SAHorseracing.com
SAHorseracing.com
African Sky Lands Winter Guineas

The Justin Snaith trained African Night Sky (Dynasty) proved a fitting winner of the Gr3 Highlands Stud Part Of Ridgemont Winter Guineas at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Not only was the gelding bred by Highlands, but he is by the farm's outstanding resident sire Dynasty.
A winner of his first two outings, African Night Sky drifted in the betting from 6-1 to start a 10-1 shot, as his stable mate Turbulent AIr (So You Think) started a weak 7-2 tote favorite.

The 2017 Winter Guineas was delayed when Ollivander (Silvano) lost a shoe at the start. Rinjani (Choisir) went out to make the running, ahead of stable mate Our Mate Art(Artie Schiller) and Turbulent Air. African Night Sky, who had to overcome the widest draw of all, raced mid-field under a patient ride from Bernard Fayd'Herbe.

Ollivander and Gr1 Investec Cape Derby fourth Newlands bought up the rear of field.
Turning for home, the front running Rinjani was quickly swamped with challenges coming from all around. All of Turbulent Air, Loadshedder and Our Mate Art challenged strongly, with African Night Sky another delivering a powerful challenge.


However, it was the Fred Crabbia owned African Night Sky who ran on stoutly up the outside running rein to score a 1.25 length from a game Our Mate Art, with 16-1 shot Loadshedder (Gimmethegreenlight) three lengths away in third. Tote favourite Turbulent Air could only finish fifth, as his stable mate stopped the clock for the 1600m contest in a time of 99.1 African Night Sky, winning the first feature of his career, has now won three of six starts and Saturday's win pushed his earnings over the R260 000 mark.
 

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