No. 1996
MONDAY 2nd - THURSDAY 5th DECEMBER 2013
ISSN 1023 / 6996
FLAMINGO PARK 12:20pm (Monday) p.4
VAAL SAND 1:15pm (Tuesday) p.11
KENILWORTH 12:30pm (Wednesday) p.23
VAAL 12:25pm (Thursday) p.30
Rejuvenated. The KZN raider Devon Gold carries a light weight and looks very competitive
MR95 HANDICAP at Vaal on Tuesday
T
KZN trainers have raided the Vaal sand with some success in recent times and Adam Kethro’s right hand man Gary Rich is expecting a forward run from the Muhtafal gelding Devon Gold in Tuesday’s topliner. Handily weighted and fit, the return road trip so soon after his last start is the team’s only concern. he publicity shy Adam Kethro is based at Springfield Stud and besides his equine interests, farms cattle and trades in farming equipment.
Confident
The Kethro racing string comprises twenty horses, of which 14 are unraced and nine of those are 2yo’s. His assistant Gary Rich was upbeat and confident when interviewed about the
prospects of their only runner in what is a rather tough looking MR 95 to be run over 1200m. Rich, who trained for his own account for 14 years and worked for many years for the SA Jockey Academy
at Shongweni and in Port Elizabeth, is a quietly astute horseman, who rates Devon Gold’s chances.
Long Road
Based in Mooi River, the Kethro horses travel the four and a half hours to Vereeniging by road on the morning of the race, and return home straight after racing. “He showed us good work on the sand and was finishing just behind them on the turf down here. His
first run on the surface just over a fortnight ago was a promising effort and he starts fit on Tuesday. I am a little concerned about travelling so soon after that, but he is a good traveller, so it may not play a decisive role,” he said. Devon Gold is no budding champion as a three time winner at the age of six, but showed nice spark at his first try on the sand when losing ground before running on well for a 1,75 second over Tuesday’s course
and distance to the Stephen Moffat runner, Storm Incoming. While up in class, he will be ridden again by the 2,5kg claimer Collen Thabana and comes in with a paperweight Cont. p.2