With a feature race stakes pot of some R30-million for owners and another R17-million also available to them for supporting events during the three-month feast of high-class thoroughbred racing from May to July, South Africa’s Champions Season in KwaZulu-Natal is ready and set to blast off at Greyville in Durban at the end of next week.

The Independent On Saturday evening race meeting at the Theatre of Champions on Friday, May 3, will open the feast of 51 feature events that will attract the best horses from the leading stables in the country, promising racegoers, general racing fans and the average public plenty of excitement and entertainment throughout the three-month programme.

Champions Season, one of the biggest and most comprehensive festivals of racing in the world that attracts international interest, includes feature race involvement of all categories of racing from the exciting juveniles to the mature stars over distances from 1 000m to 3 200m with Africa’s greatest racing event, the world famous R4.25-million, Vodacom Durban July, standing out as the iconic centerpiece of the festival and the 13 Grade 1 races to be run.

A total of 34 graded races will be staged with the R600 000, Grade 2 KRA Guineas, R500 000, Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas and the R500 000, Grade 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes getting the festival action under way.

Traditionally, the R500 000, Grade 2 World Sports Betting 1900 at Greyville on May 18 is where the preparation for the Vodacom Durban July begins “on site” and over the years a number of runners that have won the tough 1 900m race have gone on to win the premier event.

There are five “super” days during the season, the first being the unique Tsogo Sun Sprint meeting at Scottsville in Pietermaritzburg on May 25 where four Grade 1 sprints over 1 200m will be run. The best speed horses in South Africa gather at the venue for the R1-million Tsogo Sun Sprint, the R750 000 South African Fillies Sprint and the first two Grade 1 events for juveniles, the R750 000 Gold Medallion and the R750 000 Allan Robertson Championship for fillies.

The country’s top three-year-olds take centre stage a week later on June 1 in the R2-million, Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and the R1-million, Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 at Greyville. It is from the three-year-old ranks that the champions of the future emerge and a number of winners at this meeting have gone on to win the Vodacom Durban July, other major events and international success.

The battle for a place in the final 18-horse field for the Vodacom Durban July will close on June 8 with the running of the R1-million, Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and the Grade 3 Cup Trial with the meeting also featuring the Grade 2 Tibouchina Stakes and six other exciting feature events.

With the feature programme continuing at pace over the following weeks the Grade 2 Post Merchants will provide a “sprint breather” before the Track & Ball “Derby” and Track & Ball “Oaks” at Scottsville with the KZN Breeders Club adding excitement to the festival with the eight-race programme for horses qualifying under the terms of the KZN Breeders Series headed by the R1-million KZN Breeders Million Mile.

Vodacom Durban July day dawns on Saturday, July 6, when some 50 000 excited fans will fill the Greyville racecourse for the 12-race feast headed by the R4.25-million, iconic Grade 1 “July” over 2 200m. With an exciting entertainment programme, fashion shows and parties raging in the massive marquee village, racing goes through to the evening including the R1-million, Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes and the two Grade 2 Juvenile clashes over 1 400m, the Durban Golden Horseshoe and the Golden Slipper.

The racing action continues through July and includes the New Turf Carriers Rider Cup where provincial teams will do battle before Champions Season comes to a dramatic close with the grand finale on Saturday, July 27, featuring the famous R1.25-million, eLAN Gold Cup over 3 200m, the R1-million World Sports Betting Champions Cup over 1 800m, the R1-million Grade 1 Mercury Sprint, the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes and the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes, both worth R750 000.

Ends

The racing future of Horse of the Year Oh Susanna hangs in the balance after the 2018 Sun Met winner managed only fourth when starting favourite for last Saturday’s HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes. But Justin Snaith has vowed to make no more overnight attempts to beat the altitude.

He said yesterday: “That was my final effort and I won’t be doing it again. There are certain things in life that you can beat but unfortunately nature isn’t one of them, and I have come to the point where I think I have tried enough – barring sending the horse to Jo’burg for three or four months beforehand. Indeed I had a sleepless night worrying about the altitude and about her travelling up to Jo’burg in the dark.

