Author Archives: Nikita

Carry On Alice (Nkosi Hlophe)

Tarry sweet on Alice

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Champion trainer elect Sean Tarry has three well-drawn runners in the weight for age Gr 1 Mercury Sprint and not surprisingly fancies the dual Gr 1-winner Carry On Alice marginally ahead of the other two Willow Magic and Trip To Heaven. He said, “I would say Carry On Alice would be my first choice, but the other two are close behind. Willow Magic might be wanting a bit further now. I think the course and distance will suit Trip To Heaven quite nicely.” Tarry is not too phased about three-year-old filly Carry On Alice having run just two weeks ago in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m, “She’s coming back in distance, she pulled a little bit hard, she didn’t give her effort at the end, she’s taken her run well, looks good and is enjoying herself.”

He said about her draw of six in the eleven horse field, “It’s halfway, she can come from off them or go up handy. But it’s a strong field.”

Carry On Alice first met the ruling Mercury favourite Captain Of All in the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship over 1000m at Kenilworth and on that day she was asked to stand in the stalls for ages, while others including Captain of All were taken out, after Normanz had broken through. The colt beat her by 1,5 lengths and Tarry said, “We don’t know what she would have done (without the starting incident).” However, in their next meeting in the weight for age Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m she was 3,3 lengths ahead of Captain Of All. Tarry is not taking that form to literally and also does not believe the soft going on the day was necessarily in Carry On Alice’s favour. He pointed to Captain Of All’s next run when carrying topweght to an impressive 1,25 length victory in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville and said, “Captain Of All’s performance was very good with that weight. It may just be that he reserves his best for Maritzburg, but if not he’s a very good horse. Having said that the price of the second and third horses were 11/1 and 33/1 and we ran fourth with Bichette (16/1).” He also pointed to the times. Carry On Alice, carrying 58,5kg in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint, recorded a time 0,07 seconds quicker than Captain Of All, who was carrying 60kg. She will now be receiving 3kg from Captain Of All, which effectively means that taking the weight for age scale into account she is 2,5kg better off with Captain Of All from the Scottsville comparison. On the other hand Captain Of All did have to come from a tougher draw than Carry On Alice had to contend with at Scottsville.

The four-year-old Willow Magic, who won the Gr 1 SA Nursery over 1160m as a two-year-old, is drawn well in three. He last ran over course and distance in the Gr 2 Post Merchants and was caught late by Daring Dave and Moofeed to be beaten narrowly. Tarry said, “It was a good effort but I do think that the false start would have affected him more than most horses.”  He said about the draw, “He can be used but I don’t think he has to pace it out with them, it also depends on the pace.  He likes this course and we might leave him in the Champions Cup next week. He’s only run the mile twice and won the Dingaans and then finished second in the Gold Challenge to Legislate.”

The talented three-year-old colt Trip To Heaven has a plum draw of two and could be the dark horse as he finished just 0,25 lengths behind the classy sprinter Trip Tease when facing him on just 1kg worse than weight for age terms in January over a possibly too sharp 1000m. He had won the Gr 2 Post Merchants over 1160m in fine style before that when officially 1,5kg under sufferance. He hasn’t run since facing Trip Tease and Tarry said, “He didn’t pull up well and he is a horse that you have to work quite carefully with, so he wouldn’t have been ready for Scottsville and this is his next and last opportunity.” He doesn’t think that the strange course will affect him and added, “He can use that draw. He is very versatile, he can come from last or lead, it just depends how hard they go.”

Tarry runs the Rebel King filly Rebel To The Fore, who won on debut over 1000m, in the Gr 2 Debutante over 1200m, and said, “She won a five furlong so she’s got enough speed, but I don’t think she’s limited to a sprint.” She came from a bit off them on debut so the draw of eight is not much of a concern and he added, “I think she’s definitely got a nice future and having a look at the field she has a chance.”

He runs Enchanted Silk and City Of Athens in the Listed Off To Stud Stakes over1600m on the polytrack. The former is joint second best in at the weights and has shown both in her last race and at home that she loves the poly, although Tarry regards her ideal trip as being 1700-1800m. The latter often doesn’t try her hardest, but does have ability. She is 3kg under sufferance with the best in, but Tarry believes she is worth taking a chance with as he reckoned wearing blinkers for the first time on the poly might help her.

