Author Archives: Nikita

Maleficent (Nkosi Hlophe)`

FINAL FIELD: GOLD CIRCLE GOLDEN SLIPPER

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Race-5 (Turf) R 600,000    Greyville 1400m  Sat, July 2 14:25
GOLD CIRCLE GOLDEN SLIPPER (Grade 2)
For 2 year-old Fillies

Sc# Horse               Mass   MR       Draw   B  A  T  Jockey                    Trainer

1  AL HAWRAA           60.0    0 (  0)    8      A    *C Murray                  Mike de Kock
2  CALL ME WINTER      60.0    0 (  0)   13      A     B Lerena                  Michael Miller
3  DAWN CALLING        60.0    0 (  0)    5      A     M Yeni                    Duncan Howells
4  DIAMOND IN THE SKY  60.0    0 (  0)   11      A     K de Melo                 Alyson Wright
5  FINAL JUDGEMENT     60.0    0 (  0)    1      A     S Randolph                Glen Kotzen
6  FORTISSIMUS         60.0    0 (  0)    6      A     G Lerena                  Robbie Hill
7  INTRIGUING LADY     60.0    0 (  0)   15      A     B Fayd’Herbe              Mike de Kock
8  MACADAMIA           60.0    0 (  0)   14      A     M Byleveld                Roy Magner
9  MALEFICENT          60.0    0 (  0)    2      A     W Marwing                 Alec Laird
10  MYFUNNYVALENTINE    60.0    0 (  0)   12      A     S Khumalo                 Sean Tarry
11  OPEN ROAD           60.0    0 (  0)   10      A     R Danielson               Roy Magner
12  SAIL                60.0    0 (  0)    4      A     S Veale                   Dennis Drier
13  THE MERRY WIDOW     60.0    0 (  0)   16      A     A Delpech                 Justin Snaith
14  VISUALITY           60.0    0 (  0)    9      A  T  P Strydom                 Sean Tarry
Reserve Runners
15  CAPTAINS MOLL       60.0    0 (  0)    7      A     Reserve 1                 James Goodman
16  ZADORA              60.0    0 (  0)    3      A     Reserve 2                 Greg & Karen Anthony
Couplings: (1,7) (8,11) (10,14)

king of pain nh new

FINAL FIELD: SABC GOLD VASE

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(Turf) R 500,000 Greyville 3000m  13:35   Sat, July 2
SABC GOLD VASE (Grade3)
Open

Sc# Horse           Mass  MR  Draw BAT   Jockey        Trainer

1 KING OF PAIN      60.0  106  2    A    B Fayd’Herbe  Joey Ramsden
2 GOLD ONYX         60.0  105  15   A T  A Fortune     Sean Tarry
3 KINGSTON MINES    58.5  102  13 B A    D Dillon      Mike de Kock
4 BALANCE SHEET     58.5  101  10 B A    A Delpech     Dean Kannemeyer
5 NO WORRIES        58.5  101  3    A T  W Kennedy     Gavin van Zyl
6 STORM WARNING     57.0  97   7    A    G Lerena      Johan Janse van Vuuren
7 SOLAR STAR        57.0  96   9    A    S Randolph    Dean Kannemeyer
8 STEBBINS          55.5  98   4  B A T  W Marwing     Weiho Marwing
9 GREEK LEGEND      55.5  91   11 B A   *L Hewitson    Mike Azzie
10 CRIME VICTIM     54.0  87   8    A    M Yeni        Duncan Howells
11 GREAT RUMPUS     54.0  87   1    A    A Forbes      Frank Robinson
12 ENAAD            52.5  83   5    A    S Khumalo     Mike de Kock
13 SMART MART       52.5  83   14 B A   *E S Ngwane    Mike de Kock
14 THREE BALLOONS   52.5  82   6  B A    G van Niekerk Mike Bass
15 KINAAN           50.0  84   12   A   *C Murray      Mike de Kock
16 ROYAL ZULU GUARD 50.0  69   16 C A   *K Zechner+2.5 Kumaran Naidoo

Couplings: (3,12,13,15) (4,7)

Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

FINAL FIELD: DELTA AIR LINES 2200

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Race-3 (Turf) R 500,000 2200m  12:55    Ref-945
DELTA AIR LINES 2200 (Grade 3)

