The Andre Nel-trained Head Honcho began his transformation from average handicapper into a true Grade 1 class horse last season and the turning point was some advice given by Anton “Superman” Marcus.

Nel’s Summerveld assistant trainer Byron Foster said, “He always showed a lot of speed at home but Anton Marcus got off him after a 1600m event at Scottsville and said this horse needs ground. He hasn’t put a foot wrong since we have followed that advice.”

Marcus made that suggestion on Christmas Eve 2017 and since then the rangy Querari gelding has won six times in eight starts over distances from 1800m to 2200m. His stakes wins include the Listed Sledgehammer over 1800m, the Grade 3 Betting World 2200 and a highly impressive win in the Grade 2 WSB Premier Trophy over 1800m at Kenilworth.

Then he stepped up again when running a magnificent 0,95 length third from the front in the Sun Met, thus proving himself one of the best horses in the country.

The 122 merit rated five-year-old enjoyed a “nice break” after the Met and has been at Summerveld for about a month.

His chief SA Champions Season target will be the Vodacom Durban July and his build up into it will be via a Pinnacle Stakes race and the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge. 

Foster said, “He has improved beyond what we thought and must be some sort of runner in the July. If the same front-running tactics are adopted Greyville will suit him with its short run in.”

He has certainly proved his liking for Greyville before as both the Sledgehammer and the BW 2200 were on the Greyville turf.

Foster said Head Honcho was a sound and tough horse. He looks set for a good campaign. The yard are a bit thin on SA Champions Season horses besides Head Honcho.

Kampala Kampari will be aimed at the WSB 1900 and it will be taken from there.

They have some regard for three-year-old Vikram and Red Shift has been doing well. This pair may be aimed at the Listed Thukela on July day.

He mentioned Q The Music as a tough handicapper who would be targeted at a poly feature.

Silver Rose was deliberately targeted at the Highland Night Cup, which he won over 2400m at Scottsville on Sunday, as the yard realised some of the other Champions Season stayers would not be at their best for the race. However, it is now going to be harder for him with the others having come on and his merit rating having risen.

The four-year-old Var filly Evelina has been bought to KZN but Foster admitted this sprinter to 1400m sort would need to make a big step up.  The Poinsettia will be her starting point.

Foster said training at Summerveld had not been possible on Tuesday due to the rains but they had been able to use the poly yesterday (Wednesday).

By David Thiselton

Brett Crawford has had magnificent returns in the last two SA Champions Seasons, landing four Grade 1 wins in 2017 and three in 2018.

This season he has a small but powerful team at Summerveld and has a chance of adding to that record.

Undercover Agent was one of his stars last year and this year will be starting off in the Grade 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m, then running in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m and completing his campaign in the Grade 1 WSB Champions Cup over 1800m. He ran in the same three races last year and finished second, first and second respectively. He will have come into his own this season but the opposition is going to be stronger. 

Bold Respect landed the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint for Crawford last year but had to be scratched from the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint. He started last year in the Listed In Full Flight Stakes, which he won, but will avoid that race this year and go straight into the Tsogo Sun. Brett Crawford’s assistant trainer Peter Muscutt confirmed Bold Respect thrived in KZN. He said this horse did not quite see out the “stiff Kenilworth 1200m”, so he could do better than his fourth place finish in the Diadem last time out. He ran off a 111 merit rating when winning the Tsogo Sun by a cosy 1,75 lengths last year and is currently off a 113, so has every chance of defending his crown.

Sunset Eyes finished second in the I Full Flight last year and then third in the Tsogo Sun and fourth in the Mercury. This year he starts in the In Full Flight and then goes for the Tsogo Sun and the Grade 2 Post Merchants.

The yard have had one Grade 1 winner this season, the filly Front And Centre, who won the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas. Her Champions Season targets are the Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas, the Grade 2 Tibouchina over 1400m and the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m.

Princess Irene is also a useful three-year-old filly and won the Listed Ardmore Jamaica Handicap over 2000m in her last start in early January. Her first two Champions Season targets are the KRA Fillies Guineas and the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000. 

