A four-winner week!

Corne Spies enjoyed a super late April week with two winners apiece in two centres, and nice momentum going into the KZN Champions Season. Craig Zackey booted home all four of them.

High FlyBy, unplaced against colts at Greyville ten days ago, travelled up and down from her home base to take on her own sex in a Polytrack race over 1400m on Monday, 18 April, had no trouble this time and won by 2,75-lengths.

High Flybe. (Gold Circle).

“High FlyBy is by Ideal World, so she’s improving as she matures and I believe she’s a filly that will win again,” said Corne, who races this one in partnership with Alfred Pawson and Jannie De Lange’s Waste Glass Recovery.

Bevoeterd, pulled no punches.

Bevoeterd seems to enjoy soft going and finally found the right race to win his Maiden at the Vaal on Tuesday. He’s by Anger (BRZ) the Elusive Quality horse who was Champion Sprinter for Corne on the old Vaal sand track. Corne said: “Anger was very fast, but didn’t get support as a stallion, he died after siring two small crops and is one of those sad stories of a stallion that could’ve made it if he was given some good mares.

“Jannie Meyer bred Bevoeterd, he is Anger’s only’s representative on track, he is no star but tries hard, maybe he can pick up one more,” Corne assessed.

Newcomer Prophet (Querari) is a full brother to the exported Dingaans winner Monk’s Hood and on that alone has a future. His first racetrack performance at the Vaal on Thursday was enough to suggest that he is one who could go places too.

Prophet, 4.25-length winner.

Corne said: “I expected him to win, but not this easily, so this was impressive. He looked green and all at sea going through the 600m but when he found his rhythm he just put them to bed, he raced on by and won going away.”

Corne will be aiming Prophet at several Kwazulu-Natal features. There is a G3 coming up soon, followed by the G1 Gold Medallion at the end of May and the two-year-old feature on July day. He is one to watch.

The stable was very pleased to train this winner for Arne Botha and family of Benmarne Stud, represented on course by Izak Bergh. “We’ll hold thumbs Prophet can fulfill his obvious potential,” Corne said.

Imperial Ruby, well ridden.

Stalwart stayer Imperial Ruby (Silvano), was due to run at Greyville last week and had to remain in KZN for the week due to postponement of the meeting to Friday. But it was all worth while as he took the Highland Night Cup over 2400m under a well-judged ride from Zackey – his second stayer’s feature and seventh career win for Pawson, Xander Spies, Suzette and Basie Viljoen and Spies Racing.

“Imperial Ruby a soldier. We’ll go next for the OK Gold Bowl, a race he won as a three-year-old, and then we’ll look at races like the Gold Vase and the Gold Cup later this season in KZN,” said Corne.