SP SPRINT - 17 MAY 2023

JOLLY GOOD!

CONTENTS

The Winter Hits!

06 Who’s Going To Hollywood? First big race log is out

16 Tarry Eyes July The champion has a few options

47 New Sire For Cape Ridgemont to stand exciting prospect

70 Dubai Stakes Soar New look carnival

72 Katak Steps Out At Kranji Former Cape star in action

On the cover

Candiese Lenferna caught Richard Fourie in a relaxed mode after his win on Pacaya in Saturday’s WSB Gr2 1900. Fourie is red hot, with his 189 winners this season, for stakes of R26,3 million, coming at a win strike-rate of 21,75%. His place strike-rate is 40,28%!

Issue: 21/2023

Home, James!

Louis Mxothwa salutes the crowd after the Hollywood Syndicate raced Time Flies won the KRA Listed East Coast Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday. The daughter of Dynasty was saddled by Crawford Racing assistant, James Crawford. Image courtesy of Candiese Lenferna.

Richard Fourie has Pacaya in front as Winchester Mansion (Mxothwa) challenges on the oustdie

Chase Liebenberg

PACAYA HAS JULY PANEL’S ATTENTION

The powerful Justin Snaith team took their next step to launching a serious bid for a sixth victory in the Hollywoodbets Durban July when the 4yo Pacaya finished strongly under Richard Fourie to win the R400 000 World Sports Betting Gr2 1900 at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.

With eight entries in the big race, Snaith, who declared the 1 July spectacular likely to boil down to a battle of jockeyship and draws, has a typically decent hand.

And the clearly focussed Pacaya, who could be regarded as a touch disappointing as a 3yo, threw his ticket into the hat in fine style in the Hollywoodbets Durban July preferential consideration ticket contest as we walk the boulevard of sometimes broken dreams to the big day.

The son of Trippi has firmed into 10-1 with Hollywoodbets. It was Pacaya’s second consecutive feature win after his rather opportunistic victory in the Gordon’s Gin Listed Jet Master Stakes as the sun set on the Cape summer 11 weeks ago.

Richard Fourie, who rode 3 winners on the afternoon,

said the man who has opted to get his horses fit at home in a deviation from the norm.

was at his brilliant best and switched Pacaya from midfield after Indlamu had led the procession from Cape Eagle and Litigation.

Into the home run, Corne Orffer brought Rascallion (17-10) down the centre, and not having seen action in the fifteen weeks since his topnotch Met fringe effort, the 62kgs and match fitness told in the final stages as the son of Vercingetorix plugged on in a standout effort that would have pleased trainer Vaughan Marshall.

“This feels like my second home,”

But it was the rampant Fourie who had timed his run to perfection as the ‘underdone’ – in the top jockey’s own words – Pacaya (4-1) dug deep to give the fast-finishing and eighteen week-rested Winchester Mansion (6-1) 2kgs and a 0,30 length beating in a time of 117,30 secs.

Under 5 lengths covered the entire field and the race was run on a testing track – so we have to be careful not to write any of them off.

Rascallion emerged with credit in third a further 0,70 lengths back, with Hollywoodbets Durban July 100-1 shot Cape Eagle digging deep for a 2 length fourth – shading One Way Ticket a head into fifth.

Sean Tarry’s Litigation was always thereabouts and stayed on into sixth. The rigours of his Premier’s Champions Challenge effort two weeks earlier may have told.

Local hope Quasiforsure was given a chance and was produced down the outside in the home straight. He didn’t really quicken though and was beaten 3,35 lengths into eighth. The balance of the big race entries in Electric

Gold, Aragosta and Raiseahallelujah didn’t show.

Trainer Justin Snaith paid a compliment to the KZN racing public for their passionate support and interest.

“This feels like my second home,” said the man who has opted to get his horses fit at home in a deviation from the norm.

Richard Fourie, who has a few decisions to make amongst the Snaith, Mike de Kock and Sean Tarry drafts, said that he had not made up his mind as to which horse he would choose to ride on 1 July.

“I will leave that to the last minute,” he laughed. Yet another Drakenstein-bred feature winner, Pacaya is raced by The Duke of Richmond Syndicate and is a son of Trippi (End Sweep) out of the top class staying mare Ash Cloud (Black Minnaloushe).

A winner of 5 races with 3 places from 12 starts, the winner has earned R551 400. Off his revised rating, Pacaya will come into the Hollywoodbets Durban July with 53kgs.

Justin Snaith - a happy start!

Chase Liebenberg

SEE IT AGAIN TOPS LOG

Automatic qualifiers occupy the top five places on the first 2023 Hollywoodbets Durban July Log pub lished on Monday by Gold Circle.

Topping the log is Splashout Cape Derby winner, See It Again, who is also the 6-1 ante-post favourite for South Africa’s premier horse race to be run for R5-million on Saturday 1 July.

Pacaya, who won Saturday’s WSB Gr2 1900, has snuck into the top 20. The son of Trippi will likely carry 53kgs in the big race.

Chase Liebenberg

Richard Fourie returns to the winner’s horseshoe after winning the WSB Gr2 1900 on Pacaya – he is at 20 on the log

HOLLYWOODBETS DURBAN JULY (GRADE 1) FIRST LOG

JULY - SEAN’S TAKING IT IN HIS STRIDE

Family business – Sean and his team lead stable star 2yo Mrs Geriatrix in after a recent win

JC Photos

At the age of 54, five-times SA champion trainer Sean Tarry remains a top-level competitor. But the days of grinding his teeth at big-race panels and losing sleep over puzzling handicapping decisions are behind him. And he is determined to enjoy his racing – that means dropping the stress!

WWith six Hollywoodbets Durban July entries in the mix, the Randjesfontein resident is more than hopeful of a third success in the race that every owner, trainer, jockey and breeder wants to win.

Talking to the Sporting Post on Monday, Sean recalled the days he lambasted the Durban July panel for making

what he felt were ‘hometown decisions’.

One example was his class filly Trophy Wife, who failed to make the final field for the 2016 renewal.

“Last year I was gutted when Nebraas didn’t get in – in fact I believe he deserved it ahead of one of mine that did make the cut.

But the guys have a job to do, and we probably need to accept these decisions graciously.”

It has been a solid ten years since the multiple SA champion trainer saddled a Durban July winner. Tarry trained Heavy Metal (2013 –Smanga Khumalo) and Pomodoro (2012- Piere Strydom) to win the Durban July when it was still sponsored by Vodacom.

Both horses raced in the silks of then leading owner Chris van Niekerk.

Has he come close in the ensuing years?

“I really felt we were unlucky with Al Sahim who ran second in 2017 behind Marinaresco.

Anthony Delpech knew him well and got along with him like a house on fire. But Anthony was retained by Mary Slack and I called up Smanga Khumalo. They didn’t click as well and that was the difference between victory and defeat.

But that’s history and now we look forward to Saturday 1 July 2023!”

With 6 of the remaining 48 entries for the 2023 Hollywoodbets Durban July, and three in Bless My Stars (5), Rain In Holland (13) and Nebraas (19) on the first big race log published earlier this week, the Randjesfontein conditioner might fancy his chances in the 127th renewal of the big race on 1 July.

He says that he will never run a horse in the July for the sake of having a big race runner. “If they come in off the right weight, I could make a case for all my six taking their chances.

I see Litigation is not on the log, but he is worth considering. He and Rascallion were the two horses behind Pacaya to emerge with credit from Saturday’s WSB Gr2 1900. I think we make a mistake of not looking at the result

Sean Tarry says Litigation ran a good race in Saturday’s WSB Gr2 1900

Candiese Lenferna

holistically and rather tag the winner with a preferential ticket for the July. We need to look at what they carried on Saturday and what the weight differential will be in the July rather.

