Gogetshesheriff and the East Cape Poly Challenge

Port Elizabeth trainer Jacque Strydom and owner Freddy Van Onselen bought the Go Deputy gelding Gogetthesheriff with the dream of landing Port Elizabeth’s most prestigious race, the Algoa Cup, and had little idea he would earn hero status on Fairview’s polytrack.

Gogetthesheriff is the reigning East Cape Polytrack Horse Of The Year and on 18 April put his owner Freddy van Onselenin line for a R250,000 bonus by adding the second leg of the World Sports Betting (WSB) East Cape Poly Challenge series over 1400m to his first leg win over 1200m.

Gogetthesheriff is adored by Port Elizabeth racegoers and his bid to land the “Poly Triple Crown” on May 13 in the WSB East Cape Poly Challenge 1600 will be accompanied by a big build up and plenty of fanfare.

The long striding chestnut has a short run in so has to be waited with for as long as possible and therefore the course and distance of the tight Fairview polytrack suit him perfectly.

Jockey Ryan Munger dropped him out from a wide draw in the second leg race and he produced a devastating late charge down the inside rail to win by a length.

Port Elizabeth’s legendary commentator “Bumpy” Schoeman didn’t reserve many plaudits for the final leg of the “Poly Triple Crown” as he screamed “What a Beaut! What A Beaut! … Hero-Hero!”

Strydom bought Gogethesheriff as a one-time winner at a dispersal sale at the end of the 2014 season. The Go Deputy gelding had previously raced for one of Mike de Kock’s chief international clients, Sheik Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, and his only win had been a seven length romp at Clairwood in a maiden over 1600m.

However, at the time of the purchase Fairview was experiencing some problems with the turf course, so Strydom eventually decided to put him in a poly race over 1200m. He stormed home to win from a wide draw at odds of 20/1 and has not looked back. He has notched up seven wins and a second from eight starts on the poly and his winning distances range from 1200m to 1900m.

Strydom and Van Onselen are still chasing the Algoa Cup dream and Gogetthesheriff has thus had eleven starts on the Fairview turf for three wins. However, last year the dream was ended by Gogetthesheriff contracting an illness. Strydom thus planned a tilt at the East Cape Poly Challenge series. He was criticised for bringing the horse back from illness with three turf races, considering the Challenge was on poly.

However, he knew when he won the last of the three preparation turf races over 1400m his charge was “spot on.” He then “freshened him” up for the Challenge 1200m event, which he won by a head, and gave him “normal” work into the second leg 1400m race. He will now just keep him ticking over for the East Cape Poly Challenge 1600 on May 13, which is sure to attract a lot of interest from around the country because a win will land Van Onselen the R250,000 bonus from WSB.

The merit rated band conditions of each race of the series has made Gogethesheriff hard to beat at the weights, despite him having to carry 62kg on each occasion, because the upper band includes horses merit rated 100 and upward and he is merit rated 108.

Gogethesheriff has already qualified to earn a R50,000consolation prize, having won two legs of the Challenge.

There is no award at present which recognises the best poly horse in the country, but if Gogethesheriff “wins the Challenge 1600 it might be possible the snubbed Lammerskraal sire Go Deputy has both the best turf and poly horse in the country for the season as he is sire of both Gotthesheriff and the SA Triple Crown-chasing Abashiri.

World Sports Betting offered on course presenters the chance to earn big money for The East Cape Horse Care Unit at both legs of the Poly Challenge and will so at the last leg meeting too. The two presenters were given R10,000 to bet with and were allowed to win up to R100,000 for the much admired charity concern. However, if they fail to make any profit R10,000 will still be donated. So far amounts of R10,000 and R11,777 have been donated.

Community Chest will be selling all the races on the day, excluding the Poly Challenge race, as a fundraiser.

On the Friday evening after races, Fairview will host a cocktail party and charity auction with live music. This event is bound to be keenly supported by the local racing fraternity. The runners of the World Sports Betting East Cape Derby (Gr3) will also be auctioned for the charity on the evening.

Well known PE muso Claire Venn will be providing the musical entertainment on the Friday evening.