20211102 - Sporting Post Sprint Ver 1.2 Single Pages by Sporting Post

Candiese Lenferna

Matterhorn – needs to impress the judge for his Summer Cup passport

ASTRIX CAN CLIMB THE MATTERHORN A traditional last chance saloon for the Gauteng Summer Cup in three weeks’ time, Saturday’s R200 000 Gr3 Victory Moon Stakes at Turffontein should be a tightly contested The original Summer Cup entry was free, so there may be some optimistic candidates entered but the big race declarations are due by 11h00 on Tuesday 16 November, and the chase for a berth could be closely contested in some quarters.

The only Victory Moon Stakes candidate not entered for the Summer Cup is Paul Peter’s Astrix, who ran a cracker for second behind Dorrie Sham’s Bingwa in the Gr2 AllrodeOnamissionmile last Saturday after setting the pace.

Wright enjoyed a terrific feature victory at Turffontein last Saturday when One Night In Paris cracked a superb win in the HSH Princess Charlene Stakes and she saddles the Marchfield soldier, Matterhorn.

The son of Vercingetorix comes to the party fit after two runs in October, and with stable jockey Warren Kennedy back in the saddle, he could well make them gallop.

Based with Candice Dawson at Randjesfontein, Matterhorn is reported to be doing well, despite his last run not being up to par.

Summerveld trainer Alyson

“It’s on the short side for him on Saturday and he has to

give weight away, but he is well and must have a place chance at best. In fact, he needs to run well to secure a berth in the Summer Cup, which has been his target all along,” Alyson Wright told the Sporting Post. The Hollywoodbets-sponsored trainer said that Matterhorn would run in a staying race on Summer Cup day if he didn’t make the final cut for the Gr1. “We are positive and hopeful

that he gets in though!” she concluded.

The top-class 5yo True To Life could be the one to beat.

Barend Botes’ Golden Pheasant won his last start over a mile on the Turffontein inside track. Something of course specialist – he has won twice and finished second twice from six starts on this course – his handy galloping weight suggests he could be in the mix.

She has won four times, finished second three times and third twice from nine starts on this course. The daughter of Duke Of Marmalade races well fresh and on best form shown, she should be too good for this field.

The Listed Gardeni Stakes is the support feature on the day.

Die Kommet Is Terug! Down at Kenilworth on the same afternoon, the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes and Listed Woolavington Stakes share feature billing with the non black-type Cape Mile. And the big attraction could be Vodacom Durban July champion Kommetdieding who will be making his return to the track. The four-year-old son of Elusive Fort turned around the form of the Gr2 KZN Guineas and the Gr1 Daily News 2000 in which he finished third and second respectively behind Linebacker, to beat Vaughan Marshall’s charge by 0.50 lengths in the Durban July over 2200m. After that victory it came as

no surprise that offers came from overseas buyers. There was an offer from Saudi Arabia but that fell through. “Robin Bruss was organising the deal. There was a whole shipment of horses that were due to go,” explained Michelle Rix on Monday. “Robin did come back with another offer, but owner Ashwin Reynolds felt with the Cape season almost here, he would rather keep the horse and run him in the big features.” Rix trains Kommetdieding with her father, Harold Crawford. The plan is to prepare the colt for the Gr1 L’Omarins Queen’s Plate and then the Gr1 Cape Town Met. Rix confirmed to Tabnews that Kommetdieding has come

back well from his fourmonth break. “He’s doing fantastically well. He’s the most straightforward horse and very easy to train. “On Saturday I think he will be a hard horse to beat. He could be racing against Rascallion who has finished a short head in front of him in the Daily News, but we had beaten him before that.” She added that Kommetdieding did not get the best of rides in the Daily News and suffered severe interference in the Guineas, the only two occasions he was beaten. “As long as he sees horses in front of him, he will put his head down and go.”

8 The topseller, #36, purchased by Garth Puller Racing for Hong Kong interests

Wayne Marks

KENILWORTH IS A WINNER 9

Quality horses. A good turnout. A winning venue. A great vibe.

CTS De Grendel RTR Stakes, with Fifty Fiver banking the big money by the proverbial paper-clip.

That was the general consensus of opinion as the shadows lengthened over Kenilworth Racecourse on Sunday evening after the 2021 renewal of the CTS Ready To Run & Unbroken 2yo’s Sale.

Knowles’ views were endorsed pre-sale by leading breeder Oscar Foulkes, who said that the long weekend of events introduced a sense of occasion, an important part of building the hype and excitement.

“We are extremely happy and satisfied with the numbers achieved and the venue, which incorporated the 1881 Lounge and the use of the winner’s enclosure, was absolutely first-class,” CTS MD Grant Knowles told the Sporting Post after a busy long weekend of racing and breeding.

Foulkes said that Kenilworth is also more central and is a racecourse with ‘a special place’ in South African racing.

The fun started on Friday morning with the Ready To Run Gallops at Kenilworth and then flowed into Saturday’s racing, which produced a feature cliffhanger in the R900 000

With an aggregate of R16 480 000 (up 33%), an average of R156 952 (up 43%), and a median of R110 000 (up 37,5%) , the Sunday numbers compared very favourably against the 2020 aggregate of R12 335 000, an

“As much as I like the atmosphere of ‘the country course’, I’m always nervous about young horses galloping on the less forgiving surface of Durbanville,” he added.

average of R110 134 and a median of R80 000. While the covid-stricken 2020 figures naturally need to be put into perspective, the 2021 stats measure up well considering 23% less horses went through the ring on Sunday. The topseller was Drakenstein’s Querari colt Franz Lehar (#36) purchased for R830 000 on behalf Hong Kong owner David Hui and former SA-based trainer David Ferraris by KZN Champion trainer Garth Puller. The athletic colt with a lovely action is bred on the same cross as graded stakes winners Head Honcho and Kampala Campari, and is a half-brother to the very smart Danilo Danilovitch. The speedy dam is Listed East Cape Fillies Nursery/Perfect Promise Sprint winner The Merry Widow.

Puller also purchased the Gimmethegreenlight colt Gimme A Diamond (#19) for R340 000 on behalf of owner Faizel Bhana. He is bred on similar lines to the likes of Gr2 winner Hack Green and Breeders’ Cup winner Pluck, and is from the same family as leading sire Master Of My Fate and last season’s Triple Crown winner Malmoos. Asked for his thoughts, the veteran said he had bought two very nice horses. “Naturally, the first question for us as buyers at Ready To Run is why have they waited this long to sell? But I am happy with what I saw at the gallops, and they are both lovely colts. The sale was well

organised and hats off to the organisers and the vendors for the professionalism and hospitality.” While he appears to have adopted a lower profile in recent times, top buyer was Greg Bortz, who purchased 12 for a gross R3 030 000 at an average of R252 500. Julia Pilbeam’s Soetendal Estate have become the industry leader in the prep of the Ready To Run youngsters and they led the Vendor Aggregate with 38 lots grossing R7 240 000 at an average of R190 526. Drakenstein’s quartet grossed R1 600 000 at an average of R400 000. On the sires front, William

Longsword was top grosser through sheer weight of numbers – his lucky 13 grossing R2,4 million at an average of R184 615. Newly crowned SA champion sire Gimmethegreenlight’s quartet grossed R1 730 000 at a sale-leading average of R432 500. Vercingetorix has sired the last two winners of the Ready To Run Stakes and the Maine Chance flagbearer averaged R175 000 for his pair. Next up in the CTS portfolio is the Cape Premier Yearling Sale – save the date for De Grendel on 6 February 2022. Please click here to see who bought what

MODERN FAMILY! KZN champion trainer Garth Puller topped the charts at Kenilworth on Sunday when he purchased the CTS Ready To Run Sale top lot.

The veteran combined the sale weekend to enjoy a first meeting with his five month-old grandson Noah.

Here the family pose for a group photograph on the West Coast on Friday evening.

MARSHALL. MARCUS. MAGIC! v

Cover Image Winning team of Vaughan Marshall and Bongani Sitshevu embrace after Fifty Fiver's big victory at Kenilworth on Saturday. Image courtesy of Wayne Marks Wayne Marks

Last year Vaughan Marshall did the trick with Seeking The Stars, a Klawervlei-bred son of Vercingetorix. And on Saturday the master repeated the feat in the 2021 renewal with Fifty Fiver getting the verdict under a driving ride by Anton Marcus in a thriller of a finish. While Justin Snaith summised earlier in the day that it was an interesting race on the 1400m short run-in winter course with the better horses drawn wide, Fifty Fiver’s (9-2) connections weren’t complaining – Anton Marcus was their jockey and they had the pole position gate.

And the race turned out perfectly, although Aldo Domeyer – drawn on the wide outside – got the promising Dancetildaylight (10-1) to lift superbly late. The daughter of Gimmethegreenlight came flying up the centre from miles back, and probably cost herself valuable ground when lugging in slightly. She was going like an express train and only lost it on the bob of the head, the R460 000 winner’s cheque going to the Marshall owners. There was no action on the race review, but her

connections had to be content with the R195 000 consolation cheque. First of the Snaith quintet home, Queen Of Shadows held on well for third a further three quarters of a length back and earned SA Champion owner Suzette Viljoen R105 000. Recent MGAS Bloodstock Online Horses-in Training salestopper Full House was last coming for home but found his feet run just under five lengths back in fifth and collected the final cheque of R17 000. Bred, as already pointed out

by Klawervlei, Fifty Fiver cost R470 000 on the 2020 Cape Ready To Run Sale, where buyer Ken Truter put together a partnership a quintet of purchases, with this race in mind. It all worked out well, and

with 2 wins and 3 places from his six starts with R521 175 in the bank, the colt has a bright future and owes his owners nothing right now.

the one-time winning Trippi mare, Polar Trip.

He is a son of Maine Chance’ new generation star Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of

Double For The Warrior Fifty Fiver’s Gr1 Jebel Hatta winning sire Vercingetorix, currently one of the hottest stallions standing at stud in South Africa, enjoyed a big race double on Saturday. Besides the first and third

finishers in the CTS De Grendel Ready To Run Stakes, his Corrie Lensley trained son Alesian Chief claimed his biggest win to date when landing the Listed Golden Loom Handicap at Turffontein.

19 Big day for the Gablers and the Truters!

Vercingetorix went close to having a feature race treble on Saturday, with his Riverton Stud bred son Astrix finishing second in the G2 Allied SteelrodeOnamission Mile.

PAY, PAY

IT’S DORRIE’S DAY! After Alyson Wright saddled the Starling Stakes winner, Dorrie Sham continued the momentum of the telephone number carryover-injected Pick 6 at Turffontein on Saturday and saddled the winner of the inaugural running of the R800 000 Allied Steelrode Gr2 Onamission Mile.

