Kwazulu-Natal trainers had a field day at Turffontein on Saturday when Gavin van Zyl and Dennis Drier landed the R2 million SA Classic and the R1 million SA Fillies Classic double with Slumdogmillionaire and Bambina Stripes.
Van Zyl also won a Grade 3 race and the Herman Brown/Frank Robinson yard scored in a maiden event on a rain softened track which made the course a tough test for horse and jockey
Slumdogmillionaire, a colt by Strike Smartly, had only had three career outings before the SA Classic but his class was unmistakeable as he had recorded a 5.75 lengths victory in a Listed race at his second start and a third in the G2 Gauteng Guineas when nothing went right for him.
He started second favourite behind the highest rated three-year-old in the country, the Justin Snaith-trained Queen's Plate winner Gimmethegreenlight and was the surprise leader under Marthinus Mienie as they ran into the straight.
Gimmethegreenlight had used his early speed to get on to his quarters from a wide draw but Mienie extracted another gear from Slumdogmillionaire when challenged and the gallant colt didn't buckle when challengers appeared across the width of the straight.
He had to endure a late scare when Pomodoro came flying up on the outside under Wechong Marwing but Slumdogmillionaire held on with Silver Flyer and E-Jet third and fourth.
Givemethegreenlight faded to seventh.
“It was a brilliant win and a brilliant ride. Marthinus judged it very well,” said Van Zyl.
“Traditionally everybody wants to sit second, third or fourth but Marthinus was quite happy to take them on and go to the front.”
Van Zyl said he was not quite sure whether his charge would line up in that R1.5-million SA Derby.
“We'll have to wait and see how he goes. It's not a formality and I would say at this stage it's a 50-50 call. He is typical of a Strike Smartly horse in that they are usually a lot better as four-year-olds so he does need time to mature.”
At this stage he is likely to be aimed at the Daily News 2000 at Greyville in June.
Dennis Drier's Bambina Stripes, the Argentinian-bred daughter of Equal Stripes, had earlier run an incredible race in the Fillies Classic.
The 9-1 shot was forced to race three-wide and then appeared to be battling to quicken in the straight off the slow pace.
However she finally found her big stride under hard-driving from Alec Forbes and mowed down the field, getting up in time to beat the Robbie Sage-trained outsider Kalami by a head.
Control Freak, the much vaunted filly who demolished all and sundry in eight starts in Zimbabwe, started favourite and after being handy she faded in the latter stages to finish ninth.
Bambina Stripes looks to still have plenty of scope for improvement with the distance of the G1 Woolavington over 2000m at Greyville in early June looking ideal.
Bambina Stripes has raced in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in her five starts to date for three wins.
Dancewiththedevil got the going she enjoys to win the G1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes at Turffontein for the second year in succession and her fifth career G1 victory.
The unfashionably bred daughter of Modus Vivendi keeps proving everybody wrong, including owner-trainer St John Gray as he was concerned that a setback in training would cost her this race.
“Top horses always manage to rise to the occasion and she did so once again," he said.
Gavin Lerena renewed his winning relationship with the five-year-old mare who appreciated the softer going as she recorded one of the easiest win of day, beating Rudra by 3.25 lengths.
Van Zyl won another feature when Franny scored a comfortable three-length victory in the G3 Pretty Polly Stakes while War Horse produced a remarkable finish to grab the Protea Stakes.
The stable of champion trainer Mike de Kock won two of the G3 races on the card.
The Caradoc Gold Cup went to Atyeb while Checetti got first run on stablemate Flirtation to win the Jacaranda Handicap by 1.25 lengths.
The Man O' War Sprint went to Dominic Zaki's Deliver the Power.
