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4 Snaith’s Pomp And Power beats Kannemeyer’s Cosmic Highway in the Concorde Cup – they meet again on Saturday
Chase Liebenberg
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CONCORDE JETS: A GUINEAS FLY-PAST? 5
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Dean Kannemeyer fields a powerful three-cornered hand in his bid to defend his title and register his personal seventh winner, and an overall tenth for the Kannemeyer Racing dynasty, in the R750 000 Gr1 Cape Guineas at Kenilworth on Saturday. An alternate first leg of the SA Triple Crown, the Cape Guineas has attracted a capacity field of sixteen. While his late Dad Peter saddled three Cape Guineas winners in an illustrious career, Dean Kannemeyer saddled last year’s surprise winner Russian Rock for his sixth title in twenty renewals and will be hoping that Grant Behr, who rode the grey son of Pomodoro, will pull another ace out of the pack when partnering the Gr2 Golden
Horseshoe winner, Waterberry Lane. Read Grant’s thoughts on page xx of this issue. The son of Soft Falling Rain is unbeaten in two stars against older horses this season. “He is a lovely horse and one of his biggest assets is that he can race from the pace or off them. He is also a Gr2 winner, so he has proven his class. He has won two smart races this season in handicap company, and as the highest-rated 3yo in the Guineas, he should be right in the mix. As with all three of mine, their prep has gone superbly well and we won’t have excuses come Saturday!” added Dean. The Kannemeyer attack doesn’t end there and the exciting Gr3 Cape Nursery winner Cosmic Highway is primed
6 Father-and-son: Dean and the late Peter Kannemeyer
to fire – albeit from a wide draw – after excellent placed efforts in the Matchem Stakes behind subsequent Green Point Stakes winner Seeking The Stars, and the Concorde Cup, when Grant van Niekerk produced a tactical master stroke on Pomp And Power. The Selangor top four are back on Saturday, and Keagan de Melo won’t be caught napping again. “Cosmic Highway has a helluva turn of foot and he wasn’t quite ready coming into the Concorde Cup. He was picking them off late and just couldn’t get to Pomp And Power. He will be a lot sharper on Saturday.” As regards Cosmic Highway’s draw, Dean says he’d like to have been a bit further towards the middle. Gold Circle
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“Look it’s not a dealbreaker but one needs plenty of luck and ability to win the Guineas. Keagan (De Melo) knows him well and we’ll leave it to him.” Kannemeyer’s trio is rounded off by Mr Master Starter, who should not be underestimated, but has been described as a Derby horse. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see Mr Master Starter go 2000m and more, but the long run-in of the summer course plays into his hands. I discussed his prospects with the owners, and while I have a slight concern that he may be a tad immature still for this level of competition, he certainly warrants a tilt and we are
taking our chances. The Cape Guineas only comes round once in a horse’s career.”
highlights. It’s a terrific way to end the Gr1 programme for 2021,” concluded Dean.
Dean said that he had every respect for the opposition as the field included some high quality 3yo’s.
Glen Kotzen, Justin Snaith and Candice Bass-Robinson make up nine runners between them, while Sean Tarry saddles the only visitor in the Querari filly, Marigold Hotel.
“Candice Bass-Robinson has a 3yo who has done nothing wrong in Trip Of Fortune. The Snaith’s Pomp And Power beat us in the Concorde, while there is a bit of talk about Pacaya. And Glen Kotzen has Good Traveller, who is no slouch. Simply, the Gr1 Cape Guineas would not be held in such high regard if it was a walkover race to win. It should be a great race for the public, and racing needs
The Cape Guineas headlines a multiple feature programme on Saturday. Follow the action on the newlook www.sportingpost.co.za website.
Undercard Is Hot!
Whilst the Cape Guineas looks difficult to decipher, with at least half a dozen in with winning chances, Cape Racing suggest there are more clear-cut betting opportunities in the supporting features at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Warrior runs in Race 8, a Pinnacle Stakes, with persuasive claims. He looks way ahead of the official handicapper after beating Rascallion at level weights in his first run after gelding. This son of Futura looks a Gr1 horse in the making based on that sterling performance in the Cape Mile where he smashed an eye-popping speed score of 111.
As an unfortunate aside, super-dependable Rascallion, who has been placed in multiple Gr1,2 and 3’s over a variety of distances, injured a suspensory ligament when defeating Do It Again at his follow- up and is out for the season. Trainer Vaughan Marshall will reassess his charge after at least two months box rest and shockwave treatment. A decision about his career prospects will be taken in February 2022.
Warrior faces last year’s Cape Guineas winner Russian Rock who holds a nomination for the Met. The grey should actually relish a longer route based on pedigree but tends to pull and waste energy, 7
hence trainer Kannemeyer’s decision to restrict him to these 1400m trips. Russian Rock is game and capable of finishing quickly, yet the conviction is that Warrior will beat him in receipt of 4.5 kg’s. Silver Operator ran a towering figure behind Seeking the Stars at Durbanville only to be put in his place by Warrior in the Cape Mile. Quite probably, a similar fate awaits this time, too. Course and distance specialist Pinkerton could be a threat for the places from an ideal inside alley as he reeled off a succession of wins last summer, attaining neat speed scores of 106.
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Guineas Double – ‘I Have A Big Chance!’ 10
Chase Liebenberg
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Winning rider of the 2020 Cape Guineas with Russian Rock, Grant Behr only has one ride at Kenilworth on Saturday. He partners Waterberry Lane for Dean Kannemeyer in the 2021 renewal of the prestigious classic. The quietly spoken jockey is confident that he can successfully defend the title. One of the unassuming gentleman of the Cape weighing room, Grant chatted to the Sporting Post this week about the big race, his family and his philosophy on life and his profession. An avid hobby gardener and a man who runs 10km every other day up the hills and down the dales of his Cape Winelands home, the 43 year old prefers to retain a low profile and we felt quite honoured to snare him for a short chat. “Horseracing is a sport where people do seem to talk a lot – and most of the time it’s from their pockets. I prefer to listen and do my talking on the racetrack. I only speak when I feel it’s necessary and can contribute some value to the conversation. Otherwise, it’s always better to rather shut up and listen!” says Grant. He recalls that he left home to ride work at Milnerton on the morning of the 2020 Cape Guineas. Russian Rock, like
Waterberry Lane on Saturday, was his only ride on the day. He kissed his wife Lanese and daughter Cassidy goodbye and drove the long road to Milnerton. His Mom Lorraine arrived at the Behr family home in Pniel later in the day and casually flicked the switch over to Tellytrack. But it was already past race time. A flurry of whatsapps then alerted them to the glorious reality that Grant had actually won one of the country’s biggest races. “My family are my rock and foundation. I met my wife when I rode work for Mike Robinson and have been with her for ten years. I’m not shy to admit that she is my backbone. They are my biggest supporters – maybe even my only fans – but whether I’m riding a maiden or a Gr1, I don’t burden or stress them out.” Grant says that on Saturday he will follow the same routine as a year ago. “I will go and ride work at Milnerton and then head for Kenilworth. Like last year, I am happy to have just the one ride and will find a quiet space to ride the race in my mind a few times and focus. Unlike many jockeys who gravitate upstairs to the private suites after racing to mingle and do their networking, after races, win, lose or draw, Grant
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has his shower and goes home. “Hey, maybe I haven’t done enough self promotion or direct marketing in my career. But the socialising is really not my scene. It never has been. I can’t wait to get home to see my family, tinker in the garden and relax!” Extremely fit, Grant loves his 10km run every other day, and recalls a raceday recently where he thought he’d have two winners – and they both ran in the bush. “It was dusk when I got home after the disappointing afternoon. The only way I could constructively deal with the frustration was to go on a 10km run. My wife thinks I’m crazy – but it’s an excellent way to unwind and recharge the soul.” While the whole world is banging heads and moaning ever since the Covid pandemic struck in early 2020, Grant says that he has found that the tough times have brought out the best in him. “I know I am a better person and a stronger character now than I was before our lives were turned upside down by this scourge. I used to enjoy a beer, for instance. But financial realities in 2020 made me realise that I could actually do without alcohol in
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my life. I feel physically better too. A jockey’s life is about dedication and getting up when the rest of the world is fast asleep. Beers the evening before don’t help when the alarm clock goes off! I have always been a homebody but lockdown saw us as a family spending more constructive quality time together. It’s become a way of life. So good inevitably comes from bad!” On Saturday, Grant partners the very smart Waterberry Lane for Dean Kannemeyer, a man who has supported him over the years, without actually giving him the stable’s number 1 jockey job. “There is great mutual respect between Mr Kannemeyer and I. And the aspect I value the most is that he doesn’t blame his jockeys or hold a
grudge. All of us ride bad races. Sometimes it’s judgement, sometimes circumstantial.
