The ill-fated ARC Springbok finally got underway at Central Park this morning, though the action lived up to the eccentricity traditionally associated with the event.
The planned 36-runner event had already been been reduced to 16 due to lack of entries. The original start date was put back due to a floodlight failure and the 16 runners were reduced to 15 following the withdrawal (bitten) of Aayamza Storm.
With four of the five runners due to qualify from the three heats, the 29.59 (-20) trialstake winner Borna Rhythm (T6) impressively got things underway in the first qualifier in 29.90. Bobbing Gnavatar (T4) was second. However (since this is the Springbok) third placed Over Speed Limit (T3) had tested the patience of the stewards when marked ‘awkward’ between the third and fourth bends.
It is of course one of the typical ironies of novice hurdle racing that the classiest jumper in the field, Lenson Doolin (T2), is one of the minority whose honesty in not questioned on the flat. Ricky Holloway’s 28.88 flat winner, who has a 29.09 over the jumps, was unflustered, if a little workmanlike, when clocking the fastest time of the day, 29.86. Cloyne History (T1) was second.
But then things took a more familiar twist in the last qualifier when favourite Killieford Ally (T6), who had more ‘waiting’ history than an Uber driver, decided to bore inwards on the run-in to have his card marked. Smuts New Mut (T3) survived the encounter to prevail in 30.19.
