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Charity Begins At Home! 1
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Candiese Lenferna
Tierra Del Fuego – massive runner on Saturday
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TARRY CAN BREAK
CHARITY ICE
Multiple SA Champion trainer Sean Tarry has won every race of consequence on the local calendar. Interestingly, despite some decent bids for glory, including second cheques with Whiteline Fever (2012), Social Order (2017) and Tilbury Fort (2018) in the past decade, the Gr2 Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile trophy has eluded him in his 23 years in the toughest game on earth.
Tarry chatted to the Sporting Post on Wednesday and said that he had ‘no excuses’ for not winning the Charity Mile yet, but added that he had also gone close and been unlucky on occasion.
When asked to single out his best chance, the champion suggested that both Cornish Pomodoro and Tierra Del Fuego were at the top of his suggestions.
“It’s interesting but I would put it down to my training patterns. I’m looking ahead at the weight-for-age races at this time with my stronger horses, so this could be a stepping stone in their programmes.
In an open race on Saturday, Hollywoodbets have three horses at the top of the boards at 13-2. They are Cape raider Crown Towers, Paul Peter’s Riverstown and Sean Tarry’s handily weighted Cornish Pomodoro
That said, I have a very decent chance of breaking my duck on Saturday with four really smart representatives,” he suggested.
“Tierra Del Fuego carries top weight of 60kg with Cornish Pomodoro at the bottom with 52kg. Interestingly, the 4yo Cornish Pomodoro has a similar profile to Zillzaal last year. The latter won his prep easily and then flopped in this race before going on to win the Summer Cup. Tierra Del Fuego has been lightly raced recently and his earlier form is good. He is a big runner!”
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JC Photos
Gavin Lerena – rides Tarry’s topweight
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His other two runners on Saturday are last year’s Gauteng Summer Cup winner Zillzaal, and the filly Victoria Paige. “I’d like to believe that Zillzaal will still need the run but will be ready for the Summer Cup double bid at the end of next month. I really thought Victoria Paige would be well weighted, but a glance at the field yesterday suggests that she has a bit to do. Take a horse like Tristful. He ran in quality Gr1 company last time and she only gets 1,5kgs from him.”
Tarry has a string of top jockeys riding his quartet with Gavin Lerena on Tierra Del Fuego, Aldo Domeyer on Zillzaal, Luke Ferraris aboard Victoria Paige and Lyle Hewitson on Pomodoro.
Brett Crawford, who like Snaith, operates a yard in KZN from where they are raiding the Highveld, has Hudoo Magic who is quoted at 25-1 for Saturday’s race.
Click here for the Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile Betting
Paul Peter has two runners with decent form in Riverstown and Astrix. The former has been priced up joint favourite with Crown Towers at 13-2 and will be ridden by Piere Strydom.
Justin Snaith leads the group of raiders with Michaelmas Handicap winner Crown Towers. This son of Camelot raced in the Gr1 Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville in August and has t be a strong contender. Grant van Niekerk takes the ride.
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The Pick 6 pool on Saturday benefits from a carryover of R1,5 million – the estimated pool is expected to reach R7,5 million.
Former champion boxer Brian Mitchell will be doing his bit
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CELEBS FOR CHARITY
The Charity Mile Day is a unique raceday that benefits the industry at large, and also needy causes in the community. Every horse will be running for a charity and it will be a great payday for all 16 charities represented as they will be sharing in a R1-million pool.
The organisation that draws the winning horse will go home with R150,000. The second-placed horse will result in their charity receiving R100,000, R75,000 will be given to the charities represented by the third and fourth-placed horses, and all the other participating charities will receive cheques for R50,000. To make the day a lot more fun, each
charity will be represented by a celebrity. This year eight celebrities will be involved, and each will support two charities.
The celebrities invited are former WBA Junior Lightweight champion Brian Mitchell, Platinum selling singer Zahara, jazz and Afro-pop singer Judith Sephuma, actress Itumeleng Bokaba, racing commentator Nico Kritsiotis, hilarious sports comedian Shampoonaiza and former Orlando Pirates captain Lucky Lekgwathi. Brian Mitchell will represent Lesedi Programme – Carpentry and Titans Sky Blues Trust; Zahara has Lesedi Star School – Vosloorus and Lesedi Programme – Electrical; Judith
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Sephuma has EEP Chambers of Commerce Trust – (Tembisa Print) and Lesedi Programme – Air Conditioning; Lucky Lekgwathi will be with Stars Schools – Springs and Soweto Animal Rescue & Advisory Centre; Itumeleng Bokaba has EP Chambers of Commerce Trust – (Masinga Embroiders) and the Animal Anti-Cruelty League; Rian van Heerden will be supporting the Highveld Horse Care Unit and Lesedi Programme – Plumbing; Shampoonaiza will be entertaining people from Peermont Education Trust and Animal Allies Rescue; while Nico Kritsiotis has Peermont Education Trust and the National Horse Trust.
Chase Liebenberg
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BURN BABY, BURN!
