Champion Returns To Ride On Big Day
One of South African racing’s favorite sons will return to our shores to compete in the highlight of the season, the World Pool Gold Cup race meet at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday 30th July.
Multiple South African champion Lyle Hewitson told the Sporting Post on Tuesday he was looking forward to returning to his native country for three weeks and desperate to race alongside some winners at one of the biggest race meetings of the season.
Lyle Hewitson – back in SA for three weeks (Image – HKJC)
“Our Hong Kong season ends on Sunday 16th July at Sha Tin and I felt it was fitting to attend a Hong Kong World Pool sponsored race meet. It will be great to rekindle relationships and meet familiar faces and people who were there when I started. I’m very excited and looking forward to it,” added the man, who currently has 48 wins and two matches remaining in the Hong Kong tenure.
The 25-year-old was crowned South African Champion Jockey in the 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2020/21 seasons and was also South African Champion Apprentice in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons.
Records show that Lyle’s last ride on African soil was at Turffontein on October 30, 2021 when he finished second at Nebraas in a MR 103 handicap. Three months earlier he had won the Gold Cup on the Tarry Galopper, beating Richard Fourie on the Silver Host.
Nebraas and Lyle Hewitson won the 2021 Gold Cup (Image – Candies Lenferna)
Nebraas, now 6 years old, recently ran midfield in the Gr3 SplashOut 2200 at Hollywoodbets Durban-July Day and the son of Vercingetorix will be fit when Lyle renews his association with him on World Pool Gold Cup day as they try to win our first permanent race to win second time in partnership.
Nebraas appears to be the second choice for the Tarry stable in the 3200m marathon this year, behind Future Pearl, a three-year-old Futura gelding, again ridden by Richard Fourie.
Gold Circle reports that Future Pearl is out to win the unofficial Stayers Triple Crown.
He was a 3.25 length winner of the Gr 3 WSB Gold Bowl 3200m at Turffontein Standside and an easy 2.80 length winner of the Gr 3 DSTV Gold Vase 2400m at Hollywoodbets Durban-July Day.
If he were to land the third “Gold” stayer race, he would have matched the performance of 2017’s Weiho Marwing-trained Hermoso Mundo.
Sean Tarry won the Gr.
Future Pearl, a tenacious guy who enjoyed soft terrain in his two Gr-3 wins, therefore comes in well weighted at 55kg, which is just 1kg over the race’s base weight of 54kg.
Future Pearl went from 106 to 112 for his Gold Vase win and would have gotten more than six points considering he was eased far from the finish line.
That’s in contrast to Dean Kannemeyer-trained Runaway Song, who went from 24 points to 116 to win the Track & Ball Derby. Runaway Song, a four-year-old Legislate gelding, carried top weight in the gold vase and was beaten by 10.90 lengths. With Future Pearl he will only be 1 kg better off in the Gold Cup.
The underweight for the big race was increased from 52kg to 54kg last year.
Future Pearl has had good results in four of the 22 entries and Nebraas will also jump from a fair barrier position in nine draws in the 3200m marathon.
Tarry told Gold Circle about Future Pearl: “He’s a big horse, big action, I always knew he wanted the ground. The races just didn’t go that early for him, but at the same time I held him back a bit so he could strengthen. He is furnished and doing well at the moment.”
Future Pearl – Tarry Stall selection in Gold Cup (Image – Candies Lenferna)
Between his Gold Bowl and Gold Vase wins, Future Pearl ran the 2400m Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup and finished an unlucky 6th place.
Tarry said: “He didn’t manage to make a run, they were driving slowly and he was handicapped and penned in. At the end of the race he ran a little further, but it was a slow run and the run wasn’t to his liking.”
Tarry said of Nebraas, who did not place in the Gr 2 Splashout 2200: “To be fair the July consolation race was a pretty slow race, it was difficult for the horses to go faster.”
Nebraas carries 59kg in the Gold Cup, which means he receives 1kg from last year’s winner Shangani and only has to give up 4kg to Future Pearl.
“I think he’s a reasonable weight. He’s had good preparation so there’s no way I would write him off,” Tarry concluded.
