Supplementary entry for the Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July (2200m) at Greyville on July 1st, Mr Winsome, duly landed the odds in the R300,000, Grade 3 Track & Ball Derby (2400m) at Scottsville on Sunday but made heavy weather of beating Sun On Africa.
The two drew well clear of the opposition over the final 400m but it was only inside the last 100m that Mr Winsome finally managed to get the better of Sun On Africa who had clearly had enough at the line.
The two met at level weights, the runner-up some 7.5kg inferior in the merit ratings, so Mr Winsome’s participation in the July is still very much up in the air. The selection panel tasked to choose the July runners will deliberate with the final field to be announced at Greyville on Tuesday.
Earlier July hopefuls Witchcraft and Girl On The Run saw their July tickets up in smoke with the latter only managing fourth and Girl On The Run second in the R300,000, Grade 3 Track & Ball Oaks (2400m).
The race developed into a dog-fight over the final furlong with the race eventually falling to the Geoff Woodruff-trained Zante who managed to pull clear late under Ian Sturgeon. Zante last season landed the Listed Queen Palm Handicap for Neil Bruss who now plies his trade in the Middle East.
Girl On The Run was game in second but is unlikely to be considered by the July selection panel, the same going for Witchcraft who did well considering that this was only her second run back from a lengthy break, but not well enough.
Joey Ramsden and Anton Marcus landed a double for Mayfair Speculators with their two smart colts Ancestry and Table Bay.
Ancestry is a smart looking son of Oratorio and, although only shedding his maiden, the half-brother to Grade 2 winning filly A Womens Way, romped home with plenty of daylight between him and second-placed Texas Sky.
Table Bay made the expected improvement from his pipe-opener in the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, to run out a comfortable winner of the Track & Ball Pinnacle Stakes from the Brett Crawford runner Winter Prince.
In France on Saturday apprentice, Mpumelelo ‘Pumie’ Mjoka won the Longines Future Racing Stars (1600m) on Beaupreau racing on the Polytrack on the prestigious two day Prix de Diane card at Chantilly.
The Prix Longines Future Racing Stars is designed to showcase the best up and coming young riding talent from across the world and selects hand-picked participants from the world’s top racing schools. The event is open to riders under the age of 25 who have won between 3 and 35 races.
Mjoka follows on the success of fellow SA Jockey Academy graduate Franklin Maleking who won the Longines Future Racing Stars in 2013.