clearly pays dividends Russian Rock gave me a Gr1 winner last year!”
There are trainers that will hold it against you forever. Not Mr Kannemeyer. We talk openly and move on.”
Grant is aware that there are other jockeys who could have ridden Waterberry Lane on Saturday. But he got the nod as he knows the horse well and has ridden all the work.
And how does he cope with having other jockeys get rides on horses he works or may have won on. “It’s the owner and trainer’s prerogative to engage whoever they choose on their horse. I have never been a sulker and believe that two wrongs don’t make a right. I may not have got all of the Kannemeyer top rides over the years, but there is a mutual loyalty and I have ridden many feature race winners for him. And patience
“I really love Waterberry Lane. He is not a difficult ride and is a likeable character, not a nasty horse. He, very much like Cosmic Highway, is focussed and is particularly eager to get on with things. He has top gate speed, and I am drawn one gate in from where Russian Rock jumped last year. I hope to ride a similar sort of race,” he explains.
Chase Liebenberg
13 Grant Behr is expecting to ride a similar race to last year
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Winner of the Gr2 Golden Horseshoe, Waterberry Lane has won both his starts this season – in older company. Is he ready for Saturday? “He galloped at Kenilworth over 1400m with a companion last Thursday morning. He needed the gallop but Mr Kannemeyer hasn’t won the Guineas six times for nothing. My mount will be cherry ripe on Saturday!” As the highest rated runner in the field, Grant says that Waterberry Lane must be fancied. “I never underestimate the opposition – especially in a Gr1. But my horse is a Gr2 winner. He is experienced. A large percentage of Saturday’s line-up are onetime winners and they need to show they are up to it.”
When asked who he sees as his major dangers, Grant suggests that his stablemates Cosmic Highway and Mr Master Starter, as well as Grant van Niekerk’s mount, Pacaya, should be right there. “I know Cosmic Highway well. He is a magnificent horse and showed his ability when making ground like he did in the Concorde Cup. He is ready for Saturday! And then Mr Master Starter is no slouch either and shouldn’t be left out. He is probably looking for slightly further as he has lost some of his early speed. But the summer course straight will suit him down to the ground. And then Pacaya, who is unexposed at this level, has caught my eye. He has followed a low-key path into the Guineas and is a lovely horse who wins his races with an air of authority.” As to the rest of the Cape Summer Season, Grant says
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that the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate is set for a vintage renewal. He is Vodacom Durban July champion Kommetdieding’s dedicated work-rider and feels that Ashwin Reynolds’ son of Elusive Fort ranks with the best he has ridden in his 24 years in the saddle. “Believe me, the sky is the limit for Kommetdieding. I have ridden the likes of Free My Heart and Dynasty. Kommetdieding doesn’t have to stand back an inch for them. He is a pleasure of a horse to ride and is amazingly still quite a big baby. But what an attitude and what a terrific feel the way he tightens and turns it on when asked. He has made my hair stand up on my arms in work and I believe Mr Reynolds, Mr Crawford and Michelle Rix are still going to have plenty of fun this season with him!”
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'One thing is certain, the winner will find himself in fine company!' v
16 Russian Rock silences the crowd as he beats Linebacker in 2020
Chase Liebenberg
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TIME-HONOURED EXCELLENCE 17
Cover Image Russian Rock and an elated Grant Behr return after winning the 2020 Gr1 Cape Guineas – image courtesy of Chase Liebenberg v
Hamish Niven Photography
Noordhoek Flyer wins in 2009 under Karl Neisius for Khaya Stables and Dean Kannemeyer There are just days to go until Kenilworth hosts the country's only open Gr1 mile classic, the Cape Guineas and as the clock ticks onward, let's reflect on the most recent winners of this time-honoured classic. Trainer Justin Snaith rang in the new decade with an auspicious Guineas double in 2010. Successful with Ebony Flyer in the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas, he went on to land his first Cape Guineas with Solo Traveller and for good measure, saddled the runnerup as well!
As the whips came out, Solo Traveller looked cramped for galloping room but when a split opened, the Lammerskraal homebred powered through and in a driving finish, claimed the advantage just short of the line to score by a neck from his fast-finishing stable companion Run For It. Favourite What A Winter, so impressive in the Selangor Cup over the old course, was found wanting in the longer straight and after looming up dangerously at one stage, failed to go on with his effort, eventually finishing sixth.
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Twelve months later, Kenilworth racegoers witnessed the maiden Gr1 win of budding superstar miler Variety Club. Sent about his business fully 400m out, it was race over as he stretched clear under Anton Marcus to power home by just over three lengths to give trainer Joey Ramsden a maiden Cape Guineas win. This was the chestnut's first of five Gr1 victories in a stellar career which brought with it two Horse of the Year titles and three championships, not to mention that famous Hong Kong win in the Gr1 Champions Mile!
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Capetown Noir added his name to a star-studded honour roll with a visually impressive score in the 2012 renewal. Sent off a short-priced favourite, the Lammerskraal-bred raced in third before going easily to the front two furlongs out and powered clear to score by a slick three and a quarter lengths. This was the second time that owner Lady Laidlaw and trainer Dean Kannemeyer teamed up to take this coveted classic, following the success of Noordhoek Flyer in 2009. For Kannemeyer it was a fifth Guineas success, having saddled
previous winners Rabiya (2005), Express Way (2006) and Le Drakkar (2008). The team will again be to the fore with fancied runner Cosmic Highway in this weekend's race. As for Capetown Noir, he duly completed the Cape Guineas/ Derby double and for good measure, also added the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate to his CV, all of which eventually earned him a place at stud. He struck with a first Gr1 winner last season when daughter Under Your Spell powered to a commanding victory in the Allan Robertson Championship.
