Just eight days after SA Triple Tiara champion War Of Athena’s Gr1 Woolavington 2000 victory, Gauteng trainer Paul Matchett and his highriding owners Roy Wentzel and Dr Rose WatermanWentzel clinched another top level success as Battle Force won a dramatic and hotly contested Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday. There were nailbiting moments for the connections as Battle Force first cast a front shoe on the way to the start and while being re-shod, cast a hind shoe. He also raced with one nail in one of his front shoes. It was finally decided to remove both hind shoes. “He was a handful and we thought he may be scratched”
conceded Roy Wentzel. “But Paul, to his credit, knows the horse well and suggested he run without the shoes.” Craig Zackey had to waste all the way down to 52kgs and said that he ridden at that level for at least four years. “I had to lose 5kg in a week,” chirped the elated rider, who rode a powerful and beautifully balanced race to get the 16-1 shot up to nab Eden Roc (14-1) late. The winning margin was 0,25 lengths with a time recorded of 68,61 secs, In an accolade to the much maligned handicappers, under two lengths covered the first seven runners home. The 4-1 favourite MK’s Pride was 0,30 lengths back in third, with Captain Tatters (25-1) A model of consistency, Battle Force was 2,5kgs under sufferance in the official ratings despite carrying joint bottom
weight but the gelding was still under the radar as far as the handicap was concerned. He had received the maximum of eight points for each of his last two wins, but it could have been more. Bred by Summerhill, Battle Force was registering his first graded race victory and provided his freshman sire Act Of War with his second Gr1 win in a week. A 2019 BSA KZN Yearling Sale graduate, Battle Force was offered by Rathmor as agent and Roy Wentzel paid R130 000 for the gallant gelding who has now won 6 races with 5 places from 12 starts for stakes of R617 750. Battle Force is out of the unraced Elusive City mare Mataalb.
The Merits BATTLE FORCE has had his merit rating raised from 106 to 113 following his success in the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint. Part of the seven-pound raise which the winner incurred is because of the fact that he was five pounds or 2.5 kgs under sufferance at the weights. Both 5th placed CHIMICHURI RUN and 6th finisher VARS VICKY were used as line horses, which leaves them unchanged on marks of 115 and 115,
respectively. There were increases for all of the placed horses. 2nd finisher EDEN ROC goes up from 118 to 119, 3rd placed MK’S PRIDE was raised from 119 to 120, and 4th placed CAPTAIN TATTERS (who was four pounds or 2 kgs under sufferance at the weights) is up from 105 to 109. The remaining increase was for NO LAYING UP, who was four pounds or 2 kg under sufferance at the weights 16overweight, and carried 1kg
he was only adjusted from 107 to 109 despite actually achieving a performance figure of 111. Five horses were given a rating’s drop. KASIMIR was trimmed from 125 to 124, PEARL OF ASIA is down from 108 to 107, BOHICA drops to 123 from 125, IKIGAI is down from 111 to 108, and lastly SPEEDPOINT was dropped from 114 to 110.