Category Archives: Y-Champions Season

alexis lk

Alexis impresses at home

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The KRA Fillies Guineas contestant Alexis put in a superb bit of work on the Summerveld beach sand yesterday morning and will give high flying Cape trainer Brett Crawford an outstanding chance of landing this race for the second year in succession.

However, Mike de Kock’s Summerveld assistant trainer Nathan Kotzen was also very happy with the well-being of one of Alexis’s chief rivals on Saturday, One Fine Day.

Yesterday, Alexis cruised at a comfortable gait alongside the speedy Cuvee Brut , who appeared to have her work cut out to keep up, and Crawford’s assistant trainer Barry Donnelly was thrilled by the workout. Cuvee Brut won her last start in a MR 78 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m by an impressive three lengths, which puts Alexis’s class into perspective. Alexis has plenty of speed but Donnelly pointed out that on pedigree she should get Saturday’s 1600m trip. Indeed, she has a blistering turn of foot and has invariably finished strongly over shorter.  In her last start over 1400m at Greyville in a small but classy field of six, she came from last and after being switched inward she had to then be switched outward again for a clear run and was doing excellent late work. She finished just 1,75 and one length respectively behind One Fine Day and Silver Class and will face both of them on 2kgs better terms in the KRA Fillies Guineas at Greyville on Saturday. It has to be said that One Fine Day quickened effortlessly and won with a bit in hand, although she was probably more forward than Alexis as it was her third run after a rest compared to the latter’s comeback run. Donnelly confirmed yesterday that Alexis had needed the run and had “come on plenty” since then. Meanwhile, Kotzen said about One Fine Day, “She is doing very well and seems to be flying. If we have her the same as she was for that last race I will be happy.”

Delmar Sherrel is now the sole owner of Alexis. Delmar is the mother of former Springbok flyhalf Lance Sherrel and also has a share in the Crawford-trained stalwart Captain America, who was an easy winner of last month’s WFA Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein.

– By David Thiselton

legislate closeup lk site

Legislate could need this run

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The reigning Vodacom Durban July champion Legislate moved well in light work at Summerveld yesterday, but will probably need his Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes outing, a race that his equally illustrious stablemate Futura will be avoiding.

Legislate put in some light work on the sand under Sean Cormack, who reported him to be “moving well.” He put in a good gallop on Monday, but was “blowing a bit” afterwards and this prompted trainer Justin Snaith to say, “I take it that he will need his first run and he is drawn in the bush anyway (9 out of 12 runners).”

Stable jockey Richard Fourie retains the ride and if Legislate is anywhere near his best he should fight out the Drill Hall with the only other Gr 1-winner involved, King Of Pain, who is also drawn wide in 10.

Snaith has decided to avoid the Drill Hall Stakes with the J&B Met and L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate winner Futura, having been thrilled with his recent Greyville grass gallop, and race fans will have to wait until the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Greyville on June 6 before seeing him clash with Legislate for the first time this Champions Season. Snaith has already noticed that the thoroughly professional Futura is a dream to train and one of his positive characteristics is that he “saves himself” and doesn’t extend to the maximum in his workouts. The Dynasty colt put in some fluent work on his own on the top sand track at Summerveld yesterday under Cormack.

Snaith said that his two KRA Guineas contestants Heartland and Ultimate Dollar had both come on since their first KZN outings. They both crossed the line first in their respective Champions Season pipe openers, but Ultimate Dollar was demoted after an objection by the connections of St. Tropez.

Snaith said, “Heartland has gears and is the closest thing to the two big horses (Legislate and Futura) that we have. He is a serious horse.”

Ultimate Dollar has an impressive stride but appears to take a while to wind up. Snaith felt that the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 would give him a better chance of classic victory than the Guineas. However, Ultimate Dollar has drawn in five on Saturday compared to Heartland’s 14.

Snaith said that generally all of his Champions Season string had not had gallops in Cape Town before travelling to Durban so would likely need their first outings in KZN. He said that all seven of his runners from Scottsville on Sunday had pulled up well, including Dynamic, whom he felt was unlucky to have been beaten into second in the Listed Sledgehammer over 1750m by fellow July entry, the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Solar Star, as he had received a bump at a crucial stage.

Snaith said that he would be aiming a lot of his other July entries, including the like of Jet Explorer, at the Betting World 1900 on May 15.

