Bezrin(USA) On Fire

Bezrin is firing on all cylinders at the moment, with recent Listed winners Celtic Fire and Double Date taking victory in Port Elizabeth and Zimbabwe respectively, and Tetelestai winning the Pinnacle Stakes at Clairwood yesterday.

Yvette Bremner’s gallant 6 year old Bezrin gelding, Celtic Fire, made it thirteen wins from his 40 starts when bouncing back to his best with a runaway win in Friday’s R125 000 Listed Memorial Mile at Fairview on Friday for owners Mr F H McGrath, Mr J and Mrs K A Peskens.

Extraordinarily, three of Celtic Fire’s thirteen wins have been achieved in this very race, and nibbled at 15-4 in the betting, the consistent gelding did best of Yvette Bremner’s trio to win a great race from his 1 draw under jockey Karis Teetan. Celtic Fire held a good position in midfield from his inside draw and unleashing his run down the centre.

In a matter of strides Celtic Fire bounced clear, with The Shark finishing best of the rest to just be shaded by a never-say-die Shujaa in third. Celtic Fire won by 3,25 lengths in a time of 96,65 secs.

Bred by Cathy and Jonathan Martin of Hadlow Stud, Celtic Fire is out of the Centenary mare, Celtic Bunny, and was a R50 000 National Two Year Old Sale graduate.

Celtic Fire is now a winner of 13 races with 13 places from his 40 starts for stake earnings of R844 475. Celtic Fire must now be considered a major contender for the Arlington Mile.

Tetelestai, a Black-Type son of Bezrin out of Count The Carats by What A Prospect bred by Bush Hill Stud, won the All To Come Pinnacle Stakes by almost a length from Krackerjack Ace and Mr Mickey Mouse. Tetelestai, a previous winner of the Umgeni Handicap Listed and two other Listed races, has now won 10 races and placing 13 times.

Tetelestai is owned by Mr D S Braithwaite & Miss Y Oki, and trained by Garth Puller. Carrying top weight of the fields of 61kgs under Lerato Mohapi, second placed Krackerjack Ace was carring a mere 53kgs. Bush Hill Stud sold Tetelestai’s full-sister, Agape Reigns, at the 2012 Suncoast KZN Yearling Sale for R100 000.

Recently Double Date flew home by two lengths to secure the Champion Fillies Stakes Listed at Borrowdale Park for Fillies and Mares over 1600m for breeders and owners Manny and Mandy Testa of Midlands Thoroughbreds. The mare is out of Date With Me by Harry Hotspur, trained by Sebastian D’Aquino and ridden by Brendon Mcnaughton.

The five year old mare has now won three times, placing four times from her eight starts in Zimbabwe. A winner in South Africa under the care of Chris Erasmus, she also placed nine times at Turffontein and the Vaal, including finishing two lengths off to Checcetti.

Bezrin has produced the likes of Gr 3 winner Thunderflash, All Ablaze and Tandragee. He is also the sire of Kenyan Derby winner Lazrin and recent Mauritian Stakes winner Hot Rocket and covered his first season back in KZN, at Michael and Tanya McHardy’s Rathmor Stud, after standing in the Cape.