Jockey Glen Hatt didn’t lose his whip or his cool
at Greyville in Durban on Saturday when coming under severe pressure
as he drove Joey Ramsden’s Jallad gelding, Major Bluff, to a narrow
victory in the R500 000, Grade 1 Canon Gold Cup over 3 200 metres.
The five-year-old gelding bounced back from a 14 lengths defeat
by Double Reef in the Gold Vase at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July
Day to beat Double Reef by a head on Saturday and record the biggest
win of his career.
The race produced a thrilling finish to the KwaZulu-Natal Winter
Racing Season and the crowd that lined the track was treated to
a nail-biting experience as Major Bluff stormed down the inside
of the track having raced off the pace in the early stages while
favourites Double Reef and Superwood closed in from behind.
With the charity hospitality marquees well supported on the day
adding to the good crowd that occupied the main stand area, there
was a hum of excitement as the 13 runners set off down the main
straight on their 3 200 metre journey with Vance and King’s Beach
leading the charge as they galloped past the grandstand for the
first time. Blazing Bouquet, Greenwood, Cereus and Golden Moment
followed the leading pair with the fancied runners well back in
the field.
There was no change till about the 1 400 metre mark where tail-ender
Theatre Of Dreams began to improve his position and Superwood ran
into trouble having to check. Vance and King’s Beach opened up a
gap between themselves and the rest of the field and they brought
the field into the home straight.
King’s Beach was still running strongly as Vance threw in the towel
and as the Dolpour gelding strode to the lead it looked like Port
Elizabeth trainer Gavin Smith was to give the Eastern Cape yet another
win in this marathon event.
Then down the inside came Major Bluff and, this time Glen Hatt
did not drop his whip as he did in the Gold Vase. The gelding was
running like a winner but on the outside came the big guns – Double
Reef and Superwood - both eating up the ground and closing in with
every stride. The crowd cheered and screamed as they willed the
favourites to get up and win but Major Bluff just kept finding and
stayed on strongly to beat Double Reef by a head with Superwood
1,5 lengths further back in third place just 1,25 lengths ahead
of Waterloo Sunset and King’s Beach.
After the race trainer Joey Ramsden said he knew the gelding “always
had something big in him” and he thanked everyone concerned in staging
the race including sponsors Canon saying racing needed quality sponsors
to enhance the sport.
Earlier in the day, Charles Laird’s National Assembly gelding,
Staff Officer, starting as 16-10 favourite, just got up to win the
R100 000, Listed Umngeni Handicap over 1 000 metres.
As expected, Mike Azzie’s National Flame set a cracking gallop
ahead of Consent To Conquer, Trance and National Navigator. National
Cove was also in the leading group and as they moved into the final
100 metres National Flame was fighting on doggedly.
On the outside of the field, however, Staff Officer was coming
like a train with Robin Watkinson’s Krusenstern gelding, Far Under
Par, and as they flashed across the line it was Staff Officer by
a head from Far Under Par with National Flame third another head
back and National Navigator three lengths further back in fourth
position.
Exciting racing continued through the day and when the field for
the final feature, the R125 000, Grade 3 Gold Bracelet went to the
start, there was an electrifying feeling of anticipation of another
thrilling finish between two of the country’s top females, Icy Air
and Battle Maiden.
The race lived up to expectations as Icy Air’s stable companion,
In The Breeze, raced to the front to set a strong gallop. Icy Air
and Battle Maiden raced towards the back of the field waiting for
the home straight to make their move.
Coming off the false rail Robbie Hill, riding another great race
as has come to be expected of the veteran rider, set Icy Air alight
and she strode through strongly to take the lead. Geoff Woodruff’s
Badger Land mare, Bushra, was finishing strongly as well with Battle
Maiden and they race to the line with Icy Air holding on by half
a length from Bushra with Battle Maiden a length back in their place
half a length ahead of Sarabande.