Author Archives: Nikita

Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Elley happy with Punta Arenas

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Vodacom Durban July runner-up Punta Arenas in the Champions Cup looks like being Stan Elley’s final big race runner.

Elley, who relinquishes his licence in the week after the race, said yesterday: “We will probably make a final decision by the end of this week but at this stage I am pretty happy with the way he has come out of last Saturday’s run.  He had a little bit of heat in one joint on Sunday morning but now that is just about gone.”

Elley, who has been training for 41 years and had two thirds in the July with Red Badge in 2003 and 2004, was delighted with Punta Arenas’ performance and said: “He did everything right except win the race.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Media Release: eLan Property Group Gold Cup Raceday Entries

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A galaxy of South African thoroughbred stars will gather at the Theatre Of Champions in Durban on Saturday, July 25, for the final performances of Champions Season’s racing magic.

Super Saturday at Greyville is what brings the curtain down on the three-month feast of top graded racing and just over 180 horses have been nominated for the seven feature events on the card headed by the pinnacle challenge for the country’s stayers, the R1.25-million, Grade 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3 200m.

There is hardly a name among horses that qualify for the carded events that is not among the entries, promising racegoers a tasty platter of mouth-watering excitement.

The eLan Property Group Gold Cup, like the Vodacom Durban July, is one of the iconic events in South African racing and the quality of runners nominated for the event confirms its status as the premier marathon race on the African continent.

Among the 19 entries for the 3 200m marathon are the first four horses past the post in the SABC Gold Vase at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day, Heart Of A Lion, Wild Ash, Solid Speed and J’s Outsider, the runner-up in the Gold Cup last year Wild One as well as the first four home in the Track & Ball Derby at Scottsville, Disco Al, Hot Ticket and the dead-heaters for third place, Savage Wind and Kingston Mines.

The fillies are ready to take on the colts with Ash Cloud, Gallica Rose and Vino Veritas, the first three past the post in the Gold Circle Oaks, among the entries.

The R1-million, Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1 800m has attracted the cream of South Africa’s thoroughbreds among its 16 nominations including the pair that fought out the finish to the Vodacom Durban July, Power King and Punta Arenas, along with last year’s July winner and the winner of the Rising Sun Gold Challenge Legislate.

Futura, winner of the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, the J&B Met and the Champions Cup last year, is also among the entries having finished fourth under top weight in the July.

The two Grade 1 juvenile races over 1 600m, the Premier’s Champion Stakes and the Thekwini Stakes, have been strongly supported with the Premier’s Champion Stakes receiving 27 entries including the exciting unbeaten winner of the Gatecrasher Stakes Rabada while the Grade 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper winner Chestnuts n Pearls heads the list of 23 fillies nominated for the Thekwini Stakes.

Picture: Heart Of A Lion (Nkosi Hlophe)

Brazuca (Nkosi Hlophe)

Media Release: Mercury Sprint Raceday

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The flashy Australian-bred colt Brazuca, just touched off in a thrilling finish by favourite Seventh Plain in the R600 000, Grade 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe on Vodacom Durban July Day at Greyville on Saturday, heads the entries for the R200 000, Grade 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1 200m at Greyville on Mercury Sprint day on Saturday, July 18.

The race is one of four supporting events for the country’s premier weight-for-age sprint, the R750 000, Grade 1 Mercury Sprint, that was previously run at Clairwood and will now be run at Greyville for the first time.

The meeting will also see the running of “The Rider Cup”, the inter-provincial jockey challenge for South African riders over four races with four-man teams from KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Western Cape competing for total prize money of R100 000.

Trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren, Brazuca ran a fantastic race under jockey Weichong Marwing and looked a winner until Anton Marcus got a last-stride thrust from Seventh Plain to snatch the result by a short head.

Also among the entries for the Umkhomazi Stakes is the Michael Roberts-trained Argonaut gelding Natal that went down by about a head to Cutting Edge in the R1-million KZN Yearling Sale Million that closed off the country’s biggest meeting.

Buckinghamshire, the Australian-bred colt from the Justin Snaith stable that inflicted the only defeat on Seventh Plain when they met over 1 000m in the Cape, is also among the entries.

The Debutante, the two-year-old race for fillies, has attracted 22 entries including the SA Nursery winner Frosted Honey and Speedy Suzy that finished fourth in the Allan Robertson Championship.

In the Off To Stud Stakes for four-year-old fillies and mares over 1 600m, the winner of the Track And Ball Handicap at Greyville on July Day, Resolution from the Charles Laird stable, is among the 25 entries along with the consistent Dennis Drier filly Gathering Fame and San Trip from the Mark Dixon yard that finished third in the Scarlet Lady.

The Queen Palm Stakes is for fillies and mares over 2 400m and has attracted 18 horses headed by Ash Cloud, Gallica Rose and Vino Veritas that filled the first three places in the Gold Circle Oaks at Scottsville recently. Also among the entries is the Neil Bruss-trained Ideal World filly Zante that ran a great race at 33-1 to finish fourth in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000.

