Andrew Harrison

THERE is little doubt that the introduction of the Merit Rating system of handicapping has had a profound effect on racing in this country. In its purest form it has its merits but I would argue that the local horse population is not big enough for the system to work effectively.

This is proven by the introduction of a myriad of special dispensations for various categories of races, introduced in reaction to try and plug frailties in the system. This, to a point where many trainers and, more importantly the majority of punters, are left guessing.

Jack’s Bird, a winner of one race and two placings from nine starts finds herself giving weight to all in the Greyville Convention Centre Handicap that heads the card on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday.

Michael Roberts’s filly has paid dearly for finishing close-up in weak feature company. She was on her way down the ratings from a high mark of 100 before the KZN Fillies Guineas where she finished 3,6 lengths behind Missisippi Burning. But her sixth place shunted her back up five pounds from her 90-rating going into the Guineas without earning a cent.

In other jurisdictions that use the MR system, horses capable of performing in Graded company seldom run in handicaps.

So, this race will be a test. After the Guineas, Jack’s Bird was given a break where she finished nearly five lengths back in a 1200m sprint. That should have brought her along nicely into this 1600m event and from a good draw, Roberts and her supporters will be hoping that the handicappers have it right.

One of the major complaints of the current MR system is that a horse like four-time winner Song Of The Forest, has earned R200k more than Jack’s Bird but has a MR of 81. With Jabu Jacobs claiming his 2.5kg allowance on Brett Crawford’s filly, Jacks Bird will be conceding 8.5kg to her rival that has been in cracking form of late.

In a leap of faith, Jack’s Bird is taken to get the better of Song Of The Forest, but with no confidence.

David Thiselton

THE MIKE DE KOCK-TRAINED Barak proved himself a promising stayer when fighting back to win a Pinnacle Stakes event over 2 600m at Turffontein Inside on Saturday under lightweight jockey Jarryd Penny. It was his third win on the trot meaning he is unbeaten since blinkers were donned.

This Master Of My Fate gelding has a deep pedigree which includes Vodacom Durban July winner Power King, Summer Cup winner Malteme, Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 winner Wendywood, Grade 1 winner Exhilaration and others but he is a rangy, galloping type with a big action. 

Barak went into the race 8kg under sufferance with former SA Derby winner Hero’s Honour according to official merit ratings.

However, he did only have to carry a featherweight 50kg.

Furthermore, he had impressed as a progressive stayer in his previous start and duly started 15-4 favourite. 

The race did not pan out well for him, which adds merit to the win.

Penny decided to drive him up into a handy position from the off and this might have been due to the theory that light weighted horses should be up there over marathon trips to ensure the top-weights are made to carry their welter burdens. 

On this occasion being handy early proved to be costly. 

The big horse took held of the bit but Penny did manage to have him covered in second place. He maintained his rail position but by the time they had reached the final turn he had been shuffled back into midfield. He then had to go around The Bosbok, who had gone wrong.

Ultimately, he turned for home right near the back of the eight horse field, meaning the early exertions might well have been unnecessary.

He was now going to have to prove himself some horse to find the necessary extra to make up the leeway.

He did so but then came under threat from the other bottom weight in the contest, Gold Griffin, although the latter was carrying 1kg overweight under national champion jockey Warren Kennedy.

Barak responded magnificently to Penny’s urgings and saw off the challenge to win by a quarter of a length.

It is not unusual for South Africans stayers to build up a sequence before being found out when they run in features, but Barak looks to have plenty of scope for further improvement and De Kock must be thinking of races like the WSB Gold Cup already.

Barak is out of the Captain Al mare Bermuda Sloop, whose five wins were from 1500m to 2000m. He was purchased for R360,000 at the National Yearling Sales by Jehan Malherbe’s Form Bloodstock and is owned by De Kock together with Malherbe’s wife Noeline and G Ragunan.

Besides Power King and Malteme, who also won the Grade 2 Gold Circle Derby over 2400m, other stamina horses in his pedigree include Power King’s half-brother Northern Land (Badger Land), who won the Grade 3 Cape Summer Stayers over 2500m, Listed Oaks Trial winner Bize and Sammy Jo, who won the Listed East Cape Oaks.    

David Thiselton

THE ASHLEY FORTUNE-TRAINED and Pippa Mickelburgh-bred Futura colt Avenir was the horse to take out of yesterday’s meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville as he was backed into favourite for the Maiden Plate race over 1400m on turf and got up despite enduring a rough passage.

