SP Sprint 23 November 2022

TOP YARDS DOMINATE CUP

Trainer Sean Tarry, winner of four of the last five Summer Cups, has the best and the worst of the draws for Saturday’s Gr1 Betway Summer Cup over 2000m at Turffontein.

Nineteen runners have been carded to go to post for the Betway Summer Cup. Runners from the stables of three trainers dominate the field. Mike de Kock has four runners as does Johan Janse van Vuuren while Sean Tarry has five.

There is no doubt De Kock has the strongest hand with Sparkling Water, Safe Passage, Aragosta and MK’s Pride as the first trio occupy the first three spots on the betting boards.

De Kock has engaged four top jockeys to ride his runners with S’manga Khumalo aboard Sparkling Water, Muzi Yeni on Safe Passage, Richard Fourie has Aragosta and Randall Simons rides MK’s Pride

De Kock will be looking for his 10th Betway Summer Cup winner

but has not been victorious since Flirtation’s victory in 2010.

In recent years Tarry has been the most successful trainer, having won four of the last five Summer Cups and was also successful in 2009 with Aslan. Included in his quintet is 2019 winner Zillzaal. He also has Victory Moon Stakes champion Litigation, Nebraas, Pyromaniac and Shango.

In a remarkable sequence

Sparkling Water – the last time Mike de Kock won the Cup was with a filly

of events, two of Tarry’s five runners were the first and last to be allocated a starting gate when the draw for the Betway Summer Cup was done at a Melrose Arch in Johannesburg on Monday evening – and they drew gates 1 and 19 respectively.

Tarry pulled the first number after it was determined that the draw would start with Shango, and duly pulled the number one gate for this six-year-old son of Captain Of All.

Stable companion Pyromaniac was the last to be allocated a starting gate and with all the numbers already drawn except 19, there was no reason for anybody to gasp when it was revealed that this fouryear-old Silvano gelding

would jump from Commissioner Street.

Tarry, together with trainers Mike de Kock and Johan Janse van Vuuren, dominate the Betway Summer Cup, saddling 13 of the carded 19 runners, with De Kock and Janse van Vuuren on four each and Tarry with five.

“What can you do? It’s all part of the game,” said Tarry about drawing both the inside and outside gates.

“We’ve had good winners from good and bad draws. Who knows, it’s just a matter of how they go on the day, how the pace is, and that the jockeys don’t lose their minds. It’s all important and plays a part.

“We’ve got some good draws, but some of the horses can’t use the draw because they might not have the early speed.

“But the draws do cement a few plans we may have had tactics wise.”

Tarry is also adamant that the draw is not that important, especially over the course and distance.

“Listen, you can overcome any draw over 2000m at Turffontein, I have no doubt about that.

“If the horse is right, it can win from anywhere over this course and distance.

“We’re just happy to be part of the event.”

De Kock is equally pleased with the outcome of the draw.

“I’m happy,” said De Kock, “especially for Aragosta to

Chase Liebenberg

Zillzaal wins the 2020 Summer Cup for Sean Tarry

be on the outside. I think he’s a better horse on the outside, especially in a big field.

“For the rest of my runners, the draws are absolutely perfect.

“Look, it always helps to have a good draw so that you don’t have to rethink things, but in terms of their style of racing and the planning, I’m happy with where they all drew.”

Janse van Vuuren was also more than pleased with the outcome of the draw.

“My main horse, Puerto Manzano, got the best draw at seven and I’m very happy with that.

“We can probably get him four or five lengths off the pace from there and that’s exactly where we want him.

“Astrix drawn 11 is not the end of the world.

“Divine Odyssey is an old man. Drawn nine is ideal for him.

“Second Base doesn’t have much gate speed. He has the worst draw of all my horses, but if I had to pick one for a bad draw, it would have been Second Base.

“All things considered, I’m happy. It could have been better, but it could have been a lot worse.”

A Pick 6 megapool with a carryover of R2 million is likely to result in a pool of R10 million.

The quartet maxipool on the feature gets boosted by R500 000, with a likely pool of R2 million.

The Sprint is interactive! Click here for the final field.

Personalities on the stage at the field announcement on Monday evening

Cover Image

Troy Finch captured three happy punters at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on the inaugural Cape Punters Cup day, Saturday 19 November 2022.

A HEVERSHAM REWARD!

Gauteng’s Heversham Park Stud will be sponsoring the ‘Best Turned Out’ horse for all of the 10 races on 2022 Betway Summer Cup Day this Saturday, adding to the sponsorships and prizes already on offer. A cash prize of R1,000 will be awarded to the groom of the horse adjudged ‘Best Turned Out’ for every race.

The prizes will be awarded in the parade ring after the saddling and parade

procedures, when runners are on their way to the start for every respective race.

Trainers are requested to inform their grooms of this incentive to ensure that they listen to announcements on track and be available to receive their prizes should their names be announced.

Kat Riley of Heversham Park commented: “This is a gesture from us to give something back to the grooms who do much of the hard work behind the scenes. It also serves as encouragement

to them, to do just that little bit extra to bring their respective runners to the track in tip-top condition for a big day like this. We are proud to be involved with Betway and 4Racing in Johannesburg’s flagship race.”

LOSE… WORLD-FIRST GUARANTEE BY HEVERSHAM PARK

Heversham Park Farm of South Gauteng has announced a unique incentive for buyers attending the Bloodstock SA November National TwoYear-Old Sale at the TBA Complex, Gosforth Park.

With ten quality lots on offer, Heversham will return

WIN IF

fifty percent (50%) of the nett proceeds of every Hevershambred – if such purchase does NOT earn a stake cheque in its first five career runs. This, we believe, is a worldwide first for thoroughbred buyers.

“We’ve raised our standards year on year and we have a nice base of supporting clients. This is a gesture

of thanks to them, a back-up and some recovery should their sales purchases not make the grade.”

Find out more – mobile: 071 138 8133 / email: katerina. kavalaris123@gmail.com

YOU

NIGHT TIME IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT TIME!

Emirate Gina charges to victory under Raymond Danielson

What a pleasure to experience some racing under the lights from Turffontein and to enjoy watching a once orphan foal break into the big league with a smooth victory in the R200 000 Gr3 TAB4Racing Fillies Mile.

Night time was popularly touted as the ‘right time’ in the Phumelela days of yore, and while we don’t get to enjoy enough of it these days, the delayed Saturday 12 November Turffontein racemeeting forced a

late day-night slot on Friday that provided plenty of racing entertainment.

The feature on the card was the Gr3 TAB4Racing Fillies Mile, and the hotly contested affair may have unearthed an SA Oaks contender for the local season in the shape of Emirate Gina, who has gone from strength to strength since winning her maiden at her sixth start over 1450m last term.

“She doesn’t know she’s a horse,” quipped Zimbabwe-born veteran trainer Roy Magner after the Winning Form-sponsored Ray Danielson rode a well-judged finish

to win the headliner on the 10-1 daughter of Visionaire and register the hat-trick. After None Other and the top-notch Rock The Fox took ownership going into the final stages, Danielson switched Emirate Gina to the wide outside and she turned it on powerfully to hold a courageous advantage to the line to win by three quarters in a time of 99,33 secs.

