Category Archives: Y-Champions Season

Brutal bang on track

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Cape Trainer Joey Ramsden was happy with the preparation of his Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint contender Brutal Force ahead of Saturday’s Festival Of Speed meeting at Scottsville and also revealed that his top class three-year-old colt Act Of War had travelled “exceptionally well” from Cape Town ahead of his engagement in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge on June 6.

Ramsden said that Brutal Force had already been fit from his two Kenilworth runs over 1400m and 1000m in April and early May respectively. In the first of them the three-year-old  Western Winter gelding had “travelled a bit hard from a wide draw” but still ran a good second and he then came out and won a “really nice race” over 1000m, beating the useful older horse Castlethorpe on weight for age terms by 2,25 lengths.

The big horse subsequently travelled well from Cape Town, arriving at Summerveld about two weeks ago, and has been working well at Summerveld. Brutal Force was gelded after his win in the R1 million Cape Thoroughbred Sales (CTS) Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth on January 24 as he weighed over 600kg. He touched off the promising Zambezi River in the CTS Stakes and Ramsden believes that, although he gets 1400m, the 1200m is likely his best trip.

The powerful chestnut has a tricky draw of 14 to overcome on Saturday, just one inside of the draw of 15 that his full brother Red Ray carried to second place last year. However, his 52,5kg weight is 4kg less than Red Ray was asked to carry. Greg Cheyne, fresh from his win in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900, rides. Brutal Force is sure to be fine tuned in his third run after a layoff and gelding.

By Dave Thiselton

Mr Roy (Nkosi Hlophe)

Mr Roy looks promising

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Alyson Wright runs the promising Western Winter colt Mr Roy in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m and he looks to have a tough task on paper as he will have to make up 3,5 lengths on the classy colt Seventh Plain from their meeting in the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m, which was also run at Scottsville.

However, Wright said the always well regarded colt had not had a good preparation into the latter race due to a skin allergy and had consequently run “a flat race.” He was backed on debut and after disappointing was found to be full of mucous. He then came out and won well over 1000m a couple of month later on April 15. The yard are now confident that he will do better than he did third time out in the Godolphin Barb. He put in some very good work yesterday (Tuesday) and Wright said, “I am very pleased with him. He will be at his best and I think he will run a big race.”

He jumps from draw 6 in the nine horse field and Johnny Geroudis rides. Wright felt that the yard’s Vodacom Durban July entry Kochka had put in “an amazing run” on Sunday at Greyville, where he was beaten just 1,75 lengths by July favourite Futura over 1600m at level weights. The big Black Minnaloushe gelding was off with a virus for a while and only started normal work again two weeks ago, which emphasises just how fine an effort he put in on Sunday. He will be a big runner when stripping fitter next month in either the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m or the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Mr Roy (Nkosi Hlophe)

normanz website

Laird has the winning formula

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Charles Laird will be attempting to win the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint (formerly known as the Golden Horse Casino Sprint) over 1200m at Scottsville on Saturday for the fourth year in succession and the fifth time overall when he sends out the defending champion Normanz.

Laird said, “His preparation has been very good and he is very well. The only small concern is the draw but it is something we will have to deal with. He is well weighted, between 52kg and 55kg is where you want to be for this race.”

Normanz will be attempting to make it three years in succession that sons of Var have won this big race and with 54kg he carries just 1kg more than he did as a three-year-old last year. Laird’s previous two winners of this race, four-year-old Delago Deluxe and three-year-old Contador, carried 54kg and 53,5kg respectively and his 2002 winner Hinterland carried only 50kg. However, his last three Golden Horse Casino Sprint winners have jumped from barrier positions three, five and five, while Normanz will have to overcome barrier 14  this year on a course where the low draws tend to have an advantage these days, partly because the jockeys usually track over towards  the inside rail.

