Flamingo Park activates R500 000 Supreme Series Bonus
Kimberley's Flamingo Park Festival was a fun-filled day for families under sunny skies and the racing provided thrills within the usual relaxed, rustic atmosphere.
Kimberly’s biggest annual race, the R200 000 RA Flamingo Mile, was won by the combination of Sarel Von Willingh Smit and Francois Herholdt for the second year in succession and this time they did it with the evergreen and consistent Stone Pine.
The seven-year-old Spectrum gelding, who started at odds of 10/1, made an early dash for home and the well supported Tienie Prinsloo-trained 9/2 shot Latino’s Jet tried hard to catch him under Craig Zackey but was a quarter-of-a-length shy at the line.
The topweight and hot 11/10 favourite, the Mike de Kock-trained Capricorn Ridge, was a touch unlucky in third under Randall Simons because he was traveling well entering the straight but his momentum was affected by a horse crossing to the outside in front of him.
Possibly the most interesting of the three features of the day was the R135,000 World Sports Betting Sprint over 1000m, because this formed the first leg of the Super Supreme Series, which carries a R500 000 bonus for any horse that can win all three legs. The Louis Goosen-trained four-year-old Var gelding raided from his Vaal base and started favourite at odds of 17/10 despite carrying joint topweight.
He was delivered with a perfectly timed challenge by former national champion jockey Andrew Fortune, who weighed 70kg three months ago and has earned renewed admiration for his resolve to get back to doing what he loves best and do it as well as ever.
Varbration won by 0,7 lengths from the Von Willingh Smit-trained Herholdt-ridden 30/1 outsider Beez Brothers. The Corne Spies-trained filly, Sarve, who started at odds of 7/1, showed her class by finishing third with joint topweight under Ryan Munger.
Fortune was at his brilliant best in the first feature of the day, the R100 000 RA Diamond Stayers over 2200m, which he won aboard the topweight and 22/10 favourite, the Tienie Prinsloo-trained five-year-old Judpot gelding Pontedera. Fortune dictated from the off and his pace judgement proved to be immaculate because Pontedera pulled away effortlessly in the straight to win by 2,25 lengths and Fortune could even afford to look over his shoulder and ease his mount in typical fashion.
The Coerie Lensley-trained 35/1 outsider Steady As Rock finished second under Timothy Pretorius and the Cliffie Miller-trained 3/1 chance Wimoweh, ridden by Craig Zackey, was a well beaten third.
World Sports Betting presented a R50 000 cheque to the Horse Care Unit after the running of the World a sports Betting Sprint.