I thought Winchester Mansion was a near cert off that mark on Saturday, and he ran a cracker. But come the Hollywoodbets Durban July, it’s going to be a different story, as one example.”

The top trainer said that he hasn’t appealed or argued a handicapping decision in ten years. “They are kind enough and happy to listen but seldom change their decisions. Look at Litigation after beating Nebraas in a Pinnacle some time back got a 113. On Saturday that kind of call makes a difference as to what he carried – he finished only 2,20 lengths off Pacaya. I think it was a smart effort by Litigation. He will enjoy the extra 300m of the July and he is the kind of horse who can be ridden on or off the pace.

Sean Tarry – enjoying his racing

The 2012 Tarry-trained Durban July winner Pomodoro with Piere Strydom in the saddle

He is back at Randjes this week and we will assess the options.”

He adds that Bless My Stars is likely to skip the Woolavington and perhaps have a mile pipeopener at home a few weeks before the big race.

Rain In Holland he feels is a bit high in the handicap but will go via the Woolavington into the July.

“Her Premier’s Champions Challenge third was exceptional. Richard Fourie wasn’t sure whether to go forward or drop her out. Eventually she settled and was running on smartly – but suffered interference close home.”

The soldier Nebraas is at 19 on the first log. “He will go into the July and then defend his Gold Cup title. We went a bridge too far with him in that Gold Bowl build-up. That wasn’t his run and he will come in freshened up on 1 July.”

As for 3yo Future Pearl, who won the Gold Bowl, Sean says that he won’t run him in Daily News.

“He’s off our best 3yo’s, so why risk running a place there and then being lumbered with extra weight on 1 July. I will probably go the Lonsdale route with him. He could be interesting in the July off a light weight!”

Sean says that Pyromaniac is a Graduation winner at best but is a talented ‘under the radar’ 4yo. “He had no luck last time,” he adds.

Currently second on the national log behind Justin Snaith, Tarry recently celebrated his 2500th winner and will go down in history as a leading South African 21st century trainer, with an impressive 277 stakes winners and 65 Gr1 winners, including all of South Africa’s ‘majors’.

The Tarry honour roll lists 32 Equus Awards, a Triple Tiara winner and five National Trainer titles.

The Hollywoodbets Durban July timetable:

• Second declarations close at 11h00 on Monday, 29 May

• Final supplementary entries close at 11h00 on Tuesday 13 June

• Weights will be published on Tuesday 13 June

• Final Declaration close at 11h00 on Monday 19 June

• Final Field and Draw announcement will take place on Tuesday 20 June

• Public gallops (compulsory) will be held on Thursday 22 June

COUNTDOWN TO 1 JULY

The 127th renewal of the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July will be run at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday 1 July.

Internationally acknowledged as Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event, the Hollywoodbets Durban July has been run without interruption every year since Saturday 17 July 17 1897 when Campanajo

crossed the line first in the Durban Turf Club Handicap run over 1600m on the Western Vlei at the site of the current Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse.

About 3 000 people attended the first meeting and who could have dreamt that in years to come it would grow to a point where a crowd of 50 000 plus was the norm!

Tarry’s 2013 Durban July winner Heavy Metal with Smanga Khumalo in the saddle

DYNASTY FILLY GOES ALL THE WAY

Louis Mxothwa keeps Time Flies at her task for her first stakes score

Chase Liebenberg

The Woolavington 2000 could be on the cards for the lightly-raced Ridgemont-bred Dynasty filly Time Flies who made all of the running in what was a mostly slow-run race to win the R150 000 KRA Listed East Coast Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday. In the process she registered her maiden stakes success.

While it will be a step up in class at weight-for-age in a fortnight from now if she does take in the Woolavington, the Brett Crawfordtrained Time Flies looks to have loads of scope and a serious touch of class.

Assistant James Crawford is prepping the Brett Crawford CHampions Season string in Joburg, and showing the BMT needed to train horses at the top level.

The young man would have made Dad proud with a second consecutive weekend winning raid down from the Highveld, that included a cracking runner-up effort by Winchester Mansions in the WSB Gr2 1900.

James said that the Woolavington was a possibility, but told the Sporting Post that it would depend on how the filly travels and shows in a day or two.

“We are on our way back to Johannesburg now and we will see how she is.

The Woolavington is a fortnight away, so that will be taken into account and discussed with the connections. But she is really progressive and it was a very pleasing effort from her,” he added.

Allowed to set her own fractions out front in the high-riding Hollywood Syndicate silks, Time Flies was given a peach of a ride by Louis Mxothwa who capitalised on the lack of pressure to make all, and still find when it counted.

In a thrilling drive to the wire, Mxothwa kept Time Flies (18-10) at her task to withstand a wide out challenge from the gallant recent Listed Scarlet Lady winner Dawnofanewday (21) by 0,40 lengths in a time of 126,30 secs.

Bred by Ridgemont, the winner is a daughter of the iconic late Dynasty (Fort Wood) out of the three-time Whipper mare, Right And Ready.

A winner of 5 races with 4 places from 9 starts, Time Flies took her earnings to R386 875.

DYNASTY’S STAKES DOUBLE

When multiple Equus champion and former SA Horse Of The Year Dynasty passed away over four years ago , Ridgemont’s Wayne Kieswetter labelled the sad event as ‘not the end – only the beginning’.

The sire-of-sires, a broodmare sire of some standing, and an industry icon labelled the‘gift that keeps on giving’,

was in the news again over the weekend with a stakes double.

His Ridgemont-bred daughter Time Flies won the KRA Listed East Coast Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday, while the Blue Sky Thoroughbreds -bred Tipsy Taragon won the Listed Syringa Handicap at Turffontein on Sunday.

SOBERING WIN FOR TIPSY

Well invested former SA Champion owner Suzette Viljoen recently moved to her brand new Hopes And Dreams Stud in the well-known former Arc En Ciel base out in Wellington.

On Sunday she celebrated a first stakes strike for her Dynasty filly Tipsy Tarragon, who went all the way to the win the R150 000 Listed Syringa Handicap at Turffontein on Saturday.

The Viljoen’s familiar blue and pink silks played a big part in the Mother’s Day feature, with the 3yo Tipsy Tarragon providing the iconic Dynasty with another stakes winner just 24 hours after Time Flies in the KRA Listed East Coast Cup on Saturday, with the Viljoen’s Queen Of Shadows finding a good finish from a wide gate for third.

Formerly with Justin Snaith down in the Cape, Tipsy Tarragon has found her feet up North and scored an overdue win after three second cheques in her first five starts.

Ridden by Denis Schwarz for trainer Tony Peter, Tipsy Tarragon (7-2) started a popular favourite and went all the way to beat former Bass-Robinson resident Crimson Princess (20-1) by 3,25 lengths in a time of 98,61 secs.

Suzette Viljoen also owns the consistent Queen Of Shadows (14-1), who ran a cracker from her wide gate on the inside track, to find third.

A R750 000 National Yearling Sale graduate, Tipsy Tarragon has now won 3 races with 4 places from 12 starts for stakes of R242 875. Bred by the progressive Blue Sky Thoroughbreds operation in the KZN Midlands, the winner is by the much-missed champion Dynasty (Fort Wood) out of the Gimmethegreenlight mare, Chartreuse.

Denis Schwarz guides Tipsy Tarragon to easy first stakes strike

PACAYA GOES TO 110

The Justin Snaith-trained Pacaya has had his merit rating raised from 104 to 110 after winning the Gr2 World Sports Betting 1900 over 1900m on the turf course at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday 13 May.

The Handicappers were of the view that 3rd finisher RASCALLION made for the most suitable line horse, leaving him unchanged on a mark of 122.

In assessing the race this way 6th placed LITIGATION and 7th finisher INDLAMU both run to their marks, effectively making them line horses as well and leaving them unchanged on ratings of 112 and 99, respectively.