He runs Eva Tibbs in the Listed Queen Palm Stakes over 2400m, where she is 2,5k under sufferance with the best in. However, Tarry pointed out that she was a touch unlucky when finishing a five length fourth to the promising stayer Wild Ash in a Listed event over 2450m, so he is hoping she can earn black type here.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Carry On Alice (Nkosi Hlophe)

Solid Speed (Nkosi Hlophe)

Solid draws for Cup favourites

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Dean Kannemeyer and Stuart Randolph will be looking for a big race double when they team up with Solid Speed in the R1,25 million Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup to be run over 3200m at Greyville on Saturday, July 25.

The pair were successful with Power King in the Vodacom Durban July and Solid Speed’s Gold Cup chances were further enhanced when he drew gate 2 at last night’s draw for barrier positions.

Solid Speed suffered his first defeat in four starts at Greyville when going down less than a length to Heart Of A Lion in the SABC Gold Vase over 3000m on July day lumbering top weight of 60kg. He carries a handy 53kg in the Cup and is 1kg better off with Heart Of A Lion.

Kannemeyer also saddles last year’s top weight Hot Ticket and the lightly weighted Balance Sheet who drew 13 and 10 respectively.

Hot Ticket found traffic in the recent Vodacom Durban July but will much prefer this longer trip. Prior to the July he was just beaten a nostril by Disco Al in the Track & Ball Derby. Hot Ticket finished fourth under top weight in last year’s Gold Cup behind Wavin’s Flag.

Second last year was Mike de Kock’s runner Wild One and his name was first out of the draw. He has only had two outings since last year’s Cup and should be primed come next Saturday from gate 5. He came from near last to finish second to Punta Arenas in the Cup Trial over 1800m and followed up with a smart second behind Bezanova in the KZN Breeders’ Million Mile. He will much prefer this extended trip and will be one of the fancied runners.

Joey Ramsden has two smart stayers in Disco Al and Coltrane. The former has been in good form and got up in a blanket finish to touch off Hot Ticket in the Track & Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville with other Gold Cup entries Savage Wind and Kingston Mines less than a length behind. Disco Al drew 11.

Coltrane has been disappointing since arriving for Champions Season but he had some smart staying form in the Western Cape where he won the Chairman’s Cup over 3000 m and prior to that was just run out of it by Kingston Mines in the J&B Urban Honey Stakes over 2800m. His recent form has been over 2400m and the step up in trip could see him come into his own from draw 3.

Ash Cloud managed her first win of the season in the Gold Circle Oaks, this year run at Scottsville. She finished three lengths off Wavin’ Flag last year under 52kg but this year has a steadier of 57kg but has a plum draw at 8.

By Andrew Harrison

Picture: Solid Speed (Nkosi Hlophe)

africandreamnkosihlophe

How good is African Dream?

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Mark Dixon was realistic about the chances of his Gr 1 Mercury Sprint contender African Dream and admitted this run would partly be used to show exactly how good she was.

He said, “She’s exceptionally well after that last win (in which she defended her crown in the KZN Breeders 1200). It’s a massive step up in class, but she’s going to have a break anyway so our theory was we’ve got nothing to lose. She’s drawn eleven of eleven which is obviously not great, but one of her greatest assets is her gate speed. She’s out the stalls like a bullet, that’s if she behaves herself on the day, although there’s no reason to believe that she won’t.”

The four-year-old Mogok filly has always had an aversion to the starting stalls but behaved herself well last time having been accompanied by Dixon’s wife and assistant trainer Hayley and the “horse whisperer” Glyn Redgrave. The pair will be with her at the start again.

Dixon continued, “Then we can get across and sit nice and handy, that’s her style of racing. We will learn an awful lot and see where we are at, because we’re taking on the best. We can run a place maybe.”

Dixon ran third in this race last year at Clairwood with Showmetheway and felt he was a touch unlucky not to have won it having been drawn badly, but he admitted it had been a “sub-standard Gr 1 and this year’s is a lot more competitive.”

