The Equus Awards voting panel met at Greyville on Saturday evening, 28 July to finalise the nominees and winners for this season’s awards.

The first round of nominations were submitted after Vodacom Durban July Day.

The voting panel comprised of Matthew Lips, Robert Garner, Roger Smith, David Thiselton and Larry Wainstein as non-voting chairperson.

The categories and finalists are:

Champion Two-year-old Colt – distance immaterial: Soqrat, Van Halen

Champion Two-year-old Filly – distance immaterial: Mighty High, Return Flight

Champion Three-year-old Colt – distance immaterial: Bold Respect, Do It Again, Eyes Wide Open, Hero’s Honour, Lobo’s Legend, Surcharge, Tap O’ Noth, Undercover Agent.

Champion Three-year-old Filly – distance immaterial: Oh Susanna (Aus), Snow Dance.

Champion Older Male – distance immaterial: Captain America, Coral Fever, Legal Eagle, Will Pays.

Champion Older Filly/Mare – distance immaterial: Nother Russia, Redberry Lane, Sommerlied.

Champion Sprinter – (1000 – 1200m; age/gender immaterial): Attenborough, Bold Respect, Sergeant Hardy, Will Pays.

Champion Miler – (1400 – 1600; age/gender immaterial): Legal Eagle, Snow Dance, Undercover Agent.

Champion Middle Distance – (1800 – 2200; age/gender immaterial): Captain America, Coral Fever, Do It Again, Oh Susanna (Aus).

Champion Stayer – (2400 and up; age/gender immaterial): Hero’s Honour, It’s my Turn.

Voting Criteria
The awards are based on graded races and in particular Grade 1 races. As regards the stayer category, the winning horse will be at the discretion of the voting panel. This decision was taken as the only Grade 1 race in SA is the SA Derby, which would mean that this should be the obvious winner based on a single run. This would also have excluded fillies and mares.

Breeder Awards:
Stallion of the Year
Broodmare of the Year
Breeder of the Year

The Thoroughbred Breeders Association may include outstanding and/or international achievement awards.

Individual Awards:
Champion Apprentice
Champion Jockey
Champion Owner (based on stakes earned)
Champion Trainer (based on stakes earned)
Industry Merit Awards
Horse of the Year Award

The awards are a glittering black-tie gala event that takes place at the Convention Centre at Emperor’s Palace on Tuesday, August 14. Clyde Basel will be the master of ceremonies for the evening and guests will be treated to an array of entertainment. There will also be an after party at the same venue.

If you wish to purchase tickets (R700 per person) for this event, please contact Penny Morsner at the Racing Association on (011) 683-3220 or email penny@racingassociation.co.za

The Vaal Inside track stages a competitive ten race meeting tomorrow and once again the exotics looks the best way to approach it.

Psychic ran on well to win over 1800m last time and will relish the step up to 2000m in the seventh race. He was only given a two point raise in his merit rating and this Visionaire gelding is on the way up despite being a five-year-old so can win again from a plum draw of three. He is selected to be the Pick 6 banker. Zeal And Zest is a fair sort and has bounced back to form recently having dropped to his current mark and looks the main danger. Samar can also be a threat if repeating any of his last three runs which have been over distances from 1800m to 2400m.

The first leg of the PA over 1000m is an uninspiring event and a bit tricky. However, Mischievous Green looks to have scope for improvement and What A Fizz ran a fair race in his only start back in March. They can fight it out with the exposed Deago Deluxe, who ran on well the last time he went this trip and beat the debuting Mischievous Green by 2,9 lengths in that race.

