Grant van Niekerk is going to have a good day on his return to Kenilworth on Saturday if the early-price bookmakers have got it right.

Last year’s Sun Met-winning jockey numbers five favourites among his seven rides – Tambora and Sleeping Single for Justin Snaith, Doppio Oro and Machiavelli for Candice Bass-Robinson and Larentina for Eric Sands.

Luke Ferraris also has a strong hand with some strongly fancied mounts for Snaith including odds-on shot Winter Is Over and favourites Love Happens and Alsflamingbeauty.

By Michael Clower

The strength of this past racing season can be seen in that there were no fewer than six multiple Grade 1 winners as opposed to just three the previous season.

The highest rated horse in the country Do It Again won three Grade 1’s and so did Hawwaam and all of Rainbow Bridge, Soqrat, Celtic Sea and Kasimir won two apiece.

In the previous season Equus Horse Of The Year Oh Susanna won three Grade 1s and Legal Eagle and Snowdance won two each.

The highest earning horse of this past season was Hawwaam whose Grade 1 wins included the R2 million SA Classic, the R4 million Premier’s Champions Challenge and the R2 million Daily News 2000.

He won six out of seven starts and earned R5,628,125.

He had to be scratched before the start of both the Grade 1 SA Derby and Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July.

The latter scratching was particularly disappointing as the eagerly anticipated three-cornered clash between Do It Again, Rainbow Bridge and Hawwaam became a duel between the latter pair.

Hawwaam ends the season as possibly the world’s most unexposed three-time Grade 1-winner as all of his wins at the highest level have been achieved with consummate ease, although none of them were against vintage opposition. Nobody knows yet how good this Silvano colt is.

However, the July’s loss might become the Sun Met’s gain as the trio could clash there next January.

Do It Again earned R5,102,500 and Rainbow Bridge earned R4,895,000.

Do It Again became the first horse since El Picha in 1999/2000 to win back to back Julys and he will attempt to become the first to win three-in-a-row next year.

He beat Rainbow Bridge by 0,40 lengths giving him half-a-kilogram and the latter then came out and produced one of the performances of the season by winning the Grade 1 WSB Champions Cup over 1800m, despite the race not panning out well for him. He was one wide without cover throughout and did race a bit strongly. Yet he was still able to fetch the three-time Grade 1-winner Soqrat in the straight and win a tad cosily. 

So, it was not surprising to see Do It Again appearing alongside Hawwaam in joint 16th place in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse rankings, which was taken from races around the world from January 1st this year until July 7th.    

The season also showed that the dream industry is still very much an appropriate term for horseracing.

Twist Of Fate cost just R20,000 and earned R2,777,500 this season alone.

Most of the season’s heroes will be staying in training, so the Cape Summer Of Champions season is going to be a humdinger.

By David Thiselton

Numerous offers have been made for the impressive Dean Kannemeyer-trained African Warrior but the D K Kannemeyer Racing Syndicate, which consist of local and overseas members, is “having such fun” with him they have turned them down.

The best of Kannemeyer’s current Summerveld contingent will be travelling down to Cape Town next week and will then be given their African Horse Sickness vaccinations because if given them in KZN they have to wait 40 days before departing.     

African Warrior was one of the most impressive winners on eLan Gold Cup day under a fine ride by Keagan de Melo.

The Vercingetorix gelding is a handful in the preliminaries but is the pole opposite during a race and relaxes beautifully in the running.

De Melo’s aim was to simply find cover from the widest draw of all, knowing the athletic bay has a devastating turn of foot.

He dropped him out and managed to slot him in behind a line of horses who were running two wide.

De Melo, with a double handful, remained patient until the 300m mark before unleashing him. 

The response was instantaneous and after sweeping past the pack he joined the leader Spring Break at the 50m mark and saw her off to win by 0,30 lengths.

Appropriately he paraded in front of the grandstand to the sounds of Johnny Clegg’s hit Impi.

African Warrior was coming off a win in the KZN Yearling Sale Million.

He was purchased for a bargain R100,000 at that BSA Sale and has already earned R1,032,375.

Kannemeyer had a quiet season by his standards but it ended with a bang as his Querari colt Liberty Hall finished second in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m.

This colt runs in the colours of popular Cape partners Mike Fullard and James Drew and DG Abery, RL Gabler and CL Gabler are also owners.

Kannemeyer has an enviable record in the Cape Classics but has no set plans for these two young horses yet.

