Category Archives: Y-Champions Season

Jet Aglow (Liesl King)

Blinkers working for Jet Aglow

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Dennis Drier has a good chance in the Gr 2 Tibouchina over 1400m at Greyville on Saturday with Jet Aglow, while the connections of the Paul Lafferty-trained Goldie Coast will be hoping for some rain before that same event.

Jet Aglow finished a 2,25 length second to her perennial rival Hammie’s Hooker in last year’s Tibouchina over 1450m at Clairwood, but is particularly interesting this year as the first time blinkers made her noticeably sharper last time out when running a cracker in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville.

Drier said, “She took us a bit by surprise with the first time blinkers but we expect her to settle better this time.” He added that she had come out of that last race a hundred percent and was currently in fine shape.

The 1200m is too sharp for her, so it was a surprise to see her showing such good pace in the City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint and setting the gallop. She was outpaced late but still managed a fine 2,65 length fifth to one of the best sprinters in the country, Carry On Alice, to add to her third place finish in that same race last year.

The five-year-old Jet Master mare will now be having her third run after a rest, but does have a tricky draw of nine in the twelve horse field. Regular pilot Sean Cormack is aboard.

Goldie Coast is the joint lowest rated horse in this race, but is ideally suited to the Greyville 1400m as she has an exceptional turn of foot provided she finds cover.

Lafferty’s assistant trainer Roy Waugh said, “It’s a very tough race, but she’s been running reasonably well. She doesn’t have the best of draws, but she does come from off them. She is definitely better with a bit of cut in the ground.”

By David Thiselton

Picture: Jet Aglow (Liesl King)

Same Jurisdiction (Nkosi Hlophe)

Same Jurisdiction is back

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Duncan Howell’s top class Mambo In Seattle filly Same Jurisdiction makes her comeback from a taxing Highveld campaign in the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m at Greyville on Saturday.

The Gr 1-winning three-year-old was declared a non-runner in her last start in the Gr 1 Laurie Jaffee Empress Club Stakes at Turffontein after a faulty gate swung back and hit her in the face.

Howells said, “She had to miss the early Champions Season events because she took that last run very hard. But we have reconditioned her, and she is now very well in herself. She has only had one grass gallop as this is a preparation for the Garden Province Stakes, so she may just need it but she is still capable of a good showing.”

Interestingly, her last visit to Greyville followed a five month layoff and she put up a scintillating display to annihilate them in the Gr 3 Flamboyant Stakes over 1600m, so she clearly enjoys running fresh. She does have a tough draw of 12 to overcome, but the peerless Anton Marcus has retained the ride.

Howells runs the staying type Beewithme in the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m. He is aiming him at the Gr 2 Gold Vase on Vodacom Durban July day. He said, “He went slightly off form, but everything is on song again. He is up against a strong field and will need it.”

The yard run the Elusive Fort filly Lauderdale in the Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1400m and he said, “We will see where she stands after this run but I expect a bold showing. She is consistent and honest. I think she can run in the first four, although she will be looking for further in the future.”

By David Thiselton

Picture: Same Jurisdiction (Nkosi Hlophe)

Ice-Machine (Nkosi Hlophe)

Ice Machine is ‘floating’

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Charles Laird’s Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge contender Ice Machine is not the soundest type but his class is illustrated by two particularly scintillating career performances, first when beating the country’s best milers in last season’s Gr 2 weight for age Green Point Stakes over 1600m at Kenilworth and then in his last start when annihilating them in the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m at Greyville.

The six-year-old Silvano gelding displayed his devastating turn of foot in the Drill Hall, but Laird’s immediate wish after the race was that he would be sound the next day, which told a story of how difficult a horse he is to train.

Laird is Ice Machine’s third career trainer and said ahead of the gelding’s third outing for the yard, “He is floating, he is moving very well. It is a hard ask against those horses but he couldn’t be better.”

Ice Machine is now back on a career high mark of 113 and is the third highest rated horse in Saturday’s weight for age race behind 120-rated Futura and 117-rated Legislate. Anton Marcus remains aboard which is an obvious bonus, but they are drawn a tricky nine this time as opposed to the three draw they had in the Drill Hall.

