R1 (13) Tiger Star (6) Mischievious (3) Mamba Mania
R2 (3) Cezar Ritz (6) Seattle Dragon (9) Veeipee Club
R3 (5) Klawerkate (3) Curved Light (8) Pepper Dust
R4 (3) Villa Del Largo (1) Captain Alfredo (6) Zevenastic
R5 (17) Galadriel (2) Agterskot (1) Oklahoma Sky
R6 (2) Cup Cake (1) Supercilious (11) Work Ethic
R7 (2) Classify (6) Green Lantern (8) Kiss Me Hardy
R8 (3) China Express (7) Lord Katawa (9) Captain’s Vista

Exotics

PA (R64)
Leg 1: 3
Leg 2: 5 x 3
Leg 3: 3 x 1
Leg 4: 17 x 2
Leg 5: 2 x 1
Leg 6: 2 x 6
Leg 7: 3 x 7

PICK 6 (R3600)
Leg 1: 5 x 3 x 8 x 2 x 7
Leg 2: 3 x 1 x 6 x 2 x 4 x 6
Leg 3: 17 x 2 x 1 x 7
Leg 4: 2 x 1 x 11
Leg 5: 2 x 6
Leg 6: 3 x 7 x 9 x 10 x 13

JACKPOT (R216)
Leg 1: 3 x 1 x 6 x 2 x 4 x 6
Leg 2: 17 x 2 x 1 x 7
Leg 3: 2 x 1 x 11
Leg 4: 2 x 6 x 8

BEST BET
Race 2: 3

VALUE BET
Race 6: 2

Justin Snaith is optimistic that there will be no repeat of the start problems that cost Star Express all chance last time when the four-year-old lines up for the Gold Bracelet at Greyville on Saturday week.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount became fractious, in the words of the stipes report, when leaving the pens in the Garden Province and in no time she was four lengths last. She finished with only one behind her.

Snaith said yesterday: “I hope she doesn’t do that again because she is a huge runner in the Gold Bracelet but sometimes the biggest problem comes at the starting stalls. You get the horse spot on, it’s a big day and the horse is super-excited and you can’t control what happens at the pens.”

Star Express has long been held in high regard by the Snaith stable and in the Klawervlei Majorca on Met day she was only beaten half a length by Nightingale. She was also fifth in the Maine Chance Paddock Stakes, beaten little more than two lengths.

Michael Clower

The two-day Gold Cup Festival of Racing, taking place at Greyville next Saturday and Sunday, brings the curtain down on the season and while some of the categories for the Equus Awards are already fairly settled as far as likely candidates are concerned and up for debate, there are still a number of questions to be answered come the final two race meetings.

Two categories that go down to the wire almost every year are Champion Two-year-old Male and Filly. As things stand at present Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship winner Brave Mary, Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery winner Green Plains and Gr2 Golden Slipper winner Desert Rhythm would appear to be the principal contenders for the filly’s award. Of this trio, only Desert Rhythm is an entry in the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes next Sunday and victory there will go a long way to cementing her place at the top of the pile.

In the male category, Gr1 SA Nursery winner Mustaaqeem will be an automatic contender as will Gr1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion winner and unbeaten Sand And Sea along with Gr2 Golden Horseshoe winner Purple Diamond. The latter pair are both entries in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes.

Other categories that are far from settled are Champion Older Male and Champion Middle Distance.

Obvious contenders for both categories are Legal Eagle, Whisky Baron and Marinaresco. Legal Eagle and Whisky Baron are done for the season but Marinaresco will enhance his chances in both categories if he triumphs in the Gr1 World Sports Betting Champions Cup next Saturday.

In the older male category, Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner Captain America must be in contention as well as in the Champion Miler category where he will be up against reigning Horse of the Year, Legal Eagle.

Champion Stayer has always been a bone of contention with the only Gr1 that falls into this category (2400m and further) being the Gr1 SA Derby, obviously restricted to three-year-olds. All other staying stakes races over ground are Gr3 or Listed, including the eLAN Gold Cup that has been down-graded from Gr1 to Gr3 in spite of a Gr1 stake of R1 million.

However, no matter the down-grade, it still ranks as the country’s leading race over ground through tradition and also as most of the country’s best staying horses compete on a level playing field.

Derby winner Al Sahem will be in contention and the Gold Cup is likely to have a major influence on the Equus judges.

Carry On Alice, retired after her triumph in the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint, and who won a Gr1 in each of the four seasons’ that she raced, has surprisingly not won an Equus award although featuring prominently in nominations each year.

She is a strong contender this year for Champion Older Filly or Mare and also Champion Sprinter.

Silvano has sewn up the Champion Stallion award for the second time ahead of the recently deceased Captain Al while Klawervlei are way clear of perennial rivals Summerhill Stud in the leading stud category. The human categories are all but done-and-dusted. Markus and Ingrid Jooste under the Mayfair Speculators banner will again walk off with the trophy as leading owners. Champion Trainer elect Sean Tarry has enjoyed a phenomenal year and has left his rivals trailing. At time of writing he had sent out 211 winners for record stakes of over R35 million, R15 million more than nearest rival Justin Snaith.

Similarly, Anthony Delpech is unchallenged for the Champion Jockey title ahead of Gavin Lerena.

The Equus Awards will be held at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg on Tuesday evening, August 15.

Andrew Harrison 

A post on social media this morning got it just about right at Greyville yesterday. “A Roy Moodley benefit,” it read. KZN’s leading owner was in the winner’s enclosure five times and to make it more exciting, three of them look to have a bright future.

Moodley’s winners were shared between Alyson Wright and Duncan Howells with champion jockey elect Anthony Delpech aboard four of and Keagan de Melo plucking one plum.