Merit Rated Handicap

Sc# Horse           Mass   MR   Draw BAT    Jockey         Trainer

1 PUNTA ARENAS      60.0  107    3  C A     K de Melo      Dennis Drier
2 HELDERBERG BLUE   59.0  105    8    A     G van Niekerk  Mike Bass
3 DISCO AL          57.0  101    5    A     P Strydom      Joey Ramsden
4 DYNASTIC POWER    57.0  101    2    A     M Byleveld     Vaughan Marshall
5 MASTER’S EYE      57.0  101    4    A     D Whyte        Justin Snaith
6 KILLUA CASTLE     56.5  100   12    A T   C Zackey       Geoff Woodruff
7 WAVIN’ FLAG       56.0   99    6  B A     C Orffer       Brett Crawford
8 DEPUTY JUD        55.5   98    9    A     K Zechner      Mike Azzie
9 MASTER SWITCH     55.5   98    1    A T   A Marcus       Geoff Woodruff
10 SERISSA          55.5   98   10    A     S Khumalo      Sean Tarry
11 THE CENTENARY    55.5   98    7    A     W Marwing      Mike de Kock
12 ALGHADEER        54.0   95   11    A     A Delpech      Mike de Kock

Couplings: (6,9) (11,12)

Andrew Fortune (Nkosi Hlophe)

Jockeying for position

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Andrew Fortune and the weighing room scale have fought a three decade long battle with the former champion jockey most often on the wrong end of exchanges and also officials.

The following epic saga of jockey versus scale will play out over the next two weeks after Sean Tarry declared Fortune on Samurai Blade for the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July.

Andrew Fortune (Nkosi Hlophe)

Andrew Fortune (Nkosi Hlophe)

Fortune is most comfortable at the top end of the weights but he has shown in the past that given incentive he has the willpower to lay off the pasta and 55,5kg is within his capabilities – just!

Fortune’s booking could also be a master stroke by Tarry given that many pundits have expressed fears that there is no obvious pacemaker in the race. There is no finer judge of pace than Fortune and while he will make the most of his chances – there are no ‘gimme’s’ in Fortune’s resume –  he is likely to ride at a pace to suit his mount and quite possibly top weight and stable companion to Samurai Blade, French Navy.

Tarry’s stable jockey and champion elect S’manga Khumalo was widely expected to be aboard Trophy Wife after Weichong Marwing kept the ride on French Navy but there may still be more intrigue to unfold before Saturday week.

Tarry was no doubt expecting Trophy Wife to make the final cut and was outspoken in his criticism of the selection panel. “Not only was she beaten only two lengths by Met winner Smart Call at Turffontein in November, she was third behind the same horse in last season’s Woolavington and, more recently, won the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes – tell me how they can leave her out?”

Trophy Wife is first reserve so much could hang on how the Rabada saga plays out.

Mike Azzie made no bones at the function to announce the July field that he was unhappy in being forced to run the Gr1 Daily News winner in both the KwaZulu-Natal Million Mile this coming Sunday and the July. He may still get his way should Rabada contest Sunday’s race.

French Navy (Nkosi Hlophe)

French Navy (Nkosi Hlophe)

That would leave MJ Byleveld with a hard-luck story as he has been booked for Rabada in the July but it would open the way for Khumalo to partner Trophy Wife.

Adding fuel to the intrigue is that Anton Marcus, successful on Rabada in the Daily News, passed him over opting for the mount on the relatively unexposed St Tropez. Winner of the East Coast Derby in PE, he was a smart second to Solid Speed – beaten a neck – and ahead of Dynamic and The Conglomerate in the G2 Betting World 1900. The Betting World 1900 had somewhat lost its reputation as a July pointer until last year when Power King and Punta Arenas, second and third respectively, finished first and second in the July.

Piere Strydom was offered the ride on Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner Mac De Lago by Weiho Marwing but because of prior commitments finds himself aboard The Conglomerate, winless this season but slowly finding his best form.

By all accounts current champion jockey Gavin Lerena’s stint in Hong Kong is all but over and he heads back to partner Geoff Woodruff’s runner Master Sabina.

Duncan Howells was pleasantly surprised that Saratoga Dancer made the field and was quick to book rising star Craig Zackey, a rider he mentored in his apprenticeship before his move to Gauteng.

Justin Snaith, with four runners in the race and three top flight jockeys in Anthony Delpech, Dougie Whyte and Richard Fourie, has placed huge faith in apprentice sensation Lyle Hewitson. Barely a year into his apprenticeship, Snaith has booked him for Dynamic and with his mount being drawn in pole, his mettle will be properly tested.

