SP Sprint - 6 March 2024

GR1 JOY!

CONTENTS

On the cover

Jockey Calvin Habib and his wife Shandre are all smiles in the buggy after Main Defender’s superb win in the Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday. Candiese Lenferna took the photograph.

Issue: 10/2024

CLASSIC DAY – MAGIC MEMORIES!

14

Defence Of The Realm

Joy for MD fans!

24

Purple Pitcher’s Class!

Late New Predator’s smart son

58

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme

Another class performance

98

Mark Khan Strikes

Champion jockey changes course

108

World Cup Countdown

Super Saturday success

A CLASSIC JOHNNY ‘G’ SELFIE!

The Johnny Geroudis Instagram page must have received massive hits on Saturday as the former Gr1 winning jockey shows his delight after Gimme A Nother’s facile victory in the Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 SA Fillies Classic at Turffontein. Mike de Kock assistant Vengi Masawi looks on.

Johnny G won the SA Classic on Kundalini 30 years ago and the 1995 Durban July on Teal. He also won races on Horse Chestnut and London News, and these days is an assistant in the Mike de Kock yard and a growing-in-stature 4RacingTV personality.

Candiese Lenferna took the photograph.

EXCITING NEW SIRE IMPORT FOR RIDGEMONT

Ridgemont have announced a very exciting boost to their stallion band with the arrival this season of world-class miler and US Grade 1 winner Hit The Road (USA), a son of internationally acclaimed sire More Than Ready.

Ridgemont’s Craig Kieswetter confirmed that the beautifully bred, tough and durable miler with the dazzling turn of foot has been purchased in partnership with fellow leading breeders, Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, and will stand at the family’s historic Robertson farm.

Hit The Road finds himself in illustrious company as he joins a Ridgemont stallion band that includes International stakes producing five time Group 1 winner Canford Cliffs, SA Triple Crown champion Malmoos, Singspiel’s Grade 1 winner Potala Palace, former SA Champion

Freshman Sire Rafeef, and the Snitzel speed demon, Real Gone Kid.

Described as ‘simply gorgeous’ by internationally respected bloodstock man Shawn Dugan, Hit The Road has been the subject of glowing physical assessments.

“He’s everything I look for in a thoroughbred. Beautiful head and bold eye. Strong, correct, good walker. Stands over 16 hands, deep with a very powerful rear end. Fantastic temperament,” added Dugan.

The international Grade 1 star, a multiple stakes winner, retired from racing in 2023 and counts the Grade 1 Frank E Kilroe at Santa Anita amongst his six victories.

Prior to that big victory he won the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes on the Santa Anita turf, and as a 2 year old, was victorious in two of his five starts, including the Listed Zuma Beach Stakes.

His durability and tough nature is demonstrated by the fact that he was a stakes winner at two at three, and a multiple stakes winner at four.

Out of the US Ranger mare Highway Mary, a three-parts sister to Grade 1 winner and sire War Command, Hit The Road is certainly bred along a very powerful sire line.

From the female family of Roberto’s champion

producing sire Silver Hawk and recently retired multiple Grade 1 winner Charles Dickens, Hit The Road is bred on the very successful cross of More Than Ready over Danzig line mares – predominantly through Danehill – that has produced multiple stars.

“We are very delighted in this joint venture with Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein, and the move to acquire this well-performed highquality bred athlete is an exciting one as it has already proven very successful in this country, as Hit The Road is by the same sire as South African Champion Sire Gimmethegreenlight. All available shares were snapped up within hours and our thanks go, as always, to our fellow breeders who jumped in. I must also thank Jehan Malherbe - who once again was at the very forefront of continuing to push our breeding industry to new levels.” concluded Kieswetter.

PATHFORK DEFENDER

Main Defender leaves them for dead! | Credit: Candiese Lenferna

POWER AS ATTACKS!

Tony Peter’s star 3yo Main Defender and jockey Calvin Habib silenced the detractors as the gelding produced the peak performance of his short career at Turffontein on Classic Day when he stormed home to become only the second 3yo in a decade to win the R1,5 million Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes.

With a burst of storm weather delaying the afternoon, the buzz was back at Turffontein as a well-backed local hero stepped out to show his mettle.

After a forgettable prep run behind Melech three weeks ago, jockey Calvin Habib was given the thumbs-up and stamp of loyalty by the connections after a ride that drew some criticism.

“I want to thank everyone. It was a little bit messy last time. My only plan was to make it up to the connections,” added an elated Habib after he had ridden a well-judged race to get the only 3yo in the mile contest to produce a sustained late run to collar the courageous pacesetter Dave The King late in the race.

“After a messy start I had him further back than I wanted, but he gave it to me. I am so thankful to the connections for sticking by me and it’s my first Gr1 winner for Tony Peter,” added

Habib, who had earlier partnered unbeaten 2yo’s Pistol Pete and Almond Sea to a Listed feature double for the high-riding yard, who have continued to churn out the winners through unprecedented challenges.

After SA Horse Of The Year Princess Calla (18-10) had ranged up dangerously at the 350m to challenge Dave The King (8-1), it was Main Defender (28-10) who parachuted in at the 200m and won going away to win by 2,75 lengths in a time of 98,47 secs.

Cousin Casey (16-1) has never really recaptured his gloss of old but was hardly disgraced in fourth – albeit 5,25 lengths off the winner.

Registering his maiden Gr1 success – and a glorious first after 35 years of passion for his owners – Main Defender made it 7 wins (his first at a mile) with 2 places from 9 starts and now boasts stakes of R2 259 375.

A R140 000 buy from the 2022 BSA Cape Yearling Sale, the winner was bred by Jagessar Limited and is a son of Ridgemont’s Sandown Stud-based stallion Pathfork (Distorted Humor) out of the twice winning Judpot mare, Alessia.

It could be a big season yet for the Main Defender gang!

Tony Peter and Calvin Habib – winning team! | Credit: Candiese Lenferna

The happy Main Defender team at the lead-in | Credit: Chase Liebenberg

DURBS, HERE WE COME!

A dual graded stakes winner in open company, Tony Peter’s Main Defender is officially the top 3yo in South Africa after Saturday and it will be great news for racing fans on the East Coast that the son of Pathfork has three Hollywoodbets Greyville features on the radar for his 2024 SA Champions Season campaign.

The word from the Main Defender fan club headquarters in Johannesburg is that the brilliant Jagessar bred 3yo has come out of his scintillating victory in the Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes on Classic day, ‘better than ever’.

Despite reservations that he may not stay the mile, and coming out of a horrific near accident with Melech at his prep run, Main Defender bounced clear of a class field on Saturday to

Kevin Nassif, Jaydin Nassif, Bronson Nassif, John Habib, Mark Nassif, Gerome Nassif & Frankie Zackey visit the champ at the yard | Credit: Supplied

beat Dave The King and reigning SA Horse Of The Year Princess Calla with ease in what was a thrilling career peak victory for his fans.

The news out of the happy camp is that, all going well, and subject to change, their all-time favourite horse will be aimed at the Gr2 WSB Guineas on 4 May, the Hollywoodbets Gr1 Gold Challenge on 8 June, and, most interestingly, the HKJC World Pool Gr1 Champions Cup, where he will be tested over 1800m on 28 July.

Main Defender had two starts at Hollywoodbets Greyville last season. He won the BSA Sales Cup and was then beaten into second by Sandringham Summit in the World Pool Moment Of The Day Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes.

Saturday was a memorable day for the Tony Peter camp, with four winners, including impressive victories by the undefeated Pistol Pete and Almond Sea in the 2yo features.

With the historically friendly North versus South needle running at an all-time high this season, the 2024 SA Champions Season promises some vintage racing and is widely regarded as the national championships of SA horseracing.

The top six trainers on the national log are evenly divided, with Justin Snaith, Candice Bass-Robinson and Brett Crawford spearheading a Southern assault on the Northern contingent of Sean Tarry, Mike de Kock and the Tony Peter yard.

But the game doesn’t end there, with Johan Janse van Vuuren, Lucky Houdalakis, Dean Kannemeyer and Vaughan Marshall, amongst others, holding a few aces up their sleeves.

The SA Champions Season gets underway with a Gr2 triple feature on 4 May at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

WORK RIDER

OPPORTUNITY

Ridgemont seeks a competent work rider to join their team. Work will vary from riding breakers, pre-trainers, ready to run sale horses as well as older racehorses.

The opportunity is based in Wellington, where a full-time position is available to the right applicant.

Please email us your CV including two contactable references. For more info during business hours only:

+27 (0) 63 667 5383

The lightning and thunder in the distance as the field loaded for the R1,5 million TAB Gr1 SA Classic at Turffontein on Saturday augured great things for 2023 Hollywoodbets Durban July hero Kabelo Matsunyane, who rode a scorcher on Purple Pitcher to record a milestone Grade 1 moment for a delighted owner and first season trainer.

A R170 000 BSA National 2yo Sale purchase, Purple Pitcher gave owner SS ‘Stincky’ Pooe and conditioner Robyn Klaasen their maiden Gr2 winner in November when winning the Dingaans, and relishing his first tilt at the 1800m on Saturday, the son of deceased sire New Predator delivered a giant-killing forward galloping performance to beat the highly regarded odds-on favourite Sandringham Summit in a thriller.

The Triple Crown dream lay in tatters for the Sandringham Summit connections as Kableo Matsunyane kept Purple Pitcher (10-1) on a straight line and digging deep to hold off the attentions of the 6-10 favourite, who was given every conceivable chance by Gavin Lerena.

At the line three quarters of a length separated the pair, with Purple Pitcher clocking 110,59 secs, with Matsunyane registering his half century of winners for the term.

William Iron Arm (7-1) was always in the vanguard and looked to be travelling with a double handful going into the 500m. He faded late to finish a further three quarters of a length back, with New Predator’s son Pure Predator (66-1) completing the quartet and marking a momentous day for his late sire

A happy owner Stincky Pooe had celebrated his first ever Hollywoodbets Durban July runner when Robyn Klaasen saddled Second Base in Africa’s greatest horseracing event last season, and it was appropriate that the duo enjoyed a landmark moment together.

Clearly the best performed son of the little exposed New Predator (New Approach), the winner was bred by Bush Hill Stud is out of the one-time winning Count Dubois mare, Heliantha.

