We are thrilled to announce that Track & Ball Gaming are again sponsoring this year’s Charity Turf Challenge which kicks off on “The Independent On Saturday” Drill Hall Stakes Day, Friday 3 May, and finishes on Saturday 27 July headlined by the Gr.3 eLan Gold Cup with a supporting cast of top races featuring four Gr.1 events.  

As you already know, the Charity Turf Challenge is an exciting competition that offers fans of the sport of horseracing a unique opportunity to test their skill – after all, racing is the “Intelligent Bet”!

So, what’s CHANGED this year?

• In these trying economic times, we’ve decided to “spread the love” with prize money (same quantum as in previous years) being paid out to 7^th place:
  • 1^st – R75 000
  • 2^nd – R25 000
  • 3^rd – R15 000
  • 4^th – R10 000
  • 5^th – R7 500
  • 6^th – R5 000
  • 7^th – R2 500
• The stand-alone prize for the entry that earns the most points on Vodacom Durban July Day will be pitched at R10 000
• An extra bonus race (worth 5 points to the winner): Gr.3 Track & Ball Derby on 22 June
• A new charitable beneficiary: Coastal Horse Care Unit

For those who are trying the competition for the first time, the aim of the Charity Turf Challenge is to select a team of 12 horses you feel are most likely to score points during the official period of the Champions Season. A list of all the Graded races will be provided and whilst the emphasis remains on these feature races run in KZN, ALL winners throughout the country will be eligible to earn points. Don’t forget Turffontein’s big day on 4 May counts, so make sure you pay attention to the big guns, especially those that are likely to feature in the KZN Champions Season as well.

The points breakdown can be found below:

Grade 1 Races: 

1st place              20 points

2nd place             14 points

3rd place              10 points

Grade 2 Races: 

1st place              14 points

2nd place             9 points

3rd place              6 points

Grade 3 Races: 

1st place              9 points

2nd place             5 points

3rd place              3 points

Listed Races:              

1st place              2 points

All other Races:         

1st place              1 point

Bonus Points: the following are eligible for 5 bonus points:

a) Bonus Races – the winners of the following races:

Gr.1 Tsogo Sun Sprint – 1200m (26 May at Scottsville Racecourse)

Gr.1 The Rising Sun Gold Challenge – 1600m (09 June at Greyville Racecourse)

Gr.3 Track & Ball Derby – 2400m (22 June at Scottsville Racecourse) ** NEW**

Gr.1 Vodacom Durban July – 2200m (07 July at Greyville Racecourse)

Gr.3 eLan Gold Cup – 3200m (27 July at Greyville Racecourse)

b) Long Shots – any winner whose official Tote win payout exceeds R15

Points will be scored on the FINAL result (all clear to pay) posted on SAFTOTE.

Racing South Africa, the competition host, will provide a list of horses that are thought to be campaigning in KZN during Champions Season. Only horses from this list are eligible. 

The final list of horses is expected to be available by Wednesday 17 April. To the best of its knowledge, Racing South Africa will attempt to keep players informed of horses that are NOT participating for whatever reason.

Additional INCENTIVES for racing enthusiasts:

• FREE BONUS entry for every 5 entries submitted for ONLINE users (sixth entry is free)
• Track & Ball Gaming, is offering ALL CTC entrants a betting credit worth R200 added to their next deposit (minimum deposit of R50) online. For more information about this promotion, please contact the Track And Ball team directly on: 031 314 1969 or email: onlinesupport@trackandball.co.za or visit the website: www.trackandball.co.za
• TabGold is again kindly sponsoring R10 000 worth of betting vouchers for the ever-popular weekly draw

Watch the press for more details!

Racing South Africa Team

E – ctc@racingsouthafrica.co.za

Mike de Kock successfully bid a recording-breaking R9 million on behalf of Shadwell South Africa for a Silvano colt on Day 1 of the National Yearling Sale in Germiston.

The colt, called Masaki, is out of the mare Quickwood and was bred by the Wilgerbosdrift Stud of Mary Slack.

The R9 million is easily the highest price paid for a thoroughbred racehorse at auction in South Africa and came as something of a surprise with the second last lot of the day.

Shadwell is the racing operation of Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum of Dubai, the De Kock stable’s most prominent owner and a long-time supporter of South Africa’s breeding and racing industries.

The underbidder was expat South African trainer Tony Millard, shopping for clients in Hong Kong, where he has been based for decades.