Dennis Drier (Nkosi Hlophe)

Drier’s racing achievement

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Summerveld maestro Dennis Drier has won many Gr 1 races in recent seasons but was still unable to contain his emotions after managing one of the best days of his career on Vodacom Durban July day on Saturday. He won both of the two-year-old Gr 1 events on the card and later added a first and third in a Non-Black type sprint.

Dennis Drier (Nkosi Hlophe)

Dennis Drier (Nkosi Hlophe)

He said, “You dream of winning races like this and this is unbelievable.”

The veteran trainer had two Gr 1 winners on a day for the first time at Scottsville earlier this year, so only appears to be getting better.

On Saturday his filly Chestnuts N Pearls provided the great Horse Chestnut with his first South African-bred Gr 1 winner and his second Gr 1 winner overall when sweeping through to land the Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m by 1,5 lengths under Sean Cormack.

Later his top class Seventh Rock colt Seventh Plain fought back in courageous fashion to get up by a short-head in the Gr 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m under Anton Marcus.

Seventh Plain will likely be named Equus two-year-old male of the year as he also won the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion and on Saturday he beat the Gr 1 SA Nursery winner Arabian Beat into third.

Chestnut N Pearls was bred by Nutfield Stud and is owned by Jaap van der Vendel’s Vendel Civils, Mark Currie and Mayseh Chetty. Currie, who was having his third Gr 1 winner, and Chetty were both on course to lead her in. Chetty has had 120 winners in his seven year ownership career, but this was his first Gr 1 success.

He said, “I’m very proud, it’s exciting to have a Gr 1 winner and on July day.” The filly was purchased at Bloodstock South Africa’s Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Sale for R240,000 last year so will have a big money sales race to look forward to next year.

Drier had initially planned to put her away after her run in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m at Scottsville, but jockey Cormack had advised that the 1200m trip had simply been too short, and she had also had to come from an unfavourable high draw, so he recommended she run in the Slipper. His advice proved spot on. She now might even take her place in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m on Super Saturday.

Chestnuts N Pearls (Nkosi Hlophe)

Chestnuts N Pearls (Nkosi Hlophe)

Drier hails from a famous racing dynasty, who were once labelled “The Sob Mob” by his Uncle Russell Laird (“When we win we cry, when we lose we smile”), so it was little surprise to see him in tears in the winner’s enclosure after the filly’s fluent win.

In the Golden Horseshoe the Dominic Zaki-trained Arabian Beat overcame a wide draw to lead from the off and looked to have an apparently under pressure Seventh Plain beaten 100m out. The danger looked to be the well supported Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained maiden Brazuca, who was flying on the inside. However Seventh Plain then suddenly found his big stride and surged through the centre to beat Brazuca by a short-head with Arabian Beat a head further back. Drier said, “He’s an absolutely amazing horse. Anton said he was very green. I didn’t think he could win half way down the straight, but that is what top horses are made of and top jockeys.”

Drier believes this big colt has a very bright future, so he will likely be put away and aimed at the Cape Summer Of Champions Season, although this will depend on owner Markus Jooste’s racing manager Derek Brugman.

Seventh Rock has had a Gr 1 winner in each of his first two crops, the first of them being Guiness who was also trained by Drier. Seventh Rock was trained by Drier’s cousin Charles Laird and owned by Markus Jooste and the latter also owns both Guiness and Seventh Plain. Seventh Plain was bred by Klawervlei Stud.

Seventh Plain (Nkosi Hlophe)

Seventh Plain (Nkosi Hlophe)

Later Drier won the eThekwini Sprint over 1200m on the poly with the classy three-year-old Var colt Generalissimo and his promising Trippi gelding Triptique flew up for third. The win confirmed a change in fortunes for owner Nick Jonsson, who had won an earlier race on the day having enjoyed a luckless Champions Season up until then. One of Generalissimo’s finest assets is his gatespeed and he had missed the break in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville after standing in stalls for close to five minutes and later Jonsson’s three-year-old Justin Snaith-trained Jet Master gelding Ultimate Dollar had to be scratched from the start of the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 after kicking the back of the gate. Both horses won on Saturday. Generalissimo is now unbeaten in two starts on the poly and  Ultimate Dollar proved what a big runner he would have been in the Daily News by winning the Gr 3 tabGold 2200 in fine style from start to finish under S’Manga Khumalo. Jonsson owns Generalissimo in partnership with his father Benji and Ultimate Dollar in partnership with RD Hamilton’s Evanstan Investments.

Khumalo’s other winner on the day was aboard the Charles Laird-trained Resolution, who won her swansong on the poly before going to stud. Resolution’s part-owner Alesh Naidoo competed with Jonsson for owner of the day as he also owned the winner and third-placed horses in the KZN Yearling Sale Million, the Dennis Bosch-trained Clifton Stud-bred AP Answer gelding Cutting Edge and the Charles laird-trained Chosen Dash, and he also owns the Laird-trained Bold Inspiration, who finished second in a Listed event.