A winner of 6 races with 3 places from 11 starts, Purple Pitcher took his stakes earnings to R1 755 000.

He was purchased for R170 000 off the BSA National 2yo Sale last year and now looks a realistic SA Triple Crown contender.

Racing was delayed after this race as the elements moved in over Turffontein.

Kabelo Matsunyane chats to Cecil Mthembu after the big race | Credit: Candiese Lenferna

Trainer Robyn Klaasen celebrates her first Gr1 win as 4Racing’s Gabi Soma hands her the trophy | Credit: Candiese Lenferna

‘The various directions that families and bloodlines can take when different aptitudes and approaches combine is a never-ending source of fascination, yet blood will out!’

NO QUESTION - BLOOD WILL OUT!

Kabelo Matsunyane is beaming from ear to ear as Mr Pooe and his happy team lead Purple Pitcher in | Credit: Candiese Lenferna

The Turffontein crowd witnessed a truly pulsating finish to the TAB Gr1 SA Classic at Turffontein, where upstart Purple Pitcher spoiled the party of hot favourite Sandringham Summit, who was widely expected to follow up on his Gr2 Gauteng Guineas success.

Having cut out the running, Purple Pitcher was briefly headed in the straight, but rallied bravely to regain the lead and when pressed by Sandringham Summit, he showed a grim, terrier-like tenacity to land the spoils by just under a length.

Whilst this first Gr1 victory was a momentous occasion for both trainer Robyn Klaassen and owner Mr Pooe, in some sense, it was also a poignant one, as Purple Pitcher became the first top level winner sired by ill-fated stallion New Predator, an Australian-bred son of the champion Galileo horse New Approach.

Raced by the Wernars, New Predator proved himself a relentless frontrunner and, whereas

Galileo has been a classic influence par excellence and New Approach won the English Derby, he possessed a sharp turn of foot and proved effective from 1200m to a mile.

Runner-up in his first two starts, the colt then strolled to a six-length maiden win over a mile and immediately followed up with a splendid second in a head-bobbing finish to the Gr2 Dingaans won by subsequent Gr1 Cape Guineas hero Noah From Goa.

New Predator opened his stakes account in the Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes where he had the likes of Horse of the Year Legislate and Durban July winner The Conglomerate behind him. Also successful in the Gr2 Charity Mile, some of his

best efforts came in defeat at the very top level, notably when third, beaten just a length, in the Gr1 Mercury Sprint.

New Predator started his stallion career at Bush Hill Stud in KZN where, it would be fair to say, he did not have access to the same quality of mares as did his Western Cape-based counterparts. However, it came as no surprise that this smart sprinter/miler was off to a flyer with his first runners, and that early success did not go unnoticed.

In July last year, news broke that New Predator would move to the Western Cape to join the stallion roster at Ridgemont. Alas, tragedy struck, for soon after his arrival, he died in a paddock accident.

As is so often the case when a stallion dies, his progeny suddenly come to light and when Purple Pitcher claimed the Gr2 Dingaans at the expense of Gimmeanotherchance and Sandringham Summit, it looked like New Predator’s premature demise was a tragic loss. This was further underlined by Purple Pitcher’s

Gr1 success on Saturday and the fact that he also sired fourth-placed Pure Predator.

Purple Pitcher was bred at Bush Hill from the Count Dubois mare Heliantha, who had been acquired for a paltry R5000 as the dam of two winners from as many runners.

Heliantha was a product of the famed Lammerskraal pastures and the stud’s former manager Sally Bruss remembers her as “small and non-descript, unlike her dam Tropical Garden, who was a big strapping mare, while her half-sister Wild Aster was a real looker.”

Like so many mares that made up the Lammerskraal broodmare band, Tropical Garden boasted both black type and a distinguished pedigree.

On the track, she was runner-up in both the Gr2 Natal Oaks and Gr2 Natalia Stakes and at stud produced Wild Aster, who lived up to her good looks with a second in the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas, before carrying the Lammerskraal silks to victory in the then Gr2 Majorca Stakes.

Late New Predator seen winning the 2016 Drill Hall Stakes | Credit: Gold Circle

Tropical Garden’s half-sister, the Tibouchina victress Damascus Road, became the dam of Shaun Tarry’s Gr1 J&B Met winner Alastor. Although Heliantha’s grandam Hot Ash never raced, she was a sibling to three high-class gallopers. Her champion half-sister Wild Ash claimed both the Gr1 Cape Fillies and Gr1 Natal Fillies Guineas, produced champion Wild West, and also became grandam of Gr1 Cape Derby hero Ultrasound.

Hot Ash’s stakes-winning own brother Whiteoak placed in both the Gr1 Cape Guineas and Queen’s Plate, while half-brother Kiepersol, who sold for a joint record price as a yearling, won the Natal Guineas.

Heliantha would produce three foals for Bush Hill before her death at age 17.

After foaling a filly by Flying The Flag, she visited Crusade, the result of which was Miss Daisy. Now four, she too, is raced by Mr Pooe and has scored five times to date. More importantly, she became her dam’s first stakes winner with a defeat of Feather Boa and

Gimme A Shot in last season’s Gr3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes.

Sent to New Predator, Heliantha gave birth to Purple Pitcher a year later. He would be her final foal, for as Bush Hill’s Karen Render recalls: “Heliantha was an aged mare when she had Purple Pitcher and sadly, she suffered a post foaling twist, and we lost her. Purple Pitcher was raised by a foster mare.”

Handsome is as handsome does, and history will show that unprepossessing little Heliantha has risen from obscurity to fame as the dam of a Gr1 winner with her final foal. As Sally remarked: “It’s taken a few foals but heck, she turned into a helluva broodmare!”

The various directions that families and bloodlines can take when different aptitudes and approaches combine is a never-ending source of fascination, yet blood will out. Amazing how superior genes eventually come through and yes, something great can emerge from adversity.

THE NATIONAL HORSERACING AUTHORITY OF SOUTHERN AFRICA AND THE NEED TO RESTRUCTURE

The first Racing Calendar 1892 produced by the Jockey Club, listed 36 different racetracks. When Phumelela started there were 14, now there are 7…

The NHA’s founding and relationship with now defunct Phumelela goes to the heart of its measures of control

From 2006 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2021, I served as an elected member on the Board of the NHA, writes Robin Bruss. Because of this 14 year experience, I feel qualified to make some comments and observations. These are my own independent views as I’m no longer on the NHA board or any other board in horseracing, and all facts below are in the public domain from which I derive my views.

I was an elected member of the Board, as distinct from an appointed member representing one of racing’s organisations, such as the TBA, the RA or the Operators.

To be elected to serve on such a board is an honorary position in which one vows to uphold the Vision and Mission of the NHA, instil and enforce the Rules of Racing and protect the sport from malpractice.

Those 14 years were tumultuous because they coincided with the rise and fall of the public company Phumelela as the owner of the racetracks and the largest betting operator for two thirds of South African horseracing.

Phumelela’s rise was steep, starting in 1998 to take over most of racing’s assets, given on a plate, to become a Listed for-profit company on the JSE in 2001, a steep rise in share price from 50c to R22, more than R1,3 billion in profits paid in dividends to shareholders before nosediving from grace and having to file for bankruptcy in 2020 when hopelessly insolvent.

Some History

Horseracing had previously operated in South Africa for more than 150 years under a system in which the Jockey Club of South Africa was totally in charge.

They were the Government recognised and appointed non-profit Authority that worked in the public interest. It regulated the Sport by providing Rules and enforcing them, it operated the Stud Book and registered every horse and provided identification and passports and checking to ensure that every horse that raced was the correct horse, it registered and licenced every participant, it had oversight of the integrity of the weights and conditions of races, it recorded and published all the results, it conducted dope testing, it had oversight of betting sheets, it licensed the Tote and the Bookmakers.

To be a member of the Jockey Club, which safeguarded public trust in a multi-billion Rand Sport, was a position of high esteem that carried respect and authority and prestige.

The Board was drawn from men of great weight and stature and they safeguarded the public trust fearlessly and diligently.

They provided the character, status and the moral compass for the development of a respected sport and an industry regarded in size and stature in the early 1990s as the

Opening Page of the NHA’s Annual Report.

third biggest in South Africa after mining and agriculture.

Horseracing had a monopoly on gambling

From 1948 to 1998, horseracing had a monopoly on all gambling in South Africa. This was because it encompassed three industries:

1. An Agricultural industry that bred horses all over South Africa and employed a large labour force in order to produce animals to race;

2. A Sporting Industry operated by multiple Turf Clubs. The first Racing Calendar 1892, the annual hard bound book of race results produced by the Jockey Club, listed 36 different racetracks. When Phumelela started there were 14, now there are 7.

3. A Gambling Industry which was betting on the outcomes of the races.

It was well organised, orderly, fiercely controlled by great Stipendiary Stewards like Jock Sproule and Frank McGrath, whose word was law and who enforced the Rule Book strictly and fairly.

Because they had oversight of betting, they could call for the betting sheets from bookmakers when results were awry to ensure no skulduggery was at play.

Its status was to be a self-regulator under the aegis of the Department of Trade & Industry, in whose ministerial portfolio, all gambling exists.

Independent Regulator

The Jockey Club’s funding was independent, drawn from 1.5% of the Tote Turnover and collected by the Turf Clubs and paid over. Until 1998 the Tote was a colossus comprising 2/3rds of all gambling in South Africa. The Bookmakers were the other 1/3rd.

model of Phumelela arrived in 1998.

Casinos existed, but not in South Africa, they had been set up as revenue sources in the Bantustans, the homelands such as at Sun City in Bophuthatswana – which were to be integrated back into the new South Africa in 1994 and thereafter the monopoly was lost and horseracing had to compete against casinos and a new National Lottery. For this reason, 1995 to 1998 became watershed years for the setting up of a new corporatised model for horseracing - which gave birth to Phumelela.

Casinos existed, but not in South Africa, they had been set up as revenue sources in the Bantustans, the homelands such as at Sun City in Bophuthatswana – which were to be integrated back into the new South Africa in 1994 and thereafter the monopoly was lost and horseracing had to compete against casinos and a new National Lottery. For this reason, 1995 to 1998 became watershed years for the setting up of a new corporatised model for horseracing - which gave birth to Phumelela.