Three of Moodley’s winners were saddled by Howells who has pinched what is beginning to look like an unassailable lead in the KZN trainer’s championship. He was four clear of reigning champion Dennis Drier going into the meeting and is now seven clear with four meetings to go before the end of the current season.

Moodley’s run started in the third where the talented but often temperamental Roy’s Hollyhock was extricated from a seemingly precarious position at the top of the straight by Delpech. “She blew the start but I knew that if I gave her a clear run in the straight she would win.” Even that did not go quite according to plan as Delpech had to extricate himself from behind a tiring runner. But once clear, Roy’s Hollyhock motored home to win as she liked.

A race later it was the turn of Roy’s Zara, a second for the Howells, Delpech combination. The daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown made light of her wide draw and put three lengths over her rivals at the wire. It was not the strongest field but the lightly raced Roy’s Zara won well enough to suggest that over a bit of ground she can be really useful.

The Wright-trained Roy Is Second made light of her name to go one better in the sixth. A home-bred by Horse Chestnut, this was her second win from 15 starts and she finished well to catch long-time leader Dundrum, who for once was relatively well behaved at the gate.

Roy’s Regis has taken to the poly and made it two from two on the surface with a commanding win in the seventh. Always handy under De Melo, the Australian-bred son of Choisir led early in the straight and was never in trouble.

The last hurrah was left to Delpech and Wright. Veteran Roy Royale stormed home in the last to catch long-time leader The Lion Guard on the line to end a memorable day for Moodley.

The day was marred by three horses coming down in the fourth but thankfully all three riders and their mounts appear to have escaped with minor injuries.

Honeymoon Cove, who was over racing, clipped the heels of Roy’s Zara approaching the 600m mark and falling with apprentice Khanya Sakayi. Fonteyn then made contact with the fallen Honeymoon Cove and lost her footing dislodging MJ Byleveld. Warren Kennedy aboard Liberty Market was unable to avoid the pile-up and also came down.

The horses escaped unscathed but all three jockeys we taken to hospital for precautionary check-ups but appeared to be only shaken

Chairman of the stipendiary board, Shaun Parker, said that no-one was to blame and it was an “unfortunate racing incident.”

Andrew Harrison

 

 

Race 1
Preview: NOCEUR made a smart return from a lengthy break when a close second in just her third outing. She has the experience and should improve on that effort. PRINCESS TIN TIN made a promising debut in that same event and should also come on from that outing. CHAPATI finished down the field when starting favourite last run, her first in blinkers. She has a chance if she can reproduce her previous form. STATE OF MOTION should improve on this trip and is one to watch. (Andrew Harrison: 1-7-2).

Race 2
Preview: AQUILA WARRIOR took a walk in the market on debut but was green and not far back. He should make good improvement on that debut effort. RED INDY has improved with each outing and was a close-u second over course and distance last time out. He looks the main threat to the selection. SOARING HIGH seems sure to come on from his debut effort although he looks well held by Red Indy while NOBLE SECRET is a well-bred first timer. (Andrew Harrison: 1-6-7).

Race 3
Preview: ILHA DA VAR showed some pace on debut before fading late. She should come on lengths from that effort. MILLWOOD MAGIC has shown good pace in both starts. She should be fitter now and looks a threat. OPERA has been reported to have been blowing hard in both of her starts but she improved nicely second time out. FLYING FALCON and KUTAMBA also have chances in an open race. (Andrew Harrison: 3-5-7).

Race 4
Preview: IMPERIAL OUNCE is a lightly raced four-year-old and was not far back when returning from a lengthy break and gelding.  Given his stable’s form he must have a strong chance of making significant improvement. GONNAFLY has improved with each outing and looks about ready. SWING VOTE was a distant second last run but showed pace. Zackey has jumped ship to partner Gonnafly. (Andrew Harrison: 1-10-2).

Race 5
Preview: HYPERACTIVE showed good pace and kept going to win his maiden. He drops in trip and with a claimer up he can follow up. ALEX THE GREAT has good form leading up to the SA Nursery where he did not feature He has been rested since but can do better here. PILLAROFTHEEARTH showed up well first up in handicap company and will have plenty of supporters. (Andrew Harrison: 3-5-2).

Race 6
Preview: SHUKAMISA has hardly finished out of the money in 11 starts and has been close-up over course and distance at his last two. This is his third run after a break. NEPHRITE is back over what looks to be his optimum trip and has a handy galloping weight. VULCAN is a bit of a distance specialist and off a light weight should feature. FOREST FOX is always dangerous but does not appear to be all that genuine although he can gallop on his day and returns from a break. (Andrew Harrison: 2-8-10).

Race 7
Preview: Wide open. BOLD COAST has come back well from gelding and was an easy winner last time out. He has a fair weight to shoulder here but seems to be progressive. WILLIAM GRACE has lacked finish at his last two over further but has shown some ability. He could prove better with trip and with a claiming apprentice up and blinkers, could prove competitive. PACHUCO steps up in class but has improved at his last two. (Andrew Harrison: 1-12-10).

Race 8
Preview: AT A GLANCE has improved in blinkers and has been close-up at her last two over course and distance. BUBUSKA STORY also showed good improvement when shedding her maiden last time out. She is still improving and can follow up in what is a weak field. PEARL VALLEY has shown good pace in her two starts since returning from a break and should be at her peak now. ZAPPY CHOICE faded badly last run but is better than that and may be worth another chance. (Andrew Harrison: 2-1-7-8).

Race 9
Preview: MAIN BABY has shown up well at her last two. She was running at them late over course and distance last time out and a repeat could see her go one better. MRS BADER returns from a break wearing blinkers for the first time. She showed pace last time out and meets little of note here. GREEN CREST has come back well since a break and goes well this course and distance. She has a fair chance in a wide open affair. (Andrew Harrison: 8-2-10).