None Other (5-1) came right back (or the winner could have been tiring marginally) to run second, ahead of

Rock The Fox (10-1) in third.

Mike de Kock’s beautifully bred debut winner Bonette (5-2) stayed on for a 4,60 length fifth and should not be written off as she may have found the lights overwhelming at just her second start.

Winning jockey Raymond Danielson said that it was a meriotorious victory as his mount had turned it on quicker than he had anticipated, but had stayed on smartly.

Trainer Roy Magner said that the mile was on the short side and that his charge would probably go 2400m.

Racing in the silks of Joanne Callaghan, Stuart Robinson and her trainer Roy Magner, the winner was bred by Lammerskraal and is a daughter of Visionaire (Grand Slam) out of the four-time winner Dubai Gina (Dubai Destination). The latter was a game sort who won up to 2400m in the silks vvof the Truters.

A R250 000 National Yearling Sale buy, Emirate Gina has now won

three races with 4 places from 8 starts for stakes of R256 750.

THE ORPHAN NOBODY WANTED

Trainer Roy Magner has handled some pretty fine fillies in his long career, and he looks to have another exciting prospect in the shape of three-yearold Emirate Gina, who announced her arrival in the stakes echelons with a sterling victory in last weekend's Gr3 Tab4Racing Fillies Mile at Turffontein.

History will show that the Zimbabwe-born veteran trained that wonderful racemare Circle Of Life,

whose grandam was none other than former Horse of the Year, Tecla Bluff.

Twice voted the country's Champion Older Female, Circle Of Life's career was highlighted by victory in the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes and in due course, she also became a Gr1 producer as the dam of Premier's Champions Challenge hero, Deo Volente. Significantly, Roy also trained Mina Salaam, her stakes winning daughter by Medaglia d'Oro.

Then there was Asylum Seeker,

whose victory in the (then) Gr1 Golden Slipper and Gr2 Fillies Nursery earned her an Equus award as the Champion Juvenile Filly. She was subsequently sold to Australia, where she produced Gr1 Australian Oaks runner-up Scarlet Dream, whilst imported daughter Freedom Seeker won her first three starts in the colours of Hassan Adams, and eventually retired a five-time winner.

And let's not forget Sweet

Winning Form rider Raymond Danielson and veteran Roy Magner – lovely feature success under the lights

Sanette. This lightning-fast speedball provided Roy with the first of three Sycamore Sprint victories. She too was exported and joined Tony Millard in Hong Kong where she mixed it up with the best male sprinters, her most auspicious of four Hong Kong wins a defeat of champion sprinter Sacred Kingdom in the Gr3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy. However, she enjoyed probably her finest moment at Royal Ascot where she came within a length of an epic British Gr1 sprint when third in the King’s Stand Stakes.

Whether Emirate Gina can add her name to that exalted list, only time will tell. Suffice to say, the daughter of Visionaire has not missed a beat since shedding her maiden tag in June and took her winning tally to three on the bounce in the Fillies Mile. In the process, she underlined her still-untapped potential and as Roy commented: "The fact that she stays well, yes, in time she could end up in that league."

"She was an orphan foal and perhaps that's why she has an attitude, one that is very much in your face. She thinks she's a person and we are her mates," Roy elaborates. "She's very sound of body, but as far as her mind goes, we will have to tread carefully."

Roy's post-race comments elicited a phone call to the person who foaled her down, former Lammerskraal stud manager Sally Bruss.

"Yes, she was an orphan," Sally confirmed. "Her dam Dubai Gina died when the filly was just a couple of weeks old. Thankfully,

fine pedigree. Her dam, an Australian-bred daughter of Dubai Destination, raced with distinction for trainer Vaughan Marshall and Ken Truter. Successful in the Listed Sun Classique Handicap at three, she also ran third in the Gr1 Woolavington 2000.

Her death at just age eleven has proven to be a tragic loss, considering she is now the dam of two stakes winners from just four foals. Bye Bye Bombshell, Emirate Gina's yearolder half-sister by Duke Of Marmalade, won last season's East Cape Oaks.

we managed to find her a foster mom, a big, black mare of Glen Kotzen's called The Which Doctor. Emirate Gina was a high-quality foal and I remember Roy was crazy about her at the National Sale."

So much so, that he purchased the then yearling filly for R250 000. He recalls: "I bought her on spec but couldn't place her and ended up racing her with Stuart Robinson and my partner Joanne Callaghan. Stuart and I go back a long way, he was my first patron when I started training in South Africa in 1984!" Immediate plans for his latest stakes winner are as yet undecided, but the bar will surely be raised, with the Triple Tiara put forward as a long-term aim.

The filly's first stakes success added further gloss to an already

Even more important, the immediate family came to prominence in a big way last year when the Frankel colt Adayar won the English Derby at Epsom before claiming the Gr1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes. His dam, the Gr3 winner and Gr1 Irish 1000 Guineas second Anna Salai, is a half-sister to Anemometer, the grandam of Emirate Gina.

All things considered, Roy must be more than pleased. A filly he couldn't place has turned out to be a shrewd purchase, not to mention a valuable asset who is unlikely to stop here.

‘She was an orphan foal and perhaps that's why she has an attitude, one that is very much in your face. She thinks she's a person and we are her mates’

– Roy Magner

Chase Liebenberg

Grant van Niekerk and Cousin Casey power to victory in a scintillating Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas prep

You can’t keep good racing men down and it was Grant van Niekerk and Glen Kotzen who turned their Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Summer Racing Festival prospects around in under 100 seconds on Saturday when Equus champion Cousin Casey caught the eye on his season debut.

Rested some 16 weeks since winning the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes

at the end of last term, Cousin Casey gave his 15 classic rivals 2kgs and an emphatic walloping when he strode to victory in the R500 000 Gr2 Cape Punters Cup at a sun-drenched Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

It was a second consecutive victory in the race previously known as the Concorde Cup and the Selangor Cup for the top-class Van Niekerk, who rode Pomp And Power to win in 2021.

Glen Kotzen won it in 2016 with

the emerging sire prospect Gold Standard.

“If Lewis Hamilton, Frankie Dettori and Anton Marcus can have form slumps, then I suppose so can I,” chirped the likeable Van Niekerk after the smart Vercingetorix colt gave 2kgs and an emphatic walloping to his 15 classic rivals in the traditional Guineas ‘trial’.

“Good horses make us look good and the butterflies

disappeared at the start. He gives one such a great feel and is a straightforward horse to ride. I thought he’d win easier than he did. But we are over the hurdle. He is a really smart horse and full marks to the Woodhill Racing Team!” he added.

After his Kotzen stablemate Countdown and the free striding Dave The King had ripped off to lead at breakneck speed early, Cousin Casey (5-4) moved through up the middle for a cracking win in a

time of 99,48 secs.

At My Command (15-2) proved a change of tactics to be a positive tonic, when he stormed up late from his 15 draw to grab second, a length off the winner. Brett Crawford trainer the second, third and fourth finisher with Le Morne (16-1) and Port Louis (25-1) next best.

Raced by Ravi Naidoo, who sadly lost a family member recently and was not on course, Cousin Casey was bred by Riyo Stud and is a son Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of Bretton Woods (Casey Tibss), a full

sister to the Kotzen’s illfated Durban July hero Big City Life.

