20220112 - Sporting Post Sprint Ver 1.2 Single Pages by Sporting Post

Candiese Lenferna

Cover Image Shandre Hoffmann-Habib won the best dressed lady award on both days of the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Festival. Candiese Lenferna captured her in this ‘anonymous’ pose!

TRIBUTE TO AN ACE CALLED MUIS 3

Michael Roberts at the 2021 tribute raceday

Hollywoodbets Scottsville again hosts Gold Circle’s annual tribute to one of KwaZulu-Natal’s favourite adopted sons on Sunday when fifteen horses line up for the R100 000 Listed Michael Roberts Handicap The field includes Paul Peter’s hardknocking recent Gr3 London News Stakes third placer Astrix and the 2021 winner News Stream, who has pulled a nasty draw of 14 in his bid to defend his title. While a few have laid claim to the title of South African horseracing’s greatest

ambassador, nobody matches the inimitable Michael Leonard Roberts.

KZN racing, as opposed to the relative glamour life of a champion jockey.

At the age of 67, and training a string of just under 50 horses out of his Summerveld base these days, Cape Town-born Michael Roberts projects the same cucumber calm demeanour that saw him ride some of the greatest finishes internationally over two decades ago.

“It’s a strange variation that I have long pondered over. When I rode champion Gr1 horses for some of the world’s biggest owners in front of massive crowds, I was strangely calm and confident.

We have previously asked the eleven-time SA champion and 1992 champion of Britain how he was enjoying training horses in the bread-and-butter mill of

Today I saddle a maiden prospect at Hollywoodbets Greyville, and I am a bundle of nerves and hyped up stress! The thing is that each and every one of our horses are our children. You know what it’s like when your son or

daughter runs in the athletics at school – it’s an emotional event. They are on their own and we are helpless when they come out of the blocks.

pride in saddling a routine midweek maiden winner. Just think again what goes into preparing a horse to win a race!” he adds seriously.

That’s how it is for me as a trainer. It takes months to prep them and I still take enormous

The Listed Lady’s Bracelet and the Listed Swallow Stakes, run at Fairview (Friday) and

Turffontein (Saturday) respectively, are the weekend’s other two feature events. Follow all the action on www.sportingpost.co.za

Candiese Lenferna

News Stream wins the 2021 Michael Roberts Handicap – he is back on Sunday

Candiese Lenferna

8 Smanga Khumalo celebrates a special victory as Jet Dark returns

ROYAL TITLE DEFENDED IN STYLE

Jet Dark joined the ranks of Jet Master, Winter Solstice, Pocket Power and Legal Eagle as 21st century consecutive winners of the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday. The handsome son of Trippi stormed home under Smanga Khumalo to earn a golden ticket into the US$2 million FanDuel Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Mile through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. Now a three-time Gr1 winner, all achieved at weight-for-age, the lightly campaigned Trippi colt slammed a high-class field at a sunny Kenilworth on Saturday in scintillating style when he charged through on the outside of July winner

Kommetdieding. The field was strung out early as the beautiful grey KZN visitor After The Rain led Pomp And Power and Seeking The Stars, in what was two separate races early on. Coming for home Jet Dark had plenty of ground to make up, but a patient Khumalo was biding his time and the son of Trippi took off as Kommetdieding started unleashing his own booming effort.

cracking Met prep by staying on strongly over a trip short of his best a neck in front of Rainbow Bridge (3-1) and the game as gold, Seeking The Stars (10-1). Jet Dark was allowed to run relatively free by the betting public, starting at 10-1 after a relatively ordinary season opener in the Green Point Stakes last month.

In a thrilling rush to the line, Jet Dark went on strongly to score a largely facile win by 2,25 lengths in a time of 96,56 secs.

The Snaith Team join in the celebrations (Pic – Chase Liebenberg) Part-owner Nic Jonsson said that the 2021 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate vistory was great but that nobody was present on course.

Kommetdieding (4-1) ran a

He also slammed the ‘one-

dimensional and narrow minded form studiers who are doing the public a disservice’. “Justin brings his horses back with a plan. Jet Dark is a big strong horse. Anybody who managed to get the 7-1, well done to them. This is a serious horse,” he said.

the inside. It’s a pleasure to have had him on such a beautiful animal. Nic Jonsson is an unbelievable patron. Tommy Crowe is not far behind – he is very clever to have gotten involved. Congrats to Drakenstein for breeding such a champion,” added Justin.

Trainer Justin Snaith, who is quite used to winning big races and had won both features on the afternoon up to this point, expressed the hope that the cameras weren’t focussed on him as he screamed and jumped up and down.

Bling celebrates a memorable moment (Pic – Chase Liebenberg) Khumalo was thrilled to have gotten the opportunity to ride a horse that he had won the Gr1 Champions Cup on at the end of last season. He rode the perfectly patient race on the big horse.

“All of ours really looked in trouble – but Jet Dark was firing under Smanga down

A R200 000 buy from the 2019 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale, Jet Dark is

by Drakenstein Stud’s longstanding champion producer Trippi (End Sweep) and was bred by the champion farm out of the one-time winning Jet Master mare Night Jet, a half-sister to Thukela Handicap winner Brown Penny and Gr1 Mercury Sprint runner-up Night Trip (Trippi). Jet Dark has now won 6 races with 3 places from 11 starts and took his stakes bank to R2 081 600. He is yet to run over the 2000m and there was no indication whether he would run in the WSB Cape Town Met in three weeks’ time.

The Merits JET DARK remains unchanged on a merit rating of 130 after he recorded a second successive win in the WFA Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m on the summer course at Kenilworth on Saturday 8 January. It was JET DARK himself who was deemed to make for the best line horse when assessing this race, which is the reason for his unchanged rating. 4th placed SEEKING THE STARS was raised from 121 to 124, while 5th finisher POMP AND POWER goes

up from 110 to 117. In rating the race this way, POMP AND POWER actually runs to a mark of 124, but the Handicappers were reluctant to take this entirely at face value and opted to give the gelding half the achieved adjustment, with 117 being half way between his old rating of 110 and 124. There was one further increase and this was for 6th placed PACAYA, who is up from 95 to 108 in order to make him rated two pounds higher than the 106-rated 8th finisher TRIP OF FORTUNE. 11

The only drop was for 3rd placed RAINBOW BRIDGE, who has failed to confirm the 134 he achieved when winning the 2021 Cape Met in five subsequent performances and has accordingly been adjusted to his next highest performance of 130, this also ensures that he is not rated higher than the winner JET DARK, who beat RAINBOW BRIDGE into 2nd place when winning the corresponding race, a year ago.