The ‘Missisippi Burning’ team of trainer Adam Marcus, owner Mario Ferreira and jockey Craig Zackey, must fancy their chances of launching a bold double bid on the Cape Fillies Guineas silverware after Princess Calla made short work of the opposition to win the Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship at Kenilworth on Saturday. While there is plenty of water to flow under the bridge between now and the classic in December, the reality that
there are unlikely to be a host of up-country raiders down for the Cape summer in view of the parlous and uncertain stakes environment. That must make the Cape Fillies Guineas double an extremely attainable goal for the team that struck last year with Missisippi Burning. After tracking the free-striding favourite Trickster (7-2) all the way, Princess Calla (4-1) put the race to bed in a matter of strides under Craig Zackey as she drew clear for a facile victory in a time of 87,37 secs.
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Trickster showed plenty of resolve to stay on for a 2,75 length second with the Bass-Robinson pair of Zarina (13-2) and Lemon Delight (17-2) staying on for third and fourth. Formerly trained by Dennis Bosch, Princess Calla, a R600 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale graduate, took her stakes tally to R153 750 with her second victory from three starts. She was placed in the Gr1 Thekweni Stakes behind the sensational
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Bred by Maine Chance Farms, Princess Calla was Flower Alley’s eighth South African two-year-old winner on debut in KZN last term, alongside Saturday’s fourth-placed and previously stakes performed, Lemon Delight. She is her sire’s 25th stakes winner. Flower Alley is the sire of 47 black type horses, including Kentucky Derby winning champion I’ll Have Another, and is broodmare sire of multiple G1 winner Lucky Lilac. Princess Calla is out of the four-time winning Captain Al mare Princess
Royal. A son of Distorted Humor, Flower Alley has 13 lots on offer at the 2020 Emperors Palace National 2yo Sale and a single lot on the CTS Ready To Run, Unbroken 2yo & Mixed Sale. How They Rated The Race Princess Calla has had her merit rating raised from 105 to 108. The Handicappers were of the view that runner-up TRICKSTER made for the best line horse, given that she also finished behind Princess Calla in the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes won by Anything Goes at Greyville in August.
unchanged on 104. 3rd placed Zarina was raised from 92 to 102, while 4th finisher Lemon Delight was raised from 91 to 101. In other increases, Ballroom Bliss goes up from 81 to 96, Veronica Mars is up from 88 to 95, while Dazzling Sun and Marmalisa both go up to 88 from 86 and 83, respectively. This makes them equal to the 88-rated Major Attraction, who finished just behind the pair. There were no ratings drops for any runners in this race.
Accordingly, Trickster’s rating remains
Chase Liebenberg
undefeated champion, Anything Goes, at her last start.
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Chase Liebenberg
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MARSHALL MAGIC Milnerton master trainer Vaughan Marshall threw the classic cat amongst the pigeons for the umpteenth season, when he saddled the top three home – and fifth place – from his quartet of runners in Saturday’s Gr3 Cape Classic. In the process, he picked up his third trophy in the last four runnings of the early sophomore pointer. The late withdrawal at the start of the fancied Brett Crawford galloper Invincabelle was an ominous sign of a potential looming dark cloud for Pick 6 punters, in what always looked to be a wide open race. And after a keen start, Luyola Mxothwa bounced Seeking The Stars (16-1) into a dominant lead. The Vercingetorix colt kept going powerfully all the way up the winter straight to hold the late challenge of his stablemate Linebacker (6-1) to win by an impressive 1,25 lengths in a time of 85,05 secs. The more fancied of the Marshall
ON THE MOVE
attack, and another son of Vercingetorix, Rascallion (5-2) plodded late into third, but a well beaten further 2,25 lengths back. The favourite Speed Machine (15-10) was run off his feet and had to be content with a weak fourth, as much as 5,50 lengths adrift. Marshall’s long-shot Look For Hounds (44-1) was just 0,75 lengths short of giving the top yard the quartet, when he came on late for fifth. The winner, who races for Ricky Sewgoolam, is a really handsome and athletic Klawervlei Stud-bred Vercingetorix colt and cost R1 million on the 2019 Cape Yearling Sale.
The winner’s sire Vercingetorix is heir apparent to the Silvano honours board at Maine Chance and is our leading freshman sire by number of wins, percentage of winners to runners, and average earnings per runner. Seeking The Stars is from the three-time winning Count Dubois mare Schism, who won up to 2200m. A 1200m maiden winner, and rested since
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seven weeks since that fourth career start, Seeking The Stars has now won two races with two places from five starts for stakes of R107 000. How They Rated The Race Seeking The Stars had his rating increased from 93 to 112. In a race contested by some highly progressive types, the Handicappers used 4th placed Speed Machine as the line horse and accordingly he remains unchanged on 100. Runner-up Linebacker goes up from 93 to 109, while 3rd placed Rascallion also goes to 109, from 100. The only other increase was for Look For Hounds, who goes up from 88 to 90 while the race’s solitary drop Master Of Power was cut from 90 to 88. It is interesting to observe that in this event the four best weighted horses filled the first four places, albeit not in the order of ratings.