By Andrew Harrison

Bezanova (Nkosi Hlophe)

Chasing the Million Mile

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The Alec Laird-trained Bezanova is the defending champion in the KZN Breeders Million Mile, which is to be run at Greyville on Sunday, and will have a big chance if at his best.

However, the Alec Laird yard are more hopeful than bullish.

Bezanova (Nkosi Hlophe)

Bezanova (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Million Mile has always been an intriguing race due to the weight conditions, which go on number of wins plus Graded penalties.

Bezanova is treated the same as last year, because 2kg must be added for his win of last year’s event, but on the other hand his Gr 2 penalty falls away as his Charity Mile victory happened more than 18 months ago. However, the weights had to be dragged up to 60kg last year, and he carried 59kg, whereas this year he is only carrying 58kg. He was reported not striding out when running way below par in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge two weekends ago, a race he had finished a 0,9 length third in last year.

Laird said, “It is hard to explain the run, he took hold of the bit, then had to be eased and from then on took no interest. He has not been at his best, but he looks good, everything is fine and he has been working well, so we will see. But it will be hard to beat Rabada.”

A big plus for Bezanova is Weichong Marwing up and he also has a plum draw of two.

Rabada is the highest rated horse in the field, the distance is ideal and he has a fair draw of five with Anton Marcus up.

Rabada (Nkosi Hlophe)

Rabada (Nkosi Hlophe)

However, he is not the best weighted horse and is in fact officially 3,5kg under sufferance with the Sean Tarry-trained filly Intergalactic and 2,5kg under sufferance with the Tarry-trained Malak El Moolook.

On the other hand Rabada could be better than his 106 merit rating suggests, especially when considering his last two runs. Things did not go ideally for him when pipped in the Gr 2 Canon Guineas by the ruling Vodacom Durban July favourite Black Arthur, while Anton Marcus dropped the whip just after turning for home in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and Rabada still managed to win.

Intergalactic has seemed to get going too late in her last three runs which have been from 1600m to 2000m. However, this will be her third run at Greyville and she is drawn in pole, so has a chance with her weight advantage, although it has to be said J&B Met winning jockey JP van der Merwe is not in the mint of form at present.

The Tarry stable elect is not necessarily Malak El Moolook, who has stable first choice jockey S’Manga Khumalo up, because Khumalo would not be able to make the 50kg weight of Intergalactic. Malak El Moolook is distance suited, having run his best races in the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas and Gr 2 Canon Guineas, while his three runs over 1800m have all been disappointing. He was doing his best work late in the Canon Guineas when just 2,05 lengths behind Black Arthur and is now better drawn. He is 7kg better off with Rabada for a 1,55 length beating in the Canon Guineas, so could be the one to beat.

Intergalactic (Nkosi Hlophe)

Intergalactic (Nkosi Hlophe)

No Worries is the best weighted older horse and won this race two years ago. He is officially 3kg under sufferance with Intergalactic. However, he has lost some of his speed and appears to be better over further these days.

Way Of Light is the topweight and is 6,5kg under sufferance with Intergalactic. However, he is a talented sort with a fine turn of foot and, if he can be settled quicker than he was last time out in the Cup Trial, his finishing effort could make him a threat.

Just Like Magic beat July runner Ten Gun Salute over this trip at Scottsville in a maiden last October, but is 10,5kg under sufferance with Intergalactic.

Roy’s Winter Patch and Son Of Silver have some talent but are officially the worst and second worst weighted runners in the field.

Humidor has a lot of speed, so there is a stamina doubt, and he is officially 10,5kg under sufferance with Intergalactic.

The second best weighted runners have won the last two renewals of this race and the trend could continue as Malak El Moolook looks the one to side with and he could be followed home by Rabada, with Intergalactic, Way Of Light and Bezanova next best.

By David Thiselton

French Navy (Nkosi Hlophe)

Draw concerns Marwing

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Most French Navy fans would have been thrilled to see the strapping Sean Tarry-trained horse land a seemingly plum draw of four for the Vodacom Durban July, but jockey Weichong Marwing had in fact been hoping for a wide draw.

Weichong Marwing

Weichong Marwing

A wider draw would have given Marwing more options.