The yard’s talented Trippi colt Charles, who finished a narrow second in the Grade 1 GBETS Cape Derby last time out, will run in the Grade 2 KRA Guineas, the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and possibly the Vodacom Durban July.

The five-year-old Dynasty mare Sabina’s Dynasty made a fine debut for the yard on Sunday at Scottsville when running on strongly for second in the Listed Scarlet Lady over 1750m. She will be going for the Listed East Coast Cup over 2000m next and it will be taken from there. The connections were disappointed the former Paul Peter-trained mare didn’t get into the July last year as the winner of the Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes and as those partners remain in the syndicate, along with new partners Ridgemont Stud, the July is still a possibility, although she was not among the first entries.

Gimme One Night runs in the Listed Sledgehammer on Sunday and will then be aimed at the staying features. He finished fifth in the Grade 2 New Turf Carriers Stayers over 2800m on Sun Met day having previously landed a hattrick of wins from 2400m to 3200m, including the Grade 3 Cape Summer Stayers over 2500m and the Grade 3 Heineken Chairman’s Cup over 3200m.

The Eric Sands-trained Sun Met winner Rainbow Bridge is also staying in the Crawford yard for the Champions Season.

Muscutt believed his targets would be the Drill Hall, the Gold Challenge and the July.

Muscutt concluded by saying he was happy with all of the horses.

By David Thiselton

We are thrilled to announce that Track & Ball Gaming are again sponsoring this year’s Charity Turf Challenge which kicks off on “The Independent On Saturday” Drill Hall Stakes Day, Friday 3 May, and finishes on Saturday 27 July headlined by the Gr.3 eLan Gold Cup with a supporting cast of top races featuring four Gr.1 events.  

As you already know, the Charity Turf Challenge is an exciting competition that offers fans of the sport of horseracing a unique opportunity to test their skill – after all, racing is the “Intelligent Bet”!

So, what’s CHANGED this year?

• In these trying economic times, we’ve decided to “spread the love” with prize money (same quantum as in previous years) being paid out to 7^th place:
  • 1^st – R75 000
  • 2^nd – R25 000
  • 3^rd – R15 000
  • 4^th – R10 000
  • 5^th – R7 500
  • 6^th – R5 000
  • 7^th – R2 500
• The stand-alone prize for the entry that earns the most points on Vodacom Durban July Day will be pitched at R10 000
• An extra bonus race (worth 5 points to the winner): Gr.3 Track & Ball Derby on 22 June
• A new charitable beneficiary: Coastal Horse Care Unit

For those who are trying the competition for the first time, the aim of the Charity Turf Challenge is to select a team of 12 horses you feel are most likely to score points during the official period of the Champions Season. A list of all the Graded races will be provided and whilst the emphasis remains on these feature races run in KZN, ALL winners throughout the country will be eligible to earn points. Don’t forget Turffontein’s big day on 4 May counts, so make sure you pay attention to the big guns, especially those that are likely to feature in the KZN Champions Season as well.

The points breakdown can be found below:

Grade 1 Races: 

1st place              20 points

2nd place             14 points

3rd place              10 points

Grade 2 Races: 

1st place              14 points

2nd place             9 points

3rd place              6 points

Grade 3 Races: 

1st place              9 points

2nd place             5 points

3rd place              3 points

Listed Races:              

1st place              2 points

All other Races:         

1st place              1 point

Bonus Points: the following are eligible for 5 bonus points:

a) Bonus Races – the winners of the following races:

Gr.1 Tsogo Sun Sprint – 1200m (26 May at Scottsville Racecourse)

Gr.1 The Rising Sun Gold Challenge – 1600m (09 June at Greyville Racecourse)

Gr.3 Track & Ball Derby – 2400m (22 June at Scottsville Racecourse) ** NEW**

Gr.1 Vodacom Durban July – 2200m (07 July at Greyville Racecourse)

Gr.3 eLan Gold Cup – 3200m (27 July at Greyville Racecourse)

b) Long Shots – any winner whose official Tote win payout exceeds R15

Points will be scored on the FINAL result (all clear to pay) posted on SAFTOTE.