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CANFORD CLIFFS v
Class & Proven Performance!
12 Look of eagles! Gr1 star Takingthepeace & her Canford Cliffs foal
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Ridgemont-Highlands stallion Canford Cliffs stepped into the spotlight this past weekend when Irish-bred daughter Jin Jin took her flawless career record to six from six with a dominant victory in the Gr3 Prix Perth at Saint-Cloud. Unbeaten in three starts at three and successful in Listed races at Hanover and Baden Baden this season, the German-trained four-year-old took the step up to Graded level in her stride and was never headed to complete a stakes hattrick, taking the mile race by the best part of two lengths. Undoubtedly still improving, this €4000 bargain buy looks deserving of bigger targets. Her sire’s racetrack accomplishments cannot be faulted. Described by trainer Richard Hannon Snr as “the best I’ve ever had”, the powerful bay won seven
of 11 starts and never finished out of the first three. Europe’s dominant miler at three and four, he won no less than five consecutive Gr1 races over the trip. His splendid Gr1 treble of the Irish 2000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes (over multiple Gr1 winner Dick Turpin) and Sussex Stakes (over champion Rip Van Winkle), saw him rated the top three-year-old miler in England and Ireland. As good, if not better, at four, the bay confirmed his class by winning the Gr1 Lockinge Stakes before defeating the brilliant mare Goldikova in the Gr1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. He signed off with a second to the mighty Frankel in the Gr1 Sussex Stakes and was voted the champion older miler in Europe in 2011, receiving a Timeform rating of 133.
13 Ridgemont Highlands’ Champion resident, Canford Cliffs
Retired to Coolmore Stud in 2012, the son of Tagula did shuttle duty between Ireland and Australia until his purchase by Ridgemont Highlands. In addition to Jin Jin, Canford Cliff’s Northern hemisphere progeny include Group winners Al Jazi, Painted Cliffs, Princess Asta and Most Beautiful, English and Irish Oaks third Harlequeen and the multiple Gr1-placed stakes winner Salouen, who came within a head of upsetting champion Cracksman in the Gr1 Coronation Cup. A former Coolmore shuttle stallion, Canford Cliff’s Australian-bred runners
Cover Image ‘‘SA Champion trainer Sean Tarry” - Image courtesy of Candiese Lenferna
International superstar Jay Peg’s stakes-winning daughter Peggy Jay & her Canford Cliffs foal
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Wayne Marks
are headed by Gr2 winner Cliff’s Edge and the South African stakes winning duo of Fish River and Dorset Noble. The former won the Gr3 Three Troika Stakes for Mauritzfontein, while the latter claimed the East Cape Derby for Marsh Shirtliff and Bernard Kantor. There is plenty of excitement that Canford Cliffs will be adding to his impressive list of has 40 black type horses. To date, the champion’s progeny have banked the equivalent of over R389 million! As befits a horse of his stature - a champion on the track and a stakes sire in both hemispheres - Canford Cliffs covered well over 100 mares in his first South African season two years ago and from 2019 registrations published so far, that first book was brimming with quality. His first South African crop includes half-sisters to champion Russian Sage, Gr1 winner Divine Jury and the dual Gr2 Gold Bracelet queen Running Brave, as well as half-brothers to Gr2
Dynasty Gr1 powerhouse Front And Centre winner My Sanctuary and Gr3 Track & Ball Oaks winner Seville Orange. This season, Canford Cliffs is again assured strong support, with Ridgemont-Highlands sending him forty plus of their own high-class mares, amongst which multiple champion Dancer’s Daughter (Act One), the Gr1 winners Front And Centre (Dynasty),
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Takingthepeace (Visionaire) and Miss Florida (Captain Al), as well as Graded stakes winners Nastergal (Duke Of Marmalade), Sabina’s Dynasty (Dynasty), Crimson Blossom (Danehill Dancer), the dam of Gr3 Gold Cup victress Dynasty’s Blossom, Nona In Command, dam of classy stakes winner Pretty Young Thing, and the top-class champion broodmare Our Table Mountain.
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Racingfotos
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JA, WELLS
NO FINE!
Descendants of the legendary Sadler’s Wells dominated proceedings in major races around the world this past weekend. The late sire’s influence was particularly felt in Saturday’s Gr1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate, where the first three finishers, Sir Dragonet, Armory and Russian Camelot are all inbred to Sadler’s Wells. Sir Dragonet and Russian Camelot
were both sired by Sadler’s Wells’ four time Gr1 winning grandson Camelot (also sire of impressive recent Listed Michaelmas Handicap winner Crown Towers), while Armory is a son of Sadler’s Wells’ greatest sire son Galileo. The latter is also broodmare sire of hot young stallion Night Of Thunder, whose son Cherry Tortoni captured Saturday’s Gr2 Drummond Gold Vase at Moonee Valley.
