2015-07-06Staff Report 2 Rehoboth The Legal Shield sponsored race horse Master Chi paddled by veteran jockey Concrete Bohithile was the star attraction at the Khomas Medical Centre July Handicap horse racing meet at the Naris Turf Club Championship in Rehoboth on Saturday. The five-year old gilding saddled by the popular jockey showed his competitors a clean pair of hoofs in the decisive ‘King of the Dirt’ 1800m open sprint – shaking off his challengers by a comfortable three lengths to claim first place and be crowned the overall champion of the one-day event. The championship attracted a significant number of 54 horses battling it out in a strong field of eight different gruelling race categories, ranging from the 1 000m (maiden/graduation), 1 000m D/A, 1 400m (maiden), 1 800m (graduation) to the 1 800m (open) and the gruelling high-profile 2 200m open where the boys were separated from the men. The day doubtlessly belonged to Philosophy from the Alberts and Van der Vent stable after the thoroughbred Mare shook off some unwanted attention from eight challengers. She cleared the field by narrowly edging ahead of the closest contestants by a nose distance to claim first place in the opening race, the 1 000m maiden. Philosophy added to her accolades with another hard fought victory, this time clearing a bumper packed competitive field of eight entrants in the 1 400m sprint in a closely contested race that went down to the wire. Master Chi was not to be outdone and got his campaign off to a good start coming out unscathed in the 1 000m graduation category. In the 1 000m D division, Elroy van Wyk’s’ thoroughbred mare Rosegold came out tops as she edged ahead of her closest rivals by a half a length. Raging Bull certainly lived up to its tag, when the gilding from the Junius racing stable splashed thick dust in the faces of the chasing pack by a considerable distance to claim first spot in the A-1000m category. Hiskia Kanangure’s thoroughbred gilding Velocity One had few peers in the 1 000m graduation – clearing the field by more than five lengths ahead of the chasing pack. Castle Rock from the Christians, Freygang and Diergaardt stable was crowned the winner in the open 1 800m - crossing the finishing line by almost three lengths in the mouth-watering line-up of five entrants including the popular but ageing Swaairokie. 2015-07-06Staff Report 2