“The horse is fine – it just didn’t work out – but we are discussing her future at the moment including whether or not she will carry on racing.”

The Drakenstein homebred has already earned a place in South African racing history as the first three-year-old filly to win the Met since Chair Lady in 1902.

By Michael Clower

Justin Snaith introduces a pair of potentially high class two-year-olds at Kenilworth today and, despite certain reservations on the part of their trainer, it just might be worth siding with both of them.

General Franco, a R4 million CTS sale topper by wonder horse Frankel out of a Kingmambo mare from the family of Pilsudksi, has already been backed from 22-10 to 14-10 for the opening Maiden Juvenile Plate while the dogs have been barking about the Captain Al filly Amy Johnson who appeals at 9-2 for the fillies race 35 minutes later.

“They are both exciting babies but they have got to go out there and prove it,” says Snaith. “I don’t think General Franco is a 1 000m horse and whether Amy Johnson can win over the trip first time up is also a hard ask.

“General Franco is a beautiful individual and is everything I hoped he would turn into. We will give him a little bit of a chance early on – I want him to settle and train on to go round the turn – but if he fires up at the end I think he will be in the shake-up. Indeed I will be disappointed if he isn’t.”

Snaith also runs the more experienced Shinnecock  (22-10) – “He has had two decent runs and is very quick.” However he was beaten at odds-on on both his starts so punters may fight shy of him.

Fighter (8-1) showed promise first time and Paul Reeves says: “He has his work cut out but he will run a nice race.”

S’Manga Khumalo rides in the first three races for Joey Ramsden and 9-1 chance Stormin Norman (a R550 000 Var colt from the family of Horse Chesnut) can be expected to go well. Riding arrangements suggest that 7-1 newcomer Chaac (a R250 000 Soft Falling Rain) is preferred to fellow newcomer Three Two Charlie – “Chaac is a nice horse but he might be run off his feet over 1 000m,” fears Candice Bass-Robinson.

Most of the money so far in the fillies race has been for the Vaughan Marshall R500 000 Captain Al Mirage (backed from 7-2 to 18-10 with WSB) but Amy Johnson might just be good enough. “There is something about her and she could have that X factor,” says her trainer. “She is going to go close and, if she is as good as we think she is, she will be impressive.”

But don’t ignore Sailing Ship despite her 10-1 price. Candice Bass-Robinson says she could be ready enough “if the 1 000m does not prove too quick.” The betting also points to Ibra (33-10) even though she made a noise first time and was scratched with a dirty trach wash 17 days ago.

Drama Queen appeals in the fillies winners’ race (2.40pm) and the fact that 5-2 favourite Heaven’s Embrace (race six) is Anton Marcus’s only ride of the day is a tip in itself.

By Michael Clower

After discussion between Handicappers, Camphoratus had her rating increased from 95 to 105 following her last-stride win in the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein (standside) on Saturday.  There is no reason to doubt Camphoratus’s performance as she did win the Grade 3 Flamboyant Stakes at Greyville in December and she has now won in her first attempt at Grade 1 level.

In assessing the race, it was agreed that the right key horse to use was third placed Nafaayes to the 103 she actually achieved when she won the Grade 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas (over the same course-and-distance as the Empress Club Stakes) and again when she finished second in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic. Nafaayes has been highly consistent and seems to be a logical choice of line horse.

Running Brave goes up from 99 to 104 after she finished a close second in the Empress Club.  She had finished behind Nafaayes in both the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and in the SA Fillies Classic and it seems obvious enough that she must have run a better race here.  Nafaayes was dropped from 107 to 106 and is now the equal of fifth placed Celtic Sea (whom she also beat in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas).

In other changes, Oh Susanna was dropped from 119 to 118 and so remains higher than Lady In Black (117), who finished second behind Oh Susanna in the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes during the Cape summer season.  Fiorella drops from 102 to 100, Fresnaye was dropped from 110 to 108 following two below-par efforts since she arrived on the Highveld.  Ghaalla has been dropped from 102 to 100, Cascapedia goes from 109 to 107, and Al Danza has had her rating cut from 104 to 102.