Candiese Lenferna

‘Going for a royal triple? Maybe, but the 4yo is now a highly desirable stallion prospect’

Smanga Khumalo and Jet Dark are poetry in motion

SETTING THE WORLD ALIGHT! Jet Dark enjoyed arguably his finest hour when he stormed to a second successive win in the Gr1 L'Ormarins Queen's Plate. He now finds himself in exalted company, that of such luminaries as the mighty Sea Cottage, Sledgehammer, Politician, Wolf Power, and his own broodmare sire Jet Master, all dual winners of the

country's oldest Gr1 mile event. Last season's Champion Three-year-old and Champion Miler, the colt has little left to prove and although his connections may be tempted to go for a third successive Queen's Plate - a feat achieved only by Legal Eagle in 2018 and Pocket Power earlier, who subsequently achieved

a fabulous four - a stud career looks the more likely proposition. As a triple Gr1 winner - he also claimed last season's Champions Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville - the four-year-old is now a highly desirable stallion prospect and the country's stud masters will be queueing up to acquire this handsome

entire once the time comes for him to exchange the racetrack for the breeding shed. In addition to his racetrack achievements, Jet Dark's pedigree ticks all the boxes. Not only is he by Drakenstein's linchpin stallion Trippi out of a mare by the legendary Jet Master, he also boasts a distinguished female line of international repute. Nurtured by the famous Wildenstein family, it is littered with readily identifiable champions such as the wonderful filly Pawneese, European Horse of the Year, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner and

A colt from the final crop of recently retired champion sire Not a Single Doubt stole the show on Day Two of the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale when he sold for A$1,7 million earlier today. The first foal of Gr3 winner and Oaks placegetter Miss Admiration, the colt was offered by Segenhoe Stud and after a spirited bidding battle it was Ciaron Maher who snared the top seller.

successful sire Peintre Celebre (an own brother to Jet Dark's third dam Pine Chip) and more recently, Bjorn Nielsen's stayer extraordinaire, Stradivarius. Jet Dark was bred by Drakenstein Stud from the winning Jet Master mare Night Dark, who significantly, is no longer a member of the farm's broodmare band. She was sold at auction in 2019 when in foal to Futura, whose first crop had yet to reach the track, which made him very much an unknown quantity as a stallion. At the time, Night Jet also had just one winner to her name, her first foal by What A Winter, while the fourth, Jet Dark was a yearling.

"I'm pretty excited to get him," Maher said moments after the hammer fell. "Obviously they don't make the Not a Single Doubts anymore with him retiring (from stud)." "We've just had so much success with that breed. Given last year and the results I knew he was going to be a big price. He was going to be a colt that was on everyone's list and I'm just rapt to be able to get him." "She (Miss Admiration) was

In hindsight, the lucky buyer was Cornerstone Stud's Anthon Hoek, who purchased Night Jet for the princely sum of R3000, not bad for a well-bred mare destined to become the dam of a dual Queen's Plate winner! Such is the stuff dreams are made of. "She's a lovely big mare, a typical Jet Master," a delighted Anthon said this weekend. "The foal she was carrying when I bought her is a very nice colt, which we have decided to race ourselves. Named Future Knight, he will go into training with Johan Janse van Vuuren."

a quality mare - a nice young mare. And the colt is just a great physical, good temperament - he ticks all the boxes." "He's a real stallion prospect," Maher added. The A$1.7 million colt was one of four individual lots to sell for prices over A$1 million during another record breaking sale day at the Gold Coast. Read more – please click here

Night Jet currently resides at her owner's 16-acre stud situated in Centurion in Gauteng. A relative newcomer to the breeder ranks, "we are now in our fifth year", Anthon sends his yearlings to the Magaliesberg area to grow out, an unconventional area to many purists perhaps, but as he states: "It may not be the Karoo, but the winters are just as cold and the soil is also exceptionally rich in limestone." Sadly, Night Jet has been barren since foaling Future Knight. Anthon takes up the story. "She's proving to be

a difficult mare. Last year we sent her to Trippi's son Gold Standard and after spending the breeding season in the Western Cape, she came home not in foal. This year, we decided not to travel her, and fortunately, were able to send her to Jackson, who is based in Gauteng at Heversham Stud. Like Futura, he is a high class son of Dynasty and in my opinion, is a very underrated stallion. Night Jet will be pregtested some time this week, so fingers crossed!" Remarkably, all of Night Jet's six previous foals have been colts and includes another

black-type performer, Jet Dark's year-younger halfbrother Night Ruler. By illfated Kingsbarns, he races in the distinctive Drakenstein silks and finished third in last season's Gr3 Langerman, a race his illustrious halfbrother won at two. Needless to say, if Night Jet is in foal, Anthon is hoping for a filly and added: "She will definitely not be for sale!"

Candiese Lenferna

MJ puts another subject on the spot! MJ puts another subject on the spot!

MJ On Sidelines - But Still A Thriller! The L’Ormarins Queens Plate Festival unearthed a few gems over two superb days last weekend. One man who made an impact through his enlighteningly frank exchanges with his colleagues in the emotive heat of the post-race moments was sidelined Met-winning jockey MJ Byleveld. In his sixteenth month out of the saddle, MJ told the Sporting Post that the privilege of the opportunity of being able to stay in touch with racing during the dark

days since he shattered his ankle at work at Milnerton in September 2020, was real life therapy, and actually keeping him sane. “When I was riding I was busy almost every day. Stables early for work, then discussing strategy and programmes with the boss. We had racing, I was in the gym. I used to travel for some meetings. One is on the go. Since this injury, I have had plenty of time to reflect – to think and mull over life. One would never believe that breaking an ankle could get one’s feet so firmly back on the 17

ground!”he laughs. It’s been a rough ride for the tough-as-teak Warmbathsborn 40 year old, whose no-nonsense upbringing as the son of a maize farmer and cattle trader in the Limpopo province, is a literal galaxy away from the blue and white glitz and glam of South Africa’s premier elegant raceday. We asked the fanatical lifetime Blue Bulls supporter who his designer of choice was for his outfit on L'Ormarins' big day, and whether his new glam-look

spectacles were a subtle fashion accessory. “If you class this as an outfit, I graciously accept the compliment but it came straight out of my cupboard where it’s been hanging for years. I didn’t even make the field for the best-dressed competition amongst all of those beautifully attired people. My fashion merit rating has always been on the low side!” he roars. And as for the spectacles, MJ gets serious as he tells how he has suffered from intermittent dizziness and headaches since a neck operation. “I had my eyes tested and they diagnosed that I was far-sighted and needed the glasses. While they took some getting used to, I have found they have helped a lot,” he adds. The L’Ormarins Queen’s

Plate Festival wasn’t MJ’s first experience of raceday television work, but he is clearly growing in stature and confidence. “I have been given some training which has helped a lot. Let me tell you that I, like most of my colleagues, am quite used to being interviewed and thus being a guest on a race discussion is one thing. But actually conducting the interview oneself is an entirely different racing surface! When I interviewed a trainer recently, the camera rolled and I said nothing while she looked at me in naticipation. But like anything, it’s practice and I have learnt to do my homework and my Ipad has come in very handy!” We suggested to MJ that his snap cutaway interviews on Tellytrack with the runnerup jockeys in the immediate aftermath of each race was the kind of drama and authenticity that horseracing television has

MJ puts another subject on the spot! 18 MJ aka Flash Gordon after winning the 2020 Met

been sorely lacking. “As a start, I think it helped that the guys are comfortable with me and there is a trust relationship. A number of the jockeys even conceded that they had enjoyed the way it was done.” We asked how he had managed to even get Anton Marcus in front of the camera twice? And how he had created the dramatic reality element. Were the questions scripted? “There is not much time in the post-race zone, so I would find the jockey and ask him if we could chat. Some would say – ‘what are you going to ask me?’ I would respond and say you will find out now! The jockeys were brilliant and it’s effectively unscripted realtime responses. I enjoyed the experience,” he adds. It was certainly a commendable performance

from a guy who admits that he thinks in Afrikaans, and speaks in English. “One wants to keep it entertaining and light-hearted, so I threw in a bit of banter as I know the individuals. Naturally it doesn’t always come out exactly as intended as my brain is translating, but it was fun and most enjoyable.” And what are the prospects of his returning to race-riding? “My most recent operation was on 30 August last year and it has been the surgery that has set me back every time. I am not 100% and have some pain and the odd

niggle. I am due to visit the doctor for an assessment again on 16 February and am hard at work with the Biokineticist and Physio. I am as fit as I could be in the circumstances, I suppose.” Jockeys on the sidelines often suffer weight increases. Has MJ put on any pudding? “Everything in life in moderation – that includes wine and food! I can feel I am not at riding weight right now, but am not obsessed with weighing myself and am rather focussing on getting back to health,” he adds. So when can we expect the

