Glen Kotzen had a red letter Gold Cup Festival Of Racing weekend and so did his clients Chrigor Stud, whose wonderfully conspicuous colours are becoming a familiar sight in South African racing.

Kotzen sent out four runners over the weekend for the Chrigor Stud operation of Hugo and Suzanne Hattingh and the yellow with royal blue checked diamonds with red sleeves and cap and royal blue diamond found the winner’s enclosure three rimes including in a Grade 1 and a Grade 3.

The Highlands Farm Stud-bred Dynasty colt Eyes Wide Open was the headliner as he ran on strongly to win the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m, thus completing a Festival Grade 1 double for jockey Richard Fourie.

He jumped from draw six and was momentarily caught wide and headstrong around the turn, but Fourie managed to get him tucked in again one wide and he travelled beautifully from then on in. In the straight he moved up under the hands from midfield in the thirteen horse field and then had to be switched outward. Once he saw daylight he wound up into his impressive stride and won going away by half-a-length from Ancestry. He will be a serious classic horse this season and could well follow in the footsteps of the Chrigor Stud part-owned Gold Standard and become a Sun Met contender.

He was bought at the Sibaya KZN Yearling Sale last year and fetched the sale second highest price of R850,000.

Eyes Wide Open (Candiese Marnewick)

He was then sent to Jane Thomas in the KZN Midlands to be spelled before making her way to Kotzen’s Woodhill Racing Estate in the Paardeberg near Cape Town.

He showed himself to be smart, “a proper horse”, from day one and was earmarked for the R1 million KZN Yearling Sales race on Vodacom Durban July day, as long as he was ready in time.

However, as it happened he became “shin sore” and was only able to make his debut on June 21 in a 1400m Maiden Juvenile Plate. He stayed on for a respectable third that day.

However, it was his next start that confirmed Kotzen’s belief in the colt as cruised to a 3,5 length victory in a Maiden over 1600m.

“It was his time which was impressive,” said Kotzen. “He ran a quicker time than the MR 82 handicap on the day and it was up with a top division mile time.”

One person who was confident he would win was Anton Marcus. The top jockey, known for his expert analysis of form, phoned for the ride and when Kotzen confirmed his stable jockey Richard Fourie would be aboard Marcus apparently said he would in that case rather watch the race from the stand.

Marcus proved right.

Kotzen had two other runners in the race, Sea King and the Chrigor Stud-owned Pack Leader.

Sea King, formerly owned by Kotzen and his son Kuyan togetrher with T Muthusamy, was bought by Greenstreet Bloodstock before the race and the Judpot colt finished a 1,15 length fifth.

Kotzen said Pack Leader’s rider Craig Zackey had said he might have won the race if a gap had not closed on him at a crucial stage. The Philanthropist colt finished a 1,45 length seventh.

Earlier in the day Varsfontein Stud-bred Chrigor Stud-owned Captain Al filly Princess Peach had won the Grade 3 The Sunlife Vitamins Debutante Stakes over 1200m under Fourie, when seeing off the challenge of the highly regarded Neptune’s Rain.

Princess Peach (Candiese Marnewick)

Kotzen said she was a bit of a quirky filly, “a real madam”. However, this is not unusual for a talented filly.

He added, “She is really smart and came right at the right time. Her pedigree suggests she will want a mile and she has a helluva action, so we will likely go the Guineas route with her.”

Kotzen won the first race of the day, a Maiden Plate over 1000m on the poly with Edith’s Rose, a What A Winter filly ridden by Randolph.

He said, “It was very exciting to provide Morris Ferreira with his 80^th winner on such a big day.” Kotzen also acknowledged the fine work put in by Ferreira’s racing manager Des Goncalves.

He was full of praise for the improving Edith’s Rose and continued, “She won in a fantastic time.” Her chief target will be one of the expensive sales races over 1400m.

Kotzen ended Sunday by pulling off a fine training feat. The six-year-old Greys Inn gelding Gone Baby Gone was off for about a year-and-a-half with injury at one stage and he has brought him back slowly but steadily this year. He won a MR 94 Handicap over 1900 on the polytrack on Sunday under Erico Saziso Ngwane.

On day one of the Festival on Saturday Kotzen won with the speedy Chrigor Stud-owned Gee Whizz, a two-year-old filly by Sail From Seattle who did well to beat older fillies over 1000m in a MR 82 Handicap under Fourie. However, she will now have to go for a wind operation as she has a breathing issue.

Kotzen’s looks to have an exciting classic season ahead of him and his yard look to have a good chance of making a few headlines.