African Dream’s six wins (in 12 starts) have all been over this distance, but she is merit rated 101, which leaves her with a mountain to climb against the like of 120 merit rated Captain Of All under the weight for age conditions. Regular rider Keagan de Melo will be aboard.

By David Thiselton

Picture: African Dream (Nkosi Hlophe)

Mike Azzie (Nkosi Hlophe)

Isphan up against it

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Mike Azzie was not bullish about the chances of his three-year-old Tiger Ridge gelding Isphan ahead of the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m at Greyville on Saturday.

He said, “He’s very well and in good shape but it’s a very, very strong field and I will be happy if he places.”

Isphan was caught wide early when running a decent 2,6 length fifth in the Gr 2 Post Merchants over the course and distance. However, he faces all three of the horses that finished over two lengths ahead of him, Daring Dave, Moofeed and Willow Magic, on only 0,5kg better terms, while other even classier sorts like Captain Of All and Carry On Alice are also now in play. Furthermore he is drawn wide in 9 in the 11 horse field. Last time out he was well beaten over 1200m on the poly on Vodacom Durban July day, but his regular rider Gavin Lerena is now back aboard.

A few of Azzie’s runners appeared to run a bit below par on July day, but they all returned normal.

Included among them was Frosted Honey, who now runs in the Gr 2 Debutante over 1200m on Saturday and will then go for the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m a week later.

Azzie said, “I was a little disappointed with Frosted Honey’s run (4,8 length 12th in the Gr 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m), I would have expected her to run better, but in saying that she did have a setback when she got to KZN and I think we were chasing the eight ball with her all the time. She has come on a lot from that run and will be in better shape for her next start.”

He said, “Deputy Jud wasn’t given the best ride, it was probably one of Corne’s (Orffer) worst rides ever, to go that pace in a July handicap is absolutely ridiculous, you can’t set those fractions and expect a horse to find, so his July run can be written off, he’s a much better horse than that and I’m sure he’s going to bounce back. He’s definitely going to run in the Champions Cup, but in saying that the weights don’t suit him, but he will be right there.”

He was very disappointed with Hot August’s run in the KZN Yearling Sales Million and said, “He might have to be gelded later on, I’m going to take him home and have a look at him and see where we are with him. That run is not what he shows us on the track.”

Rock Me Var was another disappointment on July day and will be taken home to the Highveld and given his African Horse Sickness vaccinations.

However, Azzie will have a strong hand in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m on Super Saturday (July 25) with the outstanding prospect Rabada and the exciting Abashiri, as well as  High Game, who improved to win his fourth start, over 1400m at Scottsville, by seven lengths.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Mike Azzie

Pioneer Spirit (Nkosi Hlophe)

Pioneer Spirit on the up

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There is a low key meeting at Scottsville on Wednesday and punters will be hoping for some more good form results after a generally favourable meeting at this venue on Sunday.

The first race on the card over 1200m will  attract plenty of interest for parade ring watchers around the country as swimming icon Chad Le Clos will be there to see the debut run of his Toreador colt, the Paul Lafferty-trained Unbelievable Chad, who is described as a “very nice horse who should run very well.” However, the horse who could prove hard to beat will be the Dennis Drier-trained Imperial Stride colt Swakopmund, who finished second over course and distance on debut and the form looks strong.

The Mike de Kock-trained Australian-bred first-timer Kinaan is by world leading sire Galileo, so will be of interest, and Chestnut’s Champ and Omega Onslaught are the other first-timers who make some appeal. Of those to have run Vinicio could make more improvement.

Pioneer Spirit (Nkosi Hlophe)

Pioneer Spirit (Nkosi Hlophe)

The highest rated race of the day is the seventh race, a MR 78 Handicap over 1950m. The three-year-old gelding Pioneer Spirit is well drawn with Anthony Delpech up and being by Go Deputy he will now be improving rapidly, so he could be the one to beat despite carrying topweight. Worship Dancer, a good looking and improving gelding by Tiger Dance, will relish the further step up in trip on pedigree, but he does have a tricky draw of six in the nine horse field. Sovereign Reign ran on from near the back over 1600m last time out and wasn’t  beaten far by the promising Saratoga Dancer, so he looks likely to enjoy this trip and could be a contender. Jet Avenger likely needed his last run but is distance suited and has won at Scottsville before. Buck Shot has been disappointing but is drawn well and should be effective over this trip so could earn if producing his best. There is not much between New Fort and Worship Dancer on their last meeting, but the former does have the widest draw to overcome.