In the end it was the class and experience of Anton Marcus, helped by the physical strength and resolve of the horse, which made the difference and the former would have breathed a sigh of relief when the judge’s verdict went his way. 

Marcus expertly got him over from a draw of ten to find the rail in midfield. 

As they turned for home a gap opened down the middle and Marcus elected to go straight for it. 

However, the horse in front of him drifted outward and Avenir was practically T-boned by two horses who were holding their positions on the outside. 

Avenir was jostled a couple of times as Marcus attempted to get through the gap again and later he was bumped when trying to shift outwards to get through another gap.

The big horse finally had a clear run at the 300m mark and he started making up the leeway.

Marcus gave him a couple of smacks but it was from the 100m onward that the presence of the great jockey told.

He put the stick away when less experienced jockeys would likely have been doing the opposite. He must surely have analysed that this horse had courage in tenfolds to still be trying after such a rough passage and did not require, or deserve, any more punishment. He was able to keep the horse straight with encouragement from the hands and the horse let himself down superbly in the final stages, thus making full use of his lengthy stride. He won by the skin of his teeth from the hard-knocking Jay’s Dancer. He did not beat a quality field but to have come through that battering and still win on debut around the turn at Hollywoodbets Greyville had said a lot. 

It was the first of a fine sequence for the Fortune yard as they recorded a hat-trick at The Vaal today. 

Marcus was full of praise for Avenir’s courage after the race and humbly said he had little to do with the victory.

This horse should improve with age and as he goes further.  

Pippa Mickelburgh, stud manager of Avontuur Thoroughbred Farms, recalled, “There was a competition for the best-looking foal by Futura with the prize being a free service and I was confident he would win it. He didn’t but I said to the winner, ‘Oh well then we will beat you on the racecourse!’.”

She continued, “His dam Varsity Queen comes from an old Avontuur family which includes the like of stakes winners Schiffer, My Kazzie, Mentor, Royal IQ and Wise King. We sold her but later I bought her back as a one-time winner from trainer Bart Rice when he departed for Korea. She then produced a succession of magnificent looking foals and this is proven by the first of them called Graduate by Oratorio selling for R3,2 million.”

Graduate was later part of a dispersal and MIckelburgh continued, “I will always remember trainer Dennis Bosch saying he thought he was a July horse but unfortunately he went wrong (after four wins). Her second foal also by Oratorio was the Paul Peter-trained filly Operetta who has won seven times.”

Avenir was bought by Rathmor Stud on behalf of prolific owner Mario Ferreira for R500,000 at the Cape Thoroughbred Sales Premier Yearling Sale and if he remains sound this could prove to be a bargain.

At this year’s CTS Premier Yearling Sale Adam Marcus bough Varsity Queen’s Silvano colt for R625,000.

There is also a Gimmethegreenlight foal on the ground and she is currently in foal to Querari.

David Thiselton

PIERE STRYDOM was in sublime form at Turffontein Inside on Saturday and rode the winner of the last three races to take his career tally to 5459.

Strydom has reportedly said he would retire at the end of this season so will be going all out to make it a memorable one.

The last of the abovementioned winners, the Brett Webber-trained Written In Stone, has been taken to a new level by Strydom and can carry on progressing considering the way he won on Saturday.

This five-year-old by Pathfork has had an interesting career.

He was bred by Schalk and Clare Le Roux’s Goudini Stud and was bought by Webber for R50,000 at the Cape Thoroughbred Sales’ March Yearling Sale of 2017. 

Written In Stone’s cleverly named dam Autograf, who is by Becker out of Sharp Ledge (Fine Edge), won three times over 1200m at Turffontein, Newmarket and Bloemfontein, and won once over 1400m at Bloemfontein.  

At Stud Autograf had previously produced three-time winning Var filly Lady Beatrix, a one-time winner by Bankable and two one-time winners by Gitano Hernando.

Written In Stone took eleven races to win his maiden. He converted 8/1 odds in a Workrider’s Maiden Plate over 1160m at Turffontein in May last year under Madimong Isaac Duba. 

He was well beaten in his first three runs out of the maidens and looked to have a bleak future.

However, then came his first transformation, brought on by a rest and gelding.

He came back in a strong Pinnacle Stakes event over 1200m at the Vaal where he finished a mere 6,50 lengths behind the winner Hawwaam and four lengths behind Grade 1-winning sprinter Chimichuri Run.