Cousin Casey is a R375 000 National Yearling Sale buy and has won 5 races with 2 places from 7 starts for stakes of R1 027 375.

Entries for the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas close at 11h00 on Monday 5 December. Declarations are due by 11h00 on Monday 12 December.

Proud Lindile Sitshevu with his Star Grooms award and cheque

Chase Liebenberg

KOTZEN EYES GUINEAS GOLD

Proud parents! Glen and Kathi Kotzen – running a tight ship

While he has enjoyed success in the Cape Fillies Guineas , it has been a quarter of a century of classic dreams and blood, sweat and tears for seasoned Cape trainer Glen Kotzen to tick the Cape Guineas off of his professional bucket list.

The 57 year old tells the Sporting Post that he has never been more ready than right now to sip the champagne on the podium after the R2 million Hollywoodbets Gr1 Cape Guineas at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on 17 December.

After the exciting Cousin Casey’s terrific victory in last Saturday’s Gr2 Cape Punters Cup, the Woodhill dream looks set to chase the reality. Cousin Casey has firmed to 28-10 on the Hollywoodbets ante-post betting boards.

The Newmarket, Johannesburg-born Glen Shaun Kotzen is one of the great personalities of South African horseracing. The son of a jockey, he was destined for a life on the turf after his Dad named him after a horse on which he had just won.

Today the Woodhill Master is reaping the rewards of offering a family- oriented racing experience, years of hard work and the tools of his apprenticeship under

some of the best in a game that tames lions.

Glen has a knack of just somehow always coming across so perennially positively - despite everyday disappointments, covid, racing’s parlous economy and other challenges.

“We weren’t alone but we lost over 40% of our business in covid. Those days stakes were low – an owner would see his horse run third and ask us what he must do with R2000 when keep is R11000 per month. Then they’d say we can keep the horse. Those were the realities of the time,” he recalls.

Running a private training establishment is not for the weak of pocket either.

“Costs have spiralled. Diesel, feed, labour. The trainers in the racing operator managed centres are subsidised, and that helps. We have been here 21 years and have been privileged to have lived the dream. But it’s no easy game!” he frowns and breaks into a laconic smile as he brings the topic but to Cousin Casey.

“We don’t want to overthink the Guineas. We have the horse. We have the jockey. We just need a bit of luck and a draw,” he says as he confirms that Cousin Casey looks his best chance in some years to win the great race, popularly tagged ‘the classic of kings.’

“I have had some really fine 3yo’s line up in the Cape Guineas– one of the best probably being Big City Life who ran seventh behind

Le Drakkar in 2008. He went on at his next start to win the Gr1 Cape Derby, when it was still run on Met day. Big City Life then went on to great things – what a dream of a horse!”

Glen also recalls the very smart Gold Standard, who was beaten half a length into second by William Longsword in the 2016 Cape Guineas. “He came out at his next run to finish fourth behind Whisky Baron in the Met. I’m really pleased to see his progeny are showing their talent on the track. He was a magnificent horse.”

So can Cousin Casey be the next proud Gr1 winner frame on the wall of the Kotzen family Woodhill Estate residence on the picturesque foothills of the Paardeberg Mountains?

“He is just such a magnificent horse. His prep has gone well. He is versatile. You saw his turn of foot on Saturday – that’s his knockout punch,” laughs Glen.

A man with a master eye and a gift for finding horses at the right price, Glen says he just had to have Cousin Casey when the Riyo Stud team showed him at Nationals.

“He hails from a family close to our hearts – his

dam Bretton Woods, a full sister to our champion Big City Life, only raced three times as she was taken out of racing for breeding purposes. We have raced the family with great success. As a buyer at the sales, we often go ‘back to the well’ as it were. And when I saw Cousin Casey, I really simply had to have him!”

The son of Vercingetorix is raced by Ravi Naidoo. And that association is another example of doing the right things somehow paying dividends. Glen Kotzen represents the personification of cordiality and talks to everybody. He lives by the maxim that you never know where your next buyer could come from!

“Ravi was introduced via Gaynor Rupert’s L’Ormarins syndicate. We met per chance in the parade ring one day and chatted. He then asked me to find him a colt at the sales. That colt is our Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas horse today!” roars Glen, who secured the handsome athlete for R375 000.

So how does Cousin Casey compare with Big City Life?

“Interesting – there are similarities! Big City Life stood over more ground, but Cousin Casey is deceptive. He is all of 16hh but is so well balanced – he doesn’t look big. They share the same head and eye. And then the electric turn of foot!”

Glen will be up at Gosforth Park this weekend for the November 2yo Sale. He again goes in with

more positivity than pounds!

“You laugh! Most of my career I have bought on spec. We try and find the right horse at the right price. We have the belief in what we buy and can then market the horse with confidence. We do get commissions to buy from time to time – as we did with Ravi Naidoo – but generally it’s having the belief and confidence in one’s judgement and experience to find that next champion!”

Your cousin could be lurking! Glen Kotzen can be contacted on kotzen@ iafrica.com

Glen’s eldest son Kuyan gives Cousin Casey some encouragement

Chase Liebenberg

JUSTIN'S JAMMING WITH THE DUKE

We're Jamming (Richard Fourie) is led in by Jono Snaith, Gina Goldsmith and Greg Bortz

Chase Liebenberg

While there is plenty of in-house debate over whether he is a pure sprinter or could go further, Duke Of Marmalade’s smart Cape Nursery winning son We’re Jamming scored his third feature success over the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth 1200m strip at the sunny Southern Suburbs venue on Saturday.

It’s a pleasant poser to be faced for owners Greg Bortz and Gina Goldsmith who purchased We’re Jamming second hand out of the Piet Steyn yard earlier this year. Discounting his last start, when failing to show behind

the exciting Charles Dickens in the Gr2 Cape Classic, We’re Jamming has been the veritable model of consistency and the R15 000 CTS Farm Sale graduate has now won 3 races with 4 places from 8 starts and stakes of R621 400.

Allowed to relax early as Trompie led the charge, We’re Jamming (17-2) powered home under the high-riding Richard Fourie to give the Snaith team another winner as he withstood a late challenge from Street Outlaw (33-1) to win by three quarters of a length in a time of 71,21 secs.

Trompie (11-10) plodded on for third, with the 15-10 favourite Hitthemhardsunshine failing to go on with his challenge down the rail, to finish out of the money.

The second leg of a feature double on the day for top breeders Ridgemont Highlands, We’re Jamming is the third foal of the onetime winner Maidstone (Windrush) and sired by the deceased Drakenstein Champion Duke Of Marmalade.

He is likely to be targetted at the Gr2 Cape Merchants next month.

SNAP, CRACKLE & POP!

The merit rating bands weighted non-black-type contest was introduced as part of the summer path for fillies, with the Hollywoodbets Gr3 Victress Stakes the next step on Guineas Day, 17 December.

But end-to-end winner Make It Snappy, the only 3yo in the seven-horse field, looks likely to be aimed at the WSB Fillies Guineas on 3 December after a decent showing in the first feature contested on the longer

run-in of the summer course.

