David Thiselton

Gavin van Zyl conducted a barrier trial with five unraced two-year-olds before yesterday’s meeting and owing to the success of the excercise more trainers might follow suit in this initiative. Gold Circle went out of their way to accomodate the trial and even went as far as having saddle cloths with the runners’ names on them. Van Zyl said besides the trial allowing the public a chance to watch unraced horses it was also a very good part of a horse’s preparation for racing. It not only gives the  horses a view of the course but gives them experience of the starting stalls in a racing situation and also the experience of running against a number of other horses.

The five runners in draw order were Prince Of Tides (Duke Of Marmalade colt) ridden by Siphesihle Hlengwa, Quantifier (Querari colt) ridden by Calvin Habib, Golden Peace (Gold Standard gelding) ridden by Kyle Strydom, Copper View (Global View filly) ridden by Rachel Venniker and Wylie Riley (Wyle Hall gelding) ridden by Tristan Godden.
The males carried 58kg and the filly 56kg. The first performance which pleased Van Zyl was the horses’ behaviour at the start. They all loaded without any issues and jumped well. Copper View was the first to show but Wylie Riley was soon alongside her. Wylie Riley got to the line first still on a tight hold and Godden sitting motioneless.

Copper View was beaten narrowly but did require some encouragement. Golden Peace made eyecatching late progress. Quantifier weas narrowly behind the latter. Prince Of Tides was very green and at the back throughout. Van Zyl said, “It was a lovely trial. They all went into the pens beautifully. I thought that Copper View and Wylie Riley would fight it out. Quantifier and Golden Peace were close up, that was nice to see. Prince Of Tides needs a little bit more training. All in all I think it was a very, very nice excercise for these horses and nice to show the public what we do at home with these horses and how we try and train them. It was a lovely 1200m trial, nicely controlled and it will be nice to see what the jockeys’ comments are.”
Godden said about Wylie Riley, “He was very forward. He broke well and when he got in behind he lost it a little bit and dropped the bit. But that was fine, because halfway through he picked it up again and as soon as I pulled him out I didn’t even have to smack him, I just rode him out just to keep him focused.

Very foward and has a lovely action.” Van Zyl thinks a lot of Wylie Riley and thinks he will be a warm order first time out.
Venniker said about Copper View, “She is nice, lovely filly. NIce early toe but just up the straight she was a bit unsure of herself.” Strydom said about Golden Peace, “Nice gallop, jumped well, but when the other horse came around him he was still a bit green and put his ears back. He slowly picked it up in the straight and over ground I think he will be a nice horse.”   Habib said about Quantifier, “He has a lovely action, smart horse, he just feels like he will appreciate a little bit further and this trial will definitely bring him on.”

Hlengwa said about Prince Of Tides, “He came out the pens nicely but wasn’t sure what to do after that. But whan a horse came in front of him he went along with him and showed a nice action but I just had to keep him moving. I think he will need a bit further but he should improve a lot from this gallop.”   Loyal supporter of the yard Errol Budlender was there to watch his filly Copper View.  Errol has been in ownership for 30 years and owned such horses as Dance Every Dance (Northern Guest), who won such races as the Golden Slipper and Cape Fillies Guineas (both Grade 2s at the time), Rocketball, Blackball, Marchingontogether and he also had a share in Van Zyl’s first ever winner Laser Fan.

Andrew Harrison

Whether you have just a passing interest in horse racing, a died-in-the-wool racing fan or a DStv surfer who happens onto the channel, if you wanted to be educated on some of the intricacies of the sport, the first two races at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday will have enlightened most.

Richard Fourie is at the top of his game, whether it be in the saddle or holding a fishing rod, but it was in the saddle that he gave some insight into what race-riding entails.

It’s far from bang-bang and hope for the best as many losing punters seem to think. Tactics and knowing what’s under you in the race and what it is capable of puts F1 racing drivers into perspective. In contrast, F1 drivers have two hours, a bank of electronics, a race engineer and a band of actuaries to work out their strategy. They just have to keep on a mind-numbing merry-go-round. A jockey has a minute and some change to compute the same stats without help. Cricketer Hansie Cronje and coach Bob Woolmer tried an ear-piece in the 1999 World Cup before it was banned but I doubt that any jockey would appreciate a trainer bellowing in his ear in a race!

Enough of the lesson – cheek pieces and Fourie gave Senor Garcia the edge in the first. Wendy Whitehead explained post-race that first-time cheek pieces gave her somewhat nervous charge some confidence and Fourie, who had partnered the gelding at his previous outing, knew exactly what to expect and plan his race. The plan was to go to the front early and stay there.