Liberty Hall has already proved he stays a mile. 

African Warrior has plenty of natural speed but being by Vercingetorix out of a Jet Master mare who won over 1600m he should stay classic distances, especially as he relaxes so well in the running. 

By David Thiselton

The Vaal Classic track usually provides fair racing and good form results, although tomorrow’s nine race meeting is competitive and those who do their homework should enjoy healthy dividends.

The Pick 6 legs are all tough.

The first leg is the highest rated race on the card, a MR 96 Handicap sprint over 1 200m, and any one of the six contenders could win.

The vote goes to bottom weight Premier Show as he gets on well with Calvin Habib and has dropped to an attractive merit rating.

He has a nice galloping weight of 55kg and this is his favourite distance. Valbonne has Gavin Lerena aboard and will go close to claiming his third win since joining Roy Magner’s yard for despite not being the biggest he has speed and some class.

However, he does have to overcome a three point hike for his last win.

Old Man Tyme has his second run after gelding and has the ability to be a contender, although he does tend to make breathing noises.

Donny G obviously enjoys the current fast ground as he finished strongly last time over 1 000m and just failed.

This is probably his best trip and he can be involved if overcoming the highest draw of all.

American Hustle at his best would be the horse to beat but he has run below par this winter and has not been lowered by the handicappers so will need to bounce back to his best.

Clever Guy is only 2kg better off with Valbonne for a five length beating so is up against it.   

The second leg is a 1 600m Maiden Plate for fillies mares and the selection is Flying High, although there is reason to exercise caution in supporting her.

She is a full sister to Maleficent, who looked top class when winning the Devon Air Stakes over 1 400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville. However, she never went close to reproducing that run again.

Flying High comes out of a strong 1 200m race in which she was a runner up by just a length to Risk Taker.

The latter and the third-placed horse in that race have both won since.

Flying High has substance and on running style and pedigree should enjoy this trip but she does have a tough draw of nine.

Another young three-year-old Queen Of Soul could be a threat as she caught the eye last time over 1 450m.

She was wide and well back in the running and ran on steadily in the straight and should relish this step up in trip although she does have another tricky draw.

Incognito stayed on steadily last time over 1 200m and is likely also looking for this trip.

Forever Indigo

Forever Indigo looks to have plenty of scope so should be improving and will be dangerous from the front.

She can reverse form with the older and more exposed Sea Like Glass, although the latter warrants consideration as she shows tremendous improvement last time over this course and distance when staying on from a handy position and he has a a similar draw and the same jockey aboard.

Our Buscuit, on her best form, also has a chance.

In the third leg, a MR 94 Handicap over 1 600m, Arabian Air is an effective front runner who has done well in the Highveld since moving up from the Cape.

He became involved in a battle last time with Approach Control and the less considered Tierra Del Fuego snuck past them down the inside to win it.

This time the same could happen as the handy to front-running sort Folk Dance is in the field.

The one who will be a big danger to them is Lake Kinneret as he packs a strong finish and was a touch unlucky when last running over this trip as he had to be switched inward to avoid traffic problems. However, Lone Survivor went past Lake Kinneret last time over 1 450m and is another who should be in the mix.

Folk Dance is proving competitive off her current mark and Royal Italian, with first-time blinkers on, will have a shout over this suitable trip if this revitalizes him.

The next leg is a MR 76 handicap over 1 450m for fillies and mares and Westwing Belter has shown promise before and showed signs of her promise again when fitted with a tongue tie last time.

This step up in trip should suit although she does have a tricky draw.

Walnut Dash is drawn well and went close the last time she went over this course and distance.

Sammi Moosa is capable of a strong finish and can run on from a wide draw Samarra’s last run didn’t pan out well and she has a firm chance.

The two bottom weights Kapama and Picadilly Square are both under sufferance but are in good form and can be included.

The eighth race is a nightmare to assess and any of the nine horses could win with the exception of Gonnafly.

However, Fitzwilliam is selected on the grounds he was so highly rated he started favourite in the Gatecrasher Stakes as a two-year-old against the like of Soqrat and Barahin.

A breathing issue was the probable reason for the below par run and the subsequent layoff, but he is now stepping back up to a more suitable trip after a couple of fair comeback runs.

In the last leg, a MR65 Handicap over 2 000m the top weight El Sereno looks the firm choice and could be pressed by Waqaas.