NHA

A third successive Langerman winner for Vaughan Marshall? And could this be yet another Captain Al-sired Cape Guineas winner for him?

Doubtless the Milnerton trainer will be throwing up his hands in horror at such chicken-counting predictions but Captain Of Stealth again delivered the goods like Pegasus incarnate in the opener at Durbanville on Saturday.

Starting almost unbackable at 1-3, he was nudged into the lead almost from the off and 400m out he was asked to quicken. He was then shown the whip to make sure he got the message and, when MJ Byleveld looked back it was almost as if he himself couldn’t believe it. Twice more he turned his head round while his mount coasted home six lengths to the good.

“He was giving weight to two of the others and you are always seeing horses getting beaten when they do this,” he said, explaining why he kept looking round. “I know it’s early days yet but I think this horse is special. He is very good and his big asset is his speed.”

Marshall added: “You are always a bit worried that the first run might have been a fluke but his work at home has been phenomenal and this is what I expected. He is very good. We will see how he comes out of this but the Langerman is at the end of June and we will see how we go.”

The winner’s task was undoubtedly made a bit easier by the enforced withdrawal of Minnesota Dream but beating two previous winners by six lengths easing up takes some doing, and this is an exciting prospect even if he does not look the most straightforward of rides. On the way to the start he veered right instead of left at the bend past the stands and refused to stop until he had taken his jockey almost back into the parade ring.

Owner Pat Firestone sported a tie in his yellow and blue colours and his partner in the horse, John Habib, took things a colourful stage further with a shirt to match! “We are thrilled that the Captain came back and won so easily again,” said Firestone. “We have a lot to look forward to and we are very excited.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s enforced absence cost him a winner on Celestial Storm in the next (Corne Orffer deputised) and possibly another on Lip Service. Keagan de Melo replaced him in the fillies maiden, had trouble securing a clear run and was only beaten a fast-dwindling three-quarters of a length by Bella Summer.

De Melo had some compensation on the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Var’s Boy while Justin Snaith, out of luck with Oh Susanna at Turffontein, struck with Jailhouse Rock and What A Red.

By Michael Clower

Bernard Fayd’Herbe was lucky to escape serious injury when Minnesota Dream took fright in the pens for the opening juvenile plate at Durbanville on Saturday.

Viewers, both on TV and at the racecourse, looked on in horror as the gelding repeatedly bounced himself from one side to the other, crashing violently against the metal framework, before Fayd’Herbe reached up to the stanchions above him and pulled himself clear of danger.

The jockey, who had arrived back from Dubai less than two hours before the race, was stood down on medical advice for one race after another before going off to hospital for x-rays with a suspected broken foot.

However he reported yesterday: “Fortunately there is nothing broken. I am badly bruised on both feet, my knee and my neck but it’s nothing serious. I will try to be back riding by Tuesday and, if not, I will be back by Friday.

“The damage happened when he went back and I got caught between the horse and the back gate. Then I hit my head on top of the gates when he flipped up. I managed to grab onto the top bar and pull myself up. I was lucky.”

Minnesota Dream somehow got his right front leg over the partition in the process and was withdrawn by the vet. However Joey Ramsden’s assistant Ricardo Sobotker said that the horse was OK afterwards. He has had his starting stall certificate withdrawn.

Eric Sands is to work Rainbow Bridge at Greyville for the first time next week as he prepares the Sun Met winner for his bid to achieve a lifetime’s ambition for new owner Mike Rattray in the Vodacom Durban July.

The four-year-old, who sweats buckets every time he goes into a float, travelled to Summerveld from Milnerton last Tuesday and took the journey surprisingly well. “I was pleased with how he travelled,” said Sands. “Anton Marcus has already cantered him at Summerveld, we show him the track next week and his first race there will be the Independent on Saturday Drill Hall on May 3.”

