Winchester Mansion accelerated best of all off a slow pace to win the Grade 3 Pocket Power Stakes (formerly known as the Winter Derby) at Kenilworth over 2400m. He’d run second to Gem King in the 2nd Leg of the Winter Series but with that rival failing to fire on Saturday it opened the way for the son of Trippi to gain a well-deserved victory.
Winchester Mansion is a difficult ride so full credit to jockey Louis Mxothwa for getting Brett Crawford’s entry home. He was chased in by the Justin Snaith trained pair of Thefutureisbright and Top Quality.
Roles were reversed earlier in the program. Snaith was in the winner’s box in the other Grade 3 when Light Speed (s/s 96) went wire to wire in the Langerman over 1500m. This massive Gimmethegreenlight juvenile led Port Louis (trained by Crawford) all around the track and try as that one might he could not get past.
Going Up (s/s 102) ran out a fluent winner of the Olympic Duel Stakes for handler Candice Bass Robinson. Jockey de Melo used hold up tactics to great effect as she zipped through down the inside to win going away from Major Attraction and pacesetting, Phil’s Dancer. Her jock described her afterwards, as “” a lovely filly, just a bit quirky beforehand, but professional in the race itself as she switches off then comes with a great turn of foot.”
Trainer Andre Nel also got onto the scoreboard saddling So Flawless (s/s 99 +) to victory in the Listed Ladies Mile and Young Love (s/s 98) in the fillies’ version of Leg 3 of the Winter Series. So Flawless goes well fresh so Nel decided to train her specifically with this target in mind and bought her back successfully after 144 days off track. The chestnut has a powerful turn of foot and when gaps opened down the inside, she took off to win convincingly.
Young Love suffered an abscess from a spider bite which took a long time to heal so she missed the 2nd Leg of the Winter Series, having won the opener over 1600m. Maria Querol seized advantage of her absence to win Leg 2, an 1800m race, but could not cope with Young Love’s determined stretch run in this 2400m test of endurance.
Two Cape horses well worth following are Surjay (s/s 103 +) and Resonate. They clashed on Saturday with the former benefitting from a 7 kg pull at the weights. Both are very promising three-year old’s that have repeatedly run triple digit speed figures (Resonate has already managed 107) and can hit even higher numbers as they mature through Spring and Summer.
Of course, all eyes turn to Greyville next weekend for the Grade 1 Durban July. Interbet have ante post markets available for the big race. Based on historical precedent, speed scores in excess of 110 are typically required to win a contest of this calibre. There is obviously more to analyzing a race than just picking out the best numbers, but it’s a useful anchor before considering other fundamental handicapping factors.
A more detailed preview will go out to Interbet customers on Friday. Meanwhile, here are the career best speed figures to date for the 18 July entries:
- Aragosta 108
- Do it Again 111 (hit 115 in his prime)
- Hoedspruit 108
- Linebacker 113
- Puerto Manzano 104
- Zapatillas 107
- Waterberry Lane 107
- Pomp and Power 112
- Jet Dark 114
- Safe Passage 110
- Belgarion 112 (attained before a long injury enforced layoff)
- Sparkling Water 109
- Kommetdieding 112
- Red Saxon 106
- Second Base 106
- Al Muthana 111
- Astrix 106
- Flying Carpet 105