In 2013, rank outsider Elusive Gold (28-1) stunned favourite and stable companion Captain America in a desperate finish. Under a driving ride from jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe, Elusive Gold swooped late to deny Captain America by a short head but still managed a stable one-two for trainer Brett Crawford. The Ascotbred winner was soon on his way to Hong Kong, where he twice added to his winning tally. Twelve months later, Fayd'herbe again found himself in the number one box after winning on
Hamish Niven Photography
19 Breeder Dr Ashley Parker with 2013 winner Elusive Gold
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Joey Ramsden-trained Act Of War. Travelling sweetly, the son of Dynasty turned it on the straight and went on to score by the best part of two lengths from champion juvenile Harry's Son, who had flown down from Gauteng and was not disgraced on his Kenilworth debut. Now based at Summerhill, Act Of War has made a dream start to his stallion career as the sire of Champion filly War Of Athena and Gr1 winner Battle Force from his first crop of foals. The 2015 Cape Guineas proved an all-Gauteng finish, with Mike de Kock's Noah From Goa finishing almost a length in front of Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Brazuca. It had been a long wait between drinks for De Kock, who had to wait twelve years after tightening the girth on 2003 winner Domino Man. Noah From Goa also left his birth country and joined De Kock's string in Dubai where he placed at Gr2 and Gr3 level before winning in Singapore. Trainer Vaughan Marshall broke an even longer drought when his progressive colt William Longsword provided him with a fourth success in the 2016 renewal, 16 years after he had won the mile classic with the colt's sire Captain Al!
Sadly, William Longsword raced just once more after the Guineas when victorious in the multi-million rand CTS Mile. An extremely good-looking individual, he returned to his birth place Klawervlei Stud the winner of six of eight starts and is off to a promising start as the sire of stakes winners Dyce and Hasta Manana amongst his first crop runners. Remarkably, trainer Marshall and jockey MJ Byleveld teamed up again twelve months later to claim the country’s sole Gr1 Guineas with yet another son of Captain Al. The duo struck with favourite Tap O'Noth, who overcame a wide draw to justify his cramped odds with a stylish half-length win, much to the delight of his owner/ breeder Alec Foster and wife Gillian, for whom this was a first Cape Guineas success. A half-brother to the fine stayers Strathdon and Black Knap, Tap O'Noth likewise raced over ground later in his career and came within a neck of winning the Gr2 Western Cape Stayers. The cream rose to the top in the 2018 Cape Guineas. Despite a 27-hour road trip from home base Gauteng and a week off work, Sheik Hamdan al Maktoum's Soqrat showed his true class when he outgunned his seven rivals by just over a length. Soqrat not only provided Mike de Kock
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with a fifth success in this classic, he also became the trainer's 118th Gr1 winner, thus surpassing the previous record held by former maestro Terrance Millard, who himself had won the Guineas in 1976 with Sind. Soqrat retired to Sandown Stud as a triple Gr1 winner and his first foals arrived this spring. Kilindini became the umpteenth Cape Guineas to depart for Hong Kong following his easy win in 2019. Making his stakes debut, Brett Crawford's previously unexposed colt dashed to the inside rail at the top of the straight, delivered the knockout blow a long way out and stayed on resolutely to open his stakes account by the best part of two lengths. Sadly, onerous travel protocols, the Covid 19 pandemic and a minor training setback delayed his return to racing and it was 22 months after his Guineas victory that he finally made his Hong Kong debut for Tony Millard. Fingers crossed he regains his sparkling Guineas form. That brings us to last year's winner Russian Rock, a striking grey grandson of supersire Jet Master, who himself had won the classic in 1998.
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Ridden by Grant Behr, Russian Rock overcame traffic problems to get up on the line and deny Linebacker by a longhead, while giving Dean Kannemeyer a sixth Cape Guineas victory. A disappointing KZN winter
campaign resulted in a gelding operation and happily, he recently snapped his losing streak at Kenilworth. Saturday's renewal figures to be just as compelling when a talent-laden field will go
postward for what promises to be another hotly-contested affair. One thing is certain, the winner will find himself in fine company!
In The Bush! There is something about reminiscing and established racing folk, which, like love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage. With the Cape Guineas on the horizon, reader Greg Cort kindly sent us a clip of the last Cape Guineas – then The Argus Guineas – run at Milnerton. Please watch the replay here While the James Lighthearttrained Bushmanland’s overall record does not place him amongst the elite Cape Guineas winners, he managed to defeat a truly outstanding field when victorious in 1995. When scoring an upset at 20-1 in the Guineas of his year, Bushmanland accounted for a field of unusual depth and quality – even for a Cape Guineas. Four colts in this field went on to stand at stud, and the 1995 Cape Guineas will be remembered as a truly
exceptional field. This is how some of our readers responded to the editorial that we ran: Dev Govender says: Taking nothing away from Bushmanland who was a courageous winner, but If memory serves me correctly, Special Preview started from the widest draw (or close to it) and couldn’t get a decent position. Ironically, despite being beaten, this was the race that I consider to be his finest performance, given the bad luck he endured in running. To this day, whenever I hear his name, this is the race that comes to mind, even ahead of any of his victories. Lynton Ryan says: Amazing depth of quality, a full field filled with Grade 1 winners. Those were the days, Captain Al won drawn 16 or 17 and they all had to qualify to run, no hiding horses, the public got to see the champions. Summer Cup won by an older 212 time winner
and July has 1 time winners in the field. Set the bar low and you don’t have to jump too high Lowan Denysschen says: Was there that day! Great field Bushmanland and Amberpondo were drawn widest if i remember correctly unfortunately Amberpondo turned for home last. I think Pat Mcgivern rode Bushmanland. S Jupp told me Tickets And Tax was the best horse he ever rode if sound so incredible depth to the field. All the hype was around Special Preview … Graeme Mac and myself watched him breeze down the grass backstraight a few mornings before at Milnerton… goosebumps stuff. Was just a privilege really to be there and witness your Dad race amongst the best.
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Bold Tropic gets up under Muis Roberts to win the 1979 Cape Guineas
A RACE EVERYBODY WANTS TO WIN
For years it was traditionally run on the first Saturday of February and is now a permanent fixture in the Cape’s festive month as the final Gr1 on the SA racing calendar every year. The Cape Guineas changed its name to the Western Province Guineas in 1945 and in 1955 was run for the first time as the Cape Of Good Hope Guineas for a stake of £4200.
On Saturday we race for a Covid-19 ravaged stake of R750 000
The Guineas was the flagship event on the Milnerton Turf Club programme for a lifetime. The track where, once upon a time, the ‘surf met the turf’ boasted one of the best racing surfaces in Africa, borne out by the statistics which saw it host 52 meetings in 1978. The first Guineas winner Marion Island was bred
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by George Kramer at his Broadlands Stud and was raced by Mr & Mrs R Engestrom and Mr J Carney, who was also his trainer. The horse changed stables to Syd Garrett sometime after his Guineas victory and went on to win the first of the £10 000 Mets in 1957. In 1963 Cape Mellow-wood came on board as Guineas sponsors until 1970. The race was without a sponsor from 1971 to 1974. Against the
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background of the Cape Town Festival of 1975 the race was branded the Argus Festival Guineas and won by the brilliant son of Kirch Flambee, Gatecrasher. The classic became the Richelieu Guineas in 1978 and in the next two decades had various sponsors from Topsport Bloodline, to Bloodstock South Africa, the Cape Premier Yearling Sale and Grand Parade Investments. The honour roll of winners boasts many of our most famous horses. Three of
them, Colorado King, Hawaii and Shah Abbas, were exported to the United States, to continue their distinguished careers. The modern era honour roll includes the galloping goldmine, Empress Club and the ill-fated star Horse Chestnut.
2014 ACT OF WAR
A Decade Of Diamonds
2019 KILINDINI
2010 SOLO TRAVELLER
2020 RUSSIAN ROCK
2011 VARIETY CLUB 2012 CAPETOWN NOIR 2013 ELUSIVE GOLD
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2015 NOAH FROM GOA 2016 WILLIAM LONGSWORD 2017 TAP O' NOTH 2018 SOQRAT(AUS)
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Candiese Lenferna
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Anton Marcus does it for Ravesh as Evening Primrose storms home for the big win
KZN PUNTER’S DREAM WIN A 47 year old Verulambased father of one has made history by becoming the first player to bank the progressive jackpot prize in the popular free-to-enter Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge.
get over what you are telling me!”