There were also ratings increases for 2nd placed WINCHESTER MANSION, who is up from 99 to 103, and for 4th placed CAPE EAGLE, who was raised from 99 to 100. Three horses received a rating’s drop.

ELECTRIC GOLD is down slightly from 104 to 103, ARAGOSTA is down to 114 from 116, and lastly RAISEAHALLELUJAH is down from 100 to 99.

KRA Listed East Coast Cup

TIME FLIES has had her rating raised from 94 to 96 after she won the Listed KRA East Coast Cup for fillies and mares over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.

The Handicappers were unanimous in their view that runner-up DAWNOFANEWDAY made for the best line horse, leaving her unchanged

on a mark of 101. In assessing the race this way both 3rd placed VIRGINIA SWEET and 4th finisher SISTER LIGHT run to their marks, effectively making both of them line horses as well and leaving them unchanged on ratings of 97 and 90, respectively.

There were no increases for any horse other than the winner, and no horse from this event was given a rating’s drop.

Listed Syringa Handicap

TIPSY TARRAGON has had her rating raised from 101 to 109 after she won the Listed Syringa Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m on the inside track at Turffontein on Sunday.

Here it was 3rd placed QUEEN OF SHADOWS who was used as the line horse, which leaves her unchanged on a mark of 93.

Aside from the winner the only increase was for runner-up CRIMSON PRINCESS, who was raised from 91 to 93.

No fewer than six horses were given a rating’s drop. HOMELY GIRL is down from 101 to 99, SUPREME QUEST is down from 94 to 92, TERRA TIME is down to 99 from 101, QUEEN OF SMOKE was trimmed from 94 to 93, EMIRATE GINA drops to 103 from 105, and lastly ODE TO THE OCEAN was dropped from 85 to 80.

Media release by NHA on 16 May 2023.

REASONS TO SMILE

An unemployed Johannesburg-based racing fan enjoyed the most memorable Mother’s Day of his life when he found all eight winners on the Turffontein Sunday card to scoop the R720 000 all-or-nothing Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge jackpot.

The 26 year old Isaiah Samuels, who competes under the banner of Zai97, has been playing the free-to-enter competition for some two years now and told the Sporting Post that his prayers ‘had literally been answered’.

“Our Grandmother passed two years ago. She was the mainstay of our family and Mother’s Day brings plenty of sadness. But I think she is smiling down on me after this lifechanging windfall,” said the man who can’t find a job, has bills to pay, and smooth tyres on his car. Isaiah can thank Denis Schwarz for three terrific winning rides on the afternoon.

“I am speechless. I got up at 03h00 on Sunday morning and studied the form and went through the card. I have been following the Matchett stable so went with Global Impact in the last. I was worried about the riderless horse – and Keagan de Melo was flying on Millahue. I think I aged another 26 years! But all’s well that ends well. I can go and get my tyres on Monday. It has to be a good year I think,” he joked.

Schwarz replaced Gavin Lerena in the final race on Global Impact and basically rode his colleagues to sleep.

JC

The Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge requires the player to select a horse in each race of the designated local racemeeting, as well as the Hong Kong and Singapore racemeetings.

The new Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge prize payouts formula means that besides the R5 000 daily must-be-won prize, which is allocated to the top 20 finishers on the leaderboard for every challenge race meeting, the all-or-nothing 100% clean sheet jackpot prize is determined by the number of runners at the race meeting, multiplied by R10 000 per unit, for all venues.

For example, there were 72 starters at the Turffontein meeting. So the basic prize was R720 000. But importantly, the Bet Slip, which is generated on entry to the competition, gives the player an option to spend a minimum of R50 to double the potential prize. We asked Isaiah why he didn’t take the chance of doubling his payout for the sake of just a R50 wager.

“I would have gladly taken the opportunity of doubling the payout. But I must admit that only had R1 in my account. It’s not easy being unemployed!” he said.

Other winners on the day were Clocking The Gallop’s Gqeberha expert Nino Podesta and Turf Talk Editor David Thiselton who won the Racing Stars section of the competition. Podesta won the R3000 weekly prize for topping the log and for selecting the most winners, while Thiselton won the Daily prize of R500.

The Racing Stars is a new fun competition hosted within the Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge platform with South Africa’s racing presenters, personalities, commentators and journalists competing.

“I would have gladly taken the opportunity of doubling the payout. But I must admit that only had R1 in my account.”

The competition pits the faces and voices of racing against each other, competing on every South African race meeting, covering KZN, Western Cape, Gauteng, and Eastern Cape. Have a look at the leaderboard and the progressive standings.

For regular players the Racing Stars are also in position on the daily leaderboard – so it’s a chance for every punter countrywide to pit their individual skills against the professionals! The Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge is run again on the Hollywoodbets Greyville racemeeting which commences at 12h20 on Monday.

If you are busy travelling, or pressured for time, you can also utilise the ‘quick pick’ option and there is scope on the Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge platform to also capture your selections in advance for future race meetings. Your selections can be changed up to five minutes before the off of the first race.

The Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge is by far and away the most popular horseracing competition in South Africa. It has created a host of big winners and will continue to do so. Ask Isaiah, it’s a no-brainer!

GENERATIONS OF CLASS

Master Archie – superfast son of Rafeef

‘Remarkably, the grey has the rare distinction of being a third-generation winner of the Computaform Sprint. He is a son of 2017 winner Rafeef, whose dam National Colour dominated the 1000m Turffontein speed contest in 2006’

Chase Liebenberg

Nothing quite piques the interest of breeding pundits as a new addition to the stallion ranks. Hence the retirement to stud of Gr1 winning sprinter Master Archie immediately warrants a closer scrutiny of his pedigree.

Remarkably, the grey has the rare distinction of being a third-generation winner of the Computaform Sprint. He is a son of 2017 winner Rafeef, whose dam National Colour dominated the 1000m Turffontein speed contest in 2006.

Master Archie’s dam, the Bauhinia Handicap winner La Volta, scored all eight wins over the minimum trip, as befits a daughter of champion sprinter Var. The late Avontuur stallion also sired a Computaform Sprint winner, this in the shape of the hard-knocking Rivarine.

Master Archie’s grandam, the Gr1 winner Sarabande, is by the outstanding sprinter/ miler Goldmark, who found only the mighty Senor Santa too good when second in the 1991 renewal.

Clearly then, the Computaform Sprint runs like a golden thread through Master Archie’s immediate pedigree.

One of our readers raised the question if this feat has ever been achieved before at Gr1 level. I do apologise for any possible oversight, yet to my knowledge, the answer is no, although there have been ample examples of two-generation successes. Let’s start with the country’s premier race, the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

As far back as the early twentieth century, three horses won the race and then went on to sire another July winner. King’s Favourite took race honours in 1909 and sired 1915 winner Winnipeg.

Kipling, successful in 1940, sired the great Mowgli, who followed in his father’s footsteps twelve years later. Sadri II, who claimed the celebrated race in 1941, sired the winners Gay Jane (1951) and C’est Si Bon (1954). More recently, Sadri’s feat has been matched by 2003 winner Dynasty, who to date has

Handsome is as handsome does – Master Archie is a real looker

Chase Liebenberg

sired the winners Legislate and Belgarion. This year, all eyes will be on his sons Legislate and Futura to deliver a breakthrough thirdgeneration winner. The former is the sire of July entries Airways Law and Hoedspruit, while Futura, who ran third behind Legislate in 2014, has three nominees: Future Pearl, Future Prince and Rockpool.

Dynasty also had the distinction of winning the Gr1 Cape Derby and has sired the winners Legislate and Jackson. None of his sons have as yet managed to emulate their sire, although Legislate came close in 2021, when Hoedspruit ran fourth behind Linebacker.

