We enjoyed a lovely weekend with two winners, and the stable’s tally from a presently small racing string is up to eight winners for the season at a good 13% strike rate, and gross stakes earnings approaching R1-million.
Spirit Of Gabz (headline photo) is as game as they come and he posted his fourth career win from 16 starts at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Friday, 7 November – in the same manner as his first three wins – fighting gamely to the line and just keeping his head in front under jockey Serino Moodley.
“He was only five lengths off in a feature recently and when the field cut up there were only two speed horses in the race. It played into our hands,” said Moodley. “It was a very good win, because I had to go a little bit early. He’s a fighter.”
Said Corne Spies: “Spirit Of Gabz wants to win, he’s a hard trier. A big well done to all the owners. They are enthusiastic and in the game for the right reasons.
Spirit Of Gabz races for a spirited group of owners including UK-based Chris Brown, Selina and Doubt Sibanda, Vishal Maahabeer, Jay Soobiah, Pieter Viljoen, Lenny Pillay, Ajith Asaram, Rob MacNab and Xander Spies. He is by freshman Chimichuri Run and was bred by Bruce le Roux and Thinus Gericke at Blue Sky Thoroughbreds.
High Fidelity is a smart sort who was well fancied to exit the Maidens at Turffontein on Saturday. He did it in impressive style under Mickaelle Michel, who said: “He looked outstanding and moved beautifully. He’s a massive horse with a big action, has to be ridden where he is comfortable, to let him roll. He’s going to be a very nice horse.”
Xander Spies said: “The gelding helped, and he puts up magnificent work. Mickaelle rode him perfectly. He is a good horse, we expect him to go to the top.”
High Fidelity races for Xander in partnership with Rob Macnab, Darryl Bailie, Stergio Poriazis, Adv Hansie Schutte & Corne Spies Racing (Pty) Ltd.
He is a Varsfontein-bred by Vercingetorix out of Fidelity, by Captain Al.