When Anton Marcus steered Evening Primrose to victory in the final race at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Monday, Revash (his player name) banked R2 325 000 – his biggest win in a lifetime of playing the horses. He had not heard the result when the Sporting Post called him.
Anton Marcus does it for Ravesh as Evening Primrose storms home for the big win 9Pic – Candiese Lenferna) Revash said that he will use the very welcome cash windfall to settle his fruit & vegetable business debts after a pressured time and will then think about the future.
“You are serious? I can’t believe it, I really can’t” he added emotionally with his wife shouting for joy in the background.
He thanked Hollywoodbets for all they do for racing and the punter and said that words eluded him in the moment. We left him to celebrate with his family.
How did he do it? “I played my fancies and was unsure of the last three races. So I selected the saddlecloth 4 – my favourite number and things went for me! I cannot
In the second race, Revash’s selection Corner Crusade was scratched. In terms of the rules, he was allocated the tote favourite Crazy Blues.
The Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge is a free to play tipping competition, requiring players to select one horse from each of the carded races on a KZN race day.
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Players receive points depending on where their selection finishes in a race, and how many actual runners there are in a race. Therefore, in a twelve-horse race, 1st position will receive 12 points, 2nd position 11 points, 3rd position 10 points, all the way down to last position with 1 point. In a seven-horse race, 1st position will receive 7 points, 2nd position will receive 6 points, and so on. Bonus points are awarded for winning selections, where the Hollywoodbets Starting Price (SP) for that horse will be added to the points awarded. If the winning horse’s SP is 4/1 for example in a race, then an additional 5 points (4 + 1) will be added to the points earned. In the above twelve-horse race example the winning selection would have 17 points awarded (12 plus 5 bonus points).
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HK$1,728 BILLION HOW DO THEY DO IT? The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges has saluted Hong Kong’s ‘can-do’ spirit and commitment after another successful staging of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, which saw Gr1 glory shared between Japan and Hong Kong at Sha Tin on Sunday. Turnover for the meeting was a record HK$1,728 billion. On a day when Golden Sixty charged into Hong Kong racing history with a record 19th win in the jurisdiction with a triumphant defence of his LONGINES Hong Kong Mile crown, Mr EngelbrechtBresges pointed to Hong Kong’s ability to compete with racing super-powers with much larger horse populations. “Hong Kong has a horse population of 1 350 horses and we hold our own against the best in the world, we compete successfully against countries with a horse population of 8 000 or 14 000,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said. “It is something Hong Kong can be very proud of. “Golden Sixty is an incredible horse and he again showed today what a phenomenal horse he is. Francis Lui and Vincent Ho have done an incredible job and now he has bettered the record he shared with Beauty Generation and Silent Witness.” Golden Sixty eclipsed world-class opposition to provide Hong Kong with pride and joy, Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said. “Today is a day which had tremendous sporting success and this is something everybody in the Club should be proud of,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said. “There are people you do not see who make a big commitment to the Club and to this event. “I am extremely grateful for their contributions and I commend them for their dedication. “I also thank the Government for trusting us to stage LONGINES HKIR in such trying circumstances. The closed-loop racing bubble has worked extremely well. “My thanks go to all the trainers and jockeys, especially from overseas, who have gone through tremendous sacrifices. I want to apologise to the owners because when your horses runs you want to see it but they still supported us, which shows that we have that trust. For us it is extremely important that we stage this event because if we had not staged it you lose your spot in the world scene. We are extremely proud that we have achieved this but there is definitely sadness which over-runs everything.” 28
ACHIEVERS
The world renowned SA Jockey Academy held their 2021 Prizegiving on Friday at the Summerveld Training Centre to celebrate the young trainee riders’ achievements over the past year. Graeme Hawkins was Master of Ceremonies. Various invited guests were present, including the Hollywoodbets team. The Hollywood Foundation sponsors bursaries for 16 of the apprentices. Former SAJA graduate and Hollywood Syndicate Racing Manager Anthony Delpech handed gifts to the qualifying apprentices. Thabiso Gumede was on hand to receive his, while Jabu Jacobs was absent. SA Champion Apprentice Kyle Strydom walked off with a host of awards, and would have made his Gqeberha-based family very proud when announced as Head Boy for 2022. Please click here to see the recipients. v
RED TO GREEN
South Africa’s leading bloodstock consultant and stallion manager, John Freeman told the Sporting Post on Wednesday that he was happy about the UK government decision to remove South Africa and 10 other countries from its ‘red list’ of travel restrictions. Travellers from countries on the list were required to do a mandatory tenday hotel quarantine. It included South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The countries were put on the red list in late November as a precaution after the Omicron variant was identified by scientists in SA. “It was not the right decision in the first place and it has come late for the Cape summer season. But the determined and healthy amongst our owners and visitors were making a plan to fly via there and via everywhere, anyway! One of our friends spent 36 hours in the air to get here. Shows you, we have plenty of passion and interest in our wonderful product,” said John.
PURPLE POWER Leading South African sports betting operator Hollywoodbets has concluded a sponsorship for the 2022 racing season with Punchestown Racecourse in Ireland. Since 2020, the Hollywoodbets brand has grown its involvement with Irish horseracing. Major sponsorship deals on the Emerald Isle, which launched at Dundalk Racecourse, evolved into partnerships with Tramore and The Curragh. Widely regarded as the home of Irish Jumps Racing, Punchestown will partner with Hollywoodbets in a ten race sponsorship on 17 January and 13 February 2022. Hollywoodbets has also enhanced its affiliation with KZN Rugby by becoming the naming rights sponsor of Kings Park Stadium for the next three years. The two proudly KZN brands first partnered with an associate sponsorship of The Sharks, and following from this successful 29 association, the popular sports betting operator has now extended the partnership. As of 1 January 2022, the Durban landmark will be officially known as the Hollywoodbets Kings Park.
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Captain Al wins the 2000 Cape Guineas
Captain Al – A Legend
Malmoos was Captain Al’s final Cape Guineas runner when the De Kock star finished midfield in 2020. On Saturday, Captain Al is broodmare sire of Dean Kannemeyer’s Mr Master Starter. A son of champion sire Al Mufti and broodmare of the year Off To War, Captain Al went into the 2000 Cape Guineas as a 7-1 shot behind the well fancied visiting contenders, Badger’s Coast and Glamour Boy. However, the Vaughan Marshall trained bay prevailed by three parts of a length from subsequent SA Classic hero, Glamour Boy.
Captain Al was bred by Koster Bros and raced in the interests of Messrs A M & G J Dos Santos. Trained by Vaughan Marshall, he raced over 3 seasons for 17 starts, 10 wins and 3 places with victories including the 1999 Gr3 Matchem Stakes, 1999 Gr1 Cape Argus Guineas, 2000 Gr2 Merchants Stakes and 2000 Gr2 WPOTA Diadem Stakes, before retiring to stud at Klawervlei in Bonnievale in 2001. Captain Al was an instant success at stud. It is a work in progress and his dynasty endures – it is difficult to choose a standout from his legion of Gr1 performing progeny, but special mentions must be made of 2013 Gr1 31
J&B Met winner, Hill Fifty Four and William Longsword who emulated his sire in winning the Gr1 Cape Guineas. Other notables include the mighty Captain America, Carry On Alice and sprint champion, Captain Of All who joined his sire at Klawervlei Stud in 2015. Captain Al was named Equus Champion Sire 2014/15, Cape Stallion of the Year 2014/15, SA Champion Sire of 2yo’s seven years running, Dual Equus Outstanding Stallion for 2009 & 2011. Captain Al died in 2017 at age 20.