Normanz, who is only three merit rated points higher than he was last year, has plenty of speed and led from start to finish last year under Athandiwe Mgudlwa. This year he will have four-times South African champion jockey Anton Marcus aboard. Even Marcus’s mastery was unable to overcome a draw of 15 on last year’s favourite Red Ray, who finished a 1,5 length second. However, he and Laird are sure to have a game plan under their sleeves.

Normanz works on his own due to his speed and had a good grass gallop at Summerveld last Thursday. He did his final serious work yesterday (Wednesday).

By Dave Thiselson

gavin van zyl website

Captain can bounce back to best

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The Gavin van Zyl-trained pair of Redcarpet Captain and Isca worked together on the Summerveld beach sand track yesterday morning ahead of Saturday’s Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m at Scottsville and the former had the beating of the latter throughout. Jockey Warren Kennedy, who was aboard Isca, returned to confirm that his mount was being held by Redcarpet Captain throughout the 800m workout. Isca has subsequently been scratched.

Redcarpet Captain ran below par last time out in the Gr 1 SA Nursery over 1160m and Van Zyl explained that he had been incubating a low grade infection two weeks before the race. He was fine on the week of the race but the work he had missed took its toll and the form of his fourth place finish in the Nursery was some nine lengths inferior on paper to his win in the Gr 3 Protea Stakes over 1100m if a line through Nursery winner Arabian Beat is taken literally.

Van Zyl said the athletic bay Captain Al colt had done well since arriving at Summerveld about three weeks ago and the yard are hoping to see him back to his best. He has landed a plum draw of one and will be a big runner in a small but classy field of ten.

By Dave Thiselton

Jockey Change – Scottsville Sprint Raceday

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Please be advised that Gavin Lerena will not be riding in the following Grade 1 races at Scottsville on Saturday, 23 May 2015.

Allan Robertson Championship – La Strada to be ridden by S’manga Khumalo

Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion – Just Africa to be ridden by Keagan de Melo

City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint – Garibondy to be ridden by Keagan de Melo

Picture: Gavin Lerena

Robbie Sage

Madame Dubois could be anything

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Madame Dubois is an interesting runner in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson to be run over 1200m at Scottsville on Saturday, added to the fact that Robbie Sage has booked Piere Strydom for the ride.

Sage said about her three-length win over 1000m at the Vaal on debut, “I don’t work horses very hard before their first runs unless they are doing everything themselves and sometimes they come out and surprise you. She is very well in herself but this will be her first time at the track so how she will handle it is an unknown.” However, on the downside she has landed a high draw which by trends is unfavourable.

She started at 20/1 on debut and what made the win even more impressive was that she jumped from a high draw on the Vaal’s inside turf track, where the low draws are invariably more favourable. She also recorded a time 0,45 seconds quicker than the facile winner of the next race, Just Africa, a Paul Peter-trained Just As Well colt who is one of only ten horses standing their ground in Saturday’s Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion. Furthermore, Madame Dubois’s form has been franked as the runner-up Faberge Style won by 10,25 lengths next time out over 1000m on the Vaal sand and third-placed Aldiara also came out and won next time out over 1200m on the turf.

Sage said a lot would depend on how she travelled, adding that this was always an unknown quantity with young horses. He was still waiting for the final field to be published before planning the journey, but said Friday was the likely date of travel.

Owner Colin Bird will have a double interest on the day as Jet Belle, a top class filly he owns in partnership with Drakenstein Stud, runs in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint. Jet Belle was originally trained by Sage and is still trained by him when campaigning on the Highveld but she is otherwise conditioned by Glen Kotzen.

Madame Dubois is by Count Dubois, who is 14th on the season’s national sires log despite having significantly less runners than all of the horses above him. Madame Du Bois’s fourth dam was the champion sprinter of Argentina, but her first dam, Miss Jet Set, who was also trained by Sage, won from 1400-1600m. Sage will therefore see how she runs on Saturday before planning a possible tilt at the Gr 1 Golden Slipper over 1400m at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day.