Snaith made special mention of his promising New Zealand-bred colt French Revolution, an eyecatching grey whose lightly coloured mane would make him an instant housewive’s favourite. He said, “He has really come well and is thriving. The idea for him is the Gold Cup, but we want to try and do as little as we can before then as you need a sound horse for that race.”

by David Thiselton

captains daughter nh

It’s time for Champions Season

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With six graded and listed races on the card, the nail-biting battle to the line between favourite Moofeed and the lesser-fancied Gulf Storm set the ball rolling on a high note in the Listed In Full Flight Handicap over 1 100m where the Sail From Seattle gelding Gulf Storm prevailed by a narrow margin.

Jockey Corne Orffer showed he was more than capable of mixing it with the top riders in the country when he got the better of Anthony Delpech in the final strides to give trainer Brett Crawford his first local feature winner of the season.

Two very exciting juveniles gave notice of much better things to come in the two Grade 3 races for two-year-olds, the Strelitzia Stakes and the Godolphin Barb Stakes, and both are likely to be short-priced for their big Grade 1 races at Scottsville next month. Both were ridden by Anton Marcus.

Trained by Glen Kotzen, the Visionaire filly Royal Pleasure retained her unbeaten record with a fluid win in the Strelitzia and Seventh Plain, a colt by Seventh Rock from the Dennis Drier stable, put his hand up as a potential winner of the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Medallion on May 23. A performance of note in this race was that of the Argonaut colt Beat The Retreat from the Alistair Gordon stable that came on strongly in the closing stages of the 1 100m event and could be dangerous over the 1 200m of the big race next month.

In the Grade 3 Poinsettia Stakes over 1 200m, the Kotzen-trained Jet Belle showed her class when she won comfortably from the Justin Snaith stable inmate Varikate. Having her first race since January, the Jet Master mare shifted about a little in the closing stages but Greg Cheyne steadied her and she won comfortably.

The Listed Scarlet Lady saw Anton Marcus back in the winner’s enclosure with the Charles Laird-trained Captain Al filly Captain’s Daughter. Marcus had raced her up handy as San Trip set the gallop and moved her to the outside for her run as Euphoria tackled San Trip and looked a potential winner. However, Marcus was at his best and drove Captain’s Daughter up the outside rail to win by a length.

Trainer Dean Kannemeyer can hardly put a foot wrong since bringing his team to Durban and his four-year-old Kahal gelding Solar Star put up a gutsy and impressive performance to beat the opposition under a good ride from Stuart Randolph to close off the meeting in The Sledgehammer over 1 750m.

Act Of War aimed at Rising Sun

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Joey Ramsden said: “We worked him with Brutal Force at Kenilworth last Wednesday and he went really well.”

Ramsden, who also won the Winter Guineas 11 years ago with another of his stable stars, Winter Solstice, will wait to see how Act Of War is drawn in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge (June 6) before deciding on future plans. The Cape Guineas winner was drawn 23 out of 23 at the entry stage for Sunday’s race but quite a number are expected to drop by the wayside at this morning’s declarations and Ramsden is confident that his star will cope with the outside pen.

Last season’s Mercury Sprint winner Fly By Night will take her chance in the City of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint at Scottsville on May 23 despite disappointing in last Saturday’s Computaform Sprint in which she finished last.

Mike Bass said: “She is fine. The course vet said she was not striding out on her right front but I could find nothing wrong unless it was the tiny saddle that Bernard was using, and even then maybe it was just that I was trying to find something.”

Stable companion Tevez (seventh) goes to Durban although not exactly on his trainer’s wishes. “I can’t get him home without him having to stay somewhere for two weeks in the mountains because of African Horse Sickness regulations. He tends to bleed in Durban but I might run him towards the end of the season.”

The benefits of Mike Stewart’s beachside operation were given a proof-positive by Chris Snaith after Trackmaster returned after nearly three months away to secure a battling win under Richard Fourie in yesterday’s Silicone & Technical Maiden. Snaith said: “He was suffering from sore shins and we were tearing our hair out. In the end we gave him a blister and sent him to Mike.” Stewart said: “When I thought he was ready I rode him myself on the pan, the stretch of my hardest sand, and he went really well. I said to the Snaiths: ‘This is going to be a top horse and he won’t get beaten next time he runs.’”

Andrew Fortune is now riding work for Darryl Hodgson most days of the week and the former champion is being rewarded with more and more of the stable’s rides. He scored a narrow win on Natatela in the Multifix Maiden despite the filly drifting right across the course and owner Hassen Adams ruefully remarked: “I thought he was a bit of a Jonah in my colours as he hadn’t had a winner for me for a long time!”