The Jockey Club Reserve Development Fund, built up over many years as a prudent buffer to ensure financial stability held R20 million from which to run projects or develop or promote the Sport, upgrade lab equipment or run investigations.

The Turf Clubs which the Jockey Club licensed annually were each operated by a voluntary Board of Stewards, with oversight over a professional management team at each track.

The member elected Stewards of these Clubs ensured compliance with Jockey Club Rules and did their best to market racing as a social and collegiate sport as well as a betting enterprise attracting members who were both fans and participants in the Sport.

The Highveld Betting Act 1965 allowed for 5% levy on off course tote turnover to create a Provincial Development Fund with a separate board which would permit allocations to the Turf Clubs for particular development projects – such as new stabling, grandstand updates, contributions to the Jockey Academy, Totalisator upgrades, grooms quarters and so on.

All of this was the working system of an independently funded Regulatory body in charge with no conflict of interest. So far so good.

This all changed when the new For-Profit

The Phumelela model

This model was initiated by the Gauteng Provincial Government in 1995 in the knowledge that the Casinos propping up the ‘homelands’ would be integrated into SA as the new South Africa came into being.

The National Gambling Act was in the process of being re-written Version 1 in 1996, updated in 2004 and again in 2008.

At that time, in 1995, it was believed that corporatisation was forced upon the racing industry by edict by the Gauteng Provincial Government, but in 2019 at an inquiry by the Public Protector’s office, it became apparent that certain of the operators had been consulting and making recommendations on corporatisation to the GPG without the knowledge of the Jockey Club.

In fact, the Jockey Club had itself proactively commissioned studies by Standard Chartered Bank and Deloitte & Touche as far back as 1991 and an independent enquiry appointed by the State President, the Howard Commission, had also investigated and made recommendations on the gambling industry post 1994, and all of these studies recommended against a corporatized model for horseracing.

At the 2019 Public Protector hearings, ex GPG Finance Minister Moloketi was deposed and denied having been provided with any of

The fact is that at the height of Phumelela’s annual profits in 2017, their Annual Report showed gross profit of R152 million

the Jockey Club documents or the Howard Commission and insisted that the corporatized model was the one that racing wanted.

He stated that the GPG liked the model because the GPG would permit the corporatised public company to be assigned all of the assets of the Turf Clubs effectively for free on a vote by the members of the Turf Club, and in return a new body, a non-profit Racing Association (comprising Turf Club members and members of the Owners & Trainers Association) dedicated to the Sport of horse racing would be allocated 38% of the shares of the public company and a further 25% would be allocated free of charge to Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) shareholders, the balance would be floated on the Stock Exchange.

The new company would be known as Phumelela, a zulu/xhosa word meaning ‘to succeed’.

The Racing Association was founded for the purpose of receiving dividends of 38% of Phumelela profits. Their shares had to be held

by a Trust – the Racing Trust – and the Trust and the RA’s main purpose was an important role, to protect the ethos of the sport and be a watchdog in the protection of excess by Phumelela, protection of the stakes agreement to ensure that the public company could not increase shareholder profits by cannabalising assets, such as selling off racetracks to boost profits, and decreasing provision of stakes and services in order to boost their own profits. It would use its share of dividends to promote the sport.

These roles above effectively sidelined the authority of the Jockey Club.

Bookmaker licenses and oversight on gambling were allocated in 1998 to the newly formed Provincial Gambling Boards who would also allocate new casino licenses, slots, bingo and other forms of wagering and betting.

Gambling was about to explode and horseracing would face increased competition.

Whilst it looked like a good model initially, the Phumelela corporatisation was meant to safeguard the sport whilst allowing what public companies are meant to do – to use their powers to expand the business, grow profits and ride the wave of an explosive gambling industry for the benefit of all.

Phumelela’s bankruptcy lies at the foot of bad strategy . When they took Control in 1998, total gambling aggregate was R8 billion. By 2020 when they went insolvent, the national gambling aggregate was R451 billion, a staggering growth of 5,300%. Effectively the industry was growing at between 25% and 40% per annum and on this huge wave, Phumelela somehow had focused on racing’s internal assets and not grown the company into the gambling colossus that other betting enterprises like Hollywoodbets and World Sports Betting have become.

Phumelela’s bankruptcy lies at the foot of bad strategy . When they took Control in 1998, total gambling aggregate was R8 billion. By 2020 when they went insolvent, the national gambling aggregate was R451 billion, a staggering growth of 5,300%. Effectively the industry was growing at between 25% and 40% per annum and on this huge wave, Phumelela somehow had focused on racing’s internal assets and not grown the company into the gambling colossus that other betting enterprises like Hollywoodbets and World Sports Betting have become.

Phumelela’s short story

In the voting of the assets of the Turf Clubs to be assigned for free into the new corporation, one of the inducements stated on the voting paper was that the Gauteng Gambling Board would make a provision for 6% to be deducted from punters winnings on horseracing.

Half of this would go to government taxes and half (3%) would be allocated to the horseracing industry.

This was a way for the bookmaking industry to help horseracing. It met with significant approval by turf club members on the assumption that this would run into more than R50m per annum of new income to the sport.

The vote for Phumelela receipt of the Turf Clubs assets in Gauteng was 99%.

However, in the final contract signed by the founders of Phumelela and the GPG, it was determined that there was no such thing as a ‘horseracing industry’ bank account and that the word industry should be replaced with the word ‘Company’, allowing Phumelela to receive the 3% flow and that they would undertake to be responsible for the horseracing development.

This was recognised by the Public Protector in 2019 as a clear conflict of interest and their investigation showed that the lion’s share of the flow of the 3% found its way into the dividends declared to shareholders and therefore ended up in shareholder’s pockets. For this reason, they ruled in 2019 that it should no longer be paid.

The fact is that at the height of Phumelela’s annual profits in 2017, their Annual Report showed gross profit of R152 million, of which R74 million was reflected as income from the 3% and R50,6 million was from unclaimed dividends and fractionals from rounding down on Tote dividends, effectively public money, not company revenue.

In the proposed National Gambling Amendment Bill, it will be illegal to assign

public funds so collected as income to the Operator.

If 82% of Phumelela’s income was from these sources, did this mean that their profits from running BETTING operations was puny ? And why would that be ? According to the National Gambling Board published statistics 2017, the bookmaker turnover grew spectacularly by 30,8% in the same year.

Under Phumelela’s watch the Tote turnover had declined by more than 50% despite being the initiator of sports betting in their soccer pools which also failed to take off and accounted for less than 1% of their income.

The NGB stats showed that Sports Betting with bookmakers was hugely popular and had rocketed, increasing from R854m to R62 billion turnover in the ten years 2009-2019 - a 72 fold increase.

If Phumelela had exhibited the 72 fold increase, racing would have hailed the model and funds would be flowing everywhere.

Somehow the strategy of Phumelela missed the mark completely.

Phumelela and the Jockey Club

With the above as the background, we now come to the heart of the NHA’s story.

The Jockey Club’s intended role

In 1999, the Jockey Club Chairman, Matthew McElligott defined this in the Annual Report :

“The Jockey Club is a committed regulator seeking to regulate a complex sport and industry as effectively as is reasonably possible. Its regulatory function is essentially to determine the rules for racing and to provide the discipline and control necessary to enforce them. Integrity in racing is the key to racing’s’survival and because of this, uncompromising but fair and firm discipline and control is absolutely essential to maintain the confidence of the public”.

Effect of the Changing Landscape on the Jockey Club/ NHA

In January 1998, Phumelela dispensed with the system of the Raceclubs having voluntary racemeeting stewards at the racetracks in order to reduce costs. These Stewards had hitherto had two purposes :

• To supplement and support the Stipendiary Stewards in their integrity services during racing at the track, including sitting in on objections and hearings.

• To support the social fabric and prestige status of horseracing and the ethos of the sport. The purpose of disposing of them was to reduce the costs of Stewards Rooms KZN and Western Cape had a different construct, but planned to merge into Gold Circle and also reduced the number of racemeeting stewards.

Graph to show the increase of all bet types in R’billions, except the Tote in the decade leading to Phumelela’s demise.

Chairman McElligott commented on the impact:

Funding Structure changes in 1998-99

“In Gauteng, some dissatisfaction was expressed in regard to maintenance of discipline and control, exacerbated by some perhaps unjustified press comment. The problem may be one of poor communication and a solution may have to be improved liaison directly between the Stipendiary Board and Phumelela and the Racing Association”

“In Gauteng, some dissatisfaction was expressed in regard to maintenance of discipline and control, exacerbated by some perhaps unjustified press comment. The problem may be one of poor communication and a solution may have to be improved liaison directly between the Stipendiary Board and Phumelela and the Racing Association”

In 1998, in order to reduce costs prior to its listing, newly formed Phumelela began transferring any staff related to administration and integrity services to the Jockey Club overhead.

Racemeeting officials were also transferred from now defunct Turf Clubs to the Jockey Club whose permanent staff swelled to 100 with more than 100 part time staff officiating country wide in 364 days of racing per annum.

Negotiations took place in December 1998 which were to profoundly affect the Jockey Club in the future and this was reported in the Jockey Club Chairman’s Report:

“ In December 1998 we commenced discussions with the racing operators with a view to determining a revised approach for meeting the costs of operating the Jockey Club. With effect from 1st April 1999, the levy from the racing turnover of Phumelela was reduced from 1.5% to 0.55% of totalisator turnover, the reduction being entirely a reduction in the contribution to the Jockey Club Development Fund. From 1 July 1999, levies payable by all operators and Clubs were further reduced from 0,55% to 0.5% of totalisator turnover. Again the reduction of a further

“ In December 1998 we commenced discussions with the racing operators with a view to determining a revised approach for meeting the costs of operating the Jockey Club. With effect from 1st April 1999, the levy from the racing turnover of Phumelela was reduced from 1.5% to 0.55% of totalisator turnover, the reduction being entirely a reduction in the contribution to the Jockey Club Development Fund. From 1 July 1999, levies payable by all operators and Clubs were further reduced from 0,55% to 0.5% of totalisator turnover. Again the reduction of a further 0,05% reflected a decision to discontinue contributions to the Jockey Club Development Fund.”

The net effect of reducing the tote levy by 2/3rds and increasing employment caused the Jockey Club to go from an R8.1m profit to a record R4,5m loss in 1999.

