Turffontein Standside stages a nine race night meeting tomorrow and the highlight is a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1000m in which a number of Grade 1 Compuataform Sprint candidates will be having preparation runs.

Trip To Heaven (JC Photo)

Trip To Heaven has lost his outstanding form lately but has still been thereabouts against the best and as the champion Sean Tarry yard are in good form at the moment he can use his weight and draw advantage to good effect. The standside draws are usually favourable down the straight here and he has drawn eight of nine. Green Pepper has speed and class and is unbeaten in two starts over this course and distance so she should also be involved in the finish. Naafer has a tough low draw but nearly pulled off a win in the Merchants on Summer Cup day from the number one draw over 1160m so he can make his presence felt. He has not raced since then but was joint-favourite for the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championships on Met day when having to be scratched after a calamitous false start so will be fit enough.

Champagne Haze can be expected to be finishing like a train over this trip and is one from one over course and distance. Cathedral County is officially not favoured by the weights but is an up and coming sort who could still develop into a top class sort. He does have a tricky low draw but Piere Strydom is an eye-catching booking. Sir David Baird proved he can mix it with the best sprinters last time in the Senor Santa but he might not be favoured by a further step down in trip and has the tough number one draw. Rocky Valley ran a fair race in the Senor Santa and is the dark horse here as he will probably relish the step down in trip. Attenborough is a quirky sort but very good on his day and having run fifth in the Cape Flying he is 1,5kg better off with Trip To Heaven for a one length beating. Graduation Day is an unsound sort who had a fine strike rate up until his 10^th start but his recent form suggests his problems have caught up with him. They are selected in the order mentioned but it is wide open.

Race seven is an interesting event over 20000m and the quirky Secret Captain could get it right having done well to date on the Highveld for Mike de Kock. However, the chief threat Dawn Assault is proven over the trip so has to be included.

Earlier De Kock sends out Albacore, who is chosen as best bet on the card in race three. He is a well-bred son of Fastnet Rock and looks the part. He is drawn wide in his first start around the turn but can use his big action to mow them down.

Wonderwall is ideally course and distance suited in the eighth over 1400m, but the classy Zouaves will relish the course and distance too and so will Dan The Lad.

The meeting opens with an interesting Maiden Juvenile Plate which looks to be a three-corned contest between Royal Italian and the less experienced but eye-catching pair Absente and Potjie.

By David Thiselton

Candice Bass-Robinson has won more two-year-old races in Cape Town than any other trainer this season and at Kenilworth on Saturday Clouds Unfold produced a truly devastating burst of speed to suggest she could be up there with star stable companion Nous Voila.

The What A Winter filly went past Western Angel as if the Allan Roberton-bound filly was standing still while previous winner Racine was beaten six lengths into third. Furthermore the Drakenstein homebred is out of a mare by the Arc winner Montjeu so she should stay well enough to be a Fillies Guineas candidate.

Her trainer said: “She is not a fast early type but she has always shown that she has a lot of ability. However she is a little bit hot temperament-wise so I will keep her here for the winter and she will go for the Nursery in June.”

Grant Van Niekerk

Western Angel leaves for Durban this week together with Magical Wonderland and Our Mate Art while Live Life and Ollivander were among those who went last week.

Joey Ramsden has won almost as many two-year-old races (seven) and he had the first three in the TAB Telebet Juvenile Plate with evens favourite Twist Of Fate quickening away from Lucky Dancer and Temp The Tiger.

With the possible exception of Charles Laird, Ramsden has suffered more than any other trainer from the collapse of the Jooste racing empire and he has seen most of his stable’s big names depart leaving a string of empty boxes.

However he has the ability and the proven record to bounce back and, almost as important, the sort of larger-than-life character that appeals to so many owners. Fortunately for South African racing he is determined to rebuild to his former strength in this country despite a recent visit to Australia sparking off wildfire-like rumours that he is going to move there (“If you haven’t heard them then you are just about the only person who hasn’t”).