Next up it was Fourie on Al Bugatti. He ‘did it all wrong’ but still won according to Fourie who made an early and ultimately winning move at the top of the straight on Vaughan Marshall’s gelding. According to Fourie he was on the wrong leg for much of the race but still managed to pull it off. Marshall made an interesting observation about the progeny of the stallion Coup De Grace. In his opinion they seem to do best on the poly and why he decided to bring the hitherto modestly performed Al Bugatti to KZN. One can hardly argue against a quick double.

The rain put a spanner in the works for Vaal-based Corne Spies who had plans for the washed-out meetings earlier in the week. But he elected stay on for the re-scheduled meetings but avoided the train station that is Summerveld for the quieter climbs of Ashburton. It paid dividends as his grey mare Snow Palace, not always the easiest but battle-hardened after 41 starts, got the better of exchanges with her two younger rivals, holding off strong challenges from Rotunda and Greengrowsthelilacs. “She loves Greyville,” commented Spies.

High Green has let his connections down on more times than they will care to remember and Gary Rich was of the opinion that he had got too ‘clever’. It was his last chance yesterday but as Rich pointed out when quizzed early yesterday morning High Green only had 48kg to carry. “Galabier should make the pace and if Keratile (Katjedi) can slot in behind we have a chance.”

Some of that must have radiated through to High Green as he put his best forward to narrowly hold Galabier in a battle to the line by the two front runners. It was High Green’s first success in over two years and the 6kg advantage played into the hands of Katjedi who rode perfectly to instructions.

Lowly merit rated handicaps almost always develop into a dog-fight but Winter’s Destiny finally managed to pull it through after a string of placed efforts after her maiden win. Keagan de Melo squeezed the tube to the last and Winter’s Destiny responded with a game victory and winning with something spare over Gimme A Lullaby and Casa Rosada, the proverbial ‘piece-of-paper’ separating the pair.

Michael Roberts has played a major role in apprentice Rachel Venniker’s road to what looks to be a certainty for the national apprentice championship, the first for a female rider in this country, and Venniker added another winner to her tally as she steered favourite Kileigh’s Fate to a comfortable win.

Dean Kannemeyer is full value for post-race interviews – at least he learnt one thing from his legendary father PK – but he can also turn them out as Mister Master Starter demolished his field for his second consecutive win. The gelding has a stayer’s pedigree and although he has been disappointing when tried over further, the impression gained yesterday is that he is still growing into his lanky frame. A mixture of speed and stamina is a lethal combination?

S’manga Khumalo played the waiting game on the Duncan Howells-trained Purple Operator in the last, tracking the pace into the straight before unleashing a powerful finish to put the race to bed to add to the Hollywood Syndicate chase for the national owner’s championship.

Watch the replays on www.goldcircle.co.za or www.tabgold.co.za

RACE 1: Preview: MON TRESOR (1) is the form choice and Joe Gwingwizha rides. SUPER SECRET (12) made a fair debut and can improve. NELLIE BLY (10) also still has scope for improvement. (David Thiselton 1-12-10) 

RACE 2: Preview: PARKER GETRIX (6) has decent form over this trip. ELECTRIC GOLD (16) made a fair debut and can improve over this trip. THE BRIEF (1) runs for the first time for a new yard and if recapturing his best form can feature. (David Thiselton 6-16-1)  

RACE 3: Preview: ON CUE (4) can follow up on her last win off a three point higher mark. DIVINE DYNASTY (11) should handle the drop back in trip and starts handicapping off a reasonable mark.  BENGUELA COVE (3) can go close of repeating her last start. TOTO (8) should have come on from her last run and should finish on top of Benguela Cove.  GODDESS OF LIGHT (6) loves this course and distance. (David Thiselton 4-11-3-8-6)  

RACE 4: Preview: SECRET IS OURS is drawn in pole over the trip of his last win and has found consistent form. TINDER DRY (11) has her easiest task over this suitable trip for a while and has a fair draw. NARTJE (2) has been disappointing but has dropped to a competitive mark and is well drawn over an ideal trip. (David Thiselton 10-11-2) 

RACE 5: Preview: BELLEVARDE (4) won comfortably in the maidens and starts off handicapping on a reasonable mark. SYBARIS (8) is talented and ideally distance suited. DEVILISH DANCER (12) is talented and looks to be coming into her own. BELLA ROSA (13) could be in the shake up again as she goes well for this apprentice. HALLOWEEN (11) also enjoys this trip and is capable of a strong finish. (David Thiselton 4-8-12-13-11)  

RACE 6: Preview: ULULATE (1) won in fine style last time and can handle a four point raise with a repeat. MISS ELEGANCE (3) has dropped to a competitive mark but needs to bounce back to form. IMBEWU (11) should enjoy the step up in trip now. ROUGE ALLURE (2) should be finishing strongly over this trip. BELLE OF BELIZE (8) goes for a hattrick over an ideal trip and can go close if low draws are not a disadvantage on the day. (David Thiselton 1-3-11-2-8) 