To solve the need for cash flow, the entire balance of the Jockey Club Development Fund of R10,6 million was then transferred to the current account and the Jockey Club entered an era of a future without a safety net.

The Highveld Racing Development Fund might have helped but the GPG annulled the Betting Act of 1965 and the R80 million in the fund was allocated to Phumelela as a grant to cover their startup costs. It almost certainly meant that on the day of listing the share price rocketed from 50 cents up to share value of R4.00.

The Jockey Club, arbiters and regulators for the industry, were left in the cold and the Phumelela era began.

There is little doubt that the 3% could been paid to the Jockey Club Development Fund.

It could even have been paid to the Racing Trust, whose 13 objects were broadbased and industry focused.

Both were designed as industry bodies, although the Jockey Club was national and the Trust was provincial.

It’s also apparent now that it should have been legislated to preclude for-profit Phumelela shareholders or their nominees from being Trustees of the non-profit Racing Trust.

Serving on both boards at the same time was a clear conflict of interest, but it occurred.

The Laboratory and integrity of racing

The single most important function that the NHA has is to safeguard the bettors from doped horses and to ensure integrity of results.

Therefore the laboratory ranks as one of the best in the world for this purpose, comprising a staff of 15 persons and conducting more than 5,000 dope tests annually.

This is a sophisticated and costly exercise, but the lab scored 100% proficiency on international testing for the 30th consecutive year – a significant achievement. It is regularly used as a Reference lab by overseas jurisdictions.

In 1999, the Jockey Club Chairman’s Annual Report stated :

“It is important to note that the laboratory will, for the next 4 to 5 years, require an ongoing programme for replacement of equipment involving expenditure of approx. R1m per annum. In the past the levy on the Tote Turnover of the racing clubs was not expected to finance the purchase of laboratory equipment. Instead it was agreed that such equipment would be financed on an as required and agreed basis from capital contributions from the Racing Clubs, operators or the various Provincial Development Funds.

Now that the Development Funds for the Provinces have been closed and handed over to Phumelela and Gold Circle it becomes necessary to hold discussions to agree an appropriate resolution.”

The Racing Trust was required in its objects to fund items of a capital nature for the Jockey Club/ NHA such as new lab equipment, but simply refused. The resolution was for the Jockey Club to take out a loan from Gold Circle and repay it over 5 years with interest.

The Jockey Club had set up the Jockeys Academy at Summerveld in 1961 and was obliged to continue funding it when the Racing Trust decided it would only fund provincial service in Gauteng. Between 1999 and 2005, the Jockey Club Development Fund paid R11,6 million to the Academy depleting the whole fund which then folded.

After 45 years at the helm of the Jockeys Academy, the Jockey Club/NHA relinquished all control, although it still owns the title deeds on which the Academy sits.

The Parlous State of Finance in 2000

In 2000 the Chairman’s Annual Report opined the Jockey Club’s predicament and admitted that they were on the ropes:

“The spirit of the negotiations with the Racing Operators was to fund the Jockey Club’s operating and capital expenditure in terms of an approved budget. Regrettably the necessary funding on this basis was not forthcoming from the Racing Operators, so for the years 1999 and 2000, the Jockey Club has experienced losses in the region of R5million annually. If a similar shortfall were to occur this year, the ability to continue at all is doubtful.”

“What must be understood is that the funds will

have to come from somewhere, whether the Racing Operators or other participants in the industry, as a matter of urgency, or racing at its current level of discipline and integrity will not be sustainable.”

In 2001, negotiations occurred between the Jockey Club and the Racing Operators (Phumelela and Gold Circle) who agreed to replace the low fixed percentage of turnover with an annual negotiated arrangement with the Operators.

However, the problem with this principle is that any increased regulatory cost would impact the Operator’s net profit, and accordingly, it became a disincentive for the Operators to pay more than cut-to-the-bone costs.

All of these financial and control matters must have weighed heavily on the Board of the Jockey Club back in 1999 and they had already started a review of their Constitution

in preparation for a new dispensation which would need to be negotiated with Phumelela and the newly formed Gold Circle (which comprised KZN and Western Cape Racing) –and this new dispensation would re-branded in 2002 and called The National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa.

Over the ensuing years, as will be explained in Part 2 of this article, the new dispensation was far from ideal as it caused nine consecutive years of budget cuts, NHA functions to be outsourced, staff to be under remunerated,

their pension plan to be stalled, and as service quality slumped, a direct but unsuccessful challenge in 2005 by the operators to attempt to expunge the NHA altogether and usurp its functions.

Part 2 will follow next week and outlines the birth of the NHA model, its successes and its constraints, and why, after 20 years of struggle, it needs to change again, especially now that Phumelela is no more, and all of racing is busy re-inventing itself.

BHA RESPOND – ANTI-DOPING SILVA AND SWEAT TESTING

The British Horseracing Authority says that the body is aware of a social media post by Kieran O’Neill giving an account of the nonnegative sweat/saliva samples returned at Southwell racecourse on Monday.

The process for handling non-negative samples on raceday as part of the ongoing pilot of sweat/saliva sampling was agreed between the BHA and PJA.

As part of the agreed process, which utilises a Home Office-approved testing kit used by police forces globally, should a rider return a non-negative sample then they will be tested a second time.

Should the second sample also return nonnegative then, in the interests of safety for horses and riders, the jockey should be stood down for the day.

Mr O’Neill was stood down on the day having provided two non-negative samples. 16 jockeys were tested yesterday and 16 on Monday with only Mr O’Neill returning these two non-negative samples.

As part of the process a urine sample screening is also be taken on the day. This is for indicative processes only as part of the trial. It operates to different thresholds,

and does not form part of the immediate regulatory process. Mr O’Neill’s urine sample returned a negative result on-course but is not relevant to his being able to ride today and beyond.

This same urine sample is also sent away for analysis at the official testing laboratory. Mr O’Neill will be permitted to ride today and beyond, pending the return of this urine result, provided he returns a negative sweat/ saliva sample prior to weighing out.

A hair sample will also be taken.

Ensuring the safety of jockeys competing in our sport is a priority for the BHA.

We appreciate the strength of feeling from Mr O’Neill but this alone is not enough to make judgement about the testing process, or its ability to detect the intentional or sometimes inadvertent presence of substances in a rider’s system. The proper process must be allowed to take its course.

SIX OUT OF SIX!

The Gimmethegreenlight filly Gimme A Nother could be set to follow in the SA Triple Tiara footsteps of Summer Pudding and Cherry On The Top who also raced in the same famous yellow and black silks, after she made it a perfect six with a career peak success in Saturday’s R1 250 000 Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 SA Fillies Classic at Turffontein.

Registering her maiden Gr1 success and running a cracker in the hands of regular pilot JP van der Merwe, the third-generation stakes winner trained by Mike de Kock handled the rise to the 1800m to record a fluent victory.

The conditioner, who turned 60 just over a fortnight ago, observed that Gimme A Nother had hit something of a flat spot at the 400m, before turning on the jets.

Responding to a question about his own nerves, he said he was ‘getting a bit old for this’.

“It’s different when you’re a young buck and ‘ballsy’. Having good horses takes years off your life. But she might well be better than her grandmother Mother Russia,” quipped de Kock, before indicating that his charge had also not yet taken on older fillies.

“The Gr1 Empress Club Stakes looks more enticing than the Gr2 SA Oaks, at this point,” he suggested, as he responded to the possibilities of her joining the Triple Tiara honour roll on 6 April.

The race went according to plan after Bavarian Beauty (14-10 had set the gallop on her return run from the Cape.

Gimme A Nother – stamps herself as top class with a resounding victory under JP van der Merwe | Credit: Candiese Lenferna

Knowing what he had under him, JP van der Merwe got the 3-10 Gimme A Nother to up her game at the 300m and she responded, striding clear with ease to register 111 secs for the 1800m and beat her stablemate and bridesmaid Silver Sanctuary (11-2) by an unextended 4,25 lengths.

The 50-1 Let’s Go Now completed the trifecta, a further three-quarter lengths back, with the pacemaker not disgraced in fourth.

Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Gimme

A Nother is out of the Tiger Ridge champion, Nother Russia and took her stakes bank to R1,9 million.

While she now looks more likely to tackle mixed age company in the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes, the third leg is the R750 000 Wilgerbosdrift Gr2 SA Oaks over 2450m at Turffontein on Saturday 6 April.

A bonus of R1 million will be paid to the connections of the filly that wins all three legs of the Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple

Mary Slack and Vengi Masawi pose for a Johnny Geroudis snapshot as Di de Kock looks on | Credit: Candiese Lenferna

TIGER, TIGER… BURNING BRIGHT!

The late Tiger Ridge more than made his presence felt at Turffontein on Saturday afternoon. The son of Storm Cat is the broodmare sire of the brilliant Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 SA Fillies Classic winner Gimme A Nother (Gimmethegreenlight), and is also damsire of exciting two-year-old Pistol Pete (Buffalo Bill Cody) - a three and a quarter length winner of the HKJC World Pool Event 6 April Listed Storm Bird Stakes.

The regally bred Gimme A Nother, now unbeaten in six starts, with four of her wins coming in graded stakes, was produced by Tiger Ridge’s high-class daughter Nother Russia, while the unbeaten Pistol Pete is out of the Tiger Ridge daughter, Oklahoma Sky.

Nother Russia, Equus Champion Older Female in 2017-2018, won eight of 18 starts with her four graded victories including back to back runnings of the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes.

Pistol Pete’s dam Oklahoma Sky was not in the same league as her paternal half-sister, but she did win five times and ran third in the Listed Milkwood Stakes.

Nother Russia is closely inbred to Storm Catthe sire of Tiger Ridge and broodmare sire of Windrush, damsire of Nother Russia.

Tiger Ridge is also the broodmare sire of champion sprinter Isivunguvungu (What A Winter), who is set to continue his career in North America.

Out of the Tiger Ridge daughter Miss Tweedy, Isivunguvungu won six of 15 starts here, including both the 2023 Jonsson Workwear Gr1 Computaform Sprint and 2023 Gr1 Mercury Sprint and he was crowned Equus Champion Sprinter of 2022-2023.