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Remarkably, Subjectivist (by Teofilo), winner of Sunday’s Gr1 Prix Royal-Oak, is another top-level Gr1 winner inbred to Sadler’s Wells. By a son of Galileo, Subjectivist (also closely inbred to Danehill) is out of the stakes placed Reckoning, whose granddam Aspiration was sired by Sadler’s Wells. While Sir Dragonet is out of a mare by Green Desert’s son Oasis Dream, Russian Camelot was produced by a
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Racingfotos
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daughter of Cape Cross, another top class sire son of Green Desert. In landing the Cox Plate, Sir Dragonet became his sire’s sixth Gr1 winner, following the likes of Athena, Even So, Latrobe, Russian Camelot and Wonderment. Sired by a grandson of Sadler’s Wells, Sir Dragonet’s granddam, Oaks runner up All Too Beautiful, is a full-sister to Galileo! Camelot was sired by Sadler’s Wells’ outstanding son Montjeu, and the latter features as broodmare sire of Belichick (Lemon Drop Kid) – winner of the Breeders’ Stakes, the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, on Saturday. Montjeu’s Derby winning son Authorized, whose progeny also include this season’s Irish Derby winner Santiago, made headlines at Newbury on Saturday where his son Euchen Glen landed the Gr3 Pravha Stakes – registered as St Simon Stakes. Sadler’s Wells is also broodmare sire of exciting two-year-old Van Gogh (who
is out of the Sadler’s Wells sired Oaks winner Imagine), who became the first American Pharoah colt to win a Gr1 race when he claimed Saturday’s G1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud. Remarkably, the same card saw Gear Up become Galileo son Teofilo’s 19th Gr1 winner when he landed the Criterium de Saint-Cloud. Teofilo gained his 20th Gr1 winner when Subjectivist captured Sunday’s Gr1 Prix Royal-Oak. The unbeaten Teofilo also enjoyed broodmare sire success at Leopardstown on Saturday, with his daughter Fionnuar producing Gr3 Eyrefield Stakes winner Flying Visit (Pride Of Dubai). Saturday’s Gr1 Vertem Futurity Trophy winner Mac Swiney (by Galileo son New Approach) is the first Gr1 winner inbred to Galileo. The colt, victorious earlier in the season in the Gr2 Galileo Irish EBF Futurity Stakes, is out of a mare by the aforementioned Teofilo. The legendary Sadler’s Wells is also
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found in the pedigree of Flower Alley (Distorted Humor) – whose daughter Princess Calla impressed when landing the Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship at Kenilworth on Saturday. Flower Alley’s granddam Dance Image was sired by Sadler’s Wells, with the latter also featuring as broodmare sire of fellow Gr1 winners by Distorted Humor – Aesop’s Fables and Cursory Glance. Remarkably, last week also saw Enable – the greatest horse thus far inbred to Sadler’s Wells – retire to stud, and one can only but speculate as to what that magnificent eleven time Gr1 winner will achieve in her second career!
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JC Photos
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Meet SA Racing’s
‘The Hoff’ 22
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The recent spotlight on the policing of jockey rides has put even greater pressure on our Stipes. One man who has been on both sides of the fence is Andre Jacobus Hoffmann – aka ‘Hoffie’. Currently an official on the National Horseracing Authority’s Gauteng Stipendiary Board, the vastly experienced horseman – and hobby masterchef – says that he will always make decisions that uphold the integrity of the game, rather than to please others.
He joined the SA Jockey Academy in 1987 alongside the likes of Deon Sampson, Jannie Bekker, Martin Wepner and Ricardo Sobotker – the latter is coincidentally also a Stipe these days, based down in Port Elizabeth. Talking to the Sporting Post just a few days after his 49th birthday last week, Hoffie said that he holds his job in the highest regard and does his best to make fair and objective decisions.
“No, as a former jockey, I have a deep understanding of the sport. And I’d like to believe that my former colleagues respect that as my decisions are made with twenty years of racing experience in almost every facet of racing.”
Experience is Andre Hoffmann’s middle name.
“Those decisions will always be met with scrutiny in one way or another. But I reassure myself that I make decisions
A low-profile family man, with a son and daughter that have made him extremely proud, the always slight-in-stature
that uphold the integrity of the game rather than please others,” he adds with sincerity. We asked him if it was difficult disciplining his former colleagues?
Joburg academy stars: from l to r - Johnny Geroudis, Weichong Marwing, Andre Hoffmann, Barend Botes, Deon Sampson and Dougie Whyte
23 Pauline Herman
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He has known his wife Sheryl for thirty years. They married in a great year in our history – 1994. “I have been blessed with two wonderful children - Justin (27) and Shandre (24). Fortunately for me they both grew too tall to become jockeys. I don’t think I could have taken that stress. I couldn’t keep them completely away from horses and both received National colours for showjumping. They also enjoyed coming to work with me in the mornings. Thankfully they were both good at school and between them have 7 university qualifications. They both have Honours degrees too. For now, I am an ‘Oupie’ to my fur-grandchild Ellie,” he laughs in reference to the puppy Shandre and her husband Calvin Habib rescued.