- 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
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Nathan Klink steers longshot Stone Cold to victory
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JC Photos
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A STONE COLD KNOCKOUT! 35
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Frustrating delays, technical issues at the start and with the tote, and inclement weather combined to cast a potential dark cloud over Saturday’s R300 000 World Sports Betting Grand Heritage.
produced the 4yo Stone Cold (40-1) down the centre of the track with a sustained run to cause the upset. The Dawson galloper beat the in-form Corne Spies yard’s Noble Striker (16-1) by 3,75 lengths in a time of 86,59 secs.
shattered the Fairview 800m record on debut on Friday afternoon.
But the day turned out happily for jockey Nathan Klink, owner Vicky Veeramootoo and the CK Horse Racing Team, courtesy of the Moutonshoek-bred Stone Cold who emerged from the stampede to win at 40-1.
The topweighted grey 7yo Mardi Gras (25-1) was just under a length back in third, with Back To Black (20-1) completing a partly carriedover quartet
A son of the ill-fated Soft Falling Rain (National Assembly), the winner was bred by Moutonshoek and is out of the two-time winning Orpen mare, She’s So Cold.
Klink, who was celebrating the 101st winner of his career and his maiden feature success, had his first ride under rules on 5 April 2018 and rode a confident race for Mauritius-based owner Vicky Veeramootoo, whose first-timer Cruise Control
The Hollywoodbetssponsored CK Racing paid R240 000 for the gelding at the 2019 BSA Ready To Run Sale.
With the Bipot rocketing to a dividend of over R14 600, and only eight tickets going into the final leg of the Pick 6, there weren’t too many punters smiling after the Cape Town-born Nathan Klink
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The 2021 Grand Heritage was marking it’s sixth renewal, and the biggest upset in the unique race’s short history.
A winner of 3 races with 4 places from 14 starts, Stone Cold has earned R332 750.
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Calvin Habib guides Bowie to victory as Spanish Boy (Muzi Yeni) chases hard
BOWIE WOWS THEM The Hollywood Syndicate followed up their magical milestone of 250 winners at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Friday evening with the Sean Tarry-trained Bowie running out a convincing winner of the R125 000 World Sports Betting Heritage Consolation at the Vaal on Saturday. Professionally handled by high-riding recent Gauteng Summer Cup winning jockey Calvin Habib, Bowie was a first feature winner with the Tarry Racing outfit for the Hollywood Syndicate since they acquired 33 horses formerly owned by leading patron Chris van Niekerk in October. The good looking
chestnut son of Twice Over (Observatory) was always going well in the vanguard of the inside group, and moved up under a tight rein at the 350m. Despite a spirited challenge from the 7-2 favourite Spanish Boy down his inside, Bowie stayed on all the way to the line to maintain 1,20 lengths between himself and the runner-up in a time of 86,82 secs. While not threatening the top two, Clint Binda’s 7yo soldier Whorly Whorly (16-1) gallantly lumped his 65,5kg topweight in the testing underfoot conditions into third position, a half length in front of Captain Hindsight (8-1). Bred by Narrow Creek Stud,
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Bowie is out of the twice winning National Assembly mare, Super Model. Bowie originally sold to Rainbow Beach Trading for R220 000 at the BSA Cape Yearling Sale and was then offered at the 2019 CTS Cape Ready To Run Sale, where he was bought back for R40 000. He has been a consistent earner and has won 3 races with 14 places from 22 starts, in the process earning stakes of R340 725.
The Sporting Post Sprint is interactive. Click on the live links throughout and enjoy the read!
SUGGESTIONS? Please email editor@sportingpost.co.za
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JC Photos
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Gavin Lerena takes it easy as Master Archie glides clear
ARCHIE’S NO COMIC! Mother Nature again played her power game with Vaal racing on Saturday, with storms delaying racing for over an hour and a half. Paul Peter and Gavin Lerena eventually opened the day’s feature billing when the handsome grey Master Archie stormed clear to win the R125 000 World Sports Betting Sophomore Sprint. Winning the fourth of five starts since relocating from the Cape, Master Archie appeared to enjoy the sticky underfoot conditions and was always within striking
distance in the 1000m feature. Clocking a flat 56 secs, Master Archie (4-1), who races in a partnership of Sean Hanna and Vasan Harry, bounced clear at the 300m to put 4,75 lengths between hiself and the fastfinishing Gr1 winner Under Your Spell (5-2) who carried joint topweight and finished with enthusiasm after her nine week break to make up many lengths over the final 200m. Bella Chica (8-1) rounded a 1-3 for the fairer sex, when she grabbed third, ahead of quartet kicker Bronco Blitz (25-1). Bred by the partnership
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of Harry, Hanna and Azzie, Master Archie is by Ridgemont Highlands’ exciting sire Rafeef (Redoute’s Choice) out of the eight-time winning Var mare, La Volta. A winner of 4 races with 2 places from 8 starts, Master Archie took his stakes tally to R234 625. The long-awaited Vaal Pick 6 started with a jolt when Ryan Munger booted the 25-1 shot Golden Aspen home for the in-form Corne Spies yard.
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What A Winter at his magnificent home
WHAT A WEEKEND! A weekend seldom goes by without former sprint champion What A Winter supplying his share of winners. It was no different this past weekend, with the four time Gr1 winner supplying no fewer than four individual winners, in African Winter, Chilly Winter, Line Of Power,
and Winter Flight respectively. The champion son of multiple champion sire Western Winter also achieved a notable feat when his daughters Chilly Winter, Seeking Peace and Ma Black filled the first three placings in the fifth race at Kenilworth on Saturday. The sire’s steady stream of
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winners this season has seen What A Winter rise to fifth place on the South African General Sires List, with, at the time of writing, his progeny having banked in excess of R3,561 million in stakes in 2021-2022. What A Winter has proved consistently successful since he retired to Drakenstein Stud in 2013.
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South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire of 2016-2017, and Leading Sire of 2YO’s last season, What A Winter’s first crop, of 75 registered foals, produced 66 runners – of which 44 won at least once. This crop secured their sire’s popularity, with What A Winter’s first crop headed by Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint winner Warrior’s Rest and fellow graded stakes winners Dutch Philip and Magical Wonderland. Subsequent crops have produced a flood of other stakes horses, notably
dual Gr1 Majorca Stakes winner Clouds Unfold, Equus Champion Russet Air, and graded stakes winning twoyear-olds Armando and Snow Report. Tellingly, perhaps, What A Winter has worked with mares by a host of different stallions, with his Gr1 winners produced by daughters of Montjeu, Jallad and Badger Land thus far. It is perhaps worth noting, however, that his top-class daughter Magical Wonderland is out of a daughter of Al Mufti, with Al Mufti sons Cataloochee and Captain Al broodmare sire of What A Winter stakes
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winners Winter Smoke (Gr3 Magnolia Handicap) and Whatever Next (Dahlia Plate, East Cape Nursery) respectively. What A Winter hails from a female line which continues to make waves across the world. A half-brother to ill-fated KZN star What A Question (Qui Danzig), What A Winter’s Molecomb Stakes winning third dam Hayloft ranks as the ancestress of dual Gr1 winning sire Twilight Son (Kyllachy).