He explained in a slow paced race it was sometimes easier to find a position from a wide draw. A lot of the wider drawn horses will be attempting to get to the front down the back straight and should be able to achieve this in a slow paced race. Once they are ahead they are able to move inward towards the rail. They can then relax and wait for the next wave of wider drawn horses to come around them. Thereby, in a slow paced race, a widely drawn horse could possibly find itself in a handy position with cover.

Meanwhile, with each horse which has come around the field to the front, the well drawn horses will have been shuffled backwards. Of course the well drawn horses can prevent all of this from happening by holding their positions. However, they would need to use up energy to keep the wider horses out, and this is especially the case at Greyville because the back straight is uphill.

French Navy’s problem is his relative lack of gate speed. From a low draw it looks likely he has little option but to sit at the back early and hope for a fast pace. However, from a wide draw Marwing would have been able to drop him out if adjudging the pace to be quick, or send him up there if adjudging it to be slow. As the great jockey Michael “Muis” Roberts once said, the first fifty metres of a race are in fact the most important.

French Navy (Nkosi Hlophe)

French Navy (Nkosi Hlophe)

Marwing was philosophical. He said the draw was a factor which could not be changed and he would simply have to re-plan his strategy.

In the two renewals of the July to date which have been run on the narrower track, the horse drawn in barrier six crossed the line first, i.e. Wylie Hall and Power King respectively. Draw six this year belongs to the Tarry-trained Samurai Blade.

However, Legislate was awarded the race in the boardroom two years ago at the expense of Wylie Hall and he jumped from draw eleven. If the reserve runners come out, the horse drawn eleven this year will be Rabada. The latter is engaged to run in the KZN Million Mile this Sunday.

The last horse to take in both the Million Mile and the July was Love Struck in 2013 and he finished downfield in both races.

Rabada’s trainer Mike Azzie was forthright and said he believed this horse had had an outstanding July preparation, provided he did not run in the Million Mile on Sunday. However, the decision to run him on Sunday is out of his hands.

By David Thiselton

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

Mixed views on draws

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Marinaresco’s 19 draw was greeted with disappointment bordering on disgust by the horse’s connections at Kenilworth yesterday.

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

“That’s the worst draw I could have,” said rider Grant van Niekerk while Candice Robinson greeted questions with a blunt “Don’t even ask me,” before adding: “We had bad luck – we didn’t even get a chance to choose a number. Marinaresco has to be dropped in – that’s the way he is ridden – so we are going to have to hope that there is a good pace.”

It was also a bitter disappointment for all those punters who have backed the three-year-old to give Mike Bass success with his last hurrah, making him the gamble of the race so far. Bookmakers, doubtless breathing a sigh of relief, promptly marked him out from 6-1 to as much as 15-2.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who won from pen three on Pocket Power eight years ago, was totally unimpressed with Mac De Lago’s 16, saying: “That’s very bad.”

Surprisingly, though, Richard Fourie expressed himself delighted with his number 14 stall for It’s My Turn. It could be significant that Legislate started from only three places inside that when Fourie won on him two years ago.

He said: “That’s a beautiful draw and a good one for this particular horse. Most of those drawn low are speed horses and they are going to cut each other’s throats. I am happy that I am out of trouble, I know my horse stays and now I’m just hoping for a fair run through the race.”

By Michael Clower

Trip To Heaven (JC Photo)

Buckland gets his chance

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Sean Tarry regarded Buckland as his first choice for the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, only to see him eliminated by the selection panel, but the three-year-old Western Winter colt now gets a chance to prove his class in the Gr 2 Post Merchants over 1200m at Greyville on Friday night.

Tarry said his other contender, Trip To Heaven, who crossed the line first in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m at Greyville on Saturday before being demoted to second in the boardroom, was a “doubtful starter” due to the proximity of that previous run, although he would be monitored over the next couple of days before a final decision was made.

Trip To Heaven (JC Photo)

Trip To Heaven (JC Photo)

Tarry was also hopeful of a good run from Witchcraft on Sunday at Scottsville in the Gr 2 Track And Ball Oaks over 2400m.

The 103 merit rated Buckland will be near the bottom of the 100 to 104 merit rated band under the conditions of the race, as his net merit rating is 101, and this means he will be 2,5kg under sufferance with the officially best weighted horses in the race, the mare Fly By Night.

Tarry would still have preferred him to have taken his place in the Tsogo Sun, despite the Post Merchants being an overall weaker race, as he preferred him “down the straight.”

Buckland has gone around the turn twice before at Turffontein, but those races were over 1400m and 1600m respectively. Tarry said the colt was “well.”