RACE 7: Preview: IRISH TRACTOR (2) went close last time over 1450m and should make another bold bid off the same mark. THEORY OF FLIGHT (4) has not been disgraced against fair sorts in his last three and having had a couple of points relief from the handicapper he could be a contender over an ideal trip. MARDI GRAS (1) is in good form and a 1.5kg claimer will alleviate his 63kg weight. NORDIC REBEL (7) is in fine form and is distance suited with Kennedy up. KAYLA’S CHAMP (3) is in form and distance suited and got three points for her win last time. (David Thiselton 2-4-1-7-3)   

RACE 8: Preview: JAVA HOUSE (18) is only half-a-kg under sufferance with the best weighted and has Kennedy up over a trip she should be comfortable over by now. CALL ME MASTER (7) just failed last time over 1600m and might find this a bit sharp but is consistent and could be a contender despite being 3.5kg under sufferance with the best weighted female. LITTLE RAIN (17) won with authority last time over this trip and is joint best-weighted. ELUSIVE WOMAN (5) enjoys this course and distance and is half-a-kilogram under sufferance with the best weighted. LAETITIA’S ANGEL (4) has run up a sequence of unplaced efforts but is capable and well weighted. (David Thiselton 18-7-17-5-4)  

RACE 9: Preview: TIRPITZ (3) is officially 3kg under sufferance with the best weighted female but he can rise above his current lowly merit rating of 73 having won easily after a rest and gelding and being by Silvano he should both be improving all the time and enjoy the step up in trip. BLOOMINGTON (2) is 2kg under sufferance with the best weighted female but won well last time and might have turned the corner. WRITTEN IN STONE (6) has the opportunity from a low draw to race on his own which is the way he likes it and if the inside draws are not disadvantageous on the day he should be an interesting contender although he is 3kg under sufferance with the best weighted female. FUNKY MUSIC (8) can never be ignored over this trip. TWICE AS WILD (10) could be in the shake up here with a 4kg claimer up. DUKE OF RAIN (1) is 2.5kg under sufferance with the best weighted female but is consistent and on the up, although this might be a touch on the sharp side. (David Thiselton 3-2-6-8-10-1)  

Andrew Harrison

Hollywoodbets Scottsville was drenched with nearly 100mm on Saturday and Sunday but not nearly as much as Hollywoodbets Greyville that recorded over 180mm into Sunday morning.

The Scottsville meeting was eventually abandoned and Monday’s scheduled meeting moved to the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville today where the combination of Dean Kannemeyer and stable jockey Keagan de Melo could hold sway. The trainer/jockey combination has blossomed over the past few months and the pair can look forward to a profitable afternoon.

They have four strong chances on the day, starting in the third where Greengrowthelilacs can get the ball rolling. She is no stranger to the synthetic surface, making her debut over 1400m and finishing with a rattle to run third.

She was a short price at her next start on the turf and duly obliged. After a fruitless spell in the Western Cape during the summer she was shipped up to the Highveld with a few of the Highveld features in mind, but it is notoriously difficult for runners from the Cape to acclimatise to the rarefied air of the Highveld and although showing up nicely in her time there it was  again without success. However, she did show promise early in her career and back on home ‘turf’ with a light weight a good draw and the stable in mustard form she could be the one to beat.

Peter Muscutt’s filly Rotunda, who incidentally races in the same silks as Greengrowthelilacs, is an obvious danger and has drawn in the next gate. She has been a beaten favourite at her last two but does go well on the poly and can make amends.

Top Me Up Holly, a narrow winner last start has a 4kg claimer up that will help her chances while Snow Palace is useful on her day. She is an old hand having her 42^nd start and the poly will suit.

With Pleasure is next up for the Kannemeyer – De Melo combination. The grey steps out for his new stable after taking on feature company on the Highveld and looks to be in the right race. If taking to the poly should make a winning debut for his new yard. Syx Hotfix has the best of the draw and has come good on the poly but has taken a 10-point jump in the ratings since shedding his maiden three runs back. He was running on well last start so cannot be ignored. Galabier has won his last two in good fashion but took a five-point hit in the handicap last run which could end his winning streak.

The fifth is a tricky handicap but Winter’s Destiny has been close-up in all three starts since her maiden win. She is back to a sprint here but that looks to be her right trip. Hatta is knocking at the door. She has a handy weight over the right course and distance.

Mister Master Starter took a six-point hit in the handicap for his end-to-end win first up on the poly but still looks to be under the handicapper’s radar and can go in again. an do it again. Sir Pom should start at long odds but ran a cracker from a wide draw last start. He drops in class here and has a useful apprentice up. Sikhulu won well over course and distance at his penultimate start and the line came just too soon when trying shorter last time out. He should have a bright chance over the extra furlong.

