Durban July looms for Immediate Edge

There is nothing more thrilling for followers of a sport to see a competitive encounter of high quality, whether it be two boxers in the ring, a closely contested tennis match, two great soccer or rugby teams competing or some of the best golfers in action.

The same applies in horseracing and it doesn’t have to be at the level of a Derby, a Durban July or a Daily News to get one’s adrenalin pumping.

It could just be the Listed World Sports Betting Hawwaam Stakes at Turffontein last Saturday when a pair of well-supported horses and two of the best jockeys in the country employing clever tactics to produce one of the most outstanding finishes seen in quite a while.

The two horses were Immediate Edge and Wild Intent, the two jockeys were Ryan Munger and Gavin Lerena.

Immediate Edge, trained by Mike and Mathew de Kock, had only raced twice for two wins and was well supported to go off at 77-100. Munger had ridden him in his first two starts and he was engaged for the ride once again.

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Only one runner found support in the betting to take him on and that was Lucky Houdalakis-trained Wild Intent, who went off at 9-2. His last run was in the Grade 3 Politician Stakes at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and while he was beaten 6.25 lengths it was not a bad effort considering he had to make the long trek to Cape Town.

Both runners came forward at the 400m as leader Towers Of Gold compounded, in doing so, forcing Munger to ease his mount slightly. At that point Lerena hit the front and perceiving that Munger was attempting to move through on the inside rail, shrewdly created a very confined space for inexperienced Immediate Edge to go through and Munger was left with no choice but to go for it.

Over the final 200m the two jockeys rode with total vigour, with Lerena holding his line and Munger slowly closing the gap. With around 75m to run Immediate Edge got his nose in front and looked as if he would go on to win comfortably.

But Lerena was not done. He drove his mount back and for a moment it appeared he would regain the lead. However, Immediate Edge showed great courage and kept on to get the nod by a short head. It is worth noting there was 8.25 lengths back to third finisher Diwali’s Rocket.

“It was a very gutsy win,” said Munger. “Gavin obviously saw me coming up on his inside and he knew the only way to beat me was to have me in tight quarters. But this horse is hard and I knew once I got him through he was not going to back out of it, he would fight on through.”

Mike de Kock was highly relieved to have got the win and commented: “I do think a lot of this horse, I think he’s going places.

“I don’t know if we’ll run him again in Joburg, we’ll see. He’s a horse you have to aim at the July and hope he comes in with a light weight.”

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The other two features on the card were won by Muzi Yeni. The manner in which Poplar Park won the Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial, racing clear to beat Cocomelon by 2.40 lengths, indicates trainer Robbie Sage has a useful stayer in his yard.

Yeni also won the Listed WSB Aquanaut Handicap with Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Breeze Over, who bounced back to best to score a facile 1.70-length win over Marauding Horde.