The first two-year-old race of the season was run over 800m and produced an interesting runner in the Charles Laird-trained More Than Ready filly Big Sugar. She was prohibited from running on Australia due to the loss of an eye and consequently became the first runner in South Africa for John Singleton, who owns Stawberry Hill Stud and at one stage was a large shareholder in the Magic Millions Sales company. The blinkered Big Sugar, ridden by Donavan Dillon, held off the Mike Miller-trained Silver Kavalier and Miller’s other runner Chosen Dash was next best.

The second, a workrider’s maiden over 1000m, was won by the Dennis Bosch-trained 15/4 favourite Lily Gray ridden by Calvin Habib.

The first leg of the place accumulator over 1000m saw the hard knocking Chris Erasmus-trained Sorbonne finally getting it right in her 30th start. She was ridden by Anthony Delpech.

The first leg of the Pick 6 over 1400m saw another winner for the in form combination of Lola Crawford and Derryl Daniels as the three-year-old Kahal filly Devon Belle powered to a comfortable win in just her third start despite 10/1 odds. She should win more races.

The first leg of the jackpot, a maiden over 2400m, saw the perennial bridesmaid Your Worship finishing second for the seventh time in her career as the Robbie Hill-trained Mullins Bay gelding Chillingham caught her just before the line.

The sixth was an interesting Pinnacle Stakes event over 2400m and the Paul Lafferty-trained lightweight Jay Power, a gelding by Jay Peg, produced a big upset at odds of 25/1 under a fine front-running ride by Keagan de Melo. He was considerably under sufferance at the weights with the best treated horses and knocked many tickets out of the Pick 6 and Jackpot.

In the next, a MR 66 Handicap over 2400m, the Des Egdes-trained bottom weight It Wasn’t Me shortened from 20/1 into 7/1 and duly obliged, holding off stablemate Lilly’s Rush. The Bezrin mare was 0,5kg under sufferance but that was alleviated by the 4kg claim of Matthew Thackeray.

Charles Laird completed a double in the eighth, a. Conditions Plate over 1600m contested by just four runners, as Admiral’s Eye stayed on strongly under Sean Cornack after being given a surprising lead by Supercede. This was an admirable comeback by the Admire Main filly, who jumped a patch and stumbled badly last time out, the incident which put Anton Marcus out with a snapped tendon in his thumb.

The ninth, a MR 86 handicap over 1200m, saw an exciting blanket finish and the Greg and Karen Anthony-trained nine-year-old Wolfhound gelding Kings Gold held on by a whisker under Muzi Yeni to claim his eleventh career victory despite being merit rated only 65 and being 2,5kg under sufferance. The hot favourite Jet On Fire was unplaced and was found to have finished lame on his left fore.

Paul Lafferty completed a double in the tenth, a Graduation Plate over 1000m, when the talented Australian-bred filly Flying Loot just got up under Stuart Randolph from the favourite Clear Sailing. Flying Loot was the third highest merit rated horse in the field so her 12/1 odds were generous.

Lafferty made it a treble in the last, a maiden fillies and mares maiden over 1400m, as the three-year-old National Emblem filly Pearl Emblem won comfortably under Sean Cormack.

Pictures: Nkosi Hlophe

This was Strydom’s 5 000th winner and the son of Dynasty, starting at a prohibitive 6-10, enabled him to do it in style. His mount swept to the front 400m out and pulled away to beat stable companion Kingvoldt by over two lengths and score his fifth win in a row.

Strydom, garlanded in red roses and throwing tea shirts emblazoned ‘Striker 5000’ to an army of fans, said: “He got me to the front a lot sooner than I wanted but he is so good that the rest died in front of him. He is a top horse.”

And, most importantly, how does he compare with the Paul Lafferty-trained Harry’s Son? Strydom, to his credit, didn’t shirk the question and said: “I think he (Act Of War) is probably better.”

Ramsden, who famously sprayed breeder Anton Shepherd with bubbly when Variety Club won the Cape Guineas three years ago, said he could not compare the two because “they are two totally different types but Act Of War is a very special horse. “He is even better if he is left alone but when you run a pacemaker (Cotton Hill) you have to ride him up there.

“Kingvoldt will probably also go for the Guineas. I wasn’t surprised he ran so well because he is such a good horse. It’s very frustrating because I can’t find anything wrong except for the haemo-concentrating.”

Third-placed Mljet will also be in the Grand Parade-sponsored line-up and Vaughan Marshall said: “This straight was too short for him, he came from last and they went too slowly.” However Generalissimo’s Guineas hopes died when his suspect stamina gave out a furlong from home with Sean Cormack reporting: “It was clear cut that he didn’t stay.”