Racing South Africa, the competition host, will provide a list of horses that are thought to be campaigning in KZN during Champions Season. Only horses from this list are eligible. 

The final list of horses is expected to be available by Wednesday 17 April. To the best of its knowledge, Racing South Africa will attempt to keep players informed of horses that are NOT participating for whatever reason.

Additional INCENTIVES for racing enthusiasts:

• FREE BONUS entry for every 5 entries submitted for ONLINE users (sixth entry is free)
• Track & Ball Gaming, is offering ALL CTC entrants a betting credit worth R200 added to their next deposit (minimum deposit of R50) online. For more information about this promotion, please contact the Track And Ball team directly on: 031 314 1969 or email: onlinesupport@trackandball.co.za or visit the website: www.trackandball.co.za
• TabGold is again kindly sponsoring R10 000 worth of betting vouchers for the ever-popular weekly draw

Watch the press for more details!

Racing South Africa Team

E – ctc@racingsouthafrica.co.za

Mike de Kock successfully bid a recording-breaking R9 million on behalf of Shadwell South Africa for a Silvano colt on Day 1 of the National Yearling Sale in Germiston.

The colt, called Masaki, is out of the mare Quickwood and was bred by the Wilgerbosdrift Stud of Mary Slack.

The R9 million is easily the highest price paid for a thoroughbred racehorse at auction in South Africa and came as something of a surprise with the second last lot of the day.

Shadwell is the racing operation of Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum of Dubai, the De Kock stable’s most prominent owner and a long-time supporter of South Africa’s breeding and racing industries.

The underbidder was expat South African trainer Tony Millard, shopping for clients in Hong Kong, where he has been based for decades.

A hush fell over the Thoroughbred Breeders Association auction amphitheatre as Millard and De Kock battled it out, with auctioneer Graeme Hawkins calling the escalating bids by the half-millions. Hawkins gave Millard plenty of time to up his final offer, but finally brought down his gavel to set off loud applause.

De Kock was also the bidder for the day’s second most expensive lot, which went for R4.4 million. This was the Captain Al colt Vasco Da Gama, also bought on behalf of Shadwell. The strapping bay is a full brother to well-performed Captain Splendid and was bred by Varsfontein Stud.

The third highest price on the first day of South Africa’s premier sale was R4.3 million, paid by the Form Bloodstock agency for filly Kim Soo, consigned by Drakenstein Stud and by the recently deceased champion stallion Dynasty.

A half-brother to star filly Blossom was sold for R4.2 million. The colt from Mauritzfontein Stud – named Ficksburg and by Querari out of Triple Tiara champion Cherry On The Top – was signed for by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

That sale came hot on the heels of a R2.2 million sale of a full brother of former Horse of the Year Legislate. Bred by Cheveley Stud, the unnamed colt is by Dynasty and is out of the mare Champers. He was released by prominent owner Nic Jonsson.

After a slow start and a morning of solid, if unspectacular, bidding, the action picked up in earnest after lunch and the rash of multi-million lots whipped up excitement at the Thoroughbred Breeders Association sales centre.

Another highlight was the R2 million paid by Bjorn Nielsen for a Silvano filly consigned by Klawervlei. Seven other yearlings topped the R1 million mark and included purchases by Shadwell, Bass Racing and leading bloodstock agent John Freeman.

Jonsson was also the successful bidder for an unnamed daughter of Dynasty out of the brilliant race-mare All Is Secret. She fetched R900,000 for Klawervlei.

– BSA

Gavin Lerena’s retainer by Mauritzfontein and Wilgerbosdrift Studs means the ride on Hawwaam will likely be available to another lucky jockey in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge on May 4 at Turffontein as he is probably going to have to ride Cascapedia.

