Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas (Group 1)

FOR the second time in a fortnight the South African bloodstock industry has been given a high-class reminder of just what a loss the early death of Lancaster Bomber is proving to be.

In the Cape Fillies Guineas, it was his daughter Beach Bomb who triumphed and in the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas at Kenilworth last Saturday victory went to his son, Snow Pilot.

Gaynor Rupert, who bought the Tattersalls Gold Cup winner to stand at her Drakenstein Stud and owns both homebreds, said: “Lancaster Bomber was only seven when he we lost him. It was heartbreaking – he was the future for Drakenstein – but we always thought that he would give us something from his two seasons with us.”

After being beaten by fellow Drakenstein-bred Hluhluwe in the Selangor, Snow Pilot was virtually ignored in the market and went off a little-considered 25/2 whereas his previous conqueror started second favourite.

JP van der Merwe had other ideas and the race hadn’t progressed far before he knew he was right: “The Selangor was only 1,400 metres (seven furlongs) and he was very aggressive with me. Today the pace was on and he settled so I knew that when I set him alight he was going to finish.”

But it was only close home that he collared Red Palace, the one filly in the race, to score by a hard-fought three-quarters of a length with Hluhluwe a length and a quarter back third. That Trippi colt, also Justin Snaith-trained, is out of a Giant’s Causeway mare and is another Drakenstein-bred.

It was Cape Guineas number three for Snaith who said: “I also trained the winner’s mother Snowdance who was amazing and won the 2017 Cape Fillies Guineas. But it was JP who made this happen. He had Snow Pilot in the perfect position and I thought he rode a magnificent race.”

The outcome, though, was tough on Anthony Andrews whose racing life has not been easy and who must have thought big race victory was going to be his.

“Red Palace has such a high cruising speed and she did everything right,” he related. “When I pressed the button, she gave it to me and I was only caught in the last 50 metres.”

THE big Cape Yearling Sale is again being held in its glamorous home at the Convention Centre in Cape Town city, thanks in no small part to the backing of Tattersalls.

The sale used to attract visitors from all over the world but the cost of hiring the centre became prohibitive and for several years the sale was held in country surroundings several miles outside the city.

It switched back last January and this time (January 25th) there are 136 yearlings catalogued.

THE Tony Peter pre-race testing saga is turning nasty. The Johannesburg trainer had all but the first of his runners withdrawn by the officials at Turffontein on Summer Cup day after failing to submit one particular horse for pre-race testing despite being reminded to do so.

He has now served a summons on the National Horseracing Authority whose officials are playing their cards close to their collective chests. They have so far declined to comment, despite being asked to do so by racing operator 4Racing.