TOP weight of 60kg couldn’t stop Capricorn Ridge on his way to a good win in a competitive MR77 Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein on the final day of the current Workriders Series, Saturday.
Capricorn Ridge, well handled by Francis Semela, gathered momentum from the tail end of a small field and when he reached top speed at the 200m-mark it was all over bar the shouting. The three-year-old by Tiger Ridge drew away to win easier than the 1.25-length margin would suggest.
This was the first leg of an outstanding winning treble for Semela, who started the day 26 points behind Chamu Mabaya but produced a remarkable challenge, accumulating 47 points in the course of the meeting to reel in and tie Mabuya for the series title – both closing with 73 points. (At the time of posting this article, the final points tally was not yet confirmed – Ed).
Equus 2013 Work Rider of the Year, Francis Semela.
Semela, who is a neat rider and looks good on a horse, thanked Mike de Kock’s team for the opportunity and said that he expected Capricorn Ridge to win. “I am not surprised because he’s been working well. I was happy at the back of the field, I could balance my horse and we had time to get going in the long straight.”
Mathew de Kock, saddling for the stable, thanked members of the Tiger Ridge Syndicate for their patience with Capricorn Ridge, one who had not been easy to handle. Mathew said: “We figured him out, got to the bottom of him and it was a plan come together. Thanks to my dad, who suggested two sprints before putting him over ground and he was spot on.”
Tiger Ridge also sired the winner of the Gr2 KRA Fillies at Greyville, where Jessica Slack, Liz Ladeira and the Equine Group’s Chris Haynes and Gary Grant were delighted to see the Brett Crawford-trained Maybe Yes post a convincing win in a field that included two classic winners and several other top three-year-old fillies.
Maybe Yes was born roughly six weeks before Capricorn Ridge and as young horses they ran around the same paddocks at Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift Stud.
