I once read somewhere that your first winner as a racehorse owner is up there with war and sex. I don’t think either was on the mind of Lady Colleen Glaeser as she dropped the lead rope like a hot potato after Amor Ardiente entered the winner’s circle at Scottsville – not necessary out of excitement. “I’m terrified of horses!”

Belinda Impey’s 25-1 shot was met by a few mutterings from punters as the son of Antonious Pius out-pointed favourite Drauglin in his maiden triumph but it was a win full of merit. Visiting rider Gunter Wrogemann was also impressed. “He’ll easily get eight to 10 furlongs,” he surmised.

Amor Ardiente (Candiese Marnewick)

Amor Ardiente has since won again and a third is on the cards when he starts in the sixth at Greyville this evening. This is a Graduation Handicap and he gives weight all around but he was touched off a hair‘s breadth over the Greyville mile last time out as Sherman Brown takes over from Sean Veale who has ‘relocated’ to Cape Town for the season to ride for his boss Dennis Drier.

The Cape summer season is still in its infancy but Dean Kannemeyer will have his eyes on some of the lucrative pickings on offer in his home town. However, his KZN-based string is starting to fire after a hiatus of a couple of months for compulsory AHS vaccinations. He saddles Stealth Admiral and Rumbleinthejungle in the opening leg of the Pick 6, both in with chances, but both may have to take a back seat. Gareth van Zyl has been a model student and learnt well from his father Gavin. Zigi Zagi Zugu was probably named after a night on the town but could have the measure of the Kannemeyer pair after two forward showings.

Kannemeyer has Miss Smarty Pants lined up in the fourth. She had excellent Cape Town form before arriving in KZN, the thinking probably that she would be out of her depth during the Cape summer but competitive in KZN.

Mention second box to Duncan Howells and you will get short thrift – he’s not a red-head for nothing! Little Audrey has been responsible for three of his 26 second placings this term but will be in short order for the Gold Circle Podcast Maiden where she has amble back-up in stable companion Holy Flame should she be found wanting once again.

Argenteus is a weak 3-1 favourite for the seventh, a tricky handicap over a mile, but Andre Nel’s mare is in mustard form and been close-up at her last two. Her last two wins were on the poly so she should have a bright chance again.

Dunzie has been another Howells headache, runner-up in her last three but in good form since being raced in blinkers. Craig Zackey went down narrowly over course and distance at their penultimate start and a repeat could see her home in another difficult handicap where a number of runners are in with winning chances.

By Andrew Harrison

The Tobie Spies-trained Grade 1-winning sprinter Van Halen is in Cape Town together with the speedy filly Miss Khalifa and an unraced maiden.

Van Halen’s first target is the Cape Merchants and his main aim is the US$500,000 CTS 1200. Considering the way he settled in his last race the yard are considering the Cape Guineas for him and if he does go for that race and runs well the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate might also be an option.

Miss Khalifa also qualifies for the CTS 1200 and will be coming out the week after the Merchants in a sprint handicap. She will be kept to sprints having not appeared to stay the 1400m in the Golden Slipper on Vodacom Durban July day. She then ran a fair fifth in the Debutante on Gold Cup day.

The trio are being trained out of Milnerton at present and the yard are very happy with their well being.

They hope to expand the string to ten by the end of November and have ambitions to open a satellite yard in Cape Town.

By David Thiselton

Featured Image: Van Halen (Candiese Marnewick)

The unbeaten Rainbow Bridge is as short as 5-10 for the Cape Mile at Kenilworth on Sunday. “He is entitled to be that price,” said Eric Sands yesterday, reporting that Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount is in good order.

Cape Derby winner Eyes Wide Open, having his first race for over three months, is second favourite at 8-1 with World Sports Betting which goes 9-1 the Justin Snaith pair Fifty Cents and Silver Maple (cut from 12-1), 12-1 Rocket Countdown, 16-1 Copper Force, 20-1 and upwards others.