Andre Hoffmann grew up mostly around the West of Johannesburg, Roodepoort, Newlands and Randfontein.
“Due to moving around a lot and changing schools often, achievements at school weren’t something I focused on,” he says quietly.
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“She’s really not a dog. She’s human. She comes on every holiday, to every restaurant and even has birthday parties. My Dad cooks her special meals. It’s safe to say he is smitten with her,” laughs Shandre.
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Andre Hoffmann joined the SA Jockey Academy in 1987. There is no romantic fairytale story behind it. “I went to the academy because I was small and it was thought that I would do well as a jockey,” he says matter-of-factly. He rode his first winner at Hollywoodbets Greyville aboard the Des Rich-trained Bally Lee in 1988.
These include Dave Goss, Ormond Ferraris, Dave Ferraris, Geoff Woodruff, Barend Botes, Mike De Kock, Gavin Smith, Allan Greeff and the late Arthur Miller, for whom he achieved one of his career peak wins on PE raider Stateway in the 1994 Gold Cup – then still a Gr1 event.
“I think it was my 14th ride - the horse was the biggest outsider in the race at 40/1,” he adds proudly. During a long and distinguished career, he rode in all centres here, including the now closed Bloemfontein and Kimberley. He also enjoyed some ‘international’ exposure in Mauritius, where he rode for the powerful Gujadhur family and in Zimbabwe, where he rode winners for the late Ronnie Sheehan.
Andre full of smiles before his first ride
Andre says that he was fortunate to ride winners for some of the biggest and most powerful yards over the years.
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‘The Hoff’ canters down for the first time
JC Photos
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The story about the 7yo, who still holds the Gold Cup record for longshots, is one for another chapter. Stateway’s most important successes had been gained in Eastern Cape marathon events where the winner’s share of the purse compared with those for C Division races at major centres.
He came into the Gold Cup with 62 races under his belt over five seasons from two to six years – the Gold Cup was his first start as a seven-year-old – and with his six wins and 14 places had brought in only R122 315. When former jockey Arthur Miller decided to call it a day in Port Elizabeth and turn his sights to training, Hekkie Strydom
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offered him Stateway to build his string up to the minimum of 12 horses he required to obtain his licence. Campaigned in Mike Bosch’s colours by the new trainer, Stateway managed two places including a second in the Glenlair Trophy before the season’s end.
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Stateway storms home in 1994 Gr1 Gold Cup
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Legend has it that such was Stateway’s love for water, he had a swim in a Free State dam during a break in the long trip by road from Port Elizabeth to KZN for the Gold Cup. The gelding arrived none the worse for wear and ran his rivals ragged. Andre Hoffmann’s natural modesty precludes him from bragging about his other big winners, but he mentions the SA Airways victory on Coal and then an emotional success on Daddy’s Darling in the Memorial Stakes in 1993. “It felt like my biggest winner as it was just after my son was born so it was sentimental,” he recalls. While a naturally fit guy, Andre never had much luck with injuries during his career. “My last two injuries, were freak accidents with horses at track that were not riding-related. The first time I was kicked and a few months later a horse fell on me while I was leading it. Both injuries took longer than expected to
recover from and it was at that point that I was diagnosed with and medically boarded for osteoporosis.” To keep fit, he started a show jumping career and helped his daughter with her ponies. In 2012 Andre joined the start crew as a handler and about a year later he was given the opportunity to move into an Assistant Starter position. “After that, I joined Phumelela working in race day operations which I did for about 2 years. Last year in March, I realised my dream of becoming a Stipe after successfully applying for the position,” he says proudly. We asked if he enjoys the job? “After retiring from the saddle I don’t think I could have imagined working in any other industry. My work keeps me close to my passion, even though the lockdown was testing for everybody in racing.”
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“I worked through the lockdown by continuing with stable inspections to ensure the health of horses. I live on a plot so I also spent much of my off-time looking after our horses or undertaking home improvements. I made a koi pond and have enjoyed tending to that and my garden. Lockdown was also a time of celebration for my family - my daughter married Calvin Habib in June. We always put family first, so we made a conscious effort to spend time with one another as we usually are all working. And then the celebrations started again when my son got engaged to his fiancée Mandy in September!”
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The family pride thread runs deep in our chat and Andre is adamant that taking care of his ‘kids’ and family makes him the happiest person on earth. “I also enjoy cooking. I am my family’s resident chef. All I watch on television is cooking competitions and racing.” What is his view of racing’s future? “Hopefully the business rescue and new owners can bring an injection of new youthful supporters to this beautiful sport. It would be great to see full stands again like I was so used to in my day.”
