•Whilst the rich zest of glamour and sparkles bedazzled all and sundry, there was no escaping the fervour and pizazz with which the thousand-strong crowd supported the racing.
•The 1600m Gifted Warrior Handicap run over 1600m was easily carried by Easterly, trained by the personable Ollie Gray.
Image: KABIR DHANJI
Ngong Racecourse had another terrific day of horse racing last weekend complete with a fete of food, drink, and entertainment.
The weather decided that the full and competitive card deserved a day under the sun, and so the loyal and the faithful, together with the new and fervent, packed the grounds and the grandstand to witness the exciting spectacle and revel in the festivities under a gloriously warm afternoon.
Once again, in the tradition of racing, fashion was centre stage to complement the races, headlined by bespoke tailors Le Kasri, Kenya’s top male model, Gabu Fords, BMX madcap and model, Joel William Onyango, and one of Kenya’s most vogue and trending unisex fashion brands, Liquid Lemn, as well as the hoi polloi of local and international who is who, all dressed “de riguer” in a scene that mimicked a fashion editorial feature.
Whilst the rich zest of glamour and sparkles bedazzled all and sundry, there was no escaping the fervour and pizazz with which the thousand-strong crowds supported the racing.
Several jockeys have commented that the floods of people have made racing more colourful and entertaining for them, to hear the roar and roister of encouragement, which every athlete needs in measure.
Nowhere was the noise louder or the cheers more fanatic than the main race of the day, the 3:50 PM 1600m Civil Service Gold Cup which saw Lady Spencer’s mighty Saint Moritz against the more established and ranking General Lee.
In the same pioneering spirit that Amelia Earhart became the first woman to pilot a solo plane across the Atlantic Ocean on the same date in 1932, so too did the seasoned Lesley Sercombe, the only female jockey in the 2022/23 Kenya calendar, guide Saint Moritz to an uncomplicated victory of 4½ lengths, and extend her lead in the jockey championship ahead of J Muhindi who finished second with General Lee.
Ms Sercombe was elated and said “Saint Moritz is a legend! A horse of a lifetime! He has taught me so much in such a short time.
A gift so few of us are given. How to trust, how to let go and believe, how to enjoy as a pair what we do no matter what. So grateful to have this chance to be a part of your life and keep you safe.”
The other races populating the day were more closely fought and almost all decided through the last 50 meters of the sprint, starting with the 2060m Torrequebrada Handicap, where Mrs. G Fraser’s Cindy upset the favourite, GoPro, by 1½ lengths in a closely fought contest.
The 1:30 PM 2400m Cambrian Handicap, the longest race of the day, saw the Satyan, the tipsters pick, win by a comfortable 2½ lengths.
The 1000m Cambric Cup sprint was the closest race of the day with Century Fox, owned by Mrs M Haynes, and the record holder over this distance, win by ½ length from Dusha on the line.
The 1400m Secret War Maiden, a mid-distance scamper, saw the biggest upset of the day with the outside bet of Arlington at 6/1, trained by Mrs S McCann and owned by Mrs Mary Binks, win by 2¾ lengths.
The 1600m Gifted Warrior Handicap run over 1600m was easily carried by Easterly, trained by the personable Ollie Gray.
The last race of the day, the 4:25 PM 1200m dash, was a photo finish crowd spectacle that saw the unlikely and unfavored Wimborne, who sat at 7/4, win by a ¾ length. This was also the first double victory for apprentice jockey R Wako who will now move up a class.
Ben Lawrence, the new General Manager at the Jockey Club of Kenya (JCK) was thrilled about the carnival saying, “It’s important that racing does well because it’s one of Kenya’s oldest sports and a part of the country’s heritage, and it’s beautiful to watch and a wonderful family day out, lovely crowd, fantastic racing, and a great buzz.”