Gavin van Zyl’s five-year-old Black Minnaloushe gelding Blackball looks capable of stepping up to bigger races after sauntering to victory in yesterday’s Listed Michaelmas Handicap over 1900m under Warren Kennedy.

The gelding, who wears a cornell collar, was last seen in the KZN Winter Challenge 2000 on June 8, where he was most unlucky. 

However, the yard had him fit and ready and were confident in the build up.

Kennedy is in sublime form and took a strong hold as they jumped from pole position as the gelding has a tendency to pull.

However, the cover was quickly there and the athletic bay was relaxed in midfield from then onwards in the eight horse field. 

In the straight he moved up under the hands and when he quickened through a gap it was race over. 

Starting at odds of 113/20 he won by 1,75 lengths from the two biggest outsiders in the field, the Gareth van Zyl-trained 16/1 shot Paths Of Victory and the Dennis Drier-trained 22/1 shot Wealthy. 

Silver Rose and The Dazzler were next best ahead of the disappointing favourite Our Coys.

The meeting started with winner number 16 this season for Garth Puller when Luke Ferraris extracted a strong finish out of the Var colt Brooklyn, who converted 16/10 favouritism.  He is owned by a Hong Kong-based syndicate managed by Luke’s trainer father David. 

Kennedy was on the board in the next on the Gareth van Zyl-trained Noble Tune gelding Lightning Parcador, who started 28/10 favourite and beat Greek Head by a short-head.

The Kumaran Naidoo-trained Mambo In Seattle filly Jer got off the mark at the eleventh time of asking in the next, ridden by Raymond Danielson. 

Gary Rich and Billy Jacobson combined to win the first of the handicaps with the Master Of MY Fate gelding Clouds Of Witness, but only after an objection against Techno Captain, who carried him outward slightly and crossed the line a whisker in front.

The Paul Lafferty-trained Gimmethegreenlight filly Shoot The Wagon then got off the mark at the ninth time of asking under Calvin Habib.

The sixth was a Mr 92 Handicap for fillies and mares and the Dennis Drier-trained Pathfork mare Stelvio stayed on resolutely from a handy position to win under Sean Veale.

In the eighth over 1400m the Lowen Dennyschen-trained Byword mare Eternal Words won courageously from the front under Jason Gates.

Gareth van Zyl scored a double and Warren Kennedy a treble when the Oratorio colt Horoscope Harry burst through late to convert favouritism cosily in the last over 1200m.

By David Thiselton

Hong Kong-based South African trainer David Ferraris has continued to support the SA sales and six three-year-olds he has an interest in are currently being trained by Summerveld-based Garth Puller, one of whom won at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.

The Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud-bred Var colt Brooklyn won over 1600m on the turf yesterday under David’s son Luke in his fourth career start, converting 16-10 favouritism. 

He turned for home in midfield and after being switched outward ran on strongly to win by half-a-length. He looks to have scope for further improvement.  

The other five horses are Bay Tibbs, Brass Bell, August Red, Backpacker and Cherokee Chief.

All six horses were moved to Puller’s yard after the recent retirement of David Ferraris’s legendary father Ormond.

The long-term intention for all of them was to be exported to Hong Kong and to be trained there by David. 

However, horses in training have to pass certain ability criteria before being accepted for import to the island.

Puller believes two of them, Bay Tibbs and Brass Bell, will soon be on their way. 

Riyo Stud-bred Bold Silvano colt Bay Tibbs won his maiden second time out over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville by 3,80 lengths having finished second on debut over 1200m. He then won first time out of the maidens over the same course and distance in a handicap, scoring by 0,70 lengths against older horses off a merit rating of 88. His current merit rating is 93. He is owned by CW Hui.

The improving Pathfork colt Brass Bell finished second twice in the maidens over 1200m. In his fifth career start he was stepped up to 1400m on the Greyville turf and won cosily by 1,25 lengths. This Highlands Farms Stud-bred colt is now merit rated 86 and is owned by KW Chow.

August Red is a Lammerskraal Stud-bred gelding by What A Winter and he was well beaten on debut over 1000m. However, he is out of the useful stayer Adobe Pink, so will improve over further. 

The Cheveley Stud-bred Cherokee Chief is a colt by Silvano out of twice Listed winner Oceana, who finished second in both the Grade 1 Allan Robertson and the Grade 1 Thekwini over 1600m. He was well beaten in his first two starts over 1200m and then finished just 2,80 lengths back when stepped up to 1400m. Being by Silvano he should continue to improve. 

The Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud-bred Silvano colt Backpacker also improved when stepped up to 1400m in his second career start and finished third, although he was beaten 6,30 lengths.

