Halcyon day for KZN racing

DAVID THISELTON

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IT was a halcyon day for KZN racing on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Greyville as Hollywoodbets officially took over the province's racing and it was thus fitting that the province's trainers, owners and jockeys had fine days respectively, while Hollywood Racing fittingly had a winner as did their brands and communications manager Devin Heffer.

Summerveld trainers Stuart Ferrie and Michael Roberts ran one-two in one of of the Gr 2 features, while Peter Muscutt won a Listed feature and both Nathan Kotzen and MJ Odendaal had doubles, while hometown jockeys Muzi Yeni and Sean Veale also had doubles and hometown owners Devin Heffer, Michel Nairac and Ravi Naidoo all had Gr 2 winners.

Gladatorian

The Ferrie-trained five-year-old Vercingetorix gelding Gladatorian was offered at 20/1 by Hollywoodbets in the opening ante-post market for the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m, but by race time in a field that had cut down to 12 the classy Vercingetorix gelding was the Tote favourite and was a bookmakers starting price of 9/2.

Sean Veale did well to hold his position from draw five early on as Gladatorian was being pushed sideways on the hindquarters by the slower starting Great Plains, who was heading for the same gap.

Veale settled Gladatorian in midfield with cover, while meanwhile the Roberts-trained second favourite See It Again had probably the best start of his career and was one of first away from draw two under his new rider Raymond Danielson, who then settled him in the running three back on the rail.