By David Thiselton

Grant van Niekerk takes over from Aldo Domeyer as the jockey to display his Hong Kong talents at Kenilworth on Saturday and he rides in all but one of the eight races.

He has two mounts apiece for Justin Snaith and Candice Bass-Robinson and one each for Eric Sands, Piet Steyn and Mike Stewart. But his hand is nothing like as strong as Aldo Domeyer’s last Saturday, let alone the veritable bonanza that last season’s Cape champion appeared to have at yesterday’s abandoned meeting.

Van Niekerk did well in his first Hong Kong season, riding 31 winners from 422 rides, finishing ninth on the log and building a reputation with many of the local trainers.

Kenilworth was hit with 17mm of rain during Monday night and, although the course was passed fit after horses were galloped on it, further downpours saw racing called off following an 11.00am track inspection. No more than three millimetres is forecast between now and Saturday’s meeting so that should go ahead.

Justin Snaith is a runaway winner of the Western Cape trainers’ championship with 132 winners and stakes of R15.4 million, nearly R7 million in front of Mrs Bass-Robinson (73 winners) and Brett Crawford (82). Sabine Plattner is the leading owner. 

Snaith’s first jockey Richard Fourie heads the Western Cape log with 106 winners and Domeyer, despite spending so long in Hong Kong, is second with 60, six in front of Bernard Fayd’Herbe. Greg Cheyne is the highest Western Cape-based jockey on the national log in fifth with a personal best of 160 boosted by a fabulous five-timer at Fairview on Monday.

By Michael Clower 

Gary Alexander brings a string of five runners down to KwaZulu-Natal today for an eight-race program at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the poly and has a strong chance of bagging a few winners.

See Me Run jumps from gate two in the sixth race with Denis Schwarz up and is currently trading at 5-1 with Track & Ball. The 3 year old Visionaire filly ran a creditable 4.5 lengths behind Running Brave who won the Gold Bracelet last Saturday. The yard is expecting a good run as Alexander said ‘’she must have a decent shout from a good draw’’.

The second race sees them saddle up Amandla who put in a solid debut finishing 2.25 lengths behind Var And Away over 1160m at Turffontein, “He is working well and should have a good each way chance in this line-up” commented Alexander.

In race three, Marula is joint favourite with the Dennis Drier trained Ninotto currently trading at 19-10 on the books. ‘’His last two runs have been decent and this is not the strongest of fields with all due respect so he should be in the firing line” said Alexander. Eighties Rock ran a useful barrier trial and could be one to watch at decent odds. Magnificus is another who wasn’t far back in a barrier trial which makes the opening leg of the place accumulator very tricky.

Ideal Cut in race five doesn’t have the best draw but should be in with each way chance if taking to the poly. The last to be saddled up from the Alexander yard is Liberado in the eighth. ‘’He is looking for a mile plus but we’ll take our chances from a good draw and he will be doing his best work late’’. Alexander concluded that many of his runners haven’t been on the poly so if they do take to it good runs are expected overall.

The seventh sees an interesting contest where Myrrh and Luxemburg should fight it out. Myrrh from the Wayne Badenhorst yard gets an eye-catching jockey booking Lyle Hewitson from gate four and was running on well very late in the day. If he has a decent position this time around he will be right in the thick of things as he will be receiving all the assistance from the saddle. Luxemburg comes off a second on paper, however he lost his race in the boardroom. He took well to the poly at Fairview and if repeating that performance has a decent winning chance.

By Devonne Govender

KZN Breeding’s newest acquisition, New Predator, has a chance of following in the footsteps of other non-Group 1-winning KZN-based stallions Kahal, Mogok and Muhtafal, due to his magnificent pedigree.

New Predator was in fine condition and full of zest when paraded at the Bush Hill Stud stallion day last Friday and so were his colleagues Flying The Flag and Redoute’s Promise.

New Predator’s pedigree is particularly exciting as it contains the Galileo-Fastnet Rock nick 2X2. It is not surprising this nick is proving full of potency, because the mix of their respective fathers Sadler’s Wells and Danehill delivered some of the world’s best racehorses including Frankel and Minding.

Galileo needs no introduction, being a ten-times champion stallion and producer of 80 individual Group 1 winners.

Fastnet Rock is also held in high esteem and has been rated among the world’s top five stallions.

The world’s leading stud operation, Coolmore, once had a saying among their connections, “There are only three certainties in life, death, taxes and Fastnet Rock.”