Sean Tarry watched the Selangor with professional fascination and 35 minutes later Zambezi River revealed the reason, with S’Manga Khumalo’s mount getting the better of Brutal Force to take the rich Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes. Tarry said: “Zambezi River is a top horse who can only improve and we are going to have a look at the Cape Guineas with him.”

If there was a prize for the ride of the day Bernard Fayd’Herbe would surely have taken it. The way he handled the runner-up was inspired.  Not even Anton Marcus could have got a horse from gate 12 into a prime position so quickly as well as so relaxed and so effortlessly.

Markus Jooste, who also owns Act Of War, has really targeted the Lanzerac and he was rewarded with R1.4 million from the first two alone. It was fitting that he should share first prize with Cape Thoroughbred Sales chairman Chris van Niekerk because CTS and Lanzerac put a tremendous effort into the day and attracted a fine crowd. For good measure, CTS director Craig Carey and his sales manager wife Amanda bred Act Of War.

Finally Darryl Hodgon , whose decision to bypass the Algoa Cup with Putney Flyer was rewarded with victory in the Kenilworth Cup, is now dreaming of Met day once more– not about Past Master four seasons ago but of the J & B Jet Stayers in two months’ time.

Pictures: Liesl King

The Cheveley-bred Dynasty colt has clearly come on considerably since last season and he fairly strode away when Richard Fourie pressed the button over a furlong out. He scored by three and a half lengths with the 2-1 favourite’s rider glancing right for non-existent dangers and patting him down the neck.

Almost three hours of load-shedding played a part in no times being recorded for four of the nine races but, fortunately for posterity, the clock was working for this one and Legislate’s 1 min 35.84 sec took more than a third of a second off Counter Action’s 1995 record.

Fourie said: “He needed this – he was blowing quite hard coming back – but he is a brilliant horse and he is by far the best I have ever ridden. He has improved so much and he knows he is now the best. You could tell that from the way he was standing proud at the back of the pens.”

Justin Snaith, like Fourie winning his first Green Point, scored twice in South Africa’s 7-4 defeat of the French polo team and he immediately rang from India to congratulate Jack Mitchell and Gaynor Rupert who own the four-year-old in partnership with Dennis Evans.

Younger brother Jonathan said: “We have a superstar horse and I couldn’t see anything beating him. We were very confident.”

Nobody more so than his father Chris who, looking up at the roof of the stands, grinned and said: “At least I haven’t got to jump now! He is a better horse than he was last season and he won’t run again before the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate. Then he goes for the J & B Met, and that’s it.”

The surprise packet was 16-1 shot Ashton Park who finished second and Mike Bass said: “He has been scatty and difficult to train but he is now improving all the time. He will go for the Queen’s Plate and before that he will probably join the rest of mine in the Diadem.”

Brett Crawford was understandably pleased with the way Futura ran on into third and also with the return of Captain America who seemed to settle in front.  The Philippi trainer said: “Both run in the Queen’s Plate. Futura will go straight there but Captain America might run in the Jet Master on 20 December.”

Afrikaburn, who again lost ground at the start, managed only seventh but there were excuses even though the course vet could find nothing wrong. Gerrit Schlechter, who had to get down to work at halfway, reported that his mount was continually changing stride. Dean Kannemeyer, preferring to draw on the positives, said: “He stayed on all the way to the line and finished only two lengths off the July third. This was a good test and his next race will be the Guineas.”

Pictures: Liesl King

Chairman of KZN Breeders Koos de Klerk admitted that the panel had “slipped up” in previous seasons by not including the brilliant Dennis Drier-trained Dynasty mare in the awards. Clifton Stud owner Peter Blythe then pointed out that, although Beach Beauty had been born in the Cape, her dam was a permanent resident on the late breeder Trevor Armitage’s farm near Volksrust in KZN and Beach Beauty was also raised on the farm. Beach Beauty’s dam Sun Coast had travelled to the Cape to be covered by Dynasty and after giving birth down there travelled with her foal back to the Armitage farm. Armitage had never registered his horses with the KZN Breeders clubs partly due to his aversion to paper work, but also because he felt it would be wrong, having accepted breeders premiums on his previous farm at Standerton in Gauteng, to accept the same from Gold Circle. Sun Coast was also honoured and named Broodmare of the Year. Beach Beauty is currently in foal to Duke Of Marmalade at her new home of Drakenstein Stud. Sun Coast is now retired to Sandown Stud in Paarl, which is owned by Trevor’s nephew James Armitage, as she has a physical problem that prevents her from breeding.

