Big City Life added to his already impressive career tally by snatching the Korea Racing Association KZN Guineas run under lights at Greyville on Tuesday. The Glen Kotzen trained son of Casey Tibbs (Klawervlei Stud) was given a superbly confident ride by jockey Bernard Bayd’Herbe and judging by the facile fashion by which he won stamps him as the leading three year old contender for this years Durban July.
The impressive bay scooped his first group 1 accolade in his penultimate start at Kenilworth when triumphing over Bluemambo in the Investec Cape Derby and in doing so also became the first group 1 winning son of his sire Casey Tibbs. Big City Life was bred by trainer Glen Kotzen’s mother in law Judy Wintle, before being purchased by bloodstock agent Tony Warren off the 2007 Equimark ready To Run Sale.
Trainer Glen Kotzen has a very smart individual on his hands and his preparation is heading down a perfect going into the Durban July. He seems to have adapted well to the Durban conditions - In his KZN debut he went down narrowly to Polished Steel in the Byerley Turk a few weeks back over 1400m at Scottsville before clinching his Guineas win under lights over 8 furlongs at Greyville. Add to this his Derby win over 2000m there is no hiding the fact that he is an extremely talented and versatile race horse. Owners Raymond Deacon, Andre Hauptfleisch and Glen Mitchell have reason to go into this years July with great anticipation and a realistic chance at South Africa’s greatest racing event.
Big City Life is a 3-y-o colt by Casey Tibbs out of the Goldmark mare Dollar Crisis.
He has now had 5 wins and 3 places from 10 starts
Big City Life
Casey Tibbs