Sun Met winning jockey back in the saddle and entertaining us with his ‘flashes’ - excuse the ‘Faf’ skants pun - of pure brilliance as witnessed by the excited crowd when One World beat Rainbow Bridge in the Cape flagship in 2020? “It is difficult to say, but I should know more after my February consultation. I miss the camaraderie of the jockey room and the racecourse vibe of bygone years. But we certainly recaptured the on-course buzz on Friday and Saturday. There was a happy vibe on course and we all want to get racing back into the winner’s enclosure again!” Chase Liebenberg

MJ puts another subject on the spot! 19 A thrilled MJ salutes after One World downed Rainbow Bridge (Ryan Moore) in the Met

Chase Liebenberg

Supplementary entry Fireally - fit and could take his chances

AND THEN THERE WERE 17… Paul Matchett’s star filly War Of Athena winds up her prep for the WSB Gr1 Cape Town Met when she takes on a quality Pinnacle Stakes field at Turffontein on Saturday. The daughter of Act Of War is pencilled in to fly to Cape Town a day or two before the Met, with final travel logistics being done on Friday, according to the SA Triple Tiara winner’s owner, Dr Rose Waterman-Wentzel. The Gauteng-based champion is one of the effectively 17 horses left in the running for the R2 million WSB Gr1 Cape Town Met after the final

supplementary stage for the Cape flagship was reached at 11h00 on Monday morning, whereafter the weights were published. While Candice BassRobinson’s Sovereign Spirit still shows as a live entry amongst the listed 18, the son of Dynasty unfortunately returned suffering from a bilateral epistaxis due to an exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage after Saturday’s Gr2 Glorious Goodwood Premier Trophy and has incurred a 120 day suspension. Candice told the Sporting Post that ‘he won’t run.’

With the scratching of Vikram, Rascallion, Warrior and So Flawless, and after the supplementary entry of recent Gr3 London News Stakes winner Second Base, there are thus 17 left to contest the 2000m feature on 29 January at Kenilworth. Declarations will close at 11h00 on Wednesday 19 January and the final field and draws will be embargoed for unveiling at an event that evening.

In The Running- Name

Age (sex)

Rainbow Bridge Do It Again Cirillo Sovereign Spirit Rockin’ Ringo Jet Dark Kommetdieding Linebacker Malmoos Russian Rock Hoedspruit Second Base Puerto Manzano (ARG) FireAlley War Of Athena Marina Double Superlative Waterberry Lane

(7G) (7G) (6H) (6G) (6G) (4C) (4C) (4G) (4C) (4G) (4G) (4G) (4G) (4G) (4F) (4F) (3C) (3C)

Trainer Eric Sands Justin Snaith Sean Tarry Candice Bass-Robinson Piet Botha Justin Snaith HWJ Crawford/M Rix Vaughan Marshall Mike de Kock Dean Kannemeyer Justin Snaith J A Janse van Vuuren J A Janse van Vuuren Candice Bass-Robinson Paul Matchett Candice Bass-Robinson Justin Snaith Dean Kannemeyer

Chase Liebenberg

Richard Fourie salutes as the happy Captain’s Ransom connections lead their star in

RANSOM – BUT ONLY JUST! A thrilling three-cornered finish capped South Africa’s premier 1800m weight-for-age race for the fairer sex at a sundrenched Kenilworth on Saturday, with the favourite Captain’s Ransom pipping recent Cape Fillies Guineas winner, Chansonette.

The Snaith-Viljoen-Fourie combination grabbed a quick feature double after Hoedspruit won the Glorious Goodwood Premier Trophy a half hour earlier, but nobody could have reckoned with the desperate finish that would ensue after the favourite looked beaten 150m from home.

After getting Captain’s Ransom (16-10) up in the last stride to stave off the gallant 3yo Chansonette (4-1), Richard Fourie said his favourite filly had made it difficult. “She wasn’t quite herself today. But it was nice to see the Guineas winner acquitting

herself so well. What a team the Snaiths are. Congrats to Basie and Suzette Viljoen,” he added, confirming that he believed the first time 1800m wasn’t an issue and that she’d go further.

110,43 secs for the 1800m and beat Chansonette a nose. Aldo Domeyer launched Marina (9-2) down the centre and the big daughter of Silvano took off to be beaten only 0,30 lengths.

Captain’s Ransom, who had won the Diana Stakes for the second consecutive year in her season debut in October, was said to be only 90% by trainer Justin Snaith, who didn’t seem convinced that she had enjoyed the 1800m.

Adam Marcus’ Princess Calla (6-1) was not disgraced a head back in fourth, in one of the great finishes to the prestigious race this century. Captain’s Ransom is a winner of 9 races with 1 place from 11 starts for stakes of R1 510 250.

“There’s an engine inside there. It just purrs – it never overrevs. She is the easiest horse in my stable. Well done to Suzette and Basie – and to John Freeman, and my brother,” added a relieved SA Champion trainer. Captain’s Ransom clocked

A R225 000 buy from the 2019 National Yearling Sale, she was bred by Moutonshoek and is a daughter of deceased champion sire Captain Al (Al Mufti) out of the unraced Red Ransom mare Cinna’s

Ransom. The latter, dam of multiple winners in Britain, is a halfsister to Gr3 Prix de SaintGeorges winner Black Rock Desert and multiple Japanese stakes winner Toyo Seattle. Cinna’s Ransom’s own dam, the Plankton Stakes winner, City Dance is a full-sister to multiple Gr1 winner, and successful sire, Slew City Slew.

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The Merits CAPTAIN’S RANSOM remains unchanged on a mark of 126 following her success in the WFA Gr1 Cartier Paddock Stakes for fillies and mares over 1800m at Kenilworth on Saturday. It was the everconsistent 4th placed PRINCESS CALLA who was considered to make for the most suitable line horse here, which leaves her

unchanged on a mark of 118. In rating the race this way, CAPTAIN’S RANSOM only runs to a rating of 119, hence her unaltered rating. In rating the race this way, 5th placed SHE’S A KEEPER runs to her rating of 116, effectively making her a line horse as well. 2nd placed CHANSONETTE

is up from 110 to 118, while 3rd placed MARINA goes up from 110 to 118. The only other increase was for Eastern Cape visitor SANTA THERESE, who is up from 104 to 106, which ensures that she is rated higher than any of the horses that finished behind her. The only drop was for PRETTY BETTY, who is down from 106 to 104.

GOLD CIRCLE’S GLOBAL WINNER Tabcorp’s Sky Racing’s International division has expanded its global offering by securing the exclusive worldwide rights to 120 meetings a year from South Africa as part of a multi-year deal with Gold Circle, a leading South African wagering and racing operator. The deal will see top level racing from Gold Circle’s Hollywoodbets Greyville (Durban) and Hollywoodbets Scottsville (Pietermaritzburg) tracks beamed to international audiences via Sky’s extensive global distribution network, as well as to Sky’s viewers in Australia across TAB venues, the app and website and in homes. The racing content from Hollywoodbets Scottsville and Hollywoodbets Greyville — home of Africa’s most prestigious race the Durban July — will complement Sky’s current international content offering of racing from Australia and New Zealand. The arrangement starts from January 17 and will be supported by Tabcorp’s international subsidiaries, Sky Racing World (USA) and Premier Gateway International, as well as our valued existing international partners. Tabcorp’s GM International, Paul Cross said the deal continued a long-standing partnership that Sky has had with the racing industry in South Africa. “This means more high quality racing for Sky viewers and for punters, as well as benefits for the racing industry in both Australia and South Africa. “And with this being worldwide rights, it also enhances our export offering with more than 60 countries taking Sky content.” Gold Circle CEO Michel Nairac said: “At a time when many of the revenue streams supporting the South African Horseracing Industry have been affected by Covid-19 restrictions and other economic circumstances, this agreement for the international rights to KwaZulu Natal’s racing product, goes a long way to sustaining the sport in the province. We look forward to a mutually beneficial long-standing relationship with Tabcorp.”