River Ayre (Candiese Marnewick)

In the first leg of the Pick 6 there is an interesting runner in the R220,000 British-bred filly Loja Lady. She was born on July 29 2015 and technically should be a four-year-old but the authorities appear to have given her three days leeway and accepted her as a three-year-old along with all other South African three-year-olds born on August 1 and onward. She makes a belated debut as the authorities did earlier stick to the rules and did not allowed her to compete as a two-year-old. She is by the Group 1 Dewhurst and Epsom Derby winner Sir Percy out of a Brazilian-bred Grade 2 winner and she would not have to be a star to win this 1400m event under Muzi Yeni. Little Sparrow and Soul Of Wit are still unexposed and have shown promise so are taken o be the chief contenders of those to have raced. Pachanga has hard knocking form but is a touch one-paced and limited. Rustling Leaf is another interesting first-timer, being a R140,000 purchase by Pathfork and a half-sister to Grade 1 winner On Her Toes, who also won the Grade 2 KZN Fillies Guineas.

The fifth race over 1400m is open and as many horses as possible should be included. Topweight Gold Shades is selected to win on the grounds of her fast finishing third in her penultimate start over 1700m when beaten a length by the well regarded Lady Val. She disappointed last time and has the same 4kg claimer aboard, but if he can revert to the off-the-pace tactics she enjoyed in her penultimate start she could go close from a plum draw.

In the sixth race, a MR 84 over 1400m, Bold Coast has been consistent in a higher class than this and off a competitive merit rating over an ideal trip he can go close from a fair draw. Dan The Lad and Sail For Joy are also ideally distance suited and are the main dangers.

The last two legs of the Pick 6 are tough 1200m handicaps and punters should go as wide as possible.

In the first of them Operetta has her first run out of the maidens but looks to be on the up and can get it right off a reasonable opening merit rating of 75. Kungfoofighting has dropped to an attractive merit rating and should make her presence felt. River Ayre has won over the course and distance and is only two points higher than that win.

In the last race Wottahottie is an honest and versatile type who gets on well with Keagan de Melo. He was raised only two points for his recent win over this 1200m trip and proved he was up to that mark by going close over 1600m last week. He now drops back to the trip of that last win but it will be tough.

By David Thiselton

Paul Reeves celebrated his 51^st birthday yesterday and victory for Photocopy in the opening Itsarush.co.za Welcome Maiden at Durbanville today would be a most welcome present.

The four-year-old is a consistent, albeit frustrating, sort who has been placed in all but one of his 11 starts but for a long time his trainer has been saying that his trip is a mile. Yet he runs over 1 250m here.

“Yes, I always thought he would be best over a mile but I now believe that is in the summer,” Reeves explains. “He doesn’t like the wet and a mile on softish ground at the end of May proved to be too far.

“This 1 250m should be perfect for him and if he doesn’t win today he is not the horse I thought he was!”

Reeves rode nearly 300 winners before a freak head-on collision riding work on the Milnerton training track ended his career. He started training nearly nine years ago and has earned a reputation as a hard-worker who can be guaranteed to get the best out of even the most moderate horse.

Photocopy probably has most to fear from Tyrian who is ridden by Richard Fourie, the rider of Photocopy in five of the latter’s last six starts. The Dynasty colt raced green on debut and was 9-10 favourite with World Sports Betting yesterday when Photocopy was a 5-2 chance. However the weights favour Photocopy. He has only to concede 2kg to the younger horse whereas the weight-for-age scale says he should be giving away 8kg.

Whatever his fortunes on Tyrian, Fourie should win the TAB Telebet Maiden on Margrethe 35 minutes later if he can only keep the Justin Snaith filly calm in the pens. She ran a most encouraging debut only to become fractious in the stalls on her last start. She got extremely upset and reared repeatedly. She was in no frame of mind to race when the gates eventually opened and she only managed fourth.

She has been backed from 11-10 to 8-10 with Touch Of Green (13-2) and newcomer Princess Irene (11-2) also in contention. Beautiful Beat (15-2) is another with claims.

Ikebana (7-10) is the obvious choice for the Tabonline.co.za Handicap after finishing well last time but don’t ignore 15-2 shot China Wolf as she is expected to leave last time’s disappointing effort behind her. “It was her first run out of the maidens and she was taking on the boys,” says Dan Katz. “She got a bit interfered with but she flew home. She is a big runner.”