Trevor’s widow Minou spoke at the awards and described the “incredible journey” Beach Beauty had taken them on before paying tribute to her late husband and also to her late son Mark, in whose honour the Shanks Syndicate for whom she raced was formed.

She described Trevor as a gentle giant, who had all the attributes necessary for the tough industry of thoroughbred breeding, including “a lot of patience and a sense of humour.” She recounted the story of a phonecall Trevor had once received from a prospective buyer of Beach Beauty and after the figure was offered he replied, “Are you talking pounds sterling or dollars?” When this was greeted by a silence followed by “Rands”, he responded, “How many of her tail hairs do you want?”

Beach Beauty also received the Outstanding Older Female and Outstanding Middle Distance Female awards.

There were two dual award winners on the night, Futura and Wild One. Futura is a Brett Crawford-trained colt, also by the incredible sire Dynasty, and was named Outstanding three-year-old colt as well as Outstanding Middle Distance Male. He was bred by Guy Murdoch and Mike Jolly. He had an unusual path as he was conceived at Gary Player Stud in Colesberg, born at Yellow Star Stud in the KZN Midlands where he was raised until he and his dam relocated to Mauritzfontein Stud in Kimberly due to Murdoch accepting a position as stud manager. Wild One is a Scott Brothers-bred Mogok gelding and was named Outstanding Older Male and Outstanding Stayer.

One of the biggest cheers of the evening was at the announcement of the Breeding Achievement Of The Year award, which went to the popular Rodney Clarkin, whose small operation produced the Outstanding Three-year-old filly award winner, the Lucky Houdalakis-trained Gr 3-winning Kahal filly Sarasota.

It was matched by the cheer for the Special Lifetime Achievement Award winner, the doyen of KZN Breeders, George Rowles, who has also contributed a lot to other aspects of racing. He was honoured by two lifelong friends Robin Scott and Bill Lambert. Lambert delivered a typically entertaining and humorous speech.

Martin Locke proved to be an eloquent substitute for the usual Master Of Ceremonies Graeme Hawkins, who was away at a function in Johannesburg.

Outstanding 2yo Colt

Harry Lime (Rathmor Stud)

Outstanding 2yo Filly

Green Crest (Mrs Margaret Filmer)

Outstanding 3yo Colt

Futura (Guy Murdoch)

Outstanding 3yo Filly

Sarasota (Rodney and Lynn Clarkin)

Outstanding Older Male

Wild One (Scott Bros)

Outstanding Older Female

Beach Beauty (Late Trevor Armitage)

Outstanding Sprinter Male & Female

In A Rush (Peter Choice)

Outstanding Stayer Male & Female

Wild One (Scott Bros)

Outstanding Middle Distance Male

Futura (Guy Murdoch)

Outstanding Middle Distance Female

Beach Beauty (Late Trevor Armitage)

Broodmare Of The Year

Sun Coast

Stallion Prospect Of The Year

Fort Beluga

Stallion Of The Year

Kahal

Leading Breeder Of The Year

Summerhill Stud

Breeders Achievement Award

Rodney Clarkin

Special Lifetime Achievement Award

Mr George Rowles

Anita Akal Industry Award

Karin Render

International Achievement Award

The Apache (Scott Bros)

Horse Of The Year

Beach Beauty (Late Trevor Armitage)

He said, “We went the Green Point route with Afrikaburn because it is weight for age and if he had run in the Selangor under the conditions he would have had to give weight to some of the best three-year-olds in the land. He was a top two-year-old and in his reappearance in the Matchem he only got going late and then took off, so I’ve put quarter cups (blinkers) on just to make him focus a bit more. He is in top shape and both he and Balance Sheet put up very pleasing gallops at Kenilworth. Neither of them over exert themselves at home. They have both got good temperaments.”

“Balance Sheet gets weight in the Selangor from Act Of War. It’s a pity it’s on the Old Course as he might take a while to get going, he will be better on the new course. I think he will stay nicely and the Derby could be his race.”

“Varlo is in tip top shape but it’s going to be very difficult from that draw especially for a horse with a question whether he stays 1400m and I also think it’s going to be a rough race. He is a sensible horse, he handled Durbanville well, but he’s going to need a lot of luck.”

Lightweight veteran Gerrit Schlechter rides Afrikaburn and stable jockey Karl Neisius rides the other pair.

Picture: Afrikaburn (Nkosi Hlophe)