Other notable performers produced by Tiger Ridge mares include US graded stakes winner Nicodemus (Candy Ride), California Derby victor So Conflated (Eskendereya), South African Gr1 winners Pearl Of Asia (Pathfork) and Orchid Island (Silvano), and the graded stakes winning half-sisters Maharanee (Flower Alley) and Marigold Hotel (Querari).

At the time of writing, Tiger Ridge ranked 11th on South Africa’s Leading Broodmare Sires premiership for 2023-2024.

Gimme A Nother returns with the De Kock team and a thrilled JP van der Merwe | Credit: Candiese Lenferna

Tiger Ridge’s relatives also got in on the act on Saturday.

His half-brother A.P. Indy is the sire of Judpot, broodmare sire of Saturday’s Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes winner Main Defender (Pathfork), while Black Minnaloushe, like Tiger Ridge a son of Storm Cat, is the broodmare sire of Wilgerbosdrift Listed Acacia Stakes winner Silver Hills (Silvano).

Tiger Ridge’s dam, the outstanding producer Weekend Surprise (Secretariat), also features

as the granddam of Mambo In Seattle (Kingmambo), with the latter broodmare sire of the Storm Bird Stakes runner up Fire Attack (Fire Away).

His multiple champion sire Storm Cat, whose champion son Giant’s Causeway is the broodmare sire of One World, South Africa’s Leading First Season this season, was a truly exceptional stallion whose daughters produced over 300 stakes winners, headed by Gr1 winners and successful stallions Speightstown, Sky Mesa, Lord Kanaloa, Churchill and Gleneagles, among others.

NOT A NOTHER

There will be no SA Triple Crown or SA Triple Tiara champion in 2024.

While Sandringham Summit’s sensational defeat by Purple Pitcher in Saturday’s TAB SA Classic left his crown aspirations in tatters, Mike de Kock announced on Wednesday that his SA Fillies Classic star Gimme A Nother will not contest the tiara third leg.

The Wilgerbosdrift Gr2 SA Oaks is the SA Triple Tiara third leg and is run over 2450m, but will be sidestepped as Mike de Kock has announced that, following discussions with Jessica and Steven Jell, owners of the unbeaten Gimme A Nother, that the filly will be aimed at the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes on

6 April 2024, Derby Day at Turffontein.

Mike de Kock also advised that Saturday’s SA Fillies Classic runner-up, Silver Sanctuary, will be prepared for the Gr2 SA Oaks, while Champagne Cocktail will be rested on the farm and won’t be running on Derby day.

Entries for the Derby day features close at 11h00 on Monday 18 March.

Weights will be published on the same day, while supplementary entries close at 09h00 on Monday 25 March.

Declarations are due by 11h00 on Wednesday 27 March.

Tiger Ridge (Storm Cat – Weekend Surprise) Credit: Supplied

Calvin Habib steers Almond Sea to a runaway victory | Credit: JC Photos

CANFORD CLIFFS

FILLY

STAYS UNBEATEN

The Tony Peter yard remained the toast of favourite punters when they made it two from two on Saturday’s Classic Day feature programme courtesy of the Peter de Beyer bred Canford Cliffs flyer Almond Sea, who won the R200 000 Wilgerbosdrift Listed Ruffian Stakes in emphatic fashion.

Like stablemate Pistol Pete who won the males’ corresponding feature a half hour earlier and is also unbeaten in three starts, Almond Sea was always flying out front and, bar a moment or two when she was in danger of being hampered by the loose running Grey Fantacy, the race was never in doubt and she made it an aggregate of 18,75 lengths winning margin in her three starts!

There was drama at an untidy start when the 25-1 Grey Fantacy reared,

unseating jockey Smanga Khumalo as the gates were sprung. The KZN visitor was puzzlingly declared a runner, but Hollywoodbets were to the fore and refunded backers of the daughter of Danon Platina.

The first 2yo winner of the 20232024 season, Almond Sea (1-5) ran away from her opposition to beat the 10-1 Mike Miller raider Just Reckless by 8,25 lengths in a time of 57,20 secs for the 1000m.

Bred by longstanding Cape breeder Peter de Beyer, Almond Sea is a daughter of Ridgemont star Canford Cliffs (Tagula) out of the Dupont mare Sylvie, who won once in the De Beyer silks. This is a very smart family of winners!

Raced by Johnny Peter’s Hyperpaint Syndicate, she is now 3 from 3 and took her stakes to R265 625.

ST GRADE TRACK RECORD

More than 10,000 claims paid

14 years of experience

FAMOUS FAMILY TO THE FORE

Normandy Stud’s founding mare Terpsichore played a big role at Turffontein on Classic Day. The daughter of Drum Beat features as the fourth dam of Saturday’s hugely impressive Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 SA Fillies Classic winner Gimme A Nother (Gimmethegreenlight).

Terpsichore is also the fourth dam of Saturday’s Wilgerbosdrift Listed Ruffian Stakes winner Almond Sea (Canford Cliffs).

Remarkably, between them, Gimme A Nother and Almond Sea have won all nine of their combined starts with both fillies having already contributed handsomely to the South African racing scene this season.

Gimme A Nother, who claimed her fourth graded win on Saturday, sports Gr1 winning champions as her first two dams. Her Tiger Ridge sired dam Nother Russia was the Equus Champion Older Female in 2017-2018, with Nother Russia winning eight races including back to back runnings of the G1 Empress Club Stakes.

As talented as Nother Russia was, her dam, Mother Russia, was, if anything, even better. A daughter of Windrush, Mother Russia was Equus Champion Older Filly/Mare in 2010.

Like Nother Russia, Mother Russia won the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes, with her three other top level victories including a memorable win in the 2011 Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate where

she accounted for such standout performers as Ebony Flyer, Pocket Power and Past Master.

In total, Mother Russia won 13 races, and earned more than R5 000 000, with her wins including ten graded or listed features.

Sadly, Nother Russia was the only foal produced by the ill-fated Mother Russia.

Dupont mare, and Gimme A Nother relative, Sylvie has already enjoyed good success at stud.

Almond Sea is the second stakes winner produced by Sylvie, whose daughter Sarah (What A Winter) won the Listed Swallow Stakes of 2020. Sylvie is also the dam of the smart four-year-old filly Celtic Rumours, who recently made it four wins from ten starts when winning at the Vaal last month.

The prolific Terpsichore also ranks as the ancestress of Gr1 Queen’s Plate winning champion Winter Solstice, as well as Gr1 Cape Derby winner Bravura, and graded stakes winners Depardieu (a three-parts brother to Sylvie), and Cap Alright.

Normandy Stud-bred champion Winter Solstice | Credit: Supplied

RUFFIAN WINNER IS ALIVE AND WELL

Saturday’s Wilgerbosdrift Listed Ruffian Stakes winner Almond Sea emptied her manger on Sunday morning and is very much alive and well, according to the Tony Peter Team who provided the Sporting Post with photographic evidence to that effect.

The daughter of Canford Cliffs maintained her unbeaten record and made it three from three when storming to her first stakes success on Saturday.

At the pull-up she was reluctant to return to the winner’s circle and jockey Calvin Habib was forced to unsaddle and to get stable staff to assist with a hose-down.

The Stipes report indicates mild postrace distress.

Regrettably rumours did the rounds overnight that the filly had passed away. The Sporting Post received a number of calls in that regard.

Thank-you to the Peter team for providing the photograph.

A happy girl on Sunday – Almond Sea | Credit: Supplied

‘I’M SORRY’, SAYS TIPSTER

The dangers of innocently distributing unverified information and the power of social media has seen a formal apology being issued to the Tony Peter yard by a well-known racing analyst.

Daryn Burroughs writes in the Sporting Post Mailbag that he would like to apologise for the confusion and harm caused by whatsapp messages which he received and believed to be true, and which were distributed to the 800 members of his whatsapp group.

He writes that at 20h00 on Saturday he received a whatsapp from a well-known owner in the racing industry regarding Saturday’s Listed Ruffian Stakes winner Almond Sea.

He says that the sender was adamant that the information was true, so he forwarded those two messages to his group of 800 members .

He continues that he awoke on Sunday morning only to read an article on Sporting Post that Almond Sea was fine and well, and that the messages circulating were untrue. This, he states, made him feel like an idiot for not appoaching the trainer or owner of Almond Sea before forwarding the messages.

He spoke to trainer Tony Peter on Sunday morning and told him the truth of what had transpired. Tony Peter indicated that it was fine, that he accepted it as being a misunderstanding and that there was no malicious intent.

Owner Johnny Peter also texted Daryn and they made peace over the matter.

Daryn extended his kind regards and sincere apologies for any harm caused to the Peter family.

GAME, SET AND MATCH!

Turffontein trainer Tony Peter got the Classic Day feature action off to a dream start for favourite punters on Saturday when the undefeated Pistol Pete made it a perfect three when he went all the way to win the R200 000 HKJC World Pool Event 6 April Listed Storm Bird Stakes.

Never under any pressure, Buffalo Bill Cody’s speedy son was too quick for his six opponents and went off at prohibitive odds of 1-4 to win his first stakes race.

Calvin Habib sat dead still, and he simply extended to beat recent maiden winner Fire Attack 20-1 by 3,25 lengths in a time of 56,65 secs for the 1000m.

Mike de Kock’s handsome grey Greaterix (33-1) ran a nice third on debut, although he was 2,25 lengths off the runner-up.

Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Pistol Pete was selected by owner Suzette Viljoen who paid R380 000 for him at the 2023 Cape Yearling Sale.

The colt is out of the five-time winning Tiger Ridge mare Oklahoma Sky and has now won 3 from 3 for stakes of R271 875.

His sire Buffalo Bill Cody showed tremendous ability as a racehorse, winning six of just ten starts and reeling off six wins from his first seven starts.

Buffalo Bill Cody is a son of triple Australian Champion Sire Redoute’s Choice, whose sire sons include four times Australian Champion Snitzel, the hugely successful Not A Single Doubt, and top South African stallion Rafeef.

Pistol Pete looks ready to take on the other regional stars in the Gr1 Gold Medallion at Hollywoodbets Scottsville in June.