Forest Prince (13-10) stands out in the Betting World Handicap despite a poor draw and losing ground at the start last time. Those looking for a better price (and a slightly better draw) may like to consider Astrapi at 9-2.

Blue Roller has been second on all his four starts but his turn should finally come in the Play Soccer Maiden, particularly with Aldo Domeyer’s mount stepping up to a mile.

By Michael Clower

The race for the third spot in the International Jockey’s Challenge to take place in Singapore on September 25 is down to the wire with Aldo Domeyer scoring a treble at Flamingo Park in Kimberly yesterday and going two up on rival Greg Cheyne.

Aldo Domeyer (Liesl King)

Going into the last two days of the 2017/18 racing season just one win separated Cheyne and Domeyer on the jockeys’ log with Domeyer, who started the day on 132 winners, one behind Cheyne, on 133.

Domeyer won the first two races at Flamingo Park for Paul Matchett to edge one clear and went two clear when partnering Bright Flame to victory in the eighth for Steph Miller.

This leaves Cheyne with something of a mountain to climb, needing three winners at Fairview today to claim the final sport in the South African team and a draw is very much on the cards.

The current standings dictate that Lyle Hewitson, Muzi Yeni and either Aldo Domeyer or Greg Cheyne will represent South Africa.

Hewitson, still an apprentice, is set to be crowned the country’s top jockey having ridden 185 winners this season and will hopefully be recovered from a knee injury in time. Yeni, with 147 winners is also guaranteed a place in the SA line-up.

The UK will be represented by Jockeys Hayley Turner (England), Rob Havlin (Scotland) and PJ McDonald (Ireland).

Hugh Bowman, Corey Brown and Kerrin McEvoy will represent Australia.

The Asian team could well be led by Joao Moreira, who has had a tremendous spell in Hong Kong and is currently riding in Japan. His teammates will probably be the top two jockeys from the host country.

According to International Executive Director of Phumelela, John Stuart, Phumelela has been in a very successful relationship with the Singapore Turf Club (STC) for over a decade. The PGI Jockeys Challenge, will entrench this relationship and promote betting across international boundaries.

“Singapore offers magnificent opportunities and we would love South Africans to get seriously involved in Singapore racing,” he said.

By Andrew Harrison

Piet Botha trades in his jockey’s licence for a trainer’s one tomorrow and the man who made a comeback as a rider when all seemed lost is intent on making a big success of his new career.

He said: “I have had training in mind for some time and I have Barn Nine with 33 boxes in the old section of the Milnerton Training Centre where trainers like Dean Kannemeyer, Dan Katz, Billy Prestage and Ronnie Sheehan are also based.”

Botha, 41, was forced to hang up his boots after a bad fall at Summerveld in 2010 caused a broken rib and endless pain that led to his being medically boarded with apparently-permanent nerve damage.

He had a string of Grade 2 and 3 winners to his credit (plus two Grade 1s in Mauritius) including the Green Point and Matchem on Roman Charger, the Peninsula Handicap (Dunford), the Chairman’s Cup, Odessa, Sceptre and two J & B Reserve Stayers.

He began a new career developing a coffee-machine business but the lure of the turf never left him and he returned in April last year to ride for Glen Puller. He has ridden 14 winners since then – Jay Rock being the first and last of them – and has also worked as Puller’s assistant.

He said: “The nerve damage was alright when I resumed race-riding but then it started playing up and it has been causing me problems for quite a while now.”

He passed the trainers’ exam at the first attempt (“although it wasn’t easy, I can tell you!”) and he is keen to build up his string from its present nine horses.

By Michael Clower

Sean Tarry scored the first Grade 1 winner for the promising new sire Pomodoro on Saturday through Thekwini Stakes winner Return Flight and this was fitting as Pomodoro not only won Tarry his first Vodacom Durban July but his dam Golden Apple, bred by Sean’s brother Mark, also provided him with his first Graded winner.