Andre’s smart kids! Justin (27) and Shandre (24)
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A GOLDEN DYNASTY v
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The only son of Drakenstein Stud’s champion resident sire Trippi at stud in South Africa, Gold Standard ranked among the best horses of his generation as a three-year-old, when he downed a high class field to win the G2 Selangor Cup. The image shows Gold Standard’s magnificent filly born on 10 September 2020. She is out of the well-performed Pacific Dynasty, a seven time winning daughter of Dynasty (Fort Wood) and Gr2 placed. Pacific Dynasty has produced the stakes performed Frank Lloyd Wright (Captain Al). The handsome Gold Standard is really enjoying his new job at stud and his impressive pedigree and classy race record has ensured he has proved popular with breeders. He earned nearly R1 million during his career, also finished second in the 2016 G1 Cape Guineas and a close fourth, behind older rivals, in the 2017 G1 Sun Met. Gold Standard is one of 72 stakes winners for his champion sire and is from a superb female line, with his dam Olympic Dam a daughter of two of South Africa’s greatest equine athletes –Model Man and Olympic Duel. The latter, dam of Gr1 Daily News 2000 winner Flying Duel and second dam of Equus Champion Thundering Star, won 12 races, with her seven Gr1 wins including all of the J&B Met, Champion Stakes and Mainstay International.
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Moonee Valley RC
Sir Dragonet storms to Cox Plate victory
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A$8 MILLION IN STAKES
NOW FOR CUP ON TUESDAY!
The 100th Cox Plate was always going to stand out in history, but jockey Glen Boss ensured it would remain in the memory for many years after snaring his fourth win in the race aboard class import and the former Aidan O’Brien-trained Sir Dragonet on Saturday.
The fast-finishing victory over Armory and Russian Camelot was the first for Victorian racing’s emerging training force Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. And now Connections of Melbourne Cup-qualified runners have been caught a little flat-footed! Following Sir Dragonet’s emphatic Moonee Valley triumph, Maher announced that the former Aidan O’Brien-trained son of Camelot will
attempt to join a tiny group of horses that have successfully attempted the Cox Plate-Melbourne Cup double. Ominously, the last time the elusive feat was achieved was fifteen years ago when Sir Dragonet’s jockey Glen Boss partnered triple Melbourne Cup heroine Makybe Diva to victory. According to racenet.com.au, the stunningly bred entire, whose dam is a full-sister to multiple champion sire Galileo, was sent to the beach yesterday ahead of getting him ready for Tuesday-week at Flemington. Both Boss and Maher believe that Sir Dragonet will prove even more effective down the long straight at the end of the 3200m Cup, with the former stating, “He just might go a little bit better in a
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Melbourne Cup, I’m telling you, because he was actually getting warmed up towards the line; he was actually getting quicker towards the post.” The spirit of Cup Week, the high quality racing and the 160th running of the People’s Cup will be enjoyed by millions – even though it will be held without crowds after the Victoria Racing Club pulled the pin on opening the gates to spectators amid the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. Run on Tuesday 3 November, the VRC Melbourne Cup, popularly known as ‘the race that stops the nation’, is a Gr1 contest held over a distance of 3200m at Flemington Racecourse with total prizemoney of A$8 million. Last year the Cup was won by Vow And Declare.
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An Apology Are we ever old enough to say we can’t be taught something? Saturday 24 October 2020 is yet another day that will go down as having taught me a lesson that, while I have turned my life around in many respects, at the age of 53 I still have so much to learn. The incident involving Gavin Lerena at Turffontein was an embarrassment to the sport of racing, to my family, myself and to the fundamental principles of civility and decency that we all try and inculcate in our children. While my entirely unacceptable actions were a culmination of years of banter and frustration, something that started as good, clean, professional needle, evolved into an outrageous action that saw me let everybody down. There are no excuses. I thought it was easier giving up drugs than having to put my pride in my pocket and say sorry. But I have apologised to Gavin Lerena and to my family. And it wasn’t difficult at all. I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly apologise to racing’s stakeholders, my colleagues, Phumelela and the National Horseracing Authority. I am ready to take my punishment on the chin because what I did was disgraceful.
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Multiple Champion Broodmare Halfway To Heaven – in her racedays
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Cape Stars Shine Bright
The 2019 /20 Cape Breeders Awards were broadcast live on Tellytrack on Sunday evening.
The awards acknowledged the performance of Cape-bred athletes over the season past, and unlike the Equus Awards took only performances up to 31 July 2020 into account.
