Machete Man produced an incredible performance to take the honours in the Listed World Sports Betting East Cape Derby over 2200m today on the Fairview polytrack under jockey Louie Mxothwa.
Trained by Justin Snaith, the Cape Town raider shot to the front from the word go and led the field as they went past the finishing post for the first time on their way all around the track.
Setting a very brisk pace, Machete Man spread the field out over close on 15 lengths as they entered the final turn, with Dammi and Zatara Magic the only two runners in the nine-horse field keeping up with the pacesetter.
Entering the home straight, the peloton kicked in and started chasing down the breakaway group. Both Dammi and Zatara Magic ran out of steam, but Machete Man was all guts as he hung on to beat Quasimodo by 0,25-lengths. Fast-finishing Heathcliff, with Richard Fourie in the saddle, made up a tremendous amount of ground coming from stone last to complete the trifecta, another 0,25-lengths behind. Cherry Ano was fourth.
“I was confident in the race. When we cantered down (to the start) I knew we definitely had a chance today,” said Mxothwa after the race.
“This horse is very gutsy and he has again proven it today.
“When you’re riding for the Snaith-yard, you always have a chance, especially when they raid. They have a very good strike rate whenever they raid.”
With this win, Machete Man completed a hat-trick which he achieved over three different courses, the other two wins coming at Durbanville over 2000m and Kenilworth over 1800m respectively. In all three his hat-trick races, he led from pillar to post.
Luna Halo, trained by Alan Greeff, won the other feature event on the card, the Listed Dahlia Plate over 1200m.
Richard Fourie picked his point of attack perfectly as he steered this daughter of Fire Away to a 0,1-length victory over Snaith’s Golden Sickle, ridden by Mxothwa.
Having now won both the East Cape Fillies Nursery as well as the Dahlia Plate, it won’t come as a surprise to see Luna Halo make her next appearance in KwaZulu-Natal during the Champions Season.
For Mxothwa the day was extra special as he recorded his 100th winner of the season earlier in the day aboard Popping Crease in race 4, a Maiden Plate over 1900m.