Racing in the bright yellow and purple of the Hollywood Syndicate, she carried her 50kg paperweight at 14-1 with aplomb under a welljudged ride by Kabelo Matsunyane to beat two accomplished older Gr1 winners in Marina (9-2) and Chansonette (6-10).

Registering a time of 100,43secs Make It Snappy put three lengths between herself and the classy older due.

She was described as a bigger than average Dynasty filly by a

pleased Brett Crawford, who said that her inexperience was a factor and that it was a smart showing – despite her 50kgs.

Bred by Ridgemont Highlands, the winner is by late champion Dynasty (Fort Wood) out of the beautifully bred Western Winter mare, Icy Winter Air.

Make It Snappy is a winner of 2 races with 1 place for stakes of R170 125.

Kabelo Matsunyane and Make It Snappy are on their own at the finish

Chase Liebenberg

1,2,3,4 FOR RIDGEMONT HIGHLANDS IN FLYING SUMMER START!

Four top-class winners, including a feature double, put the cherry on top of a glorious day at the races at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday for the Ridgemont Highlands team.

The opening meeting of the 2022/23 Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Summer Racing Festival started on a high for the Robertson nursery, and it was a celebration made more special as three of their quartet of winners are sired by the farm’s iconic sire Dynasty, a son of Fort

Wood who passed in 2019.

The Ridgemont Highlands team on the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth winner’s podium

A star who produced 25 Gr1 horses, and is still the highest rated 3yo ever to win the Gr1 Durban July, Dynasty is one of only 3 stallions – along with his famous sire Fort Wood – in the history of South African horseracing to celebrate three SA Horses of the Year.

First of the Ridgemont Highlands bred winners on the sunny Saturday came in the newly

inaugurated Summer Bowl, a strategic feature stepping stone into the summer for the fairer sex.

Leading from the break under Kabelo Matsunyane for trainer Brett Crawford, the Hollywood Syndicateraced Make It Snappy potentially booked her ticket for the WSB Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas on 3 December, beating two older Gr1 winners in the process. This was a second victory from just three outings for the daughter of Dynasty, who is out of the

Ridgemont bred Dynasty daughter Time Flies (Kabelo Matsunyane) storms home

well-related Western Winter mare, Icy Winter.

The same jockey-trainerowner combination were to the fore again for the next Ridgemont-bred winner when the 4yo Dynasty filly Time Flies powered home to register her third win (with 3 places) from just six starts in the fifth, an MR 95 (F&M) handicap over 1800m. She is out of the Whipper mare, Right And Ready and looks one for the notebook for the fairer sex features this season.

While there is some debate amongst members of

the very knowledgeable Snaith racing family as to whether the Ridgemont Highlands-bred 3yo We’re Jamming is a sprinter, or will even go a mile plus in time, last season’s eyecatching Gr3 Cape Nursery winner made it three victories from eight starts with a standout turn of foot to win the 1200m Listed Sophomore Sprint, for leading local patrons Greg Bortz and Gina Goldsmith.

A Duke Of Marmalade gelding with a rear-end that could power five jumbo jets, We’re Jamming is out of the Windrush mare, Maidstone and is now headed for a showdown with his elders in the Gr2 Cape Merchants

on 11 December.

The Ridgemont Highlands four-timer was crowned by a classically authoritative showing by recent debut winner King Regent, who bobbed and weaved his way through traffic to maintain his impeccable record at his second outing to win the Middle Stakes. Trained by Glen Kotzen for long-time owners Martin Wickens and Gisela Burg, King Regent recovered from a testy start to win going away.

A strapping gelding who is bred to go 2400m – his brother Crimson King won

the 2400m Gr3 Pocket Power Stakes in 2021 – King Regent was a thrilling third winner for Dynasty on the afternoon, and is out of the Mogok mare, Cup Of Rubies.

The day capped a superb 24 hours for the Ridgemont team as on Friday evening at Turffontein the Ridgemont bred and raced Rock The Fox, a daughter of the farm’s multiple UK Gr1 winning and international stakes producing stallion Canford Cliffs, ran a gutsy third in the Gr3 TAB4Racing Fillies Mile.

Rock The Fox is remembered as the

desperately close runner-up to Canadian Summer in the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville last season. Her wellrelated dam Quick Brown Fox, a daughter of Foxwedge, was a $340 000 Inglis Premier purchase of her year from the Supreme Thoroughbreds draft and was the most expensive filly by her sire at that sale. She won twice from just 8 starts in the Ridgemont silks, before being retired due to an injury.

Multiple SA Champion trainer

Sean Tarry was happy with Rock The Fox’s effort under the lights and labelled her a SA Triple Tiara prospect.

“She is a filly of tremendous class and, as you mentioned, she was

very unlucky not to win that Gr1 on Gold Cup day. I have always had a feeling that she needs ground and we are not in a rush to get the distance that we need. She is performing well at 1400m and a mile, but I feel we will see her best at 2000m,” added Tarry.

Ridgemont Highlands recently announced their sponsorship on the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas undercard of the R400 000 Ridgemont Highlands Gr2 Peninsula Handicap. A bright summer season lies ahead!

HANDICAPPERS GET BEHIND THE RATINGS

Cousin Casey has had his merit rating raised from 113 to 115 after easily winning the Gr2 Cape Punters Cup for threeyear-olds over 1600m on the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth summer course on Saturday 19 November.

The Handicappers were unanimous in their view that consistent 4th finisher PORT LOUIS made for the ideal line horse here, which leaves him unchanged on a mark of 105.

There were also ratings increases for four other horses. Runner-up, AT YOUR COMMAND, was picked up from 107 to 109, while 3rd finisher LE

MORNE goes up from 94 to 105. 5th placed MONEY HEIST was raised from 90 to 103 and would thus meet the four that beat him on the correct terms in a handicap, while TRIPLE TIME goes up from 90 to 94.

There were drops for two horses. GRINKOV is down from 104 to 99, while MARVEL WILLIAM was trimmed from 92 to 91.

Best Weighted

It is worth noting that the five best weighted horses in this event finished in the top seven placings, racing off ratings that were not adulterated by any arbitrary limitations imposed on the Handicappers in previous races. The only exceptions were the big improvers LE MORNE (who

was previously unbeaten from three attempts), and MONEY HEIST. Note also that the best weighted runner, COUSIN CASEY, who was rated to beat AT MY COMMAND (weighted to run 3rd) by 2 pounds or 1 length at these weight terms in fact beat AT MY COMMAND by 1 length into 2nd in the Punters Cup.

Listed Sophomore Sprint

WE’RE JAMMING has had his rating raised from 101 to 106 after he won the Listed Sophomore Sprint for three-year-olds over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. In assessing the race, the Handicappers felt that it

was highly unlikely that runner-up STREET OUTLAW ran worse here than when achieving an actual mark of 99 by finishing second in a middle stakes at his penultimate start and used that mark of 99 to rate this race. Accordingly, STREET OUTLAW’s rating goes up from 96 to 99.

In assessing the race this way, TROMPIE equals the mark of 99 he actually achieved when winning the Need For Speed Sprint in his latest start, effectively making him a line horse as well and resulting in an increase in his rating from 93 to 99. TROMPIE had

to be capped at 93 after that win as he was rated 87 going into the Need For Speed and could not be raised more than six pounds for winning, but he is now rated to what he actually achieved on that occasion.

