A maiden winner with a merit rating in the 90’s is either good according to the handicappers, or over rated if you listen to the trainer. The handicappers won out at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday as Winter Sun gave all sunburn in the Durban View Restaurant Novice Plate.

Michael Roberts thought well enough of Winter Sun to race her mostly in feature company last season that earned the filly a lofty 97 rating. But yesterday she showed that her rating was very much in the mark.

Roberts, a world champion rider in his day, has given Serino Moodley a break and he has paid the faith. “Mister Roberts picked the right race.

“She gave me a good feel at work so this was not a surprise. Mister Roberts told me to ride her aggressively and she won well.”

“She over race in the Flamboyant, and she pulled her way to the front,” opined Roberts. “I thought this Novice Plate would suit her. She’s a nice filly.”

Shane Humby is a trainer of few words and his runners seldom have a lot of mileage on the clock. Prime example was Mr Fitz, a four-year-old with just seven runs under his belt, but who stamped himself as a horse for South Africa’s Champion Season with a convincing win.

“He was not putting it in so we had to resort to the unkindest cut of all,” he explained.

This was the now gelded Mr Fitz’s first outing minus his family jewels and he produced for stable rider Donovan Dillon. “He needed gelding but still looked to get out of it and I had to give him a few reminders,” said Dillon.

Humby is not one to run his horses for the sake of it but has built up a band of patient owners.

“I don’t tell my trainer what to do,” said former bookmaker Trevor Fourie who has a share in Mr Fitz. “He trains the horse so knows what is best, I don’t get involved.”

Mr Fitz, not out of the money in his seven starts, could be a horse to follow in the next few months.

Earlier Humby was in front of the TV cameras after Diamondsandpearls landed the first leg of his double. Notching her fourth win, she is not the easiest temperament wise but has been a good earner for owner Geoffrey van Lear.

The filly has temperament issues but, “we are getting on top of them and once we have sorted them out, she can go further,” said Humby.

Frank Robertson is not known for producing his two-year-olds early but he may have uncovered a gem in Love Bomb who quickened away like a good horse to win the Maiden Juvenile Plate.

The luckless Ziva De Grace did everything right but was no match for the finishing burst of Love Bomb.

“She’s got everything,” commented a clearly impressed Robinson. “From day one she has looked like a good filly and I think she can go the whole way. I rate her highly.”

Sean Veale was equally impressed. “I said to Frank, ‘don’t take me off this one.’  I think that she can go on to win a small feature.”

By Andrew Harrison

Kenilworth Racing is to have a general manager once more. This post was abolished, presumably as a cost-cutting measure, some years ago and was not thought necessary when the day-to-day running of Kenilworth and Durbanville was taken over by Phumelela under a management arrangement.

Recruitment consultants Baard and Partners have been appointed to find a suitable person and their advertisement appears on the Sporting Post website. Applicants are expected to have a post-graduate business qualification and at least ten years of relevant experience.

The job involves rather more than just ‘the buck stops with you’ problems on racedays and complaints from racegoers. The successful applicant will be expected to secure maximum returns from the company’s considerable property portfolio as well as from functions and conferences, and also to attract sponsors.

The appointment will be a major stepforward in re-establishing good relations with the racing and betting public. For too long racegoers have had nobody to whom they could address their concerns – whether they were about the food, betting display boards, non-working escalators or anything else. Just having somebody who is known to be in overall charge will work wonders. Applications should be emailed to info@baardandpartners.co.za.

Jonathan Snaith and Justin Vermaak have resigned from the Western Cape Chapter of the Racing Association at the RA’s agm held at Kenilworth and Turffontein Racecourses last month. This is one of several fascinating facts to emerge from the copy of the minutes obtained by the Sporting Post and published on its website.

The relevant minute states that they resigned under the terms of the RA’s Memorandum of Incorporation but (surprisingly) did not make themselves available for re-election. They have been replaced by racecourse commentator Philip Sarembock and Drakenstein racing manager Kevin Sommerville who will sit alongside CTS sales boss Wehann Smith, Ridgemont’s Craig Kieswetter and Avontuur Stud owner Philip Taberer.