The Gr1 Cape Guineas was won in the millennium year by Captain Al, whose sons Tap O’ Noth and William Longsword provided him with consecutive victories in 2017 and 2018. The latter, together with the likes of Captain Of All, One World, Eric The Red and Malmoos, comprise a powerful band of Captain Al sons currently at stud, hence the likelihood of a thirdgeneration Guineas winner emerging in the future is a distinct possibility.

As for the Gr1 SA Derby, past winners Greys

Inn and Elusive Fort have both succeeded in siring winners of the iconic classic. The former, who claimed it for the Oppenheimers in 2004, has not one, but two Derby winners to his credit: first-crop son Royal Bencher, who shared the spoils with Pomodoro in 2012, while dual Horse of the Year Legal Eagle won it three years later.

Elusive Fort’s double in the 2006 SA Derby/ Daily News 2200, was good enough to earn him an Equus award and he broke through with an SA Derby winner when longshot Out Of Your League put up a gutsy front-running effort to capture the 2020 renewal. That brings us to the SA Oaks, which has virtually become the domain of the Oppenheimer family.

The list of top fillies to have won the historic classic in their yellow and black silks stretches all the way back to 1958, when Angola claimed the event, a feat emulated by her daughter Angelina in 1970.

The full sisters Dame De Coeur and Baccarat made it back to back wins in 1963, followed in 1964 by Julie Andrews, whose half-sister Little

Elusive Fort seen winning his 3rd Gr1

Audrey took top honours four years later, while Grease Paint emulated her dam Julie Andrews in 1977.

Fast forward to 2013, the year Cherry On The Top clinched the Triple Tiara with her Oaks victory. Eight years later in 2021, her ‘niece’ Summer Pudding, became the 15th Oaks winner in the Oppenheimer silks. By the way, Cherry On The Top’s first foal, the Silvano filly Blossom, chased home champion Return Flight in the 2019 renewal.

The Oppenheimer’s daughter Mary Slack, mistress of Wilgerbosdrift, kept up the family tradition when homebred Ilha Bela won the SA Oaks in 2012. This season, Mary struck again with the filly None Other, who just happens to be out of Ilha Bela’s unraced half-sister One Of A Kind. The Mauritzfontein/Wilgerbosdrift dominance of the Oaks looks set to continue, hence it’s not a matter of if, but when, we will

witness a third-generation Oaks winner emerge from one of their female lines. Given that South African breeders have to rely more and more on locally-bred and performed stallions, the laws of succession through the male line dictate that three-generation winners of big races will emerge sooner rather than later.

There is arguably less chance of that happening through the damside, for the simple reason that barring the Gr1 sprints, few fillies manage to beat their male rivals in the open Gr1’s and classics. For now, we will savour the rare feat of three generations of Computaform Sprint winners.

RIDGEMONT

THE NEXT GIANT STRIDE

An acknowledged leader in the South African thoroughbred industry, the Ridgemont brand embraces an eclectic mix of a proud tradition and noble history, coupled with international bloodlines and 21st century best practice, to forge its position and determination for excellence.

The original Highlands Farms Stud has its origins in 1950 when Jack Stubbs purchased a 100 hectare cattle and fruit farm in the Robertson Valley.

Commencing with Highlands’ foundation broodmare Alabama, and continuing with the importation from the UK of Persian Wonder, who would go on to become a six-time champion sire in South Africa and eventually boast an extraordinary record of thirty two of his sons to stand as stallions, while notably the broodmare sire of another seven stallions, the momentum of magic had gathered early impetus.

The foundation of a striving for excellence was cemented and today history proudly speaks of decades of outstanding achievement on the turf and in the lush paddocks. Highlands Farm Stud was purchased by Graeme Beck in 1985 and produced multiple

champions over 32 years until the Kieswetter family assumed the mantle in an acquisition from Antony Beck and Graham Beck Enterprises.

The new Ridgemont Highlands was born in 2017 and six years on, the international brand proudly takes the next giant stride forward as Ridgemont.

“The success of the Farm we purchased in 2017 was not built overnight – the tradition, history and achievements are direct results of the passion, care, and love that has been committed to every aspect of the Farm in previous years. As an operation we honour the past success of the Farm but even more importantly we respect the love that people have given to helping build what we have today. It is now time for us to embrace the future and the direction of where we want to take our operation. Ridgemont has always been

the parent and we feel now is the ideal time for our image to represent that – our new logo demonstrates our excitement for the future with Ridgemont and our respect to that past with Highlands Farm Stud,” added Craig Kieswetter, who promised exciting developments on the horizon.

“Our investment in high-quality international bloodlines is ongoing. After a rebuilding phase from when we took over we have now enjoyed a couple of terrific seasons – however, our goal is to continue to get better, and to challenge all those around us to do the same, which in turn should help strengthen the industry. We are very excited as we transcend again into the next phase,” concluded Kieswetter.

The Ridgemont stallion portfolio incorporates the multiple Gr1-winning international stakes producer Canford Cliffs, SA Triple Crown star

Malmoos, Singspiel’s Gr1-winning son Potala Palace, SA Champion Freshman sire Rafeef, and Snitzel’s blue-blooded first season speed machine, Real Gone Kid.

TIME TO TAKE A NEW APPROACH

The Western Cape stallion ranks have been boosted with the news that the exciting young stallion New Predator is set to relocate to a champion base in South Africa’s leading thoroughbred breeding region for the new season.

The only son of the international stakeswinning Galileo stallion New Approach at stud in South Africa gets afforded a rare and solid gold opportunity to build on his outstanding start when he joins the exciting Ridgemont stallion band in the paddocks of Robertson.

From limited opportunity in terms of relative quality and raw numbers of mares since his first season at stud in 2019, New Predator has made an outstanding start with his first

offspring on the track showing speed and precocity that one would hardly expect from an English Derby winning son of an English Derby winner!

From 13 runners, New Predator has produced 5 winners, including a place in the recent Gr2 SA Nursery.

At the recent BSA National Yearling Sale, New Predator’s progeny fetched up to R375 000. And he has the opportunity to launch greater things!

New Predator : New Approach ex Head Over Heels (Fastnet Rock)

Ridgemont

Ridgemont’s name is synonymous with champions of the turf, with the stallion honour roll dating back almost 75 years and including such breed-shaping icons of the ilk of Persian Wonder, Elevation, Harry Hotspur, Golden Thatch, Jungle Cove, Badger Land, Jallad, National Assembly and Dynasty. Class and blood rule the land and have transcended the passage of time with the 21st century guard of Canford Cliffs, Malmoos, Potala Palace, Rafeef, Real Gone Kid, and now New Predator, set to carry the proud tradition for decades to come.

“The arrival of New Predator adds another dimension to what we believe is one of the most diverse and exciting range of stallions in South Africa, and we have committed to supporting New Predator with our mare band. Ridgemont, throughout the years, has a long tradition of standing stallions of very high quality – and with the direction of improvement

we are looking to make, we are very excited to continue that tradition. High quality stallions with international pedigrees are paramount for our industry and New Predator certainly fits all the criteria. ” said Craig Kieswetter. Bloodstock Adviser to powerful owner and breeder Laurence Wernars, and now Cape Racing Executive, Justin Vermaak said that the Western Cape was the centre of the South African racing and breeding industry and that New Predator would get the greatest of opportunities any young stallion could hope for. “Ridgemont have a proud history of making great stallions and have some of the bestbred mares in this country in their paddocks. That platform of opportunity, coupled with New Predator’s ability to upgrade mares, and the fact that Mr Wernars stands the bulk of his high-class stock in the Western Cape, motivated the thought that it made sense to give New Predator every opportunity to fulfill his

enormous potential. He is a bit of an outcross to other bloodlines here and it all adds up to a truly exciting opportunity,” said Vermaak.