LAMMERSKRAAL'S ROYAL DAY

The Lammerskraal Stud team enjoyed a welcome flagwaver ahead of the forthcoming Cape Premier Yearling Sale when the Ceres-based nursery of champions bred three winners, including the Cartier Gr2 Sceptre Stakes heroine, Gimme Dat, on Day 1 of the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Racing Festival at Kenilworth on Friday. A R450 000 buy from the 2020 Cape Premier Yearling Sale, Gimme Dat has now won three of six starts, including last season’s Gr3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery, and was awarded the race following Mercury Rising's disqualification after her gate had opened early. Out of the Western Winter mare Mizzen Mist, Gimme Dat is a full-sister to Listed Drum Star Handicap winner Green Haze. Lammerskraal Stud Manager Lindi Garlicki told the Sporting Post that Mizzen Mist is back in foal to Gimmethegreenlight. “Both of her Gimmethegreenlight progeny so far are stakes winners, so it is exciting that we have gone back to the well!” said Lindi, who confirmed that the Western Winter mare has a very nice Erupt filly going to the National Yearling Sale in April. Lammerskraal’s first winner came in the third race when the Querari filly Raising Quinn shed her maiden certificate for trainer Candice Bass-Robinson. The 3yo is out of former Stud Manager Sally Bruss’ four-time winning Western Winter mare, Vermilion, and is thus a half-sister to recent Gr2 Cape Merchants winner Vikram (Gimmethegreenlight). Winter Furi, an own sister to Fabian, winner of the Listed Ibhayi Stakes and third in the Gr1 Mercury Sprint, capped a terrific day for the Lammerskraal team when the 4yo daughter of What A Winter stormed home for Andre Nel and Sabine Plattner Racing to win the final event of the opening day of the festival. Recording her third win from 14 starts, she is out of the one-time winning Parade Leader mare, Furina. The latter is back in foal to What A Winter and Lindi Garlicki tells us that she has a smart VAR colt going to the National Yearling Sale in April. Lammerskraal will field five high-class colts at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale on Sunday 6 February at the De Grendel Estate.champion Long Dollar. “It’s a quality quintet and we are proudly looking forward to presenting this top notch Cape Premier draft,” concluded Lindi. Read more here

Chase Liebenberg

30 Richard Fourie pushes Hoedspruit ahead as Super Silvano (Louis Mxothwa) runs a cracker at the weights

HOEDSPRUIT’S PERFECT LANDING

With the yard’s dual Durban July winner Do It Again failing to produce the goods, Justin Snaith enjoyed the back-up of his WSB Cape Town Met entry Hoedspruit to save the day in the R400 000 Glorious Goodwood Gr2 Premier Trophy at a sizzling Kenilworth on Saturday. In a thrilling finish to a final Met prep for many of Saturday’s contestants, Fourie rode a peach of a a race as he switched his mount to the inside and won with a good few cracks of the whip, but easing up in the final strides. Hoedspruit powered home at 5-1 to beat Super Silvano (16-1) by a half length in a time of 109,09 secs. Recent Peninsula Handicap winner Firealley (16-1) didn’t get to the front as is his

preference, but stayed on well a head back in third. His stablemate Sovereign Spirit (33-1) loomed dangerously late but was overtaken and stayed on well for fourth. Richard Fourie said that the Algoa Cup winner’s prep wasn’t great coming into his last disappointing start and complimented the Snaith stable A winner of 6 races with 5 places from 15 starts for SA Champion owner Suzette Viljoen, Hoedspruit, a R280 000 buy from the 2019 Cape Yearling Sale, has now earned R603 975.

Londalozi, a full-sister to Gr2 Betting World Oaks third Shingwedzi and a three-parts sister to Perfect Promise Sprint winner Lesedi La Rona, who was acquired by Wilgerbosdrift at the 2017 Cape Mare Sale while carrying Hoedspruit! Justin Snaith put the 7yo Do It Again’s run down to the foibles of age – “he runs the odd indifferent race but we will have him ready for the Met,” he added. Do It Again was subsequently reported by the Stipes to have pulled up lame and will have to be passed fit by a Vet before his next engagement.

The winner was bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein. He is by Legislate (Dynasty) out of the Trippi mare

The Merits DOUBLEMINT remains unchanged on a mark of 110 following his victory in the Gr3 Okapi Chairman’s Cup over 2500m at Kenilworth on Saturday. It was 5th placed HOLY WARRIOR who was deemed to make for the best line horse, which leaves him unchanged on a rating of 93. In assessing the race this way, DOUBLEMINT runs slightly below his rating, running to a mark

of 110, which explains his unchanged rating. The specific conditions of this event do not allow for any increase to the ratings of horses other than the winner, accordingly, runner-up ONE WAY TRAFFIC remains on 98 despite actually achieving a mark of 104, while 3rd finisher SUDDEN STAR remains on 95 although achieving a rating of 98. 32

There were ratings drops for three horses. SALVATOR MUNDI is down slightly from 98 to 97, MAGNIFICENT SEVEN drops to 99 from 101, and lastly CRIMSON KING was trimmed from 110 to 109.

Chase Liebenberg

Richard Fourie gets Doublemint up in the last stride for a dramatic win

THE MINT’S IMPERIAL!

Richard Fourie has few peers when he is on song in the Cape and the top jockey rounded off a terrific L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Festival with the ride of the day on the 7yo Doublemint for the Snaith brothers. While he is an important part of the Snaith’s success, it is worth quoting from John Freeman’s weekly newsletter

to sum up the Snaith’s titanic two days. “Justin is an asset to racing. His clean sweep of the features is testimony to the command he has of his craft. I have had the good fortune to be associated with Snaith Racing for quite a few years and know how hard working and efficient they are. Not just in training horses but in looking after their

clients and in promoting the sport. Listening to Justin being interviewed on TV before races and in postrace interviews leaves you in no doubt that he is a master trainer. The info he provides is not only aimed at owners and breeders but is hugely important to punters and the tote. He never forgets to give credit and knows that he is backed up by a very good

team. I always make an effort to congratulate head grooms Jabu and Patrick and their chaps.What many don't realize is how hard the Snaith Racing machine work at buy horses, not only locals but their many international investors. If Justin's LQP success is a precursor to Cape Town Met day we might be in for a tote boost. The Met tote will be betting into Hong Kong pools. Thanks HJKC,” concluded the veteran bloodstock man. And Doublemint’s second victory in the R250 000 Gr3 Okapi Chairman’s Cup – the gelding won the race in 2020 – was a sentimental climax to a memorable festival. Gifted to the Snaith brothers by their longstanding leading owners, Alec and the Honourable Gillian Foster,

Doublemint races these days in the historic Shirley Pfeiffer blue and white, carried to many famous victories by the likes of Flaming Rock in the 1991 Durban July and also the good mare, Outstanding Star. “When I heard that the Pfeiffer family were relinquishing the silks I had to have them. Those colours put Justin and I through school,” explained Jonathan Snaith some time ago. On Saturday the versatile galloper was given a peach of a patient ride and unleashed late in the contest to his more fancied stablemate One Way Traffic by a neck in a time of xxx. Bred by Alec Foster, Doublemint has now won won eight times, with the millionaire gelding’s triumphs including five graded victories.