By David Thiselton

It was a great weekend’s racing at Greyville in Durban and one of the highlights was seeing Anthony Delpech receive his memento from Gold Circle for achieving South African Champion Jockey status for the third time. Delpech who is based in KZN will be crowned South African Champion at the upcoming Equus Awards to be held at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg on Tuesday, August 15.

Delpech notched 195 winners with a 22% strike rate and total stakes of R24,5 million at the close of Champions Season on Sunday night. This is something to be very proud of! Greg Cheyne finished second on 151 winners and Gavin Lerena only one winner behind in third. Delpech’s best season was 1998/1999 when he rode 335 winners and is a record that is unlikely to been broken. Amazingly, his best week during that time was when he rode 16 winners!

Anthony Delpech (Liesl King)

Delpech says that there are pro’s and con’s to travelling to chase the title. The pro’s are that you can ride for more than one trainer and various owners and one gets to ride a lot more horses during the week and with that comes more winners. The down side of travelling is that he is unable to ride as much morning work as he would like.

“This is one side of my job that I really enjoy,” he says. Another negative is missing out on family time and having to spend hours to and from the various airports and race courses. Airline food can also become a little tedious. “Sometimes I go for days without seeing my kids,” he says. The champion jockey has absolutely no regrets that he chose to freelance some time ago. He does still ride for his former boss Mike De Kock as he trains a lot of his sponsor’s horses.

Delpech is sponsored by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Studs that are owned by mother and daughter Mary and Jessica Slack respectively.

Delpech was fortunate in that he was well supported by riding for the powerful stables of De Kock, Dean Kannemeyer and his sponsors. He was also well supported by others trainers country wide.

Delpech is the complete professional but when asked if he would go for the championship again he hedged his bets. “Not from the beginning of the season, but if I find myself in the top three or four I will push the last three months like I did now. It is too long to push myself from the beginning of the season for a whole year at my age!”

48-year-old Delpech mentioned that the highlight of his season was having two Grade One winners in his first season for his new sponsors.  Bela-Bela and Nightingale are two horses that Delpech has fond memories of this Champions Season. He rates these two mares and says they are a pleasure to ride and full of heart.

By Warren Lenferna

The Pick 6, Jackpot and PA will be popular on the Gold Cup Festival Of Racing weekend and on day one those who do their homework should reap healthy dividends.

Captain America (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Grade 1 WSB Champions Cup over 1800m yields a possible Pick 6 banker in Captain America. He has the advantage of coming in fresh and it is his third place finish in this year’s very strong Grade 1 Sun Met over 2000m which puts him a cut above the rest of the field. He proved this point by winning the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge when going handy off a strong pace and kicking away. He has the identical draw of ten in this race. Bela-Bela was a touch unlucky in the Gold Challenge and could have got closer than a 1,75 length third, but a mile is probably her best trip. However, she has won two Grade 1s from 1800-2000m and from draw eight will make her presence felt in her swansong. Marinaresco proved in the Vodacom Durban July there is only one way for him to race and that is to be held up, so he will be hoping for a decent pace in the defence of his crown.

Those three are the fancies for the exotics, but some will choose to go wider. Sail South could win a Grade 1 if he ever settled as he over races in all of his runs yet still placed in both the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and Gold Challenge. This trip probably stretches him due to his pulling antic, but he was flying from last under Richard Fourie in both of the aforementioned Grade 1s and this is the first time he has tried further than a mile. This race often favours fresh horses so the highly regarded Table Bay has to be considered too. His mile form now looks excellent and although he has to prove he stays further he will be out to prove a point having been left out of the Gold Challenge field. The Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge winner Deo Juvente comes in fresh too. It’s MY Turn has a tough task on paper, but this is his third run of the SA Champions Season and he could be a dark horse. Matador Man is talented and relatively unexposed and is another outsider who could surprise.

In the first leg of the PA the two-year-old Touch Of Magic looks very classy and could make it two wins from two. The back up is Chamber Maid, who is suited to this trip and is well drawn.

The first leg of the Pick 6 over 1000m is a tough race, but the two-year-old Ishnana has excellent cruising speed and is selected. He will hopefully jump better than he did last time. Lil Red Rooster should go close from a good draw and Bonnie Dawn can feature if having more luck than last time. Varbration is knocking on the door, Cathedral County should have benefitted from his last run, Swakopmund and Gee Whizz have exceptional early pace and Surf’s Up won well last time, so it is an ultra tough leg.