Laird also runs Bold Inspiration in the Gr 3 Cup Trial, but even if he wins he won’t be re-entered for the Vodacom Durban July, having been scratched from the big race after his unplaced run in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900. That last run didn’t pan out well for him and Laird said, “They went a crawl and from draw one he got stuck behind the leader, it was a shambles. He is not a horse that can sprint for home and Stuart Randolph will have to use his draw (three) on Saturday to make sure they don’t go a walk. He’s very well.”

Laird has five two-year-olds in total running on the day and expected all of them to hold their own in their respected Listed events over 1400m, although he admitted that at this stage these races are very difficult to predict especially as virtually all of the runners will be seeing the Greyville turn for the first time.

However, one of the more interesting of his runners could be the filly Ninefold, who looks to be a chip off the block of her sire Warm White Night. She showed good pace on debut and then found another gear late to pull clear in soft going over 1200m at Scottsville. From draw two in Saturday’s Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1400m, she should be up there early under Anton Marcus and should also be doing good work late so is one to consider.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Ice Machine (Nkosi Hlophe)

No Worries (Nkosi Hlophe)

Burnard got No Worries

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Gavin van Zyl runs the Kahal gelding No Worries in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and this strapping chestnut is the quiet fancy of more than a few to win the big one, the Vodacom Durban July.

This 111-merit rated five-year-old finished a gallant 2,25 length third in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein last time out and as things stand will be considerably better off in the July weights with both the winner Wylie Hall and the runner up Majmu, although he does risk punishment from the handicapper if going close on Saturday considering he is up against the like of 120 merit-rated Futura and 117 merit-rated Legislate.

Van Zyl said, “That last run was only six weeks ago, so we were able to keep him going. He is in a good space at present and I make him a runner.  We won’t be burning him up in front as this is also a preparation for the July, so we will be looking slot him in, although he is a versatile type and if we can get a soft lead we will take it.”

No Worries jumps from a slightly tricky draw of eight in the 12 horse field.

However, there has been no sign of the headstrong antics which affected his performances in his early four-year-old career. This has in part been due to the fine partnership he has struck up with the talented young jockey and horseman Keagan de Melo.

No Worries already has three Gr 1 places at Greyville. He showed as a three-year-old here that he is capable of producing flying finishes from the back of the field, so his current reputation as a front-runner is a bit misleading.

Van Zyl runs the three-year-old Horse Chestnut filly Banbury in the Gr 2 Tibouchina over 1400m, where she has to overcome the widest draw of all in the 12 horse field.  Her Gr 3 Fillies Mile win at Turffontein now looks good on paper, having beaten the subsequent Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 winner Smart Call. Last time out she was beaten four lengths over Saturday’s course and distance by Maybe Yes in a conditions event and now faces her on 1,5kg worse term, but she did need that run quite badly and Van Zyl said, “She is fine and been working well and we expect her to get closer to Maybe Yes than she did last time.” Banbury has a good turn of foot, but is the type that needs cover, so the draw will be tricky for jockey Warren Kennedy.

The yard run the Judpot gelding Rocketball in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m. He appeared to relish the turf surface in his third career outing last time out when coming from off the pace to win over course and distance. The form was franked as the narrow runner up King’s Knight won next time out over 1200m on the poly. Van Zyl said, “He is not a great track horse but good horses often don’t sparkle at home. He will need to improve three lengths to run a place but I expect him to do so through normal progression. This is unchartered territory and only the race will tell how good he is.”

By David Thiselton

Picture: No Worries (Nkosi Hlophe)

Alec Laird

Laird eyes more Grade 1 glory

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Alec Laird has two runners in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m at Greyville on Saturday, Bouclette Top and Bezanova. He was hoping that the two big guns in the race Futura and Legislate would be below their peaks, thereby giving him a chance of landing a second Gr 1 at Greyville in the space of a week.

