It was a dream day for the "Guv", the charismatic
Jeffrey Lloyd, who booted home six winners including all three
Grade 1 races on J&B Met Day at Kenilworth in Cape Town,
recording a feature treble that will rate high among the finest
performances in South African racing history.
It was also a momentous occasion for trainers Mike Bass and
Basil Marcus who were responsible for the preparation of the
three feature winners - Pocket Power in the R2-million J&B
Met and Sun Classique in the R400 000 Fancourt Majorca Stakes
for Mike Bass and the gutsy Jay Peg for Basil Marcus in the
R500 000 Investec Cape Derby.
For Mike Bass it was a magnificent feat, winning five races
on the day including two of the features.
But for Lloyd the winning streak on the day began in the very
first race where he rode Penfold Park for Mike Bass to dead
heat with Joey Ramsden's Key Castle. He then drove the Goldkeeper
filly Secure to victory in the Schweppes Novice Plate to give
punters a good start to the Pick 6. He rode another superb race
on Mike Bass's Goldkeeper gelding Wonder Gold later in the day
to close the Pick 6 in race nine.
J&B Met day was a resounding success in every way with
a crowd of 48 000 basking in a beautiful sunny Cape day and
backing their fancies with enthusiasm.
Gold Circle's turnover on the meeting of R21.4-million was
12% up on last year with the Saftote turnover increasing by
10% on last year to a massive R34.5-million.
On the J&B Met race itself, the turnover increased from
R8.3-million last year to R9.5-million this year.
Gold Circle CEO Michel Nairac said after the meeting that the
company was "delighted" with the success of the meeting,
where Jeff Lloyd recorded his fifth win in the Cape's flagship
event and his second in succession.
Lloyd said he had ridden multiple winners at other meetings
but "the six today were undoubtedly the very best."
The race of the day was the J&B Met itself where Pocket
Power was strongly supported to start as the 16-10 favourite
in spite of his wide draw. Elusive Fort and Eyeofthetiger featured
in the betting but the punting public only had eyes for the
bay Jet Master gelding who looked superb in the parade ring
and went to post looking a winner.
The start was delayed when the sole mare in the race, Badger's
Gift, dropped jockey MJ Byleveld at the start and "MJ"
had to be taken off in the ambulance before the race could get
under way.
When the pens burst open the 14 remaining runners hurled themselves
into action to the roar of the huge crowd with Pinero sprinting
away to set a strong pace ahead of Lion Tamer and Elusive Fort.
Eyeofthetiger and Pocket Power settled back in the field waiting
for the home straight to make their moves.
Pinero continued to run strongly in the straight but when Lloyd
set Pocket Power alight the four-year-old thundered through
to take command and win like a champion. Lion Tamer, who galloped
strongly all the way, put up a great fight but had no answer
to Pocket Power who strode past to win by a length.
The minor placings went to African Appeal, another Bass runner,
and Sean Tarry's Successful Bidder, both outsiders in the race.
The Fancourt Majorca Stakes got the feature programme underway
and the flying finish by Bass's Australian import, Sun Classique,
gave notice that Lloyd and Bass were blistering hot and greater
things were likely to follow. Lloyd once again had to bring
the filly from off the pace to beat Geoff Woodruff's Casey Tibbs
filly Festive Occasion who flew up late from the back of the
field with Glen Kotzen's Veiled Essence while Mike Azzie's Stratos
ran another gallant race for fourth.
The Investec Cape Derby saw Basil Marcus' Camden Park colt,
Jay Peg, bidding for his fourth feature race victory and his
second Grade 1 event in a row having won the Bloodstock SA Cape
Guineas early in January. The opposition was strong but Basil
was extremely confident and with the piping hot Jeff Lloyd in
the irons everything was looking good.
A good pace was set from the start but when they entered the
final 400m Jay Peg looked set for a comfortable win.
That was until Anton Marcus got to work on Charles Laird's
Rambo Dancer gelding Pick Six who began to close with every
stride.
They went to the line as one horse with the judge giving the
race to Jay Peg. Ironically, it was Anton Marcus who steered
Jay Peg to victory in the Guineas and it was he who just failed
to deny the Basil Marcus runner victory.
The meeting closed with a thrilling duel in the R200 000, Grade
2 J&B Reserve Stayers Handicap over 2 800m with Joey Ramsden's
Omaha Beach fighting a nail-biting finish with stable companion
Kipketer and Glen Kotzen's Captain Cook. Omaha Beach scored
by a whisker from Kipketer with Captain Cook a head back in
third.