Smiles at Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile

Turffontein was brimful of atmosphere yesterday as charities and
celebrities, as well as enthusiastic members of the public, cheered home
their horses in the Gr 2 R1 million Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile.
The day also had six other stakes races and two lucrative Ready To Run Cup
Sales races as well as the popular money shower enjoyed by on course
patrons.


Trainer Alec Laird landed the Charity Mile for the second year running,
this time with the Argentinian-bred five-year-old gelding Bouclette Top,
who produced a strong, sustained finish under Gavin Lerena. Trainer Gavin
van Zyl had to settle for the runner up spot for the second year running
and this time it was M L Jet who was denied victory. The Mike de
Kock-trained Mitraad flew up late to snatch third.


Bouclette Top has shown notable improvement since being fitted with
blinkers for the first time in March this year and this was a fine feat as
he carried 58kg, 1kg more than last year’s winner Bezanova carried, and 4kg
more than M L Jet, whom he beat by a comfortable 2,25 lengths.


The lucky Charity attached to Bouclette Top was the Thembakazi Primary
After Care Centre and the celebrity representing them was an ecstatic
Jonathon Boynton-Lee.


M L Jet, who fought courageously all the way to the line, was attached to
the Khangezile Primary After Care Centre and they were represented by
celebrity Jen Su, while Mitraad was attached to San Michele charity and
Fezile Mphula was the celebrity representing them. The respective media
partners of the first three horses were Germiston City News, Tembisan and
48 Hours.


Thembakazi Prmary After care Centre received R150,000, Khangezile Primary
After Care Centre received R100,000, and San Michele received R80,000 while
the Highveld Horse Care Unit received R70,000 as they were attached to
fourth-placed Mac De Lago. All twelve of the remaining charities received
R50,000 each.


Earlier, the R2,015,000 Bloodstock South Africa Ready To Run Cup was won by
the Justin Snaith-trained Lineker, ridden by Piere Strydom, while the R2,5
million CTS Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup was won by the Gary
Alexander-trained Champagne Haze, ridden by Andrew Fortune. Champagne Haze
is a half-brother to a previous winner of this race, the Alexander-trained
Piere Jourdan. It was a particularly memorable day for the Alexander yard
because they also finished second in the Bloodstock South Africa Ready To
Run Cup with Crystal Glamour and third in the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run
Cup with Captain Chaos.


Strydom was at his brilliant best when winning the Gr 3 Starling Stakes on
the Robbie Sage-trained Madame Dubois, who had to overcome a wide draw in
the 1400m level weights three-year-old fillies event.


Mike de Kock won the Gr 3 Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m with New
Zealand-bred filly The Centenary, ridden by Randall Simons, and the Listed
Java Handicap over 2450m was won by the Uncle and Nephew combination, Weiho
and Wesley Marwing, with Captain Al gelding Fulcrum.


De Kock made it a double when Muwaary won the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes over
1400m under Anthony Delpech, whilst the Listed Golden Loom Handicap was won
by the Louis Goosen trained Doing It For Dan.


Peermont Emperors Palace Peermont Gaming and VIP Operations Executive Bob
Yearham congratulated all concerned and was delighted with the day's
outcome.