Despite his untimely passing in 2011, the ill-fated champion regained the crown he relinquished to Silvano in 2012-13 and such has been his dominance at the top of the sires log, he had wrapped up his seventh sires title in eight years half-way through the season. Acknowledged as the most successful South African-bred stallion of all time, he will finish the season with earnings close on R20-million, more than R4-million clear of runner-up Dynasty. He would arguably have broken the existing stakes record of just under R21-million set by Silvano were it not for the misfortune of losing top prospects Yorker (exported), Master Of My Fate and Jet Explorer (both injured) during the second half of the season.
On Saturday, Jet Master capped a memorable season when two daughters Jet Belle and Jet Aglow fought out the finish to the Gr 2 Golden Bracelet at Greyville. The pair features amongst a splendid haul of 16 individual stakes winners this past season for their late sire, the standouts amongst which are Gr 1 winners Yorker, In The Fast Lane and Fly By Night, who between them, accounted for six top level victories.
Yorker stamped himself a genuine candidate for Horse of the Year honours with a Gr 1 treble in the Sansui Summer Cup, Champions Challenge and H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, in addition to which he was runner-up in the Gr 1 J&B Met and in his final South African start, ran third in the Gr 1 Gold Challenge.
In The Fast Lane looks a shoo in for the champion three-year-old filly of the Year award, having garnered a Gr 1 double in the Gr 1 Cape Fillies Guineas and Woolavington 2000, prior to finishing a creditable fifth in the Vodacom Durban July.
The year-older Fly By Night improved dramatically in the latter part of the season when she put up two stellar performances during the KZN winter season. The Mike Bass-trained miss came within a shorthead of handing likely sprint champion Via Africa a rare defeat in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint at Scottsville and proved that was no fluke when she flew to victory in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint at Clairwood. On that occasion, she defeated veteran Copper Parade, who had previously lowered the colours of Via Africa in Turffontein’s Gr 1 Computaform Sprint.
Judging by Saturdays’ Gold Cup meeting, Jet Master should continue to cast a long shadow over the South African racing industry.
Juvenile sons Jayyed and Mljet did their sire proud when involved in a blanket finish to the Gr 1 Premiers Champion Stakes. The former, still a maiden, went down by a shorthead, while a wide draw arguably cost the hitherto unbeaten MLJet a chance at victory, having to come from virtually last at the top of the straight to deadheat for third, just a head behind the first two. Both colts look set to make their presence felt at three.
Likewise, the filly Jet Set Go, also a member of her sire’s final crop, rates a fine classic prospect after showing her male rivals a clean pair of heels in the recent Gr 3 Champion Juvenile Cup in just her second start.
Amongst the older brigade, Jet Belle is rumoured to stay in training, as will this season’s Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 third Touching Sky. Add to that Gr 2 winner Master Sabina, stakes winning miler Lockheed Jetstar, the stayer Storm Warning and exciting sand prospect Jet Jamboree, all of whom will continue to keep their late sire’s name in the limelight.