His sometimes unconventional approach very nearly paid off when he elected to run two-year-old Yolta against the older horses in the Betting World Maiden even though she received less than half the official weight-for-age allowance.

The R2 million buy (still part-owned by Mayfair Speculators) started favourite but was squeezed out at the start and had an impossible amount of ground to make up in the straight. Even so she was beaten less than half a length into third behind Kamaishi who made all under Richard Fourie for Mike Robinson.

Ramsden said: “I thought she was good enough despite getting such a pathetic amount of weight and if she had jumped on terms she could have won by ten lengths.”

She was ridden by Grant Van Niekerk who won the first two races and then won two more for Justin Snaith. “He is riding out of his skin,” remarked an understandably full-of-admiration Chris Snaith.

Van Niekerk has been riding like a man inspired all this year but perhaps the most remarkable aspect of his 2018 riding is that it has been interference and .suspension-free. He used to spend almost as much time in the boardroom as the stipes and at one stage last season he was banned three times in a week. “It was costing me too much so I took a step back and worked on it,” he explained.

According to Tabgold the Paddy Kruyer-trained Earth Hour set a new mile class record when clocking 1 min 39.81 sec under M.J. Byleveld in the Interbet.co.za Handicap although it is nearly four seconds slower than Legislate’s course record.

By Michael Clower

The Markus Jooste factor – or rather lack of it – had a devastating effect on last week’s CTS April yearling sale and vendors are now bracing themselves for a difficult time at next week’s 526-lot National Yearling Sale.

The Durbanville sale was billed as a combination of last year’s Emperor’s Palace Select and the Cape Town March which together resulted in 332 sold for an average of R173 328 and a R57.5 million total. Last Thursday and Friday only 208 out of 289 horses on offer were sold and the average slumped by 43% to R97 764 while the aggregate was only just over R20 million.

At last year’s Emperor’s Palace nine yearlings went for R1 million or more (by no means all of them for Jooste partnerships) whereas last week the highest price was R700 000.

Sales company CEO Wehann Smith said: “We are all aware of the effect that Steinhoff and Mayfair Speculators have had but even so the results were a little bit down on what we expected. On the positive side one has to believe that this is an abnormal year and hopefully it is just a blip on the radar. But it is certainly very tough on the breeders.”

Seemingly not all of them were as stunned as the bare results would suggest and Cape Breeders chairman Vaughan Koster said yesterday that he was not all that surprised.

He explained: “For starters we were on a hiding to nothing having two sales within little more than ten days of each.

“Secondly the liquidation of Mayfair Speculators is having a huge effect on the industry. What Markus used to put into it each year is no longer coming in and on top of that all his horses have been up for sale. I don’t want to sound all doom and gloom but we have to be realistic – there just isn’t the same money around.

“I think we have to expect a reduction at Nationals although I believe the sale will still be relatively strong. It’s the regional sales that are going to be difficult. Everybody in the industry is going to have to tighten their belts and cut costs for a couple of years when I believe the market will turn around again.”

Koster expects the anticipated re-opening of the export protocols to act as the catalyst and believes that breeders have a part to play in expediting this, saying: “We need to push hard to ensure that this goes ahead because it will make a big difference.”

By Michael Clower

Frayed tempers and damning accusations were the order of the day at Scottsville yesterday after the meeting was abandoned before the running of the second race.

Trainers and jockeys expressed reservations on the state of the going before the meeting started in spite of the official rainfall reading of 9mm in the previous seven days and 3mm overnight.

These readings were in conflict with head track manager Tony Rivalland’s report of 51mm during the week, a more realistic reading given the week’s downpours.

The penetrometer reading was given at 31 with the going recorded as heavy.

After the barrier trial the jockeys confirmed reservations. “I ran into an arrester bed,” said former Champion Jockey Anton Marcus and Duncan Howells was quick to express his dissatisfaction with the state of the going to the stipendiary stewards.