But life is always easy afterwards and hats off to Vaal-based veteran Dorrie Sham who was celebrating her biggest Gauteng feature success on a memorable day for the yard. Having cut down from fifty plus horses to just 24, which includes 7 babies, the Gr2

success for the consistent 4yo Bingwa was a welldeserved and commendable feat of training. It now gives them a range of options. An elated Dorrie said that it will be up to the Stonebridge’s – whose son Dale was on course to do the honours – whether Bingwa takes his place in the Gauteng Summer Cup, or travels to the Cape for their summer season.

JC Photos

Hindsight is an exact science, but the 16-1 price tag about the Tanzania-based Stonebridge family’s home-

bred Bingwa now looks a tad generous on the turnaround at the weights with Got The Greenlight on their last clash.

Chase Maujean is unflustered as Bingwa steamrollers them 22

Lightweight rider Chase Maujean rode a cracker and his body language was oozing confidence as he let Bingwa slide through his hands at the 500m. Bingwa kept galloping and extended his advantage to 3,25 lengths at the line. He clocked 99,52 secs for the mile and had the everprominent Astrix (25-1) behind him. MK’s Pride always runs his

Bingwa was registering his maiden stakes success and has now won 4 races with 8 places from his 17 starts for stakes of R815 850.

heart out but produced no spark when called upon. He stayed on a quarter length behind his stablemate in third. Mike de Kock’s lightly-weighted Al Muthana (5-2) ran on Late for fourth. A decent Summer Cup prep.

Bred by Colin and Lynne Stonebridge, the winner is a son of Sandown Stud-based Pathfork (Distorted Humor) out of the two-time winning Century Stand mare, Marauding Lady.

Got The Greenlight was dawdling at the rear off the at-times pedestrian pace and made up some ground late to run just over 5 lengths off the winner.

On The Mark! The NHA handicappers reported that after the running of the Gr2 Joburg Spring Challenge in early October that the specific

conditions of the race did not allow for an increase to the rating of any horse beyond the winner MK’S Pride.And so runner-up Bingwa remained

on 111 despite running to a mark of 117. Pity we didn’t make a mental note of that!

The Merits BINGWA has had his merit rating raised from 111 to 118 after running out a fluent winner of the Grade 2 Allied Steelrode – Onamissionmile over 1600m on the Turffontein standside track on Saturday. The Handicappers were of the unanimous view that 2nd placed ASTRIX and 3rd finisher MK’S PRIDE made for the most suitable line horses when assessing the race formerly known as the Charity Mile, which leaves

them unchanged on ratings of 112 and 120, respectively. The only other ratings increase was for 4th placed AL MUTHANA, who goes up from 101 to 104. This is explained by the fact that he was 6 pounds or 3 kgs under sufferance at the weights and finished the equivalent of 3 pounds behind the joint line horses, hence he runs three pounds above his 101 rating.

Five horses were given a ratings’ drop. CHIJMES is down from 108 to 106, TIERRA DEL FUEGO drops to 107 from 110, PACK LEADER is down from 105 to 103, WILLOW EXPRESS was trimmed from 104 to 103, and lastly G G’S DYNASTY drops from 105 to 104.

FIXTURES REVIEW IN PROGRESS v

Friday’s Algoa Cup racemeeting at Fairview heralded the launch of Nelson Mandela Bay Racing. This is said to be the start of a new era for horse racing in Gqeberha.

According to a Tabnews report, Phumelela Racing Executive Patrick Davis explained that a fixtures review is in progress and that a new feature race programme will culminate in the Algoa Cup. “We are looking to consolidate a regional season approach to stakes and feature races,” said Davis. “The thinking being that each region will offer higher stakes per race in their season to encourage increased national participation in those seasons. “For the Eastern Cape we have identified the August to October period as the new Eastern Cape Racing Season from 2022. “We are working on a new feature race programme to culminate in the Algoa Cup day at the end of October. During these three months, minor races will carry an enhanced stakes level when compared to the rest of the year.

“We have also rebranded East Cape Racing as Nelson Mandela Bay Racing – with Fairview Racecourse still the venue for racing and training of horses in the region. This is in line with the recent rebrands of Cape Racing in the Western Cape, and Highveld Racing in Johannesburg and the Free State.

“The plan is to enhance the racing experience for both racegoers, and owners and trainers, and also to attract new customers and race sponsors to the sport in all regions.” Davis added that given the horse population challenges all racing regions are facing on the back of the impact on the economy by COVID-19, the racing operators are reviewing the 2022 fixture list. “As decent field sizes are commercially critical for the Tote (and therefore the funding of the sport), there will be a reduction in the number of fixtures next year. This will in the main be achieved by getting rid of double-header local race meetings on a Saturday. So, from next year, there will only ever be a single local race meeting on any given day. This reduction in races will assist with field sizes as well as enable the RacingOperators to pay better stakes levels for the reduced number of races.

“For now we’ve only released the January to April fixtures for 2022 on this basis. We are still working on the May to Dec 2022 period.” Fairview became part of Phumelela in 1999 and hosts two popular big race days annually, the East Cape Derby day in May and Algoa Cup day in October. In October 2007 the new stabling complex was completed at Fairview. The Arlington trainers moved to Fairview and Arlington closed in 2013 when the Polytrack was installed at Fairview. The installation of this all-weather surface cost in the region of R40 million and had not only saved many meetings that were rained out on the turf, but is home to many fine horses which prefer the surface. With the modern facilities in the HB Christian Room a real favourite at Fairview, the region has now ticked all the boxes and is ready for the new era under the banner of Nelson Mandela Bay Racing.

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28 Gavin Lerena and Desert Miracle fail to work up a sweat in an easy win

WOW!

JC Photos

The exciting Dynasty filly Desert Miracle took on the boys and dished out a rare hammering by the fairer sex to give trainer Mike de Kock a hat-trick of victories in the Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday. Having now won her last four starts by a collective 24 lengths, Desert Miracle built on the tradition of Frosted Gold and Malmoos last year to record the master

conditioner’s third straight victory in the early season 3yo feature. Starting at 4-10, Desert Miracle installed some respectability in a shell-shocked Pick 6 and was never under pressure as she cruised into the lead under Gavin Lerena to beat Pyromaniac (16-1) to win unextended by 4,75 lengths in a time of 86,49 secs. A winner of 4 races with 2 places from 6 starts, Desert Miracle

took her stakes bank to R483 750. A daughter of late champion Dynasty (Fort Wood), Desert Miracle was bred – like her sire - by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein and is out of the seven time winning Oasis Dream mare, Welwitschia. She looks likely to travel to the Cape for the Fillies Guineas.

Flying Colours! Mike de Kock said on his website www.mikedekockracing.com that he had experienced a few sleepless nights last week, wondering if he had done the right thing entering Desert Miracle in the Graham Beck Stakes against the colts. To make more butterflies churn, favourite after favourite got ‘rolled’ earlier on in the Allrode Steel Onamission Mile day on Saturday. But Desert Miracle (4-10) put it all together with a riveting 4.75-length win, never coming fully off the bit.

Mike commented: “As I said, we had to race Desert Miracle here to see whether she’d be able to go where we think she can go. We had to put her to the test and she came through it with flying colours. We are really pleased for (owner) Mary (Slack) to have a good filly like this, at the time of 4Racing being established. It’s a wonderful story, really, with her having bred Desert Miracle’s sire, importing Desert Miracle’s dam and breeding her at Wilgerbosdrift.”

Jockey Gavin Lerena said: “She enjoyed the pace today, it was a true reflection of her ability. She was cantering at the 400m, and she put them away nicely.” Mary Slack was beaming from ear to ear and said: “I’m very, very excited, can hardly speak. It doesn’t matter if you have a favourite or an outsider, it’s completely nervewracking!”

The Merits DESERT MIRACLE has seen her rating climb from 111 to 117 after she beat her male rivals in the Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes for three-year-olds over 1400m at Turffontein on Saturday. The Handicappers felt that

3rd placed CASTLETOWN made for the best line horse, which leaves him unchanged on a rating of 99, but runner-up PYROMANIAC was raised from 95 to 106 and is (aside from the30winner) the only horse to be given a rat-

ings’ increase. There were drops for three horses. 4th placed SMORGASBORD drops to 103 from 107, FISHER KING is down from 92 to 91, and TEAM GOLD is down from 101 to 98.

34 One Night In Paris storms home under Winning Form-sponsored Ray Danielson

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OH SO WRIGHT! v

A KwaZulu-Natal raider opened the bumper Turffontein feature afternoon on Saturday when the Summerveld-based One Night In Paris flew up late to collar the free-striding favourite Big Burn in the R175 000 HSH Princess Charlene Gr3 Starling Stakes. Going for her fourth straight victory on the trot, Big Burn was a popular odds-on choice and a banker in the R4 593 723 Pick 6 for many. But after having things her own way for much of the race,

ONE NIGHT IN PARIS has had her rating raised from 88 to 110 after she landed the Grade 3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes for three-year-old fillies over 1400m at Turffontein on Saturday. Here it was 3rd placed BIG BURN who was used as the line horse, leaving her unchanged on a mark of 110. Bearing in mind that BIG BURN carried 2 kgs or 4 pounds

she shortened her stride and hung in at the 250m marker. This opened the door for Winning Form’s newest sponsored rider Raymond Danielson to unleash the Alyson Wright-trained One Night In Paris (10-1). The daughter of Gimmethegreenlight took off late and won going away to beat Marigold Hotel (20-1) by 1,75 lengths in a time of 86,66 secs. Big Burn had nothing to come late and finished a further length away in third, thankfully hanging on for Place

The Merits

more than the winner, it is entirely fair to have the two fillies rated as equals considering that there were 2.75 lengths (or 5 pounds) between them here and that they finished within a short head of each other at level weights in their only previous meeting, at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day. Two other horses were given a ratings’ increase here. 2nd placed MARIGOLD

Accumulator players. A R100 000 BSA 2020 National 2yo Sale graduate, the winner carries the silks of ‘marathon man’ Alesh Naidoo’s Fire Racing Trust. She was bred by Varsfontein and is by SA’s champion sire of 2020/21 Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) out of Jet Master’s three-time winning daughter, Maximum Jet. One Night In Paris has won 2 of her 3 starts with 1 place for stakes of R204 875.

HOTEL is up from 89 to 107, while 4th finisher FOLLOW ME was raised from 91 to 102. The only drop was for 6th placed TWICE THE TRIP, who was trimmed from 94 to 93 in order that she not be rated higher than the 93-rated 5th finisher SHIELD OF ROSES.