The second race over 1200m could be won by the Drier-trained Just As Well filly Well In Flight who caught the eye staying on well over course and distance on debut. There are plenty of first-timers in this race and the one that makes most appeal is Northern Chorus, who is by Fort Wood out of the Graded-winning sprinter Headstrong.

The third race over 1200m could be won by Bunker Hill, who finished just 1,75 lengths behind Swakopmund on debut in a strong form race. Land Of Legends is one who could improve out of that same race. Apollo’s Gift ran a fair race on debut and could also improve.

First-timer African Ruler is of interest here being by Trippi out of the useful sprinter Chant De Nuit. Astral Promise is a full-brother to the dual Gr 3 winner Astro News and is another interesting first-timer.

In the fourth over 1200m the interesting runner is Blessed Release who was all the rage last time out and is worth another chance.

Aguero and Green Door beat him in that last race but the form has not worked out too well so others that will have to be considered are the hard knocking Destined For Dawn, Triptonic and Al Wahed. The last mentioned returns from a break of nearly a year but if he repeats his six length second place finish to Generalissimo last time out he will be right there.

The fifth over 1200m could see the hard-knocking Roy’s Angel beating Masked Girl and Kingsview.

The sixth over 1000m could be won by the two-year-old Just Africa, who is well regarded and being very fast will love this trip. He also has the advantage of a 4kg claimer aboard. The speedy Tonto should also be suited to this course and distance having only faded late when beaten 5,25 lengths by the promising Hunting Owl over 1200m.

The Tripster, who overtook Tonto late in that race, should be thereabouts too. Bengal Boy, All True Man, Midanswer, Burrwood and Threshhold can also be considered.

The eighth sees a good opportunity from a good draw for Princess Beach, who has struck as being better than her form suggests and the 1950m trip should be perfect. Bizjet could be the danger.

The last over 1400m could be won by the two-year-old Brooklyn Brawler, who likely needed his first outing over 1400m and looks to have scope for considerable improvement.

It’s a tough race and Noble Peer might present fair each/way value. Gurkha Chief is another one who could be in the shake up.

By David Thiselton

Captain Of All (Nkosi Hlophe)

Captain looks to stamp his authority

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The Dennis Drier-trained dual Gr 1-winner Captain Of All will stake a claim to be named the best sprinter in the country at Greyville on Saturday when lining up in the weight for age Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m.

The four-year-old Captain Al colt carried topweight to an impressive victory in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m last time out and worked like a bomb in his final serious preparation gallop on the top sand track at Summerveld yesterday under his big race rider Sean Cormack.

Drier said, “He’s come out of his last run like a dream. His final sprint up this morning (Tuesday) was out of the top drawer and let’s hope we can pull it off and send him off to stud on a high note. He’s an absolute gentleman, he’s an easy horse to ride and in the Gr 1 Premier’s Championship over 1400m (which he ran in as a two-year-old after winning the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m at Scottsville) he was beaten short-head, short-head in the soft, nothing wrong with that performance, so I’m sure Greyville will be no issue for him at all.”

Drier also regards his barrier position of seven in the eleven horse field as a “fantastic draw”.

The bay is quite tall and is powerfully built, a really good looking specimen, and on weight for age terms he won’t be easy to beat.

Captain Of All is competing for Equus Champion Sprinter with the two three-year-old fillies Alboran Sea and Carry On Alice. The former has been retired and the latter is running in The Mercury.

Captain of All failed by a whisker to catch Alboran Sea in the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championships over 1000m, with Carry On Alice third, and was beaten 4 lengths and 3,3 lengths respectively by the pair in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m.

His subsequent Tsogo Sun win over 1200m was a fantastic performance, but interestingly Carry On Alice’s time in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint on the same day over the same trip, in which she beat Alboran Sea, was run in a time 0,07 seconds quicker than Captain Of All’s. Furthermore, she will now be receiving both an age and a gender allowance, which together add up to 3kg, so on paper she is the main danger.