Pomodoro also once recovered from death’s doorstep, so his life has been the stuff of fairytales.

Tarry said, “People forget how well our South African-bred stallions have done. You only have to look at Jet Master (seven times National Champion Sire). Pomodoro was a champion racehorse and is by Jet Master, his dam Golden Apple was a champion broodmare and her sire Northern Guest was a champion broodmare sire, he has every box ticked to be a very successful stallion.”

Return Flight (JC Photographics)

Furthermore, Pomodoro, like one of history’s greatest stallions, Danzig, is a direct descendant of the 1860 born mare Old Orange Girl, who was a half-sister to the first British Triple Crown winner, West Australian.

Tarry pointed out too that Pomodoro’s progeny were likely to be good three-year-olds and then train on from there, as Pomodoro did himself.

“And here they are doing well at two, which is phenomenal,” he said.

He added, “Pomodoro got good numbers in his first two seasons but received very little quality. Now that he has done what he had to do it would be nice to see him get some quality.”

Pomodoro’s dam Golden Apple was sent to the sales. Sean’s opinion was she was a bit on the small side and should be let go and Mark had agreed. However, in the back of Mark’s mind was her beautiful balance and on the spur of the moment, after she had passed her reserve, he bought her back. It was an inspired decision. She grew into a medium sized filly and provided Sean with his first ever Graded winner less than two years after he had taken out his trainer’s license. She got up by half-a-length under Anthony Delpech to win the Grade 2 Gosforth Park Fillies Guineas at odds of 9/2 in March 1999. She later finished a half-a-length second in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 at Greyville and Sean felt if had not been so early in his career she would have done even better. The precocity of Pomodoro’s progeny this season might stem from Golden Apple’s influence as she was placed in two stakes races as a two-year-old.

Golden Apple, who is deceased, went on to become an Equus Champion Broodmare. All eight of her runners have been winners and she has produced four stakes horses.

History was to repeat itself as Pomodoro, Golden Apple’s fifth foal, was sent to the sales by her breeder Chris van Niekerk.

“We were in two minds, so put a reserve of R1 million on him at the National Yearling Sales and bought him back for about R650,000,” recalled Tarry.

Pomodoro, which means tomato in Italian, took a while to develop so didn’t run as a two-year-old despite being taken down to Durban. He spent the first part of his three-year-old career in Tarry’s satellite yard at Summerveld and after finishing second on debut over 1200m at Scottsville he won his next two starts over 1600m, including the Listed Guineas Trial at Clairwood. His first Graded win was in the Grade 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes over 1450m at Turffontein.

Tarry said, “People didn’t realise how good he was, he was unlucky not to win the Grade 1 SA Classic as he was interfered with and when he finally got a clear run he took off and only just failed (by a head) to catch Slumdogmillionaire.”

Pomodoro then won the Grade 1 SA Derby in a dead-heat and after a below par comeback in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000, he won the 2012 July.

In his reappearance he put up two devastating displays to win over 1160m and 1600m at Turffontein.

However, he was required to stay in quarantine at Kenilworth due to the African Horse Sickness protocols and his preparation for the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and Met were consequently “a mess”. He did well to finish third and fourth respectively in those two events.

He then went to KZN and ran a fine third in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

He was declared to race in a tongue tie in the defence of his July crown but ran well below par.

Pomodoro

He was sent immediately to the Baker and McVeigh clinic at Summerveld to have a minor procedure performed to solve “intermittent entrapment of the epiglottis”, which is not considered a serious breathing problem.

However, on the way there he kicked out in the float and attained a deep gash from the coronet down to the hoof. A life-threatening Infection set in. After some serious scares the “superbug” was eventually killed by an expensive “super-anti-biotoc” and he pulled through.

He made a comeback in March the following year and had a few more races but was not the same horse, although he did finish third in the Grade 1 Champions Challenge.

He received rave reviews at Klawervlei’s Stallion day when being paraded for the 2015 breeding season and started at a fee of R20,000.

