Greeff, Smith call the shots

By Viv Greybe

THE big stables of Alan Greeff and Gavin Smith certainly called the shots in the rain at Arlington yesterday before the meeting was called off after the running of the sixth race due to the dangerous underfoot conditions.

Greeff went home with three winning cheques, while Smith claimed two. The only other trainer who managed to gate-crash their party was Choppies McLachlan whose charge Richterscale (6-1), with Willy Figueroa in saddle, came from the clouds to snatch the decision from Inkunzi (5-1) in the third race.

Figueroa, had Greeff away to a cracking start in the first race with the hitherto luckless Amber Bouquet. Going off a 28-10 second-favourite to stablemate Red Seal (13-10), she streaked to victory nearly five lengths clear of 25-1 chance Caryl’s Pride out of Smith’s yard.

Greeff and Smith locked horns in the second race but Smith came off second best again. This time it was Greg Cheyne who kept Your Just Special (7-1) going to score by a half-length from Silent Appeal (7-1).

However, the luck of Smith and his stable jockey Lumumba Mofokeng changed in the fourth race when Mofokeng weaved his way through the small field aboard Almond Star (10-1) to relegate Divine Applause (5-2) to second place by a half-length.

Greeff did punters a favour in the fifth race when Cheyne partnered Skymaster (33-10 fav) and breezed in by three lengths from from stable companion Sealed Bid (6-1).

Greeff’s charge Millionaire was sent off a 2-1 favourite in the sixth and final race, but it was Smith who had last say with Up In Arms (4-1). Strongly ridden by Warren Kennedy (deputising for Glen Hatt), the free-striding three-year-old kept rolling to win by a half-length from stablemate Summerford (7-1) with Mofokeng aboard.