The bookmakers did not appear to notice that he had performed about 10kg above his 66 merit rating on paper and priced him up at 16/1 for his next start over the same course and distance. His odds had tumbled to 25/4 by the off and he finished a one length second under the same pilot Keenan Steyn. 

He went close in his next three starts from 1160m to 1400m. 

However, his problem appeared to be a habit of running on too late.

He found 1600m too far next time out and then at last recorded his second career win over 1450m on February 1 this year.

He then finished unplaced in two more attempts at 1600m.

However, dropped back in trip, he has not missed a cheque in nine subsequent starts.

Strydom rode him in March for the first time but in July this year became Written In Stone’s regular partner. The partnership has yielded two wins, two seconds and a third in five starts.

Between Webber and Strydom they have worked out how to get the best out of this strongly built bay.

Rather than being bottled up off the pace he appears to enjoy racing without cover close to the pace and then finds plenty, suggesting he has more ability than his rating reflects. Strydom had him facing the breeze in the front-line three runs ago over 1200m at the Vaal and he ran away at the end to win easing up by three lengths from Holy Man, who won next time out.

He used similar tactics four days later over the same course and distance and was probably only beaten by his low draw as he ran on strongly for third.

Then on Saturday Strydom kept him wide initially in a 1200m event around the turn and although he was happy to have him covered up approaching the straight he switched him out for a run a full 700 metres from home. Written In Stone once again found plenty at the business end and ran away to win by 2,50 lengths from another progressive sort, Putin’s Promise.

This is the difference a truly great jockey can make. It is not just the riding skills but the intuition which separates them from mere mortals and it will be most interesting to see how much further this partnership can progress now that the key to the horse’s ability has been found. Owners Fred and Linda Mindszenty and B I d’Oliveira are sure to have a lot more fun with this horse. The latter 0wns Written In Stone’s half-sister by Wylie Hall, the Webber-trained Signed And Sealed, who finished second in the first race on Saturday under Hennie Greyling.

The handicappers showed Written In Stone a lot of respect by raising him seven points for Saturday’s win to an 82. 

In the first of Strydom’s hattrick on Saturday he rode a patient race on Sell High, who looked to have some other fancied horses held on paper. 

The Dorrie Sham-trained five-year-old Mambo In Seattle gelding weaved his way through in the 1800m MR 88 Handicap event to win by a cosy 0,60 lengths from Category Four.

The second of his wins was on the Corne Spies-trained four-year-old Crusade filly Madame Patrice. In this 1200m event it was interesting to see Strydom keeping the filly quite wide around the turn in second place, probably to avoid the loose ground which had been churned up by seven prior races. She kept on finding in the straight to beat topweight Royal Lily by a quarter-of-a-length. The latter was highly tried early in her career and should be followed as she ran on strongly from the back.    

ANDREW HARRISON

CHRISTMAS is some months away but tis’ the season of favourites and bombs. With Champions Season behind us, lowly merit rated handicaps are not the easiest even on a good day.

So Var starts for his fortieth race and although only collecting five wins on the way. So Var has shown his best recent form on the poly but he is in good heart and should run a decent race at Hollywoodbets Scottsville tomorrow.

The diminutive Winter Blues is a Louis Goosen stable favourite because he is all heart and seldom gives less than his best. Tomorrow, he is over his best course and distance and cannot be written off.

An interesting runner is Gavin van Zyl’s runner Greenlighttoheaven. Van Zyl has three runners in the race and one would normally assume that Dancing Feather, with stable rider and reigning national champion Warren Kennedy in the saddle, is the stable elect.

The filly may still be the stable number one as she looks seriously talented, but her best form has been over a mile and given the quality of this field, the 1000m-dash could be on the sharp side.

That said, she is loaded with class and cannot be written off lightly.

Stable companion Greenlighttoheaven is lightly raced, but he won smoothly on debut before taking on feature company at his next two. He was probably outclassed in both outings and he’s in another tough one. But he does have a 4kg claimer up and if he can reproduce his debut win, he could be the surprise package.

The Dennis Drier yard is seldom quiet for long and it has been showing signs of returning to top form after a quiet spell of late. But as Drier has said on many occasions, if you don’t have the horses you are always going to struggle no matter how good a trainer you are.

Drier is one of the most respected trainers in the sport and as a result is seldom short of a decent horse or three.

