Seal (SAF) is the iron horse of South African racing and Gavin van Zyl's charge produced yet another fighting performance to win the Gr 3 Betting World Jubilee Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein on Sunday. Heavy Metal (SAF) ran a cracker in second with Main Dane (AUS) and Glorious Jet (SAF) in the minor placings.
War Horse was well-supported before the off and he went out at a rather suicidal gallop, opening up by some three lengths from Smanjemanje, with Money Grubber, Zambucca, Seal and Meissa next best. Main Dane raced in midfield, ahead of favourite Master Sabina, Heavy Metal and Shogunnar, with a few places back to Glorious Jet, who turned for home at the back of the field.
War Horse kept rolling for some time in the straight but his early exertions were bound to tell on him and he eventually folded about 300m out. Seal had gone for his run down the inside and he slipped into the lead with Heavy Metal quickening up nicely in pursuit. Main Dane was running a big race to the inside while Meissa looked threatening wider out but could not finish it off.
It was left to the two topweights to fight out the finish and although Heavy Metal finished with a good rattle, Seal refused to give in and stretched out for a narrow win, the ninth of his career.
How Seal was allowed to go off as long as 25/1 is a mystery. Granted, the 1800m trip looked on the sharp side for the former SA Derby winner, but he has been known to drop back in trip and win over a mile and should have been considered one of the leading contenders here. He has impressed time and again with his ability to lug huge weights and this was a tremendous performance under 61kg.
Similar sentiments apply to Heavy Metal who actually conceded 1.5kg to the winner. With the Vodacom Durban July still a month away, Heavy Metal would not have been quite at his peak, but the way he cut through the field under his welter burden underlined just how he has come into his own in recent months.
Main Dane was up in class and rose to the challenge well enough, but despite receiving chunks of weight from the front two, could not quite get on terms with them, while Glorious Jet turned in a respectable effort, making up plenty of ground in the closing stages.
5 b g Silvano (GER) - Prestine Performer by Rambo Dancer (CAN)
Afrilek Drives (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr Grant Douglas)
Bred by Dr I R Heyns
Winning trainer: Gavin van Zyl
Race 7 - R200K - BETTING WORLD JUBILEE HANDICAP (Grade 3)
Open - 1800m |
| No |
Horse |
Jockey |
Al/Bl |
Kg |
Dr |
Fin |
Dist |
Time |
OP |
SP |
| 2 |
SEAL |
Francois Herholdt |
A |
61.0 |
6 |
1 |
0.00 |
109.81 |
25/2 |
25/1 |
| 1 |
HEAVY METAL |
S'Manga Khumalo |
A |
62.5 |
5 |
2 |
0.25 |
109.86 |
4/1 |
8/1 |
| 11 |
MAIN DANE (AUS) |
Raymond Danielson |
A |
52.0 |
2 |
3 |
1.00 |
110.00 |
25/2 |
14/1 |
| 7 |
GLORIOUS JET |
Gavin Lerena |
A B |
56.0 |
14 |
4 |
2.00 |
110.18 |
10/1 |
29/1 |
| 4 |
SHOGUNNAR |
Piere Strydom |
A |
60.0 |
7 |
5 |
2.05 |
110.19 |
9/2 |
6/1 |
| 13 |
MEISSA |
M J Odendaal |
A |
52.0 |
10 |
6 |
2.25 |
110.23 |
22/10 |
4/1 |
| 3 |
ZAMBUCCA |
Muzi Yeni |
A |
60.5 |
4 |
7 |
2.75 |
110.32 |
18/1 |
9/1 |
| 10 |
WAR HORSE |
Fanie Chambers |
A |
54.0 |
3 |
8 |
5.75 |
110.89 |
10/1 |
9/2 |
| 12 |
MASTER SABINA |
Robbie Fradd |
A |
52.0 |
13 |
9 |
6.25 |
110.98 |
9/2 |
7/2F |
| 14 |
MONEY GRUBBER |
Nooresh Juglall *0.0 |
A B |
52.0 |
1 |
10 |
7.00 |
111.13 |
9/1 |
8/1 |
| 9 |
CHECCETTI |
Marco V'Rensburg |
A B |
55.5 |
12 |
11 |
8.00 |
111.32 |
25/2 |
66/1 |
| 5 |
SMANJEMANJE |
Grant Van Niekerk |
S |
59.0 |
9 |
12 |
18.00 |
113.26 |
29/1 |
25/1 |
| 6 |
EIGHTFOLD PATH (USA) |
Donavan Mansour |
A |
57.5 |
8 |
13 |
18.50 |
113.36 |
22/1 |
55/1 |
| 8 |
RED FORT |
Gunter Wrogemann |
A |
56.0 |
11 |
14 |
22.00 |
114.06 |
18/1 |
49/1 |
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