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The latter made waves as a sire himself this past year, with the Gr1 winner’s flagbearers in 2021 including Gr3 Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes winner Twilight Jet. What A Winter is directly descended in female line from the mighty mare Selene, dam of breed shaping stallions
Hyperion, Pharamond II and Sickle. Selene also ranks as the eighth dam of 2021 Cartier Horse Of The Year, and this season’s dual French classic winner, St Mark’s Basilica (Siyouni). Another descendant of Selene who continues to make his presence felt, this time in Australasia, is Sir Tristram –the male line ancestor of
such current top stallions as Lonhro, Pierro and Savabeel. With a large crop of well -bred two-year-olds representing him this season, What A Winter looks poised for more sustained success in the coming months.
Querari Leads 2yo Charge Another star doing supremely well is Maine Chance Farms’ boom sire Querari. The Gr1-winning winning son of Oasis Dream was at it again this past Friday, delivering a trio of winners. Among the Querari winners was his two-year-old son Cruise Control who made a winning debut when
breaking the course record for 800 metres. Trained by Gavin Smith, the Boland Stud bred Cruise Control romped home to a one and three-quarter length win in Friday’s Welcome To Nelson Mandela Bay Racing Maiden Juvenile Plate. The colt is the fourth twoyear-old winner this season
thus far for Querari – currently the Leading Sire of 2YO’s for 2021-2022. Broodmare sire of recent Gr1 World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas winner Chansonette, Querari has seven lots on offer at the 2022 Cape Premier Yearling Sale.
Want A Red One? Coolmore Australia has announced an exciting incentive that will see the winner of the first qualifying two or three-year-old race from the first crop of Justify awarded a brand new Ferrari. This innovative concept starts with the Magic Millions Yearling Sale in January 2022 and will
apply to all yearling sales throughout the year in Australia and New Zealand, as well as all owner/breeders with Justify yearlings to race. “In the past, other farms have offered cash bonuses as incentives for various first crop sires, however with a stallion as special as Justify we thought it was appropriate to reward the owners of the 43
first GrI winning Justify with a Ferrari. “Ferrari’s and Justify have so much in common. They are both fast, red, powerful and incredibly stunning and given the quality of his stock that we have seen, we’re convinced that we will be giving one away,” said Coolmore Australia Principal, Tom Magnier.
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THE PROOF IS IN THE RESEARCH
Anyone who hasn’t been living on a luxury island in the Meds will agree when we say that 2021 has been a tough year. I’ll go as far as to say that it’s been the toughest year of my life. Yes, I’ve only been alive for 29-odd years, but that’s still enough time to know that adulting and surviving in 2021 has been the most character-building year for a lot of people around the globe.
Shannon Smith writes that for some, it’s pushed us to reach new frontiers, discover new avenues of life & find the silver lining. For others, not
so much.
Studies conducted in October 2021 showed that when the pandemic first hit, depression caused by isolation, loss of income and other knockon effects tripled. When the consequences of the pandemic persisted, these numbers increased even further. Stats show that every 1 in 3 Americans alone are depressed. This is more people sitting with depression than those who got COVID. Let that sink in. While there have been people turning to traditional cures for their depression and anxiety,
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there have been equally, if not, more people turning to alternative methods. I’ve had a number of oneon-one conversations with people recently who have been dramatically affected by the pandemic, and who are looking for ways out of the hole they have found themselves in. South Africa is unique, and with that comes a unique set of stresses and worries. It brings me joy to hear that Doctors are now prescribing yoga for depression. One person even told me that her Doctor asked her, when the off-the-shelf medicine didn’t work - “Have you tried CBD?”.
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Let me explain why this Doctor asked this question. It is well known in the medical field that our bodies have CB1 and CB2 receptors built into our nervous system. These receptors form part of the magical Endocannabinoid System. When you are depressed, it is largely due to low serotonin levels within your body, or your brain’s inability to access the serotonin available inside of you. When you consume CBD, these CB1 and CB2 receptors help your brain’s chemicals to respond to the serotonin, thus opening the channels of serotonin through your nervous system. It is for very similar reasons why CBD has shown to
alleviate anxiety and stress. In a world where this is lurking around every other corner, it’s important for humans to equip ourselves with the right tools in order to navigate consistently, for the long-term. CBD holds these benefits without the long list of side-effects you’ll find on most anti-depressants. Couple this with a walk in nature of at least 15 minutes (Unless you’re very busy - then take an hour), some healthy high-vibe food, and you’re on the fast track to turning not only your life around, but those lives around you as well. This is a big part of why Dacha is fanatic about infusing CBD into our products. CBD soothes. If it has been scientifically proven to soothe
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your brain and body, imagine what it will do to your skin when it’s lathered in Bush’s CBD Infused Tissue Oil…? Yes, you will be smooth, and no - You won’t get high. From someone who uses it literally every day, I couldn't recommend it more. The proof, in this case, is not in the pudding, but rather in the research. PS - Get yours here this Christmas for you, for her, him, them, everyone. Just use the discount code “SPORTINGPOST” to get your discount. Keep Smooth. Be You, Stay Healthy.
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CBD Health for all genders Holistic health is getting easier, and Bush is 51 bringing it closer to you.
LEAR JETS & OTHER FLYERS! v
The Sporting Post is once again proud to partner with BUSH to bring you the cream of this season’s foal crop – our future stars. Outstanding prizes will again be offered for the final time this month to readers, who are asked to select the foal of the month. This week we have six foals to showcase - a trio boarding at the wonderful Winterbach Stud; two youngsters from the
KZN-based Camargue Stud, and one individual from veteran hobby breeder Geoff van Lear. Boarding at Winterbach Stud, Sherwin Jerrier bred an impressive Master Of My Fate filly out of two-time winning Var mare Regardstobroadway. Next up is a powerful Gimmethegreenlight colt bred by Mr and Mrs Henry Devine. Out of five-time winning Jet Master mare Come Fly With Me, this foal looks the part!
Our third foal boarding at Winterbach is an outstanding Talk Of The Town filly. Again bred by Sherwin Jerrier, she is out of the Elusive Fort mare Seek The Summit. This little lady looks like a powerhouse already. Camargue Stud brings two youngsters to the table this week - the first being a stunning Erupt filly out of Jet Master mare Daily Flight. A late foal, she already turns heads.
Mr & Mrs Devine (c) Gimmethegreenlight ex Come Fly With Me – born 13 November
Sherwin Jerrier (f) Master Of My Fate ex Regardstobroadway – born 4 November
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Camargue Stud (f) Erupt ex Daily Flight – born 28 November
Sherwin Jerrier (f) Talk Of The Town ex Seek The Summit – born 26 September Their second foal is a Querari colt. Out of five-time winning Silvano mare Vino Veritas, this colt could be one to follow. Our last youngster is a Vercingetorix filly out of the Gr2 and Gr3 winning mare, Schippers. The mare is by Var out of the Gr3 winning
mare Fair Rosalind. Geoff van Lear has had terrific success with this family! With just weeks left of the year, breeders are invited to submit pics of their superstars to editor@ sportingpost.co.za.
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Please detail date of birth, sex, breeding – and any related news.
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Geoff Van Lear (f) Vercingetorix ex Schippers – born 8 October
Camargue Stud (c) Querari ex Vino Veritas – born 25 October
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RACHAEL – IRELAND’S NATIONAL PRIDE Rachael Blackmore, the first woman to ride the winner of the Grand National, is odds on for the BBC's World Sport Star title. Eleven years ago, Sir Anthony McCoy became the first and, until now, the only person linked to horseracing to ever win the award. He racked up 20 consecutive champion jockey titles, but only one of those counted when it came to raising his
profile beyond the horse racing public. Tony McCoy’s win as BBC Sports Personality of the Year came at the end of 2010, the year in which he won the Grand National for the only time in his career on board Don’t Push It. Now Rachael Blackmore is in contention to pick up a trophy at this year’s BBC Sports awards on the back of a magnificent season that also included a Grand National victory.