Laurence Wernars, who raced New Predator, will send 20 of his mares including the likes of stakes winners True To Life, She’s A Giver, Negroamara and the well-bred five-time winner, Thumbs Up, to name a few.

A relentless galloping multiple Gr1-placed Gr2 winner from 1200m to 1600m, and a racehorse of the highest quality, New Predator was a winner of the Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes and Gr2 Charity Mile, and placed in three Gr1 races, including twice in the Horse Chestnut Stakes and the Mercury Sprint.

On reflection, history shows that his Gr1 form line was exceptional

if one considers that he defeated the likes of Durban July winners The Conglomerate and Legislate, as well as Gr1 sprint masters Rafeef, Will Pays, Attenborough, Talktothestars and multiple Gr1 winners Abashiri, Rabada and Deo Juvente.

He hails from the first crop of New Approach, a champion colt in the UK with a Timeform Rating of 132 in 2008 and a son of global super-sire Galileo.

New Predator will be syndicated and shareholders will receive a cover and a bonus for the first three years.

New Predator will be syndicated for R75 000 a share with his service fee for his first season in the Cape at R12 500 (live foal). Bonus covers will be available for the first three years.

CALVIN CALLS TIME IN SINGAPORE

Just three months after making the move from Gauteng, Calvin Habib will ride at his last Singapore meeting on Kranji Mile day on Saturday.

The TNP.straitstimes.com reports that the 26-year-old has decided to cut short his one-year Singapore Turf Club licence to return to Johannesburg to continue his career.

Habib has ridden only two winners in 51 rides over 12 meetings since his Kranji debut in February.

But he did not cite the low score as the reason

for his sudden exit – more the low number of meetings.

“At this point in time, I’m at the prime of my career,” said Habib, a winner of more than 330 races in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

“I’m still young and enthusiastic, but racing once a week is not really stimulating for me. “Back home, I used to ride 35 to 40 horses a week. When I was approached to come here,

Calvin Habib – on his way home after Saturday

I was told the club would race twice a week around the middle of the season.

“But till now, the horse population is still low and the field sizes are not getting any bigger. “I’ve ridden only two winners, but even if I had ridden 10 winners by now, I would’ve still gone back.”

Habib is confident he will not be met with the same paltry results at his old stomping ground. “I’m heading home because all the feature races come up in the

next two months,” he added.

“It’s early days, but I’ve spoken to trainers like Sean Tarry, who gave me all my four Group 1 winners, Tony Peter and Wendy Whitehead, and I hope to get rides from them.

“(Wife) Shandre and I haven’t booked tickets yet, but the plan is to be back in Johannesburg in time to ride on May 23 at Turffontein.”

Success in the Southeast-Asian jurisdiction was elusive, but Habib still put a positive spin on his five months, both on and off the track.

“I did enjoy the country and the system in place here. But I’ve also appreciated the experience I gained here,” he said.

“I’m taking away many positive things. I’ll go back a better rider, more professional as a whole.

“In big races, anything can happen, like the pace is too quick. You also need the right horse and my horse does have ability.”

“In Singapore, you’re more aware of a lot of factors, you’re more involved with the horses. You get to know them better as you ride them a couple of times a week.

“The pace of the races is also a lot quicker here. Every decision is a split-second decision, you must be as fast as possible and anticipate what could happen.

“You ride with different jockeys from different parts of the world whereas in South Africa, we all come from the same academy.

“You get to learn from the other jockeys and that can only help you improve yourself.”

His first win on the Hideyuki Takaoka-trained Wind Trail showcased both his tactical nous and strength in a tight finish while the second on Takanini was easier.

“Wind Trail gave me my first happy memory even though it was a Class 4 race,” he said. “I loved the short-head win after a heads-up, heads-down battle with two other horses.”

Habib is booked for five rides at his farewell meeting, including Circuit Mission in the SG$1 million Gr1 Kranji Mile.

The James Peters-trained galloper ran a creditable fifth for him in the Group 1 Raffles Cup (1,600m) on March 25, but still faces mammoth odds to turn the tables on the winner Lim’s Kosciuszko.

Habib does not, however, write off his chances of walking away with a win that would singlehandedly salvage his Singapore stint.

“That would be a fairytale ending if that

happened,” he said. “He ran fifth for me in the big race, he just needs luck, a good barrier.

“In big races, anything can happen, like the pace is too quick. You also need the right horse and my horse does have ability.”

In Takanini, whom he rode to a luckless sixth in the Gr2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic, he had another good bullet in the Gr2 Singapore Guineas. But it was not to be.

“Unfortunately, the Guineas was moved from

May 20 to 27. I won’t be there,” he said.

“Takanini is an exciting horse. He will win a Group race one day.If he wins the Guineas, I’ll be smiling at home because it proved I was right about him.Thanks to Mr Michael Clements for his support, but also Mr Takaoka, CT (Cheng Tee) Kuah and Mr Stephen Gray. It would be absolutely awesome if I could come back one day – so long they race twice a week again.”

www.tnp.straitstimes.com

RACING’S NEXT MOVE

CAN WE LEARN FROM OTHER SPORTS TO THRIVE?

Racing jurisdictions around the globe are suffering increased losses in revenue and crowd participation, as noted to delegates attending the 2023 Asian Racing Conference in Australia earlier this year.

In looking at history, it is evident that the fortunes of many sporting disciplines improved spectacularly when they started following ‘Roads Not Taken’—a strategy for life eloquently advised by Robert Frost, the 1900’s wordsmith.

At Global Team Horse Racing (GTH) we have covered the bases by asking: “For survival and growth, what can racing learn from other sports?”

Let’s start with a prime example that comes in the form of wrestling, the niche sporting activity older generations in South Africa adored when our tough-guy mealie farmer, Jan Wilkens,

fought his way to the World Title in the late 1970s. But Jan, along with wrestling in its original format, faded from prominence to be replaced by a new heroes and a new format.

What has wrestling got to do with horse racing? Our beloved sport is hovering upon endangerment, like wrestling was at the time of disco music and bell-bottom trousers. We, too, have a way out.

Another example is Formula 1, which was forced to adapt throughout its history. When they introduced turbocharged engines in the 1970s, teams and drivers were sceptical of the new technology and feared that it would make the sport too reliant on engineering rather than driver skill. However, the introduction of turbocharged engines led to some of the most exciting and competitive seasons in Formula 1 history.

Regulations governing the design and construction of Formula 1 cars were changed in the 2000’s to promote closer racing. They made several improvements to safety, including the halo cockpit protection system and the mandatory use of head protection for drivers. Formula 1’s revenues have continued to grow, hitting a record 2,5 billion in 2022.

Boxing has had to revolutionise to make it safer for fighters and more appealing to fans. Weight classes, standardised rules and better medical facilities have helped to reduce the risk of injuries and make the sport more credible.

Soccer enhanced its appeal to a global audience. They introduced video assistant referees (VAR), changing the way the game is officiated, and the use of goal-line technology has made the game fairer. FIFA has made efforts to increase transparency in the game and reduce corruption. It is a more trustworthy sport today, and immensely popular around the world.

When the International Cricket Council (ICC) considered a new format of limited-overs cricket, known as Twenty20 (T20) in 2003, it faced some resistance from traditionalists who felt that the game was being altered without good reason.

They argued that the new format was promoted purely for commercial reasons. Another change that faced opposition was the introduction of the DRS (Decision Review System), designed to help umpires make more accurate decisions. It was met with resistance from some players and fans who felt that it was too complicated and that it could slow down the pace of the game.

Also introduced was the World Test Championship (WTC) in 2019, which aimed to create a league-style tournament for Test cricket. While the WTC was generally well received, some players and fans expressed concerns that it could lead to an over-emphasis on white-ball cricket, and that it could take away from the traditional format of Test cricket.