In the Laisserfaire Stakes Magical Wonderland has hardened from 3-1 to 28-10 with Too Phat To Fly next on 6-1, Casual Diamond and Elusive Heart on 15-2 with 9-1 about Call To Account and Freedom Charter.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: Rainbow Bridge (Liesl King)

A succession of maidens and lowly handicaps all with big fields, will not make life easy for punters at the Vaal today. That said, if one manages to successful negotiate the maze, it should prove a profitable afternoon

All the races are down the straight barring the Sonal Jackpot Special, sixth race on the card, An MR 66 Handicap over 2200m.

After starting his career on a winning note, Mutrib looked to be something special and given his blue-blood pedigree there were no doubt thoughts of a stud career for the son of Street Cry.

But after a succession of disappointing performance, Mike de Kock resorted to the vet and Mutrib was gelded after his three-year-old career.

Mutrib (JC Photographics)

He has had two outings this term, where he showed good pace before fading late but should be cherry-ripe for this event although, like all the races on the card, the list of possible winners is a long one.

Wonderous Climber was an expensive yearly buy but a long way from recouping his sales price. However, Sean Tarry’s gelding has shown improved form since returning from a break and looks a likely threat along with Cardiff Castle who make marked improvement when tried in blinkers and who also boasts some useful form over ground.

In the opening leg of the Pick 6, Favourite Model has been struggling to shed her maiden but has never been far back. Piere Strydom stays with Paul Matchett’s filly after coming from the clouds to run second last time out and a win should not be long in coming.

Johan Janse van Vuuren has been cleaning up in KZN and What A Thrill, much improved at her second outing over course and distance, could prove the main threat.

Janse van Vuuren also saddles Torio Lake in the fifth. The gelding had patchy form last season but after a lengthy break appears to be finding his feet. This will be his third start this term and he improved nicely second up from the break. He is well suited to this trip and Gavin Lerena stays aboard.

Roman Flight lost his way after shedding his maiden but made sudden improvement at long odds last start. The Azzie team may now have got to the bottom of his problems and along with Sovereign Rein and Judd’s Rocket should be worth including in all exotic bets.

In the seventh, there were a number of runners that were in action last Thursday so it would be advisable to check the card changes before structuring your bets. Seventh Rule was one who was a beaten favourite last Thursday, finishing close-up to The Tin Man but he has been knocking at the door for some time now. Quattro was another narrowly beaten on Thursday and is never far back. He too should be right there again. After winning his penultimate start, Pius Oil disappointed with the blinkers removed when five lengths behind The Tin Man. The blinkers are back on here and he can make amends. The filly Promise has improved at recent outings and was a touch unlucky last run at Greyville. If she can repeat that effort, she too is in with a shout.

The numbers will have been stacking up before the eight but Elusive Butterfly and Hafla could help to cut costs in the eighth.

Lucky Houdalakis has been relatively quiet in recent months but Elusive Butterfly won her first two before returning from a break in an assessment plate where she caught the eye behind the smart Redberry Lane. She should make good improvement on that showing. Hafla is down in class and has been showing good form in stronger company while the lightly raced Western Dance, like Elusive Butterfly, warmed up in the same assessment plate and she too shows some promise.

In the final leg of the Pick 6 there should not be much between Fortuna Doro, Gold Scent and Durban Bourbon who all met last time out. Fortuna Doro showed good pace in that race and was only caught late. Gold Scent is improving all the while, while Durban Bourbon is lightly raced and was possibly in need of her last outing. Another to consider is Shezahotti who has been consistent and Strydom stays with the ride.

It’s a seriously difficult card but the rewards will be sweet.

By Andrew Harrison

There are to be further experimental no-whip races following last Saturday’s well-received trial at Turffontein and, while it may be quite some months down the road, there seems little doubt that whip use in South African racing is going to be restricted to a greater degree than it is at the moment.

Acting NHA chief executive Arnold Hyde said yesterday: “There is a likelihood of there being more of these races and there will be one in Central Province in the next couple of months. A date has to be decided and we also need to consider the restrictions relating to these cropless races, eg are we going to have an identical sort of race (to the one at Turffontein), are we going to allow jockeys to carry a crop but not use it, etc.”

Apparently the Charity Mile day no-whip race, the first of its kind in South Africa, was rather more than just an experiment to see whether racehorses would run, and keep straight, without the threat of a stick.