By Michael Clower

A long held plan came to fruition at Turffontein Standside on Saturday when the Robbie and Shannon Hill-trained Camphoratus upset some big fish in the wfa HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes over 1600m and thus the stallion Byword, who now serves as a teaser, gained a first Grade 1 winner.

Robbie Hill is based at Summerveld but has been up at Randjesfontein since March 2 training just two horses, Camphoratus and Red Chesnut Road, for target races in Johannesburg.

He said, “When Camphoratus won the Flamboyant Stakes (on December 26 over 1600m at Greyville) we felt she was good enough to compete in the Empress Club and the plan was put in place.”

She was a 36/1 shot in the Flamboyant but Hill pointed out her previous bare form had not told the whole story.

He said, “She had a bad habit earlier in her career of messing around in the starting stalls. They have now begun accommodating her but prior to that she was not getting away on terms.”

After the Flamboyant the four-year-old filly ran a 2,80 length fifth in a Pinnacle event over 1500m at Scottsville on February 10. 

She arrived in Johannesburg on the morning of the Grade 3 Acacia Handicap over 1600m at Turffontein Standside on March 2.

Hill said, “She ran not a bad race there.”

Then when she finished second in the Listed Jacaranda Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein Standside on March 30, carrying joint topweight of 57,5kg, it confirmed the Empress Club Stakes plan should go ahead.

Hill does not believe 1800m stretches her and said, “Gareth (Wright) sent her for home too soon in the Jacaranda, he made a mistake. My only instruction on Saturday was to sit and wait and not go too early.”

Wright followed the instruction to a tee. Camphoratus clearly had a ton in hand in the straight when held together in midfield. He pressed the button at the 400m mark and she then showed what Hill describes as her “unbelievable acceleration”. Wright had to switch her inward and she then became involved in a stirring dual with the narrow Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas runner up Running Brave. Camphoratus surged in the final strides to win by a neck.

She had been the third lowest rated horse in the field off a merit rating of 95 and had not surprising started at odds of 66/1.

Among the defeated in a star-studded field was the 119 merit rated reigning Equus Horse Of The Year Oh Susanna. The trip was short of her optimum and she could only stay on at one pace from a handy position to finish a 2,20 length fourth. 

The Gauteng Fillies Guineas and Ipi Tombe winner Nafaayes, merit rated 107, was third and other beaten horses were the Graded-winning stars Celtic Sea, Fiorella, Fresnaye, Ghaalla, Cascapedia and Redberry Lane as well as last year’s narrow Empress Club runner up Al Danza.    

Hill, who stood on the stands and said he had remained surprisingly calm as the drama unfolded, added, “She obviously relished the soft conditions and some others might not have liked it, but it was nice that the plan came together.”

In contradiction, Byword’s sire Peintre Celbre had relished fast ground when winning the 1997 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe by five lengths. However, he did also win a heavy ground Group 1. Byword’s only Group 1 win, in the Prince Of Wales Stakes over a mile and two furlongs at the Royal Ascot meeting, also came on fast ground, although he did manage two stakes wins on good to soft going.

Byword defeated none other than Twice Over in the Prince Of Wales but at stud in South Africa, starting in the same 2013/2014 season, their respective paths have followed divergent courses. Byword was originally with Rob Pickering’s Middlefield stud in the KZN Midlands but after one season he was transferred to Mauritzfontein Stud. Pickering felt that was the right move and still had high hopes for him. However, with just one decent horse in his first two crops it was soon apparent he was not going to make it in an ultra competitive environment where buyers expect early results. He was thus demoted to a role of teaser stallion at Wilgerbosdrift Stud. However, stud manager Guy Murdoch of Mauritzfontein said, “After yesterday’s Grade 1 we might have to reconsider.”

Camphoratus was bred by Pickering. She is out of the unraced Horse Chestnut mare Wild Camphor, whose only other foal, Scent Of The Tiger (Tiger Ridge), was a four-time winner.