His first crop also includes twice Graded runner up Cirillo and multiple stakes placed Royal Italian.

Tarry said about Return Flight, “She is typical of the family as she has a deep girth and is very athletic. Physically she reminds me of Pomodoro’s half-sister Quest For Gold.”

He added, “We were pretty confident on Saturday although I was not confident Greyvile was the right track, I definitely think she will be better at Turffontein.”

Her target for the season will be the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara series of races.

Meanwhile, Pomodor’s service fee is now R12,000 which could prove to be a bargain.

By David Thiselton

Dean Kannemeyer, Anton Marcus and It’s My Turn were the headlines in another day of history-making at Greyville on Saturday and Mike de Kock, Brett Crawford, Sean Tarry and Mike Azzie were a line of stars among the supporting acts.

There were plenty of talking points and the handicappers were criticised by more than a few for their lenient treatment of It’s My Turn.

The Vodacom Durban July and the eLan Gold Cup are traditionally Durban’s two biggest races, despite the latter having been downgraded to a Grade 3, and Marcus became the first rider since Robbie Hill in 1999 to do the July-Gold Cup double in the same year.

Mike De Kock

Hill’s double was on the Geoff Woodruff-trained 14/1 shot El Picha and the Pat Shaw-trained 8/1 chance Place Of Gold. Marcus did it with the Justin Snaith-trained 9/1 shot Do It Again and the Kannemeyer-trained 26/10 favourite It’s My Turn.

In the year which marked the 100^th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth it was somewhat ironic that Marcus broke a 27 year drought in the Gold Cup, his only other win in the country’s most prestigious staying race having come in 1991 aboard Icona.

Icona was the last topweight to win the race and although It’s My Turn was half-kilogram off topweight on Saturday the 59,5kg on his back is the biggest weight ever carried to victory in the Gold Cup.

It was Kannemeyer’s third Gold Cup victory and probably his most satisfying as his five-year-old Dynasty gelding completed a staying race treble in the space of five weeks, although he appeared to have been given some help by the handicappers.

It’s My Turn, owned by Fred Crabbia, won the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby for Justin Snaith as a three-year-old and his first run for Kannemeyer, at Scottsville on 28 February this year in the Fever Tree Handicap over 1400m, followed a seven month layoff. In his next start he ran an excellent, close-up third in the Kings Cup over 1600m. However, he over-raced in the Betting World 1900 and needed a good win in the Grade 2 Track And Ball Oaks over 2400m at Scottsville to book his place in the July. He duly delivered that requirement but the final field panelists decided the field has been to weak to justify a July berth.

The handicappers were of the same mind as they made the surprise decision to drop him two points for the win to a merit rating of 106. He still had to race off his old 108 merit rating in the Grade 3 Gold Vase over 3000m on July day as the weights had already been set, but he once again won easily. He could have feasibly been raised to a 109 merit rating for the win if runner up Flichity By Farr had been used as the line horse but instead the handicappers decided to keep him unchanged on 106. This was particularly surprising in light of the ease of his two victories and furthermore they were also his first two attempts at staying distances.

Some of the other trainers believed they had now been given a mountain to climb to beat It’s My Turn, especially as the Gold Cup is a compressed handicap, which thereby favours the horses at the top of the weights. They were proven correct, although this should not detract from the fine training feat by Kannemeyer. It’s My Turn had in fact not won a race since the Cape Derby, so the gifted Cape Town trainer has turned his career around in one season.

Last year’winner Hermoso Mundo ran a gallant second and the talented but somewhat frustrating Wild Wicket was a revelation in third. Strathdon proved his staying class by running fourth and Made To Conquer ran on well for fifth despite carrying topweight and having come off a tough runner up finish in the July.

Mike Azzie

Earlier, De Kock joined Terrance Millard when clinching a South African record-equalling 117^th career Grade 1. His Australian-bred colt Soqrat by Epaulette is owned and bred by Sheik Hamdan and was highly impressive in the Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m under Randall Simons, defeating Australian-bred stable companion Alyaasaat, also owned and bred by Sheik Hamdan, by two lengths.