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The 32-year-old from Killenaule, Ireland is favourite to receive the BBC World Sport Star of the Year accolade. This prestigious award has been held aloft by such sporting greats as Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Usain Bolt. If few outside of racing were unaware of Blackmore’s rapid rise to the top of her profession, all that changed at Aintree in April when she
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made front-page news by becoming the first woman to ride the winner of the Grand National. She remarked in the winner’s enclosure after victory on Minella Times: ‘I don’t feel male or female right now. I don’t even feel human.’ The significance of Blackmore’s achievement of winning the Grand National needs putting into perspective. She is one of only 18 women ever to have had a ride in the race, with many of the previous female partnered horses having had little realistic chances of winning. The historic victory came just over ten years after her first success when Stowaway
Pearl won a handicap hurdle at Thurles for lady riders. Four years later, she became only the second Irish female jump jockey to join the paid ranks in 2015. Once turning professional, Blackmore’s rise up the jockey ranks was rapid, becoming the first female jockey to be crowned Irish Conditional Champion in the 2016/17 season. The biggest boost to Blackmore’s career followed her retainer with Minella Times’ trainer Henry de Bromhead, one of Ireland’s most progressive jumping stables. With a total of 90 winners in 2018/19, Blackmore found herself challenging for the Irish
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jockeys’ title and last season she set a new career-best seasonal total (92) in Ireland when runner-up to Paul Townend. It was De Bromhead’s stable which provided Blackmore with her first two winners at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019. The standout was A Plus Tard who won the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase before going on to even bigger successes with Blackmore in the saddle, most recently in last month’s Gr1 Betfair Chase at Haydock. Last season at the Cheltenham, Blackmore was the “darling” of the Festival with six wins, making her
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the first female jockey to be leading rider at the meeting. Five of those six wins came at Gr 1 level, including on Bob Olinger in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and with Sir Gerhard, victorious in the Champion Bumper.
to win the Champion Hurdle on Honeysuckle. Blackmore’s unbeaten partnership with the great mare now extends to 13 races after the pair won the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse last month for the third time.
However, the highlight was when making more history
As her trainer Henry de Bromhead summarised: ‘I’m
delighted for her. She’s such a good rider, an ultimate professional and deserves everything she gets.’ That could soon include a trophy with some very famous names on it.
Inequality Rules Representation of women in UK racing has long been an uphill battle. Until 1966, the Jockey Club did not allow women to train horses under license. Women had to further wait for the right to race too, not being granted permission by the governing body until 1972. In 1972, Merial Tufnell became the first woman to win a flat race under Jockey Club rules. However, women were still segregated from men at this point, with all-women races limiting the potential of female riders to take on bigger stages. By 1974, female and male jockeys were finally on equal competition grounds. According to research from Betway, it wasn’t until three years after women
and men were allowed to compete alongside each other in horseracing, that the first female jockey appeared in the running for a major title. Charlotte Brew, riding Barony Fort, was the first to take on Aintree’s Grand National. Unfortunately, not finishing the race, spectators had to wait until 1982 to see a woman place; Geraldine Rees riding Martinstown, finishing in 8th. Twelve years passed until another female jockey took a place in the Grand National stakes, with Rosemary Henderson finishing 5th in 1994. However, the sport reached a stalemate after Henderson’s success, going without a female Grand National jockey until 2005. Since then, women have increasingly partaken in the running’s of the Grand
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National and other major races alike. Although there has been significant improvement within women in racing, there still seems to be a long way to go for equality in the sport. Last year 46% of trainers in the UK did not use female jockeys on any of their runners.
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SHA TIN JOCKEYS RECOVERING v
A sore Zac Purton and his two children
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Following a dreadful accident during the running of the Gr1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin on Sunday, where he and three colleagues suffered a fall and two horses were euthanized, multiple SA champion Lyle Hewitson is recovering. Doctors are happy with Lyle’s CT Scan results and on Monday moved the champion to a General Ward and then to the Hong Kong Jockey Club Hospital. He has since been discharged. His Mom Samantha told the Sporting Post that the news was ‘such a great relief’. Australian star Zac Purton was treated for upper-body injuries at Prince of Wales hospital. He was at trackwork
on Tuesday and said he felt ready to get back in the saddle. Japanese Yuichi Fukunaga, 45, was treated in isolation as the visiting jockey did not undergo quarantine under the ‘racing bubble’ arrangement, according to the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Fukunaga suffered a broken collarbone, and his wife said her husband remained conscious and was walking and talking. “After undergoing various medical examinations, he is ready to return to Japan,” said Fukunaga’s wife, Midori Matsuo, on Instagram. The Hong Kong Jockey Club will also deploy medical staff to accompany Fukunaga’s return to Japan.
In media reports of a local radio programme on Monday, Bill Nader, Hong Kong Jockey Club’s director of racing business and operations, said it is too early to say what caused the fall, but he said vets would look into what happened. “I’m happy to report that while they will miss a bit of time recovering, at this moment we’re assured that there were no real serious injuries,” Nader said, adding that it could take up to a few weeks until the trio fully recover and will be back ‘soon enough’. Mauritian Karis Teetan was the only rider in the quartet to continue on the day.
a 63 Bruised and battered – but happy to be alive! Lyle Hewitson smiles from his hospital bed
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The brilliant Golden Sixty captures his second Gr1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile
HONG KONG’S BEST OF ALL TIME Golden Sixty stands alone as Hong Kong’s most prolific winner in history after he successfully defended his Gr1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile crown at Sha Tin on Sunday. Nailing yet another heartstopping win under jockey Vincent Ho, Hong Kong’s champion savoured the 19th win of his career to set a new record in town, surpassing the previous mantle of 18 he shared with Silent Witness and Beauty Generation, dating back to when the
professional era of Hong Kong racing commenced in 1971. Smashing a fine field of 10 others from Japan, Ireland and Hong Kong including this year’s G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) winner (Danon Kingly), Golden Sixty enhanced his earnings to a mouth-watering HK$95.453 million with victory, just HK$10.78 million shy of the record mark (in Hong Kong) set by Beauty Generation (HK$106.233 million). Racing in the silks of Stanley Chan Ka-Leung and trained by Francis Lui, Golden Sixty
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– ‘The Pride of Hong Kong’ – delivered a performance worthy of status as the world’s best miler. “I feel very happy, he’s my champion and I have to say thank you to my team and Vincent (Ho) and the owner – they support me,” Lui said. Extending his winning sequence to 16, Ho dropped the Medaglia d’Oro gelding back to the second half of the field on the fence; in the straight, Ho weaved for an out, eventually taking a split at the 300m mark before his
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sparkling dash carried him to a one and three quarter length victory in a time of 1m 33.86s. “I knew he was at his best, gate two was a little bit tricky, I didn’t want to be stuck on the inside but eventually the race panned out well and the pace was genuine,” Ho said. More Than This filled second spot while Salios and Mother Earth grabbed third and fourth, respectively. “It was much better today because the pace was on, he actually relaxed very well and as a six-year-old he’s more mature, so it’s even better,” Ho said.
The success is the second at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races for both Francis Lui and Vincent Ho, while today’s performance sees Golden Sixty remain unbeaten since September, 2019. “It’s all about teamwork as well, without anyone from the stable we couldn’t do this,” Ho said. A six-year-old – Golden Sixty – boasts eight wins over 1200m and 1400m, while twice he has stepped up to 2000m successfully, claiming the 2020 BMW Hong Kong Derby and 2021 G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup.
