Vardy may not have run up to most people’s expectations when getting ‘rolled’ in the Independent On Saturday Dill Hall Stakes last Sunday and Twist Of Fate suffering a similar fate at Hollywoodbets Scottsville today - but all is not lost.
Adam Marcus comes from a solid racing pedigree and will have been more than happy with both of his charge’s efforts although victory would have been sweeter.
Twist Of Fate had the better race form going into today’s race but he was up against a proven Scottville specialist in GG’S Dynasty and try as he may, he just came up short as Brett Crawford’s gelding challenged and then kept going to run the favourite out of it.
Donovan Dillon, triumphant on Wild Coast in the World Sports Betting Guineas last Saturday, got the most out of GG’S Dynasty and will be a major loss to South African racing as he is due to join an ever-increasing number of his compatriots seeking better opportunities in Australia.
It was a promising warm-up effort from Twist Of Fate, third in last year’s Vodacom Durban July, who is sure to strip a lot fitter come the bigger features in South Africa’s Champion season.
Bjorn Nielsen is better known in international racing circles as the owner of the top stayer Stradivarius trained by John Gosden but he was born and raised in Cape Town and as a child in the mid-1960s, he used to listen to thoroughbred races on the radio. As there was no television at the time one of the horse’s he would hear about a lot was Sea Cottage, who would turn out to be the most famous thoroughbred in South African history.
Sea Cottage sparked Nielsen’s interest in thoroughbred racing that has lasted to the present day. When his family moved to Epsom Downs in England, he would watch the contenders of the Epsom Derby take their final spins. These were the days of famous trainers Vincent O’Brien, Noel Murless, and jockey Lester Piggott.
Nielson is still close to his roots and although the Justin Snaith-trained Trickster will not aspire to an Epsom Derby winner, Nielsen looks to have a smart juvenile on his hands.
She made her debut at Kenilworth in January, finishing a distant third, but came on nicely in the first race at Hollywoodbets Scottsville today. It was a hard-fought win that gave the impression that Trickster will be more than just a sprinter.
Trickster in full gallop. Photo: Candiese Lenferna
Paul Reeves may well have been ruing his decision to make the trip to KZN for Champions Season with Covid-19 putting a spanner in everyone’s works.
But Reeves got off the mark and pay some expenses as Captain Oupie ran them all out of it for Reeves to record his first winner out of province.
Still a colt and not the easiest, as Craig Zackey attested to after the race, Captain Oupie won well enough to suggest that, with this race at the often tricky Scottsville track under his girth, that he could well feature in the Grade 1 Gold Medallion over course and distance on July 4 should he take his place.