There were also ratings increases for HAMMIES HERO, who is up from 94 to 96, and for ITSRAININGWILLIAM, who goes from 88 to 94.

Two horses were given a drop. CAPTAIN BOMBSHELL is down to 95 from 100, while COLLOIDAL GOLD drops from 85 to 80.

Gr3 TAB4Racing Fillies Mile

EMIRATE GINA has had her rating

raised from 93 to 99 after she landed the Grade 3 TAB4 Racing Fillies Mile for three-year-olds over 1600m on the standside track at Turffontein on Friday 18 November. The Handicappers believed that both 3rd placed ROCK THE FOX and 4th finisher ORARARI GOLD made for the ideal line horses, leaving them unchanged on ratings of 102 and 101, respectively.

It can easily be deduced that EMIRATE GINA ran to a much higher mark than 99 in easily beating both line horses at level weights, but as has recently become the norm in numerous Highveld

stakes races the specific conditions of this event do not allow for an increase of more than six pounds to the rating of the winner, and no increase at all for any other runner. Thus, EMIRATE GINA has been capped at a wholly inaccurate and misleading mark of 99 and would receive weight from both ROCK THE FOX and ORARARI GOLD in a handicap race, which would amount to an unfair advantage for EMIRATE GINA.

Runner-up NONE OTHER remains on a mark of 97 as per the race conditions, despite actually achieving a much higher rating and would also be unfairly advantaged against the two

line horses in a handicap event.

There were ratings drops for three horses. RIVER QUERARESS is down from 108 to 105, KILL SHOT drops to 90 from 95, and lastly TRIED AND TRUE drops from 80 to 78.

Addendum: Summer Bowl (19 November 2022) and Race 6 FM72 Handicap (16 November 2022)

Following consultation with the Handicappers and the horses’ owners, Trainer Mr Brett Crawford elected to take the Handicappers assessment of 100 and 93 for his fillies MAKE IT SNAPPY and HAPPY CHANCE following their wins at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday and Wednesday, respectively.

HAPPY CHANCE and MAKE IT

SNAPPY had to be capped in terms of Handicapping guidelines and specific race conditions respectively. However, Trainers do have the right to request that the Handicappers apply their assessments and Mr Crawford elected to exercise this right as the Handicappers’ assessments are a fairer reflection to their actual ability as opposed to capped ratings. This improves the chances of both horses making the final field for the upcoming Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas and aids in selecting the best possible field for this Graded event.

CENTURION DE MELO IS FLYING!

Winning form-sponsored KZN champion jockey Keagan de Melo reached his century of winners for the new season in relatively double quick time when booting Maximus home for Dean Kannemeyer and veteran owner Preggie Somasundram at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Monday.

It was appropriate in many ways that De Melo reached the magic milestone for Kannemeyer, who is the man who originally gave

him the breaks when engaging him as a stable rider after Anthony Delpech’s shocking injury in April 2018 put an end to his illustrious career.

Kannemeyer told the Sporting Post that he always preferred having a stable jockey, and that it was former champion rider Kevin Shea who had originally put him on to Keagan de Melo.

“I recall Kevin Shea saying to me that he had ridden against young De Melo, then an apprentice, and that he possessed all the attributes of a top rider in the future.

Anthony Delpech was world-class

and we were very fortunate to have him riding most of our horses in KZN. But then that terrible accident sadly ended his career,” he said.

Kannemeyer said that he preferred a jockey who doesn’t panic and gives a horse a chance.

“So the door was open for Keagan and he has certainly grown in stature. It is no secret that the more winners a jockey rides the better horses he gets to ride and the more his confidence grows,” added the multiple

Keagan de Melo raises his arms in triumph after his 100th winner

Gr1 winning conditioner, an accomplished amateur jockey himself some forty years ago.

Kannemeyer said that he didn’t believe in employing a man to do a job and then telling him how to do it.

“One doesn’t want a parrot in the saddle either. Keagan uses his own initiative and doesn’t panic. His temperament is also perfect for race-riding. He doesn’t allow things to get him down. Our best jockeys have the power to get up off the canvas and box on. Keagan will go far, in my opinion,” concluded the second generation trainer.

In hitting the 100 winner mark in good time and at a strike rate of over 21%, and while there is plenty of water to flow under the bridge, De Melo must

surely be favoured to lift his first SA national title this season. He is currently 37 winners ahead of Richard Fourie (19,6%), who also rides out of the Winning Form stable, and the hardworking Muzi Yeni (13,1%).

Interestingly the 28 year old De Melo’s 100 winner mark achieved on 21 November (three months and three weeks into the term) is slower than Anthony Delpech’s record achieved in three months flat, in the 1998/1999 season. That was Delpech’s first of three SA Champion titles and he was on his way to achieving a fourth national championship when that accident in April 2018 changed his life forever.

Anthony Delpech was 29 when he rode that three month century and was 30 when capturing that first national title, when he broke Piere Strydom’s record and set a new SA benchmark, which still stands of 334 winners in a season.

Anthony told the Sporting Post that his record-breaker was achieved on Plan For Prophet for Erico Verdonese at Newmarket on 27 July 1999.

Of interest is that the Delpech 334 winner mark is immortalised at Hollywoodbets Greyville on a wall frame depicting the winning photographs, and just 24 hours after Keagan hit his personal record 100, the Hollywood Syndicate runner Trois Trois Quatre, French for ‘three three four’, ran third for Mike de Kock at Turffontein.

The Sporting Post was unable to reach Keagan de Melo for a comment.

The show goes on at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Wednesday!

Keagan steers Maximus to victory

Candiese Lenferna

RIVERTON FAMILY VALUES

In 2018, Riverton Stud hit the heights at the National Yearling Sale when they consigned a Captain Al filly out of Fiesta Queen to fetch R2 900 000, the top price paid for a filly at the National Sale that year.

Named Cousin Liz, the filly showed plenty of ability on the tracks, winning her first two starts including the 2019 G3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery.

Riverton Stud will be hoping history repeats itself when they offer a blue blooded

half-brother (Lot 160) to the aforementioned Cousin Liz at Sunday’s November Two Year Old Sale.

A son of outstanding sire Vercingetorix (famously pinhooked by Riverton's Grooms Co-Op back in 2010), the colt in question is not only a half-brother to Cousin Liz but also to the very talented, dual Gr3 winner Gimme One Night and the stakes placed pair of Demagogue and Queen Of Alamo.

Other standout lots in this string include The United Stakes halfbrother (Lot 47) to the smart

Captain Oupie, who hails from an outstanding international family, and Choc'Late (Lot 87). The latter, a daughter of the very much inform stallion Futura, is a half-sister to four decent winners notably classy Gr2 World Sports Guineas runner up Supreme Warrior with this filly also hailing from the immediate family of outstanding sprinter Flobayou among many others!

The Riverton string can be found in Block H at the TBA complex in Germiston.

Riverton’s R2,9 million national sale graduate Cousin Liz has a half-brother on the Sunday sale

KOTZEN’S KING EYES THE GOLD RUSH

Glen Kotzen enjoyed a great day at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. Not only did his smashing 3yo Cousin Casey cement his Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas claims, the top yard’s Dynasty gelding King Regent put his hand up as a potential Gold Rush prospect when he made it two wins from two starts in the final event, a 1200m Middle Stakes.

