Jack Milner
The World Pool Gold Cup race meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday was always viewed as a day in which a number of the season’s issues would be resolved.
It certainly was the case, the two most important being that Justin Snaith retained his Champion Trainer title and that Quid Pro Quo stamped her name on the Equus Champion Two-Year-Old filly trophy.
Snaith had a slender lead over Sean Tarry, but Tarry had to win probably the Gold Cup and two of the Grade 1 races to catch Snaith and that did not happen.
Future Pearl was sent off a 18-10 favourite for the Grade 3 Gold Cup over 3200m but was never in the race. The race went to Andre Nel-trained Master Redoute (25-2) who got up close home under Corne Orffer to touch off Shoot The Rapids (10-1) with Future Swing in fourth.
However, it was run at a muddling pace caused when Grant van Niekerk took Zeus around the field to move into a 10-length lead with Shoot The Rapids and Future Swing well clear of the rest.
Shortly before they turned for home Zeus came back to his field and shortly thereafter dropped out of contention.
“He was pulling like crazy,” explained Van Niekerk, “but I eventually got him to canter.” Unfortunately, by then Zeus had shot his bolt.
The other two continued to fight it out but then Ponte Pietra and Master Redoute burst on the scene, and it was left to the latter to grab the honours.
Muzi Yeni was aboard second-placed Shoot The Rapids and when asked what had happened in the race, he replied: “You’re confused? What would you do if you were riding in the race?”
The HKJC Champions Cup proved a triumph for Mike de Kock as Dave The King kicked away at the top the straight to beat Cousin Casey by 1.40 lengths. Third place was a dead heat between 7-2 favourite See It Again and 33-1 shot Purple Pitcher.
It was announced on the course that this victory gave De Kock his 140th Grade 1 success.
Surjay has been one of the unluckiest sprinters around in that he is rarely far off the winner but had not won a race since November 2022.
However, he finally had his day in the Mercury Sprint over 1200m. It also gave him his first Grade 1 victory. Ridden by Louie Mxothwa, who made full use of a No 2 draw, Surjay got to the lead in the final 150m and never looked like losing.
Lucky Lad was sent out favourite but he was caught wide and started to hang in but still ran on well enough to claim second spot.
Many pundits felt Quid Pro Quo would be a shoe-in for the Grade 1 Douglas Whyte Stakes over 1600m.
In the end, it turned out to be a "shoe-off" for the Barend Botes-trained filly, but she won anyway.
As the runners were being loaded it was announced that the front shoes had been removed from the 11-10 favourite and she would race without them. There were a few "oohs" and "ahs" from the racing fans but they needn't have worried. S'manga Khumalo got her out in a flash and she sat much closer to the leaders on this occasion. By the time they moved into the straight she was in third position and shot to the front with 300m to go.
Piere Strydom aboard well-supported Fatal Flaw kept her company for quite a while but in the closing stages Quid Pro Quo moved clear of her rival to win by 1.40 lengths.
Third place, beaten a further three-lengths, came 100-1 shot Frozen Fantasy, trained by Robyn Klaasen.
Talking about star filly Quid Pro Quo, Botes said: "It doesn't happen to me often to get younger horses, I usually buy horses in training.
"I never thought in my wildest dreams a horse like this would come my way."
It turned out to be a great day for two-year-old fillies as Tony Peter-trained VJ's Angel gave the boys something to think about in the Grade 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes over 1600m when she swooped in late under Calvin Habib to catch The Specialist, backed from 10-1 into 9-2, and Grand Crescendo (16-1) to going away win by 0.70 lengths.
The winner went off at 10-1.
Paul Peter, who is now assistant to his son, said the stable rate VJ's Angel filly highly.
"She's very good but she's a girl with a mind of her own. Only her groom can work her, he really loves her.
"Calvin only gets on for a race but he watches all of her work and he loves the groom more than anyone else does."
Talking about the three-year-old’s future, Peter added: "Obviously, we still need to discuss this with her owners, but we feel this filly will go 2000m plus. I would think the Triple Tiara would possibly be a way to go."