Laird won the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 last Saturday with the Ideal World filly Smart Call, whom he is now likely to rest until next season. He has prepared both Bouclette Top and Bezanova from Randjesfontein. They will travel to Summerveld on Thursday.

He said, “Bouclette Top has been bursting for a run since his Drill Hall second, so he will be ready for this. Bezanova has had a nice little prep and ran very well at Greyville last year.”

The Argentinian-bred Giant’s Causeway gelding Bouclette Top had struck as a middle distance to staying type after running on well last season for fourth in both the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas and the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1600m and 1800m respectively.

However, Laird believes now that a mile is his best trip, although he did win the Listed Drum Star Handicap over 1800m in March. The Drum Star was his first start with blinkers and the headgear appears to have brought a new lease of life as he followed up by running a decent third in the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m. He then ran a three length second in the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m at Greyville, when staying on well despite being keen in the running. The bay four-year-old deserves his 107 merit rating.

The four-year-old Bezrin gelding Bezanova has filled into his big frame this season and showed his class when winning the Gr 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile at Turffontein last November. The latter is a handicap race and was raised from a 104 merit rating to 107. He probably found the 2000m of the SANSUI Summer Cup too far and he was then rested for three months before running unplaced in the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m and fourth in a Conditions Plate over 1450m. Last time out he ran on well over the more suitable 1600m trip to finish a 3,8 length fifth to Halve The Deficit at level weights.

The factor that augurs well for this good looking chestnut on Saturday is that he ran a three length second to Equus Horse Of The Year Legislate in last season’s Gr 2 KRA Guineas over the course and distance of Saturday’s Gold Challenge. He followed that with a 1,65 length fifth to Legislate in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000, so appears to enjoy the tight Greyville circuit.

Bouclette Top is drawn seven with Woolavington-winning jockey Weichong Marwing up and Bezanova is drawn eleven with Gavin Lerena aboard.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Alec Laird

French Navy (Nkosi Hlophe)

French Navy hiked three points

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The Sean Tarry-trained Count Dubois gelding French Navy has been raised three points for his Gr 1 Daily News 2000 win on Saturday and will go into the Vodacom Durban July with a merit rating of 113. This means, based on July favourite Futura’s current merit rating of 120, he would have to carry 54,5kg in the big race as things stand.

The 108 merit rated third-placed The Conglomerate was used as “the line horse” in the Daily News and his merit rating will remain unchanged, so as things stand he will go into the July 1kg under sufferance carrying the minimum weight for a three-year-old male of 53kg. Second-placed Ertijaal was raised four points to 110, meaning he will scrape into the July’s handicap with 53kg, while fourth-placed Rampant Ice was raised six points to 106 and it remains to be seen whether he will be supplemented for the big race.

The Alec Laird-trained Gr 1 Woolavington winner Smart Call was raised eight points to 109, based on her 2,25 length defeat of the 103 merit-rated line horse, third-placed Trophy Wife. However, Laird has said Smart Call will likely be rested for the remainder of the season.

Second-placed Pine Princess, beaten a quarter-of-a-length, remains on a 109 merit rating so will go into the July with 52,5kg as it stands. Fourth-placed Zante was the only other horse to be affected and her merit rating was raised nine points to 101, although she is not currently a July entry. The fifth-placed favourite Inara remains on 110, but she was scratched from the July yesterday (Monday) morning and will likely be aimed at the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over the more suitable 1600m distance.

By David Thiselton

Picture: French Navy (Nkosi Hlophe)

maybe yes nh

Crawford happy with Maybe Yes

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The Brett Crawford-trained Tiger Ridge filly Maybe Yes proved her liking for Greyville last time out in a Conditions Plate for fillies and mares over 1400m when waltzing in by four lengths and she will be a big runner over the same course and distance in Saturday’s Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes for fillies and mares.

Meanwhile, the yard’s stalwart three-year-old Dynasty filly Alexis, who impressed when winning the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas, had a slight recent setback, so they couldn’t take a chance with her in either the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 or the Tibouchina, but she is back in full work and is on track for the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes on Vodacom Durban July day.