A hush fell over the Thoroughbred Breeders Association auction amphitheatre as Millard and De Kock battled it out, with auctioneer Graeme Hawkins calling the escalating bids by the half-millions. Hawkins gave Millard plenty of time to up his final offer, but finally brought down his gavel to set off loud applause.

De Kock was also the bidder for the day’s second most expensive lot, which went for R4.4 million. This was the Captain Al colt Vasco Da Gama, also bought on behalf of Shadwell. The strapping bay is a full brother to well-performed Captain Splendid and was bred by Varsfontein Stud.

The third highest price on the first day of South Africa’s premier sale was R4.3 million, paid by the Form Bloodstock agency for filly Kim Soo, consigned by Drakenstein Stud and by the recently deceased champion stallion Dynasty.

A half-brother to star filly Blossom was sold for R4.2 million. The colt from Mauritzfontein Stud – named Ficksburg and by Querari out of Triple Tiara champion Cherry On The Top – was signed for by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

That sale came hot on the heels of a R2.2 million sale of a full brother of former Horse of the Year Legislate. Bred by Cheveley Stud, the unnamed colt is by Dynasty and is out of the mare Champers. He was released by prominent owner Nic Jonsson.

After a slow start and a morning of solid, if unspectacular, bidding, the action picked up in earnest after lunch and the rash of multi-million lots whipped up excitement at the Thoroughbred Breeders Association sales centre.

Another highlight was the R2 million paid by Bjorn Nielsen for a Silvano filly consigned by Klawervlei. Seven other yearlings topped the R1 million mark and included purchases by Shadwell, Bass Racing and leading bloodstock agent John Freeman.

Jonsson was also the successful bidder for an unnamed daughter of Dynasty out of the brilliant race-mare All Is Secret. She fetched R900,000 for Klawervlei.

– BSA

Gavin Lerena’s retainer by Mauritzfontein and Wilgerbosdrift Studs means the ride on Hawwaam will likely be available to another lucky jockey in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge on May 4 at Turffontein as he is probably going to have to ride Cascapedia.

Lerena has just come off a seven day suspension last week and faces two more suspensions, but depending on how his appeals go and his success rate over the next few weeks, he might still chase the National Jockey Championship title.

He said, “I have a lot of ground to make up but if I am in contention I will definitely go for it.”

He has ridden 126 winners to date at a strike rate of 26,20% and is 27 winners behind leader Muzi Yeni.

Lerena felt the interference caused by Hawwaam to Approach Control at the 200m mark in the Grade 1 SA Classic was “nothing serious”, so did not feel it necessary to attend the enquiry. Therefore, he was surprised to receive a seven day suspension. Hawwaam shifted in slightly when powering past Approach Control and jockey Craig Zackey appeared to stop riding for a stride. However, Lerena is hoping the enquiry is re-opened so he can state his case.

Lerena will be appealing against a ten day suspension he received for his ride on Cascapedia in the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein on March 2. The big mare finished a narrow second, but Lerena was charged with failing “to ensure that she did not cause interference to other runners shortly before the finish line.”

Lerena will be travelling to KZN to ride in the big SA Champions Season races and will monitor the National Jockey Championship log before deciding whether to give it a full go in the last two months.

He was full of praise for the Silvano colt Hawwaam and confirmed he was one of the best he had ever ridden.

He said, “He makes it up so quickly, it feels as if he is not even touching the ground. If he can just learn to relax like he did in the SA Classic nothing will beat him.”

He is not sure yet whether Hawwaam will be running in the big one, the Vodacom Durban July, and said if he was not going to line up he would like to be on Rainbow Bridge.

Lerena has won the SA Championship once, in the 2014/2015 season, and he turned an intriguing tussle that year with S’Manga Khumalo into a one horse race when riding a record 42 winners in the month of June. So if he does decide to chase the title the frontrunners will have reason to feel a bit nervous. 

The current WSB odds for the title race are: Hewitson13/10; Yeni16/10; Marcus7/2; Lerena15/4; Fourie 150/1; Kennedy175/1; Munger330/1; Cheyne350/1.

By David Thiselton

Muzi Yeni’s hard work has paid dividends and he extended his lead in the National Jockeys Championships last week but he said his biggest challenge going into the final three months would be landing quality rides.

In an intriguing struggle Yeni is currently on 153 winners, reigning champion Lyle Hewitson is on 149, four-time champion Anton Marcus is on 146 and once champion Gavin Lerena is on 126.  

Yeni said, “The Championship is going to boil down to support and I am struggling to get quality rides. I am not getting the first two choices of ride I am phoning for, even in Kimberley, and am having to settle for third best.”