Hill picked Camphoratus out at the BSA KZN Yearling Sale at Sibaya and said, “The chief reason I liked her was her beautifully big girth and she was also very well balanced.”

He bought her up for what has proved a bargain R50,000.

Camphoratus travelled home to Summerveld on Saturday night. Her obvious target SA Champions Season target is the Grade 1 wfa Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes. Her fine turn of foot is an asset at the tight Greyville circuit. 

Meanwhile, Hill is preparing Red Chesnut Road for a crack at the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein on May 4.

This horse was a top prospect as a two-year-old but has been plagued by injury since developing a bone sequestrem beneath the hock. A bone sequestrem is when a piece of dead bone detaches itself from the healthy bone.

“He is a hard horse to train,” admitted Hill.

However, the five-year-old Pathfork gelding proved he stays middle distances when “settling beautifully” and running second in the Listed Michael Roberts Handicap over 1750m last year and he later finished a decent fourth to Head Honcho in the umThombothi Stakes over 1950m.

Hill concluded, “If I can get him 100% right on the day he is a proper horse and will have a shout.”

By David Thiselton

The merit rating system in this country has been jerrymandered to a point where it hardly makes sense anymore. As one trainer put it, races have become a handicap within a handicap and far to complicated for the average punter to unravel. Little wonder turnovers are down.

There are a myriad of examples but just one played out at Turffontein on Saturday. Camphoratus had no right winning the wfa Gr1 Empress Club Stakes given the ratings. Gr1 Sun Met winner Oh Susanna is rated 119, Camphoratus a lowly 95, a full 12kg inferior if you believe the handicap. Oh Susanna may not have been at her best but she was only beaten two lengths in a race where she was rated at least 10 lengths superior to the winner.

We can all say yes, “that’s racing” but try and explain that to the layman who will wander off to the casino where all that they are required to do is push a button.

So tomorrow’s handicapping meeting should be interesting and thanks to National Horseracing Authority CEO Vee Moodley’s efforts at transparency, we should get a full explanation.

But the ratings do sometimes work out as they did at Scottsville yesterday where the filly Twice As Smart proved too good for a host of promising three-year-old males. Wendy Whitehead’s charge was rated 4kg superior to another filly, Sweet Mary Lou, and 6.5kg superior to her nearest male rival Vikram but she proved a little too good for the opposition as she should have.

Stuart Randolph was confident enough to take his mount to the front early in the straight and scrubbed her to the line, only resorting to a couple of reminders as Captain Of Tortuga kept her honest.

‘Patience’ is Shane Humby’s second name. His horses arrive at work in the morning as if they are in a coma but they sure know what to do when they get onto the racetrack.

Mr Fitz is a late maturing son of Bold Silvano and he gave notice that he is a horse with a future as he scored a comfortable win in the fourth. Mr Fitz was in a useful field where pre-race commentator Sheldon Peters was hesitant to commit, not so Warren Kennedy who was hunting a gap a long way out with plenty of horse under him. Once in the clear Mr Fitz accelerated through to hold off the year older Dyno Man, Anton Marcus possibly wishing that he could have shed an extra 2kg to make the weight on Mr Fitz who he had steered to his maiden win.

The title chaser did not go home empty handed however, as he brought home the first two on the card.

Justin Snaith opened his winter season account in KZN with Somewhere In Time scoring a bloodless victory in the card opener but it was not all plain sailing for Marcus. Somewhere In Time is obviously a filly with a few temperament issues and went down to the start with a lead pony and ear-muffs and Marcus had his job cut out to keeping her focussed in the race.

“She was not supposed to run here,” commented Snaith, “but when the field cut up to five or six runners, I thought this would be a good R60k gallop.”

Tony Rivalland’s good form continued with the well-supported Fiorano storming home in the second. Great Stohvanen set the pace and was going great guns approaching the two furlong marker, but once Marcus released the brake Fiorano won with plenty of daylight to spare.