36 Design by Winning Media

JC Photos

Diego de Gouveia steers Bold Fortune to victory

ANOTHER FLOWER BLOOMS Stuart Pettigrew’s Flower Alley filly Bold Fortune is improving fast and the Narrow Creek Stud product produced a smart performance at Turffontein on Saturday with a fluent victory in the R175 000 Gr3 Yellowwood Handicap. Under the in-form Diego De Gouveia, the 4yo hit the front some way from home, and pulled away at odds of 4-1 to

score by 1,75 lengths in a time of 115,42 secs She beat Veld Flower (10-1), with La Luvia (20-1) a further 1,75 lengths back in third. Sean Tarry’s topweight Victoria Paige was fractious at the stalls and failed to come under starter’s orders, thus reducing the field to eight.

An R80 000 2019 Ready To Run Sale graduate, the winner was bred by the Narrow Creek Stud and has now won 4 of 11 starts, with 4 places for stakes of R283 625. Out of the Rich Man’s Gold mare Plata Parana, Bold Fortune is the 28th stakes winner sired by Distorted Humor stallion Flower Alley.

The Merits BOLD FORTUNE has had her rating raised from 96 to 103 following her success in the Grade 3 Yellowwood Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday. It was 5th placed SHIVERS who was considered to make for the best line horse here, which leaves her unchanged on a mark of

100. In assessing the race in this way, 3rd placed LA LUVIA also runs to her rating, which accordingly remains unaltered on 95. Runner-up VELD FLOWER, in contrast, was fully 2 pounds or 1 kg under sufferance at the weights and as such her rating is up37from 90 to 95. 4th placed ONLY THE BRAVE

– who was 4 pounds or 2 kgs under sufferance at the weights – goes up from 90 to 94 and was the only other horse to receive a ratings’ increase. There were slight drops for two horses. ROUGE ALLURE is down from 102 to 101, and MISS ELEGANCE also goes from 102 to 101.

40 Flower Alley: Distorted Humor (USA) ex Princess Olivia (USA) – moving mountains

Hamish Niven Photography

LADIES LOVE FLOWERS v

There's a newcomer amongst the top five stallions on the General Sires List, one which may well continue to make plenty of noise for the remainder of the season. According to statistics published by the NHRA following the weekend's action, Flower Alley has rocketed into fourth place. That comes as no surprise, since the Wilgerbosdrift resident has been churning out a steady stream of winners. This past weekend alone, he sired four across-card winners in the space of 24 hours, amongst which a

brand-spanking new stakes winner. Talented four-year-old daughter Santa Therese initiated the quartet at Friday's Fairview meeting. Despite lugging the steadier of 62 kg, the four-yearold was the epitome of class to score for the seventh time in succession.

Her victory proved to be a fine prelude to one of those remarkable race days every breeder/stallion manager aspires to. The Charity Mile meeting at Turffontein proved to be one of those days for Flower Alley, the stallion siring a fine treble of winners on the card, amongst which a brand new stakes winner.

Successful in eight of ten starts, and also a triple stakes winner of the East Cape Paddock Stakes, Breeders Guineas and Jockey Club Stakes, Alan Greeff's charge is clearly in sublime form and it would come as no surprise to see her venture across the Kei in search of Graded black types.

The tone was set when two runners by Flower Alley fought out the finish to the second race, victory going to the filly Damova, a half-sister to the dual Gr3 winner Goodtime Gal and to Gr3-placed Tirzan. The runner-up and favourite Cheringoma is a half-brother to dual stakes winner Chase Liebenberg

42 Flower Alley’s high-class daughter Princess Calla

Chitengo and to the exciting prospect Shangani, who broke his stakes duck in the Java Handicap in the penultimate race. Thirty five minutes later, Prince Evlanoff made it a Flower Alley double when he put all of six lengths between himself and a small but competitive field. Trained by Alec Laird, this late bloomer has now won two of his last three starts and may well be tried at stakes level. Four-year-old daughter Bold Fortune reserved the best for last when she broke through at stakes level with a convincing two-length victory in the Gr3 Yellowwood Handicap. Trained by Stuart Pettigrew, she was bred by the Narrow Creek Stud, who had acquired her in utero when purchasing her dam, the Rich Man's Gold mare Plata Parana, from Wilgerbosdrift. Significantly, the newly-minted stakes winner again un-

derlines Flower Alley's ability as a sire of classy fillies. He is after all the sire of the highclass Gr2 winner Princess Calla, whose string of places include five at Gr1 level, Oaks Trial winner Fayrooz, Marygold, who chased home Horse of the Year Summer Pudding in the Gr1 SA Fillies Classic and Pomander, who did the same in the Gr2 SA Oaks. That Flower Alley’s female runners appear to be superior to their male counterparts is further underlined by the fact that all nine juvenile winners from his second crop (current three-year-olds) were fillies. Kenilworth Cup winner Bayberry, the Gr3-placed duo of Firealley and Azores, and East Cape Derby runner-up Rock Aloe, have to some degree balanced the scales, but for now Flower Alley is clearly making more of an impact with his fillies, which bodes well for his future as a broodmare sire in this country.

In that sphere he has already tasted international success as the damsire of champion Japanese two-year-old filly Lucky Lilac, who incidentally, is out of his Gr1 winning daughter Lilacs And Lace. To what can we ascribe Flower Alley's ability to produce a high proportion of good fillies? Perhaps it is the fact that he boasts a strong female line. His fourth dam Dumfries, is a daughter of Goofed, which makes her a half-sister to the important stallion Lyphard. In fact, Flower Alley's dam Princess Olivia is inbred to Goofed, as her sire Lycius is out of a Lyphard mare.

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Muzi Yeni has time to glance at the stands as Alesian Chief speeds to an easy win

CORRIE'S CLASS ACT The R150 000 Listed Golden Loom Handicap at Turffontein on Saturday produced what must rank as the most popular feature winner of the weekend. Trainer and part-owners of the winner, Corrie and Emmie Lensley haven’t had an easy time of it since the bottom fell out of Kimberley racing in 2020 – but good racing folk survive most anything. A move away from a crumbling Flamingo Park to the Cape early in 2020 lasted only a year as the former Northern Cape

champion trainer and his wife faced the reality that it is difficult to win races in major centres with limited horsepower. A move from the beautiful views of Table Mountain to the Vaal eight months ago looked a brave move in itself. But on Saturday it all came together as Corrie saddled his first Gauteng feature winner in close on nine years. His old Kimberley partner Muzi Yeni did the honours, riding a magnificently judged race to get the 3yo Vercingetorix colt Alesian Chief home for a

decisive victory. Starting at 10-1, Alesian Chief powered home in a time of 56,74 secs to beat the highly vaunted filly Sheela (4-1) by 3 lengths, with topweight Mind Reader (16-1) a head away in third. Bred by Ambiance Stud, Alesian Chief has now won 3 races with 3 places from 7 starts for stakes of R231 250. He is a son of Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the five-time winning Var mare, All In The Mind.

The Merits ALESIAN CHIEF has had his rating increased from 101 to 112 after his victory in the Listed Golden Loom Handicap over the straight 1000m course at Turffontein on Saturday. This substantial raise is explained in large part by the fact that he was 4 pounds or 2 kgs under

sufferance at the weights. It was 3rd finisher MIND READER who was deemed to make for the best line horse here, which leaves her unchanged on a mark of 105. In assessing the race this way, both runner-up SHEELA and 4th placed KWITE A TRIP run to their

marks as well, which leaves them unchanged on a rating of 107 and 101, respectively. The winner aside, there were no other ratings increases from this race, while the solitary drop was for MOMBELA, who is down from 101 to 100.

GOLDEN DAY FOR THE LENSLEYS JC Photos

49 Corrie Lensley – the tide is turning

Corrie and Emmie Lensley haven’t had an easy time of it since the bottom fell out of Kimberley racing in 2020 – but good racing folk survive most anything. “The transfer to the Cape in early 2020 was an exciting and admittedly daunting move at a time when there was really no future in Kimberley,” recalls the 57 year old dual Northern Cape Champion trainer after Alesian Chief won the Golden Loom on Saturday. He and his wife Emmie loved Blouberg Beach and the magnificent views of Table Mountain, and put shoulder to the wheel as they tried to make it work with the support of their loyal team. The simple fact was that no matter the level of love, blood, sweat and tears, they didn’t have the horses to match strides with the big players. Eight months ago they took the plunge and moved their string up to Vereeniging. Milnerton and the Vaal are two very different training centres, but Corrie felt he had a chance in a region where folk knew him and respected him. He drives the 20 odd minutes from his home at Vanderbijlpark to the Vaal every day and is relishing the

new challenge – even with only 22 horses. “I have 18 empty boxes but am happy to rather provide personal attention to each and every one of my horses, as opposed to focussing on chasing numbers. It’s the way I have always preferred to run my business,” he adds. On Saturday it all came together as Corrie saddled his first Gauteng feature winner in close on nine years. His previous was King’s Temptress, who won the 2012 Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery on debut at any price under Fanie Chambers. His old Kimberley partner Muzi Yeni did the honours, riding a magnificently judged race to get the Ambiance-bred 3yo Vercingetorix colt Alesian Chief home for a decisive victory.

greater confidence was that my late Milnerton neighbour Uncle Bill Prestage really liked him too and said if the son of Vercingetorix was on the market, he wanted first option. I was so shocked and saddened to hear Mr Prestage passed away in September. He was a gentleman and a horseman of note - and a font of wisdom and good counsel,” adds Corrie sadly. So where to next for Alesian Chief, who has been restricted to 1000m for his entire career to date? “I am going to try him over 1200m at the end of the month and see how he goes. Ultimately, our target will be the Gr1 Computaform Sprint and we will plan the road to there,” adds Corrie proudly.

“I am really fortunate to enjoy the support of a staunch band of owners and this is a very exciting little horse,” says Corrie as he tells the Sporting Post in Louis Armstrong type strained tones – he lost his voice screaming his star home on Saturday – about the background of how he acquired Alesian Chief.

Is he an easy horse to train?

“Spencer Cook was prepping him for the Ready To Run. I loved him when I first saw him and we got him for a very good price. What gave me even

Corrie says his team have really stuck with him and Emmie, and he is fortunate to have good horsemen in his staff ranks.

“We don’t want to geld him. But he is quite a boisterous ‘boykie’ and full of himself not the easiest of customers. But I think he is better behaved at Turffontein as the road trip from the Vaal seems to calm him and take the edge off a bit!”