Watch the awards show click here Mike de Kock’s exported Silvano colt Hawwaam was crowned Horse Of The Year, in addition to picking up the Champion Older Male and Champion Middle Distance awards.His dam Halfway To Heaven was again Broodmare Of The Year, while the star’s breeders Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein were the joint Outstanding Breeders Of The Year. The International Horse award was made not for racing but for the progeny of Alexandra Rose, who produced Oleksandra, winner of the Gr1 Jaipir Stakes in July. Champion 2 year Old Colt
• Tempting Fate – Avontuur Champion 2 Year Old Filly
Stayer of the Year
• Vernichey – Klawervlei
• Out Of Your League – Wynand Nel
Champion 3 Year Old Colt
Broodmare of the Year
• Got The Greenlight – Nadeson Park
• Halfway To Heaven – Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein
Champion 3 Year Old Filly • Summer Pudding – Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein
Stallion of the Year • Silvano -Maine Chance Farms
Champion Older Male
Outstanding New Stallion
• Hawwaam – Wilgerbosfrift & Mauritzfontein
• Global View – Ascot Stud
Champion Older Female • Celtic Sea – Wilgerbosfrift & Mauritzfontein
Breeder of the Year • Klawervlei Outstanding Breeder
Champion Sprinter
• Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein
• Russet Air – Lammerskraal Middle Distance
International Horse
• Hawwaam – Wilgerbosfrift & Mauritzfontein
• Alexandra Rose Horse of the Year • Hawwaam
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Neil Andrews – Health Shock v
Popular Supersport and racing media man Neil Andrews underwent a triple bypass operation at the Fourways Life Hospital on Tuesday. The 55 year old admitted himself on Saturday evening after pains in his solar plexus became unbearable. His Clocking The Gallop partner Nico Kritsiotis said that this is a shock for all. “It is an indicator of the stressful times under which we are all living. But Neil is a positive person and a fighter,” added Kritsiotis. In June Neil Andrews spoke in a Sporting Post interview about trying emotional and financial times following the Covid-19 impact on sport and horseracing. But he pointed to the ‘abundant blessings’ provided by his family. He is married to Hlohlo and they have their own ‘Brady Bunch’ – Elijah Gabriel Andrews is ten months old, Noah Benjamin is 2, and Brighton Nathaniel is 7. Neil also has a 23 year old daughter Melissa Jade and son, 19 year old Gregory Scott.
Neil and Hlohlo Andrews
Mat Breaks Ice The training partnership of Robbie Griffiths and South African Mat De Kock is in its infancy and they registered their first winner on Monday at Echuca with the horse Hard Squeeze. Clocking The Gallop chatted to Robbie and congratulates Mathew on a milestone in his career.
WATCH THE INTERVIEW
HERE
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Up The Irish!
Happy Hollywoodbets customers enjoyed some welcome relief when all straight win bets taken on demoted odds-on favourite Matterhorn were refunded after the consistent son of Marchfield was relegated to second after winning the sixth race at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
Candiese Lenferna
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Lyle Hewitson appeared to have ridden a superb race on the hot favourite to beat Anse Lazio under replacement rider Ashton Arries by a neck, but an objection on the grounds of interference in the latter stages was lodged by Arries. Matterhorn (9-10) had definitely lugged out on to Anse Lazio (7-2) at around the 200m marker and the Stipes deemed the interference sufficient to turn the result around.
Watch the race here
The Model Man’s Back!
Patrick Lunn, who has been in the racing industry for over 45 years has recently renewed his trainers’ licence.
Patrick took out his licence in 1977 and has trained multiple grade one winners with champions such as Model Man, Northern Princess, En Avant, The Barbican, Secret Rites to name a few.
Late last year, Patrick teamed up with the Johan Janse Van Vuuren satellite yard and steered his ship his down in KZN. After a successful season for the yard in KZN, Patrick has decided to renew his licence and will be training his string at Summerveld training centre.
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updated 2020-10-27
TRAINERS Name
Runs
Mr P A Peter Mr S J Snaith Mr St John D Gray Mr P F Matche� Mr A C Greeff
243 320 184 225 248
Wins Win% 34 41 25 23 41
14 12.8 13.6 10.2 16.5
2nd
3rd
25 41 21 20 33
22 32 24 18 36
Other Places Place % 28 29 15 21 30
75 102 60 59 99
30.9 31.9 32.6 26.2 39.9
Win Stake (R)
Total Stakes (R)
1,405,450 1,169,125 1,042,500 1,005,450 1,014,000
2,098,425 1,933,025 1,627,350 1,596,175 1,583,250
Win Stake (R)
Total Stakes (R)
2,084,400 1,094,400 1,655,500 1,228,625 1,253,350
3,193,575 1,506,350 2,278,300 1,587,325 2,127,375
JOCKEYS Name
Runs Wins Win%
2nd
3rd
Mr L Hewitson Mr G M Cheyne Mr S Khumalo Mr A Marcus Mr W B Kennedy
349 207 172 140 250
43 22 20 16 29
38 27 20 13 26
49 44 34 31 28
14 21.3 19.8 22.1 11.2
Other Places Place % 60 24 21 19 52
141 73 61 48 107
40.4 35.3 35.5 34.3 42.8
BREEDERS Name
B.T. B.T. Total Runrs Runs AEPR Wnrs Wins Winrs/ Places Winrs Wins Stakes (R) Rnrs %
Wilgerbosdri� & Mauritzfontein Klawervlei Stud Summerhill Stud (Pty) Ltd Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert) Varsfontein Stud
172 263 155 99
399 613 365 214
17,645 10,724 13,419 17,344
38 40 34 26
51 44 37 33
22.1 15.2 21.9 26.3
133 195 78 90
1 2 2 1
1 2 2 1
3,035,025 2,820,500 2,079,975 1,717,050
78
175 21,426
19
22
24.4
55
3
4
1,671,225
SIRES Name
Runrs Runs AEPR
Master Of My Fate 126 Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) 120 82 Var (USA) 132 Querari (GER) 69 Vercingetorix
293 262 191 308 146
16,320 15,033 21,609 11,867 21,838
B.T. Wnrs Wins Winrs/ Places Winrs Rnrs % 28 26 24 25 24
31 30 31 26 29
22.2 21.7 29.3 18.9 34.8
105 87 69 104 57
See all the detailed standings - Click here
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1 1 1 0 2
B.T. Wins
Total Stakes (R)
1 1 2 0 2
2,056,325 1,803,950 1,771,925 1,566,450 1,506,825
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SA GIANTS CLASH
The first of four episodes between two South African giants will begin this Saturday as Orlando Pirates host Kaizer Chiefs in the first Soweto Derby of the season. Games of this magnitude tend to set the tone for the season, and with this being the biggest match on each team’s calendar for the campaign, both will want to claim bragging rights over their rivals while also going one step
closer to ending their long-standing trophy drought.