Fastnet Rock won two Group 1 sprints over 1000m and 1100m respectively in Australia but then suffered from travel sickness when sent to race in Britain and was retired to stud. 

He has produced 37 individual Group 1 winners.

The Galileo-Fastnet Rock nick has already produced seven Group 1 winners.

New Predator is the first son of stallion sensation New Approach to stand in South Africa and is out of a winning Fastnet Rock mare.

New Approach was trained by ireland’s Jim Bolger and this brilliant son of Galileo won all five of his starts as a two-year-old, all over seven furlongs, including the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh and the Group 1 Dewhurst at Newmarket.

As a three-year-old he was narrowly beaten by Henrythenavigator in both the 2000 Guineas and Irish 2000 Guineas.  

Just two weeks after the Irish 2000 Guineas he showed just how tough he was by winning the Epsom Derby, despite having pulled in the early stages. 

He ran three times as a four-year-old, all over a mile and two furlongs, starting off with a third place to the supreme Duke Of Marmalade in the Juddmonte International. 

In his second start he beat Traffic Guard, who is now an underrated stallion at Summerhill Stud, by half-a-length in the Irish Champion Stakes. He then beat Twice Over, sire of South Africa’s best current racehorse Do It Again, by an incredible six lengths in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket in record time. Third in the latter race was Linngari, who now stands in the KZN Midlands at Rathmor Stud.

New Approach produced two classic winners in his first crop, the brilliant 2000 Guineas winner Dawn Approach and the Epsom Oaks winner Talent. 

He has produced over 40 stakes winners including seven Group 1 winners, and among the latter is Epsom Derby winner Masar.

He became the first stallion to ever sire three Royal Ascot Group stakes-winning juveniles in the same season.

Warwick Render, owner of Bush Hill Stud, said another advantage of New predator’s pedigree is it allows him to be matched with any mare.

As a racehorse, New Predator was all about speed and class and possessed a fine turn of foot.

Trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren described him as a tremendously athletic individual. However, he admitted to wrapping him in cotton wool to a certain extent. He said given the luxury of more of his class he would no doubt have targeted more Grade 1’s and reckoned the strongly built bay would have picked one up on the way. 

New Predator won the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m as a three-year-old, beating former Equus Horse Of The Year Legislate in the process as well as Grade 1 winners of the like of The Conglomerate and Gold Onyx. In his previous start he had finished third to twice Equus Horse Of The Year Legal Eagle in the Grade 1 weight for age HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m. Later, he finished fourth in the Grade 1 wfa Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m just two weeks after not staying the distance in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000.

As a four-year-old New Predator won the Grade 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile and once again had a number of Grade 1 winners behind him, including the Grade 1 wfa-winning miler Mac De Lago.

He later finished third in the Horse Chestnut Stakes again.

Janse van Vuuren was supremely confident before New Predator’s participation in the Mercury Sprint over 1200m but unfortunately his powerful finishing run came just too late and he had to be content with third place. Janse van Vuuren was in fact gobsmacked he had lost such was his bullishness that day.

New Predator is already receiving fine support and has about 60 mares booked. A number of them will be sent by his racing owner Laurence Wernars, who has syndicated him and retains shares. 

The chestnut Flying The Flag impressed all of Friday’s patrons with his magnificent looks.

Mike de Kock rated him a Group 1 performer and has consequently sent some of his own mares to him.

This son of Galileo is out of a Pivotal mare. He won a Group 3 over a mile and two furlongs at The Curragh as well as a race over the same trip at Meydan in Dubai.

Render believes breeders have not taken enough advantage of Redoute’s Promise, an magnificently-bred unraced horse. He is the first son of Danehill’s sensational son Redoute’s Choice to stand in South Africa and is out of Perfect Promise. The latter was the first SA-bred horse to win a Group 1 in Australia and is a full-sister to another Group 1 winner Irridescence. Redoute’s Choice is a twice Australian Champion sire. 

By David Thiselton

Alan Greef had six winners at Fairview yesterday, five of them ridden by Greg Cheyne, and in the exciting race for the national jockeys championship Muzi Yeni reduced the lead of Lyle Hewitson to two.

Greef repeated the recent feat of Paul Peter, who had six winners at the Vaal in one meeting, all ridden by Warren Kennedy.

Yeni rode the Duncan McKenzie-trained Bushy Park to victory in the last race.

Hewitson’s dry spell continued and he had another blank.

