Kom, Candice take honours at Flamingo

Kom Naidoo does not seem to leave Flamingo Park empty-handed and on Saturday he once again came away from the meeting with three winners, two of which were features – the Department of Development and Tourism Diamond Stayers over 2200m with 2-1 favourite Sabre Charge, and the Racing Association Sprint over 1000m with 20-1 shot Roy’s Marciano. He also won Race 9 with Tuscan.

Roy’s Marciano was ridden by apprentice Eric Ngwane while apprentice Lyle Hewitson rode the other two.

However, the R200,000 Flamingo Park Mile remained in Kimberley as it was won by Cliffe Mille owned and trained Dodgy Itie, ridden by Marco van Rensburg. Roy’s Dispren was widely expected to win this one but was always under pressure and in the end it was 12-1 shot Dodgy Itie who scored a facile three lengths win over Elusive Singer and Jaguar.

Van Rensburg always felt his mount had a big chance. “Besides Candice Dawson’s runners, my mount was the best weighted. He’s a horse who has got gate speed, he can go to front in a 1200m race. So my intentions were always to use my weight, use the turn around, bounce him out and place him.

“The track is running very heavy. You know if you are travelling well and you can quicken at the top of the straight. It’s very hard for them make it up on you under the conditions and you just have to make sure you can stay there.

“I knew my mount was t and I knew he was going to be ready. So I took the opportunity, I placed him up second and when I came into the straight I sent him and said to myself let’s see if they can catch us,” said Van Rensburg.

The other trainer to go away with three winners was Candice Dawson. She won Race 2 with Burning Ambition, Race 4 with Town Flyer and the final event on the card with Supreme Vision.

As far as the jockeys were concerned both Hewitson and Craig Zackey rode a double. The first Kimberley Work Riders race took place and was won by 22-10 favourite Jet Sailor who was ridden by Emilio Matusse.