Hyde explained: “The race was a statement that needed to be made because our industry is under pressure – we need to attract a new audience – and there is a perception that this (whip use) is an area of racing that may be seen in a negative light by people outside the industry. Therefore we wanted to press home the need for the stakeholders to seriously consider the road that we have to adopt regarding the future of crop use.”

The race made an impact far beyond the relatively narrow confines of this country. Stipes in Australia, despite their recent days being dominated by events in Melbourne, took time out to contact Hyde and congratulate him. The Turffontein race, and the lessons to be learnt from it, will now be discussed at next month’s meeting of the NHA’s Harmonisation of the Racing Rules Committee.

Phumelela boss Clyde Basel also sees long term implications from Saturday and said: “It was very well received and proved a great idea. Who knows what could happen with it? There might be a series of races that could be considered. It is something we would like to take forward into the future although obviously it is all guided through the NHA.”

Training legend Mike de Kock, who trained the winner – first-timer Hawwaam, seemed much in favour when interviewed by Deez Dyanand and said: “They are better off without sticks. More of them get beaten with them than they would without them.

“A horse like this one never had a stick at home and there was no point in him having a stick here. When the horse shifted in Randall Simons (if carrying his whip in right hand) would have hit him. The horse would have then shifted out so Randall would have changed his stick and hit him again.”

By coincidence Hawwaam is owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum who for many years sponsored a series of apprentice races in Ireland in which the riders were not allowed to carry whips.

In tabonline’s pre-race strawpoll of the jockeys taking part only Raymond Danielson of the five questioned came out in favour of riding without a whip – “I’m all for it. I don’t really use the stick that much in races anyway. I find I’m a better rider with the hands.”

Nobody asked the horses but you don’t have to be an equine psychologist to conclude that they would no more vote in favour of the whip than turkeys would vote for Christmas. Seemingly, though, the pressure of public opinion is going to come to their assistance.

By Michael Clower

Sunday’s Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale proved a solid success, with prices remaining competitive throughout the one day auction.

Five lots made R500 000 plus on Sunday, with the superbly bred Trippi colt Hurricane Harry (Lot 85) making the top price, when knocked down to prominent owner Nick Jonnsson. Consigned by Summerhill Sales (Agent), Hurricane Harry made a very healthy R2 300 000, which was a most encouraging result for all concerned –especially given the tenuous start of the current market.

Lot 85 Hurricane Harry (Candiese Marnewick)

Sunday’s sales’ topper was produced by the winning Fard mare Jordie, with Hurricane Harry’s three winning siblings include new Summerhill Stud stallion Rabada, whose victories include the 2015 Premiers Champion Stakes and 2016 Daily News 2000. Jordie is also dam of the very useful Glider Pilot and River Tyne, a stakes placed winner of four who ran third in the Listed Lady’s Slipper Stakes.

Star filly Takingthepeace’s Duke Of Marmalade half-brother, The Sandwich Man (Lot 91), was sold to Fortune Racing for a R1 000 000, with the Captain Al colt Captain Carmel (Lot 101) also making a million when knocked down to the bid of Form Bloodstock’s Jehan Malherbe.

Top priced filly was the beautifully bred Dynasty daughter Tel Aviv (Lot 21), who was consigned by Patterson Racing (Agent). That filly, who made R550 000, is from the same family as international G1 winning half-brothers Ectot and Most Improved, and she was snapped up by Form Bloodstock.

The now Lammerskraal Stud based Visionaire was the Leading Sire by Aggregate, with the G1 winning son of Grand Slam responsible for 30 lots who grossed R4.15 million.
Summerhill Sales, once again, lead the Vendors List, selling 59 juveniles for a gross total of R11.23 million, while Nick Jonsson topped the Leading Buyers List, acquiring four lots for R3.1 million.

Overall, 89 of the 104 lots to come forward (seven were withdrawn) were sold for an aggregate of R16 715 000, with the Ready To Run Sale achieving the respectable average of R187 809. Pleasingly just 15 lots failed to find a home, with the clearance rate standing up to similar results achieved at BSA sales this year.