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52 Shiny happy people! Standing from l to r: Jandri van Wyk, Lizanne Lensley, Peet Boonzaaier, Corrie Lensley, Petrus Boonzaaier, Emmie Lensley & Sumari Dercksen. Seated in front is Charlie van Booma.

JC Photos

“Workrider Jappie Bessel hails from the Kalahari – he has been with us for 20 years. He posed for a pic with the Golden Loom trophy and word is that the photo has gone viral in the Kalahari. I just admire the dedication and commitment of these wonderful people! Alesian’s Groom is Janky Cossa – another soldier. We are going to have replica trophies made as these gentleman are so proud – and their families, many of whom are far away, are always behind them.” Corrie got into racing via his uncle, Boet Horn, a farrier and small-time trainer. His

uncle introduced him to Pat Shaw’s father, Bernie and Charl du Toit, who trained for Frik Kroon. He says that his love for racehorses comes from old school conditioners like Willie de Beer and Nick Joubert. He joined Bill Human, first as a stable employee and then as an assistant. Twenty years ago he trained from Bloemfontein before moving to a private facility in Potgietersrus, raiding to Bloemfontein and Kimberley. “I used to drive my own truck. It was 780km there and 780km back, but I wouldn’t have done it unless I enjoyed it.”

No wonder the Lensleys have taken the past twenty months challenges half in their stride! Corrie is a member of a rare club of trainers to saddle 6 winners on a day in South Africa. They include Theo de Klerk, Terrance Millard, Andy Smith, Gavin Smith and Gary Alexander – who saddled his first runner in Australia on Saturday.

Brave Tin Soldier v

S to r m C at – B l e S S b y m r P r o S P e C to r

(USA)

Sold for US$3-million as a foal Stakes winning miler in UK & USa - timeform 115 at 2

Classic

Gr1

by Champion Sire & Sires-of-Sires

sire of

producing sire-of-sires

to the core

Rabada

StoRM Cat

won Gr1 Daily News 2000, Gr1 Premier’s Champion S.; sire - first crop will be yearlings

out of full sister to Kentucky Derby winner & G1 sire

bRave MaRy

FuSaiChi PeGaSuS

won Gr1 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship

and grandam full sister to Preakness Stakes winner & Gr1 sire

RunninG bRave

won Gr2 Gold Bracelet (2x); 2nd Gr1 Empress Club S. (2x), 2nd Gr1 Summer Cup

Pine bluFF (by Danzig) R5.000 live foal Contact: Jill Fox

072 289 8471 • nfo@thefortstud.co.za Property of The Fort Stud

JC Photos

Warren Kennedy steers Shangani to a good win

ONE FOR THE NOTEBOOK The Wernars family have raced some top-class horses over the years and their progressive stayer Shangani looks poised to go on and make his mark after an emphatic victory in Saturday’s R150 000 Listed Java Stakes run over 2400m at Turffontein. While his victory was hard fought, the Paul Peter-trained gelding is still immature and inexperienced but conquered the odds professionally to score his first stakes success

in good fashion. Under regular pilot Warren Kennedy, Shangani shook off the attentions from Marchingontogether before the mare Smoking Hot made a bold challenge down the outside late in the race. Shangani carried too many guns and went on to win by a half length in a time of 157,32 secs. Bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein, the winner is a

son of the deceased internationally performed Soft Falling Rain (National Assembly) out of the Montjeu-sired Gold Bowl winner Gorongosa. He is thus a half-brother to dual Aquanaut Handicap winner Chitengo. A winner of 4 races with 1 place from 5 starts for stakes of R253 687, Shangani cost a value R250 000 on the National Yearling Sale and looks set for plenty more.

The Merits SHANGANI has had his rating increased from 92 to 98 after his win in the Listed Java Stakes over 2400m at Turffontein on Saturday. Here it was 2nd placed SMOKING HOT who was used as the line horse, which leaves her unchanged on a mark of 98. In assessing the race this way, SHANGANI actually

achieves a rating of 99, but the specific conditions of the event do not allow the winner’s rating to be increased by more than six pounds and accordingly SHANGANI had to be capped at 98. The race conditions also preclude any ratings increase for placed horses, and as such 3rd 56 placed MARCHINGONTOGETHER and 4th finisher

SUPER HANDSOME remain unaltered on marks of 101 and 89, respectively, even though they respectively ran to marks of 102 and 94. There were ratings drops for two horses. DON’T LOOK BACK is down from 101 to 100, while BALLET SHOES drops from 103 to 101.

Chase Liebenberg

Snaith Racing’s Zolani ‘Patrick’ Xamle & jockey Richard Fourie

SNAITH’S GARDEN ROUT! SA Champion trainer Justin Snaith saddled his second Listed Algoa Cup winner in four renewals of the Eastern Cape’s premier race when SA champion owner Suzette Viljoen’s Legislate gelding Hoedspruit justified some

inspired betting support to win his second race from two starts as a 4yo. A second winner on the long weekend Friday afternoon for the Snaith-Fourie combination, Hoedspruit was saddled in the absence of the Cape trainer

by Zolani ‘Patrick’ Xamle, who also banked the fourth cheque with the lesser fancied stablemate, Bayberry. In a fifteen strong field that included six visitors, the Algoa Cup victory run of the raiders dating back to 2010

continued unabated as Legislate (17-10) was unleashed in grand style by Richard Fourie to win in the manner of a horse who could make his presence felt this term. The impressive athlete had 2,50 lengths to spare over the consistent Find Me Unafraid (8-1) and clocked an unpressured 124,56 secs for the 2000m. Fourie said that his mount was cantering coming into the straight.

“I was watching our arch-rival Cat Daddy but had him stone cold at the 250m. It was easy in the end,” he said. Registering his second stakes success after the Gr3 World Sports Betting Legal Eagle Stakes last term, the Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfonteinbred Hoedspruit now boasts 5 wins with 5 places from 13 starts for stakes of R393 975.

winner Lesedi La Rona, who was acquired by Wilgerbosdrift at the 2017 Cape Mare Sale while carrying Hoedspruit! Hoedspruit was a R280 000 buy from the 2019 Cape Yearling Sale.

The winner is out of the Trippi mare Londalozi, a full-sister to Gr2 Betting World Oaks third Shingwedzi and a three-parts sister to Perfect Promise Sprint

The Merits HOEDSPRUIT has had his rating raised from 108 to 116 following his fluent win in the Listed Nelson Mandela Bay Racing Algoa Cup (handicap) over 2000m on the Fairview turf track on Friday. Both 3rd placed MARMARA SEA and 4th finisher BAYBERRY were

considered to make for the best line horses here, which leaves them unchanged on marks of 110 and 105, respectively. The winner aside, the only other ratings raise was for 2nd placed FIND ME UNAFRAID, who was 1 pound or half-a-kilo under sufferance

at the weights and beat the line horse by 3 pounds or 1.5 lengths goes up from 93 to 97. The only drop was for JAEGER MOON, who is down from 105 to 102.

THE SUMMER OF 49! v

60 Hoedspruit (Richard Fourie in pink/blue cap) leads the Nelson Mandela Bay Racing Algoa Cup stampede

Chase Liebenberg

Descendants of deceased champion Forty Niner have dominated feature race action in South Africa over the past two weekends. Forty Niner is the grandsire of inform stallion, Trippi, and his recently pensioned son, Distorted Humor, is the sire of Flower Alley and Pathfork, both of whom enjoyed feature race success over the past weekend. Former champion South African sire Trippi (by Forty Niner’s son, End Sweep) has made waves as both a sire and broodmare sire recently. Trippi is the sire of impressive

recent Gr3 Cape Classic winner, Trip Of Fortune, and equally impressive Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship winner, Amanzimtoti, and also features as the broodmare sire of Friday's Listed Nelson Mandela Bay Racing Algoa Cup winner, Hoedspruit (Legislate). The latter was produced by the Trippi mare, Londalozi. Trippi's very promising maternal grandson, Not This Time (Giant's Causeway) also made waves over the past week, with Not This Time's blue blooded daughter Marr Time making a very impressive winning debut. A half-sister to all of Into

Mischief, Mendelssohn and Beholder, two-year-old Marr Time romped home to a two and three-quarter length win at Keeneland on Thursday and she looks a potential black-type horse. Trippi, whose daughter Veld Flower ran second in Saturday's Gr3 Yellowwood Handicap, is also broodmare sire of Fifty Fiver and Queen Of Shadows, who ran first and third respectively in Saturday's CTS De Grendel Ready To Run Stakes. Forty Niner's son, Distorted Humor, whose progeny have won all three legs of the US Triple Crown, has made his mark in South Africa through

Aiken Thoroughbred Racing

62 The champion Forty Niner: Mr Prospector (USA) ex File (USA) by Tome Rolfe (USA)

his Ge1 winning sons, Flower Alley and Pathfork. Pathfork made headlines at Turffontein on Saturday with his son Bingwa scoring a decisive win in the R800 000 Gr2 Allied SteelrodeOnamissionmile. One of more than 25 black type horses for his Gr1 winning sire, Bingwa continued the good run of form enjoyed by this male line with his impressive performance on Saturday. Pathfork went close to

enjoying a feature race double at Turffontein, with his son Marchingontogether running a close third in the Listed Java Stakes. Pathfork's paternal half-brother Flower Alley also fared well at Turffontein on Saturday. His daughter Bold Fortune landed the Gr3 Yellowwood Handicap, and Flower Alley also provided the winners of Turffontein's second and third races. Bold Fortune is inbred to Forty

Niner (who died at the ripe old age of 35), being sired by Flower Alley and her dam Plata Parana being sired by Forty Niner’s son, Rich Man's Gold. Flower Alley, whose Kenilworth Cup winning son Bayberry ran fourth in Friday's Algoa Cup, is also responsible for the very talented filly, Santa Therese. The latter, already a triple Listed winner, made it seven wins on the bounce when scoring at Fairview on Friday.

SOUNDS GOOD TO US! v

66 Ryan Munger has time to glance around as Norton Sound charges home

Chase Liebenberg

A popular winner – described as ‘a top division horse’ by his rider – the Visionaire gelding Norton Sound continued his rise up the ladder with a resounding victory in Friday’s R150 000 Listed Racing Association Stakes.

Paarl-based Glen Kotzen is always effective in the Eastern Cape and after saddling Follow My Star to win the Wedgewood Handicap earlier, grabbed second and third with Chollima (7-1) and Never Ending Rain (16-1) completing the trifecta.

Saddled by Hollywoodbets sponsored-trainer Gavin Smith on his wife Marilyn’s birthday, Norton Sound toyed with his rivals, including a few decent Cape raiders, to storm away under a thrilled Ryan Munger amid cheers from the crowd to a facile 1,75 length win in a time of 100,40 secs.

