IT truly was a day to remember for owner Andre Macdonald, trainer Dennis Drier and jockey Robbie Hill - victory with the Badger Land gelding, Highland Night, in South Africa’s premier race for stayers, the R500 000, Grade 1 Canon Gold Cup.

The six-year-old, who won the race last year and became the first horse since Chez Monty in 1950 to complete back-to-back wins in the event, has now won nine of his 21 starts and R958 750 in stakes. He ran a fantastic race and pulled up looking ready to take on the world in any marathon event in the country.

It was a great feat and a fine example of trainers working unselfishly together for the benefit of the horse with Buddy Maroun having trained the gelding when he won the race last year then sending him down to Dennis Drier for the Winter campaign in KwaZulu-Natal this season.

The Canon Gold Cup meeting was a resounding success in spite of the blustery cold weather with a much larger crowd than last year and exciting racing throughout the day in the top-liner itself as well as in the supporting features, the Umngeni Handicap and the Gold Bracelet. And it did not stop there, for once again the finals of the KZN Chapter Challenge series produced close, exciting finishes.

But the day belonged to the very plain-looking gelding who would not draw a second glance when he walked past you while in that dark bay chest there beat the heart of a lion. In spite of his form which included a second to Amphitheatre in the 3 000 metre Topsport Gold Vase, he was easy to back at 6-1 while the money came for Amphitheatre, Oratory and Fantastic Horse. Almah had her supporters and those who backed Dean Kannemyer’s National Dignity were pretty confident their fancy would not be beaten.

As always in this race, the jockeying for position started early after they broke from the stalls in the main straight and Almah and Fantastic Horse were soon involved in a spirited dispute for the lead. Felix Coetzee on Fantastic Horse eventually adopted the "ladies first" policy and allowed MJ Odendaal to take the mare to the front as they swept round the numbers board and the Royal Durban Clubhouse into the back straight.

But that was as far as his chivalry would extend and he moved Fantastic Horse into the lead with stable companion Extraordinary slipping into second place ahead of Almah.

Leica Lord was on the move and through the 1 600 metre mark MJ Byleveld allowed the New Zealand-bred gelding to stride to the front. But his lead did not last long with Odendaal deciding at about the 1 200 metre mark that it was time to make a break for glory and he drove Almah back into the lead and drew a few lengths clear of the field.

And where was Highland Night while all this was going on? Veteran Robbie Hill had him nicely placed just behind the leading group keeping a watchful eye on Oratory and Fantastic Horse ahead of him and knowing that Amphitheatre was a few lengths behind him.

The pace picked up as Almah set sail for home with Fantastic Horse and Oratory going in pursuit and Highland Night closing in on the inside of the group as they came off the false rail. Meanwhile Anthony Delpech had moved Amphitheatre up just behind the leading group and he made his bid down the outside.

Highland Night and Amphitheatre moved together past the leaders and joined issue to fight out the finish as they had in the Topsport Gold Vase. But on this occasion it was Highland Night who was going the better over the final 100 metres and he won the race by 0,75 lengths with Fantastic Horse a further three lengths back in third place.

After the race trainer Drier, newly-crowned champion trainer of KwaZulu-Natal, paid tribute to Hill’s superb ride and to Buddy Maroun.

Robbie Hill said everything went perfectly for him in the race right from the start and when they turned for home "I got a dream run".

"But this is my favourite race, my record speaks for itself," he said. Pressed on his record, he said he had won it twice and had been placed "a few times".

The Umngeni Handicap was comfortably won by Ron Phillips’s favourite, Trance who, as a strong front runner, took advantage of the good tail win and won by two lengths from Enchantress with Sunset Glow in third place.

Felix Coetzee rode a powerful finish on Geoff Woodruff’s Model Man mare, Cruise Collection, to cause an upset in the Gold Bracelet winning at 16-1 from Rainbow Flag and Rambo’s Jewel.

The Canon Gold Cup brought the curtain down on the KwaZulu-Natal Winter Racing Season but opened the new South African feature season. The main focus on racing now moves northward to Gauteng with the focal point being the Summer Cup in December.

Issued by:  Gill Simpkins
Gold Circle (Pty) Ltd