Nebula (Nkosi Hlope)

It doesn’t get easier in the Listed Umngeni over the same trip, although Lloyd’s Legacy reproduced his “unbelievable” homework on the course last time when a cornell collar was introduced, so he can follow up from pole position in a race with a lot of pace in it. Hashtag Strat has high cruising speed and should be right there and of the closers Rodney is the choice for third ahead of Attenborough and Isca.

The Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m is also competitive but MacDuff and Nebula are the stand outs.

The fifth leg of the Pick 6 is the Grade 3 Gold Bracelet over 2000m and Nightingale is the class act having finished tie fourth in the July. However, Star Express is weighted to reverse form with her from both the Paddock Stakes over 1800m and the Majorca over 1600m and she has a plum draw. Bella Sonata is the best weighted horse on official merit ratings. Premier Dance and Captain Gambler could be threats too.

The last leg is tough because most of the fancied horses are drawn wide. Kapen Pride is a Silvano half-brother to Bulleting Home and is crying out for this trip, but his wide draw is a concern as he was a bit keen early last time. Brighteyebushytail, a Dynasty full brother to a horse who won third time out over 2000m, will relish the step up in trip and is well drawn and Storm Ruler, Lucky At Last, Roy’s Kaitrina and Eccelerate have to be considered too.

By David Thiselton

Greyville Saturday July 29 tips and suggested bets by Warren Lenferna

R1 (6) Making Miracles (10) The Matador (8) Roy’s Riviera
R2 (1) Aquila Warrior (4) Coys (11) The Byzantine
R3 (4) Touch Of Magic (8) Chamber Maid (10) Lolita Delago
R4 (3) Lil Red Rooster (9) Ishnana (6) Cathedral County
R5 (8) Lloyd’s Legacy (2) Effortless Reward (1) Attenborough
R6 (4) Nebula (8) Macduff (6) Prince Of Wales
R7 (10) Bela-Bela (1) Captain America (2) Marinaresco
R8 (1) Nightingale (3) Bella Sonata (7) Persian Rug
R9 (9) Lucky At Last (14) Kapen Pride (13) Brighteyebushytail

Exotics

PA (R324)
Leg 1: 4 x 8
Leg 2: 3 x 9 x 6
Leg 3: 8 x 2 x 1
Leg 4: 4 x 8
Leg 5: 10 x 1 x 2
Leg 6: 1
Leg 7: 9 x 14 x 13

PICK 6 (R768)
Leg 1: 3 x 9 x 6 x 5
Leg 2: 8 x 2 x 1 x 4
Leg 3: 4 x 8 x 6 x 7
Leg 4: 10 x 1 x 2
Leg 5: 1
Leg 6: 9 x 14 x 13 x 7

JACKPOT (R48)
Leg 1: 8 x 2 x 1 x 4
Leg 2: 4 x 8 x 6 x 7
Leg 3: 10 x 1 x 2
Leg 4: 1

BEST BET
Race 8: 1

VALUE BET
Race 7: 12

Greyville Sunday July 30 tips and suggested bets by Andrew Harrison

R1 (12) White Winter (5) Flamboyant (1) Diamonds Forever
R2 (8) Damaraland (10) Trip Queens (2) Icy Spirit
R3 (4) Rock My Soul (2) Gat Henshaw (3) Opera Royal
R4 (11) Tsessebe (2) Neptune’s Rain (12) Virga
R5 (1) Desert Rhythm (9) Lady In Black (4) Frederico’s Dream
R6 (3) Captain And Master (1) Ancestry (9) Monks Hood
R7 (16) Kinaan (7) Royal Badge (1) Krambambuli
R8 (3) Al Mariachi (2) So Var (6) Sniper Shot
R9 (3) The Great One (10) New Fort (6) Night Circus
R10 (6) Liquid Rainbow (5) Calabash (8) Selvan’s Jet

Exotics

PA (R108)
Leg 1: 4 x 2 x 3
Leg 2: 11 x 2
Leg 3: 1 x 9 x 4
Leg 4: 3
Leg 5: 16 x 7 x 1
Leg 6: 3 x 2
Leg 7: 3

PICK 6 (R640)
Leg 1: 11 x 2
Leg 2: 1 x 9 x 4 x 3
Leg 3: 3 x 1
Leg 4: 16 x 7 x 1 x 4 x 14
Leg 5: 3 x 2
Leg 6: 3 x 10 x 6 x 11

JACKPOT (R80)
Leg 1: 1 x 9 x 4 x 3
Leg 2: 3 x 1
Leg 3: 16 x 7 x 1 x 4 x 14
Leg 4: 3 x 2

Listen to The Way We Argue – Ep 117 [July 28 – July 30]

SA Racing App podcast featuring Warren Lenferna and Andrew Harrison…

Alternatively please use the following link:

Ten Gun Salute is in fine fettle before Saturday’s Gr 1 World Sports Betting Champions Cup. He put in a good piece of work at Ashburton yesterday morning under regular workrider Kospendule Hlongwe but Duncan Howells is cautious about his chances.