Barring accidents, Luke Ferraris should be something of a shoo-in for the apprentice championship. He is a polished rider and all his skills were on display as he produced Tripple Z with a telling late run to deny Marcus a hat-trick, Spring Fling edging out long-time leader Astral Flight.

Alderman Rob Haswell was one of the umpteen thousands in the crowd watching the US Masters at Augusta and Cumulus will have paid for some of his travel expenses as Natie Kotzen’s runner took full toll of the absence of ante-post favourite Woodstock Festival.

By Andrew Harrison

With the solid support of grandfather Ormond Ferraris and leading trainer Sean Tarry who is quick to pounce on any young talent, apprentice Luke Ferraris has had it good so far in his short career. But there will be roadblocks, there always are in this sport, but he has plenty of ammunition at Scottsville on Sunday where he has some plum rides for his grandfather.

The regally bred Captain Of Tortuga, only once out of the money in ten starts and a close but comfortable winner of an Assessment Plate last time out, will be in short order for the Blinkers Bar Graduation Plate but he may have to take a back seat to the year older filly Twice As Smart, the highest rated runner in the field.

Wendy Whitehead’s stable has turned the corner in recent weeks and Twice As Smart has earned her rating in some useful company. She was beaten less than a length in the Flamboyant Stakes and in retrospect and more recently, third to last Sunday’s Beyerly Turk winner Tristful.

She has much in her favour and given that form she can give her male rivals a stich.

Captain Of Tortuga is the obvious danger but Andre Nel has seeded his Summerveld satellite yard with some of the better inmates of his Yzerfontein yard, readying up for Champions Season and the lightly raced Vikram will be a threat. He was quietly fancied for the CTS Mile won by the smart One World but his form prior to that suggests that he will be a mighty contender here.

The Ferraris combination can kick off the Pick 6 with Tripple Z who has shown good improvement since again being sent over a bit of ground.

He looks primed for this event but Glen Kotzen has started off his Champions Season raid in good style with Temple Grafin winning the Gr3 Umzimkulu Stakes last Sunday and Spring Fling looks a serious contender after making marked improvement at his last start and Anton Marcus booked for the ride.

But it’s not an easy race and the local contingent of Frankie Two Shoes, At The Opera and Just Prime must also be contenders.

The fourth is an intriguing race with a number of three-year-olds out to prove that they deserve a place in the KRA Guineas come the first day of Champions Season.

Run To Denmark made a smart local debut behind Tristful in a Progress Plate and is sure to come on from the effort but he could be hard-pressed to get the better of Shane Humby’s Mr Fitz. The lightly raced colt caught the eye when a close-up second to The Last Of The Legend on debut and followed up with a bloodless victory next time out. That form has held up well and Mr Fitz looks to have plenty of scope. Off bottom weight will have plenty of supporters. Dyno Man, Marchetto and Mr Greenlight are other contenders in a race that could sort out some wheat from the chaff come live contenders for the classics in Champions Season.

Darryl Moore has a smart gelding in Woodstock Festival and he rates the horse to beat in the sixth although he does face some stiff opposition. Woodstock Festival steps up to 1200m for the first time but given his pedigree and the presence of Anton Marcus in the saddle the extra furlong is unlikely to compromise his chances.

Marcus has jumped ship from Cumulus, on whom he beat Woodstock Festival two runs back, so the inference is obvious. However, Muzi Yeni was aboard when Cumulus fourth behind the speedy Di Mazzio on the Greyville poly last time out. Cumulus also steps up to 1200m but does seem to be a better horse on the turf and could again put one over his rival and be some compensation for Alderman Rob Haswell who was looking forward to a Rolling Stones concert in New Orleans before Mick Jagger pulled up lame. Fleetwood Mac are a second-rate replacement for a seasoned ‘rocker’.

Roy’s Magic is a hard knocker and Kom Naidoo has been in good form of late while surprise package could come in the form of Affranchi. Down in class, weight and trip, Gavin van Zyl’s gelding bears all the hallmarks of a sudden improver and may be worth including in all calculations.

By Andrew Harrison