> Anthony Delpech, 14-1 for the title a fortnight ago, is now 16-10 joint favourite with Gavin Lerena, having reduced the leeway to four. Lerena is on 130 winners and S’Manga Khumalo (129) is a 5-2 chance.

Legislate and Futura top Drill Hall entries

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This famous race with a history dating back decades, is traditionally the warm-up event of the season for the visiting horses preparing for the bigger races coming up and is always an exciting event.

Supplementary Entries and Weights for the R350000 Gr2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes to be run over 1400m at Greyville on Saturday May 2: 

NO HORSE                  A/S WGT  M/R   TRAINER

11 FUTURA             (4C) 60.0 120   Justin Snaith

22 LEGISLATE          (4C) 60.0 117   Justin Snaith

24 KING OF PAIN       (5G) 60.0 114 B Joey Ramsden

29 CHEKILLI           (4G) 59.0 108   Alec Laird

19 WHITELINE FEVER    (6G) 59.0 107   Sean Tarry

7 ICE MACHINE        (6G) 59.0 105   Charles Laird

28 DE KOCK            (4G) 59.0  98   Brett Crawford

4 ACT OF WAR         (3C) 58.0 117   Joey Ramsden

10 HELDERBERG BLUE    (4G) 58.0 110   Mike Bass

30 JET EXPLORER       (6G) 58.0 109   Justin Snaith

25 ASHTON PARK        (5G) 58.0 108   Mike Bass

13 BOUCLETTE TOP (ARG (4G) 58.0 107 B Alec Laird

26 POWER KING         (4G) 58.0 106 B Dean Kannemeyer

5 KOCHKA             (4G) 58.0 105   Alyson Wright

2 SABADELL           (5G) 58.0 103   Kumaran Naidoo

3 NIGHT TRIP         (5G) 58.0 101 B Mike Bass

1 THE HANGMAN        (5G) 58.0 101   Sean Tarry

8 FOURTH ESTATE      (7G) 58.0 100   Colin Scott

15 BROOKS-CLUB        (6G) 58.0  99 B Mike Azzie

20 SAIL SOUTH         (4G) 58.0  97   Brett Crawford

18 MOUNTAIN MASTER    (4G) 58.0  96 B Mike Bass

27 TIPO TINTO (AUS)   (6G) 58.0  96 B Gavin van Zyl

12 KING OF TORTS      (5G) 58.0  95 B Duncan Howells

14 TIGER TIGER        (5G) 58.0  95   Paul Reeves

17 ZE KAISER          (5G) 58.0  95 B Mike Bass

16 ROYAL ZULU GUARD ( (5G) 58.0  90   Duncan Howells

9 KINGVOLDT          (3C) 56.0 111   Joey Ramsden

31 FOREST FOX         (3G) 56.0 102   Paul Peter

6 ANJAAL (AUS)       (3C) 56.0  95 B Mike de Kock

23 JET AGLOW          (5M) 55.5 105   Dennis Drier

15 EUPHORIA           (5M) 55.5  95   Johan Janse van Vuuren (Scratched)

21 ONE FINE DAY       (3F) 53.5 100   Mike de Kock

(31)

Please Note:

  • Declarations closes @ 11:00 on Tuesday, 28 April 2015
king of pain nh new

Huge entry for 1900

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Stables from Gauteng and the Cape are responsible for nearly two-thirds of the 40 entries with more than half of the horses nominated carrying merit ratings of 100 and more.

King Of Pain (pictured) from the Joey Ramsden stable, that ran second to Futura in the Beach Beauty Champions Cup at Greyville last season, is the highest-rated entry on 114 with the stable also entering Disco Al and The Conglomerate that each carry a rating of 100.

Dean Kannemeyer’s five entries are headed by the four-year-old Power King and Champion Trainer Justin Snaith has also nominated five horses headed by Jet Explorer that has recovered fully from the serious injury he received to his jaw last season.

Ertijaal, winner of the Investec Cape Derby, heads the three-horse entry from the Mike de Kock yard with Halve The Deficit topping the trio from the stable of Sean Tarry.

Harry’s Son, Run Rhino Run and Double Clutch have been entered by Paul Lafferty with Gavin van Zyl nominating No Worries and MLjet.