Yeni has recently added stand alone Cape Town meetings to his schedule so is now riding in all five centres and is literally race-riding seven days a week.

Hewitson rides in three centres, Gauteng, KZN and Port Elizabeth, but has the support of two powerful yards, Sean Tarry in Gauteng and KZN and Yvette Bremner in PE.

Anton Marcus is retained by Ridgemont Stud, whose horses chiefly run in Cape Town, and he otherwise freelances. He is highly sought after and has first choice of ride in many races in KZN. He is riding to a phenomenal strike rate of 29,98% strike rate as opposed to Yeni’s 11.93% and Hewitson’s 14,86%.

Lerena is riding to a 26,20% strike rate and could become a contender if deciding to chase the title.

On top of Yeni’s busy race-riding schedule he is also known, alongside Hewitson, as probably the hardest working jockey at track in the mornings.

He work rides on all the mornings when not travelling.

Yeni books his own rides except for Durban and Cape Town which are covered by his agent Ray Curling. 

He enjoys good support from Robbie Sage in Gauteng, Gavin Smith in PE and Corrie Lensley in Kimberley.

He admitted his schedule impacts heavily on the quality of his family life.

However, winning the championship could open new doors and help him realise his dream of riding in places like Hong Kong and Singapore.

He feels he is riding well at the moment but added, “There is always room for improvement.”

Yeni has not booked a Vodacom Durban July ride yet but is riding the Weiho Marwing-trained Samurai Warrior in the Grade 2 KRA Guineas on SA Champions Season opening night, Friday May 3.

Samurai Warrior gets automatic entry into the July as the winner of the SA Derby.

Yeni will continue to chase the championship and gave himself a shout of hanging on to his lead. 

He concluded, “If I get beaten I know I will have given it my best effort.”

By David Thiselton

Anton Marcus, who took over on One World when stable jockey M.J. Byleveld was out injured, keeps the ride on the Vaughan Marshall star in the Winter Guineas at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Marcus has won three out of four on the Captain Al colt, including the valuable CTS 1600, and Saturday’s Grade 3 looks at his mercy as his mount is rated 8kg better than next-highest Herodotus who receives only 2kg – as does Vardy who was beaten nearly four lengths in the R5 million Met-day race.

Twist Of Fate, who was a length and a half second in that mile and would have been a kilo better, runs instead in the KZN Guineas on Friday week. Joey Ramsden, confirming this yesterday, pointed out that his colt was drawn particularly wide (15 out of 16) in the Kenilworth race. In the Greyville Grade 2 he is drawn one.

One World is now as short as 11-20 with World Sports Betting which makes Vardy second favourite at 5-1 and goes 7-1 Herodotus, 8-1 Majestic Mozart, 12-1 Russet Air, 14-1 Fabian, 16-1 Clouded Hill. The field of seven is the smallest the Winter Guineas has seen for at least 18 years.

Marcus, who has won three of the last seven runnings, rides in seven of the eight races on Saturday and four of his mounts are for his Ridgemont retainer. Other notable visitors include dual champion S’Manga Khumalo (three rides including Herodotus) and Randall Simons whose six mounts are all for Candice Bass-Robinson.

By Michael Clower

Mary Moon has drifted from 7-2 to 9-2 and at this price she appeals for the Tellytrack.com Maiden at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The Glen Kotzen filly has made the frame in the last two of her four starts and, although she has two lengths to find with Silvery Heights and stable companion Je Ne Sais Quoi on the most recent of them, there are grounds for thinking she can do it. Not least of these is that Bernard Fayd’Herbe rides her for the first time.

But there is more – “She has run well at Durbanville but she will be suited by the longer run-in at Kenilworth,” points out her trainer who is also expecting a good run from Je Ne Sais Quoi. It is surprising to see this one joint favourite (at 33-10) considering she has been as expensive to follow as a millionairess in a diamond emporium. Furthermore she flopped here three weeks ago.

“She broke through the pens that day and sometimes when that happens all the adrenalin goes and they run flat,” explains Kotzen who scratched six of his runners at Durbanville last Saturday, giving rise to fears (among punters at least) that there could be a bug going through the stable. “It is viral related,” Kotzen confirms. “But it is mainly the two-year-olds who are affected and the best thing is to rest them.”

Joint favourite Silvery Heights is half a kilo top-rated, has been beaten little more than a length in total on her last two starts and seems sure to get into the shake-up again. Indeed the race looks to be between the top three.