Bloodstock South Africa’s Gary Grant said off the sale, “It was a resounding success whose performance exceeded our expectations by some way. Thank you yet again to our vendors for their support of BSA and to all buyers for the resilience and custom. We are also seeing a trend of increased participation from foreign buyers which is heartwarming for both our vendors and BSA.”

A full list of prices for the 2018 Ready To Run Sale can be viewed live at www.bsa.co.za

Images: Sales topper Lot 85 Hurricane Harry

Dan Katz has issued a heart-felt plea to the authorities to change the terms of some of the staying races in the Cape summer season.

He said: “There are three races in Cape Town for stayers leading up to the big one, the Western Cape Stayers on Met day, yet all three – Woolavington, Cape Summer Stayers and Chairman’s Cup – are handicaps.

“The best horses should be running in these features and the public want to see them but you can’t continually pitch your good horses into them with huge weights, and nor should they be weighted out like this.

“The handicapper has given Let It Rain 64.5kg in the Woolavington on Sunday but I have to run the horse because I need to get races into him and, in any case, the next staying race is also handicap. They should seriously think about adjusting the conditions along the lines of a Pinnacle and then the best horses might not have to give away quite so much.”

Katz had his biggest success so far when Let It Rain won the Grade 2 Heineken Cape Stayers in January. Since then the six-year-old has travelled the country. He went to Ashley Fortune to win the second of his three races in Johannesburg before going to Durban for the Gold Vase and the Gold Cup. He returned to Katz at the beginning of August.

Greg Cheyne rides this time but no horse has won the race with more than 62kg this century. Dean Kannemeyer has the best record and relies upon Meryl (Keagan de Melo) as he bids for his eighth Woolavington.

By Michael Clower

Mushi Sterek went straight onto the Fillies Guineas shortlist of many Kenilworth punters when she burst onto the racing scene like a certain future star in Saturday’s Royal Horse Maiden. But seemingly we are all going to have wait a good 12 months before the Australian-bred gets the chance to unleash her real potential.

Brett Crawford

Brett Crawford explained: “She has a very soft mouth, it is difficult to restrain her and putting her round the turn is going to be difficult. It has taken a lot of time to get this far. Obviously she has a lot of scope but we need to plan carefully and go slowly with her. At this stage we have to look after her rather than chase the better races. I think we will get her there eventually but it will be next season rather than this one.”

Anton Marcus rode her with kid gloves. For much of the 1 200m he sat with his hands resting on the filly’s withers, and with the lightest possible hold on her mouth, as she cruised along in the lead. Approaching the furlong marker he asked her to stretch and it was if he had pressed the turbocharger. She produced the sort of acceleration that most jockeys (and trainers) usually only see in their dreams. Even the official five-length margin considerably understates her superiority.

Marcus said: “I have probably never in my life ridden a horse with such a sensitive mouth but I’d been on her back twice before so I knew she had some kind of ability. She is not the easiest to work with but she is really exciting.”

The winner looks well bought by the Kieswetters’ Ridgemont operation at A$180,000 (R1.85 million at current exchange rates) at last year’s Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale but also make a note of Vardy who made a winning debut under Aldo Domeyer 40 minutes later. The Var gelding started at a little-considered 11-1 but he was impressive.

“He had shown us a lot of ability at home –whatever I worked him with he simply cruised next to them. But he was all legs and what he showed here was just raw ability,” said Adam Marcus who, typically, intends taking it slowly via the easiest possible route.

Remarkably, and unusually, the third maiden was also won by a first-timer, the Fosters’ homebred Belgarion and the Snaith team followed up with Captainofthesea in the last.

Mike Robinson celebrated his 47^th birthday by winning with his only runner- the Donovan Dillon-ridden Hemero – while the connections of Mr Lover Boy saw their seemingly endless patience rewarded when Shadley Fortune got up 30m out in the Drillco Handicap. It was only the six-year-old’s second win in 51 starts. Little wonder that he started almost unbacked at 28-1.

By Michael Clower

Rainbow Bridge will bid to extend his unbeaten record to five in the R150 000 Cape Mile at Kenilworth on Sunday. Eric Sands confirmed the gelding a runner at the weekend and said that Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who won the Matchem on the four-year-old last month, will again have the ride.