The lead which was ten winners at the beginning of last week is now down to two.

The two protagonists now head for Kenilworth tomorrow and there could be a thrilling conclusion at Greyville on Wednesday.

If they finish on an equal number of winners the title will be shared.

By David Thiselton

Aldo Domeyer, having delighted his growing army of followers with a heavily supported double at Kenilworth on Saturday, returns there tomorrow but sadly that is all we are going to see of him for another year.

“I’m only back here for a fortnight – really just to say hello – and then I must resume riding work in Hong Kong,” he explains.

Such is the Cape champion’s reputation after doing so well in his new base that all but one of his six mounts on Saturday started either favourite or joint favourite. “He has come back twice the jockey,” said an impressed Chris Snaith who has legged up more world class riders over the years than most of us have had holidays.

The most immediately noticeable difference in the new Domeyer is that he is now race-riding from the off. No more just slotting into a position where he and his horse feel comfortable and leaving the tactics until the straight. He now works out beforehand where his mount should be and, without unnecessarily using up the horse’s energy, makes sure he is there.

Sacred Arrow in the Pinnacle was a case in point. “He went down to the start really well but I felt it was imperative to switch him off – he probably wouldn’t find a kick if I allowed him to run free.”

The relentless driving of old is still there, and still with all the inevitability of a metronome, and Sacred Arrow duly got up to justify Candice Bass-Robinson’s selection – “Aldo asked me to give him one decent ride and I thought this was my best runner of the day.”

Honey Pie, Domeyer’s other winner, was for Justin Snaith and won by a staggering six lengths. Go Jewel, ridden by Robert Khathi, initiated a stable double half an hour earlier.

Getting the better of Domeyer in a close finish has never been easy, doubly so now, yet Anthony Andrews managed to do so on the Mike Stewart-trained top weight Icon Princess in the 1 200m handicap despite dropping his rein. “I didn’t have time to pick it up. If I’d taken a stride or two to gather up the rein I would have lost the race.”

Andrews also won the Tabonline.co.za Maiden Juvenile on Call Me Al, the first winner Mike Robinson has trained for nuclear physicist Steph Steyn and his family.

It was red-letter day for Tyrell Maharaj,19, who rode his first winner when making all on the Paul Reeves-trained Moon Rock in the 1 200m handicap. Remarkably the four-year-old won despite drifting across to the outside in the last two furlongs. Penetrometer readings indicate that the ground was significantly slower here than on the inside.

Binoche, named by owner-breeders Craig and Michelle Davis after the French actress Juliette Binoche of The English Patient fame, did them all proud by scoring at the first attempt for Vaughan Marshall and Ossie Noach in the last.

Mncedi Sigenu, universally known as Godfrey, is not a name that springs to mind in work riders’ races but perhaps it should be. He has only had three rides this season but he has won on two of them and seven-length scorer Outoftheordinary was his second success for the Bass-Robinson stable.

By Michael Clower

The battle for the national jockey championship is not lacking needle and it spilled over in the second at Greyville on Saturday. Muzi Yeni finished the day four winners behind log leader Lyle Hewitson with four meets left to the end of the season on Wednesday.

The two came together repeatedly during the running of the race with the stipendiary stewards taking a dim view of some unprofessional riding by both jockeys. The official stipes report does not go into detail but both riders will face an inquiry.

It all started at the 900m mark with Yeni’s mount Mr Greenlight shifting out off the heels of Tommy Grand resulting in Mr Greenlight and Hewitson’s mount, Moon In June, coming together. Yeni appeared to elbow Hewiston who retaliated by forcing Mr Greenlight back in behind horses. The bland report reads “…. bumping when racing in close proximity. An inquiry will be opened into this incident.”

From here, Hewitson took his mount around runners but his challenge was short-lived in the straight allowing Mr Greenlight to come back at him with Yeni taking up his running forcing Hewitson it ease Moon In June off the heels of Mr Greenlight. “At the 400m Moon In June was carried out and was eased off the heels of Mr Greenlight. An inquiry will be opened into this incident.”

Yeni then took his frustrations into the boardroom. “A further inquiry will be held into jockey M Yeni’s conduct in the boardroom,” concluded the report.

Both riders have been maintaining a punishing schedule in their hunt for winners and exhaustion must be a mitigating factor. Yeni will have ridden in over 1800 races this season for 212 winners while Hewitson has clocked up over 1500 races for his current tally of 216 winners.

By Andrew Harrison