Apprentice Rachel Venniker is well clear of Kaiden Brewer in the race for the apprentice championship and she can add another winner to her tally on the Michael Roberts-trained Kileigh’s Fate. She goes well on the poly and was just outpaced late over shorter last time out but also found some interference in the running. She meets a weak field here and should make a bold bid. Scottadito is unreliable but smart on her day. She takes a big drop in class and Corne Spies has travelled her down from the Vaal. Red Rosa has been racing over further but has been consistent. She gets her regular apprentice up and from the best of the draw in a weak field, should be right there.

The last is a modest handicap field where anything can happen. Dispicable is a lightly raced gelding but has ability. The blinkers go on for the first time and he goes well on the poly which is in his favour. True Brit has put in two smart local efforts. He faces much weaker here and Spies can take home a double. Alfonsa Spagoni has a wide draw and has gone up in the handicap but blinkers and the poly track have brough out the best in Mark Dixon’s runner. Hippocrates is way better than his last run when taking on stronger and caught wide. Meets weaker here and has a better draw.

David Thiselton

The unfortunate scratching of Double Superlative from the Daily News 2000 and Hollywoodbets Durban July might have played into the hands of his Justin Snaith-trained stablemate Pomp And Power, who is a strong 9/10 and 5/1 favourite for the respective events with the July sponsor. 

Pomp And Power thus goes into the Daily News 2000 as the highest merit rated horse on 118 and without the 125 rated Double Superlative in the field there is less chance of him rising above the crucial 120 merit rating mark for the July.

As things stand a three-year-old male will only carry more than the minimum weight of 53kg for that age group and gender if rising above 120.

The handicappers use line horse methodology in SA and if they feel a horse does deserve to be given a certain rating they appear to feel duty bound to justify it by looking at the result on paper and finding a consistent horse over that distance to use as the line horse.

Therefore, if Pomp And Power wins on Saturday he will have to beat the line horse by a considerable margin to rise above a 120 rating, considering that over 2000m two merit rated points translates to one length.

If either Safe Passage (117) or Red Saxon (118) is made the line horse Pomp And Power would have to beat them by three lengths and two-and-a-half lengths respectively to rise to 121.

He would have to beat Waterberry Lane (115) as a line horse by four lengths.

He would have to beat any other line horse by a steeple chase margin considering the next highest rated horse in the race is on a 109.     

Pomp And Power is going to be hard to beat from pole position on Saturday under the best jockey in the country at present, Richard Fourie.

Fourie’s overall strike rate at present for the season is 18.23%.

However, his strike rate in Graded races, which is calculated through 18 wins in 56 rides, is 32.14%.

His Grade 1 strike rate calculated through 5 wins from 14 rides is 35.71%.

Pomp And Power also looks to have had one of the best preparations into the race as well as the best form.

He had a layoff of just over two months between his easy Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby victory over the Daily News distance of 2000m on February 26 at Kenilworth and his narrow WSB Guineas third on May 7. Therefore, he would not have been ring rusty in the latter race.

He showed that by racing a bit keenly and then coming back in the final stages after being overtaken for third place. He was doing eyecatching work late. 

In comparison Red Saxon comes off an unplaced run in the SA Derby on April 2, which followed his WSB SA Classic victory. It will not be ideal dropping down in trip.

SA Derby winner Aragosta also has to drop down in trip and comes off a taxing schedule in which he ran in all three legs of the WSB SA Triple Crown and had a race two weeks before the first leg too.

Safe Passage ran in the first two legs of the Triple Crown but was then scratched from the SA Derby due to a high temperature.

Senso Unico was staying on in eyecatching fashion in the WSB Guineas for a 4,25 length tenth in his first run after gelding. He had stayed on before that for a 6,25 length fourth to Pomp And Power in the Cape Derby. He did play up in the stalls that day and has likely improved but 6,25 lengths is nevertheless a big margin to reverse.

Waterberry Lane stayed on in the WSB Guineas without making any inroads and has his third run after a layoff and gelding but his best trip to date is 1400n and he needs to prove he stays. 

Super Excited looks held on 1400m to 1600m form by Waterberry Lane, Pomp And Power and Safe Passage and on middle distance form by Red Saxon and Safe Passage.

Hasta Manana looks held on 1400m to 1600m form by Waterberry Lane and Pomp And Power and by all of the Highveld raiders on 1800m form.

Beyondtheboundary has scope and should appreciate the step up in trip but having failed to win any of three handicap starts from 1600m up to 1900m off a 75 or 74 merit rating he has plenty to prove.    

It all points to Pomp And Power, who is by the boom sire Vercingetorix.