But despite the negative reactions to some of the changes made, they have generally been seen as a positive development for the sport, helping to improve its popularity, while also bringing in new revenue streams and attracting new fans.

Tennis authorities had to make several changes to make their game more accessible and engaging to a wider audience. Tiebreakers, electronic line calling, and allowing coaching during matches have made the sport more fan-friendly. All of those against purist disagreements.

In Golf, we’ve seen leading player Rory McIlroy and others speak out in the past year against the upstart LIV Golf League. But Rory, in his most recent media interview, admitted that the threat to the PGA from its Saudi-backed rival forced the PGA Tour to aggressively address its “antiquated system” in a way that benefits players on all of the top tours.

Sports, along with technology and the media landscape, is forever evolving. The ones that have revolutionised their rules, format, and approach to appeal to a wider audience, have not only survived but also thrived.

Ultimately, innovation is the bottom line in a competitive landscape. GTH is cuttingedge, disruptive, and designed for the new participants and stakeholders required to keep horse racing sustainable. It’s a no-brainer!

• Media release by Global Team Horseracing.

Sports, along with technology and the media landscape, is forever evolving.

NDLOVU OUT FOR SEASON

Gqeberha jockey Charles Ndlovu is unlikely to ride again this season after being injured at a wet Fairview on Friday.

Ndlovu was riding Secret Is Ours in rainy conditions in the fourth (and ultimately final race of the curtailed meeting) when his right foot slipped out of the stirrup iron inside the final 200m.

He was dislodged and fell heavily.

The Winning Form-sponsored rider was found to have broken his left foot and fractured and disclocated a collar bone.

He is reportedly in a lot of pain.

As often happens, the racing authorities came in for criticism for starting the Derby meeting on the turf.

Following the running of the second race, an Executive of 4Racing approached the Stewards to request permission that the remainder of the race meeting be run on the polytrack surface as, in his opinion, the rain that had set in would

Charles Ndlovu – a bad fall

Pauline Herman

prove to be an impediment to the conclusion of the race meeting if races were to continue on the turf surface.

The Stewards, after considering the amount of rain that had fallen prior to the third and the prevailing track conditions in the second, which showed soft areas in the middle of the track, in particular in the straight, and that a horse had slipped in the pull up area, approved the request to move the remainder of the race meeting to the polytrack in the interests of the continuation thereof.

Trainers were afforded the opportunity to withdraw their runners by 13h00 on the grounds of the change of surface and amendments were made to the distances of Races 4 and 7.

Following the running of Race 4, where Ndlovu had suffered the unfortunate accident, rider

representatives approached the Stewards and lodged a protest regarding their concerns relating to poor visibility which, in their opinion, impacted on their safety.

The Stewards, in terms of Rule 5.2.3, after having heard evidence from the respective officials and licensees, determined that visibility was poor and that this could prejudice rider safety, horse welfare and the integrity of racing. It was decided to wait a period to establish if there was an improvement in weather conditions.

This improvement did not materialize and a decision was taken to abandon the remainder of the race meeting after the first four races in the interests of rider safety and horse welfare. 4Racing have postponed the two feature races to this coming Friday 19 May.They will be run on the turf, with the balance of the meeting on the polytrack.

Klink, the 2022 OK Grand Challenge winning rider, won the Tankard on Ideal View for trainer Debra Swanson on Saturday 6 May at Borrowdale Park.

But three days later, he was on the red carpet at the Vaal after getting the 25-1 Time Spirit home in a R70 000 MR 67 handicap for trainer Paul Matchett and owner Mano Pandaram. Time Spirit beat the favourite Absolute Value by under a length and Klink was adjudged to have gone 5 strikes over 12 limit.

KLINK CASTLED BY STIPES

Just days after jockey Nathan Klink registered the biggest win of his career across the border in the Gr1 Castle Tankard, he was given one of the heaviest censures for exceeding the twelve-strike crop limit, since new penalty guidelines were introduced last month.

(read with Guideline M on the use of the crop) in that he misused his crop by striking Time Spirit 17 times in the entire race.

Klink signed an Admission of Guilt and a suspension of 7 days and a fine of R20 000 was imposed.

When assessing the penalty, the Board took into consideration the number of times the crop was used, and Klink’s recent record with regard to this Rule and Guideline. His suspension and fine will be of token compensation to the backers of the beaten favourite.

Klink posted the first win of his career on Nico’s Chick at Flamingo Park on 16 July 2018 for the Bill Human stable.

Crop guideline penalties increased on 14 April 2023. For the sake of calculating penalties, contraventions from 1 September 2022 are taken into account.

The Stipendiary Board, in consultation with Klink, agreed to allow him to sign an Admission of Guilt for a contravention of Rule 58.10.2

In the Cape Town Met in January, both winning rider Richard Fourie and runner-up Gavin Lerena were fined for exceeding the crop limit – both by one strike. Fourie was fined R25 000, while Lerena got R15 000.

Nathan Klink – heavy censure

Fabulous Frankel

FRANKEL – HIGH FLYER!

Even by his own remarkable standards, unbeaten legend Frankel is enjoying a magnificent year in 2023. At the time of writing, the Juddmonte colossus had been responsible for a plethora of stakes winners this year, with the promise of plenty more to come.

His son Chaldean became Frankel’s fourth British classic winner, but first English 2000 Guineas winner, when he claimed the recent Gr1 Qipco 2000 Guineas (a race won by Frankel himself 12 years earlier), and Frankel has had a flood of stakes winners follow on from Chaldean’s classic triumph.

The day prior to Chaldean’s classic win, Frankel’s triple Gr1 winning son Hurricane Lane got back on the winning track when he romped to a six-length in the Gr2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket,

Juddmonte Farms

while two days later, the Frankel sired Adayar, winner of both the 2021 Gr1 Cazoo Derby and 2021 Gr1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes, claimed the Gr3 bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes and both Hurricane Lane and Adayar look likely to win more good races this season.

Frankel’s great run continued over the past weekend when his son Military Order, a full-brother to Adayar, confirmed his status as a leading contender for this year’s Gr1 Betfred Derby when winning Saturday’s Listed

Fitzdares Lingfield Derby Trial.

Military Order, who is from the same female line as the highly successful South African broodmare and Listed Sun Classique Handicap winner Dubai Gina (Dubai Destination), has now won three of just four starts and he could bid to provide his dam Anna Salai with another Epsom classic winner next month.

Frankel, whose four-time Gr1 winning son Cracksman is the sire of exciting three-yearold and winner Ace Impact, is also the sire of

Frankie and Chaldean return after QIPCO 2000 Guineas win

Soldier Rising, who finished a close-up second in Saturday’s Gr1 Man O’War Stakes at Belmont Park.

Military Order is one of several strong Derby contenders representing Frankel. The latter is also the sire of exciting three-year-old Arrest, who stormed into the picture for this year’s Betfred Derby when running out a six-and-a-half length winner of the Gr3 Boodles Chester Vase, a race won previously by such Epsom Derby winners as Henbit, Shergar, and Ruler Of The World.

Arrest became his sire’s 80th group/graded winner with his Chester success, while yet other group-winning three-year-olds representing Frankel this year are Flight Leader (Gr3 Prix Noailles), Hans Andersen (Gr3 Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” 2000 Guineas Trial Stakes) and

Jannah Rose (Gr3 Prix Vanteaux). The latter became her sire’s 27th Gr1 winner when she won Sunday’s Gr1 St Mark’s Basilica Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary.

Already with sires titles in both Britain/Ireland and France to his credit, Frankel looks poised to continue his dominance of British and European classic races this year. He also continued to come up with top-class performers when mated to daughters of an outstanding stallion in the form of Dubawi, with the Frankel/Dubawi cross having already produced such Gr1 winners as Adayar, Dream Castle (Jebel Hatta) and Homeless Songs (Irish 1000 Guineas).

