Domeyer jets in hoping to ride a double for the family
Jockey, who turns 36 on Saturday, set to partner Cala Muretta and War Empress at Free State track on Thursday
08 March 2023 - 19:07
byDAVID MOLLETT
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The phone call from father Andrew Fortune to his son Aldo Domeyer may have gone something like this: “Hey, son, I’ve got an early birthday present for you — two winners at the Vaal on March 9.”
Domeyer, who celebrates his 36th birthday on Saturday, will have answered the family call and is set to partner Cala Muretta (third race) and War Empress (fourth) at the Free State track on Thursday.
It’s been a topsy-turvy season for Domeyer, regular pilot of Candice Bass-Robinson’s star performer, Charles Dickens. Everything was going swimmingly until the colt was beaten in the King’s Plate and Cape Derby.
War Empress, R240,000 daughter of Vercingetorix, has been priced up evens favourite for the fourth race and, after two placed runs, should leave the maiden ranks.
It is a thin race with Stuart Pettigrew’s three-year-old Iron Sky rating the chief danger.
In the third race, Domeyer is booked for newcomer Cala Muretta, who cost the Ashley Fortune stable R300,000 when bought from Varsfontein Stud at last year’s National Yearling Sales. The dam Scandola retired a three-time winner.
But the runner who interests this column is Clinton Binda’s juvenile Ziyasha, bought by the Hollywood Syndicate at that same sale for R325,000.
The son of Rafeef went to that sale with the name of Spread Your Wings (a nice enough name), but Hollywood have since changed it to Ziyasha.
In the prerace comments in Winning Form, Binda says Ziyasha “will need the run” and — this being the case — it’s perhaps a surprise Keagan De Melo has been booked for the ride. This season’s leading rider will want every ride to have a winning chance.
Another interesting first-timer is Guy Gibson and, like Ziyasha, this grey son of Lancaster Bomber was also bred at Varsfontein stud. The colt is trained by Roy Magner and cost R400,000 as a yearling.
Ashley Fortune sends a team of 10 to her local track and both A Touch Of Sugar (fifth race) and Lil Miss Moneybags (eighth) have each-way chances. Ryan Munger rides both fillies.
In the fifth race, Sean Tarry will be expecting a big run from Broadlands, a daughter of Silvano who was bought by Kentucky-based breeder Antony Beck for R400,000. Gavin Lerena rides the filly for the second time.
Both Turnthebeataround and De Melo’s mount, Spring of Elizir, warrant inclusion in exotic perms in this 2,000m contest.
Trainer Grant Maroun will be on a high after Anfield Rocket’s grade 1 win last weekend. His ninth-race runner, In The Ether, has plenty of appeal. The filly takes a drop in class and is back among her own gender.
Though Mike de Kock’s runners don’t seem to do as well when he’s not in the country — he has been in Australia recently — his runner, Beaded Gown, is likely to start favourite in a bid to notch her second win.
Rock On Captain — formerly with Vaughan Marshall and now trained by Shayden Naidoo — also comes into the picture with promising apprentice Siyanda Sosibo in the saddle.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (6) Mia Fiore (1) Smelting (2) Glitterfox (9) Western Wishes
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Domeyer jets in hoping to ride a double for the family
Jockey, who turns 36 on Saturday, set to partner Cala Muretta and War Empress at Free State track on Thursday
The phone call from father Andrew Fortune to his son Aldo Domeyer may have gone something like this: “Hey, son, I’ve got an early birthday present for you — two winners at the Vaal on March 9.”
Domeyer, who celebrates his 36th birthday on Saturday, will have answered the family call and is set to partner Cala Muretta (third race) and War Empress (fourth) at the Free State track on Thursday.
It’s been a topsy-turvy season for Domeyer, regular pilot of Candice Bass-Robinson’s star performer, Charles Dickens. Everything was going swimmingly until the colt was beaten in the King’s Plate and Cape Derby.
War Empress, R240,000 daughter of Vercingetorix, has been priced up evens favourite for the fourth race and, after two placed runs, should leave the maiden ranks.
It is a thin race with Stuart Pettigrew’s three-year-old Iron Sky rating the chief danger.
In the third race, Domeyer is booked for newcomer Cala Muretta, who cost the Ashley Fortune stable R300,000 when bought from Varsfontein Stud at last year’s National Yearling Sales. The dam Scandola retired a three-time winner.
But the runner who interests this column is Clinton Binda’s juvenile Ziyasha, bought by the Hollywood Syndicate at that same sale for R325,000.
The son of Rafeef went to that sale with the name of Spread Your Wings (a nice enough name), but Hollywood have since changed it to Ziyasha.
In the prerace comments in Winning Form, Binda says Ziyasha “will need the run” and — this being the case — it’s perhaps a surprise Keagan De Melo has been booked for the ride. This season’s leading rider will want every ride to have a winning chance.
Another interesting first-timer is Guy Gibson and, like Ziyasha, this grey son of Lancaster Bomber was also bred at Varsfontein stud. The colt is trained by Roy Magner and cost R400,000 as a yearling.
Ashley Fortune sends a team of 10 to her local track and both A Touch Of Sugar (fifth race) and Lil Miss Moneybags (eighth) have each-way chances. Ryan Munger rides both fillies.
In the fifth race, Sean Tarry will be expecting a big run from Broadlands, a daughter of Silvano who was bought by Kentucky-based breeder Antony Beck for R400,000. Gavin Lerena rides the filly for the second time.
Both Turnthebeataround and De Melo’s mount, Spring of Elizir, warrant inclusion in exotic perms in this 2,000m contest.
Trainer Grant Maroun will be on a high after Anfield Rocket’s grade 1 win last weekend. His ninth-race runner, In The Ether, has plenty of appeal. The filly takes a drop in class and is back among her own gender.
Though Mike de Kock’s runners don’t seem to do as well when he’s not in the country — he has been in Australia recently — his runner, Beaded Gown, is likely to start favourite in a bid to notch her second win.
Rock On Captain — formerly with Vaughan Marshall and now trained by Shayden Naidoo — also comes into the picture with promising apprentice Siyanda Sosibo in the saddle.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (6) Mia Fiore (1) Smelting (2) Glitterfox (9) Western Wishes
2nd Race: No Selection
3rd Race: (8) Cala Muretta (7) Ziyasha (2) Guy Gibson (11) Winter Path
4th Race: (11) War Empress (1) Iron Sky (6) Cosmic Star (2) Axel Collins
5th Race: (2) Broadlands (1) Turnthebeataround (13) Spring Of Elizir (3) A Touch Of Sugar
6th Race: (8) Rosy Lemon (2) Afraad (3) Flag Bearer (1) Great Affair
7th Race: (5) Kwazzi’s Lady (3) Burmese Tiara (2) Tinder Dry (1) Bushveld
8th Race: (8) Silver Mensa (4) Lil Miss Moneybags (2) Highest Honour (11) Wings Of Nike
9th Race: (5) In The Ether (8) Beaded Gown (7) Rock On Captain (13) Conker The World
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