“I haven’t sat on a horse like this in the Eastern Cape since National Park,” said an excited Ryan Munger who picked up a chance ride to win on the progressive gelding at his last start.

going from here. Thanks to the Gavin Smith Racing Team and to the owners,” added Munger. Bred by Lammerskraal Stud, the winner is by Visionaire (Grand Slam) out of the four-time winning Western Winter mare Iditarod. A R100 000 National Yearling Sale buy, Norton Sound has won 4 races (2 from 2 since gelding) with 4 places from 8 starts for stakes of R154 37

“He is an exciting horse. A top division horse. It will be exciting to see where he is

The Merits NORTON SOUND remains unchanged on a rating of 101 after his success in the Listed Racing Association Stakes for three-year-olds over 1600m at Fairview on Friday. Here it was 2nd placed CHOLLIMA who was considered to make for the best line horse, leaving him unchanged on a rating of 92. In assessing the race

this way, NORTON SOUND – who was comfortably the best weighted horse in the field – only runs to a mark of 96, hence his unchanged rating. 3rd placed NEVER ENDING RAIN is raised from 84 to 88 despite achieving a race rating of 90, this is to keep him in line with 4th placed NIGHT RULER rated 88 and 5th placed SUN DAZED rated

87 so the three, who were all visitors from the Western Cape, would face one another on the correct terms were they to meet in a handicap. Three horses were given a ratings’ drop. CAPTAIN’S KNOT is down from 96 to 94, and PEACE IN OUR WORLD goes from 100 to 98.

Candiese Lenferna

Anton Marcus steers Hasta Manana to a smart victory

TILL WE MEET AGAIN! The William Longsword gelding Hasta Manana clinched his first stakes success and was the cheese on the sandwich of a terrific Gareth van ZylAnton Marcus – Mario Ferreira treble at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.

Gareth van Zyl enjoyed one of his best days at the office and saddled a four-timer that commenced with Genie shedding his maiden in the third under Smanga Khumalo. The R100 000 Listed Model Man Mile, named in honour of former SA Horse Of The Year

and our first equine millionaire Model Man, saw an eleven strong field of 3yo’s face the starter. Easy to back at 14-1 after taking six runs to crack his maiden, Hasta Manana showed resolve and some improved maturity to

quicken readily and beat Purple Flame (16-1) by 1,60 lengths in a time of 98,02 secs. The previously unbeaten-in-two favourite Quasiforsure (1-1) stayed on well without threatening for third.

HASTA MANANA has had his rating increased from 91 to 93 after his success in the Listed Model Man Mile for three-year-olds over 1600m on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf course on Sunday. It was 5th placed HUMDINGER who was considered to make for the most suitable line horse,

“Things went his way. He had a good gate, a nice lead and he quickened,” said Ridgemont jockey Anton Marcus. The former champion was to ride six winners on a profitable weekend, after winning the last in the same silks for the same stable. Bred by Rathmor Stud, Hasta

The Merits

which leaves her unchanged on a rating of 82, bearing in mind that she is a filly and thus carried 2.5 kgs less than the male winner.There were increases also for 2nd placed PURPLE FLAME, who is up from 87 to 90, and for 7th placed PROUD MASTER, who was raised slightly from 84 to 85 to have him rated correct relative to

Manana is a son of William Longsword (Captain Al) out of Ireland one-time winner Queen Of Spain (Holy Roman Emperor) A winner of 2 races with 5 places from 8 starts for stakes of R184 500, Hasta Manana looks to be improving fast.

6th finisher SIKHULU, who beat PROUD MASTER by one pound and who drops from 87 to 86.Aside from SIKHULU, there were also drops for three other horses. 4th placed AISLING was cut from 99 to 96, KEEP IT SECRET is down from 94 to 92, while CALLMEMRGREENLIGHT was dropped from 81 to 76.

TBA

Piemonte’s Lee Scribante

PIEMONTE POWER AT BSA 2YO SALE Piemonte Stud will be strongly represented at the upcoming BSA November Two Year Old Sale. The sale will be held at the TBA Sales Complex in Johannesburg on Saturday 20 November. The KwaZulu-Natal farm will be offering a consignment headed by the offspring of

such notable sires as Act Of War, Captain Of All, Global View, Ideal World, Master Of My Fate, The United States and Twice Over at the November auction. Four-time G1 winner and proven Gr1 sire Twice Over is represented here by a filly (Lot 3) out of Gr3 Fillies Mile runner up Fire Wheel, with this filly's granddam a full-sister to

champion Yard-Arm. Dynasty's Guineas winning son Act Of War is one of South Africa's most exciting young sires, and he is represented in this draft by Mio Presto (Lot 65) - a colt out of a three time winning daughter of multiple champion sire and broodmare sire Jet Master.

Gimme Now, a winning Gimmethegreenlight halfsister to Gr3 Gold Bowl winner Don't Look Back, has a colt (Lot 8) by Master Of My Fate on offer, while Master Of My Fate, whose progeny include three individual Gr1 winners, is also the sire of Who Are You (Lot 58) - a filly bred on similar lines to exported Gr1 Champions Cup winner Master Plan. Former Leading First Season Sire Global View is doubly represented in the Piemonte draft - Giovana, a mare from the family of champions Horse Chestnut and Monyela, has a Global View filly (Lot 9) here, while Sanctuary, a four time winning daughter of National Emblem, has a colt (Lot 75) by Global View on the November Sale.

Global View is a son of legendary sire Galileo - as is Flying The Flag, who has three lots on sale. They include a colt (Lot 72) from the same family as top-class sire Alzao, and a colt (Lot 107) from the same female line as champion Senor Santa and smart Hong Kong galloper Chefano. Galileo's Gr1 winning son The United States has made an explosive start to his stud career, and Sheela's promising sire is represented in Piemonte's string by a filly (Lot 45) from the same family as champions Colonial Girl and Edict Of Nantes, with her dam a winning half-sister to high-class two-year-old Brilliant Cut. Other attractive lots in this draft include the Ideal World filly (Lot

18) out of a half-sister to champion Icy Air, the Captain Of All colt (Lot 68) whose dam is a daughter of US champion Big Brown, and the Gold Standard colt (Lot 79) out of Listed East Cape Nursery heroine Scripture. Piemonte Stud's draft for the 2021 November Two Year Old Sale can be viewed online at www.bsa.co.za

Chase Liebenberg

The outstanding Run Fox Run bows out in Gr1 glory

FOX FLYING RIDGEMONT FLAG WITH PRIDE Ridgemont Highlands’ topclass sprinter Run Fox Run is fondly remembered by SA racing fans as a real turf burner and the announcement that she is a nominee in the 2020 South Australian Thoroughbred Breeders Horse Of The Year is a real feather in the cap for the champion Cape-based nursery.

ing Celtic Sea, subsequent Equus Champion Rio Querari, Tempting Fate, Kasimir and Russet Air. Arguably one of the fastest fairer sex athletes in the world at her peak, she was recently covered by Juddmonte super-

Trained by Brett Crawford and bred by Mill Park, Sam Scaffidi and Harry Perks, the lightning-fast daughter of Foxwedge won eight of just 11 starts - never out of the first four - for earnings of R1 140 350. In the process she accounted for eight Gr1 winners includ77

star Frankel. The awards will be held on 29 January 2022 at the SAJC Morphettville.

SGM - SAVE THE DATE After weeks of exchanges in the media, the Special General Meeting of National Horseracing Authority Members scheduled for 1 September was postponed on 10 August. The meeting will now be held on 23 November. This original postponement was apparently implemented to allow for ‘meaningful discussions’ between interested members and representatives of the Board prior to the SGM. In an earlier statement to members of the NHA, CEO Vee Moodley said that following discussions between the chairlady of the NHA, Susan Rowett and the chairman of the South African National Trainers Association (SANTA), Tony Rivalland, a pre-engagement meeting took place between a sub-committee of the Board and representatives of SANTA, who have been driving the process in regard to the NHA members who signed the requisition that called for an SGM. On 10 June 2021 the National Board of the NHA received a written requisition signed by not less than 100 members to call a SGM in terms of clause 13 of the Constitution. According to the requisition, the object of the SGM is to consider, and if deemed fit, approve the amendment of the Constitution in order to reconstitute the Board and to remove all references to the office of the Racing Control Executive In a notice to members on Friday, CEO Vee Moodley said that further to the Notice to Members on 10 August 2021, at a meeting held on Friday, 29 October 2021 the National Board of the National Horseracing Authority resolved that the Special General Meeting will be held on: Date: Tuesday, 23 November 2021 Time: 11h00 Venue: In person at the Head Office of the NHA,Turf Club Street, Turffontein or send your Proxy to sgmproxy@nhra.co.za To consider and vote on the proposed amendments to the Constitution as set out in the documents titled: "Special Resolutions 1 & 2 click here and Special Resolutions 3 click here. For proxy forms click here.

TELLYTRACK - A RIP OFF? SP reader Preston Moodley wrote: ‘In August I paid R79 for monthly streaming of Tellytrack. Yesterday (Saturday) I saw it is now R99 a month for streaming. In my opinion, nothing has changed from August till now to justify a 25% increase in monthly fees. Why is Tellytrack ripping off the general public?’ We put the question to Phumelela management on Sunday afternoon. Silence 79 so far.

Candiese Lenferna

A SENSE OF SHOCK! A hundred gram underweight on a hot KZN raceday day has cost jockey Gareth Wright a month’s earnings. The National Horseracing Authority has confirmed in a press release published on Tuesday that at an Inquiry held in Durban on 28 October 2021, Jockey Gareth Wright was charged with a contravention of Rule 21.11, read with Rule 66.4. The particulars being that as the Rider of GUY FOX in Race 4, run at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse on 13 October 2021, he failed to ensure that this gelding carried the correct weight during the running of the race, by weighing in at more than 0,5kg below the weight at which he was declared out at. This resulted in GUY FOX, which crossed the finishing line first, being disqualified following an objection by the Clerk of Scales being upheld. Jockey Wright pleaded guilty to the charge and was found guilty of the charge. The Inquiry Board after considering all mitigating and aggravating evidence, which included the finishing position of GUY FOX and the extent of the underweight, imposed a penalty of a suspension on Jockey Wright from riding in races for a period of 30 days. Jockey Wright has the Right of Appeal against the penalty imposed. The recently married Dad of one understandably declined to comment. 80 Rules are rules and the horse was disqualified. But is this a balanced punishment?