Supplementary entries and weights will be declared on Thursday, April 30 with final acceptances a week later on May 7.

NO HORSE               A/S WGT  M/R   TRAINER

34 KING OF PAIN       (5G) 60.0 114 B Joey Ramsden

25 HOT TICKET         (5G) 60.0 112 B Dean Kannemeyer

36 HALVE THE DEFICIT  (6G) 60.0 111   Sean Tarry

40 NO WORRIES         (5G) 60.0 111 B Gavin van Zyl

3 HELDERBERG BLUE    (4G) 60.0 110   Mike Bass

33 HARRY’S SON (AUS)  (3C) 58.0 113   Paul Lafferty

10 JET EXPLORER       (6G) 58.0 109   Justin Snaith

8 KILLUA CASTLE (AUS (5G) 58.0 109 B Geoff Woodruff

12 WHITELINE FEVER    (6G) 58.0 107   Sean Tarry

17 POWER KING         (4G) 58.0 106 B Dean Kannemeyer

32 PUNTA ARENAS       (6G) 58.0 106   Stan Elley

30 ERTIJAAL (AUS)     (3C) 56.0 107   Mike de Kock

1 BOLD INSPIRATION   (4G) 56.0 104 B Charles Laird

20 CAGIVA             (5G) 56.0 103   Sean Tarry

11 SKABADELL           (5G) 56.0 103   Kumaran Naidoo

4 ARION              (4C) 56.0 101   Justin Snaith

35 THE HANGMAN        (5G) 56.0 101   Sean Tarry

28 CANDY MOON         (5G) 56.0 100   Paul Gadsby

31 DISCO AL           (5G) 56.0 100   Joey Ramsden

27 DYNAMIC            (5G) 56.0 100   Justin Snaith

18 ATHINA             (4F) 55.5 106   Joe Soma

21 MLJET              (3G) 54.0 102   Gavin van Zyl

13 JAYYED             (3C) 54.0 101   Mike de Kock

14 THE CONGLOMERATE ( (3C) 54.0 100   Joey Ramsden

5 BROOKS-CLUB        (6G) 54.0  99 B Mike Azzie

24 DOUBLE CLUTCH      (4G) 54.0  99   Paul Lafferty

9 DE KOCK            (4G) 54.0  98   Brett Crawford

19 DYNASTIC POWER     (4G) 54.0  98   Stan Elley

23 YER-MAAN           (6G) 54.0  98   St John Gray

7 IT IS WRITTEN      (4G) 54.0  96   Dean Kannemeyer

22 MOUNTAIN MASTER    (4G) 54.0  96 B Mike Bass

15 BALANCE SHEET      (3G) 52.0  94 B Dean Kannemeyer

29 KRAMBAMBULI        (3C) 52.0  94   Justin Snaith

2 SOLAR STAR         (4G) 52.0  94   Dean Kannemeyer

16 FRENCH REVOLUTION  (4C) 52.0  92   Justin Snaith

37 ASSEGAI            (4G) 52.0  91   Alistair Gordon

38 FORM UP            (4G) 52.0  91 B St John Gray

26 RUN RHINO RUN      (3G) 52.0  90   Paul Lafferty

39 RAKE’S CHESTNUT    (4G) 52.0  88 B Geoff Woodruff

6 SCOTSNOG           (3C) 52.0  87   Mike de Kock

(40)

Please Note:

  • Supplementary Entries & Weights closes @ 11:00 on Thursday, 30 April 2015
  • Declarations closes @ 11:00 on Thursday, 7 May 2015

 

Ertijaal supplemented for KRA Guineas

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Trained by Mike de Kock, who will be in America where he runs his UAE Derby winner Mubtaahij in the famous Kentucky Derby, the Hard Spun colt disappointed in the SA Classic after being bumped but he has shown his class and could face the likes of Act Of War and Harry’s Son in the KRA Guineas if they stand their ground.

The KRA Guineas will be one of the major events at the Independent On Saturday raceday with the Grade 3 KRA Fillies Guineas and the Independent on Saturday Drill Hall Stakes setting up a fantastic day to get Champions Season 2015 underway.

The Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes will hopefully see the Vodacom Durban July winner Legislate clash with the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and J&B Met winner Futura over the 1 400m trip. This famous race with a history dating back decades, is traditionally the warm-up event of the season for the visiting horses preparing for the bigger races coming up and is always an exciting event.