Rainbow Bridge (Liesl King)

Victory for the Met and Queen’s Plate hope would be an appropriate tribute to owner Chris Gerber whose death from malaria, contracted on a fishing trip to Tanzania, is such a loss to South Africa’s breeding and racing industries.

Richard Fourie, who rode Rainbow Bridge in his first three wins – including the Winter Guineas and the Winter Classic, resumes his partnership with the Glen Kotzen-trained Eyes Wide Open on whom he won last season’s Cape Derby.

Justin Snaith has booked Lyle Hewitson for Silver Maple and has also declared Copper Force who was ridden by the champion when a surprise second in the Queen’s Plate. Rocket Countdown, second in the Winter Guineas and Classic, runs for Candice Bass-Robinson who has also entered Horizon. However both Brave Move and the unbeaten Hashtagyolo will wait for easier pickings in the mile fillies Pinnacle on Thursday week.

Magical Wonderland has been installed 3-1 favourite for the Laisserfaire Stakes on the same card and Mrs Bass-Robinson has confirmed her a runner “even though they disgracefully gave her 64.5kg (a hefty 10st 2lb in old money).”

World Sports Betting has Too Phat To Fly (11-2) and Elusive Heart (7-1) next in the market. Both are trained by Kotzen who will also run 20-1 shot Ostinato and 50-1 chance Princess Vicky.

Snaith will also run four with Fourie on Casual Diamond (7-1), Hewitson on Township Melody (22-1), Robert Khathi riding 12-1 chance Angel’s Trumpet and Athandiwe Mgudlwa on 35-1 long shot The Boston Rose.

Wayne Kieswetter reports that last year’s Sun Met winner Whisky Baron has gone to his farm in Ireland for a break and that his Group 1 Pretty Polly winner Urban Fox has been retired. She visits Dubawi next year.

By Michael Clower

The scratching of the filly Mighty High (coughing) from the KZN Guineas Trial robbed the race of some of it’s gloss but that will not have bothered Gavin van Zyl as Stream Ahead took full advantage under Craig Zackey.

If the betting tells a story, the grey was not the stable elect, as the recently acquired Affranchi was sent out favourite. But there was a no-show from Affranchi as Stream Ahead took the shortest way home to collar Thanksgiving with White Lightning running a cracker in third.

An outside draw over the Greyville 1600m is tantamount to a death sentence unless one has luck in running but Mark Khan was hung out to dry on Thanksgiving with nothing giving way on his inside.

Stream Ahead (Anneke Akal Kitching)

Khan was eventually forced to go for broke, racing around his field and looking to pinch a winning lead in the straight. But there was no turkey to carve.

Zackey had the run of the race on Stream Ahead who slipped up on the inside rail and ran Thanksgiving down to win by a neck, the balance of the field well beaten.

Monte Christo has always been a classy individual but one plagued with problems. But Peter Muscutt, KZN assistant to Brett Crawford appears to have him sussed. Monte Christo jumps from barrier trial to barrier trial to a race, all to good effect.

He started favourite for the Pinnacle Stakes and Anton Marcus gave him a peach of a ride.

The filly On That Boulevard set quick early fractions but folded like a wet tea towel in the straight as Monte Christo closed in like an attacking shark.

It was only when Twice As Smart loomed up dangerous on his outside that Marcus asked the question and Monte Christo gave him the right answer as Twice As Smart was not able to make up the leeway.

With the Western Cape season starting to boil, Dean Kannemeyer will be focussing on home territory but his KZN operation is also starting to warm up. Banjo On My Knee didn’t give any obvious signs that 2400m would be his ideal trip but Keagan de Melo had no qualms as he sent his mount around the field for home climbing the hill and was never in danger of being caught by the luckless Belfry who had to settle for second once again. There were some quiet tears shed in the winner’s box as Banjo On My Knee was owned by Chris Gerber who died tragically earlier in the week.

Duncan Howells has had a frustrating season so far with a string of second placings but there was some salve to the wound as Buffalo Soldier finally got his act together to run out a fluent winner of the last.

By Andrew Harrison