Pistol Pete maintains his unbeaten record under Calvin Habib | Credit: Chase Liebenberg

TARRY’S SILVER HILLS DOES IT AGAIN

After beating the boys in the Listed Wolf Power 1600 last time, Sean Tarry’s progressive Silvano filly Silver Hills produced a smart turn of foot to nab the dogged front-runner Humdinger in the final strides of the R250 000 Wilgerbosdrift Listed Acacia Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday.

Labelled a ‘high maintenance filly’ by her trainer, the Drakenstein raced home-bred Silver Hills is a relaxed sort and builds up powerfully to produce a sustained finish. It thus took nerves of steel for jockey Serino Moodley going into the final 300m as Piere Strydom had Mike de Kock’s What A Winter mare Humdinger in front and going strong.

But the gallant mare, a 1400m specialist, just ran out of juice in the final stages, as the easyto-back tote favourite Silver Hills (11-2) found her feet to win going away by 0,40 lengths in a time of 97,95 secs for the mile.

The rest were some way back, with Perfect Witness (7-2) completing the trifecta a further 3,60 lengths adrift.

Bred by Drakenstein, the winner is a daughter of late multiple champion sire Silvano (Lomitas) out of the four-time winning dual Oaks victress Ash Cloud.

A winner of 4 races with 4 places from 10 starts, the Gr1 placed filly took her stakes earnings to R571 125.

After a Mark Khan knockout courtesy of Sea Chant in the opening leg, the Pick 6 had 33888,66 live tickets live after this leg, in a slightly disappointing pool – certainly for the time of the month – of R4 099 786,90.

Serino Moodley gets Silver Hills ahead of a gallant Humdinger (Piere Strdyom) | Credit: Chase Liebenberg

Piere Strydom regards JJ The Jet Plane as one of the best he has ridden and the international Gr1 winner enjoyed some deserved acknowledgement with the running of the R300 000 TAB Gr3 JJ The Jet Plane Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday.

Formerly run as the Tommy Hotspur Stakes, the 1000m contest rounded off what was expected to be an easy Pick 6 as Denis Schwarz rode a beautifully judged race to get 40-1 Fabian Habib-trained longshot Mover And Shaker home and deliver a R 231 665, 60 payout in the exotic.

Jumping into an early lead, the son of Rafeef was guided from his inside gate to the better centre-outside strip.

Challenged briefly by the speedy Trippi mare Iphiko (14-1) at midway, Mover And Shaker (40-1) was in a galloping mood and he kept on relentlessly to register his first graded stakes success, beating the mare by three quarters of a length in a time of 56,87 secs.

The Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein-bred son of Ridgemont kingpin Rafeef (Redoute’s Choice) is out of B Twenty One, a six-time winning Silvano daughter of Gr2 winner Park Lane (Elliodor).

Mover And Shaker was earmarked by former trainer Dom Zaki and purchased for R400 000 at the BSA August Two-year-old sale. The 4yo gelding has now won 5 races with 8 places from 23 starts for stakes of R785 500.

Only 17 tickets won the easy Classic Day Pick 6.

PENSIONED POMP HAS MADE NEW FRIENDS

The Justin Snaith-trained Pomp And Power, a top notch Gr1 winner at best was retired to Advocate Nigel Riley and his wife Kat’s Heversham Park by his owners midway through 2023, and has reportedly settled down beautifully on the farm after being uncertain of his new surroundings for several weeks.

Kat Riley said that Pomp And Power was initially wound up when he was in his own paddock.

“So to get him to calm down we put him in the pony camp. He now has three ‘best friends’ in my daughter Elektra’s ponies from whom he has become inseperable. He is a different

horse now, really calm and happy!”

Pomp And Power, who raced for Cape Racing Chairman Greg Bortz, Etienne Braun & Marsh Shirtliff’s Greenacres Trust won five races, including the Gr1 Cape Derby, and finished second in the Daily News and third in the Cape Met.

He was bred by Maine Chance Farms and is a son of their champion Vercingetorix out of the Candy Stripes mare, Peru.

The magnificent Heversham Park is located in the scenic unspoilt Daleside Valley, just south of Johannesburg, and is overlooked by the majestic Paardekop.

Pomp and Power with Pooh Bear (26) and Sylvester, who is 14 years old | Credit: Supplied

TONY PETER STAR GOES TO 131

Main Defender has had his rating increased from 121 to 131 after he comfortably won the Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at the Turffontein Standside Track on Saturday.

Main Defender has had his rating increased from 121 to 131 after he comfortably won the Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at the Turffontein Standside Track on Saturday.

The Handicappers were unanimous in their view, that 4th placed Cousin Casey made for a suitable line horse here and he remains unchanged on a rating of 123.

Second placed, Dave The King, who beat Cousin Casey by further than he did when they met last time, has his rating increased from 122 to 126 thereby confirming his previous best career performance. The only other runner to receive an increase was Son Of Raj and he goes up to 119 from 115.

At My Command was the only other runner to receive a drop in the ratings and is down to 124 from 126.

It is important to note that the 2-pound increase that this horse received after winning a Cape A Stakes race last time was due to the specific conditions of the race that placed a compulsory minimum 2 pounds increase for the winner.

The Handicappers therefore opted to restore At My Command to his rating of 124 which he earned in the Gr2 Green Point Stakes.

TAB SA Classic (Grade 1)

Purple Pitcher has had his rating increased from 114 to 120 after staying on to capture the TAB Gr1 SA Classic over 1800m at the

Turffontein Standside Track on Saturday.

Here it was sixth placed Gimmeanotherchance who was deemed to be the most suitable line horse and consequently his rating remains unchanged on 111.

The Handicappers ruled out Sandringham Summit as a possible line horse here, as using his 123 rating to rate this race would mean that Gimmeanotherchance would be improving by 5 points.

The Handicappers believe that this would be highly improbable given Gimmeanotherchances’ finishing position and beaten margin. The evidence suggests that Sandringham Summit underperformed in this race.

The winner aside, four other runners received upward adjustments in their ratings. Third placed, William Iron Arm goes up to 117 from 116, while fourth placed Pure Predator goes up from 104 to 116.

It was noted that, in running 4th, Pure Predator beat both the 116 rated Hotarubi by 1 length and the 111 rated Gimmeanotherchance by 2.5 lengths at level weights.

Mondial, who finished seventh, was increased to 105 from 100 and Barbaresco who finished 0.50 of a length behind Mondial, received a partial increase from 102 to 104.

There were no drops in the ratings of any runner in this race.

Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (Grade 1)

Gimme A Nother, who is unbeaten in six starts, has had her rating increased from 121 to 125 after impressively winning the Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 SA Fillies Classic over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday.

The Handicappers were of the opinion that second placed, Silver Sanctuary, had confirmed her Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas run behind this winner and used her mark of 116 to rate this race.

The winner aside, three other horses received an increase in their merit ratings. Third placed, Let’s Go Now, who finished 0.75 of a length behind Silver Sanctuary goes up to 114 from 111.

BAVARIAN BEAUTY who finished 4th and 0.25 of a length behind Let’s Go Now, also goes up to 113 from 112 and lastly, fifth placed, Beating Wings, was increased to 108 from 91 so as to ensure that she meets 6th placed Champagne Cocktail at correct handicap terms in the future.

No runner received a drop in their ratings in this race.

TAB J J The Jet Plane Stakes (Grade 3)

Mover And Shaker went up to 118 from a mark of 112 after winning the Tab Gr3 J J The Jet Plane Stakes over 1000m at Turffontein on Saturday.

Mover And Shaker who ran to higher here, had to be capped on six points due to the specific race conditions that does not allow for an increase of greater than 6 points for the winner.

Mover And Shaker was actually a beneficiary of a similar protection when running 2nd in his previous start in a Pinnacle race behind Iphiko

This meant that Mover And Shaker received a 2kg advantage in the weights for the Grade 3 Tab J J The Jet Plane, which may

well have denied Iphiko a Grade 3 win.

The Handicappers were of the opinion that second placed Iphiko confirmed her winning performance in her last start over the winner Mover And Shaker here and she remained on a mark of 108.

Third placed Rulership who seems to be on the up after winning three in a row prior to this race, went up to 115 from 112 and happens to be the only other runner in the race, besides the winner, to receive and increase in ratings.

Two horses were dropped a point each, Kiss Me Captain to 110 from 111 and Black Egret drops to 95 from 96.

Wilgerbosdrift Acacia Stakes (Listed)

Silver Hills was adjusted from 102 to 108 after coming from off the pace to win the Listed Wilgerbosdrift Acacia Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday. It should be noted that Silver Hills ran to a higher rating, but her increase had to be capped on six due to the specific conditions of this race.

Here, it was 3rd placed Perfect Witness, who was deemed to make for the most suitable line horse and she remained on a rating of 105.

Second place finisher, Humdinger, was increased from 114 to 116 as she was a full 3.60 lengths on official margins ahead of the line horse and giving her two kilograms in weight.

No other horses received increases in the race.

The following horses received drops in ratings. Lady Of Power was dropped from 105 to 104, Bonete from 95 to 94 and Reny went to 96 from a mark of 101.

Breeders Guineas (Listed)

Luna Halo remains unchanged on a rating of 106 after narrowly winning the Listed Breeders Guineas over 1600m at Fairview on Friday.

The Handicappers opted to use 3rd placed Joy And Peace as the line horse here and she remained unchanged on a rating of 92. There were no changes to the

ratings of any runner in this race.

Media release by NHA on Tuesday 5 March 2024.

FOLLOW US on Instagram!

sportingpost_za

SHE’S A SMART GIRL!

Luna Halo gets the verdict under Richard Fourie to beat Siddeley (obscured) and a low flying Joy And Peace under Chase Maujean | Credit: Pauline Herman

The pure brilliance and confidence of high-riding Winning Form-sponsored jockey Richard Fourie was the difference between victory and defeat when the smart Fire Away filly Luna Halo got her head down to win the R200 000 Listed Breeders Guineas in a Netflix-type thriller at Fairview on Friday.

After Smanga Khumalo threw a tearaway curved ball into the mix in the shape of Kelly Mitchley’s Passchendale, who made it two races in one as she sped off to lead her field by many lengths, the race looked to be teetering on the brink of disaster inside the 350m for favourite backers as Luna Halo found her feet but appeared to be labouring.

In a tactical and cucumber cool display of riding, JP van der Merwe slipped Snaith raider Siddeley (28-10) down the inside and she looked to have the favourite’s measure.