Lerena has just come off a seven day suspension last week and faces two more suspensions, but depending on how his appeals go and his success rate over the next few weeks, he might still chase the National Jockey Championship title.

He said, “I have a lot of ground to make up but if I am in contention I will definitely go for it.”

He has ridden 126 winners to date at a strike rate of 26,20% and is 27 winners behind leader Muzi Yeni.

Lerena felt the interference caused by Hawwaam to Approach Control at the 200m mark in the Grade 1 SA Classic was “nothing serious”, so did not feel it necessary to attend the enquiry. Therefore, he was surprised to receive a seven day suspension. Hawwaam shifted in slightly when powering past Approach Control and jockey Craig Zackey appeared to stop riding for a stride. However, Lerena is hoping the enquiry is re-opened so he can state his case.

Lerena will be appealing against a ten day suspension he received for his ride on Cascapedia in the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein on March 2. The big mare finished a narrow second, but Lerena was charged with failing “to ensure that she did not cause interference to other runners shortly before the finish line.”

Lerena will be travelling to KZN to ride in the big SA Champions Season races and will monitor the National Jockey Championship log before deciding whether to give it a full go in the last two months.

He was full of praise for the Silvano colt Hawwaam and confirmed he was one of the best he had ever ridden.

He said, “He makes it up so quickly, it feels as if he is not even touching the ground. If he can just learn to relax like he did in the SA Classic nothing will beat him.”

He is not sure yet whether Hawwaam will be running in the big one, the Vodacom Durban July, and said if he was not going to line up he would like to be on Rainbow Bridge.

Lerena has won the SA Championship once, in the 2014/2015 season, and he turned an intriguing tussle that year with S’Manga Khumalo into a one horse race when riding a record 42 winners in the month of June. So if he does decide to chase the title the frontrunners will have reason to feel a bit nervous. 

The current WSB odds for the title race are: Hewitson13/10; Yeni16/10; Marcus7/2; Lerena15/4; Fourie 150/1; Kennedy175/1; Munger330/1; Cheyne350/1.

By David Thiselton

Muzi Yeni’s hard work has paid dividends and he extended his lead in the National Jockeys Championships last week but he said his biggest challenge going into the final three months would be landing quality rides.

In an intriguing struggle Yeni is currently on 153 winners, reigning champion Lyle Hewitson is on 149, four-time champion Anton Marcus is on 146 and once champion Gavin Lerena is on 126.  

Yeni said, “The Championship is going to boil down to support and I am struggling to get quality rides. I am not getting the first two choices of ride I am phoning for, even in Kimberley, and am having to settle for third best.”

Yeni has recently added stand alone Cape Town meetings to his schedule so is now riding in all five centres and is literally race-riding seven days a week.

Hewitson rides in three centres, Gauteng, KZN and Port Elizabeth, but has the support of two powerful yards, Sean Tarry in Gauteng and KZN and Yvette Bremner in PE.

Anton Marcus is retained by Ridgemont Stud, whose horses chiefly run in Cape Town, and he otherwise freelances. He is highly sought after and has first choice of ride in many races in KZN. He is riding to a phenomenal strike rate of 29,98% strike rate as opposed to Yeni’s 11.93% and Hewitson’s 14,86%.

Lerena is riding to a 26,20% strike rate and could become a contender if deciding to chase the title.

On top of Yeni’s busy race-riding schedule he is also known, alongside Hewitson, as probably the hardest working jockey at track in the mornings.

He work rides on all the mornings when not travelling.

Yeni books his own rides except for Durban and Cape Town which are covered by his agent Ray Curling. 

He enjoys good support from Robbie Sage in Gauteng, Gavin Smith in PE and Corrie Lensley in Kimberley.

He admitted his schedule impacts heavily on the quality of his family life.

However, winning the championship could open new doors and help him realise his dream of riding in places like Hong Kong and Singapore.

He feels he is riding well at the moment but added, “There is always room for improvement.”