Tarry had an equally satisfying win earlier in the day when Return Flight won the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m under Anton Marcus as it provided first season sire Pomodoro with his first Grade 1 win. Tarry trained Pomodoro to July victory and the family of this horse was one of the foundations upon which he has built his championship-winning yard.

Later the Crawford-trained stalwart Captain America bowed out with a third career Grade 1 victory in the Champions Cup over 1800m under Corne Orffer. He will now retire to a plot next door to the property of one of the owners Lance Sherrell.

Azzie scored in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint as the six-year-old Imperial Stride gelding Will Pays, who often flies under the radar, galloped home under Craig Zackey, albeit from a good draw. Second and third-placed Attenborough and Trip To Heaven flew from the back of the field to be beaten just a length and 1,25 lengths respectively.

Duke Of Marmalade scored his first Graded success in South Africa when the Glen Kotzen-trained Temple Grafin won the Grade 3 Debutante over 1200m under Richard Fourie and the Tarry-trained Trippi colt Chimichuri Run was impressive when winning the Grade 3 Umkhomazi over 1200m under S’Manga Khumalo.

The practice of using visiting commentators for big races might end after two incorrect calls were made in the Gold Cup and Champions Cup. Greyville is known by callers to be a particularly difficult course to call at in fading light or under floodlights due to its inner city location and the consequent effect of the surrounding lights and when faced with a big field of unfamiliar colours this task becomes particularly onerous.

By David Thiselton

From the highs of four Grade 1 races and the R1.25 million eLan Gold Cup, it’s back to bread-and-butter racing at Greyville this evening where the card is headed by a lowly MR 80 Handicap.

A Monday night meeting for Greyville is out of the ordinary but with Gold Circle part of an international agreement to provide race meetings to fit the international programme, it was at the behest of France that this meeting was scheduled.

Dean Kannemeyer

No matter, it’s a chance for punters to either capitalise on Saturday’s winnings or make up on losses and the horse to do it for them could be Dynasty’s Boy in the Durban View Restaurant Handicap.

Dean Kannemeyer signed off this term with It’s My Turn winning the eLan Gold Cup on Saturday and Dynasty’s Boy can properly round of his season that ends tomorrow.

Dynasty’s Boy is a lightly raced gelding and has been up against strong company in his two starts since shedding his maiden. His last run came in MR 90 company after a four-month break. With that run under his girth, blinkers on for the first time over what should be a more suitable trip, he could be too much of a handful for the current ante-post favourite Fieldmarshal Fenix.

Apprentice Luke Ferraris is one of the bright stars on the horizon and booted home another treble at Turffontein yesterday, two for his grandfather Ormond who is a notoriously difficult taskmaster.

Fieldmarshal Fenix is long overdue a third win and Sean Tarry’s runner was a neck back in second to Trippi’s Girl over course and distance last time out.

He does get the 2.5kg claim from Ferraris but on the balance of probabilities, Dynasty’s Boy should have more improvement to come than this seasoned campaigner.

The Dennis Drier yard has had a slew of scratchings over the past week, abnormal blood count being the official reason, so it would appear that the yard has a problem of sorts. However, Escape Club is most unlikely to be a runner in the fifth if she was not cleared fit by a highly professional stable.

She bids for a third straight win from a good draw and could have the measure of Dark Chocolate, narrowly beaten by the useful Pearl Glow last time out, recent winner Zinzara and Pink Cadillac, whose form has panned out well, beaten a length by Escape Club in the maidens and then beating Silver Raisin who herself followed up with a six-length romp.

Duncan Howells has booked young Ferraris for top weight Barinois in the Soccer 6 Handicap and she caught the eye with a cracking effort behind Kilmokea at Scottsville last time out. She takes on males here but if anything this is a weaker field.