However, the first race was run without incident with the favourite and second favourite finishing second and first respectively but the jockeys immediately lodged a protest stating inconsistent going. In his evidence, jockey spokesperson Warren Kennedy said that between the 500m mark and the 200m mark the going became inconsistent and unsafe.

After deliberations in the stipendiary steward’s boardroom, head stipe Shaun Parker called for a track inspection. A lengthy inspection of both the straight course and the track around the turn followed and it was decided to call the meeting off.

The official stipendiary stewards report reads: Following the running of the first race, the riders expressed concerns regarding inconsistencies in the heavy underfoot track condition and lodged a protest in terms of the rules. The panel was formed and having heard all the evidence presented by the trainer and jockey representatives and following a track inspection, it was decided in the interest of safety to abandon the remainder of the race meeting.

The KwaZulu-Natal Stakes (Listed), is an important warm-up for sprinting fillies leading into Champions Season, and yesterday was the second time it was abandoned because inclement weather.

However, in an effort to keep the meeting and run the race, Gold Circle are contemplating moving the eight races lost at Scottsville yesterday to Scottsville, Wednesday, April 18, weather permitting, and moving the Greyville poly meeting scheduled for that Wednesday to Friday night, April 20.

By Andrew Harrison

Statute may well be the younger sister of Legislate but while the former Vodacom Durban July winner was more at home over a mile and further, Statute appears to be more of a sprinter, at this stage of her career anyway.

Washed out a week ago, the re-scheduled KwaZulu-Natal Stakes (Listed) takes centre stage at Scottsville on Sunday and Michael Roberts will know exactly where he stands with the filly come evening.

The race has attracted one of the most competitive line-ups ever and will be a tremendous warm-up for the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint to be run towards the end of next month.

Statute (Candiese Marnewick)

Statute has only had four starts and is unbeaten over the Scottsville straight, winning her maiden by five lengths and putting two lengths over the useful Miss Varlicious in her other start on this track.

Given her pedigree and the ease of her debut victory, Roberts was tempted to pit her against much more seasoned opposition in the Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes on the last day of last year.

“Unfortunately, the race didn’t pan out for us,” said Roberts. “I didn’t think she could win it but was hoping for a place. But she’s got class, there’s no doubt about it.”

She is up against some seriously quick opposition that includes Vision To Kill, Captain’s Girl, Jo’s Bond and Neptune’s Rain amongst others.

Vision to Kill is at her best over five furlongs and her last win came over course and distance when beating the equally quick Hashtag Strat, also in the field.

Callan Murry does duty for Paul Gadsby and after a spell in the doldrums on his return from Hong Kong, young Murray appears to have found his mojo again.

Louis Goosen saddles three quick fillies in Captain’s Girl, Effortless Reward and Hashtag Strat, best of them could prove to be Captain’s Girl in spite of finishing behind Effortless Reward last time out. She was the stable elect that day but she blew her chances when getting upset at the start.

Neptune’s Rain is the highest rated filly in the race but this five furlongs may be on the sharp side and last year’s winner Jo’s Bond may prove to be a better proposition. Jo’s Bond has been winless since that victory but has been up against some smart opposition and is a must inclusion in all bets.

After winning his first two in facile fashion, Billy Silver was sent to the Cape to take his chances in the CTS $500 000 but he never made the field after finishing down the field in the Cape Classic.

Both Cape starts were well below what was expected but he trialled well beating home My Pal Al on his return. He was doing his best work late behind the rejuvenated Hack Green last Sunday and that run should have brought him along. Billy Silver can keep his unbeaten Scottsville record although the progressive Majestic Glory could give him a go.

“He’s a smart horse and working very well at home,” said Paul Lafferty. “He’s improving all the time.”

Tottenham Hotspur are involved in a big game against Manchester City tomorrow and avid Spurs supporter Lafferty sends out Coys in the eighth. “We are a little worse off with the Kannemeyer horse (Pure Logic) because we have won since, so it will be a tough ask but he is in a good space.”