Ten Gun Salute (Nkosi Hlophe)

“This is a strong field and one has to be realistic about his chances. Every time he has stepped up to Grade 1 level he’s been found wanting and you can only make so many excuses.”

That said, “He has a good draw which is a bonus and I think he may be better suited to this trip. I think the July may have been a little too far for him although he did run into a lot of trouble in the race.

“I think this race is a lot different to the July.”  Not so cut-throat and if he can reproduce his Gr2 Betting World 1900 performance, “I don’t say he can’t win it but he will be right on top of them at the finish.”

By Andrew Harrison

Justin Snaith fully expects Bela-Bela to put it up to Marinaresco and Captain America in the World Sports Betting Champions Cup at Greyville on Saturday although he stops short of predicting outright victory.

Bela-Bela (Nkosi Hlophe)

Snaith, who won the race with Futura two years ago, said yesterday: “I think this is by far the strongest Champions Cup in years.

“Normally it’s an end-of-season race with one outstanding horse left after the rest have packed their bags and gone home. This time we’ve got the winners of the July, the Gold Challenge and the Garden Province all taking each other on.

“But Bela-Bela is going to give them a go. I had it planned all along that the Champions Cup was going to be part of her programme – that’s why she missed out the odd race – and she has been raced easy during her four months up here.

“If there was ever a time for her to take on the best this is it. She is doing well, she has matured and she is ready.”

Snaith also runs Black Arthur and It’s My Turn, seventh and eighth in the Durban July but less than a length and a half behind Marinaresco– “I couldn’t be happier with either of them than I am at the moment and I think I have them spot on. They will run good races.”

­  – Snaith will run last weekend’s Final Fling runner-up A Time To Dream in the Champagne Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday even though the four-year-year has not raced over as short a distance as 1 200m for more than two years.

By Michael Clower

Two big carryover-boosted Pick 6 pools and an exciting big-race double across two days are the highlights of tabGOLD’s betting line-up for the Gold Cup Festival of Racing at Greyville this weekend.

The two-day festival is headlined on Saturday by the R1-million World Sports Betting Champions Cup and on Sunday by the R1.25-million eLAN Gold Cup, South Africa’s premier equine marathon.

To celebrate the occasion the Tote is running a special Festival Double and adding R100 000 to the pool.

To win horseplayers must pick the winner of the Champions Cup on Saturday and the Gold Cup on Sunday. There will be consolation payouts for first and second, and second and first, with 15% of the pool set aside for each consolation.

Due to software issues probable payouts displayed will be to 100% of the pool, when in fact only 70% of the pool is for winning the double outright. So deduct 30% from any probable payout displayed to get the true likely dividend.

The Festival Double pool is already open. To play at any Tote use the normal betting form and mark venue oval 10 or SPQ in KZN.

There are big Pick 6 carryovers to both meetings – Saturday’s pool should hit R4 million and a R1.75-million carryover to Sunday is expected to generate a pool of R6 million! The Tote has guaranteed a R3.5-million Pick 6 pool for Saturday and R5 million on Sunday.

Here are the highlights of the Tote’s betting line-up for Greyville this weekend:
SATURDAY 29 July

Race 4: Pick 6 MEGAPOOL – R1 million carryover, GUARANTEED pool R3,5 million – likely pool R4 million plus!

Race 7: Champions Cup Quartet MAXIPOOL – R100,000 carryover, likely pool R1,5 million!

SUNDAY 30 July

Race 2: BiPot Leg 1 – R45,000 carryover, likely pool R600,000!

Race 3: PA Leg 1 – likely pool R1,5 million!

Race 4: Pick 6 MEGAPOOL Leg 1 – R1,75 million carryover, GUARANTEED pool R5 million – likely pool R6 million plus!

Race 5: Jackpot Leg 1 – R50,000 carryover, likely pool R1,5 million!

Race 7: Gold Cup Quartet MAXIPOOL – R300,000 carryover, likely pool R3 million!

NOTE: Tote Place payouts on first 5 runners to finish in Gold Cup!

* Likely Tote Win pool Gold Cup: R1,2million!

* Likely Tote Place pool Gold Cup: R900,000!