There appears every chance that Military Order could well become yet another Gr1 winner bred on this clearly potent cross!

DUBAI’S NEW LOOK CARNIVAL

In line with Dubai’s fast-paced development and innovation, under the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai Racing Club has unveiled a new structure for the 2023-24 racing season.

The season has been transformed into a rich racing extravaganza, renamed the Dubai Racing Carnival. The move, which follows two decades of international racing in the Emirate, is marked by a big boost in prize money, which promises to attract highly competitive fields.

the 2023 Dubai World Cup Carnival at

The restructured Dubai Racing Carnival is a reward for the fast-improving quality of local horses, while Dubai’s world-class facilities are perfect for international runners to use as a base for the flourishing racing in the region. A good example of the benefits of wintering

The George Boughey-trained AL DASIM wins at

Meydan Racecourse

The George Boughey-trained Al Dasim wins at the 2023 Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan Racecourse

in the Dubai sun is Mawj. The Saeed Bin Suroor-trained filly was two from two at Meydan Racecourse before returning to the UK and winning the prestigious Group 1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Sheikh Rashed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Racing Club, said: “The new shape and identity of the Dubai Racing Carnival has the potential of boosting Dubai’s strategic position as a regional centre for horseracing sports and a favourite racing destination. This is thanks to the rich races on offer and the expertise, services and facilities at the iconic Meydan Racecourse.

“We have a proud history of racing in Dubai, but we are also known for our innovation. We are delighted to boost prize money and welcome international participation for the entirety of the season.”

The Dubai Racing Carnival spans the entire season at Meydan, from November to March, giving international trainers, jockeys and horses the chance to compete in Dubai for much longer than was previously the case.

Purses for the Dubai Racing Carnival 20232024 are up by AED11 million – a 27% increase from the total for the 2022-23 season. There will be three valuable feature race nights; starting in December (AED4.7m), then January (AED10m), and Super Saturday in March (AED10m); which brings the total purses for the three meetings to AED24.7m. The minimum prize money per non-stakes races is AED165,000; the same as pre-pandemic levels. The flagship Dubai World Cup night brings the curtain down on the Dubai season and retains its enormous pool of prize money of US$30.5 million (AED112 million).

The Dubai Racing Carnival encompasses 14 meetings, excluding Dubai World Cup day, with each meeting staging seven to nine races. Racing takes place on Fridays, except for Super Saturday and the Dubai World Cup, which are on Saturdays.

The Dubai Racing Club will make further announcements in due course regarding the racing calendar and purse structure.

• Media release by Dubai Racing Club on Monday 15 May 2023

KATAK SET FOR GR1 BID ON SATURDAY

The all-conquering Lim’s Kosciuszko heads the ratings in the SG$1 million Gr1 Kranji Mile to be run on Saturday, but trainer Ricardo Le Grange’s three-pronged attack – headed by the former Cape Winter Series champion Katak – certainly adds up at the set-weight conditions.

Lim’s Kosciuszko – reigning Horse of the Year and with a rating of 113 – will fittingly carry the number one saddle cloth, but Katak (108) and stablemate Hongkong Great (107) are the only two other horses with a rating of over 100. Rocket Star (93) was also well-in at the conditions – all horses will carry 57kgs.

Nine of the Kranji Mile likely-combatants headed to the trials last Tuesday morning with the Le Grange quartet to the fore. Both Katak

and Hongkong Great won in their respective heats.

Katak – with race jockey Vlad Duric aboard – was arguably the pick of the bunch when he won trial no 4 in the time of 59.37secs by five-and-a-quarter lengths over Kranji Mile rival Street of Dreams (Ronnie Stewart), while stablemate Rocket Star (Marc Lerner) ran another half-a-length away in third.

Katak (Vlad Duric) seen here at his last win on 9 July 2022

“Very happy,” said Le Grange when asked about the South African-bred son of Potala Palace’s winning trial.

“He (Katak) needed a good blow-out and I couldn’t be more impressed with how he went this morning.

“Obviously, I have the utmost respect for Lim’s Kosciuszko – (trainer) Daniel (Meagher) had him going really well – but I think we have come on since the last time they met and in my humble opinion, he (Katak) is a contender.” The last time the pair met was in the Group 1 Raffles Cup (1600m) on March 25 under weight-for-age conditions. While Lim’s Kosciuszko was ultra impressive from the way he won eased down by jockey Wong Chin Chuen by two-and-a-half lengths, Katak looked the only danger in the running.

“He has to make up a couple of lengths and I’m very respectful on just how good Lim’s Kosciuszko is, but Vlad was very happy with how he (Katak) has come through that race, which I thought he showed today.

“He (Katak) had a quiet gallop on Tuesday and if he stays trouble free till before the big race, I think he will be at his best in the (Kranji) Mile on Saturday week.”

Hongkong Great – who often makes the running in races – showed he was no “one-trick pony” by coming from off the pace to win trial no 3 in the time of 59.17secs – the fastest time of the morning.

“To be honest, he raced back today by default,” confessed Le Grange of the Chilean-bred son of Lookin At Lucky.

“We thought a few others would go quickly early but they didn’t, so we went for Plan B. “He got the sit and ran through them nicely. It worked out well and while it will be (barrier) draw-related, it gives Bernardo options.” Pinheiro agreed and thought that Hongkong Great will run a big race in the Kranji Mile. “I was very happy with how that worked out,” explained the well-travelled Brazilian jockey after Tuesday’s trial.

“They were supposed to go fast, so I had the handbrake on early. He gave me a very good feeling as he passed in between the other horses and, like Ricardo said, it gives us options.

“I’m very thankful for the ride. He’s a class horse and in good form so I think he will run a super race.”

AUSSIE GETS ONE-DAY LICENCE

The Singapore Turf Club has granted a oneday visiting jockey’s licence to Australian jockey Mark Zahra to ride at the Kranji Mile meeting on Saturday .

The 40-year-old Victorian jockey is booked by trainer Jerome Tan to ride Sacred Croix in the Gr1 Kranji Mile.

Zahra, who hails from Perth and made his riding debut in Western Australia in 1998, has chalked up more than 1300 winners in 25 years of riding, including 27 Group 1 winners to-date. His latest Group 1 wins include the Vinery Stud Stakes atop Prowess for trainers

Roger James and Robert Wellwood two months ago, as well as pairing up with the Ricardo Le Grange-trained Hongkong Great to victory in the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) in November last year at his last visit to Singapore.

Other notable achievements of his include the Melbourne Cup with Gold Trip, the Makybe Diva Stakes with I’m Thunderstruck and the Blue Diamond Stakes atop Daumier last year, as well as the Caulfield Cup with Verry Elleegant in 2020 and the TJ Smith Stakes with Santa Ana Lane in 2019.

EPSOM DERBY PICTURE CLEARS

The weather has not exactly played ball with the Classic Trial at Sandown abandoned due to heavy rain, and over the weekend, the Lingfield Derby Trial had to be switched to the all-weather course.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, the Charlie Appleby trained Military Order ran out a convincing one and a quarter length winner of the Lingfield Derby Trial. A son of Frankel and full brother to 2021 Derby winner Adayar,

the colt looks a realistic Derby hope for the Godolphin operation and as a result of his performance, was promoted as Derby favourite.

He saw out the mile and a half trip really well after being pushed all the way by the runner-up Waipiro, a horse who looked a smart prospect himself after an impressive win at Newmarket last month.

Military Order’s jockey William Buick was quick to take advantage of a gap on the rail turning

The Derby at Epsom is just over two-weeks away and leading candidates emerged from the various trials to have taken place over the past week.

