After brilliant 2021, things not so rosy for trainer Matchett

Paul Matchett has been in racing for four decades so he will know 2021 was going to be a tough act to follow. Even so, the former Zimbabwean champion trainer must now be staring at empty stable boxes with incredulity.

In 2021 Matchett was on cloud nine after saddling three-year-old filly War Of Athena to win the Triple Tiara and Battle Force to seven wins. Both horses are no longer in his stable.

This is because owner Roy Wentzel has decided to relocate the good number of horses he had with Matchett to KwaZulu-Natal. It comes shortly after it was revealed in Sporting Post that War Of Athena had tested positive for a prohibited substance after winning at Turffontein on December 18.

Wentzel is quoted as saying the decision to move his horses has nothing to do with that test. There are comments for and against the owner on social media and, of course, it’s his prerogative to place his horses where he wishes.

War Of Athena is reportedly bound for a flight to New York on March 7 where she will spend 60 days in quarantine. Then the plan is to race her — probably in California — and this is a welcome and bold move as it will test a SA-bred champion against top American horses.

But — as Matchett has done so well with Battle Force — the decision to move the Act Of War gelding is a surprise. He is only a four-year-old so has plenty of racing ahead of him.

What is also a surprise is that news of War Of Athena’s positive test has been so low key. We’re talking about a horse who was favourite for the horse-of-the-year award — it is a big story yet seems to have been missed by the media.

Strange because members of the press — including this reporter — receive regular media releases from the National Horse Racing Authority (NHA) on suspensions and disqualifications.

It is interesting that Arnold Hyde, racing control executive of the NHA, commented on the War Of Athena case where the anti-inflammatory drug Dexamethasone was detected. Apparently the drug had not fully cleared and Hyde said: “Sometimes these things happen.”

Matchett sends five runners to the Vaal on Tuesday and Gallic Chief — formerly trained in KZN — can upset the favourite Godswood in the seventh race.

The son of Vercingetorix will sport blinkers for the first time and — as he is a speedy sort — may be difficult to peg back if he establishes a big lead.

Trainer Paul Peter has engaged promising apprentice Kaidan Brewer for Godswood and his 2.5kg claim will reduce the gelding’s weight to 60kg. Gavin Lerena’s mount Marengo may prove the pick of the other runners.

In the second race, Matchett’s three-year-old Twice A Miracle has the advantage of pole position but may have to settle for a minor placing behind Peter’s filly Maiden’s Cove.

Gary Player, a co-owner in recent Tommy Hotspur winner Gallic Princess, is also involved in this race with a three-year-old simply called Player. The colt made a promising debut in December and looks like another good mount for Lerena.

SELECTIONS

1st Race: No Selection

2nd Race: (14) Maiden’s Cove (13) Twice A Miracle (10) Player (12) Toffas

3rd Race: (6) Night Lily (4) Maria’s World (1) Rattle Bag (7) Kissed By Fire

4th Race: (3) Juan Carlos (2) Black Thorn (9) Traveling Wilbury (6) Un Deux Trois

5th Race: (4) Phoenix (5) Fire Flower (1) Rouge Allure (8) Flame Flower

6th Race: (4) Ontheverge (10) Three Hills (6) Crusade To Royalty (5) Liverpool Legend

7th Race: (6) Gallic Chief (1) Godswood (7) Marengo (4) All Of Me

8th Race: (9) Esquevelle (7) Frontline Fighter (5) Jet Cat (13) Insatiable