Rising Sun win puts Big City back on the scene
Report: South Africa, Saturday
Clairwood: Rising Sun Gold Challenge (Grade 1) 1m, turf 3yo+
LAST year's Durban July winner Big City Life (Glen Kotzen/Piere Strydom) stormed back into the picture for the July 31 showpiece when winning for the first time this season in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Clairwood on Saturday. Pocket Power could manage only third.
Big-race specialist Strydom grabbed the ride when Andrew Fortune decided to take time off to combat his ongoing weight problems, and he settled the 15-2 chance in second as Pocket Power's stable companion Blue Tiger set a fast pace.
In the straight Big City Life was the only one able to get in a blow at the leader and he collared him inside the last 30 yards to score by a neck.
Strydom said: "Big City Life was one of the horses I was looking for in the July - Fort Vogue was the other - and, when he became available, I jumped at it.
"I thought Blue Tiger might die a bit sooner than he did, and I probably gave him a length too much start, but Big City Life was on top of him very quickly."
Kotzen added: "I think everybody wrote our horse off on what they considered his one bad run, in the J & B Met. In fact I thought it was a great run. He came into the straight 28 lengths off the leaders and he was beaten only three-and-a-half. He can't help it if he was badly ridden."
Pocket Power started 16-10 favourite but he failed to respond to Bernard Fayd'Herbe's urgings until it was too late. He ran on in the dying strides to finish only two lengths behind the second.
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