Gary Player’s famous quote; “The harder I practice the luckier I get,” is really all about work ethic and Khumalo’s capacity for the latter is not only illustrated by his full book of rides this week, long after he had the championship sown up, but also by his frequent flyer miles. Willingness to travel is a prerequisite to winning the championship and Khumalo has kept up an exhausting schedule throughout the season. He is based on the Highveld but is virtually as regular a rider as any in all of KZN, Port Elizabeth and Kimberly and has also made the odd foray to Cape Town. The public probably do not appreciate how taxing the travel is, as they are likely unaware that on many days of Khumalo’s season he was riding work early in the morning in one province and race riding the same afternoon in another. His agent Justin Vermaak also deserves credit for making almost all of those journey’s worthwhile. Khumalo’s light weight has also helped as he has been able to ride in close to 1400 races this season.
Another quote that applies to him is the one from General George S Patton, who said; “Success is how high you bounce when you hit the bottom.”
Khumalo has done a lot of bouncing in the past few seasons from injury and in that regard this season was no different.
However, he has never before had to contend with the low of being handed a 60-day suspension by the stipendiary stewards, a ban that threatened to derail his championship bid after an appeal against it failed halfway through the season.
The stipendiary stewards can be commended for the harder line they have taken this season, but appear to have chosen the wrong case to emphasise it as there appeared to be many mitigating factors.
Khumalo was reportedly devastated when the appeal against the suspension was dismissed.
A further appeal to the High Court effectively bought him time to win the championship, but was not made for that reason. Rather, Khumalo is adamant of his innocence and the High Court process will come at an enormous monetary cost if the appeal is once again dismissed.
Despite all of that hanging over his head, Khumalo came back admirably and was soon at his best. He had the support of most of the country behind him.
This season he did not reach the high moments of last, when winning all of the Sansui Summer Cup, the Presidents’ Champions Challenge and the Vodacom Durban July.
His confidence was so sky high after becoming the first black person to ride a July winner that he proceeded to ride the Jackpot in a Turffontein meeting two weeks later and he just needed to win the last race that day to make it the Pick 6 too. That meeting was really the one that set up the championship bid as it showed that he was not just a big race rider but also had the consistency, like an Anton Marcus, to ride winner after winner at any meeting where he had the necessary fire power.
He proved it again early in the new season when riding a four-timer at Turffontein on August 8 and another five-timer just four days later at Flamingo Park. He took an early lead in the title race and has never let go of his grip.
Richard Fourie threatened to catch him at one stage. The latter is not only a jockey of world class ability, but his level of professionalism matches any. His fall in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge effectively ended the exciting tussle with Khumalo that was brewing, but at least had a consolatory side as Fourie’s finely conditioned physique allowed him to pull through without serious long term effects and he went on to land his first Vodacom Durban July, albeit via the boardroom.
Khumalo won two Gr 1s this season, the Laurie Jaffee Empress Club Stakes on the Gavin van Zyl-trained Along Came Polly and the SA Nursery aboard the Sean Tarry-trained filly Carry On Alice. There were also five Gr 3s, one Gr 2 and a Listed event among the 185 winners he had ridden at time of going to press.
Khumalo’s nickname “Bling”, given to him by commentator Alistair Cohen due to the gold jewelry he likes to wear, has stuck and the name will hopefully be heard in the main media news over the next few days or weeks. His winning of the title is a great day for South African racing.

MICHAEL CLOWER

Champions Cup winner Futura has been raised 3.5kg to a new merit rating of 113 for last Saturday’s devastating performance and he is now second only to Vodacom Durban July hero Legislate (114) among the three-year-olds.

Next season he will put his claims to the test over a mile in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate as well as going for the J & B Met.

Brett Crawford said: “Those will probably be his two main missions. He is a very versatile horse but the good ones are and he is improving with every start. He was immature when he first arrived in Durban but in the last four months he has strengthened up and last Saturday he looked an absolute picture.”

Futura and Elan Property Group Gold Cup winner Wavin’ Flag return to Cape Town this week and will then be given a break.

Crawford said: “I will be sending them to a farm for a short spell and bring them back after they have had their African Horse Sickness vaccinations. Wavin’ Flag will be aimed at the J & B Jet Stayers on Met day and will have one or two prep runs before that.”

The 42-year-old has now had 15 Grade 1 wins, eight of them since he took that shock decision five years ago to resign as a private trainer to Sabine Plattner and start from scratch at Philippi with more hope than horses. He now he has a yard of 94 boxes and one of the most powerful strings in the country.

He reflected: “In this game you can’t do things on your own. You need the support of everyone around you, especially the owners – and I’ve been blessed.”

It was a red letter afternoon for Crawford and Hatt who followed up their Gold Cup triumph in the Gr1 Beach Beauty Champions Cup with favourite Futura in the very next race, a race that Crawford won last year with the now retired Jackson.