Yeni has not booked a Vodacom Durban July ride yet but is riding the Weiho Marwing-trained Samurai Warrior in the Grade 2 KRA Guineas on SA Champions Season opening night, Friday May 3.

Samurai Warrior gets automatic entry into the July as the winner of the SA Derby.

Yeni will continue to chase the championship and gave himself a shout of hanging on to his lead. 

He concluded, “If I get beaten I know I will have given it my best effort.”

By David Thiselton

Anton Marcus, who took over on One World when stable jockey M.J. Byleveld was out injured, keeps the ride on the Vaughan Marshall star in the Winter Guineas at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Marcus has won three out of four on the Captain Al colt, including the valuable CTS 1600, and Saturday’s Grade 3 looks at his mercy as his mount is rated 8kg better than next-highest Herodotus who receives only 2kg – as does Vardy who was beaten nearly four lengths in the R5 million Met-day race.

Twist Of Fate, who was a length and a half second in that mile and would have been a kilo better, runs instead in the KZN Guineas on Friday week. Joey Ramsden, confirming this yesterday, pointed out that his colt was drawn particularly wide (15 out of 16) in the Kenilworth race. In the Greyville Grade 2 he is drawn one.

One World is now as short as 11-20 with World Sports Betting which makes Vardy second favourite at 5-1 and goes 7-1 Herodotus, 8-1 Majestic Mozart, 12-1 Russet Air, 14-1 Fabian, 16-1 Clouded Hill. The field of seven is the smallest the Winter Guineas has seen for at least 18 years.

Marcus, who has won three of the last seven runnings, rides in seven of the eight races on Saturday and four of his mounts are for his Ridgemont retainer. Other notable visitors include dual champion S’Manga Khumalo (three rides including Herodotus) and Randall Simons whose six mounts are all for Candice Bass-Robinson.

By Michael Clower

Mary Moon has drifted from 7-2 to 9-2 and at this price she appeals for the Tellytrack.com Maiden at Kenilworth tomorrow.

The Glen Kotzen filly has made the frame in the last two of her four starts and, although she has two lengths to find with Silvery Heights and stable companion Je Ne Sais Quoi on the most recent of them, there are grounds for thinking she can do it. Not least of these is that Bernard Fayd’Herbe rides her for the first time.

But there is more – “She has run well at Durbanville but she will be suited by the longer run-in at Kenilworth,” points out her trainer who is also expecting a good run from Je Ne Sais Quoi. It is surprising to see this one joint favourite (at 33-10) considering she has been as expensive to follow as a millionairess in a diamond emporium. Furthermore she flopped here three weeks ago.

“She broke through the pens that day and sometimes when that happens all the adrenalin goes and they run flat,” explains Kotzen who scratched six of his runners at Durbanville last Saturday, giving rise to fears (among punters at least) that there could be a bug going through the stable. “It is viral related,” Kotzen confirms. “But it is mainly the two-year-olds who are affected and the best thing is to rest them.”

Joint favourite Silvery Heights is half a kilo top-rated, has been beaten little more than a length in total on her last two starts and seems sure to get into the shake-up again. Indeed the race looks to be between the top three.

Outoftheordinary made a big improvement when reverting to 1 200m on his last start two months ago and is rated 3.5kg clear of those who have been given a mark (the top five) in the Play Soccer 6 Maiden. His chance is obvious, he has been backed from 4-1 to 5-2 and is a confident selection. The Brett Crawford Jackson newcomer Khopesh opened 3-1 favourite with World Sports Betting but has drifted out to 4-1while The Last Supper now heads the market at 18-10.

Destin (7-2) is weighted to confirm last time’s Durbanville placings with 22-10 favourite Crome Yellow in the Tabonline Handicap, particularly as he had to overcome a bad draw that day. However Crome Yellow was unlucky not to win – he finished like the proverbial train, making up six lengths in the final furlong – and should make amends here.

The opening two-year-old maiden is a tricky-looking affair but maybe Savvy will improve enough to get the better of form horse Lasata.

By Michael Clower