Racing for long established UK expat Cape owners

Martin Wickens and Gisela Burg, the Ridgemont Highlands-bred King Regent caught some by surprise when he stormed to his second straight victory down the Kenilworth 1200m straight after arriving at 20-1 on debut in late October.

The R225 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale graduate is a full brother to Kotzen’s 2400m graded stakes winner Crimson King,and should really be winning over a bit further.

Glen Kotzen told the Sporting Post on Monday that Martin and Gisela

had purchased the son of Dynasty and given it to him to train.

“A lot of buyers steer clear of horses with long pasterns. I never have and I’m so pleased for these loyal owners that they have a really well-bred horse, and a Dynasty with serious pace!” he added.

The Paarl trainer confirmed that they would be considering a run in the R7,5 million Gold Rush which will be run over 1600m, on 28

The smart King Regent ranks 20th on the latest log

January on Cape Met day.

The Gold Rush offers 16 ticketholders the opportunity to earn massive stakes and is open to graduates of the 2021 Cape Premier Yearling Sale.

“We need to start talking to Gold Rush prospectors. It’s exciting and I just want to add that Muzi Yeni rode a good race after the issues at the start on Saturday. When a horse gets himself out of trouble in a sprint like he did, it’s a sign of character and ability!”

Have a look at the latest log here:

King Regent is a mover on the latest Gold Rush log, having come in from nowhere to position 18.

RACING MAN REMEMBERED

Last Friday’s Fairview feature, the R175 000 Peter Stewart Memorial November Handicap, was raced in honour of a passionate racing man.

The 1400m feature produced an upset result with the 14-1 Bold Resolve staying on best under Winning Form rider Charles Ndlovu to beat the supremely consistent Global Drummer (15-10) by a half length in a time of 81,85 secs.

The Varsfontein bred Bold Resolve is a son of Master Of My Fate (Jet Master) out the unraced Jallad mare, Queen Of All. He cost R600 000 at nationals and has won 7 races with 11 places from 33 starts for stakes of R472 138.

Peter Graham Stewart was born in Exeter , England in 1922.

He went through schooling locally and matriculated. He then studied accounting through Warings Bank and qualified. In September 1939 war broke out and in 1941 he went through training as an aircraftsman.

Later in 1941 he was selected to be trained as a pilot under the War Air Training Scheme and was sent by ship with 3000 other troops to South Africa.

Upon arrival he was dispatched to No.3 Air School in Wonderboom where his first entry in his log book is on September 8, 1942 in a DeHavilland D8. On September 23, 1942 he went solo and later that year became an Instructor and was transferred variously

Charles Ndlovu gives the thumbs up as he returns on bold Resolve

to Waterkloof. Standerton, Bloemfontein and finally 42 Air School in Port Elizabeth .

He and his colleagues were itching to join the battles raging in North Africa and Europe , but the war effort required many pilots and hence he served out the war as an Instructor to churn them out and in late 1945 was demobbed and returned to England.

However, he had fallen for South Africa and in 1947 emigrated back and settled in Port Elizabeth where he later married Anne Curtis. He worked for Cadbury

Schweppes for most of his life and served as the Financial Director for many years.

He was a community man and served as President of the P.E Club , Round Table ,Toastmasters, Community Chest and was Chairman of the P.E Branch of the South African Airforce Association for some years . One of his passionate fund raisers for the less fortunate servicemen was the Fairview Race Day sponsored by SAAFA which is still held annually.

R7 MILLION YEARLING WINS ON DEBUT

Relief and a tangible measure of satisfaction at the first hurdle of a plan come together.

That was the overall vibe after the R7 million yearling Celestial City made an eyecatching winning debut for trainer Sean Tarry at a wet Turffontein on Tuesday, nearly three years after having passed through the ring as a sales-topper at Gosforth Park.

Multiple national champion trainer Sean Tarry is not an exuberant shout-it-from-

the-treetops kind of character on an average day, and he has been in the game too long to see a sales price-ticket as a passport to anything but additional stress.

In fact he hinted at an agreement with owner Henning Pretorius to ‘lose the price ticket’.

When contacted by the Sporting Post some weeks ago, following questions from our readers as to the big-ticket’s progress, he said little more than ‘look out for him by the end of November’.

The drift in the betting on Tuesday afternoon from 28-10 to 5-1

also spoke of a lack of confidence.

But the handsome colt with the stallion’s pedigree could do no more than win, and that he did, turning it on up the outside under Avontuur jockey Calvin Habib to beat the rather well-tried Top Sail (7-2) by a half length in a time of 100,48 secs for the mile in sticky conditions.

Sean Tarry was clearly pleased with the outcome but cautioned that it was a maiden win and ‘let’s not get ahead of ourselves’.

Calvin Habib produces Celestial City with a well-timed effort down the outside on debut

Wilgerbosdrift made history at the 2019 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale, when the Piketberg farm’s blue blooded Masaki was knocked down to Shadwell South Africa for R9 million –the highest price ever paid for a thoroughbred yearling at public auction in SA. The leading breeders were

back a year later with Tuesday’s much anticipated debut winner, a Silvano full-brother to multiple Gr1 winning champion Hawwaam, and also a half-brother to multiple Gr1 star and SA Horse Of The Year Rainbow Bridge and Cape Derby winner Golden Ducat. The latter recently made an impressive comeback to racing after a long layoff.

Celestial City, purchased and now raced by Summerhill Stud’s Henning Pretorius is the fifth foal of Jet Master’s Gr3 Prix Du Cap winning daughter Halfway To Heaven, a notorious producer of Gr1 winners and South Africa’s Broodmare Of The Year in both 2018/19 and 2019/20.

Candiese Lenferna

Team Tarry are all smiles!

Flashback - Henning Pretorius signs the big chit

FIELD FLOWER BLOSSOMS

The progeny of 2009 Gr1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas winner Field Flower (Silvano) have been in good form of late.

Field Flower's three-yearold daughter Everlasting (What A Winter) got off the mark when breaking her maiden at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth recently, while her five-year-old half-brother Mhlabeni (Elusive Fort) provided his dam with more success when claiming his

fifth win earlier this week.

Field Flower had previously made her mark at stud through the deeds of her high-class son Last Winter (Western Winter), a winner of four of eight starts and runner up, to subsequent Horse Of The Year Oh Susanna, in the 2018 Gr1 Sun Met.

Also runner up in the 2017 Gr1 Premier Trophy, Last Winter (who won his first four starts on the bounce) is now standing at stud in KwaZulu-Natal.

His dam Field Flower has come up with six winners from eight runners, with the Silvano daughter also responsible for four time winner Fynbos (Elusive Fort), as well as Vase (Var) and Indigo Fields (What A Winter).

Peter de Beyer, who raced Field Flower to her surprise win in the 2009 Fillies Guineas, has some high hopes for his former flagbearer. Unfortunately,

Field Flower’s smart son Last Winter chases Oh Susanna in 2018 Met

Field Flower slipped last year, when in foal to Erupt at the time. However, the mare does have a very nice Master Of My Fate colt born in 2022 and she is currently again in foal to Master Of My Fate. Peter also says Field Flower's daughter Fynbos is now safely in foal to Erupt.