His sire Twice Over has some very exciting threeyear-olds to his name this season, including the Gr1 Cape Guineas winner Double Superlative and Gr3 Politician Stakes entrants Senso Unico and Blizzard. Doublemint was bred by Alec Foster and is by Twice Over (Observatory) out of the onetime winner Nepeta (Tale Of The Cat). The gelding has won stakes of over R1,3 million. His sire Twice Over has eight lots on the 2022 Cape Premier Yearling Sale, and a further five lots on the Cape Yearling Sale.

runs slightly below his rating, running to a mark of 110, which explains his unchanged rating. The specific conditions of this event do not allow for any increase to the ratings of horses other than the winner, accordingly, runner-up ONE WAY TRAFFIC remains on 98 despite actually achieving a mark of 104, while 3rd finisher

SUDDEN STAR remains on 95 although achieving a rating of 98. There were ratings drops for three horses. SALVATOR MUNDI is down slightly from 98 to 97, MAGNIFICENT SEVEN drops to 99 from 101, and lastly CRIMSON KING was trimmed from 110 to 109.

Candiese Lenferna

Have we, haven't we? Jono Snaith, Chris Snaith, Justin Snaith & John Freeman discuss the outcome

SCEPTRE START – LOWPOINT OF FESTIVAL Drama at the start left something of a hollow ring to the outcome of the prestigious R300 000 Cartier Gr2 Sceptre Stakes on the opening day of the 2022 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Festival at Kenilworth on Friday. Full marks to the Cape Racing on-course television crew for providing insights into something usually hidden from the viewing public. Tellytrack live streaming viewers were treated to the unfortunate unfolding drama in the aftermath of a start that should have been flagged,

and which included counts of jockeys allegedly being ignored by the starter. But with the advantage of the standalone meeting we saw the uncensored emotional reaction of riders and owners, coupled with the informed observations of veteran racecaller Rouvaun Smit and MC Neil Andrews in the studio. The drama and some outspoken comment, usually reserved for private exchanges, made racing feel like a grownup sport in a rare moment of vulnerability. Spare a thought for the Mercury

Rising connections after the Snaith filly’s 14 gate clearly opened early. Jockey Craig Zackey admitted his mount got a flyer and the gun-totape victory celebrations were short-lived, as she was declared a non-runner. Part owner John Freeman was sportingly philosophical and called it a ‘racing incident’. “There must be a technical issue with the starting gate. It’s not a nice way to win or lose. But congratulations to the winner. These things happen in racing. We move on,” the veteran bloodstock

man told the Sporting Post. The favourite Sound Of Warning ‘threw a wobbly’ in her 1 gate, in the words of Jockey Richard Fourie. In his efforts to calm her down, the handler impeded her and she didn’t jump. Clearly, with the power of hindsight, the Starter should have called a false start. But, to be fair, from his rostrum position on the inside, his eye may not have seen the handler impede the Tarry filly in stall-gate 1. It is interesting to note that Favorita in stall gate 2 didn’t jump either. She was under starters orders. That may have added to the deception in the starter’s mind. Eventual winner Gimme Dat (gold cap, Grant van Niekerk) moves up strongly down the inside. Unlucky 13 Mercury Rising (green cap) was disqualified (Pic – Chase Liebenberg) The eventual winner in the boardroom was the Justin Snaith-trained 3yo Gimme

Dat, the 2021 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery winner, who races in the silks of UK-based Bjorn Nielsen. Bred by Lammerskraal, the upgraded winner – like the original ‘winner’ – is by SA Champion sire Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) out of the twice winning Western Winter mare, Mizzen Mast. Gimme Dat is a R450 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale purchase and is now a winner of 3 races with 1 place from her 6 starts. Gimme Dat has earned R315 200 in stakes. The adjusted tote favourite, the consistent Capitana was placed second, ahead of Major Attraction and Santa Maria. So Snaith demoted, and then the SA Champion grabs 1-3 in the adjusted result. While Cape Racing seldom have large fields to accommodate, it is hoped that the technical issues around the defective stall gate will

be resolved. The gates are usually tested in advance of the race. Many callers to the Sporting Post offices questioned why the race wasn’t declared null and void. Richard Fourie also said afterwards that we want the best horse to win it for the stud book and that he was sure that many of the connections would rather have come back in three weeks to rerun it. But he accepted that it was not always as simple as it sounded. NHA CEO Vee Moodley explained that there were two separate incidents to consider and action had been taken on both. He said that beyond the two horses declared non-runners, the rest ran on merit and it would not have been fair to the balance of those that competed, to have voided the race. The highs and lows of racing!

The Merits GIMME DAT has had her rating raised from 98 to 109 after winning the Gr2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes for fillies and mares over 1200m at Kenilworth in very unusual circumstances on Friday 8 January. GIMME DAT originally finished second behind MERCURY RISING, but the latter was deemed to have enjoyed an unfair advantage as a result of her starting gate opening prematurely and was

accordingly declared to be a non-runner. It was the highly consistent 2nd placed CAPITANA who was used as the line horse here, leaving her rating unchanged on 106. In assessing the race this way, 6th placed DANCETILDAYLIGHT runs to her rating of 96 and effectively makes her a line horse as well. The winner aside, 38 the only other increase was

for 3rd placed MAJOR ATTRACTION, who is up from 100 to 103, but no fewer than five horses were given a rating’s drop. PHIL’S DANCER is down slightly from 103 to 102, MARYAH drops from 102 to 100, IRIS drops from 95 to 93, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON is down to 100 from 103, and lastly ROLL IN THE HAY is down from 105 to 103.

Candiese Lenferna

Corne Orffer debriefs Gaynor Rupert, Brett Crawford and Kevin Sommerville

IN THE PINK! Having his first ride in the Cape since September 2020, Mauritius returnee Corne Orffer celebrated a dream comeback for his old boss when the Futura filly Pink Tourmaline proved too strong as she registered a maiden stakes success to win the R150 000 Ardmore Listed Jamaica Handicap at Kenilworth on Friday. Orffer rode for Brett Crawford with great success for seven years before deciding to spread his wings on the Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius, and he couldn’t have hoped for a better ‘I’m

back’ advertisement as he rode a cracker to keep Pink Tourmaline (20-1) going to withstand a late challenge from the marginally unlucky favourite Black Silver (3-1) by 0,75 lengths in a time of 124,27 secs. Glen Kotzen’s Jasmine (8-1) – another daughter of Futura – was 1,25 lengths further back in third, with Do Angels Cry (101) rounding off a nice quartet. Bred and raced by Drakenstein Stud, Pink Tourmaline gave the Rupert operation their eighth stakes winner of the season and the second of their two

winners on their festival day, where the honours were fairly evenly spread. Pink Tourmaline’s meritorious victory from a 13 draw was a sentimental one, beyond the Crawford-Orffer ‘reunion’. Her sire, Futura, was also trained by Brett Crawford and won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate in 2015. Out of the Trippi one-time winning mare Sapphire Gem, Pink Tourmaline, who is bred on the same Futura/Trippi cross as stakes winners Sweet Future and Vihaan’s Pie, is the seventh stakes

winner to have emerged from Futura’s first crop. Pink Tourmaline has won 5 races (unbeaten over the 2000m!) with 3 places from 14 starts for stakes of R264 650.

