HUNDRED UP AT FAIRVIEW!

Henk Steenkamp

The Fairview Polytrack meeting on Friday will be a special day for the Zietsman Oosthuizen stable.

A stable favourite, the eight-year-old gelding El Romiachi, will reach a huge milestone when he faces the starter for the fourth race, a MR 66 Handicap over 1600m.

It is not often that a racehorse gets to run in 100 races and El Romiachi will have a lot of supporters when he moves to post with Luyolo Mxothwa in the saddle for his milestone race.

El Romiachi, owned by Oosthuizen in partnership with George Chrisochos, has been in Oosthuizen’s care since 2022.

Chrisochos and his friend Dave Scott will make the trip from Gauteng to celebrate the occasion with Oosthuizen on Friday.

Oosthuizen has done a tremendous job to keep El Romiachi ticking over but says all credit must go to the horse.

“What an honour to own and train this boy. To have George and Dave on course on Friday will be brilliant. We have been friends for many years,” Oosthuizen said.

“It will be fantastic if El Romiachi can win the race or run a place, but whatever happens it is a really special day,” the trainer added.

El Romiachi got a special mention from the CEO of 4Racing, Fundi Sithebe, at last year’s Equus Awards.

Sithebe said El Romiachi was her star of the 2022/23 season because he is such a hardworking horse. He ran 26 times in that season.

“Last week we had the privilege of the CEO visiting the stable to see her favourite horse,” Oosthuizen said.

“There is no need for El Romiachi to stop at 100 runs. He looks as good as ever. We will see more of him as long as he is still enjoying his racing.

“You would think he is the juvenile of the stable. He never misses a chance to “bokspring” and he gives the work rider a hard time.

“He thinks he is the youngest horse in the stable. El Romiachi is naughty but in a nice way, full of fun.

“When it is feeding time one must hurry to give him his food or he will break down the stable door.

“A more genuine racehorse you won’t find. He is straight forward at the stable and at work.

“There are no soundness issues with him. I only had to scratch him from racing twice and only because he hurt himself in the stable,” Oosthuizen explained.

El Romiachi was bred by Riethuiskraal Stud and purchased for only R5 000. Previously trained by the East Cape champion Alan Greeff, El Romiachi has earned R678 525 in prize money with 8 wins, 11 second places, 14 thirds and 10 fourths.

It has been 490 days since his last win but El Romiachi were never too far behind the winner.

The handicapper has finally dropped him to a more competitive rating and he is in with a chance in an open looking first leg of the Pick Six at 13:35.

The meeting of nine races starts at 11:50 and the Justin Snaith-trained All About Love should get favourite backers off to a winning start.