By Andrew Harrison

Western Angel can book her Scottsville ticket by beating stable companion Clouds Unfold and fellow previous winner Racine in the Itsarush Welcomes You Juvenile Plate at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The selection proved a length and a quarter the better when the two Candice Bass-Robinson horses met in the Tattersalls Listed race and she is the one, not Clouds Unfold, that their trainer has been talking of as an Allan Robertson possible.

Aldo Domeyer is now back in the irons after partnering Clouds Unfold on Met day but not too much significance should be attached to that as Cloud belongs to Drakenstein which retains Grant van Niekerk.

Racine was backed down to odds-on when scoring on debut and, although Vaughan Marshall said then that she would prefer an extra furlong, she is clearly useful. These three have to give away 3kg but it will take an exceptional newcomer to beat all of them.

World Sports Betting makes the two Bass-Robinson runners joint favourite at 17-10 with Racine 5-2 and the Brett Crawford first-timer Dalai’s Promise best of the rest on 15-2.

In the TAB Telebet Juvenile the form book points quite clearly to Van Niekerk’s mount Twist Of Fate (14-10) who finished in front of Lucky Dancer, Temp The Tiger and Jephthah at Durbanville last time despite being badly drawn. Savea (5-2) could be a danger as he beat subsequent winner Sailor Sam on debut and Dean Kannemeyer speaks of him as “having a lot of natural speed.”

Fire Walker (9-2) holds stable companion Western Storm (9-2) and Cortada (7-2) on his last run and so has obvious claims in the Tabonline Handicap despite that being nearly three months ago. Pen-Chan is also a 7-2 shot but it could be worth taking a chance with Royal Marine who is a huge price at 11-1.

First-time out of the maidens is normally a no-no but, as the ever-informative Stan Elley sometimes points out, horses that keep running well in maidens usually continue doing so when they move into handicaps and there are grounds for believing that this one is well treated.

After the gelding’s win at Durbanville last time Greg Ennion said: “He always shows so much pace and at home he trounces the likes of Northern Corner who is a five-time winner.”

Significantly different tactics were adopted that day and Richard Fourie reported: “I pulled my stick through, gave him a couple of slaps and it was a matter of how far.” The only real negative is that Fourie has preferred Pen-Chan but at 11-1 you can afford to back the selection each way.

The Ramsden two-year-old Yolta faces a huge task in the Betting World Maiden as she receives only 4kg and she should be getting 9.5kg on the weight-for-age scale. Anina (not striding out when disappointing last time) looks big at 9-1 and is marginally preferred to Kamaishi and Clifton Beach.

By Michael Clower

The nine races at Turffontein Inside tomorrow are named in honour of the victims of the Hennenman tragedy thirty years after the airplane carrying jockeys, trainers and officials from a meeting at Bloemfontein crashed into a mealie field.

A substantial pool of talent was lost that evening and the racing community still feel sad when recalling the devastating news which they woke up to the following morning.

Full Mast (JC Photographics)

The main race is the 30 Year Anniversary Hennenman Memorial Progress Plate over 1600m and Full Mast could be the one to side with. He will be coming into his own, being a Go Deputy in the second half of his three-year-old year who was gelded in December, and he is distance suited with Strydom up. Glider Pilot would prefer further and a more galloping track but he has class and from a good draw should be running on strongly. Ghost Town looks a class act in the making and his good action and relaxed style of racing coupled with his fine turn of foot should see him making a bold bid, although he has a tricky draw of eight to overcome. Warrior’s Rest finished a narrow third in last season’s Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes won by Eyes Wide Open. He pipped Monk’s Hood in that race so the form is strong and he is the best weighted horse here according to official merit ratings, half-a-kilogram better off than Glider Pilot. However, he is a huge horse so might need this run after a seven month layoff, especially considering he has to overcome the widest draw of all. Dan The Lad has a tough task at the weights but is drawn in pole and has a good turn of foot so could make his presence felt over a tight, quirky course which can throw upset results. Shukamisa also has a difficult task at the weights but will likely be coming into his own being a four-year-old by Silvano.