Outoftheordinary made a big improvement when reverting to 1 200m on his last start two months ago and is rated 3.5kg clear of those who have been given a mark (the top five) in the Play Soccer 6 Maiden. His chance is obvious, he has been backed from 4-1 to 5-2 and is a confident selection. The Brett Crawford Jackson newcomer Khopesh opened 3-1 favourite with World Sports Betting but has drifted out to 4-1while The Last Supper now heads the market at 18-10.

Destin (7-2) is weighted to confirm last time’s Durbanville placings with 22-10 favourite Crome Yellow in the Tabonline Handicap, particularly as he had to overcome a bad draw that day. However Crome Yellow was unlucky not to win – he finished like the proverbial train, making up six lengths in the final furlong – and should make amends here.

The opening two-year-old maiden is a tricky-looking affair but maybe Savvy will improve enough to get the better of form horse Lasata.

By Michael Clower

The weather gods appear to have it in for Scottsville. In recent weeks it’s either been blistering hot or pouring with rain as was the case on Sunday.

A soft track doesn’t suit all, but there are horses that revel in the mud and don’t often get a chance in these conditions in KZN. That said, the Scottsville outside track was a little more than soft and after two races around the turn, a jockey protest and a track inspection in pouring rain the Listed The Sledgehammer was called off and postponed until this coming Sunday.

The underfoot conditions had no obvious affect on the two at the top of the weights in the Highland Night Cup as Silver Rose and favourite Strathdon took up the cudgels shortly after the start and finished in that order.

Once in front, Silver Rose settled for Gareth Wright and the race was run on his terms. Strathdon tried gallantly to get to grips in the home straight but Silver Rose kept finding to win comfortably.

Byron Foster, assistant to Andre Nel in KZN, expressed reservations about Silver Rose staying further than 2400m but the gelding did it rather easily under testing conditions so he may well be a factor come the big staying races in Champions Season.

Justin Snaith, on the other hand, has indicated that some of his runners are short of one run after the Cape summer, Strathdon and Pinkerton, third in the second when starting favourite, prime examples. But Listed The Scarlet Lady winner Miyabi Gold handled the heavy going comfortably and put up her hand for inclusion in the final field for the Vodacom Durban July.

She plugged away in the mud to win comfortably but the runner that caught the eye was Sabina’s Dynasty. Having her first outing for Brett Crawford, she was closing fast from well off the pace and it will not come as a surprise to see her name added to the list of July hopefuls at second entries alongside stable companion Charles.

Dennis Drier is responsible for two of South Africa’s promising locally-bred stallions, Master Of My Fate and now Captain Of All. Master Of My Fate already has a sophomore crop performing well but Captain Of All is still among the freshman ranks.

Captain Of All, winner of the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint as a two-year-old, signed off his career with victories in the Gr1 Gold Horse Sprint and the Gr1 Mercury Sprint, all for Drier. KZN’s current champion trainer has stayed faithful to both Master Of My Fate and Captain Of All.

Cartel Captain gave notice that he could be in line to emulate his sire in the Tsogo Sun Sprint as he scored comfortably in the card opener. He was up against quality field of maidens and his experience over the often tricky Scottsville 1200m will count in his favour.

Robbie and Shannon Hill enjoyed their finest hour with Cascapedia winning the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes a fortnight back and look to have two nice juveniles in Into The Future and Fools Gold, first and second in the All To Come Juvenile Plate. Both came off smart barrier trials and look to have some scope.

One that does have scope for breaking his duck sooner rather than later is third-placed Pinkerton. A seven-furlong maiden will be at his mercy when next he steps out.

By Andrew Harrison

Justin Snaith achieved the most dominant finish in Vodacom Durban July history last season and his filly Miyabi Gold was the first of this year’s July entries to put up her hand when winning the Listed Scarlet Lady over 1750m at Scottsville on Sunday under Richard Fourie.

There were a number of July entries engaged in the Sledgehammer, a race which was scheduled to follow the Scarlet Lady, but it was postponed until next Sunday due to unsafe conditions around the turn caused by steady rainfall.

Miyabi Gold has one big factor in her favour as a July candidate and that is she is by Champion Stallion Silvano. The latter has a superb record in the July, siring four winners, Bold Silvano (2010), Heavy Metal (2013), Power King (2015) and Marinaresco (2017). Furthermore in 2015 he sired the first three past the post, an unprecedented feat.

