Five wins out of six for Magnifient Seven

Computaform best bet Magnificent Seven eventually scored the expected comfortable victory in the Listed Selers Trophy over 2400m at Durbanville on Saturday.

This Horse Chestnut gelding was never travelling sweetly, and when he began to lose touch slightly on the final turn alarm bells began to ring.

Halfway up the straight it looked like the lowly weighted duo Ballad Of The Sea and sole filly Sister Soozie would fight it out, but Fourie showed a cool head as the favourite regrouped and stayed on strongly to win by an extending 1.5 lengths.

“At the 1200 he was dropping back, but he has heart and is a fighter. He wants to win and is a lovely horse,” said Fourie at the trophy presentation.

Earlier Racing Express top bet Water Spirit justified her skinny 13-20 odds with a comfortable start to finish triumph under An-ton Marcus in the Fillies Maiden Plate over 1600m.

Solidly backed from an opening call of 14-10, this daughter of Jack-son was 1.25 lengths clear of only form threat Bella Summer, with the balance a further five lengths and more adrift.

Trainer Bre Crawford spoke highly of the filly afterwards, saying he had “plans and high hopes for her”.

Marcus said he was “very impressed – she’s not the finished article by any means”.

Crawford also sent out the other ‘shortie’ on the card, and Vascostree ractor obliged by strolling in in Race 1 at 5-10.

Otherwise it was a day for the less heralded. Smaller trainers Dan Katz and Harold Crawford, as well as jockey Morne Winnaar all scored a couple of winners.

The Pick Six paid R129 000 de-spite two of the odds-on shots being included.

And this was largely due to Winnaar, who brought home Brandenburg (66-1) and Al-dato (22-1) in the fourth and fifth races. The latter was Crawford’s first winner, and he followed up later with more fancied Ready Steady Go (5-1).

Always a feisty character, the son of Gimmethegreenlight won fluently, but then blotted his copybook by dumping Greg Cheyne in the pull up area.

Katz scored with fancied Skye Lane (21-10) in the second race, and closed the meeting with China Wolf (11-1), giving him his first double since he started training Hassen Adams’ Cape string.

“I think she’s going places. It’s one of those cases where I hope the handicappers give her a high rating, as I have high hopes and plans for her,” he said bullishly about the former post-race.

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