Drier runs the four-year-old Solskjaer filly Red Label in the Listed Off To Stud Stakes over 1600m on the polytrack. She was beaten 1,75 lengths over the course and distance by Euphoria last time out and will now be 1kg worse off because the suppressed, banded merit-rating handicap conditions of this race favour the higher merit rated horses. Furthermore, she has landed a wide draw, although in her favour is that she clearly loves the poly. She is effective over this trip and stayed on well last time, although she might possibly prefer 1400m.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Captain Of All (Nkosi Hlophe)

Legislate (Liesl King)

Media Release: Legislate to take on SA’s top sprinters in this year’s Mercury Sprint

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The 2014 Vodacom Durban July and recent Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner Legislate is taking on some of the country’s top sprinters in South Africa’s premier speed event, the R750 000, Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over 1 200m at Greyville on Saturday.

For whatever reason, Cape trainer Justin Snaith is pitting the reigning Horse Of The Year against winner of the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint winner Captain Of All from the Dennis Drier stable at level weights over the tight Greyville track adding an unexpected element to the famous sprinting event that will be run at the central Durban venue for the first time since the closure of Clairwood.

The field for the country’s top weight-for-age sprint has trimmed down to a fascinating mix of speed and stamina with the versatile sprinter-miler Willow Magic from the Sean Tarry stable included among the 11 runners.

Legislate is a miler with plenty of toe as he showed when smashing the Kenilworth 1 600m record when winning the Green Point Stakes and Snaith’s decision not to run him in the Vodacom Durban July which he won last year but put him up against the speed horses in this 1 200m race is an interesting development. Snaith is reported as saying that if he comes out of this race without a problem, he will run him in the Champions Cup at Greyville over 1 800m the following week.

Captain Of All won the Grade 1 Tsogo Sprint at Scottsville in fine style stamping himself as a contender for the EQUUS Sprinter Of The Year award and a win in Saturday’s race could well give him an edge over Alboran Sea that beat him in both his “away” races, the Betting World Cape Flying Championship at Kenilworth and the Computaform Sprint at Turffontein.

Saturday’s field for the country’s top weight-for-age sprint also includes the first and second past the post in the Post Merchants, Daring Dave and Moofeed, the winner of the City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint Carry On Alice and the versatile sprinter-miler Willow Magic that finished second in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and third in the Post Merchants.

It is an interesting and exciting field that heads an entertaining meeting where racegoers can win a share of R32 000 in Race and Win prizes including a stay at the Cascades Sun City and Spar grocery vouchers.

greyville aerial

July spur discussed

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Gold Circle will be looking into possibly reducing the width of the spur for next year’s Vodacom Durban July in order to encourage the runners to spread themselves out over the entire width of the track.

Graeme Hawkins, Gold Circle’s Racing and Marketing executive, felt that a 2m spur would probably serve the race best and discussions in this regard will shortly be taking place.

In this year’s July the horses appeared to be thrown outward by the 4m wide spur and did not make use of the inside section of the track.

There were consequently traffic problems towards the outside, although the shifting outward by the winner Power King did not help matters and appeared to be the cause of quite a few hard luck stories. Winning jockey Stuart Randolph consequently landed a two week suspension.

There is also an inquiry into third-placed jockey Johnny Geroudis’ weighing-in in excess of 1kg. On paper it appears that his mount Tellina, who finished 1,25 lengths back, would have won the July if carrying the correct weight and this is supported by the handicappers awarding him a four point merit rated raise from 108 to 112, while the winner Power King only went up three points from 106 to 109, while second-placed Punta Arenas went up two points from 109 to 111.

Meanwhile, the spur for the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m on Super Saturday, July 25, originally intended to be set at 6m, will also be subject of discussion by Gold Circle. It might be reduced in width, although the size of the field will have an influence on the decision. The final field for the Gold Cup is due to be announced at a function at 17h30 today (Tuesday) and the barrier positions will also be drawn. However, at the time of going to press only 20 horses were still standing their ground.

The spur for the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m on Saturday is due to be set at a minimum of 3m.

By David Thiselton