Legendary South African galloper Pocket Power resumed from a 16 week break to score a typical victory in the Listed Pinnacle Stakes at Greyville on Friday night.
Despite having shoulder 62kg, Pocket Power started an odds-on favourite and accelerated to win by three-quarters of a length first-up over 1400m. Australian bred gelding Eight Street (Street Cry) finished four lengths away in sixth spot.
Pocket Power (7g Jet Master – Stormsvlei by Prince Florimund) was last seen finishing a close up third to his younger sister River Jetez in the J&B Met at Kenilworth on January 30. He had won the previous three editions of Cape Town’s signature event.
Earlier in January, he had registered an unprecedented fourth consecutive win in the G1 Queen’s Plate (1600m) at Kenilworth in record-breaking time.
Trainer Mike Bass will now set Pocket Power for a second victory in the G1 Durban July Hcp at Greyville. He dead-heated with Dancer’s Daughter in 2008 and was given an impossible task last year when flying from last on the home turn to finish fifth behind Big City Life.
Pocket Power was all power at Greyville on Friday night. The champion looked as if he was labouring at the 400m pole but, when kicked into gear by Bernard Fayd’herbe, he raced past the opposition like they were second raters.
“It was a big win,” a visibly excited Bass said. “He was out of his ground and then had them stone cold. When he puts it in, it takes a heck of horse to beat him.”
River Jetez was also in action at the Greyville night meeting but she was beaten into fourth place by stablemate Love Is In The Air (Jet Master). The winner annexed her own Group 1 in the Majorca Stakes earlier this year.
Pocket Power and River Jetez are by South Africa’s champion sire Jet Master out of a half-sister to Harry’s Echoe (Harry Hotspur) who was a G1 winner of the Gilbey Stakes at Scottsville.
Jet Master (Rakeen) stands for R170,000 fee at Klipdrif Stud in the Western Cape. He is also the sire of international sprinters J.J. The Jet Plane and Mythical Flight. The latter holds the South African record for 1000m at 54.96s.