Crawford said about the strongly built Maybe Yes, ”She is fine, doing well and working well, we’re very happy with her. ”

Maybe Yes relaxed well after being taken to the front from a wide draw in that last race over 1400m and found just as good a kick in the straight as she did when winning the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas last season.

She has plenty of class and a fine turn of foot and 1400m could well be her best trip, considering her tendency to want to get on with it in the early stages.

A point worth noting is that she appeared to be sweating on the way to the start last time out but that had no effect on her performance.

Champion jockey S’Manga Khumalo will ride Mabe Yes for the third time in succession.

By David Thiselton

futura gallops site

Futura and Legislate up for Challenge

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It is seven years since a Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner went on to win the Vodacom Durban July, but the double could possibly be done again this year as the ruling favourite for the country’s biggest horseracing event, Futura, will be lining up in the Gold Challenge at Greyville on Saturday.

However, this will be the Justin Snaith-trained superstar’s return bout with his new stablemate Legislate, having stolen the latter’s limelight when winning the Gr 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate in early January.

Snaith said about Saturday’s big clash, “Futura has come on lengths from his last run and has put up a very good gallop on the Summerveld grass since. He couldn’t be better and I’m very happy. He’s a very nice natured horse and is a pleasure to train. Legislate also galloped on the grass at Summerveld on Monday. He was blowing a little bit and that’s what we wanted as we hope he comes on from that. It’s hard to be sure whether he will be back to his best, but he’s doing well enough and he likes to run fresh. They are both well and I wouldn’t want to change anything.”

Legislate was thought to be virtually unbeatable in the Queen’s Plate, having broken the Kenilworth 1600m Old Course record when winning the Gr 2 Green Point Stakes in his seasonal reappearance. However, he finished stone last and was subsequently found to have serious lung infection, so has not been seen out again since.

Meanwhile, Futura, still conditioned at that stage by his original trainer Brett Crawford, stamped himself as the best horse in the country by winning the J&B Met.

Later, in one of the shocks of the season, the three-time Gr 1 winning  Dynasty colt left the Crawford yard due to a dispute among the ownership syndicate and joined Snaith.

Crawford had also nurtured Futura to a win in the Gr 1 Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville in his final start as a three-year-old and that was after some had felt he had been unlucky in the July, having been caught in behind a slow pace.

Futura has everything a top class racehorse needs from a laid back temperament, the ability to relax in the running, a fantastic turn of foot as well as plenty of speed but also the stamina to stay the 2200m of the July. Furthermore, he announced his well-being on May 17 by winning his Champions Season pipe opener over 1600m at Greyville in cosy fashion under his new jockey Sean Cormack.

Legislate, who is also a four-year-old colt by Dynasty, has proved he has all of those credentials himself, having won all of the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby, the Gr 2 KRA Guineas, the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and the July last year. The latter three wins proved his liking for Greyville. He won the July last year only after a controversial objection, but he was deservedly named Equus Horse Of The Year. His class, exemplified by his tremendous turn of foot, was then seen at its maximum in the Green Point, where he put up a truly world class performance.

However, the Queen’s Plate run put a dampener on his future. Furthermore, in his intended comeback recently, in the IOS Drill Hall Stakes, he had to be scratched  after kicking the pens. This misfortune and the subsequent trip from the start back to the parade ring apparently took a lot out of him and a couple of days later the Snaith yard declared him a doubtful runner in the July. Snaith said over the weekend that his July participation was still up in the air and advised punters to keep their ante-post betting money in their pockets for now.

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities had the Gold Challenge as the only South African horseracing event in its world 100 top races recently. The ratings are calculated by averaging the merit of the first four finishers as accorded by the Longines Worlds Best Racehorse Rankings.

Snaith in fact trained the last horse to do the Gold Challenge-July double in the same season. In 2008 his superstar grey filly Dancer’s Daughter quickened superbly off a slow pace to win the Gold Challenge at Clairwood under Weichong Marwing and then ran on strongly under Kevin Shea to dead-heat with the great Pocket Power in one of the most exciting July’s of all time.

