Abashiri brings Turffontein alive

Turffontein’s Champions Day crowd received more than they bargained for today when the new public hero Abashiri landed the SA Triple Crown in a manner which had the entire racecourse holding their breaths. The giant striding son of Go Deputy was given a rousing roar by his supporters all dressed in black and orange from the moment he stepped into the parade ring all the way through to the line.

The “Go Abba Go”  chant was infectious and reached a xenith when he hit the front 300m from home. However, there were anxious moments when he was challenged strongly in the closing stages by the Gavin Van Zyl-trained Rocketball. He appeared to just get up to win.

However, the crowd were not sure and still had their hearts in their mouths. The pressure was finally released via a massive cheer when the slow motion relay proved Abashiri to have won by the narrowest of margins.

The Sean Tarry-trained Samurai Blade finished third.

Abashiri, a Mike Azzie-trained Lammerskraal-bred gelding by Go Deputy, always looked likely to relish the 2450m trip of the Gr 1 R2million SA Derby and started at cramped odds of 1/6. There was a lot of hype in the build up, but few would have anticipated the crowd chanting “Go Aba go!” as he circled the parade ring.

He was given a huge cheer as he cantered down and the atmosphere was electric as the starter readied himself to press the button.

Zechner rode another consummately professional race, dropping him to last in the initial stages as stable companion Scheme Of Things set a good pace.

Zechner wondered whether he had done the right thing and admitted later he had been under immense pressure. However, the blistering turn of foot Abashiri showed proved he had indeed done the right thing and in fact the big horse hit the front too soon.

Zechner said later, “He’s a champion and you’ll never see good horses beat, they always put their heads down at the right time. I thank everybody from the bottom of my heart for the support.”

Azzie thanked Lammerskraal and everybody associated with the horse but reserved the biggest accolades for his wife and for owners Adriaan and Rika Van Vuuren. Addressing the latter compliment to Adriaan, he said, “You’re a machine we love you and we know you love us back.”

Azzie ended with a colourful Mohammed Ali like poem describing Abashiri’s SA Triple Crown victories.

Adriaan and Rika Van Vuuren are much admired for their obvious love of horses and for horseracing. They were both thrilled by the win and Adriaan said, referring to those who had come to the course adorned in Abashiri’s colours. “Words are hard to find, I want to thank every black-and-orange supporter.”

Rika said, “The crowds support was mind blowing!”

They then both shouted in unison, “Abashiri!” Phumelela CEO Rian du Plessis handed over the R2 million bonus cheque to the roar of the crowd.

Later, the brilliant Sean Tarry-trained Legal Eagle laid claim to being named Equus Horse Of The Year when landing his third Gr 1 of the season. He was up with the pace throughout in the R4 million Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m under Anton Marcus and easily fended off the challenge of the Johan Janse Van Vuuren-trained three-year-old Brazuca.

Legal Eagle’s stable companion French Navy ran on late to pip Brazuca for second. Marcus described the Avontuur Stud-bred Greys Inn gelding, who is owned by Markus and Ingrid Jooste, as a special horse. It was Legal Eagle’s fourth career Gr 1 victory.

National champion trainer Tarry and his champion elect stable jockey S’Manga Kumalo had another magnificent day together, despite it starting disappointingly when hot favourite Exquisite Touch could only manage fourth in the Gr 2 R400,000 SA Fillies Nursery over 1160m, which was won by the strong-finishing Mike de Kock- trained Australian-bred filly Fursa, ridden by Callan Murray.

Tarry and Khumalo’s highlight together was a breathtaking performance by the Klawervlei Stud-bred Captain Al filly Carry On Alice who cruised to an effortless win in the Gr 1 World Sports Betting Computaform Sprint over 1000m, beating the brave Coenie de Beer-trained Talktothestars easing up by a length. The Dennis Drier-trained raider Barbosa finished third.

Earlier, Tarry’s brilliant Highlands Farm Stud-bred Captain Al filly Cloth Of Cloud remained unbeaten when beating the boys in the Gr 1 R1 million SA Nursery over 1160m under Khumalo after producing a devastating finishing effort to overtake the Mike Azzie-trained Rivarine. The Joey Soma-trained Double Appeal finished third.

Tarry and Khumalo followed up by winning the Gr 2 R400,000 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes over 2000m with the thoroughly deserving Tiger Ridge filly Trophy Wife, who had hitherto never won a Black Type event, despite having finished in the top three in three separate Gr 1 events. Chris van  Niekerk has a share in both Carry On Alice and Cloth Of Cloud and owns Trophy Wife outright. Trophy Wife is fittingly bred by Wilgerbosdrift Stud, who are sponsors of all three of the Triple Tiara legs.

The Gr 2 R1 million SA Oaks over 2450m today saw the Stanley Ferreira-trained filly Juxtapose completing two legs of the Triple Tiara, ridden both times by Chase Maujean. The Varsfontein-bred Judpot filly won the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic over 1800m at the beginning of the month and proved that win to be no fluke when comfortably winning today’s SA Oaks from the Joey Soma-trained Fortissima and the Lucky Houdalakis-trained Peggy Jay. Unfortunately, Juxtapose was unplaced in the first leg of the Triple Tiara, the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.

The Gr 2 R500,000 Gold Bowl was won by the Geoff Woodruff-trained Arch Rival who was ridden by Raymond Danielson.

It was a magnificent days racing and the scenes following Abashiri’s landing of the SA Triple Crown have not been seen at Turffontein for many years.

Many new fans could well have been won to the Sport Of Kings today thanks to a giant striding horse called Abashiri.

Clyde Basel, Phumelela Racing executive who also oversees events, said this was not only a coup for Phumelela but for SA racing on a whole! We’ve never seen such activity like what was witnessed today with a sea of orange chanting their hero home. If the media are not hooked now then they’ll never be”.

The final Graded event of the day, the Gr 2 R400,000 Camellia Stakes over 1160m was won by the Lucky Houdalakis-trained three-year-old filly Joan Ranger, who showed good pace before running on strongly under Ian Sturgeon.