Jack Milner
James Crawford, assistant trainer for his father Brett, expressed confidence that their stable would win Saturday’s R1-million Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile at Turffontein.
He was correct, but he was just wrong about the horse.
Not that on could blame him. After all, Frances Ethel had had an excellent warm-up race while Winchester Mansion did not put up the perfect preparation performance.
However, last year’s HWB Durban July winner found the right gears under Marco van Rensburg, burst clear at the right time and kept on strongly to beat KZN visitor Gladatorian (20-1) by 0.75 lengths.
The winner went off at 40-1 and paid R44.90 for a win R8.60 for a place on TAB.
Third place went to Barbaresco (5-1) with Silver Sanctuary (14-1) running into fourth.
Mike de Kock-trained Dave The King went off as the 4-1 favourite, but after leading the field for 1000m faded out to finish 19 lengths off the winner.
However, in a post-race examination by the course vet, the current Horse Of The Year was found to be not striding out left hind.
Shortly after the start an incident took place which involved a number of horses and unfortunately it culminated in Back In Business stumbling and dislodging Muzi Yeni. He was taken to hospital with a suspected fracture to his clavicle.
The incident obviously had some effect on the outcome, but it is not easy to assess to what degree at this stage.
However, take nothing away from Winchester Mansion who showed the kind of form that saw him win the Durban July.
This is his first victory since last year’s race and Crawford admitted he had sensed some recent improvement from the six-year-old gelding.
“I can comfortably say, since last year it’s the first time I have actually had him tip top where I really want him,” said Crawford.
“There’s always been a niggle or naggle here or there.“
Van Rensburg has been having a particularly good week and it all came together in this Grade 2 race. “I came out very well which was unexpected, so I pulled him back a bit because I didn’t want to race too handy.
“So, I sort of dived on to the rail and from there I just left him alone and I said I’m not here to fight you, they just want to see you run a good race, so you just stay where you are and relax and we’ll take it from there.
“When I came into the straight, I saw Richard (on Dave the King) pull to the inside. Even with 63kg he went a decent pace and that suited me, so when I saw him take the inside I thought thank you very much, I’m just to take the middle of the track and allow him to build up his stride and his action.
“From there it was race over. At the 400m I actually thought I went too early because I got there too easy.
“But he just pulled away, he won the race himself and it was a very good win,” concluded Van Rensburg.
The 19 charities had a great day, with all of them coming away with at least R30,000. The first prize of R100,000 went to the Thusanani Children’s Foundation.
Van Rensburg captured another feature event on the card when he substituted for Yeni on Olivia’s Way in the Grade 3 Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m as Roy Magner’s charge ran out a comfortable two-length winner.
The most impressive winner on the card was undoubtedly Fatal Flaw in the Grade 3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes over 1400m. Ridden by Piere Strydom, she got to the front early and never looked back. Strydom, however, did look back at around the 200m mark to observe that his opposition was never going to catch him.
Fatal Flaw was the middle leg of a treble for the Crawford yard, the first victory coming up in Race 1 with Fastnet Filly.