For many, Kimberley and Flamingo Park Racecourse was the backwater of South African racing. For the sick, lame and not so fast this was often their last chance saloon.
Because of what they were dealing with, Flamingo Park threw up a generation of trainers who had to deal with all these issues and to get their so-called throw-outs sound and fit to race.
When Flamingo Park closed down, it was the end of a livelihood for many, trainers, grooms and racecourse staff.
Corrie Lensley packed up and headed for Cape Town, a venture that did not last the distance. He then relocated to the Vaal where he has slowly worked his way up a ladder that reached a pinnacle at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday with Alesian Chief lifting the Golden Horse Sprint to give Lensley his first Grade 1 victory.
Lensley was not on course to lead in his winner, his son getting married on the same afternoon, but no doubt any nuptials will have been put on hold to watch the race.
Muzi Yeni had no hesitation in going forward out of the gate in spite of most of Alesian Chief’s best form being over 1000m. “I got a flyer out of the gate; he’s got great gate speed and I controlled the race from there. It was just for me to be patient on him. He is more like a 1000m horse so you have got to be patient with the 1200 up the hill.
“I waited and waited, and I saw someone flash up on my inside, I thought it was Khumalo, but I had some aces up my sleeve and was able to find a little bit more,” Yeni confirmed post-race.
It was S’manga Khumalo on his inside and he got Bartholdi to rally gamely, but not enough to catch the winner, with Smorgasbord in third, touching off Chimichuri Run.
Favourite Cosmic Highway tracked runners early, but once shown daylight, he lacked a finishing kick and ended in the pack.
While Alesian Chief was the headlines, most of the day’s accolades were heaped upon filly Captain’s Ransom who turned in a stunning performance to land the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint (Brought to you by The Witness).
There were many who doubted her ability to sprint the 1200m with the majority of her form over 1400m and up. With 400m to the line the doubters looked to have been proven right. Richard Fourie always had his mount in contention but as race favourite Big Burn loomed up on her inside and True To Life and Sound Of Warning put in challenges, Captain’s Ransom looked a beaten horse.
But almost by some miracle, she suddenly found another gear and left her rivals for dead over the final 100m.
“She was right there, up with the speed and on the bridal and I thought this is looking good,” said Fourie. “Through the 400 they started stretching and she hit a flat spot as always. But she doesn’t know how to lose, and she turned it on phenomenally and through the 200 I knew it was race over.”
Sean Tarry collected the trophies for both the Grade 1 Allan Robertson Championship and Grade 1 Gold Medallion as his pair of two-year-olds gave him and Calvin Habib a feature double. Tarry has a phenomenal record at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, Thunderstruck being his 14th Grade 1 victory at the track.
Blinkers have obviously brought out the best in Thunderstruck as he doddled his maiden after disappointing on debut and made short work of the Gold Medallion field. He barrelled out of the pack 200m out and was not for the catching.
Favourite Prophet enjoyed no luck from his inside gate as the field, beknown only to the riders, bunched on the inside rail. With the gate shut, Craig Zackey took drastic action, dropping out and switching all the way out behind the opposition, but his race was run.
It was a lot closer in the Allan Robertson as Habib had to pull out all the stop on Sweet Pepper to get the better of Glittering Girl and River Queraress, giving current leading trainer Paul Peter second and third, although favourite, the diminutive Miss Cool, failed to fire after her stunning Grade 2 SA Nursery victory and was never in the race with a chance. – Gold Circle