By David Thiselton

Dean Kannemeyer & Lady Christine Laidlaw

The perfect blend of sport and fashion

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The Vodacom Durban July has become South Africa’s premier crowd gathering event due to the perfect blend of sport and glamour.

Winning trainer Dean Kannemeyer’s views in the aftermath contrasted strongly with those of celebrity Pearl Thusi, the well known and outspoken TV and radio presenter, actress and modelling agency owner.

Dean Kannemeyer & Lady Christine Laidlaw

Dean Kannemeyer & Lady Christine Laidlaw (Nkosi Hlophe)

Kannemeyer compared his victory on Saturday with his previous two July wins: “The first time I won it with Dynasty (2003) I was over the moon. When I won it with Eyeofthetiger (2006) it was just as exciting and today was even more exciting. Owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys, everybody wants to win the July. When you win the July you walk off the grandstand and it is like putting on your Springbok jersey and saying you have arrived. Gary Player says it’s like winning The Masters.”

A particularly satisfying aspect to this year’s win was that he had done it for one of his most loyal, big spending owners Lady Christine Laidlaw. He said, “It was the first time Lady Christine had come to Durban. It was fantastic for her, she’s flown in for the week to see her horses run and the other one Solid Speed ran a very good race (third in the Gr 2 SABC Gold Vase). She was absolutely thrilled and I’m thrilled for my whole team.”

Jehan Malherbe from Form Bloodstock found and bought Power King and added another honour to his glittering career as a bloodstock agent. He also found and bought Eyeofthetiger as a yearling, while he clinched the deals with two July winners that Mike de Kock bought in training, Bold Silvano and Igugu. Lady Laidlaw’s first horse with Kannemeyer was Noordhoek Flyer, a dual Guineas winner and now sire who was also found and bought by Malherbe.

Her first July runner, also bought by Malherbe, was Capetown Noir, a champion miler and now sire, who was always suspect over the 2200m trip and ran unplaced in the big race twice.

Kannemeyer spoke of the continual improvement Power King had shown since being gelded last November and said he had also enjoyed an excellent preparation. He had viewed him as well handicapped on his Betting World 1900 run, in which he made up some twelve lengths in the straight to finish second, and on the weight turnarounds with a few horses he met during the Cape Summer Of Champions Season.

Furthermore, he was well drawn and receiving weight from some of the three-year-olds and was one of the of the stand outs at Summerveld in the week of the July.

Kannemeyer said, “On all of that we just needed a bit of luck and I thought we’d come into play. In the race I was very happy with where he was sitting, I was actually surprised, I thought he would be further back. So Stuey (Stuart Randolph) got him into a nice position, he came into the straight and had a look for room and then he quickened up well.”

Regarding the objection he said, “You’re always going to worry but the way I read the race was that the second horse was causing interference and my horse was staying in a straight line. But the decision was the right decision by the board so I was pleased about that.”

Power King (Nkosi - Hlophe)

Power King (Nkosi Hlophe)

However, it didn’t stop Randolph being punished with a two week suspension by stipendary stewards as Power King has earlier hung to his left, which caused mayhem and was costly to a number of horses.

Kannemeyer continued, “Well done to Maine Chance Farms and Silvano. We bought a few Silvanos this year, we are always a great supporter of Silvano, he is a top stallion. They take a bit of time, but it all worked out. I have a great team behind me.”

Kannemeyer was also pleased to have buried a false perception by winning the July with a four-year-old as opposed to his two previous wins with three-year-olds and quipped, “Some people say Kannemeyer can only train three-year-olds … aah haa … I did also win the Gold Cup with In Writing as a seven-year-old. And I won the Gold Cup with a filly (Colonial Girl 2000), they said I could only train colts!”

A July-winning conditioner will usually only bask in glory for an evening, knowing that in this fickle sport you are only as good as your last win.

He will soon have to return to the grindstone, pouring through catalogues and pounding the sales grounds looking for the next champion, early mornings preparing horses and identifying those that will go far. These special individuals must take the baby step of their first race, a nerve-wracking moment for any trainer, and they must then be nurtured along until they are ready to face the cream of their generation. They can’t be underdone if they are to produce their best and it is even worse if they are “over the top”.

Illness and injury are always close at hand with a breed that is notoriously fragile. If ever there are people that are slaves to their profession it is the racehorse trainer, but they usually become very fond of their horses and critical remarks about their horses are not taken kindly. The pressure is great and trainers with July runners often become more and more edgy as the race approaches. Taking all this into account, it is not surprising that the joyous moment of July victory can be likened to the release of a steam valve and is usually accompanied by much emotion.

However, to Pearl Thusi the July is a whole different ball game. Later in the evening when asked who she had fancied for the big race she replied, “Legal Eagle … did he win?!”

She continued, “You must remember that historically women are here to look good and men are here to bet and I’m quite okay with that history continuing because I’m not a gambler.”

She hosted an event at the July this year. She invariably chooses a young up and coming designer for her outfit in order to showcase his skills and was looking stunning in a cream and white number. She named the July as her favourite horsey social occasion and praised the professional approach of the organisers.

By David Thiselton