In what seemed like a flashback to this day last year, when Wylie Hall (Redoute’s Choice) was disqualified from the win in the Durban July
(SAf-G1) after interfering with Legislate (Dynasty) in the lane, Power King (Silvano) had
to survive an inquiry.
This time, however, the fortunes played in the favor of the
first-past-the-post in South Africa’s richest race.
Sneaking into the July with the co-lowest weight in
the field and largely dismissed by punters, Power King traveled midpack and off the fence
through the opening stages of the 2200 meter event. Behind a wall of horses before the field
fanned across the track at the top of the lane, Power King drifted toward the outside, hooking up with Puntas Arenas
(Silvano) to his outside passing the 150 meter mark. The winner held that rival at bay to the line and was permitted to keep the race after examination by stewards.
Power King was tried in top-class company during his sophomore campaign, but after off-the-board finishes in the Cape Guineas
(SAf-G1) and Cape Derby (SAf-G1) he was dropped back in class, and enjoyed two confidence-boosting scores at
the Group 3 level last May. He filled the bridesmaid’s role in his next five outings, finishing second or third on each occasion, before faltering to seventh behind Futura (Dynasty) when trying Group 1 company again in the prestigious J&B Met
on January 31.
Second in the non-black type Cape Mile on February 21, he at last found the winner’s
circle again in Scottsville’s Pinnacle S. on March 29, and was second in the Betting World
1900 (SAf-G3) in the lead-up to this.
Power King led home a remarkable trifecta Saturday for
his champion sire Silvano — who stands at Andreas Jacobs’s Maine Chance Farms,
which also bred the top three finishers — in the Western Cape.
One race following the Durban July in the Garden Province S. (SAf-G1), Same
Jurisdiction (Mambo in Seattle) saved ground early near the back of the pack,
charged up the inside in the lane and won under mostly hand-urging from a
fast-finishing Smart Call (Ideal World).
This time last year, Same Jurisdiction was in the midst
of a four-race win streak that saw her prove herself at the highest level in the Thekwini S.
(SAf-G1) over Saturday’s track-and-trip. She opened her sophomore campaign with a win again over
this course and distance on January 2, but had her streak snapped February 28 when fifth in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas
(SAf-G2) in her first start outside Durban.
Second in Turffontein’s S A
Fillies Guineas when stepped up to 1800 meters, Same Jurisdiction was second
back here in the 1400 meter Tibouchina S. (SAf-G2) on June 6.
Seventh Plain, winner of the May 23 Gold Medallion S. (SAf-G1) and Godolphin Barb S.
(SAf-G3) prior to that, cemented his status atop his division with a
last-gasp victory in the Golden Horseshoe (SAf-G1) while also providing trainer Dennis Drier with the juvenile Group 1
double.
Fastest from the gates, Seventh Plain crossed over to save ground on the short run
into the first bend and stalked the pace about two lengths off the lead. The dark bay briefly appeared to have too much to do to catch the free-wheeling frontrunner Arabian Beat
(Black Minnaloushe) in early stretch, but he capitalized as that rival began to tire in the final 50 meters, getting up to score by a narrow margin.
Seventh Plain has now won three straight and four of five overall, his lone loss coming in the
listed Summer Juvenile S. at Kenilworth on January 31.
Chestnuts N Pearls (Horse Chestnut) began Drier’s juvenile double in the
Golden Slipper (SAf-G1). Traveling a bit keenly in about fourth in
the early part of the race, the bay miss hit the lead near the stand’s side rail at the 150
meter mark and drew away to win cozily.
Chestnuts N Pearls was a first-out winner going six
furlongs at Scottsvile on April 5, but dropped back to eighth when stepped up in class for the Allan Robertson Championship
(SAf-G1) over the same track and trip on May 23 before stretching out an extra panel
in the Golden Slipper.
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