Bred by John Slade, stud manager at Maine Chance Farms, Wavin’ Flag was bought as a weanling by the grooms co-op. However, when offered for sale at auction as a yearling, Wavin’ Flag failed to reach his reserve.

“He had a reserve of R200 000 but no one wanted him,” said well-known racing television personality Grant Knowles, one of the many co-owners.  “So I bought him back but we still had trouble putting a syndicate together. There was nothing wrong with him, just that he was a typical Silvano yearling – a bit plain.”

We he didn’t look plain in the winner’s box yesterday.

Pace, or more accurately, the lack of it, has been a worrying feature of this Champions Season and in another rough race where the early gallop had runners jostling for position there were a lot of hard luck stories. One of these was favourite Hot Ticket who was shuffled back early and trailed the field for much of the race.

Canterbury Tale made the early running but was none too keen in front with Wild One and Ash Cloud in behind. Wavin’ Flag was racing mid-field. At the top of the straight Hatt slipped Wavin’ Flag up the inside rail joining issue with Wild One. Gold Onyx, who was none too keen to take part as he ducked down the chute during the pre-raced parade but seems to reserve his best for Greyville, was produced with a telling late run up the outside fence and Piere “Striker” Strydom looked to have lived up to his billing.

However, Wavin’ Flag and Wild One drew the best out of each other and there was only a half-length and a nose in it at the line.

“He’s a horse who really deserves this,” said Hatt. “He’s a changed horse since coming to (KwaZulu) Natal. He had a couple of little mishaps leading up to this race but lucky he’s a horse that doesn’t take a lot of work.”

The brilliant mare Beach Beauty, retired and soon off to stud, led the parade for the Champions Cup, now named in her honour but it was again Crawford and Hatt who stole the show. Futura was a strong fancy for the Vodacom Durban July but was one of the many runners undone by the farcically slow pace. It was a little better this time round as No Worries set a decent gallop for the short-priced favourite, allowing Futura to use his long stride. Hatt employed similar tactics as on Wavin’ Flag, giving Futura a clear run up the inside rail and the colt responded with a telling finish. The grey King Of Pain ran on late for second with No Worries staying on for third.

The Duncan Howells-trained filly Same Jurisdiction threw the Equus Awards judges a curved ball when turning in one of the best performances of the year to win the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes by the shortest of margins that included a thrilling stretch duel with SA Nursery winner Carry On Alice.

Same Jurisdiction was always perfectly placed in third place on the rail as Banbury set a modest early pace with Carry On Alice trapped three wide but also handy.

At the top of the straight Carry On Alice got first run on the field and went a length or so clear with Kevin Shea on Same Jurisdiction having to wait a few precious seconds for the gap to open off the false rail.

With 400 m to go it looked as if Carry On Alice had the race sewn up but Just Jurisdiction was not done.

Stride for stride she cut onto Carry On Alice’s lead and the two were locked together over the final 200m. But Kevin Shea, a veteran of the saddle, coaxed one last effort out of Same Jurisdiction and she snaffled Carry On Alice on the line.

This was trainer Duncan Howell’s sixth Gr1 of his career and the victory virtually cemented his place as KZN Champion trainer for the season.

Harry’s Son gave the Equus judges more food for thought when the Paul Lafferty-trained colt had a change of luck in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes. Under a superb ride from Piere Strydom, Harry’s Son cut through his field to hit the front close home just ahead of a wall of horses. One could have thrown a blanket over the first five home with Jayyed snatching second ahead of the dead-heaters Anjaal and MLjet.

Just as on July day, Harry’s Son lost a shoe before the start and was re-shod which will not have done his chances any good. “He didn’t jump that well,” said Strydom post-race. “He dropped to the back of the field and it was stop, go, stop, go but I had Afrikaburn in front of me.”

Once the split opened at the top of the straight Harry’s Son took the gap and fought home to a game win.

Short-priced Afrikaburn had every chance but ran a “flat” race as he failed to pick it up in the straight and was never in the hunt.

Picture: Nkosi Hlophe