Maiden’s Prayer has had two runs back since returning from the Cape so should strip at her peak and could be good enough to put this field to bed in the seventh. But it is another competitive handicap and if Maiden’s Prayer does not run up to expectations then the que behind her is a long one. Arianos Shadow is over her best distance and showed up well at her last two for Yogas Govender and the Wendy Whitehead-trained Twice As Smart is useful and from a good draw should be thereabouts again.

The regally bred Sanskrift, full sister to champion sire Silvano, enhanced her paddock value enormously by winning her last two over course and distance but it is debatable that she can make it three, even though she only got a two-point raise in the handicap.

This is her first run for her new stable.

Those punters looking to bolster their punting wallets before the exotics may look to Lord Wylie in the card opener as he has improved with each outing and was close-up behind the much-vaunted Hail Columbia last time out. However, there are plenty of first timers in the race so one is never quite sure what you are up against and it may prove prudent to hedge on the side of caution.

 Hawker Typhoon, although nearly surprising on debut when starting at long odds, could be the right one the second and a repeat of her first effort should see her in the firing line again. Irish Belle looks held by a number of her rivals given her debut form but she raced very green on debut when jumping from a difficult draw. She is sure to have come on from that effort and is one to watch in the market.

GOLD CIRCLE has agreed to host the trial of a proposed new racing concept called Super Six Racing.

Gold Circle was approached by Super Six Racing Ltd., a UK-based company to trial the concept which will in no way affect the Hollywoodbets Greyville meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, other than in six races in which riders will be wearing designated colours of the team sponsors and not the silks of the registered owners.

Other than the colour changes – where affected owners will be financially compensated –  the meeting will be as normal, called by the local commentator on duty and broadcast on Tellytrack.

The aim of the exercise is to ‘test-drive’ the new concept ultimately aimed at the emerging Chinese thoroughbred racing industry where gambling is prohibited.

The Super Six press release reads: The Super Six product is aimed at taking the sport of horse racing to consumers as a non-gambling proposition. Super Six Racing is in negotiation with distributors to put our programme in front of a global audience, particularly into territories where gambling is currently prohibited, in particular mainland China.

The purpose of the trial (at Hollywoodbets Greyville) is to produce a very high-quality broadcast package of some 40-minute duration which will be used to showcase the Super Six horse racing product to our potential sponsors and partners.

The only difference from a normal raceday would be that Super Six would require fields of exactly twelve runners, with jockeys wearing the colours of our Super Six Racing teams, rather than the owners own colours. We envisage our six races to be part of a normal eight-race card so that there would be minimal disruption to the usual racing product.

Subject to a successful trial, Super Six Racing Ltd will look to enter into formal agreements to stage its first full Super Six Live Racing Series.

Initial thoughts see a series of six meetings, typically with four weeks space between them, which would allow for five qualifying events and a grand Final. Our intention will be to live stream and broadcast the Super Six series internationally and in particular into mainland China.

This very low risk proposition, with minimum disruption, offers the potential for substantial long-term benefits to the South African horse racing industry, including:

Phase One:

• An enhanced broadcast product on Super Six Raceday, showcasing South African racing to a new international audience.

• A partnership with Super Six Global League, presenting a more approachable, inclusive and easy to understand horse racing offer

• A transformational offer engaging with a sector of the population, previously disinterested in horse racing, engaging, entertaining and building a sustainable new audience for the sport. 

Phase Two

• Super Six plans foresee the development of four major new racetrack facilities in China over the next ten years. Each new racetrack in China will require upwards of 600 horses and regular re-supply

• South African racing would act as a feeder or nursery for Super Six Racing in China, with concomitant long-term benefits. Rather than waiting for racecourses to be built over a period of years, staging Super Six in South Africa means that we can move teams seamless to the new tracks as they open.

• This would facilitate the strengthening of the South African breeding industry with a secure long-term demand.  Enabling improvement of the breed with increased budgets for breeding stock acquisition and collaboration in securing stallions to shuttle between the northern and southern hemispheres.

Super Six is delighted to announce team sponsors for this exciting and ground-breaking Inaugural Raceday and their colours as follows:-

Following on from the Inaugural Raceday, Super Six and Gold Circle will work towards staging the first full series of Super Six Racing.

Finally, Super Six Racing would like to thank Gold Circle and all team sponsors for their outstanding support in such difficult and unprecedented times – without which this Inaugural Raceday would not be possible.