He jumps from a fair draw of eight with first call jockey S’Manga Khumalo up.

Tarry is a bit annoyed the racing fraternity have taken it upon themselves to describe the few cases he has had of “bacterial infections” in his yard as a “virus”, which it is not.

The runs of Trip To Heaven, French Navy and Liege over the weekend proved the yard’s runners are arriving at the course in good shape.

Trip To Heaven will only be 0,5kg under sufferance with Fly By Night if taking his place in the Post Merchants, although he will have to lug 60kg. This sprint miler’s two Gr 2 victories have been over 1160m and 1450m respectively, so he has plenty of speed. He tends to miss the  break, so will likely be dropped out from his draw of ten. He proved on Saturday what a fine turn of foot he has, as he made up ground effortlessly and quickly from last in the running.

If Trip To Heaven is scratched his stablemate Old Em will come in as the reserve runner. This speedily-bred three-year-old Trippi filly beat the previously unbeaten Hollie Point over this trip at the Vaal last time out by a length. However, she was given a seven point raise for that effort so, despite her being officially only 0,5kg under sufferance with Fly By Night and carrying a featherweight 51,5kg, she will not have it easy in her first run in open Graded company. Her draw of six is suitable as one with plenty of natural speed.

Tarry felt Witchcraft was unlucky in the Gr 1 SA Oaks as she was caught wide without cover the whole way from a wide draw. She had then found the Greyville 2000m of the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 too sharp. He gives her a shout in the Gr 3 Track And Ball Oaks over 2400m at Scottsville on Sunday if she is able to overcome her wide draw. Khumalo will have learnt a bit more about her from the SA Oaks run and is back aboard.

Meanwhile, French Navy has pulled up well out of his eye catching third in the Gold Challenge. The remainder of his preparation for the Vodacom Durban July will be done out of Summerveld.

By David Thiselton

Captain Alfredo (Nkosi Hlophe)

Captain has the speed

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Dean Kannemeyer said Capfain Alfredo’s run in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint was only “slightly below himself”, despite a 4,1 length beating, and he believed the four-year-old Captain Al gelding could find the frame in Friday night’s Gr 2 Post Merchants over the same 1200m trip around the turn at Greyville.

Kannemeyer was also positive about the chances of Cape Speed in the Gr 3 Track And Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville on Sunday.

Captain Alfredo (Nkosi Hlophe)

Captain Alfredo (Nkosi Hlophe)

He said, “I didn’t think Captain Alfredo had an easy task at Scottsville as he had been given the eight point raise. He is a very tough horse and took the race well. We have kept him fresh for this race. Greyville is not a problem for him, he as run well there before. It’s quite competitive, but if he puts his best foot forward he can finish in the first four.”

Kannemeyer mentioned only Red Ray of the other horses in the field, so must have a lot of respect for this much touted horse.

Captain Alfredo is relatively well weighted under the merit-rated bands conditions, being only 0,5kg under sufferance with the best treated horse, the mare Fly By Night.

Furthermore, he has a plum draw of three, perfect for his style in which he uses his natural speed to lie handy before kicking for home.

Anthony Delpech will attempt to make it a seventh Graded race victory of this SA Champions Season and a fourth for Kannemeyer.

Kannemeyer and Delpech combine again on Sunday in the Track and Ball Derby with the three-year-old Ideal World gelding Cape Speed.

Dean Kannemeyer

Dean Kannemeyer

This gelding looked very promising as a two-year-old, but after starting off his three-year-old season well in Cape Town he went a bit off the boil. However, he was a rig and has won both of his starts since gelding and both of them have been in KZN.

He has therefore won his last three starts in KZN, all of them at Greyville between 1800m and 1900m. However, one of his most eye catching performances was at Scottsville, when making up a tremendous amount of ground in his second career start over the too sharp 1600m and finishing just 1,25 lengths behind the decent Celtic Captain in a maiden.

Kannemeyer said, “I haven’t pushed him but he is doing very, very well. It is not an easy task as a three-year-old, but he is on the up and improving continually.”

Kannemeyer confirmed Cape Speed thrived in KZN. It is no surprise he is improving as most progeny of Ideal World do and this top class sire should also impart enough stamina in him to stay the trip.

He jumps from draw nine and off a 96 merit rating is 2,5kg under sufferance with the officially best treated horse, the three-year-old Listed Derby Trial winner Bankable Teddy.

By David Thiselton