Saturday will tell whether Legislate is the same horse he was before the Queen’s Plate. If he is this clash of the Snaith-trained titans could well be the highlight of the season, although it is by no means a two horse race.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Futura (Nkosi Hlophe)

SEAN TARRY

Daily News 2000 Raceday Wrap

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The devastating form of Gauteng trainer Sean Tarry continued at the weekend with his three-year-old Count Dubois gelding French Navy sailing through in the finish to win the R2-million, Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and ensuring his crowning as the Champion Trainer of South Africa for the current season.

Ridden with great confidence by jockey Raymond Danielson, and having also won of the Grade 1 SA Classic at Turffontein in March, the powerful bay laid claim to the title of top three-year-old male in South Africa and cemented his place in the field for the R3.5-million, Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July.

Shortly before that, the 12-1 chance Smart Call from the Alec Laird stable caused an upset in the R1-million, Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 when she gave her sire Ideal World his first Grade 1 success beating home Pine Princess and Trophy Wife.

The Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup was won in fine style by the Dynasty gelding Solid Speed adding yet another win to Cape trainer Dean Kannemeyer’s outstanding run of success this season. It was the four-year-old gelding’s third straight win since coming to Durban.

In the Daily News 2000 expectations were that favourite The Conglomerate along with Ertijaal and Deputy Jud, were likely to fight out the finish and when The Conglomerate and Ertijaal came together in the home straight it all seemed to be going to plan. Ertijaal gained the upper hand and set sail for the judge but out of the pack, having found a gap from the middle of the field, French Navy shifted into top gear and joined Ertijaal in the final dash to the line, finishing the stronger and going on to win by 1.25 lengths.

The Conglomerate stayed on to secure third place ahead of Rampant Ice and Mac De Lago.

In the post race interview, Tarry praised owner Chris van Niekerk for his support and the manner in which he did not interfere in the preparation of his horses allowing Tarry freedom to train the runners as he saw fit. He said the five-week break between the SA Derby and the Daily News 2000 this year – compared to the four or even three weeks of previous years – had allowed him time to freshen the gelding up for this race.

He felt French Navy did not quite get the 2 450m of the Derby in the soft going but praised the laid-back Danielson for a perfect ride. He quipped that Danielson was so laid back that at times “you almost had to take his pulse to see if he was alive.”

Danielson said in his interview that he had told Tarry after the first time he rode French Navy that the gelding had a lot of potential. He said he had feared there would not be a pace in Saturday’s race but he felt the pace was on as the gelding was off the bridle. “But he picked it up going through the 800” and when he found a way through a tight field the gelding took off and won very impressively.

For trainer Mike de Kock the day was not the best the stable had enjoyed, starting off with the withdrawal of his star filly Majmu from the Woolavington 2000 a few hours before the start of the meeting, reportedly having spiked a temperature. However, it might not have been too much of a disappointment for De Kock who, in a pre-race interview recorded earlier in the week, he had not appeared that excited about the filly taking part in the race.

His chances in the classic event for fillies was left to his SA Oaks winner Pine Princess to fly the flag and she came close to pulling it off but for a sustained finishing run by Smart Call who came up on her outside and beat her to the line by about a neck.

Having been a pace-maker in a few of her previous races, it could have been assumed by other riders in the race that she would once again go out to make the running but this time Weichong Marwing held her back and Anthony Delpech took Pine Princess to the front ahead of Tamaanee with Smart Call slotting in third. Pine Princess shook off the attentions of Tamaanee in the straight and looked on course for victory until Smart Call unleashed her finishing effort with her and Pine Princess fighting it out to the line.

Trainer Alec Laird said after the race that he had decided to give the ideal World filly her last crack at a Grade 1 race and had changed tactics, allowing her to be settled in instead of going to the front and that tactic had worked out. He said he had always thought that on pedigree Smart Call would stay the distance.

Inara from the Mike Bass stable that had started favourite for the race, ran well below her best to finish just out of the placings when touched off by a fast-finishing Zante for fourth place.