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LOVE REALLY DOES CONQUER ALL v

Friends Forever. It is in the name - we will move mountains to find our horses their special forever friend. We pride ourselves in ethical and responsible homing that upholds the integrity of racing. Profit generated, is then put back into racing to grow the sport that we love. Meet Shandré HoffmannHabib and Katelyn Whittington, partners in a new generation rehoming operation that has made 135 owners and their horses very happy in the past year. Based in Benoni, the passionate horse-crazy ladies have a Barn Style stable with

space for 14 horses. “We have an arena that we use for schooling, and the horses get daily paddock time which they love. This alleviates the stress of having to home directly from the track. We can take the pressure off trainers by moving their horses as soon as they need them to be out, but some horses can stay with us for up to a month before we find a suitable home,” says Shandre. Daughter of former jockey and present day Stipendiary Steward Andre Hoffmann, and wife to young rider Calvin Habin, Shandre really does have her pulse on racing and her heart in the game.

She tells how Friends Forever started. “Towards the end of 2020, I started helping my motherin-law, who was the jockey room caterer. When Covid hit a few months later, there were a large number of horses needing homes. Paul Peter offered me ‘Friends Forever’ as he knew that I am a show jumper. My husband had ridden him in races, and while I wasn’t too keen to take another horse - I already had one - I offered to help home him. The first time I met him, I fell in love with him, and decided to keep him.” The seed was planted and the offers of horses started

83 The ‘Forever Friends’ Katelyn Whittington & Shandré Hoffmann- Habib lead a Calvin Habib winner in

coming in thick and fast! “The situation was dire, we weren’t racing, there was so much uncertainty as to when we would resume, owners and trainers alike were rocked by the economic hardship of Covid and horses were retiring in numbers. I realised that I needed to help, but I also knew that it was an enormous responsibility that had to be undertaken with diligence and care- and that is when I contacted Katelyn as she had the facilities that we could move the horses to that needed to leave urgently. This meant that we could alleviate the pressure at the courses, while having the time to find the best homes.”

With an impressive list of academic qualifications, Shandre is absolutely no one-dimensional horsewoman. The 25 year old modestly tells the Sporting Post that she is privileged to have enjoyed an ‘exceptional education’, comprising three university certificates from overseas (Hong Kong PolyU, Berkley, University of Wellington) and three degrees from the University of Johannesburg, up until her Master’s in Industrial Sociology “We are a tight-knit family and I am very close to my parents André and Sheryl, and my brother Justin. I am happily married to jockey, Calvin Habib 84

who is also my best friend and biggest supporter. I suppose I was always destined towards horses! My father was a jockey, and my mother was a showjumper, so they both had an affiliation with horses. My brother wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps. I was the younger sibling, so I just wanted to do what my cool brother was doing. When my mom took him for lessons, I started riding at the same time. There was no going back from there. Bar a break to pursue my studies, I’ve been riding for almost 20 years and have earned my national colours in show jumping for several years,” she says with pride.

+++++

It must be love! Katelyn and Shandre shower the winner with affection When the popular Andre Hoffmann, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, retired from race riding, he remained in the industry in various roles. “Dad was always open to letting me tag along to work. Given that he undertook so many roles, I was able to experience the industry holistically, and see how each of the facet’s work which gave me a deep appreciation for the sport. I am using the current academic break to assist my husband with his return to racing, and I am consulting for a Randjesfontein yard. I am at the track 6 days a week, and I love every second of it!”

And who is her rehoming partner Katelyn, or ‘Katiebum’, as she is affectionately known to those permitted to reference her in that way? “I got involved In horses in 2013 when I began riding and I started competing in show jumping. In 2014 I started breeding Warmbloods. I have a well-established Warmblood breeding programme and it’s well known in the show jumping industry,” adds the enthusiastic horsewoman. “I met Shandre through show jumping. In 2020 she contacted me to take horses off the track and to say the bug bit is an understatement! It started with going to track work, then going 85

to races to now owning race horses! We own shares in five horses with Ashley Fortune at the Vaal, and two race in our very own partnership colours. We love it!” Friends Forever offer rehoming and rehabilitation of horses coming off the track, in Gauteng and Durban. But let Shandre explain: “We are blessed to have exceptional facilities and partners. Trainers call us when the horses are ready to come off, and Katelyn goes off to collect them. They then stand at us for as long as they need to, in order to find the perfect home. We collect

a profile for each horse from the racing teams: jockeys, vets, trainers, assistants, grooms and even check their form and stipes reports. Then we assess them at our premises by working with them and riding them. Once we know the horse a bit better and feel that they are ready for a second career, we open viewings. Hosting them on our premises means that we can vet the riders, their ability and bond with the horse. When we have a client match a horse, we undertake home checks as our final step before we allow the horses to leave.”

that we home may be resold without our knowledge, in which case we require a new contract. This way, we can ensure where the horses that we homed are at all times.” To date, Friends Forever have proudly rehomed 135 horses, in the past year.

Shandre’s proud outline of the operation continues:

“I may be biased, but every horse we have homed has made us proud! From the happy-hacker to the competitive jumper, knowing that these thoroughbreds are retired to homes where they are so loved just honours everything they were in their racing career. They gave us their all, and now we can do this for them.”

“We have a strict agreement and each trainer receives a copy of the horses’ contract and can choose if they want updates. None of the horses

Shandre goes on to say that redressing the stigma that surrounds the thoroughbred racing industry has been a positive spin-off for them.

“Through this initiative, we have been able to demonstrate that thoroughbreds can really do anything. They are elite athletes that thrive in all disciplines. It has also allowed us to have some difficult, but necessary conversations with members of the equine community who stereotype our industry as ‘negative’- by educating and even showing them the high quality of care that they receive in racing.” • Find these passionate ladies on Facebook: Friends Forever: OTTB Second Careers • Or contact Shandré Habib on 0833076036

Future Stars proudly sponsored by Bush.

BE U - STAY HEALTHY BUSH - IT'S A LIFESTYLE 87

THE SPIRIT OF DACHA Can you hear that? The sounds of glasses clinking, people cheering and The Spirit of Dacha in the air? Yes - we can hear it too, and we can feel it more than ever as we watched Spirit OfDacha claim first place at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Monday. But we, and also most of you knew, that with Marco van Rensburg as our jockey, we were bound to have something to celebrate. Shannon Smith writes that a beautiful jockey-racer combination calls for an equally beautiful combination of red and white Dacha blends. Sounds good, right? We love it too - We also seem to be falling more and more in love with animals, because we have recently begun teaming up with TEARS Animal Rescue. TEARS is based in the deep south of the Western Cape in Kom-

metjie, and they dedicate their lives to rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals. With various fundraising events in their pipeline, Dacha is getting involved in fun and thoughtful ways with our CBD Blends and our Bush Wellness Range. We’re also in discussions around putting together a Christmas hamper for them, and sending a strong portion of proceeds to TEARS. Watch this space - you can do something good for Christmas soon! We’re also extending our Research and Development endeavours to run alongside TEARS and their rehabilitation programs. The healing benefits of CBD is no secret, and we’re looking forward to seeing the potential it holds not only within the equine industry, but within the entire veterinary industry as a whole. While we’re still rolling out the early phases of this partnership, we can’t help but

feel excited for the possibilities that lie ahead. In the meantime, we have things to be excited about right now! We’d like to congratulate Gavin Coventry, our winner of last week’s competition! Congratulations Gavin - we have contacted you via email, and your prize will soon be on it’s way. We have more horses racing on 10 November - You can vote for them here. You could join Gavin and the previous winners’ with a gift pack of Dacha’s CBD Blends. And remember - Christmas is on the way – Use your promo code “SPORTINGPOST” and receive a 10% discount on your order of any Dacha or Bush product. Get shopping, get winning, and stay lekker.

Last week's winner announced in Dacha Article

The Spirit of Dacha is in the Air

Celebrate with us - Vote for your favourite 89

ANOTHER MONTH OF MAGIC The Sporting Post is proud to partner with BUSH and offer our breeders and our readers the opportunity of enjoying the new generation of future stars. Our September winner was Charlmain Reeves of Cape Town who selected the mpressive Talk Of The Town colt ex Reason To Believe, who hailed from Beaumont Stud.

This week we are asking our readers to select their choice from this ten-strong stunning class of October 2021.

The winner of the BUSH WELLNESS HAMPER will be announced in the Sprint on Wednesday 10 November.

All you have to do is select your foal of choice by means of a comment - click here. Please quote the foal number and tell us very briefly why you decided on your selection.

Note: Breeders – please send us your foal pics to editor@sportingpost.co.za.

Votes close on Tuesday 9 November at midday.

Please include the date of birth/sex/breeding/any relevant family information.

Drakenstein Stud Farm (F) What A Winter ex Snowdance

Winterbach Stud (f) Danon Platina ex Polar Jet

Winterbach Stud (f) One World ex Silver Moonlight

Winterbach Stud (c) Lancaster Bomber ex Symphony 5

Soetendal Estate (c) William Longsword ex Bump ‘n Grind

Winterbach Stud (f) Gimmethegreenlight ex Jet Supreme 91

Soetendal Estate (c) Oratorio ex A Time To Dream

Soetendal Estate (f) One World ex Blakes Mistress 9

Drakenstein Stud Farm (c) One World ex Sing Dixie Sing

Summerhill Equestrain (c) Rabada ex Daring Diva 92

Competition form in Dacha Article

High Spirits, High Reward PLAY AND WIN with Dacha 93

Design by Winning Media

MORE FUTURE STARS v

The Sporting Post is proud to partner with BUSH to bring you the cream of this season’s foal crop – our future stars. Outstanding prizes will be offered every month to readers, who will be asked to select the foal of the month. Our first foal of the week hails from Summerhill Equestrian.

This impressive Act Of War filly was born in the early hours of the morning on 6 October. Out of the multiple winning mare, Noodle, this chestnut filly already stands over ground. Our second foal was also born in the KZN region. On 13 October at Spring Valley Stud, Ted Hughes welcomed this chestnut colt by Willow Magic in the early hours of the night.

Out of Trippi mare, Magical Trip, this foal is certainly going to bring the magic. Breeders are invited to email their foal images to editor@ sportingpost.co.za and provide the date of birth, sex, breeding and any family or background information.