Sarembock called for riding fees to be reduced in order to increase the return to owners. Quite what the jockeys will make of this proposal can only be imagined! The proposal was not adopted but, according to the minutes “discussions were ongoing.”

Mike de Kock, who is a director of the RA, proposed that money contributed by race sponsors should be split 50:50 between stakes and Phumelela. At one time Phumelela got the lot but at the moment it is divided 70:30 with Phumelela taking the lion’s share.

By Michael Clower

Summerveld trainer Gavin van Zyl is the only raiding trainer in either of the two classics at Turffontein this Saturday.

He travels his promising Duke Of Marmalade filly Dancing Feather up on Friday to compete in the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic. 

He said, “She is doing well, I am happy with her, she is in a good space. If she reproduces either her 1600m maiden win or her following win over 1750m she will be competitive and that is why I am sending her, I think she has a shout. She is a good horse and we have to give her this chance. She was going further and further away and used all of the straight atGreyville and Scottsville in both of those wins so she should enjoy the Turffontein Standside course. She is not big but stands over a bit of ground and although slightly long in the back is nicely made and has a good action. Keagan de Melo has been very happy with her work and is upbeat about her.”

Meanwhile, Van Zyl’s Grade 1-winning Equus two-year-old champion from last season Gabor is set to make her comeback ahead of her SA Champions Season campaign. She had a problem with her knee which was “not serious” but required time off.

He is bullish too about the future of two three-year-olds in the yard, Trippi gelding Guru’s Pride, who has won three in succession, and Silvano filly Voice Of Reason, who won her maiden third time out over 1600m at Kenilworth. Both of their formlines are looking good and they could be possible SA Champions Season campaigners. 

Older stalwart Blackball continues to do his owners proud.

The yard is looking particularly strong in the two-year-old division. 

Van Zyl is already eyeing the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion and other features with Greenlighttoheaven, who cruised to victory in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m at Scottsville on debut.

Waiting in the wings is the like of R800,000 purchase Secret Is Ours, a Dynasty full-brother to Bela-Bela, who did well in a Barrier Trial recently.

Van Zyl has another superbly bred Dynasty colt called Gotitall, who is out of a USA-bred mare whose dam is a half-sister to a very successful USA-bred sire called Jump Start. Gotitall was scratched from a recent barrier trial as he needs a bit more time

Van Zyl said a full-brother to Rocketball, and therefore a half-brother to Blackball, should be looked out for in a forthcoming barrier trial.

There are others too by the like of Silvano and Global View to keep an eye out for.

By David Thiselton

The Mike de Kock yard have revealed Hawwaam was sent back to Randjesfontein after the Sun Met and has stayed in work.

Meanwhile, they are preparing their contenders for the Grade 1 SA Classic and Grade 1 Wigerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic, both to be run over 1800m at Turffontein this Saturday.

Hawwaam’s ultimate goal is an overseas campaign but it was decided by the connections that rather than subject him to a long an arduous journey straight after his Met run they would wait until after the EU Audit on African Horse Sickness, which is due to take place this year, to see whether there would then become the advantage of a shorter route in the foreseeable future.

Hawwaam has been entered in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge, which he won with consummate ease last year, and his route into that race will either be through the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes or a Pinnacle Stakes event.

The yard run Frosted Gold and Marshall in the SA Classic.
Matthew de Kock said, “They are both very well, we are very happy, but they have the Tarry duo to beat.”

Marshall will be the one best suited to this trip on pedigree and running style. This big Vercingetorix gelding is held in high regard but to date that is based mainly on his exceptional homework. Matthew said this horse had his problems and was not straightforward and perhaps that was the reason he was yet to bring his homework to the course to its full extent. However, if he does put his best foot forward he will be a big runner.

Matthew said Frosted Gold was a genuine horse who was loaded with ability and always tried his hardest. He has hardly put a foot wrong. He agreed this New Zealand-bred by All Too Hard had a stamina question mark but was quick to add that Sean Tarry’s stalwarts Shango and Ikigai did too.

Shango, who beat Frosted Gold going away in the Dingaans over a mile, is by sprinter Captain Of All out of a Jet Master mare who won from 1200-1400m. However, he runs as if he will stay further.