By David Thiselton

Picrture: Robbie Sage

Futura (Nkosi Hlophe)

Futura still joint favourite with Majmu

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Futura was left on an unchanged 7-2 when Betting World reopened its book on the Vodacom Durban July yesterday.

The country’s biggest bookmaker suspended betting shortly before the Queen’s Plate and J & B Met winner made a winning return in the mile Pinnacle at Greyville on Sunday. He had been backed on the day of that race at 9-2.

The four-year-old shares favouritism with Mike de Kock’s star Majmu while the supplemented Wylie Hall, first past the post in last year’s race, disputes 7-1 third favouritism with the Joey Ramsden-trained KRA Guineas winner The Conglomerate.

Dynastic Power has been the big mover in the last few days, being slashed from 150-1 to 25-1 following his triumph in last Friday’s Betting World 1900. Runner-up Power King was cut from 50-1 to 16-1 and third-placed Punta Arenas from 150-1 to 66-1. Stan Elley’s gelding has been backed at that price and is now 50-1.

Mac De Lago has been marked out from 40-1 to 100-1 and fellow supplementaries Mljet and It Is Written from 100-1 to 150-1. The 2013 July winner Heavy Metal is also on the drift, going out from 75-1 to twice that price.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Futura (Nkosi Hlophe)

dominic zaki

Prospect on Gold mission

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One of the most interestingly bred horses at Saturday’s Scottsville Festival Of Speed meeting will be the Dominic Zaki-trained Prospect Strike, who displayed his class on debut when waltzing in by 12,75 lengths over 1200m on the Vaal turf. He recorded a fast time that day and could be a big threat in Saturday’s Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m at Scottsville.

Zaki said, “His preparation has gone smoothly and he is as fit as a fiddle. I am very happy with him, he is top class.”

The bay gelding was bred by the Tawny Syndicate and is owned by two of this syndicate’s members, Larry Nestadt and Greg Blank, in partnership with Knut Haug.

Nestadt and Blank found his Mr Prospector dam, Prospect Fever, in Australia and brought her back to South Africa. Their reasoning was not only that Mr Prospector mares were hard to come by but that she would also likely be an excellent mating for their Danehill stallion Toreador. This was partly due to the famous Northern Dancer-Mr Prospector nick. Toreador is from the Northern Dancer sire line and Prospect Fever herself has the Mr Prospector-Northern Dancer cross close up in her pedigree.

Furthermore, Prospect Fever had already produced the Gr 3-winning Danehill colt Way West, who became known as a speed influential sire at Summerhill Stud. Way West won an Australian Gr 3 over 1100m as a two-year-old in 2004, beating the now sort after sire Oratorio, so it is not surprising that his three parts brother Prospect Strike is also packed with precocious speed. Prospect Strike is in fact the third Toreador foal that Prospect Fever has produced and this emphasises the vagaries of breeding as the other pair, Abstract and Portrait, have not amounted to much, having won just three minor races between them, all over 1200m.

Toreador’s only Gr 1 winner to date was the Dennis Drier-trained Gold Medallion winner Link Man. This speedy grey was also bred by the Tawny Syndicate and part-owned by Nestadt and Blank.

Nestadt has also part-owned two other Medallion winners. The first was the National Emblem colt Rip Curl, whom he owned in partnership with the late chairman of Turffontein, Collie Fram, as well as with MD Moritz. Scottsville’s reputation as a graveyard of champions was displayed that day as the Nestadt-owned Palace Line started odds on favourite and could only manage fourth place, his only defeat in seven outings in South Africa. Palace Line later exacted revenge on Rip Curl in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes. Nestadt’s other Medallion winner was also by National Emblem, the Mike de Kock-trained 2005 victor Carnadore, whom he owned in partnership with Barry Irwin’s Team Valor syndicate.

Prospect Strike has an unfavourable high draw, by trends, but there is only a small field of ten runners so it shouldn’t be too much of a disadvantage. Craig Zackey keeps the ride.