Futura’s stakes winners to runners stats of 8,5% place the son of Dynasty in the top league.

Yearling Sale, and two lots on the Cape Yearling Sale next month.

South Africa’s Horse Of The Year in 2014-2015, Futura has three lots on the Cape Premier

The Merits PINK TOURMALINE has had her rating raised from 97 to 101 after she won the Listed Ardmore Jamaica Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m at Kenilworth on Friday. Here it was 5th placed SO FLAWLESS who was used as the line horse, leaving

her unchanged on a rating of 96. Runner-up BLACK SILVER, who was 7 pounds or 3.5 kgs under sufferance at the weights, goes up from 80 to 89, while 4th finisher DO ANGELS CRY, who was 6 pounds or 3 kgs under sufferance at the weights,

was raised from 81 to 87. There were no other ratings increases, but three horses received a drop. CATCHAFALLINGSTAR is down slightly from 93 to 92, MUSICAL GLITCH drops from 99 to 97, and lastly SCENTED MISTRESS is down from 96 to 95.

Candiese Lenferna

a Listed Ardmore Jamaica Handicap winner Pink Tourmaline (Corne Orffer) is out of the Trippi mare, Sapphire Gem

TRIPPI’S ROYAL ROMP Drakenstein Stud’s erstwhile champion sire Trippi is having another tremendous season in 2021/22, and the son of End Sweep once again claimed centre stage at Kenilworth on Friday and Saturday.

daughters Sapphire Gem and Londalozi were responsible for producing Friday’s Listed Ardmore Jamaica Handicap winner Pink Tourmaline (Futura) and Saturday’s Gr2 Glorious Goodwood Premier Trophy victor. Hoedspruit.

Trippi’s champion son Jet Dark claimed his second consecutive Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, while his

Interestingly, both Pink Tourmaline and Hoedspruit were sired by sons of Dynasty – with the former

July winner also broodmare sire of Trippi’s talented son Charles and the son of End Sweep’s recent Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship winnning daughter Amanzimtoti and the latter’s Guineas winning own brother, Wild Coast. One of nine Gr1 winners for his sire, dual Equus Champion Jet Dark looks

sure to be a hugely attractive stud prospect when he retires from racing. A half-brother to the useful Night Ruler, Jet Dark is a three-parts brother to the Trippi sired Gr1 Mercury Sprint runner up Night Trip, with his winning Jet Master sired dam Night Jet also a half-sister to Listed Thukela Handicap winner winner, Brown Penny (Fort Wood). Jet Dark’s third dam Pine Chip (Nureyev) is a fullsister to outstanding Arc winner, and successful sire/ broodmare sire Peintre Celebre – whose daughters at stud in South Africa include the outstanding broodmare Aquatint. The 2022 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner boasts mares by Jet Master, Machiavellian, Nureyev and Alydar as his

first four dams -which also add to his considerable appeal. Queen’s Plate winners are enjoying increasing success at stud, with multiple champion sire Jet Master having been joined by reigning champion sire Gimmethegreenlight, and the very promising Futura, as Queen’s Plate winners to enjoy success in the breeding barn. At the time of writing, Jet Dark’s champion sire Trippi had been responsible for 84 stakes winners, and a further 84 stakes placed runners. Trippi, whose runners have earned more than $62 million in stakes, looks on course to become an important broodmare sire, with his local daughters having already produced champion Gabor (Kingsbarns) and fellow Gr1 winner Miss Florida (Captain

Al). Sapphire Gem, dam of the aforementioned Pink Tourmaline, also ranks as the dam of Gr2 Concorde Cup victor King Of Gems, a son of ill-fated Kingsbarns. Trippi’s maternal grandson Not This Time made headlines in North America in 2021 when the son of Giant’s Causeway and the top-class Trippi mare Miss Macy Sue was crowned North America’s Leading Second Season Sire for 2021. Jet Dark was one of three Trippi runners in Saturday’s Queen’s Plate, the trio completed by Trip Of Fortune and Pacaya.

Drakenstein Stud

a 44 Trippi: End Sweep – Jealous Appeal (Valid Appeal)

Cookie Amos and Bulbul

The Met – A Three Day Festival With the sad recent passing of Colin Palm, we go back to the 1959 Met – the year the late horseman scored his first victory in the big race. The Metropolitan meeting was still held over three days, horses jumped from tapes and the purse for that year was £10,000. The SA Racehorse boasts: “The Metropolitan meeting opened the Cape racing season in fine style with tote and turnstiles breaking a record

on Metropolitan day and a total of £216,585 through the tote for three days, considerably higher than last year.” Cookie Amos’ boss, Syd Garrett had trained the mighty Black Cap and Cookie trained his son, Bulbul who was out of the Epigram mare, Wagtail and owned by the Chairman of the local executive of the Jockey Club, Mr Phillip Hill. Colin Palm recalled Bulbul as “a tall black horse, although one would call him dark brown. 45

He used to like to run freely, and didn’t like to be settled. He always did his best when handily placed into the straight. Going into the Met we were very confident. His prep has been good and everything had gone perfectly to plan.” As things turned out, they won more or less as they liked, securing Amos his 3rd Met victory in four years.

- 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

Chase Liebenberg

CTS graduate Linebacker wins the Gr1 Cape Derby in style

CTS’ GR1 GOLD In just 11 years of selling thoroughbreds in South Africa, Cape Thoroughbred Sales (CTS) has achieved truly remarkable results.

offering is further underlined by four stallions and an international Graded winner having emerged from the same period.

No less than 41 individual Gr1 winners have been sold at various CTS auctions, the equivalent of almost 4 per year, and they have won 50 Gr1 races between them so far. The quality of the CTS

Soft Falling Rain (National Assembly), from the inaugural Cape Premier Sale, won the G1 SA Nursery before an international campaign that included Gr2 wins in Dubai and the UK respectively. He

returned to South Africa to stand at Wilgerbosdrift, and was the leading first season sire by aggregate in 2018 before his untimely death at only nine years of age, in the same year. Summerhill’s Act Of War (Dynasty), a graded stakes winner at two, three and four, made a sensational start to his stud career with Triple

Tiara winner War Of Athena and Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint winner Battle Force from his first crop. Red Ray (Western Winter), based at Birch Brothers, is quietly making a name for himself, having sired some excellent value runners from limited opportunities since 2018, with Gr2-placed Red Saxon and up-and-coming Alula’s Star – two outstanding runners from his small first crop. Klawervlei’s William Longsword (Captain Al) proved to be extremely popular at the 2021 Cape Premier Sale. The six-time winning Gr1 Cape Guineas hero has produced the likes of stakes-placed Dyce, Safe

Return and Hasta Manana from his first crop. William Longsword is kinbred to the third dams of his sire Captain Al and dam Pagan Princess, and with a host of his progeny now coming through the ranks it won’t be long before he stamps himself at stud. CTS also sold a Durban July winner (Power King, by Silvano) and a Summer Cup winner in Liege (by Dynasty), while Captain Al’s daughter Carry On Alice (5 x Gr1 wins, including the Gold Medallion), and his son Kasimir (Gr1 Cape Flying Championships) were, respectively, the top sprinters in the country for several years, earning Equus accolades. Vardy (Var) brought the prestigious Gr1 L’Ormarins

Queen’s Plate to the CTS Honour Roll, and the promising Linebacker (Captain Of All) added the Gr1 Cape Derby and the G1 Daily News in 2021. Just last month Chansonette (Vercingetorix) and Double Superlative (Twice Over) added both Gr1 Guineas races to the mix, bringing CTS to the 2022 renewal of the Premier Sale on Sunday, 6 February with further expectation of more champions passing through the ring.