Jesse Nagel writes that this will be Gavin Hunt’s first Soweto Derby in charge of Chiefs, while Josef Zinnbauer will be looking to make amends after already losing to the Glamour Boys in his spell with Pirates. MTN8 Semi-Final, First leg | Saturday 31
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October | Orlando Stadium | 15h00 To win Orlando Pirates 33/20 Draw 2/1 Kaizer Chiefs 33/20 Orlando Pirates Esgodini SikaMaminzela will be treated
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to one of Africa’s biggest games of the season when Orlando Pirates host Kaizer Chiefs, who used this ground as their home venue in last season’s bio-bubble. Sadly, this game will still be contested without fans due to COVID-19 restrictions. At their original home ground, Orlando Pirates will feel like they have every chance of beating their bitter rivals. Pirates are unbeaten in their opening two matches, putting Cape Town City to the sword in the previous round before being held by AmaZulu in their DStv Premiership opener. As expected at one of the biggest clubs in the country, fans have already begun to overreact and question whether Zinnbauer is the right man to end the trophy draught at Pirates after failing to beat Usuthu in Durban. They’ve added the perfect balance of quality in their squad for the upcoming campaign in Richard Ofori, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Deon Hotto, Wayde Jooste, Thabang Monare, Terrence Dzvukamanja and Collins Makgaka. Now, you get the feeling that the German coach has assembled a squad strong enough to challenge on all fronts, especially with two of his biggest contenders, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs, enduring somewhat of a rebuilding phase under new management. Its all set up for Pirates now and with Dzvukamanja and Gabadinho Mhango already off the mark for the season, things can only get better for the Buccaneers.
Kaizer Chiefs
Probable line-ups:
Losing a big game is always tough on team morale, especially when you’re new in a job, and after their 3-0 demolition against Mamelodi Sundowns, Gavin Hunt will find it tough to get his charges back to their best against Soweto rivals, Orlando Pirates.
Orlando Pirates: 4-3-3 Ofori; Jooste, Hlatshwayo, Nyauza, Maela; Ndlovu, Motshwari, Makaringe; Dzvukamanja, Mhango, Hotto.
This will be his first Soweto derby at the helm of Kaizer Chiefs with plenty expected of the four-time Premiership winner. Hunt has been successful at every club he’s worked at and will hope fortunes continue to work in his favour at Amakhosi. Games like these make or break you, but Hunt has done it at this level for most of his coaching career, and without fans in the stadium, less pressure will be on him to deliver from the Chiefs supporters. Hunt has surely learnt a lot from his Chiefs side in the club’s opening two games and after showing encouraging signs against Maritzburg United, where they clawed their way back to win 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the MTN8, last game was just an eye-sore.
Kaizer Chiefs: 4-4-2 Khune; Frosler, Mphahlele, Cardoso, Sasman; Parker, Ngcobo, Katsande, Manyama; Billiat, Castro. Prediction: Orlando Pirates (33/20) With Hunt’s hands tied behind his back with the inability to sign players, it seems like Kaizer Chiefs could go through a bit of a rough start before Hunt stamps his blueprint on the club. Amakhosi were badly beaten against Sundowns and had plenty of shaky moments against Maritzburg United. Pirates, on the other hand, have looked decent and might not even have to be at their utmost best to beat this current Chiefs side.
There were a few bright sparks in their opening two matches. For starters, Khama Billiat looks to be regaining some of his Sundowns form again and looks to be confident to take on a few players, while some of their youngsters have outshone the senior players, most notably Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Njabulo Blom. Despite the absence of Samir Nurkovic, Chiefs still have plenty of players who can hurt the Pirates backline, who are yet to fully find their feet together.
CAN YOU HELP? CARING FOR EQUINES COSTS PLENTY! Please visit us at www.coastalhorsecareunit.org.za 46
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