Internet Kid has been expensive to follow but Garth Puller’s charge is sure to come good at some stage after a string of close-up finishes. However, he could find another too good for him in the last of the evening in the form of Robbie Hill’s gelding Final Assembly. He steps up to a mile for the first time after two warm-up sprints and Donovan Dillon, up from Cape Town, has been pencilled in for the ride.

By Andrew Harrison

Watch out Oh Susanna and Snowdance – here I come. Brave Move served notice that she is going to be a force to reckon with in next season’s top fillies races by making it six off the reel in the Final Fling Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The Armitage-bred Horse Chestnut filly didn’t just win either. She overcame early interference as if it was nothing more than a minor inconvenience, swept to the front a furlong out and after one tap with the whip she literally coasted home.

Anton Marcus (Liesl King)

“She deserves a rest now but she will be back to take on the big guns next season,” said a justifiably well-satisfied Adam Marcus. “She will have a couple of prep runs before the obvious races like the Paddock Stakes and the Majorca.

“She has improved since her last win in the Ladies Mile and the way she finished off after being forced wide was sensational. Hats off to Aldo for making the decision to sit up handy and take the race by the scruff of the neck.”

This was the first Final Fling for Domeyer as well as for the evens favourite’s trainer and he reported: “Sometimes horses have a chink in their armour but this one doesn’t seem to. She helps you with everything – she settles after coming out quickly, she has a good turn of foot and I can’t fault her.”

It really wasn’t Joey Ramsden’s day and, while Fresnaye did her best to put up a fight, she was totally outpointed. Like Attenborough in the Mercury Sprint, she had to put up with a gallant second place.

Domeyer has had his best season numerically and he was completing a four-timer to take his tally to 132. He also landed his first Champagne, getting up on the line on Freedom Charter for his boss Candice Bass-Robinson to shade last year’s winner Nordic Breeze.

Goodtime Gal returned to something like her best to take third and will race on as a six-year-old. “She had to check and otherwise she might just have won,” said owner Juan van Heerden.

Domeyer, incidentally, reckons that the first of his quartet, the R3.6 million Var daughter of 2007 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Captain’s Lover, is one to note.

Varsity Lover started 15-10 favourite to make a winning debut in the TAB Telebet Maiden Juvenile and she led inside the final furlong to score with little more pressure than hands and heels.

“I was impressed,” said her jockey. “I had slight reservations beforehand because her gallops were a bit green and this was really too sharp for her. I feel we need to give her one more sprint and then we can go where we want with her.”

Sandile Mbhele, riding for the first time without his 4kg claim, showed he has what it takes to continue his winning streak by making all on the Marcus-trained Prince Alfred in the Supabets Handicap. “If you’ve got the talent and the ability it doesn’t matter about the claim,” said Academy riding master Terrance Welch who should know.

By Michael Clower

“It was a long time between drinks,” 27 years to be exact, but Anton Marcus celebrated in style as he drove favourite It’s My Turn to a superb victory in the R1.25 million Gr3 eLan Gold Cup at Greyville on Saturday.

“It was also a long wait then,” quipped Marcus post-race. “I had to wait 25 minutes because of an objection. Icona and Castillian Dancer.”

Second was last year’s winner Hermuso Mundo with outsider Wild Wicket running a cracker in third.

The race panned out perfectly for It’s My Turn who staked his claim as Equus Stayer of the year after winning the KZN Derby and the Gold Vase leading up to yesterday’s win. It was also the third win in the race for Dean Kannemeyer after Colonial Girl and In Writing.

Let It Rain and Royal Utopia set solid early fractions and Marcus was able to settle mid-field. Up the hill and heading for the home turn, Marcus pulled wide to avoid the traffic on the inside rail. It’s My Turn responded smoothly to his rider’s urgings, hitting the front crossing the subway and going on to win comfortably.

It’s My Turn (Candiese Marnewick)

Hermuso Mundo came from last up the hill and was running on strongly to snaffle a game Wild Wicket for second.