CAPE SALE CATALOGUE ONLINE Bloodstock South Africa celebrated their National Yearling Sale graduate Jet Dark’s domination of the Gr1 L'Ormarins Queen’s Plate for the second year in a row on Saturday and are now looking

forward to the 2022 Cape Yearling Sale, to be hosted at Kenilworth Racecourse on Sunday 27 February. The catalogue is now online – please click here to read more

The sale starts at 12h30 on Sunday 27 February when the first of 177 lots will pass through the ring.

IRISH EYES ON CHELTENHAM

Cheltenham Racecourse

The Cheltenham Festival is just two months away and all the top yards in the UK have raced their stable stars over the festive season. In 2021 at Cheltenham, the Irish yards dominated winning 23 of the 28 races. With that in mind, here are a few Irish horses to follow as all roads lead to Prestbury Park. Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins unleashed Galopin Des Champs in a beginners' chase at Leopardstown over Christmas on his seasonal return. What followed was a 22-length demolition, as jockey Paul Townend elected to front run, and the

lightly raced gelding displayed a high cruising speed and slick jumping throughout. He has just turned six and is now favourite for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Festival. Henry de Bromhead’s champion hurdler Bob Olinger was given an easy introduction to fences at Gowran Park last month and produced a more than satisfactory result. A facile winner by over four lengths, with the third horse home that day, Master McShee subsequently winning a Gr1 at Limerick. The stable has been through a quiet spell of late, but this seven-year-old showed his class and should be the horse

to beat in the Turners at Cheltenham. The bay mare by Sulamani, Honeysuckle, is unbeaten in 13 starts including her seasonal reappearance in the Gr1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse by eight lengths. She is unbelievably good, and a second Champion Hurdle looks on the cards. It looks to be a showdown in the Queen Mother Champion Chase between the Nicky Henderson trained Shishkin and the Irish raider Energumene. The latter turned the Gr2 Hilly Way Chase at Cork into a procession last month and

HRI

A winning fist bump - Kennedy and Blackmore steered Ireland's dominance in 2021 he could well be the one to end Willie Mullins' Champion Chase hoodoo. The Weatherbys Champion Bumper has been dominated this century by the Mullins and Elliott yards and this trend looks set to continue after the results in Ireland over the last two months. The Gordon Elliott trained American Mike hasn't beaten much in his two bumpers, but visually he has looked way above average in the manner in which he has travelled throughout and finished his races. He is favourite for the Bumper and looks the one they all have to beat.

Never to be discounted, especially in this race, Willie Mullins won all four bumpers at the Leopardstown Christmas festival, and his Redemption Day looked very stylish completing a four and a half length victory. Elliott also trains Ginto who looked a smart prospect when winning a Gr2 at Navan by 11 lengths and then built on that with a taking performance in a Gr1 at Naas earlier this month. All three of Ginto's starts over hurdles have been at around two and a half miles, but his strength at the finish has been impressive. If stepping up in trip, Elliott and his

owners will have plenty of options available to them at Cheltenham. The easy Betfair Chase winner, A Plus Tard, was narrowly denied by Galvin in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown but is still the most likely winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and could provide jockey Rachael Blackmore with her first win in the race. he Cheveley Park owned runner will head straight to the Cheltenham Gold Cup as connections aim to go one better than last year. Fellow Irish trained Galvin keeps improving and could well be his biggest danger in the blue riband event.

Ferny Hollow is another horse to run in the red, white and blue silks of Cheveley Park and he too has his Cheltenham Festival target pencilled in after a win over the festive period.

“He’s won us two Grade Ones and at the moment he’s favourite for the Arkle. That’s the race we’re aiming for” said owner Richard Thompson about his lightly raced sevenyear-old trained by Willie Mullins. Two impressive wins

over fences, including last time out on Boxing Day in the Gr1 Racing Post Novice Chase make him a massive runner. The Cheltenham Festival runs 15 to 18 March.

HKJC

DOUGIE SLAMS HIS CENTURY 57

Dougie Whyte - a seamless transition to the training ranks

It’s a given that any jockey able to claim 13 consecutive premierships anywhere, let alone the world class arena of Hong Kong, is a person driven. Now beginning to master his craft as a trainer in his former riding jurisdiction, Douglas Whyte is starting to produce the type of results that his ardent fan base was hoping for. Last week at Happy Valley, Whyte saddled Astrologer (Star Turn) to provide him with his one hundredth winner since he started training two-

and-a-half years ago. Despite his exposure to some of the best stables in the world during his long reign in the saddle, Whyte took it upon himself to spend three months exposed to a number of champion stables around the world before embarking on his new career. That appears to have paid dividends, with Whyte telling the South China Morning Post: “I’m looking forward to the next 100, these horses give their best and it’s what keeps me waking up in the morning

and going to work. I’m happy in the fact that I’ve got horses that are running very consistently. When they run consistently you’re doing something right, the horses are healthy, I’m happy with my team – which is most important – and I can’t thank the owners enough for their support.” Indicative of his consistency, Whyte’s 100 wins are augmented by 107 second placings by his horses. • Breeding & Racing

CAPE RACING MAN PASSES 60

Colin Palm - will be sadly missed

A former jockey, trainer and bloodstock agent, widely respected Cape racing personality Colin Palm passed away on 3 January at his Milnerton home after a short illness at the age of 82.

originally apprenticed to his elder brother Ernest in Durban.

Colin Palm was born on 31 March 1939 and was the 12th of 14 children – 6 sons and 8 daughters.

They described the life of the only schoolboy in Natal at the time that was licenced to race ride and said his single pleasure was an early movie on a Saturday evening.

His father, Bennie Palm was a jockey and three of Colin’s older brothers followed in their father’s footsteps and became jockeys, Oscar, Earnest and Robert (Bobby) – who was associated with the mighty Riza. When it was his turn, Colin followed suit and was

A newspaper cutting from December 1955 reported that Colin was one of a handful of schoolboys in the country who earned more than his teachers.

After meeting the visiting trainer in Durban, Colin joined the powerful Cookie Amos yard in Cape Town at the age of 17. That was to be a turning point. Amos was at the height of his considerable powers at the time and the two formed a very

61 Mr & Mrs Phillip Hill lead in Colin Pal on Bulbul after the 1959 Met

successful partnership. He rode the first of his two Met winners for Amos in 1958/9 on a horse called Bul Bul. With Cookie’s brother, the legendary Stanley Amos riding for Syd Garrett, the young Colin got another Met chance in 1964 and won the race on The Giant. Colin told the Sporting Post some years ago that he believed that he had experienced a golden age of great jockeys. “Tiger Wright was simply poetry in motion. Often the instructions from the trainer would be to ‘jt follow Tiger.’

But there were other top men – my memory is fading but guys like Shorty De La Rey, Johnny Westwater, Raymond Rhodes, Duncan Alexander, Peter Kannemeyer and Johnny Cawcutt. Top, top jockeys. And you know what – there was an innate respect between trainer and jockey – you wouldn’t get a jockey in those times having a big say and spinning the owner a story.” While Colin had no weight problems, he told us that it still required a lot of sacrifice as even lightweight jockeys had to maintain their weight. He had tired of the lifestyle, but wanted to stay in the game with the horses and so became a trainer, with the likes of Harry Hotspur, Over

The Air and Fly By Night in his care. It is a little known fact that he was instrumental in the matings of two of our great performers and Horses Of The Year of the nineties, in Flaming Rock and the late Peter Kannemeyer’s Met winner Pas De Quoi. In 1983 Colin Palm made the decision to focus on bloodstock and handed in his trainer’s licence. “I didn’t enjoy the socialising after racing with owners. I used to leave as soon as my runners were done and go back to the stables. I was being paid to look after their horses, yet they wanted me to drink and socialise after races. That’s not my scene,” he told us.