“He’s such an aggressive horse so he doesn’t mind going through horses,” Ho said of the gelding’s tenacity. Ho savoured the win in front of an adoring crowd, which throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been absent at times or in a smaller capacity. “Last year it wasn’t like this, I got to enjoy it with the crowd and it’s such a great atmosphere,” Ho said.
Love Is The Answer! Loves Only You set the perfect seal on one of international racing’s most colourful careers with a spellbinding success in the HK$30 million Gr1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup run over 2000m at Sha Tin
on Sunday. Yoshito Yahagi’s globetrotting mare has flown the Hinomaru flag from Dubai to Hong Kong and on to the USA then back to Sha Tin again in 2021, leading home a Japanese
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1-2-3-4 in the Gr1 FWD QEII Cup in April then creating history by becoming the first horse from her nation to score at the Breeders’ Cup.
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Speed Demon Caspar Fownes and Blake Shinn were left with conflicting emotions after Sky Field steamed to success in the HK$24 million Gr1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint run over 1200m at Sha Tin on
Sunday, fending off worldclass opposition from Japan to continue Hong Kong’s dominance in the event. Shinn, 34, slotted his first Gr1 triumph in Hong Kong but the Melbourne Cup-winning jockey’s thoughts – and those
also of Fownes – were with Pixie Knight (Yuichi Fukunaga), Lucky Patch (Zac Purton), Naboo Attack (Karis Teetan) and Amazing Star (Lyle Hewitson), who fell on the home turn.
Glory & Magic Champion jockey Joao Moreira combined with the Tomohito Ozeki-trained Japanese stayer Glory Vase for a stunning win in the Gr1 LONGINES Hong Kong
Vase run over 2400m at Sha Tin on Sunday. It was a repeat of their 2019 success but achieved in different style as Moreira
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registered his seventh Hong Kong International Races win and his third in the Vase having also been successful on the Japanese-trained Satono Crown in 2016.
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results up to: 2021-12-15
TRAINERS Name Mr P A Peter Mr S J Snaith Mr S G Tarry Mr M F de Kock Mr G D Smith
Runs
Wins Win%
386 527 292 176 457
68 77 38 40 52
17.6 14.6 13.0 22.7 11.4
2nd
3rd
62 68 27 30 52
42 72 27 17 46
2nd
3rd
106 58 74 62 45
88 58 62 54 53
Other Places Place %
Win Stake (R)
Total Stakes (R)
70 109 45 35 85
45.1 47.2 33.9 46.6 40.0
3,786,438 3,581,525 3,051,063 2,416,500 2,156,250
5,767,063 5,535,650 4,090,250 3,390,563 3,341,875
Other Places Place %
Win Stake (R)
Total Stakes (R)
128 91 112 66 84
5,727,563 4,214,075 3,522,438 2,998,425 2,454,888
8,663,563 6,020,588 5,838,163 4,519,275 3,983,388
174 249 99 82 183
JOCKEYS Name Mr W B Kennedy Mr S Khumalo Mr M A Yeni Mr R D Fourie Mr K de Melo
Rides Wins Win% 669 472 564 344 378
111 83 70 67 50
16.6 17.6 12.4 19.5 13.2
322 207 248 182 182
48.1 43.9 44.0 52.9 48.1
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
223 272
688 867
35,130 24,781
78 102 71 86
35.0 295 26.1 329
6 2
6 3
7,834,038 6,740,400
123 113 111
364 349 401
34,509 33,970 26,712
40 40 25
32.5 152 35.4 149 22.5 142
5 2 1
5 2 1
4,244,663 3,838,663 2,965,000
B.T. Wins
Total Stakes (R)
7 4 1 0 1
4,871,663 4,252,563 4,027,225 3,852,025 3,826,750
58 51 31
SIRES Name
Runrs Runs AEPR
Vercingetorix * Silvano (GER) Master Of My Fate Querari (GER) What A Winter
120 127 138 144 137
351 373 458 452 414
40,597 33,485 29,183 26,750 27,932
B.T. Wnrs Wins Winrs/ Places Winrs Rnrs % 48 46 39 45 41
62 55 48 52 52
40.0 36.2 28.3 31.3 29.9
144 160 220 181 172
See all the detailed standings - Click here 68
5 4 1 0 1
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CHRISTMAS IN THE AIR! 69
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Everywhere you go…take a look at the log again, between first and fifth it’s ten with a scudetto still to be won. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Ryan Liberty writes that everywhere you go…action is in store. But the prettiest sight won’t be, a very large angry Swede but a win on their on front lawn! Was that my rendition of Bing Crosby’s “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”? Yes. Would it have been better in Italian? Probably. Did it make sense? Not really. But did you enjoy it? Yes! AC Milan vs Napoli | Sunday 19 December | Stadio Giuseppe Meazza | 21h45 To Win (90 mins) AC Milan 13/10 Draw 49/20 Napoli 39/20 AC Milan AC Milan are out of European competition…whether this was unforeseen and accidental, or by design, is irrelevant. Inevitably their focus now will squarely shift to their domestic Serie A
and counter – forcing Milan to be creative and live up to their assumed ascendency. The Rossoneri are still well and To do so gives them the best truly in the scudetto, but their chance for success. Just inconsistent form will hurt them three points split these two should it continue. sides, Milan have already been spoken about in a I haven’t been convinced of AC championship sense and Milan when they are the side playing with a degree of pressure whilst I agree it is premature, or expectation, they just flatter to it could be the reason for their flat and toothless approach to deceive in those moments and games recently. are costly to get behind. challenge.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an incredible footballer (nobody would be able to ever dispute that) but the Swedish talisman can also be a distraction at times. Playing with his back to goal is just yet another element of his game that is glorious to watch; bringing other players into the action, holding off defenders and then almost basketball-like pivots to roll into space and want the ball back bearing down on goal. My only concern is that as good a player as he is, passing him the ball seems to be more of a priority than anything else.
Napoli This might not be a popular opinion, but I don’t think Napoli’s recent results do justice to their performances or potential. Last time out they were shocked at home by Empoli, but they dominated large portions of the game and continue to be on the front foot every time they play.
Much like Leeds in the Premier League, Napoli are comfortable in their identity and confident in their ability. They aren’t afraid of They simply must get playing an open and almost comfortable playing with a defenseless game of football degree of urgency and quality at times and given the in games where the onus rests conservative underpinning with them. Brahim Diaz can usually associated with the complement Ibrahimovic with incredible effectiveness upfront – Italian league – I find it quite but such a dynamic relies almost refreshing. entirely on individual confidence We shouldn’t overlook the being married to the ball being fact that the visitors will travel serviced in the final third. to Milan still riddled with injury and not being able field I suspect Napoli will adopt a their best side. However, as similar approach at the San Siro. They will be happy to sit in ridiculous as this is going to
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sound, I think that only adds to their potential! It further takes the pressure off Luciano Spalletti and his men since they have absolutely no expectations. They are lying in fourth place in the league, they can only ‘boast’ one win from their last seven fixtures in all competition and are now up against supposed serious title contenders. A Napoli side playing with no inhabitation or fear could be exactly what they need to come away with
a result. Prediction: AC Milan/Draw + Under 3.5 (1/1) AC Milan can ask imposing questions of this Napoli defence. I think player for player on Sunday evening, AC Milan have the superior quality. This game comes at a good time for Napoli in terms of where Milan will be on the confidence spectrum…but the injury list on the visitor’s side is just crippling.
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I think a cagey game will follow on from a cautious and apprehensive AC Milan approach – so goals might not be on the menu – but ultimately, I wouldn’t suggest going against the hosts. Backing Milan on the Win/ Draw Double Chance with less than 3.5 goals makes sense, and the fact that we can get as much as even money seals the deal!
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