But Fourie (194) is well on his way to a double century of winners this season, and he made the difference to grab a short head victory on Luna Halo in a time of 97,84 secs.

Fourie admitted afterwards that he thought he was beaten and that his mount doesn’t quite see a mile out.

An amazing achievement in the circumstances!

Lancaster Bomber’s daughter Siddeley ran a cracker at her first try at a mile, while Joy And Peace (10-1) stayed on best of the balance a half-length back in third. The latter looks one for the notebook over more ground in 6 months’ time.

Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Luna Halo was a R160 000 purchase from the 2022 National Yearling Sale. She is now a winner of 7 races and 3 places from 11 starts for stakes of R639 625.

A daughter of Wilgerbosdrift’s War Front stallion Fire Away, she is out of Captain Al’s twice winning daughter Sun Sentinel.

Richard Fourie and Alan Greeff enjoyed a treble on the day, while Muzi Yeni and Gavin Smith grabbed a double.

MARK KHAN – FIRST RUNNER A WINNER!

A five-times SA champion jockey who was awarded his national colours in 2008, it was hardly surprising to see the astute Mark Khan celebrate his first winner from his very first runner at Turffontein on Classic Day – the scene of some of his memorable Grade 1 triumphs in the saddle.

Looking dapper in a tailored suit and surrounded by his family, including wife Ronda, daughter Sandra and his son Cameron, and a number of loyal owners, the 55 year old exuded a mix of ice cool confidence and veiled emotion as he shook hands and hugged those around him after Ryan Munger earned a forever spot on the Khan Racing Stable office wall after riding a beautifully judged race to get the 16-1 Sea Shanty up in the Pick 6 opener.

Speaking to the Sporting Post afterwards, the quietly spoken Mark said that they had fancied the 3yo son of Lance, who had shown flashes of form in his third and fourth starts.

The gelding was returning from a seven week break and finished with some resolve to shed his maiden ticket. He looks likely to go a mile and could be a source of plenty of fun for owners John Maroun, David Anthony, Vincent

to learn from the best, and when I decided to call it a day and hang up my saddle, I was again been blessed to have received the best guidance any man could dream of.”

“I am fortunate to ride some of my own work. Sea Shanty felt good in his final workout, and based on that I could give all my loyal owners some confidence,” he observed, adding that the finish of the fourth race on Day 2 of The Championships was ‘a sweet moment’ after a tough but mostly enjoyable journey to get to the point where he is now the captain of his own ship.

“Throughout my riding career, I was fortunate

After an association with leading trainers like the Australia-based Gary Alexander, multiple champion Geoff Woodruff, and in his earlier days, Mark Watters at Milnerton, Mark did his training as an NHA licenced assistant trainer under Grant Maroun at Randjesfontein.

But he is now very excited to get going at his new Turffontein yard.

Bakos, Andre Dormehl, Dean Palmer and Darren Simpson. This partnership has seven other horses in the Khan yard.

Sea Shanty storms ahead under Ryan Munger to give Mark Khan his first winner | Credit: Candiese Lenferna

“Half my string of 16 are young horses. Former top owner Ebrahim Khan - many will remember Elusive Fort amongst some top horses he raced - is back, and he has always been a very staunch supporter. Then Miles Bloemstein, Ron Caris, Michael Le Roux and Barry Nel have given me a nice opportunity with the former Cape-based five -time winning sprinter Ragnar Lothbrok. Jace Chetty, Bradley Ralph, Rishan Bhagwandin and Linga Moodley are other wonderful founding supporters of what we intend to make a racing stable that will offer the best of racing fun and rewards. So, the future is exciting, and I am fortunate to enjoy such wonderful support from so many good people.”

Mark tells us proudly that his family are right behind him and involved in the yard, with his wife Ronda handling the admin side of things. He is taking things one day at a time, and also hinted at a possible sponsorship in the pipeline.

Mark announced his retirement from the saddle in 2010 after sustaining injuries in a fall the previous season.

He returned to race riding in 2017 – booting home his first Gr1 ride in over 7 years when Hero’s Honour won the Gr1 SA Derby in May 2018 – a few weeks later he won the Gr1

Allan Robertson Championship on Mighty High!

There was plenty of fight in the old dog, and while he enjoyed great success in 2018 and 2019, riding for the IRC and others, covid came and derailed the world. But he was riding winners again in 2021. Then a nasty accident in the starting stalls in 2022 set him back and he started thinking about a second phase career as a trainer.

He tells us that racing, and horses is all he knows and his passion for the game has never dwindled.

The internationally experienced multiple national champion earned regional championship titles in three provinces and was also Mauritius champion jockey in 2000. He also honed his skills abroad in Malaysia, Singapore, Germany, Australia, Macau, Dubai and Zimbabwe.

His name is inexorably associated in our history books with many champions and Gr1 winners, and one that comes to mind is Yard-Arm who won the 2004 J&B Met.

We wish Mark Khan good fortune in his new venture.

We are family! Mark Khan proudly poses at Turffontein with his son Cameron, wife Ronda, daughter Sandra and team member Sandifuna Tavekenji | Credit: Candiese Lenferna

The Sporting Post was first with the news that the ‘Candyman’ Andrew Fortune is expected to be back in action soon after returning from Australia following the family’s move Down Under in July last year.

“I am excited about riding again. The reception amongst some of the top trainers has been amazing and I have been assured of support,” Fortune told the Sporting Post as he spoke about the difficulty of securing a job in Australia that would have put him in a position to earn enough to support his young family.

“Ashley is loving it and working hard. But I was not earning enough, and, all the local issues aside, I really and truly miss this magical country. I am in great shape, lean and mean, and been riding work for six months, I can ride tomorrow if I get the clearance tonight,” laughed the man who became SA champion at the age of 40, adding that it should be borne in mind that he is two years younger than Piere Strydom, and ‘lengths

fitter’ than the blonde bomber. He also points out that Jeff Lloyd won the Victoria championship multiple times from the age of 56 through to 60.

A product of the mean streets of the Cape Flats, Fortune’s rise from poverty to the fast-paced world of horseracing against the dark shadows of addiction reads like a movie script.

He gained a legion of fans from across the spectrum as he beat the odds and produced wizardry in the saddle to win the national title in the 2008/9 season.

He rode until 2017 before a knee injury forced the Grandfather to hang up his saddle.

4RACINGTV – NEW HOME, NEW LOOK, NO SUBSCRIPTION FEES!

4Racing has announced the migration of its founding OTT platform, 4Racing.tv, to its exciting new home at RacingToday.co.za , launched on Classic Day, Saturday 2 March 2024.

This strategic move marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Racing Today, expanding to a rebranded, reimagined and enriched experience for our racing audience across the globe.

At RacingToday.co.za, fans will continue to have access to an extensive array of both local and international racing content, now more

accessible than ever before, as the platform transitions to a free-to-view model starting March 2, 2024.

From live race coverage to captivating documentaries, insightful analyses and behind-the-scenes stories, Racing Today strives to be the ultimate destination for all things horseracing.

Racing Today was born as a daily racing talk show and has amassed an audience of over 3.1 million viewers since its inception in August 2022.

“Leveraging this momentum, we have chosen to re-brand our bespoke OTT streaming platform and associated mobile applications (previously 4racing.tv) to Racing Today,” says Stephen Watson, Head of 4Racing’s Broadcast. “Under this new umbrella service, Racing Today’s goal is to create a completely FREE horse racing streaming offering, for novices to well-versed punters. We are dedicated to bringing the best that horse racing has to offer to audiences spanning all communities and ensuring that staying up to date with all things racing has never been easier.”

Racing Today’s lineup of daily and weekly shows will continue to keep viewers informed and entertained. Popular shows like Track Talk, Weighted to Win presented by Betway and Racing’s Today’s own daily talk show will all be hosted on the platform, plus previews and shows received from our international partners. Expert hosts will guide both seasoned punters and curious newcomers through each day’s racing action, offering tips, predictions, and invaluable insights to enhance the racing experience.

Embracing the spirit of inclusivity and innovation, Racing Today offers an array of features designed to elevate the viewing experience.

From dedicated channels for major local and international races to curated pop-up channels offering uninterrupted coverage of premium events from around the world, Racing Today strives to pack the most into every moment.

“With Racing Today, fans can stream live races or catch up on missed action anytime, anywhere,” Stephen added. “Our Archive section is super popular for post live race reviews and if you just missed the action and need an immediate replay, our channels can be rewinded too.

Registered users can scroll back on the Electronic Program Guide for up to seven days, if you missed any must-see racing. Or you can set a reminder and/or record racing that may be coming up to your playlist too.”

Existing customers can opt to stream content from the new platform without logging in. Alternatively, they can access their existing profile using their previous 4Racing credentials and will be automatically redirected to the new platform at www.racingtoday.co.za ensuring a seamless transition.

Racing Today will be completely free to users, with the new platform transitioning away from a Subscription based service to a Free Service with supported Advertiser/ Programme Sponsorships.

Any existing long-term subscriptions will be reimbursed, and all customers will be contacted directly to arrange a pro-rata credit. Racing Today’s omni-channel strategy will continue to ensure ease of access to popular racing content across all Social Media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

4Racing’s YouTube channel has accumulated over 4,6 million views since April 2022. This will be migrated to sit under the Racing Today brand, with additional content be added from around the world.

While registration remains optional for users who simply wish to stream content, those seeking to access the platform’s full suite of functionalities — including downloading content, adding races to their favourites folder, creating playlists, setting reminders and/or recording content – need to register to enable your free profile creation and personal cloud storage.

Registration entails providing an email address and setting up a password, to enhance your personalised and comprehensive user experience. Customers currently utilizing the 4Racing application on their mobile will need

to update their app to the new Racing Today platform available on the app-stores. Both Android and iOS apps support casting to your big screen.

Racing Today has no streaming restrictions. Users can stream content on unlimited devices and can enjoy both unlimited streams and unlimited concurrency.

“We’re committed to creating an overarching content streaming platform which covers great live local and international racing content, supported with feature-rich functionality and personalisation options for horse racing fans and punters alike. Racing Today takes us another step closer towards to full digital inclusion and access” said Colin Gordon, COO, 4Racing.

COMEBACK HEROES

Andrew Fortune could join some hall of fame comebacks, if the National Horseracing Authority give him the green light to return to the saddle.

