My best shot is the new equine hero in the Eastern Cape after making history in sensational fashion at the Fairview racetrack in Greenbushes.
He became the first horse to win all three legs of the East Cape Sophomore Challenge for three-year-old horses when he won the R350,000 WSB East Cape Derby this past Friday.
After so many horses came close but were unable to win the Triple Crown over many years, My Best Shot did it with consummate ease. In the process, he secured a bonus of R250,000 for his connections.
My Best Shot won the first two legs, the Ibhayi Stakes over 1400m in February, and the East Cape Guineas over 1600m in March, also very easily.
The Derby over 2400m is a test of stamina but My Best Shot had no problem, winning with about five lengths under champion jockey, Richard Fourie. My Best Shot was bought for R120,000 at the Cape Yearling Sale and has earned more than a million rand in prize money if you include the bonus.
He has now registered nine wins with five places from his 15 races. My Best Shot is a strong candidate to be crowned as the East Cape Horse of the Year when the current season ends with the meeting on July 25th.
It is exciting times for champion trainer, Alan Greeff, and the co-owners of My Best Shot, as they plan the rest of this star’s career. My Best Shot is owned in partnership by the trainer and his wife, Glennifer, Darryl Yutar, Hilton Yutar, Nick and Val McFall, Gary Piha and Greg Blank.
They were all at Fairview to join in the Triple Crown celebrations.
My Best Shot was the star of the show but it wasn’t the only brilliant performance witnessed by the spectators at Derby Day. The supporting feature was the Dahlia Plate for two-year-old horses over 1200m, which was won impressively by Anotherdanceforme.
The filly is also trained by Greeff and is unbeaten from her four starts.
She was ridden by 57-year-old Andrew Fortune, who admitted that he was happy not to have worked very hard to secure victory, as the filly did most of it by herself. Derby Day started with the work riders getting another chance to show off their skills. Musa Ntunja was the man of the moment when he won with House of Sussex.
This makes the race to be crowned as the Work Rider of the season even more intense as five riders have each won a race. There is only one race for the amateur riders left in the season and it is going to be a cracker!
After the vibrant atmosphere on Derby Day it will be a bit quieter at Fairview this coming Friday with eight races on the Polytrack.
The next meeting on the turf is on the 23rd, when the pace will pick up again.
Exciting nominations have been received for the two feature races on that day, the Milkwood Stakes and the Fairview 1400.