Field Flower is certainly bred to be good. Not only is the mare a half-sister to Gr2 KZN Derby winner Royal Land (Badger Land), and Gr1 Golden Horseshoe third place-getter Field Event

(Western Winter), another halfsister, the stakes placed Cosmos Field (Model Man), ranks as the granddam of Gr3 Godolphin Barb Stakes winner Woljayrine (Jay Peg).

Field Flower's fourth dam is multiple stakes winner Miss Disco, whose 10 career wins included a triumph in the now Gr1 Test Stakes. A daughter of Discovery, Miss Disco proved an even better broodmare, and was Broodmare Of The Year in 1958. Not only did she produce US Horse Of The Year and eight times US champion sire Bold Ruler, Miss Disco also threw US Grand National winner Independence.

She is also third dam of Irish St Leger/English St Leger winner Touching Wood (Roberto), while other equine stars descended in female line from Miss Disco include Gr1 Champion Stakes winner Pride, 1000 Guineas queen Speciosa, and multiple South African Gr1 winner Fools Holme.

PIPPA LOVES HER JETS!

The home of the exciting VAR stallion Talk Of The Town, Avontuur has produced a host of champions over 40 years.

This week the beautiful farm's General Manager Pippa Mickleburgh proudly showcases a beautiful Futura (Dynasty) colt born just over a week ago on 14 November. He is out of the

well-related three-time winning Jet Master mare, Jet Set Go, who won the Gr3 Champion Juvenile Cup of her year.

South Africa’s Horse Of The Year in 2014-2015, Futura has five lots catalogued for the November Two Year Old Sale on Sunday, including a half-sister (Lot 87) to Gr2 WSB Guineas runner up Supreme Warrior, and a colt (Lot 180) bred on similar lines to the Dynasty

sired champion, Bela-Bela. A reminder that this is your free chance to brag about your future stars!

Just drop us a line with a good quality snapshot to editor@sportingpost.co.za and tell us the pedigree/ sex/date of birth/ family connections and a back story, if there is one.

Jet Set Go proudly shows off her smashing Futura colt

FAIRER

The first Gr1 of the inaugural Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Summer Racing Festival, the R1 million World Sports Betting Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas, to be run on Saturday 3 December, drew 22 first entries on Monday. With six of the visitors from out of province yards, the fairer sex classic has attracted the best of the generation nationally, bar a few exceptions.

Topping the ratings is recent Western Cape Fillies Championship winner Ciao Bella and East Cape star Ekoria, who are both on 110.

A traditional prep race into the season’s Gr1’s, the Gr2 Green Point Stakes, which drew only 12 entries could see an early match off

between old rivals Kommetdieding and Jet Dark.

Eric Sands’ Gr1 winner Golden Ducat also made a recent

eyecatching return to racing and he adds an interesting dimension to a race that is always a crowd favourite.

5 4

Cosmic Highway FireAlley Golden Ducat

Jet Dark Kommetdieding Linebacker Rascallion Russian Rock Silver Operator Trip Of Fortune Universal Waterberry Lane

Some interesting raiders make up the thirteen-strong entry for the Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes, which includes the well-travelled Gr1 winner Princess Calla.

R500 000 1600m GREEN POINT STAKES (Grade 2) R350 000 1000m SOUTHERN CROSS STAKES (Grade 2)

Bella Chica Fashion Mistress Gimme Dat Going Up Hunting Trip Iphiko Phedra Princess Calla Santa Maria Sheela Sonic Burst Stiptelik (AUS) Whoa Whoa Whoa (AUS)

Ashley Fortune Peter Muscutt Justin Snaith Candice Bass-Robinson Justin Snaith Mike de Kock Sharon B Kotzen

Sean Tarry Candice Bass-Robinson M G Azzie/A A Azzie Piet Botha Brett Crawford Brett Crawford

3 WILDCARDS ADDED TO THE TATTERSALLS DECEMBER SALE

Half-sisters to the Group 1 winners Bay Bridge and Loving Dream and a colt foal by Mehmas have been added as wildcards to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale and December Foal Sale respectively. They are in addition to the Group 1 winners Princess Zoe and The Platinum Queen who were added to the December Mares Sale last week.

The six-year-old mare

Nataleena, a half-sister to the Group 1 Champion Stakes winner Bay Bridge, will be offered by the Castlebridge Consignment as lot 1639A. The daughter of Nathaniel is out of the Multiplex mare Hayyona, herself a half-sister to the Aga Khan’s Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam winner Shimraan. A winner of five races, Nataleena will be offered in foal to successful first season stallion Harry Angel who has five Group/Listed performers in his first crop of two-year-olds including the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes runner-up Marshman.

Houghton Bloodstock will offer the winning threeyear-old Sea The Stars filly Five Stars as lot 1639B. The well-regarded winner of her first two starts at two is a half-sister to the Group 1 Prix de Royallieu winner Loving Dream and the Grade 1 American Oaks third Amandine and is out of the Listed winner and Group 1 Moyglare Stakes third Kissable, herself a granddaughter of Juddmonte Farms’

Nataleena, a half-sister to the Gr1 Champion Stakes winner Bay Bridge, will be offered by the Castlebridge Consignment as lot 1639A

matriarch Eva Luna.

There is one additional wildcard in the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, with Castlefarm Stud offering a Mehmas colt as lot 725A. The colt is out of Blissful Beauty, a winning daughter of Olympic Glory who finished fourth in the Listed Prix de Thiberville and is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Home Of The Brave.

Mehmas has enjoyed a sensational start to his stud career with three Group 1 winners and nineteen Group & Listed winners in his first three crops of racing age including this season’s Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner Minzaal.

The Tattersalls December Sale started on Monday, 21st November with the December Yearling Sale, followed by the December Foal Sale on Wednesday 23rd to Saturday

26th November and the December Mares Sale, featuring the Sceptre Sessions, from November 28th to December 1st. Catalogues are online now and available from Tattersalls and Tattersalls representatives.

GR1 FIGHTING FIFTH HURDLE

Newcastle hosts the Fighting Fifth Hurdle on Saturday

Newcastle racecourse host their sole Grade 1 contest, the Fighting Fifth Hurdle (16h10) on Saturday afternoon. One of the most prestigious hurdle races in the horse racing calendar, the race run over two miles has attracted six runners, including Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill.

The brilliant winner of last season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle missed his intended return at Ascot last weekend due to quick ground but could be switched to the Grade 1 at Newcastle as the track conditions are currently recorded as soft. Constitution Hill has been kept in contention, although his trainer Nicky Henderson is also represented with two-time winner, the 8-yearold mare Epatante.

Epatante was a dominant winner of the Fighting Fifth in 2020, and last year in the sleet she dead-heated with Not So Sleepy, who is among the six runners kept in at Monday's confirmation stage. Epatante, a multiple Group 1 heroine, is topclass over 2 miles and if she is the sole representative for the Seven Barrows yard, she should be hard to beat getting weight all round.