Spring Valley Stud (c) Willow Magic ex Magical Trip – born 13 October

Summerhill Equestrian (f) Act Of War ex Noodle – born 6 October

Mazarin (Bert Hayden) in the 1971 Rothmans July lead-in

REMEMBERING BIG RACE BERTIE This week we remember one of our greatest jockeys, Bertie Hayden who passed away at the age of 68 on 4 May 2014. In 1971 he caught the eye of Syd Laird, and became the great trainer’s stable jockey, second to Robbie Sivewright. In 1971 Bert transferred from Cape Town to the Durban string, winning his first July that same year aboard Mazarin. ‘Big Race’ Bert ended up staying for 12 years, forging one of the

most powerful partnerships of the era. He would go on to win 3 Julys in total - Mazarin in 1971, Yataghan in 1973 and the great Politician in 1978. He won the Met 5 times Force Ten in 1972, Yataghan in 1974 and then three on the trot with Bahadur in 1977 and Politician in 1978 and 1979. The 1979 Met is widely regarded as the greatest race ever seen in South Africa when Bert brought Politician from an impossible position 96

to beat Festive Season by a neck. Bert reportedly gave all the credit to the great chestnut, saying “I didn’t do anything. He won it all on his own. That’s just how good he is.” He won the Queen’s Plate 4 times - Chichester in 1970, Yataghan in 1973 and then Politician in 1978 and 1979. He also won the Gold Cup on Furious in 1980 and practically every big race on our racing calendar.

- Golden Oldies - Golden Oldies - Golden Oldies - Golden Oldies - Golden Oldies - Golden

n Oldies - Golden Oldies - Golden Oldies - Golden Oldies - Golden Oldies - Golden Oldies -

Golden Oldies - Golden Oldies - Golden Oldies - Golden Oldies

Oldies - Golden Oldies - Golden Oldies - Golden Oldies - Golde

EUROPE’S P R E M I E R BREEDING STOCK SALE v

featuring major consignments from

Godolphin, Juddmonte Farms and Shadwell Estates

TAT T E R SA L L S DEC E M BE R SA L E 2021 YEARLINGS: November 22nd FOALS: November 24th-27th BROODMARES, FILLIES IN TRAINING, etc: November 29th-December 2nd

Jeremy Nelson T: +2783 2617953 jeremy.nelson@tattersalls.com www.tattersalls.com 97

HKJC

Gr1 winner Broome was purchased for 150,000 guineas at the December Yearling Sale

TATTERSALLS DECEMBER YEARLING SALE The catalogue for the 2021 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale is out now and can be viewed at www. tattersalls.com. Numbering 200 lots, the December Yearling Sale will take place on Monday, 22nd November. In total the catalogue features

own or half brothers and sisters to 41 Group and Listed winners, and 25 yearlings out of Group and Listed winning dams headed by the Galileo colt out of the Group 2 winner Laugh Out Loud. Buyers looking for future winners of valuable Tattersalls bonuses and sponsored races

will not be short of choice with 6 yearlings eligible for the lucrative £20,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonus Scheme and a further 16 yearlings eligible for the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes, including 4 additionally eligible for the £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes.

The catalogue also features 38 fillies already entered for the Great British Bonus and two lots qualified for French Owners’ Premiums. Nine of the top ten sires currently standing in Europe have yearlings catalogued including Australia, Dark Angel, Frankel, Kingman, Kodiac, Lope De Vega, Sea The Stars, Siyouni and Wootton Bassett who have a total of 26 yearlings catalogued between them.

Other proven Group 1 sires with progeny in the sale include Acclamation, Bated Breath, Dandy Man, Exceed And Excel, Farhh, Fastnet Rock, Gleneagles, Havana Gold, Iffraaj, Invincible Spirit, Le Havre, Make Believe, Mastercraftsman, and Night Of Thunder to name a few. There are plenty of yearlings on offer by exciting young sires with either one or two crops of racing age including Ardad, Caravaggio, Churchill, Galileo

Gold, Kodi Bear, Time Test and Zoustar to name a few as well as by Group 1 and Classic winning first crop yearling sires such as Cracksman, Expert Eye, Harry Angel, Hawkbill, Saxon Warrior and Unfortunately. Click here to view the catalogue.

These Things Happen Connections of Melbourne Cup runner-up Incentivise are sweating on the results of a second set of scans after he pulled up lame following his gallant run as a beaten favourite on Tuesday. The top racing site www. punters.com.au reports that managing owner Steve Tregea confirmed his homebred superstar had suffered the injury in his fetlock area and displayed lameness shortly after the grueling 3200m trip.

“He has inflammation in the near-side fetlock,” Tregea said. “They scanned it and didn’t see a lot but there was inflammation and fluid there and he was lame so we will see what the second scan shows. “It is not a CT scan, just a normal scan they use on pregnant mares to see under the skin. It is in the fetlock so they don’t really know what it is, they have iced it and wrapped it up but he was lame on it shortly after the race. “When you are racing horses,

these things are always on the cards. It is disappointing but you just have to cop these things.” Incentivise was set for an extended spell as it was after a busy winter and spring but his Melbourne Cup setback now has his racing future unclear while they wait for veterinary analysis. Incentivise has never shown signs of soreness like this after a race and it is the first time he has pulled up lame in his short but incredible career.

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102 Aidan O'Brien at Del Mar this week

Neil Morrice

EUROPE TAKES ON THE US v

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Del Mar hosts the Breeder’s Cup events on Friday and Saturday. The racecourse, situated just north of San Diego on the US West Coast, sees a European contingent challenge the Americans for top honours. Here’s a look at the main contenders on their way to America. Breeders’ Cup Turf (Sunday 01h40) Arc runner-up Tarnawa is forecast to start a short-priced favourite to defend her title. She sets the standard in terms of form on her fine effort behind St Mark’s Basilica in the Irish Champion Stakes and then a gallant second in the Arc. However, her come from behind running style might not be ideally suited to the ultra-short home straight here and a wide draw at 13 will make things even tougher. Charlie Appleby fields two in the race. Yibir will be a huge threat after his taking victory in the Jockey Club Derby at Belmont Park six weeks ago. He must overcome draw 10 but retained rider William Buick has elected to ride him. The 3-year-old has won three of his four starts since he was gelded, and his trainer believes that operation has

been the making of the son of Dubawi. “He was last seen in Belmont, winning on the back of his Great Voltigeur success. He’s a young pretender going out there,” the Godolphin trainer told Racing TV. “Gelding was the making of him. We’ve always liked him, but he’s had his own mind-set towards the game.”

Stablemate Walton Street has James Doyle in the saddle and from a better draw could be involved in the finish. The seven-year-old was impressive when a six-length winner of the Canadian International last time out. In his favour is that he likes to race just off the speed and could hold a positional advantage heading into the final bend.

Game On! Few Breeders’ Cup runners will be singled on tickets like Gamine, the fleet filly that won the 2020 Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland. On Saturday Gamine will be heavily favoured to defend her title in the $1 million race at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club - can any one of her rivals outrun her? Gamine has been one of the most brilliant, consistent runners over the last two racing seasons. Michael Lund Petersen went to $1.8 million for the daughter of Into Mischief when she was a juvenile in training, and she promptly rewarded him with a smashing debut win at Santa Anita on 7 March 2020. From there, the Bob Baffert-trained galloper reeled off an allowance win at Oaklawn Park, a

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staggering 18 ¾-length score in the Gr1 Acorn at Belmont, and a seven-length thrashing of the Gr1 Test at Saratoga. She hung on gamely for third in the Kentucky Oaks over 1800m - but was ultimately disqualified due to a medication violation. Dropped back in distance in last year’s Breeders’ Cup, Gamine ran the competition off their feet. She took on 2019 Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress and crack sprinters such as Bell’s the One and Sconsin and trounced them, winning by over six lengths. She has not been beaten since, taking the Gr3 Las Flores, the Gr1 Derby City Distaff, the Gr2 Great Lady M and the Gr1 Ballerina in succession. She has been so dominant that only six rivals pre-entered against her.

His fourth behind Mishriff and Chrono Genesis in the Gr1 Sheema Classic earlier in the year reads well and this Cape Cross gelding enjoys top of the ground conditions. Tarnawa is joined by a couple of others back to defend their Breeders’ Cup titles in Audarya (Filly & Mare Turf) and Glass Slippers (Turf Sprint). Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (21h40) Glass Slippers defends her crown for trainer Kevin Ryan, but five furlongs on baked Southern Californian ground poses a different question entirely to the good going last year at Keeneland. Stablemate Emaraaty Ana is not out of it on his front running victory over Starman in the Gr1 Haydock Sprint Cup in September. That win was on good to firm ground which suggests he could cope with the fast conditions on Saturday. He’ll need luck in running from stall two but rates a chance against likely favourite and hometown hero Golden Pal. Wesley Ward's star three-year-old was an impressive end to end winner at Keeneland last month and

has been all the rage for this since. Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (22h59) A race in which British or Irish runners have emerged on top in four of the last five years. The longer trip of 2200m has clearly tempted Aidan O’Brien into aiming Love here and she should relish the fast ground. Ryan Moore jets out for the ride and the Galileo filly has not had a busy autumn campaign. She has a good draw at six while last year’s winner Audarya is in stall 12. Breeders’ Cup Mile (Sunday 00h20) An extraordinary piece of training saw Aidan O’Brien responsible for the first three home in 2020 but he’s down to just the one dart 12 months on, in the rather luckless Mother Earth. She’s held her form remarkably well all year, in fairness, and anyone willing to suggest she’s probably had enough for the year by this stage is a braver soul than I. Having said that, the campaign Charlie Appleby has mapped out for SPACE BLUES looks calculated to a tee and there’s a strong

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suggestion he will be retired on the spot – win, lose or draw in Del Mar. The late-maturing Dubawi has just about all you’d want to see in a BC Mile contender, namely a push-button change of gear, high-class form at shorter distances, plus versatility in terms of ground conditions. On top of that, he got gate three at Monday's draw which looks perfect. The price went long ago with him as potential rivals started to fall by the wayside, but from this standpoint it’s going to take a particularly rough trip to prevent him going very close to signing off in the best possible style on Saturday. The big home hope, Mo Forza, is a late closer too so this is going to be fun to watch either way. Space Blues' stablemate Master Of The Seas is better than he was able to show in the QEII, having been too keen for his own good, and deserves a positive mention given he should be at home on quick terrain.

ELECTRIFIED, INDEED! v

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Racing Victoria

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Racing Victoria

A thrilled James McDonald salutes as Verry Elleegant storms home Trainer Chris Waller finally got his hands on the Melbourne Cup after Verry Elleegant, ridden by James McDonald, upset the overwhelming pre-race favourite Incentivise at Flemington racecourse on Tuesday.