Miyabi Gold ran off a 105 merit rating on Sunday, which fortunately put her at the top of one of the merit rated bands under the conditions of the race. She is typical of a Silvano filly in that she has strengthened and matured as a four-year-old. From a handy position she stayed on well in the straight to win by a cosy one length. Sabina’s Dynasty made a fine debut for the Brett Crawford yard, running for the first time in the Ridgemont Stud colours, who are new part-owners. She ran on strongly from off the pace for second and is one to follow. The talented Folk Dance bounced back to form in only her second attempt at a trip beyond a mile. She appeared to relish the rain softened ground and finished a 2,60 length third. She is trained by Paul Peter, who previously trained Sabina’s Dynasty.

Prolific Durban-based owner Nick Jonsson owns Miyabi Gold. Last year Jonsson part-owned the one-two in the July and the runner up, Made To Conquer, had started his SA Champions Season campaign with an easy victory at Scottsville, so perhaps history will repeat itself with Miyabi Gold. The filly enjoys Greyville having finished a 2,25 length fourth to Oh Susanna in last year’s Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 and then following that with victory in the Grade 2 Kuda Gold Bracelet over 2000m on Gold Cup day. In December she gave the useful Fresnaye 2kg in the Grade 3 WSB Victress Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth and was beaten into second by only 1,50 lengths. She followed that with a disappointing run in the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes, beaten 8,1 lengths by Oh Susanna and she was also unplaced in the Grade 1 Bidvest Majorca Stakes over the too sharp 1600m. However, she proved on Sunday she is thriving in Durban and appears to be coming into her own.

Her current odds July odds with Track And Ball are 60/1.

Snaith and Fourie had earlier combined to win with Jonsson’s first-timer Miss Florida. This two-year-old Captain Al filly has speed and class and pulled away to win a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m by a comfortable 2,10 lengths, despite being green.

The other feature run on the day was the Non-Black Type Highland Night Cup over 2400m and this also saw success for Silvano, who sired the first two past the post. The Andre Nel-trained Silver Rose won by a comfortable two lengths under Gareth Wright from the Snaith-trained Strathdon. There was a promising third-place finish in this race by the Gareth Van Zyl-trained Noble Tune three-year-old gelding Paths Of Victory and he is going to be one to follow over staying trips.

Dennis Drier’s two-year-olds must always be noted at this time of the year as he has a magnificent record in the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion. His Captain Al colt Cartel Captain will almost certainly be a contender in that race at the Festival Of Speed Meeting on May 25, having come from off the pace in the first race over 1000m on Sunday with long strides to win in impressive style on debut under Sean Veale. Drier had a treble on the day, also winning with In The Stars under Veale and Cabo Da Cruz under Gavin Lerena.  

The Robbie and Shannon Hill yard recently clinched their first Grade 1 win with Camphoratus and they have a promising two-year-old in Visionaire gelding Into The Future, who was an easy winner on debut in the second over 1200m.

On Friday Snaith won the Listed East Cape Oaks over 2000m at Fairview with Drakenstein Stud’s Dynasty home-bred Madonna, who was ridden by Ryan Munger, and she will now be on her way to join Snaith Summerveld’s Champions Season string. The Woolavington 2000 is likely her chief target. 

By David Thiselton

Betting World and market rival World Sports Betting are engaging in a battle royal with their prices on the Vodacom Durban July and punters are the beneficiaries.

When the country’s biggest bookmaker posted its prices on the great race over the Easter weekend most of the leading fancies were half a point or so shorter than those quoted by WSB. Favourite Do It Again was 9-2 compared with WSB’s 5-1 while Hawwaam and Rainbow Bridge were on 6-1 as against 13-2.

However by mid-morning yesterday the position had changed completely with Betting World extending the favourite’s odds to 11-2 and, while Rainbow Bridge was still on 6-1, Hawwaam was out to 7-1. WSB, on the other hand, had cut Do It Again to 9-2. If this sort of thing is anything to go by there will be plenty more competition-induced fluctuations over the next ten weeks, and that can only be good for the customer.

WSB has opened last year’s July winner 11-2 joint favourite with Undercover Agent for the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes at Greyville on Friday week while Sun Met winner Rainbow Bridge is on 13-2. Betting World does not normally bet on the race until nearer the time.

In this Saturday’s Kenilworth Winter Guineas (the race last season in which Rainbow Bridge first gave notice of his talents) WSB makes One World evens favourite. Twist Of Fate, beaten a length and a half by One World in the R5 million CTS 1600, is next on 33-10 and Vardy  (two and a quarter lengths further back third) is on 13-2. The Glen Kotzen-trained Cape Derby third Herodotus is a 17-2 chance with 14-1 and upwards others.

By Michael Clower