TWO feature races form part of what should be one of the best meetings at the Fairview racetrack in Greenbushes for quite a while.
The R175 000 Ibhayi Stakes over 1 400m and the R150 000 Lady’s Pendant over 1 200m are the highlights of Friday’s meeting on the turf surface.
The East Cape Sophomore Challenge, consisting of three legs, will also start with the Ibhayi Stakes. It is a race for three-year-olds, which has been won by big names like Fairy Knight, Khaya’s Hope, Global Drummer and Blaze of Fire in the past.
The Lady’s Pendant, won by Three Rocks last season, is for fillies and mares over 1 200m.
These are two cracking races, races six and seven, on what should be an exciting card of eight races.
Khaya’s Hope was the winner of the Ibhayi Stakes two seasons ago and last Friday he showed he is still producing top-class performances. He won a Pinnacle Stakes over 1 400m and when in this form, Khaya’s Hope can certainly add to his tally of eight career wins (from 20 starts).
Khaya’s Hope’s victory was one of the highlights of the Valentine’s Day meeting, and yes, everyone at Fairview knew it was Valentine’s Day.
Known as the Dynamic Duo, the Fairview ladies, Gail Rieder and Marilyn Smith, made the meeting an extra special one.
The Bold Silvano Room was splendidly decked out and the respective winning horses on the day looked beautiful in the custom-made rose garland.
Another star at the Fairview meetings these days is the 21-year-old Johannesburg-based race commentator, Naqeeb Munshi. He has quickly become very popular at Fairview with his professionalism and approachable personality.
Race commentary is not the easiest job but Munshi always makes time to show interested people what is going on behind the scenes in the commentary box.
There is a good chance Munshi will be calling home horses trained by Alan Greeff and ridden to victory by Richard Fourie this coming Friday.
The Greeff-Fourie combination has been in sublime form all season and won four of the eight races last Friday.
Don’t forget the other potent combination of trainer, Gavin Smith, and jockey, Craig Zackey. Fourie is well on his way to win the East Cape jockey championship again but Zackey is enjoying his best Fairview season ever.
He has been trying his best to get the better of Fourie and their rivalry has become a regular feature of Fairview racing.
Fourie has already ridden 76 winners since the Fairview season started in August last year.
Zackey is set to become the second jockey to reach 50 winners. He needs three more.
The championship for the Fairview-based jockeys is hotting up after Yuzae Ramzan picked up a winner at the last meeting.
Ramzan (9 winners) still has some work to do to catch Eldin Webber (15). Charles Ndlovu (6) feels he is also still in the race.
