Widespread praise for Fairview racing

The horse racing structures in Nelson Mandela Bay passed a stern test when Fairview hosted the annual WSB Derby Day meeting in Greenbushes on Friday.

The Fairview team earned widespread praise from across the racing fraternity for producing a high-quality race day despite the heavy rain that battered the Bay in the build-up to the meeting.

About 220mm of rain fell over the two days before the event, conditions that would have forced many other racing centres to abandon proceedings.

However, the local officials acted decisively by transferring the meeting from the turf track to the Polytrack surface.

The Polytrack drained superbly, and track manager Charles Newcombe and his team deserve immense credit for preparing the surface for nine competitive and entertaining races.

Though the attendance was understandably lower than in previous years because of the cold and wet weather, Gail Rieder and the 4Racing team still ensured a memorable occasion both on and off the track.

The feature race, the R350,000 WSB Derby over 2,200m, produced a spectacular performance from the filly Anotherdanceforme, who handed East Cape champion trainer Alan Greeff a third consecutive victory in the prestigious event.

Anotherdanceforme powered away from her rivals in breathtaking fashion, with both Greeff and winning jockey Richard Fourie describing the filly as “extraordinary”.

The victory elevated Anotherdanceforme to equine millionaire status and maintained her flawless Fairview record with nine wins from nine starts at the track.

While all her previous Fairview victories had come on the turf, she handled the Polytrack with ease on her first attempt and proved her stamina by excelling over 2200m for the first time.

The next Fairview meeting takes place on Monday, on the poly, and starts with the first race at 12.25pm.