reside at Scott Bros.
The epic Vodacom Durban July went off with 67 seconds of silence in honour of Nelson Mandela and a moving national anthem sung before the big race began. The honours went to Heavy Metal and ridden to victory by the first black jockey to win the Vodacom Durban July, the talented S’Manga Khumalo. Heavy Metal is a son of Silvano out of a Baroon mare named Percussion – Baroon has KZN roots in that he stood at Summerhill Stud. This is the immediate family of Planetary Music, Drum Star and another winner on the day, For The Lads. No Worries had to have made his owner Brian Burnard proud – running in fourth position just three lengths off Run For It and Do You Remember. The Kahal gelding, bred by Summerhill Stud out of Coastal Waltz by Rambo Dancer, is trained by Gavin Van Zyl and ridden by Brandon Lerena.
Kahal had yet another place with Summerhill-bred Emperor Augustus (out of Roman Dream by Jallad), running a length off in the Thukela Listed Handicap, trained by Mike Azzie.
The Ethekweni Sprint saw Kingston Boy run second by a nose from Desert Sheik, while Kinmount-bred Regal Eagle – a Silvano half-brother to Patriotic Rebel run third by two lengths. Kingston Boy is by Mogok, bred by Sugar Hill Stud and trained by breeder and part-owner Doug Campbell.
The last race – a combined effort by Bloodstock South Africa and the KZN Breeders, saw Ace Antonius bred by Highlands Farms win the inaugural incentive race for any horse that graduated off the 2012 KZN Yearling Sale. In a fitting win – Ace Antonius was the very first graduate to win off the sale, which was also a first for his young sire Antonius Pius.
The R40 000 graduate swept home to win the R1-million, with the talented Jimmi Choo, bred by Cathy and Jonathan Martin of Hadlow Stud, almost snatching it by a nose. Owned by Johan Botha, Johan also purchased Jimmi Choo’s half-sister at the Suncoast KZN Yearling sale yesterday for R50 000. The chestnut filly named Coco Gold is by A.P. Answer. On The Nod (by Atso), bred by Mrs Filmer and trained by Dean Kannemeyer finshed in third position with Van Der Scaler, by Stronghold and bred by Shadwell Stud, finishing fourth. Congratulations to Highlands Farms and all the connections of Ace Antonius!