Military Order (blue) wins at Lingfield

into the straight and he responded to his rider’s call to quicken into the lead at the top of the straight. He then showed a great attitude and plenty of staying power to ease away from the Ed Walker trained Waipiro in the final half-furlong.

The pair pulled over four lengths clear of another Derby prospect in Circle Of Fire in a good time, so there is every reason to believe this was a good renewal. Military Order and Waipiro, definitely enhanced their Epsom prospects.

Buick commented post-race: “He had to overcome a race around a track that doesn’t play to his strengths but once I was in the position, he was always there for me. He’s a very balanced horse and a beautiful mover, and at this stage of his career he’s very much like Adayar.”

Earlier in the week, the Chester trials, the Vase, and the Dee Stakes, were run on heavy ground. Arrest, another son of Frankel, stormed clear up the short Chester straight to finish over 6-lengths clear of his market rival, the Aidan O’Brien trained Adelaide River in the Gr3 Chester Vase with the remaining three runners tailed off.

He raced keenly in the initial stages before outstaying his rivals in what looked a weaker contest than Lingfield. The runner-up cannot be too high on the pecking order at Ballydoyle with others including Guineas disappointment Auguste Rodin more likely to travel across the Irish Sea in early June.

The Juddmonte owned Arrest, won easily in soft ground that looks very much to his liking. A soft ground Derby would mean he is very much in the mix, but his rider Frankie Dettori had reservations about the Epsom track and quicker ground for this big, burly sort.

Arrest’s Chester win was the best of the Roodee trials with O’Brien’s San Antonio winning a weak-looking renewal of the Dee Stakes in workmanlike fashion.

The Vase winner also paid a compliment to the Johnston trained Dubai Mile who beat him in the Gr1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud last October.

A good fifth behind Chaldean in the Guineas on his reappearance, if there is a Derby winner to come from the Newmarket race it’s him, as he is tough, uncomplicated and another who looks versatile regarding the ground.

NEW PARTNERSHIP

Dual Grand National-winning trainer Lucinda Russell will join forces with Michael Scudamore on a joint licence in the summer.

Michael Scudamore will move his operation and most of his horses to Russell’s base in Scotland, with Scudamore’s brother, recently-retired jockey Tom, taking over Michael’s Herefordshire base, which will become a satellite and pre-training yard for the jumps operation.

Russell’s assistant and partner, eight-times champion jockey Peter Scudamore, is relishing the prospect of expanding the family-run operation.

“I find it quite awe-inspiring what we are doing,” said Scudamore, father of Tom and Michael.

“Lucinda put it so well that the key to it all is in our attention to the horses and in particular with the time spent seeing them at home and sourcing them at the sales.

“I feel we need to continue to concentrate on what we are good at and we kind of get dragged away from it sometimes.

“We’ll have Michael and Thomas, and the people already within the yard, like Blair Campbell, who is an ex-jockey, Cameron Wadge and Jamie Duff who are our assistants, who have been quite brilliant.

KZN SALE

CATALOGUE ONLINE

One of the best value-for-money and successful thoroughbred auctions in South Africa, the KwaZulu-Natal Sale has an impressive roll of honour.

Among the numerous stars offered at this sale in years gone by are Triple Crown winning sire Louis The King, champion Wild One, and fellow G1 winners Battle Force, Camphoratus, Eyes Wide Open, Flying Carpet, Happy Valentine, Pearl Of Asia, Same Jurisdiction and Seal.

This season’s Gr3 Godolphin Barb Stakes winner Cliff Hanger, an impressive winner of his

first two starts, is another fine advertisement for the KZN Sale, with the son of Canford Cliffs a R90 000 purchase from the 2022 KZN Yearling Sale. Buyers will be spoiled for choice at this year’s auction, with many of South Africa’s top stallions represented at the 2023 KZN Sale.

Among the top sires with progeny on sale are Elusive Fort, Flower Alley, Futura, Gimmethegreenlight, Ideal World, Master Of My Fate, Oratorio, Querari, Rafeef, The United States, Twice Over, Var, Vercingetorix, and What A Winter.

An attractive and well-balanced catalogue has been assembled for this year’s KZN Yearling Sale.

This catalogue can now be viewed online at www.bsa.co.za

A few potential standouts in this catalogue include:

Lot 1 -a Vercingetorix filly out of Gr3 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Palace Of Dreams

Lot 3 -a full-brother to Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship winner Vernichey

Lot 13 -a Gimmethegreenlight filly out of Equus Champion Return Flight

Lot 25 -a Vercingetorix half-brother to Gr3 Umkhomazi Stakes winner Al Mariachi

Lot 33 -a Vercingetorix 3/4 sister to Gr2 winner Silver Operator

Lot 41 -a Querari filly out of Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship winner The Secret Is Out

Lot 43 -a What A Winter half-sister to Gr1 Tsogo Sun Medallion winner Guiness

Lot 59 -a William Longsword half-brother to this season’s World Sports Betting Gold Rush winner Royal Aussie

Lot 62 -a full-brother to Gr2 winning millionaire African Warrior

Lot 115 -a Pathfork half-sister to this season’s Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner Lady Of Power

Lot 121 -a Gimmethegreenlight colt out of Gr3 winner Enchanted Kingdom

Lot 123 -a Gimmethegreenlight 3/4 brother to triple graded stakes winner Barahin

Lot 134 -a Querari filly out of Gr2 winner Heaps Of Fun

Lot 154 -an Act Of War half-brother to this season’s Gr3 Godolphin Barb Stakes winner Cliff Hanger

Lot 159 -a Master Of My Fate close relative of champion Tempting Fate

Lot 166 -a full-sister to Gr3 Track And Ball Derby winner Cape Speed

The 2023 KZN Yearling Sale is set to take place at the Suncoast Casino, with the one day auction kicking off at 11h00 sharp on 29 June.

RAFEEF – THE STAR SHINES BRIGHT

Ridgemont’s exciting young stallion Rafeef enjoyed a good double at Turffontein on Tuesday, with the stallion’s sons Real Relief and Black Egret winning the first and seventh races respectively on the card.

A well-backed favourite for the 4Racing Welcomes You Maiden Juvenile Plate (1160m), the Brett Crawford-trained Real Relief was always up with the pace in Tuesday’s contest, and, when asked the question by championjockey elect Keagan De Melo, the colt quickened up smartly to win convincingly by just over a length and a quarter.

Bred by Limestone Thoroughbred Trust, Real Relief (who is held in high regard by his connections) had finished second on his only previous start and he looks a nice sort in the making.

Out of the Var mare Heritage Wood, and thus bred on the same cross as Gr1 winners Master Archie and Thunderstruck, Real Relief was an R130 000 buy from the 2022 National Yearling Sale.

He is the sixth two-year-old winner this season for his G1 Computaform Sprint winning sire Rafeef, whose current crop of juveniles also includes the promising Outlaw King and G3 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Leaving Las Vegas. Rafeef’s second success on Tuesday came when his three-year-old son Black Egret captured the seventh race, the Racehorse

Owners Association MR 82 Handicap over 1100 metres.

Trained by Ashley Fortune, Black Egret raced in second for much of the running before being produced Raymond Danielson with a sustained run to win going away by a length and a quarter.

Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, the strapping Black Egret is out of the Silvano mare Water Bird. The gelding has now won twice and has a further seven placings from his ten starts.

South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire of 2020-2021, Rafeef (whose first crop produced the G1 winners Aragosta and Master Archie) has been responsible for six stakes winners this season including graded stakes winners Leaving Las Vegas, Shantastic, Union Square and William Robertson.

His success on the racetrack has translated to the sales ring, with Rafeef yearlings making up to R725 000 at this year’s National Yearling Sale.

The son of Redoute’s Choice has five lots on offer at the 2023 KZN Yearling Sale.

TRAINERS

JOCKEYS

BREEDERS

SIRES

See all the detailed standings - Click here