Bob Champion

The story of Bob Champion and his victory in the 1981 Grand National will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greatest horse racing stories ever told.

In 1979, during an incredibly successful period in his career as a jockey, Bob Champion received the devastating news that he had testicular cancer and only had a few months to live.

Champion lived up to his name, though, when he underwent cancer treatment and additional surgery to check whether the cancer had spread. He eventually recovered and went on to win the 1981 Grand National riding Aldaniti – a double triumph for both jockey and his trusty steed.

Gary Stevens

He’s a rider who has suffered injury after injury and managed to come back each and every time – that is, until his most recent accident, which damaged his spine.

Going back to 1985, Stevens was thrown into a rail in a starting-gate training incident

and ended up in a coma. In 2013, he finished first at the Arlington Million – now called the Mister D Stakes – at Arlington Park, Illinois, but was thrown into the oncoming riders by his own horse, which resulted in a collapsed lung and neck injuries.

Stevens has had his right knee and left hip replaced and has undergone other minor and major surgeries over the years until a checkup for a pinched nerve revealed a major spinal injury that could spell disaster if he fell again. After finding this out, Stevens announced his retirement in 2018.

Willie Carson

Another notable jockey who made a comeback following serious injury was Willie Carson. In 1981, while riding in the Yorkshire Oaks, Carson’s horse slipped on the home turn, breaking both her front legs and sending Carson flying. The jockey was trampled by at least six other horses, resulting in numerous injuries, including a fracture at the base of his skull.

With much determination, Carson made a comeback and returned to the saddle the following year, eventually going on to win the title of British Champion Jockey for the fifth time, along with many other accolades over the years.

ANOTHER SHOT AT WORLD CUP GLORY!

Countdown to Saturday 30 March

In 2021 Military Law was denied his chance of Dubai World Cup glory when getting loose before the start and being withdrawn.

Three years on, he gets another opportunity, thanks to victory in the Gr2 Al Maktoum Classic [Sponsored by Emirates Airline], the highlight of Emirates Super Saturday at Meydan Racecourse.

The race gives guaranteed entry into the $12million event on 30 March.

The now nine-year-old had a spell with trainer Doug Watson last season but is thriving now back with Musabbeh Al Mheiri, who gave jockey Oscar Chavez the leg up for this 1900m dirt contest.

The pair turned for home with a narrow advantage over Walk Of Stars and had to be

tenacious to hold off that rival and third home Clapton by a length.

“I wasn’t expecting this at all!” said Chavez after his biggest Thoroughbred winner in Dubai.

“He jumped a little bit awkward but then he put himself in the race and once he got to the straight, he really had momentum and at the 800 [metres] he gave me a big kick and I just let him roll.”

“Winning a race tonight is so fantastic; I’m happy to be on him and to ride in the World Cup would be something extra.”

Meydan Racecourse stages its final Carnival meeting on Friday, 8 March, before the focus switches to the $30.5million Dubai World Cup card on 30 March.

Oscar Chavez guides Military Law to victory | Credit: Dubai Racing Club

HOW’S THIS DERBY PROSPECT FOR SIZE?

Helios Express will be given the chance to match the colossal deeds of Golden Sixty and Rapper Dragon by chasing a Four-Year-Old Classic Series clean sweep and HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby success after John Size’s emerging star’s narrow HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup victory at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Winner of the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) last month, Helios Express gave Size a fifth Hong Kong Classic Cup win, joining Unique Jewellery (2009), It Has To Be You (2013), Thunder Fantasy (2015) and Sun Jewellery (2016).

The high-class galloper was forced to dig deep under Hugh Bowman before catching Chancheng Glory and Keagan De Melo in the last stride after finally bullocking into the clear

late, eventually winning by a short head as Size’s stablemate Ensued finished third, two and three-quarters of a length further back under Ryan Moore.

Inconvenienced when the tempo came out of the race between the 800m and 400m with a 24.40s split, Helios Express needed luck in gaining a run but still clocked the fastest final sectional of 22.93s to grab Chancheng Glory in an overall time of 1m 47.73s.

Helios Express (purple and yellow silks) overtakes Chancheng Glory in a desperate finish | Credit: HKJC

“It seemed like he was pretty strong in the run in a slow-run race and he was lucky to get out, get the breaks and get the leader,” Size said. “It could have been prettier than that, but he got the job done, so that’s the main thing.

“I’m not sure how confident Bowman was that he was going to win, but it was a difficult assignment for any rider and he certainly made a good fist of it.”

Addressing the BMW Hong Kong Derby on 24 March, Size said: “The degree of difficulty just gets greater as these races continue for each of the horses. His health has been good, and his work’s been good so, at the moment, we’re hoping he’s got another one in him.”

Notching a treble with success on Sun Of Makfi for David Hall and Blue Marlin for Douglas Whyte, Bowman hopes Helios Express – winner of six of eight Hong Kong starts and HK$23.07

million prize money after leaving Australia as a Benalla maiden winner – can match the deeds of Golden Sixty (2020) and Rapper Dragon (2017) by snaring all three legs of the Four-YearOld Classic Series.

“He settled really well but then when the pace started to change, it got really muddling around the corner, he didn’t cope with that very well. It’s hard to be too critical of him for that reason, either. With a smooth run race (in the Derby), he’ll be okay,” Bowman said.

“He needs an even tempo, he doesn’t particularly need it fast. Like all horses, he’s going to benefit from an even pace. It’s not only him – it’s the entire field.

“Look, Classic Cup probably doesn’t define the Derby picture. It wasn’t run genuinely enough, so two good horses fought the finish out and I’m very proud of my horse because he had

to dig deep, and most horses wouldn’t have done that.

“There were a few anxious moments at the 700m when I couldn’t hold him, but I was given no option but to ride him as I rode him, given the way the race panned out.”

Dennis Yip’s Massive Sovereign charged into BMW Hong Kong Derby calculations with a dazzling win in the Class 3 Somerset Handicap for Dennis Yip and providing Zac Purton with a treble.

Formerly known as Broadhurst when trained by Aidan O’Brien, Massive Sovereign earned a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million and impressed sixtime champion jockey Purton, who also scored on Oriental Smoke and Devas Twelve, with his striking three and quarter-length win.

“I’ve liked Massive Sovereign in everything I’ve had to do with him, he’s just got a lovely attitude,” Purton said. “He really conserves his energy and looks after himself well. His trials, I thought, were good and it was unconventional to run him over 2000 metres the first time, but the owner really wants to run him in the Derby.

“We had to roll the dice and if it worked, it worked – which it has. Off that effort, he’s got to be in the Derby field, doesn’t he?”

David Hayes produced a double, scoring with Oriental Smoke in the second section of the Class 4 Essex Handicap for Purton and Nervous Witness in the Class 2 Rutland Handicap under Andrea Atzeni.

Purton also prevailed on Chris So’s Devas Twelve in the Class 4 Norfolk Handicap, while Harry Bentley also posted a brace with Ricky Yiu’s Mr Ascendency in the Class 2 Kent Handicap and Mark Newnham’s Prawns Eleven, who finished powerfully to claim the Class 3 Kowloon Tong Club Trophy Handicap.

“Great to get a double. I’m really pleased with how things are going at the moment. The momentum is up and to be able to capitalise is really good – hopefully there’s more to come,” Bentley said.

By Super Easy, Prawns Eleven collected a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million.

Blake Shinn made a triumphant return to Hong Kong, teaming with familiar ally Caspar Fownes in landing the first section of the Class 4 Essex Handicap aboard Sky Heart.

“Very special, actually. Caspar was wonderful to my career when I was based full-time in Hong Kong for three years,” Shinn said. “Still to have that association and for him to ask me to come over here today – he’s thrown me a great book of rides – is wonderful.

“To win in these colours is obviously very sentimental, obviously going back to the 2021 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint winner Sky Field. It’s really fitting that I could come here today and get a result for Caspar and his owners.”

John Size will bid for a fourth BMW Hong Kong Derby Credit: HKJC

CHELTENHAM –ONLY 6 SLEEPS!

The Cheltenham Festival starts next Tuesday with 28 races across four days. The pinnacle of the jumps season with a Championship race on each day.

The Champion Hurdle starts on Tuesday. Wednesday is the Champion Chase, Thursday sees the running of the Stayers Hurdle and Friday, the Gold Cup.

When the news broke on Monday morning that Constitution Hill would not defend his crown in the Champion Hurdle that turned what looked to be a mouth-watering rematch with State Man into a pretty much straightforward task for the Willie Mullins ace.

State Man has won ten of his eleven completed starts since joining the Mullins yard, only beaten by Constitution Hill in last season’s Champion Hurdle. He has looked on very good terms with himself since making a seasonal

winning return at Punchestown in November.

The opposition he is likely to face next week isn’t on his level and he should take full advantage.

The Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase is also run over two miles and the Mullins stable is to the fore again with the odds-on chance El Fabiolo.

Unbeaten in six chases, last season’s Arkle winner takes on the Nicky Henderson trained Jonbon who finished runner-up in that contest. Add to the mix the rejuvenated Edwardstone, himself a Festival winner, and this looks a high-class contest.

Colour, jumps, champions, people – what a vibe! | Credit:Cheltenham Racecourse

The Stayers Hurdle looks more competitive with defending champ Sire du Berlais now a 12-year-old. A three-time winner at the Festival since 2018, his experience at the track shouldn’t be underestimated.

He seemingly comes alive at Cheltenham in March and was full value for his win over Dashel Drasher and Teahupoo last year.

Teahupoo heads the market, at around 5/2, and looks to have been aimed for this race. The seven-year-old has age on his side and will arrive a fresh horse having only had one winning start at Fairyhouse in December since his third placing last year. He will relish the forecasted soft to heavy ground.

The Willie Mullins star Galopin Des Champ attempts to double up in the Gold Cup on

Friday. Only the mighty Best Mate and his stable companion Al Boum Photo have managed that feat in the last fifty years over the demanding three-mile, two-furlong trip.

Class and stamina are both required, as well as some good fortune and Galopin Des Champs will need all of that to overcome his Irish rival Fastorslow and the enigmatic Shishkin in the blue riband event.

results up to: 2024-03-06

TRAINERS

JOCKEYS

SIRES