Duncan Howells was well satisfied with Wild Wicket. “He’s finally showing us what he is capable off.

“He will only be five next year and last year’s winner ran second.”

Captain America has been a tremendous servant to Brett Crawford and his owners and the game son of Captain Al rounded off a superb career with a fitting victory in the Gr1 World Sports Betting Champions Cup, the final Gr1 of the current season.

An emotional Crawford was lavish in his praise of Captain America who was recording his 10^th victory and stake earnings of over R6 million.

It was a superb ride by stable rider Corne Orffer who has been aboard the gelding for almost his entire career. “He’s the best horse that I have ridden in my career so far. He is also a best friend.”

Captain America didn’t let him down as Orffer rode a clever tactical race.

The gelding pulled himself to the head of affairs as is his want and once clear, Orffer slowed the pace with nothing in the race willing to take him on.

Orffer kicked for home at around the 700m mark and went five or six lengths clear with no chasers.

With a good lead at the top of the straight, nothing was going to get past. Eyes Wide Open looked a possible threat a furlong out but he never got to Captain America and was swamped on the line by Undercover Agent, one of three Crawford runners in the race, and Top O’ Noth who also rattled home.

“He ran a great race,” said Marcus of second-placed Undercover Agent. “I knew the older horses would be tough to beat because he is still a big baby. He’ll be much better next year.”

Will Pays and Craig Zackey took full advantage of a break-neck early pace to snatch the Gr1 Mercury Sprint from a brace of fast-finishers, Attenborough and the notoriously slow starter Trip To Heaven.

Sunset Eyes and Back Cat Back set quick early fractions and approaching the final furlong is looked as if the two stable companions would contest the finish. However, their early exertions took their toll and they were treading water as Will Pays took the shortest way home to score the 12^th win of his career for father and son combination of Mike and Adam Azzie.

“I knew this 12 was going to be quick and if I was within five or six lengths turning for home I would win the race,” said Zackey.

“He deserved this Gr1. He’s been a great soldier,” he added.

Earlier Mike de Kock celebrated equalling the legendary Terrance Millard’s record of 117 Gr1 victories as he saddled the first two past the post in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes.

Recently appointed stable jockey Randall Simons has had a dream run for his new stable and crowned his season with an audacious ride on hot favourite Soqrat who came home clear of Alyaasaat, both racing in the internationally famous colours of Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Simons turned for home with plenty of horse under him and elected to go wide on the turn, a move that either elicits praise if you win or derision if you lose.

There were no worries for Simons as Soqrat motored home. Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who had been the architect of Soqrat’s defeat when riding Barahin in the Golden Horseshoe on July Day, had it all to do from his outside draw. He elected to drop Alyaasaat out from the jump and was last turning for home. He got a dream split up the middle of the field but the bird had flown.

Apprentice Lyle Hewitson, the first apprentice since the legendary Michael Roberts to win the National Jockey’s Championship, was honoured by Gold Circle but he would have been happier had he been aboard Gr1 Thekwini Stakes winner Return Flight instead of receiving his gold watch with his leg in a brace.

Marcus made the most of the pick-up ride for Sean Tarry as he produced Return Flight with a well-timed run to hold off the attentions of Railtrip and Can You Feel It to score the 101^st Gr1 victory of a remarkable career.

Return Flight was also the first Gr1 winner for former Vodacom Durban July winner Pomodoro who also triumphed in the colours of Chris van Niekerk. “My day is done,” said an emotional Van Niekerk who has placed enormous faith in his champion who stands at Klawervlei Stud although ironically Return Flight was a R20 000 yearling buy, having been bred by Highlands Farm stud manager Mike Sharkey.

Justin Snaith, crown his second National Trainer’s Championship with a one-two in the Gr2 Kuda Gold Bracelet as Miyabi Gold scraped home ahead of stable companion Gimme Six with Epona the meat in the sandwich, a head back in third.

By Andrew Harrison