But despite his lack of appetite for the social and direct marketing side of things, he said that horse racing had been good to him and he would never change anything that he had done. “Life is all about experience and taking the good with the bad. I have met some great people and trained and bought champions. It is a great sense of achievement.” Another old school soldier of the game has gone. Our sympathies go out to his wife of over 60 years, Marlene, and their family.

‘Colin Was A Top Horseman’ – Garth Puller A multiple champion jockey of his time, Garth Puller was apprenticed to Colin Palm and paid tribute this week to a man he respected deeply and who loved his horses. “I was very fortunate to have been apprenticed to a genuine horseman and a top stable man. He loved his horses and had a great eye for them. Colin Palm and Peter Kannemeyer taught me all I know and I was very blessed to enjoy that kind of grounding,” said Garth, who is Godfather to Colin’s

youngest daughter, Sharon. “My sincere condolences go out to Marlene and the girls – Colin loved them with all his heart. He and Marlene were inseparable – they were joined at the hip and she looked after him with devotion through the years that he was ill. I wish her the very best and I hope that they as a family will cope in what is a very sad time for them, and for many of us who knew him well.” 62

Garth concluded by observing that when Colin’s son Derrick passed away some years ago in a motor vehicle accident, it left a void in his life. “That tragedy set Colin and the entire family back tremendously. He was never quite the same again. My love and best wishes go out to them.”

results up to: 2022-01-11

TRAINERS Name

Runs

Wins Win%

644 467 348 549 224

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

90 89 42 62 46

14.0. 19.1 12.1 11.3 20.5

2nd

3rd

80 70 33 64 35

81 51 33 52 22

2nd

3rd

120 71 84 72 61

99 71 81 61 59

Other Places Place %

Win Stake (R)

Total Stakes (R)

136 92 55 101 46

46.1 45.6 34.8 39.5 46

6,389,025 5,052,063 3,302,625 2,591,250 2,814,938

9,012,225 7,366,813 4,560,938 4,032,838 3,968,250

Other Places Place %

Win Stake (R)

Total Stakes (R)

143 113 144 84 103

7,071,625 10,422,225 6,017,825 8,305,213 4,247,750 7,021,275 4,402,800 6,332,463 3,027,700 5,133,275

297 213 121 217 103

JOCKEYS Name

Rides Wins Win%

Mr W B Kennedy Mr S Khumalo Mr M A Yeni Mr R D Fourie Mr K de Melo

767 585 700 417 454

135 100 82 81 60

17.6 17.1 11.7 19.4 13.2

362 255 309 217 223

47.2 43.6 44.1 52.0 49.1

BREEDERS Name

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

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

236 819 280 1022

40,158 29,295

88 117 78 95

37.3 341 27.9 399

7 3

8 4

9,477,288 8,202,550

126 117 92

48,074 40,584 39,500

47 42 36

37.3 185 35.9 176 39.1 170

9 2 2

6,057,275 4,748,363 3,633,988

B.T. Wins

Total Stakes (R)

9 5 1 5 1

6,020,163 5,224,025 5,136,425 4,984,738 4,807,450

444 419 353

67 56 46

SIRES Name Vercingetorix Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) Master Of My Fate * Silvano (GER) What A Winter

Runrs Runs AEPR 125 146 145 128 142

429 475 555 439 492

48,161 35,781 35,424 38,943 33,855

B.T. Wnrs Wins Winrs/ Places Winrs Rnrs % 54 48 50 50 51

69 63 63 62 65

43.2 32.9 34.5 39.1 35.9

177 183 257 189 207

See all the detailed standings - Click here 65

7 5 1 5 1

ON A KNIFE EDGE! 67

It’s a bitter, bitter rivalry. One that usually always gives us a story for the days that follow the final whistle! Tottenham and Arsenal are both in good places, they each have a manager who will come into this game expecting a win…so it’s all set up perfectly for a spectacle! There is value anyway you look at this fixture, so tread carefully and don’t be misled… Tottenham vs Arsenal | Sunday 16 January | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | 18h30 To Win (90 mins) Tottenham 29/20 Draw 23/10 Arsenal 37/20 Tottenham I must be honest and say, I’ve been incredibly impressed with Antonio Conte at Spurs. Of course, his side are still a work in progress – but there are some elements of a team’s game that can be changed immediately. You know a Conte-trained side will play with a degree of physicality, hustle and strict shape…all of this has been evident from the moment the Italian returned to London. Ryan Liberty writes that the loss to Chelsea in the EFL

Cup is a humbling reminder that they aren’t where they want to be, but that shouldn’t take anything away for the performances and simple improvement we’ve seen in their league form. Spurs are a side who are certainly in the mix to challenge for European spots this season, and I’ll take it another step further and say: I wouldn’t be surprised to see them steadily close the gap on the likes of Manchester City in the coming years. The white side of North London have begun to embrace their new shape, playing with an Italian-like back three, propelling width up the football pitch gained admiration and well, trophies when Conte was at Chelsea, so there was no doubt he would look to implement the same style. I don’t think the approach is the same as it was at Chelsea though, Spurs have a very classy attack in the shape of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son. But the real joker under Conte has been Lucas Moura. The Brazilian has been given freedom to impact the game from half-spaces and has since relished his role. Arsenal will be a true test though; Mikel Arteta has already shown he too enjoys the big games. So, what better way to end off the weekend than a proper North London derby! 68

Arsenal I can’t say it enough, but the patience and support Arsenal have shown in getting behind their manager is refreshing. It’s what football needs. Often, we are guilty of becoming the mundane, impatient and uninspired social media fan – calling for the managers head at every dropped point. Arsenal would have been disappointed with their FA Cup knockout to Nottingham Forest…but what might have hurt a little more could have been the home fans singing “Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that!” Anyway, back to domestic matters, it’s Arsenal’s defensive quality that I think have been the cause for their positive run before their City fixture. Before that fixture only City had kept more clean sheets than Arsenal, and from that strong defensive platform the Gunners were able to ask questions in the final third. You must put that down to the players ability of course, but the underpinning substance is the coaching. Mikel Arteta is a (relatively) young manager, but one who is incredibly passionate, resolute in his ideas and that of his team, not afraid to make big decisions with big name players at the club, but also,

a manager you can see isn’t intimidated to learn. If Arsenal can impose themselves on this game early on, not allow Spurs to build up a head of steam and grow into the game, I think they can win this. Against Watford, Spurs were denied entry into the half-spaces. The Hornets aggressively shut those areas down but were happy to have Spurs dominate possession. If Arsenal can replicate their performance against Manchester City on Sunday

evening, I think Spurs will find it very difficult to cope. The only concern I have is Arsenal are a lot more fluid and proactive at the Emirates (winning just two from their last six games on the road compared to five wins from their last six at home). Prediction: Draw/Arsenal & Yes (29/20) I really hope the game gets ignited early, it’ll certainly suit Arsenal, but for the neutral it can then become an absolute thriller. For our hard-earned money, I don’t think Arsenal lose the game, and I can see

Spurs scoring (sounds so easy, doesn’t it?). There’s plenty of value on offer considering the visitors inconsistency, and because Mikel Arteta and his side are travelling, I wouldn’t add this to any multiple. But of course, have a crack on the nose – the value is undeniable.