The next race is also interesting, a Pinnacle Stakes event for fillies and mares over 1000m. Wrecking Ball could be good value here. She is a classy speedster but the Grade 2 Senor Santa Stakes two weeks ago over 1160m once again proved she does not see out further than 1000m. She moved up well to hit the front in that race but then faded to only finish 10^th . She has a fair draw tomorrow over a course and distance where she is one from one. Exquisite Touch has speed and class too and is in fact 3,5kg better off than Wrecking Ball according to official merit ratings. In her last start when returning from a five month layoff she only just failed over 1160m and should have benefited from that run. She does have a tricky draw of six in the nine horse field. Winter Watch is tipped to follow those two topweights home. She might have been a bit close to the pace early last time and this could have blunted her powerful finishing effort. This time she can be dropped out from draw eight and run on. Frederico’s Dream has a lot of pace and if able to get to the front from a wide draw without expending too much energy, she will be right there. Queen Laurie could be dangerous from draw two if bouncing back to her best as she has a lot of speed. Singing In Seattle is drawn in pole and could threaten a place too.

The best bet could be Dressed To Impress in the last over 1450m. This strongly-built Pathfork filly has a tricky draw, but last time over 1600m she had a worse draw and after being held up she quickened well and looked the winner. However, her finishing effort did not have enough steam. Therefore, she should relish this slight step down in trip. Marco van Rensburg has won on her before and replaces recuperating Gavin Lerena.

By David Thiselton

Legal Eagle, 4-10 when he won the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes last Saturday, is 2-1 favourite for the Premier’s Champions Challenge over an extra 400m at Turffontein on May 5.

But the real surprise in World Sports Betting’s early book on the R4 million race is the price of Nother Russia who is joint second favourite at 11-2 with Abashiri.

The Mike de Kock-trained mare was only beaten a steadily-dwindling quarter of a length by Legal Eagle in the Horse Chestnut and his vulnerability over 2 000m is well-documented. He has been beaten in the last two runnings of the Met – second last year and fourth this season – and, although he won the 2016 Premier’s Champion, he was beaten slightly more than a head by Deo Juvente in last season’s race when Nother Russia was a short head away third.

Glider Pilot and Coral Fever are next in the betting at 10-1. SA Classic faller Majestic Mambo is on 12-1 with 14-1 and upwards others.

By Michael Clower

There is a strong link between racing and football all over the world and this is epitomised in KZN by passionate Kloof-based racing owner Phil Georgiou.

Georgiou is anticipating the SA Champions Season keenly as he part-owns the promising Paul Lafferty-trained four-year-old gelding Dark Moon Rising. This rangy bay is a typically progressive son of Ideal World and after two impressive recent wins over 1800m on the Greyville turf he will try and qualify for the Vodacom Durban July via the Betting World 1900.

Georgiou started his football career playing for amateur club Robertsham before turning professional and playing first for Bluebells and later for Highlands Park and Orlando Pirates. At Highlands, under legendary coach Joe Frickleton, he played with the like of Martin Cohen, Des Backos and Larry de Freitas and at Pirates, in a team which included brilliant goalkeeper Patson Banda and the like of Elias ‘Shuffle’ Mokopane, he played in atmosphere charged derby’s against a celebrated Kaizer Chiefs team which included Teenage Dladla, Computer Lamola, Johnny Magwegwe Mokoena, Ten Ten Nzimande and Ace Ntsoelengoe.