Nestadt and Blank will be hoping Prospect Strike earns them another Gold Medallion victory, especially as this would help Toreador find his way back into the limelight.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Dominic Zaki

virgos babe

Virgo’s Babe not without a chance

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Turffontein-based trainer David Nieuwenhuizen has the lowest rated horse in probably the strongest event at Saturday’s Festival Of Speed meeting at Scottsville, but there are some positives that could see his rags-to-riches Malhub filly Virgo’s Babe earn a cheque in the Gr 1 City Of Pietemaritzburg Fillies Sprint over 1200m.

Nieuwenhuizen said that the speedy Michael Leaf-owned four-year-old had needed her last two runs badly and had come on a lot from them. Furthermore, she was caught in the worst going down the middle when finishing a 7,85 length fifth last time out in the Gr 2 Camellia Stakes over 1160m at Turffonten. She had some good horses behind her that day including City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint contender Sarve and the crack three-year-old sprinter Lazer Star.

Virgo’s Babe has landed a plum draw of one on Saturday, which by trends is on the favourable side of the Scottsville straight. Niewenhuizen said that the other positive was that she is a filly who is helped by the rail. He believed Muzi Yeni would give her a confident ride and he just hoped that she wouldn’t be squeezed out on the rail.

Virgo’s Babe was from a 2010 crop of just three foals produced by the out of favour stallion Malhub. She turns in, an apparent trait of Malhub’s progeny, and went through the ring unsold before originally being leased for just R10,000.

She has caused a massive big race upset before as she won the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery for Nieuwenhuizen by five lengths at odds of 28/1.

She was bought by popular owner Michael Leaf after she had finished downfield in last year’s Gr 1 Computaform Sprint and this decision immediately paid dividends as she won her next two races, including one at Greyville in one of only two runs she has had in KZN.

Nieuwenhuizen has done a fine job of keeping the filly sound, considering her less than perfect legs, and in 23 runs she has had five wins and nine places for earnings of R751,575.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Virgo’s Babe (Nkosi Hlophe)

Dynastic Power (Nkosi Hlophe)

Elley deals a double knockout blow

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Cape trainer Stan Elley dealt many Vodacom Durban July hopefuls a double knockout blow at Greyville on Friday evening when his two rank outsider runners, Dynastic Power and Punta Arenas, filled two of the first three place in the R350 000, Grade 2 Betting World 1900.

Victory or a bold showing was necessary for many of the runners to impress the July selection panel but for most of the more fancied contenders there must be little hope left of making the final 18 in Africa’ Greatest Horseracing Evening on the first Saturday in July.

The race was won by the four-year-old Dynasty gelding Dynastic Power under a perfect ride by Greg Cheyne at odd in the region of 50-1 with “veteran” July campaigner Punta Arenas, starting at similar odds, filling third place behind a fast-finishing Power King from the Dean Kannemeyer stable. A Victory for Power King would have given the popular Cape trainer a hat-trick of wins on the night his having won the two previous races with Dynastic and Master James.

For Dynastic Power, with a gutsy fourth place in the J&B Stayers as his most impressive credential, there will be a glimmer of hope for a place in the Vodacom Durban July with Punta Arenas throwing his hat into the ring for serious consideration.

For the more fancied runners in the race, horses like Jet Explorer, Bold Inspiration, Jayyed, Double Clutch, De Kock and Solar Star, the future appears less bright when considering the current contenders on the July Log and even Helderberg Blue may find his 17th position on the log under threat.

Power King, who was listed just outside the top 20, will have improved his chances of a run particularly as he gained his second place finish with a flying run from the back of the field and could be considered unlucky not to have won.

The Mike de Kock-trained three-year-old Jayyed could still have a chance of making the big-race field if he can up his game and win the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 for which he has been nominated while some of those beaten runners could make a final bid if competing in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge or the Cup Trial.

Stan Elley said in the post-race interview that the win by Dynastic Power had been a “super, super moment” and he hoped that Punta Arenas could be given another chance in the Vodacom Durban July.

Picture: Dynastic Power (Nkosi Hlophe)