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Sercombe stable claim major honours as fireworks are witnessed at Ngong races

Monday, February 24th, 2020 08:16 | By
Leslie Sercombe on her way to winning a past race at Ngong racecourse. Sercombe won the Alibhai Shariff Trophy at the same venue yesterday. PD/DAVID NDOLO

There was top action in three cup races as stables paraded big runners to fight for honours on a busy day at Ngong Racecourse yesterday.

Three different winners came through as fans in their numbers took over the stands to cheer their teams on. 

The first feature race was the distance Alibhai Shariff Trophy which covered 2,400m and was clocked at 2.39.00 with veteran jockey Leslie Sercombe clinching the battle after an exhausting run. 

The gap was five-and-a-quarter length over the ever lively James Muhindi atop South African bred fillie Grace Kelly in the handicap meet for three year olds.

It was a slow start off the blocks as the runners kept each other in check while manoeuvring tactics in the process. 

However, in the 1,600m mark, action changed and positions shifted with pace injected almost in tandem. The final bend saw Sercombe draw wide as the other two challengers Grace Kelly and Miss Zuri, ridden by Henry Muya, gave chase but could not quite catch up given the fatigue that was slowly checking in towards the finish line. 

Miss Zuri was a further 12 lengths behind after its speed withered, allowing a lagging Winter Comet, jockeyed by Paul Kiarie, to race only to a length-and-a-quarter gap behind. The other meet, the 1,600m DT Dobie Nakuru Race Club, was enthralling as well with Henry Muya pulling a revenge over the Patsy Sercombe stable. 

Muya got the win off Forewarned but only just after his fillie raced through the line by a mere length gap. 

The back pushers in the frame of Piece of Cake, ridden by Richard Kibet and team-mate Leslie Sercombe, atop Fast Five followed in by a tiny two and three quarter lengths. 

The race, which was timed at 1.39.9 by stewards, saw Romeo Foxtrot fourth with Muoki Kiilu struggling in the middle distance race that saw lots of positional changes.

“I had to fight hard but I was always confident once I saw the crossing line. The pressure at the back was heavy but we had to stay the course,” said Muya, whose fillie is trained by his father Joe Muya.

The KHS Spencer Tyron Trophy, which covered 1,400m, saw King Of Oxted ridden by Paul Kiarie take the honours. 

The meet, clocked at 1.25.08, was about starting power and holding position.

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