Horseracing was already in his blood as the Marist Brothers school he went to in Linmeyer was packed with racing men of today, including trainers Mike Azzie and Joe Soma, bookmakers Ricky Sin and Keith Ho and owner Gary Westwater. Soma was a classmate of Georgiou’s and was in the same lift club and after school they used to go to the Azzie and Magua training yards. On weekends the group of schoolmates would ride to Turffontein and stand on their bicycle saddles and watch racing over the wall.

Georgiou’s first racehorse, in 1979, was trained by Stanley Ferriera. It was an expensive hobby even back then and he recalled, “At Pirates we used to get paid R50 per point and R50 per goal, so I used to earn R1200 per month for my nine-to-five job as a buyer and R2500 from football.”

His racing roots grew deeper and Jeff Lloyd was best man at his wedding and vice versa and he became close friends with another jockey Christie Blom.

Dark Moon Rising (Candiese Marnewick)

Georgiou was transferred to Durban in 1986 and sent horses to the like of Vaughan Marshall, Dean Kannemeyer, Duncan McKenzie, Wendy Whitehead and Arthur Miller in PE.

However, he formed a close friendship with former Durban City footballer and now trainer Paul Lafferty and eventually decided to throw his full weight behind the Lafferty Summerveld yard.

“I wanted to race with my friends and we’ve been very successful. We’ve had horses like Harry’s Son, Goat, who ran in the July and Pearl Emblem, who won seven, including six in a row, and we’ve also had a lot of fun naming horses like Goat, Donkey, Chicken, Mule and Kokkerot Sop.”

Kokkerot Sop was the favourite drink of the group of owners, vodka and lemon twist.

“What I also like about our yard is the continual humour and we’re good losers, it’s good to win, but losing well shows character.”

Racing has been good to Georgiou as it has enabled him to fly overseas to watch Harry’s Son run and also to organise group racing tours through his travel company. He has organized a tour to the Dubai World Cup for the last 18 seasons and has had tours to The Arc, The Breeders Cup, Mauritius, Singapore and Hong Kong and his own travels have taken him to Ascot, York, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

“Whenever there is a South African link, we will find a reason to go.”

Georgiou rates the camaraderie among the racing fraternity as the sport’s main attraction and also loves the competition.

He and Lafferty, analysing the bond between racing and football, said, “Without sportsman racing would die. Sportsman love competition and the thrill of victory.”

Lafferty is a frequent traveller as his family live in the UK and he is the South African ambassador to the Australian Sales company Magic Millions.

He and Georgiou have built strong friendships on their travels and for example can get hold of trainers in England of the like of Mark Johnston, Sir Michael Stoute, Mick Channon and Jim Boyle at the drop of a hat. They befriend those people, who like them, enjoy a good laugh.

Georgiou also has his pet dislikes in racing.

“I don’t like sour losers and it disappoints me that there are different bodies in South African racing who are pulling in different directions. Racing is the greatest game on earth, it is the sport of kings, and we should all be doing what’s best for the game. I don’t like grandstand jockeys and grandstand administrators, who put their egos first. I think KZN racing is in a good place at the moment, they have a board who are thinking out of the box in order to go forward. I dislike those who criticise but are not even members and don’t bother to pitch up to meetings.”

Georgiou felt the Greyville racetrack was now in good condition and pointed to Summerveld, which was recently rated by a well known racing personality as the best training centre on earth. He also feels KZN has a good number of trainers and is surprised they don’t receive greater support from the biggest owners and breeders, considering the country’s most prestigious racing festival happens here, SA Champions Season, culminating in the country’s greatest race, the July.

The July is a race Georgiou believes will never be surpassed in SA. “The full house signs are always up and in the Durban View room for three grand you are served crayfish and lobster, the same thing in Dubai costs 16 grand!”

Lafferty’s popularity and excellence as a Master Of Ceremonies has been behind the success of such innovations as the EXPRO Charity race meeting in which ex-professional footballers, sportsmen and businessmen raise funds for the underprivileged. They provide 1600 gifts for underprivileged children per year. The footballers also attend just for their sheer love of racing.

By David Thiselton