Conversely, Ikigai is by Vercingetorix out of an Al Muft mare who won over 1600m, which suggests he should stay 1800m, but he has a plenty of speed which creates the stamina doubt.

The De Kock yard have an interesting runner in the SA Fillies Classic in Virtuosa.

Matthew said, “She turns it on very quickly and hit the front a long way out in the Fillies Guineas. We will have to ride her very patiently this time.”

She is by Visionaire out of the De Kock-trained Checcetti, who won the Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg over 2000m, so on pedigree she should stay the trip although she finished unplaced in her only attempt at 1800m to date.

By David Thiselton

A maiden winner with a merit rating in the 90’s is either good according to the handicappers, or over rated if you listen to the trainer. So, when set weights race like the Durban View Restaurant Novice Plate come around, trainers with horses with high ratings jump at the opportunity.

Two that stand out are Winter Sun and Dive Captain at Hollywoodbets Greyville today.

Michael Roberts thought well enough of Winter Sun to race her mostly in feature company last season. This earned her a lofty 97 rating but last year’s juvenile feature winners, both male and female, have not set the tracks alight in the current season which makes Winter Sun’s rating appear suspect.

Roberts stepped his filly up to a mile in the Flamboyant Stakes on Boxing Day and it was an experiment that did not have the desired result. Using her light weight, Denis Schwarz had her up with the pace before blowing out of the back door.

Winter Sun’s sprint form is far superior and although she takes to the poly track for the first time she does look capable of notching her second win, and if her rating is correct, it should be a comfortable win.

Dean Kannemeyer’s KZN string is firing nicely and if the ratings hold any water, Dive Captain should pose the biggest threat to Winter Sun. Although rated 3kg inferior, she is in turn rated 4.5kg superior to the next highest rated filly, Cut Loose.

Dive Captain made no show in the soft at Scottsville last time out but prior to that showed good early toe on the poly, only to be run out of it in the last few strides. Her effort behind the useful Petra in a Graduation Plate was a particularly commendable effort and a repeat on her favourite surface could see the opposition chasing shadows.

Tony Nassif will never go home wondering. He wears his heart on his sleeve and when he raids KZN it is always worth taking note. Cut Loose ran out of puff when well fancied at her second start at the Vaal but was reported to be making a respiratory noise. The addition of a tongue-tie appears to have solved that issue as she scored a comfortable win over the Hollywoodbets Scottsville 1400m next time out. She could be anything and probably worth including as a safety measure in the exotics.

 Some quick horses contest the Greyville Convention Centre Handicap and a win for Drunken Sailor would not be out of turn. Yogas Govender’s gelding has earned a cheque in all of his 10 starts and his fourth behind Scottsville specialist Ishnana being his only finish out of the first three.

Regular pilot Billy Jacobson has been signed up by Louis Goosen so the ride goes to Sherman Brown but it was probably on Jacobson’s advice that Govender has declared blinkers for the first time.

The irony is that Jacobson could provide the stiffest opposition as he partners the Goosen-trained poly specialist Di Mazzio, the combination bidding for a winning hat-trick – never an easy feat – but the stable does appear to have turned the corner.

Coldhardcash would appear to be held by Di Mazzio given their last meeting but apprentice Jabu Jacobs claims his 4kg and Coldhardcash will be out and gone when the gates open.

In the fifth, Arrabiata has shown up well in two starts since shedding her maiden over course and distance. She tried further last run but looks more at home over this shorter trip. Diamondsandpearls, Popova and Barinois could feature as the main threats. Diamondsandpearls won well last run and the extra furlong should not hold any fears from her good draw while Popova has been coming to hand slowly for her new stable and caught the eye over course and distance last time out. But judging by the riding arrangements, Arrabiata is the stable elect. Barinois is over her best course and distance but will not have her original 1.5kg claim as apprentice Jason Gates booted home his 60^th winner on Sunday and is now ineligible to claim.

Jacobs landed a treble at Scottsville last week and he could finally see Ziva De Grace into the winner’s enclosure in the first. Kom Naidoo’s filly has been game in defeat in all three of her starts and the five furlongs on the poly with the claim could be enough to see her home.

By Andrew Harrison