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Durban trainer Dennis Drier sent out Chestnuts N Pearls to win the R600,000, Zulu Kingdom Golden Slipper (1400m) at Greyville on Saturday.

The well-named Horse Chestnut filly showed a fine turn of foot to claim the juvenile feature on Vodacom Durban July Day.

The fillies fanned across the track from the cut-away rail and with 300m to run Princess Royal and Glen Kotzen took over the running, but Sean Cormack on Chestnuts N Pearls was waiting to unleash his mount.

Once he did with 200m to run Chestnuts N Pearls quickly put the race in her keeping as she stepped up a gear that left the rest in her wake as she went to the line with 1 1/2L to spare over Almashooqa (AUS) (Bernardini) with Sapsan (Lateral) and David Nieuwenhuizen, the margin 1/2L.

Chestnuts N Pearls was racing for the third time after winning on debut over 1200m at Scottsville back in April. She was not placed in the Group 1 Alister Robinson over 1200m on May 23rd, also at Scottsville, but Drier regrouped for the Greyville prize and the extra distance of the Golden Slipper.

“This was the plan, Sean said after the 1200m at Scottsville that they were far too sharp for her, so this was out aim and thank God it has come off,” said Drier

“It is nice to have winners on this day and nice to get this filly back in the winner’s circle,” said Cormack.

Chestnuts N Pearls, out of the Elliodor mare Pearl Hostess, was bred by Nutfield Stud and she is owned by Vendel Civils (Pty) Ltd, Messrs M A Currie and Mayesh Chetty. In addition to her invaluable Group 1 win on her page she has earned stakes of R323,750.

One race later Drier made it a Group 1 juvenile double when the Seventh Rock colt Seventh Plain narrowly took the Group 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe (1400m).

The R600,000 stake attracted a high quality field, but even then punters could not second guess the winner until the shadow of the post after a thrilling finish, and with no obvious excuses in behind other than those who pulled too hard for their own good early on.

Arabian Beat under Dominic Zaki looked unsettled on the way to the start but certainly came back home in fine style, looking the most likely winner when 1 1/2L clear of the field at the 150m mark, but it simply was not to be.

Whether he was tying up or his rivals getting going late on is hard to tell, but somehow both Brazuca (AUS) and Janse Van Vuuren, and eventual winner Seventh Plain with Anton Marcus, shot through late on to contribute to a three way photo that eventually went the way of the favourite.

The narrowest of margins f a short head saw the son of Seventh Rock take the prize from Brazuca (Teofilo), with Arabian Beat (Black Minnaloushe) somehow only third, the margin a head.

This was the winning colt’s fourth win from just the five career starts with the last the Group 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m at Scottsville on May 23rd.

“He just took so long to get going, I thought it was impossible for him to get there. But obviously heart and a great ride,” said Drier.

“To the whole team I cannot do it without them, to all the sponsors, the mayor, vice-chairman, to everyone who makes this day such a wonderful day for racing in Natal,” he said.

“I had some very ordinary thoughts running through my mind and I thought I hoped I was going to run in the first three. It is just testament to this horse’s courage, he had very opportunity to spit the dummy and he never, he dug down deep,” said Marcus.

“His demeanour suggested he would get the seven (1400m), he is very laid back and he does not do much underneath you. He travelled kinder last time up the straight, but that is an asset,” he said.

The colt is a home-bred for Markus and Ingrid Jooste being by the Rock Of Gibraltar sire Seventh Rock out of the National Emblem mare Amber Plain. Jooste paid A$1.025m for Seventh Rock as a yearling at Magic Millions and he now stands at Jooste’s Klawervlei Stud in the Western Cape.

The colt is now a valuable addition to Jooste’s racing and potentially stud team with stakes of R914,375.