EC shows off local racing strength on the track

ONE for the Eastern Cape boys!

This comment from jockey Warren Kennedy said a lot about what is going on these days in the important horse races at Fairview.

Kennedy spoke shortly after winning one of those races, the East Cape Guineas, at last Friday’s meeting.

His sentiments underlined that there is fierce and healthy rivalry between the Western Cape visitors and the local boys when they contest those important (Listed) races.

The big Cape Town stables regularly make the trip to Fairview in search of the prize money and the local stables have to be at the top of their game to keep the silverware at home.

This month there were four Listed races, the Breeders Guineas, the East Cape Fillies Nursery and then the two which were part of last Friday’s meeting, the Guineas and the East Cape Sprint Cup.

This was a great opportunity for the Eastern Cape to show the strength of Nelson Mandela Bay Racing and they did exactly that.

In three of those four races it was a Cape Town horse that started as the favourite to win it but the honours went to the East Cape in all four events.

Earlier in the month, Europeana, from the Alan Greeff stable won the Breeders Guineas and the Jacques Strydom-trained Chere For Me won the Fillies Nursery.

Last Friday was a special meeting for trainer Gavin Smith when he won the Guineas and the Sprint Cup.

Kennedy declared a win for the Eastern Cape after a peach of a ride on Safari Blue in the Guineas.

Then it was the turn of the ultra-consistent Global Drummer, to once again show his class with a brilliant win in the Sprint Cup.

JP van der Merwe, Smith’s son-in-law, was in the saddle for this one and didn’t make a mistake in bringing the gutsy horse home for another victory.

Global Drummer has done incredibly well for the Smith stable and has now won 15 races from 19 starts – no wonder he is such a crowd favourite!

The victory of Global Drummer was number 91 of the season for Smith. The stable is enjoying a wonderful period and that 100th winner will most probably be on the scoreboard sometime next month.

The Western Cape raiders will be back at Fairview next month for the big meeting on the 15th.

On that day the East Cape Oaks and the Glenlair Trophy will be the main attractions. There have been some Western Cape entries for these races and that meeting should be another cracker.

Fairview in April

1: Turf Track

8: Poly Track

12: Poly Track

15: Turf Track – Glenlair & Oaks

22: Fairview

29: Poly Track

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