Abashiri Sweeps South African Triple Crown
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Abashiri won the South African Derby (SAF-I) April 30 at Turffontein racecourse near Johannesburg to complete a sweep of nation's Triple Crown.
The gelding by former U.S. grade I winner Go Deputy previously captured the first two legs in impressive fashion: the Gauteng Guineas (SAf-II) and SA Classic (SAf-I).
The handsome bay is the third horse since Horse Chestnut (in 1999) to secure the classic series; Louis The King completed the same feat in 2014.
Trained by Mike Azzie, Abashiri was sent off a restrictive 1-6 favorite. His nearest rival in the pre-race market was SA Classic third-place finisher Samurai Blade, from the yard of reigning champion trainer Sean Tarry, who was sent off a 10-1 chance.
Scheme Of Things, a stable companion to Abashiri, was entered as a pacemaker for the favorite, and he duly carried out his duties after the early running was made by Premier Chance. At the start, listed Derby Trial winner Bankable Teddy lost two lengths.
Jockey Karl Zechner, who has ridden Abashiri in his past four races, dropped his mount to the back of the field with just two behind Abashiri early on.
Coming to the 1,200-meter mark, Abashiri was still well off the front-runners and was 12 lengths off his stablemate, who continued to set a steady pace. At the top of the straight, the field fanned out; Abashiri was brought to the outside and quickly closed ground.
With 300 meters left to run as the leaders faded out of contention, Abashiri had hit the front, but just as his supporters began to cheer him home, longshot Rocketball flashed up to make a race of it.
The favorite showed courage and dug down deep to prevail by a neck, with 40-1 outsider Rocketball putting up the race of his career to finish second. Samurai Blade was another to run on nicely for third, and he was beaten just under a length. Another outsider, Stebbins, finished fourth.
Abashiri, who tried the 2,450-meter (about 1 1/2-mile) trip for the first time, stopped the clock in 2:34.02.
Victorious jockey Karl Zechner was almost in tears after his historic win. "When I arrived in the parade ring and everyone saying go Aba go, I have never experienced anything like this," he said. "When I sat on (Abashiri) I knew I would never sit on a horse like this again.
"Its been a long preparation for these three legs. (Trainer Mike Azzie) has prepped this horse magnificently. When I saw (Rocketball) coming up to me, I thought he would get me. But he's a champion and he just fought the other horse off."
Azzie was also emotional congratulating breeders Lammerskraal Stud, which stands Go Deputy, and owners Adriaan and Rika Van Vuuren, as well as all the members of his team and family.
A first group I winner for his sire, Abashiri is out of deceased group III winner Donya, by Elliodor. South Africa's latest Triple Crown winner has won six of eight starts and banked over 5-million rand in prize money, including a rand 2 million bonus for winning all three legs of the Triple Crown.
The Derby was one of nine graded races on Turffontein's card, with reigning champion trainer/jockey Sean Tarry and S'Manga Khumalo dominated much of the remaining card. The pair teamed up to win the group I SA Nursery (Cloth Of Cloud), group I World Sports Betting Computaform Sprint (Carry On Alice), and group II Gerald Rosenberg Stakes (Trophy Wife).
Tarry also sent out Markus and Ingrid Jooste's brilliant 4-year-old Legal Eagle to win the R4 million Premier's Champions Challenge. It was a fourth group I win for the son of Greys Inn, who has now banked R5,822,875.