NO HORSE                  A/S WGT  M/R   TRAINER

16 ACT OF WAR         (3C) 60.0 117   Joey Ramsden

3 HARRY’S SON (AUS)  (3C) 60.0 113   Paul Lafferty

17 KINGVOLDT          (3C) 60.0 111   Joey Ramsden

1 UNPARALLELED       (3G) 60.0 108   Johan Janse van Vuuren

21 *ERTIJAAL (AUS)    (3C) 60.0 107   Mike de Kock

13 FOREST FOX         (3G) 60.0 102   Paul Peter

5 LIGHT THE LIGHTS   (3C) 60.0 102   Glen Kotzen

29 JAYYED             (3C) 60.0 101   Mike de Kock

15 THE CONGLOMERATE ( (3C) 60.0 100   Joey Ramsden

24 ILLUMINATI         (3G) 60.0  98   Weiho Marwing

28 HEARTLAND          (3C) 60.0  97   Justin Snaith

10 ISPHAN             (3G) 60.0  97 B Mike Azzie

22 AMAZING STRIKE     (3G) 60.0  96 B Alec Laird

8 ANJAAL (AUS)       (3C) 60.0  95 B Mike de Kock

19 EASY LOVER         (3C) 60.0  95   Duncan Howells

11 KISS ME HARDY      (3G) 60.0  94 B Corne Spies

4 KRAMBAMBULI        (3C) 60.0  94   Justin Snaith

12 ULTIMATE DOLLAR    (3G) 60.0  94   Justin Snaith

9 ARNISTON           (3G) 60.0  92   Justin Snaith

26 RUN RHINO RUN      (3G) 60.0  90   Paul Lafferty

25 STORMY ECLIPSE     (3G) 60.0  90   Charles Laird

2 MAC DE LAGO (AUS)  (3C) 60.0  86   Weiho Marwing

14 RAMPANT ICE        (3G) 60.0  86   Weiho Marwing

27 SARATOGA DANCER    (3G) 60.0  84   Duncan Howells

20 RIFF RAF           (3C) 60.0  79   Jeff Freedman

7 HUNTING OWL        (3G) 60.0  76   Duncan Howells

23 ALL THE BIDS       (3G) 60.0  62   Corne Spies

18 INARA              (3F) 57.5 110   Mike Bass

6 TROPHY WIFE        (3F) 57.5 103   Sean Tarry

(29)

Please Note:

  • Declarations closes @ 11:00 on Tuesday, 28 April 2015
Inara (Liesl King)

Inara tops KRA Fillies Guineas entries

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NO HORSE                  A/S WGT  M/R   TRAINER

3 INARA              (3F) 60.0 110   Mike Bass

11 SAME JURISDICTION  (3F) 60.0 108   Duncan Howells

16 RICH GIRL (AUS)    (3F) 60.0 104   Charles Laird

9 TROPHY WIFE        (3F) 60.0 103   Sean Tarry

17 ATAAB (AUS)        (3F) 60.0 101   Mike de Kock

10 ONE FINE DAY       (3F) 60.0 100   Mike de Kock

12 SENSIBLE LOVER (AU (3F) 60.0  99   Weiho Marwing

18 ROSIER             (3F) 60.0  98   Glen Kotzen

7 ALEXIS             (3F) 60.0  97   Brett Crawford

19 ALICE SPRINGS (AUS (3F) 60.0  95   Mike de Kock

5 REAL PRINCESS      (3F) 60.0  94   Dean Kannemeyer

20 BICHETTE           (3F) 60.0  92   Sean Tarry

2 SILVER CLASS       (3F) 60.0  92   Johan Janse van Vuuren

22 ZANTE              (3F) 60.0  92   Neil Bruss

4 CUVEE BRUT         (3F) 60.0  90   Brett Crawford

8 SEVENTH HEART      (3F) 60.0  88   Sean Tarry

6 FIRE DANCING       (3F) 60.0  85   Corne Spies

14 JO MALONE          (3F) 60.0  84   Corne Spies

13 CATHY SPECIFIC     (3F) 60.0  82   Glen Kotzen

15 SUPREME DYNASTY    (3F) 60.0  82   Dennis Drier

1 JUST LUCKY         (3F) 60.0  80   Duncan Howells

21 ONE WAY TICKET     (3F) 60.0  78   Glen Kotzen

(22)

Please Note:

Declarations closes @ 11:00 on Tuesday, 28 April 2015