Top Irish 4-year-old Pied Piper, Tommy's Oscar and Voix Du Reve are the others who could be involved. With

last weekend’s Haydock Betfair winner Protektorat withdrawn, Fanion D'Estruval now heads the weights for the £250,000 Coral Gold Cup (17h05), Newbury's feature race on Saturday.

The steeplechase is run over 3miles and 2 furlongs with 19 declared on Monday. Keith Ottesen, Clerk of the Course for Newbury Racecourse said: “The Going is currently Good. There are a few bands of rain coming through and we will water behind this as required to maintain Good ground.”

Ante-post favourites at 6/1, Corach Rambler for Scottish trainer Lucinda Russell and David Pipe’s Remastered remain in contention, as does last year's runner-up Fidderlontheroof, one of three possibles for trainer Joe Tizzard.

Corach Rambler has convinced connections that he is ready to defy history and deliver Scotland’s first victory in 43 years in Newbury’s weekend feature. Winner of a Group 3 chase at the Cheltenham Festival last season in March, he made a satisfactory seasonal return at Carlisle, over a trip short of his best, last month.

“It wasn’t his distance at Carlisle, but he ran well,” said Scudamore, Russell’s partner. “I was pleased with the way he jumped. He probably ran to about the same level as he did when we ran him over two and a half miles on his first start last year.”

“I didn’t want him to get a penalty. I wanted him to do his best and if

he won, he won. Historically, previous season’s novices have run well in this race. Whether he is good enough, I don’t know, but he has the right profile and he has a decent weight.”

Remastered, a 9-year-old gelding from the in-form David Pipe stable is the other joint favourite and he comes into the contest carrying only 10 stone 10. He arrives on the back of an easy 4 length victory at Aintree earlier this month. With a light weigh, this game front-runner is going to be hard to catch on Saturday afternoon.

MICHAEL JAVETT HAS PASSED AWAY

Philanthropist Michael Javett, one of South Africa’s longeststanding businessmen, a thoroughbred owner and a patron of the arts, has passed away, aged 86.

Javett studied law at Wits University and then practised as an attorney at Webber Wentzel. He moved to London to join the international law firm Allen & Overy and subsequently pursued a career as a merchant banker at Hill Samuel.

The Mike de Kock website reports that on his return to South Africa he established the Unisec Group that was later sold to Standard Bank. He also established Tolux SA, which has since become Brait. From 2006 he focused on philanthropy and was instrumental in establishing the Javett Foundation, and more recently Javett-UP, which took many years of planning.

In his distinctly unobtrusive but eminently influential manner, he was the driving force behind the creation of the Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria

(Javett-UP), an extraordinary Centre that first opened its doors in September 2019.

Built on the belief in the emancipatory potential of the arts in society through multidisciplinary curatorial and pedagogic initiatives, the Javett-UP was created through a partnership between the Javett Foundation and the University of Pretoria.

Javett passed away just a few days before the birth of the last art project in which he was directly involved, Mihloti ya Ntsako –Journeys with the Bongi Dhlomo Collection, a book currently being

printed. It chronicles the coming into being of the Bongi Dhlomo Collection, a unique compendium of 138 artworks produced in the 20th century by both wellknown and lesser-known black South African artists.

Throughout the book about this unusual collection process, Michael is “deliberately rendered invisible”, consistent with his character and his desire to centre Bongi as the prime driver of the project. And that is how he was, always there, minding from the wings and never wanting

Michael Javett

to take centre stage. He believed in democratisation and access to artistic education for our youth and diverse societies, to the betterment of our country and the region.

On the racing front, Javett raced successfully in South Africa for many years, supporting many of the country’s trainers and breeders, and he rightfully reaped the rewards through the exploits of many topclass racehorses.

In partnership with Fane Tenderini, Michael was associated with one of the greatest horses ever to grace the South African turf -Politician, the R5 250 purchase who won 18 races

(11 of which were G1’s) notably back-to-back runnings of the J&B Met and Queen’s Plate, as well as the 1978 Rothmans July Handicap. Politician retired to stud having been named South Africa’s Horse Of The Year on three occasions.

Javett also enjoyed plenty of success in more recent years racing, among others, the imported filly Alboran Sea, South Africa’s Champion 3YO Filly Of 2014-2015, with five wins, from just ten starts, including the 2014 Gr1 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship, 2015 G1 Cape Flying Championship, and the 2015 Gr1 Computaform Sprint.

He also built up a great racing partnership with Mary Slack, racing high-class gallopers including the aforementioned Alboran Sea and Marmara Sea, a leading runner

in the Eastern Cape. He sold his racing stock at a Bloodstock SA dispersal sale in May this year.

Mike de Kock, who trained Alboran Sea, paid tribute to Michael Javett, saying: “Mr Javett was a gentleman from the old school in business and racing, a humble, private man who enjoyed his horses and cared for the industry. We were honoured to have him in our ranks for so many years. Our condolences to his family and friends.”

Wales vs Iran | Friday 25 November | Al Rayyan Stadium | 12:00

This is a tough game to call, only because I don’t suggest reading too much into the first game. Iran is playing against the backdrop of protest and unrest…Wales probably needed to get their first game under the belt and move on from there…

To Win

Wales 11/10 Draw 43/20 Iran 28/10 Wales Wales played in their first FIFA World Cup fixture for more than 50 years when they entertained the USA to a 1-1 draw. There is simply no comparison for the sort of pressure or nervousness those players would have likely experienced. The World Cup will and always be the greatest stage of them all!

It’s for that reason I suggest not reading too much into their fixture with the USA. They were cagey out of the blocks and took a while to get going. I thought the Welsh chased the game for a bit before settling down and then showing their own capabilities.

In Gareth Bale and Aaron

Ramsey, Wales have a serious goalscoring threat – that we simply cannot deny. Their defence is packed with experience and solidified by a goalkeeper who is experience personified. Robert Page is seemingly a coach who has priority around structure, and I think Wales can ask questions of this group.

Iran

I couldn’t help but notice that Iran’s players refused to sing their national anthem. I know not every player in every team belts out their tune of choice – but I found that a little strange. Of course, we now know the reason was a protest, standing in solidarity with those who are oppressed or silenced in Iran.

Iran was impressive in qualifying, winning eight of the 10 games amongst the Asian qualifiers. They aren’t a slouch irrespective of their game against England. Of course, their preparation was less than ideal when they were to replace their coach with Carlos Queiroz.

Now, the only reason I say ‘less than ideal’ is that he was not involved in the early preparation… because outside of that he is a massively experienced coach and one who isn’t new to the big stage.

For a side who aren’t exactly known for shots on goal (they hold the record for the least shots on target between 2014 and 2018) they now hold aces upfront. Mehdi Taremi has torn up the script for Porto in the Champions League and is responsible for both goals

against England. He might singlehandedly earn his country a result here.

Prediction: Iran/Draw (13/20)

This is a bit of an ‘outside’ or ‘value’ prediction – I will admit. However, my reason for the pick is simply this; Wales aren’t a side who will be aggressive in trying to dominate possession of the football, they will be happy to defend should they need to and commit to going forward when they can –granted I am simplifying it here.

Iran showed quality when they could hold possession of the football for extended periods and as I’ve previously indicated, they certainly can hurt you on the other side of the field.