The Guardian reports that Incentivise, one of the shortest-priced Cup favourites, had to settle for second place in the $8m race over 3200m with UK-trained Spanish Mission crossing the line in third. Floating Artist was fourth, The Chosen One fifth

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and Grand Promenade sixth. After a spectator-free event due to Covid-19 restrictions in Victoria last year, a10,000strong fully-vaccinated crowd was allowed back in the stands on Tuesday and they made their voices heard as

Verry Elleegant surged down the home straight.

collection of four Cox Plates won with Winx.

In perfect racing conditions under blue skies, the sixyear-old mare delivered a first Cup win for Waller after overhauling Incentivise on the long Flemington straight and then leaving the star of this year’s Spring Carnival in her wake.

“I never thought I would ever win one,” McDonald said. “I always dreamed of winning one, but it’s so hard to win. A dream come true. When I went for home, I don’t know, I don’t know what I was thinking. I was thinking, where’s that post?

The reigning Australian horse of the year crossed the line three-and-a-half lengths in front to claim her 10th Group 1 win, while victory for Waller added the Cup to his

“She travelled so sweetly in the run for such a big way. She is trained by a master. He gets them right. She is a superstar and I’m so proud of her. “We’ve been along for the ride

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for so many seasons now. This has cemented her place right up the top of those real top horses because what she’s done over the years, some seven furlongs to 3,200m. To win one of the biggest races in the land, it is just incredible.”

HKJC

Golden Sixty was flying at work on Tuesday!

GOLDEN SIXTY – HO CAN’T WAIT! Vincent Ho delivered a glowing and succinct assessment of Golden Sixty’s form after the Hong Kong champion posted another dashing trial victory at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning ahead of his race-track return later this month.

Pitted against seven rivals over 1200m on the All Weather Track, Golden Sixty cruised to a two and a quarter length in 1m 11.37s over Packing Victory and Super Dynamite to fuel Ho’s hopes the outstanding galloper can soon extend his unbeaten streak to 15 races.

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“He felt great, he jumped really well, relaxed and hit the line nicely. He really enjoyed that,” Ho said ahead of Golden Sixty’s anticipated return in the Gr2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m) on 21 November at Sha Tin. “Now we just keep him nice

and happy and fresh with just some quiet gallops. I think both of us can’t wait – even him.” Aiming for successive LONGINES Hong Kong Mile victories, Golden Sixty was asked for a more serious effort in today’s outing after cruising through two earlier trials – also over 1200m on the dirt on 19 October and over 1000m on turf on 5 October. “Last season, I still asked him sometimes for an effort in track work if at the trials the weather wasn’t great. You don’t want to push and take

a risk there if the conditions aren’t great,” Ho said. “Today was his third trial, it was a nice surface, so you can control it nicely. He felt good.” On a morning where several talented gallopers appeared at the trials, including Excellent Proposal and Lucky Express, Hot King Prawn ambled to victory in a 1050m pipe-opener for John Size and Karis Teetan. Winner of the Gr1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) in January, the grey has been off the scene since finishing fifth to Wellington in the Class 1 Lantau Island Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on 13

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March.The seven-year-old was under no pressure today as he covered the five-furlong assignment in 1m 02.10s, edging out Australian import Birdsville by half a length. Size stablemate Drops Of God was third. With three trials under his belt now, Hot King Prawn is likely to resume in the Gr2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint at Sha Tin on 21 November.

results up to: 2021-11-02

TRAINERS Name Mr P A Peter Mr S J Snaith Mr G D Smith Mr M F de Kock Mr S G Tarry

Runs

Wins Win%

264 353 309 110 193

47 53 37 31 29

17.8 15.0 12.0 28.2 15.0

2nd

3rd

41 41 35 22 22

34 54 30 9 19

2nd

3rd

73 46 40 54 24

62 45 39 37 21

Other Places Place %

Win Stake (R)

Total Stakes (R)

47.0 45.6 41.1 46.4 33.7

2,588,000 2,377,775 1,531,250 1,682,125 1,319,813

3,992,625 3,586,425 2,341,625 2,258,125 2,055,000

Other Places Place %

Win Stake (R)

Total Stakes (R)

4,515,063 2,977,200 2,422,800 2,589,625 1,928,813

6,534,688 4,414,588 3,417,450 4,167,225 2,793,750

49 66 62 20 24

124 161 127 51 65

JOCKEYS Name Mr W B Kennedy Mr S Khumalo Mr R D Fourie Mr M A Yeni Mr L Hewitson

Rides Wins Win% 498 352 252 407 174

88 62 54 52 39

17.7 17.6 21.4 12.8 22.4

95 69 43 87 27

230 160 122 178 72

46.2 45.5 48.4 43.7 41.4

BREEDERS B.T. B.T. Total Runrs Runs AEPR Wnrs Wins Winrs/ Places Winrs Wins Stakes (R) Rnrs %

Name

Wilgerbosdri� & Mauritzfontein Klawervlei Stud Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert) Maine Chance Farms (Pty) Ltd Summerhill Stud (Pty) Ltd

197 252

461 584

27,935 18,251

63 55

75 62

32.0 201 21.8 223

5 2

5,503,275 4,599,350

102 98 100

242 227 265

27,100 23,049 21,634

30 27 20

42 33 24

29.4 99 27.6 100 20.0 97

2 0 1

2,764,175 2,258,775 2,163,438

B.T. Wins

Total Stakes (R)

3 1 1 0 2

3,053,863 2,826,913 2,722,925 2,400,063 2,382,300

SIRES Name

Runrs Runs AEPR

Vercingetorix * Silvano (GER) Master Of My Fate What A Winter Flower Alley (USA)

108 119 120 119 82

226 257 301 273 188

28,277 23,756 22,691 20,169 29,052

B.T. Wnrs Wins Winrs/ Places Winrs Rnrs % 34 36 30 30 29

42 39 33 34 36

31.5 30.3 25.0 25.2 35.4

98 113 148 106 69

See all the detailed standings - Click here 112

3 1 1 0 2

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NEIGHBOURLY LOVE – NOT! v

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Derby: “A sports match between two rival teams from the same area.” Such a calm and inviting definition, but this game – the history, the fierceness, competitiveness and love lost – is anything but calm and inviting! It’s the Manchester derby, old battle lines revived once again. It’s truly the sort of game which captures attention and forces an opinion. The ‘noisy neighbours’ come to Old Trafford and will want to make their presence known. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still trying to hold on to his wheel, knowing all too well that another terrible slip might be his last. Manchester United vs Manchester City | Saturday 6 November | Old Trafford | 14h30 To Win (90 mins) Manchester United 32/10 Draw 29/10 Manchester City 15/20 Manchester United A lot has been made about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his tactical nous – or lack thereof - however, this last weekend I think the Manchester United manager deserves plaudits. He’s the manager of one of the biggest clubs in the world, with one of the best squads in the world…and yet, we all

thought he’d send his players out with the same ‘go out and have a go lads’ message for the Spurs fixture. Well don’t you feel silly now? I certainly do.

United, only to have Solskjaer move to a 3-4-1-2 system (the very system which won Conte the Italian Serie A – insert eye emoji here)

Ryan Liberty writes that the confidence in the camp was low, the pressure was dilled up and the eyes of the world were upon the Norwegian. The organization and systematic shift, to highlight United’s strengths whilst also concealing their weaknesses was brilliant to watch. Tottenham defended poorly and were rightly put to the sword, but, for possibly the first time this season, it wasn’t due to the individual brilliance United possess.

But you know what they say, the greatest compliment is imitation. Yes, I agree, it is most a nonsensical anecdote!

With that being said, it’s almost impossible to have an insurmountable pile of confidence in United. There is still a vulnerability in transition moments and the space they often offer up to teams could always be terribly exploited. On the Spurs game alone there isn’t evidence to justify that Solskjaer has the tools to outplay City, but the previous encounters between these two might. United have only lost once at Old Trafford (while Solskjaer has been manager) to Manchester City. Granted, he has largely employed a counter-attacking style of football in these fixtures, but I think his last roll of the dice against Spurs might have unlocked something special. It is funny to note that Antonio Conte had been linked with

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Manchester City #PepOut? Too soon? I’m just wondering, I mean he got knocked out of the EFL Cup (or Carabao Cup – you know the one that’s meaningfulness to your club largely depends on whether you get knocked out or not…) and he’s only gone and consolidated it with a loss to Palace. I’m sorry… I’m being facetious; City are an excellent outfit. The interconnectedness between their full-backs and forwards are not only lethal, but often futuristic. I mentioned this in my article last week, City don’t look or feel as dominant as they usually are. They haven’t really put in performances that dominate opposition sides, or completely play them off the field. And their results don’t exactly scream anything lavish or even remotely grandeur. I’m going to say this completely aware of the backlash and (possibly) deserved banter the sentence

might receive: United have had such a ‘horrible’ season and are ‘completely out of the title picture’… but being just three points off City, doesn’t that mean City are in the same boat? Manchester City have an excellent squad and a world-class manager, but I don’t think the performances we’ve seen from them reflect that. I don’t think even they are currently in the company of a Chelsea or Liverpool and so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them drop points at Old Trafford. I think this game hinders on which approach United adopt, and only just, because it is still a derby. And so, even if it is a league game it will feel as

though it’s for all the marbles. Prediction: Under 2.5 Goals (5/4) On immediate form, United could justify your vote. On squad and manager influence, City probably just edge it. It’s an intriguing game which could really go either way, if I’m honest I’m going to take City on here and back United at 32/10! Only because I think City are too shortly priced at 15/20.

to shift defensively. I’d love to see the same Italian-styled system employed by the Red Devil’s, only because I think it diversifies the attack. Nevertheless, I think a tactical game awaits. One with little goals.

I think the bet for the various multiples as well as the lump sum down payment, is under 2.5. If Solskjaer looks to take the game to City because United are at home, they lose. And it might get ugly again. I think City dictate the ball and tempo and United will be happy

Baxter’s Five Fails Stuart Baxter had a very successful first stint when he was in charge of Amakhosi between 2012 and 2015, winning the league twice while also adding the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup to his haul, also finishing a close second to Mamelodi Sundowns. However, things haven’t been as smooth second time around for the British gaffer. His second stint has short of disastrous, though.

Here are 5 reasons why Baxter is struggling this time around Cardoso and Mathoho partnership The defensive duo of Daniel Cardoso and Eric Mathoho has never worked and will never work. Kaizer Chiefs have been leaking goals since the days of Gavin Hunt but he too persisted with the partnership and only seemed willing to tinker with goalkeeping selections

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before he was sacked. Baxter arrived and the fans expected him to make defensive changes as the number of goals conceded by the team was cause for alarm. But no, Baxter continued with the ineffective and lacklustre partnership. Just like Hunt, the former Bafana Bafana mentor is only fiddling with goalkeeping selections. Read more here

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