All of Brooklyn, August Red, Cherokee Chief and Backpacker are owned by the Five Up High Syndicate, whose nominee is David Ferraris. 

Puller is currently leading the KZN Trainer’s championship with 16 winners.

By David Thiselton

Grant van Niekerk scored an amazing wide-draw double at Sha Tin in Hong Kong yesterday but it was a disappointing day for South African-bred horses on the island and the current SA Champion Jockey Lyle Hewitson is still struggling to get off the mark.

The island’s jockeys championship is being dominated by Joao Moreira, Zak Purton and the former South African based Mauritian Karis Teeten. They had ridden 24, 18 and 14 winners apiece at respective strike rates of 24%, 18,5% and 14,9% before yesterday’s meeting.

Before yesterday’s meeting, Van Niekerk was in joint fourth place on the log with five winners at 9,1% and Aldo Domeyer was in 7th place on 4 winners at 10,25%.

Van Niekerk’s double puts him on seven winners for the season, but he is now in fifth place as CY Ho rode a treble yesterday to move into fourth place on his own. 

South African ex-pats David Ferraris and Douglas Whyte saddled the first two winners on the card and Grant van Niekerk then made it an SA treble by riding the next.

Van Niekerk jumped from draw seven out of eight in this 1200m handicap and dropped his mount, the CS Shum-trained Seasons Bloom, out to last. He then had to roust his mount to get him back on to the bit. He improved position on the rail before the turn, but in the straight Van Niekerk managed to switch him all the way to the outside for a run. Seasons Bloom looked to be going nowhere until suddenly producing a burst which saw him getting his nose down in a blanket finish.

Among the conquered was the celebrated QE II Cup winner Pakistan Star, who was making his seasonal reappearance and needs further.

Van Niekerk later won a handicap over 1400m and in this 14 horse field he was once again drawn widest of all. He dropped his mount Emerald Spur out to second last but was able to make up some ground on the rail. He turned for home in fourth last position and switched his mount outward. He found a gap and the rangy PF Yiu-trained five-year-old Flying Spur gelding, who has plenty of substance, ran on to make it two from two this season, both times ridden by Van Niekerk. 

Hewitson was fully prepared when arriving on the island but has quickly discovered how tough a school it is, especially in the realm of booking rides. Of the five rides he had yesterday, three were rank outsiders and neither of the other two were fancied.

His return after 56 rides is zero wins, one second, one third, three fourths and two fifths for stakes earnings of HK$821,165.

That equates to R1,543,792, showing that Hong Kong is not always a bed of roses for those have attained a much sort of jockey’s license.

In comparison, the leading jockey earner in SA this season, Warren Kennedy, has accumulated 6,201,700 in stakes so far.

On the other hand Teetan’s stake earnings at this early stage of the season are already HK$14,313,368, which converts to a cool R27,097,131.

Hewitson rode the six-year-old South African-bred Philanthropist gelding Singapore Sling in the Group 2 Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy yesterday, but he was widely drawn and after being dropped out to last he found little in the straight and finished last. The Tony Millard-trained bay will come on for the run as it was his first outing for five months.

Later, the former Alistair Gordon-trained Dingaans and Gauteng Guineas hero Monk’s Hood had his second start in Hong after a layoff. He is now called Graceandmercy and is also trained by Millard. After his debut in Hong Kong on 28 April he was found to have a substantial amount of blood in the trachea. Since then he has had surgery to the left guttural pouch. He was drawn widest of all in a 13 horse handicap field over 1400m yesterday and Aldo Domeyer settled him closer to the back than the front and three deep. He finished ninth, beaten six-and-a-quarter lengths, but he ran on well and the winner Golden Sixty is a star in the making having won five out of six starts to date. Graceandmercy will definitely come on from the run and it is worth keeping an eye out for his next appearance, which will likely be over a mile.

By David Thiselton

Image: Seasons Bloom with Grant van Niekerk aboard at Sha Tin

Aldo Domeyer is to make a surprise return from Hong Kong and he will be in action at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Alan Greeff has booked him for ante-post favourite World Radar in the Western Cape Fillies Championship and he has two mounts for Andre Nel – Congo Compaq in the mile maiden and Vikram in the MR90 Handicap.

When Domeyer did so well in his first few months in Hong Kong that he was offered a contract to return for the current season many feared that he had been lost to South African racing for good. Jockeys can earn a fortune in Hong Kong and Grant van Niekerk (who rode a double at Sha Tin yesterday) has spoken of the thrill of riding in front of 50 000 people at meeting after meeting.

Before he left in April Domeyer was first jockey for Candice Bass-Robinson who said: “I am bringing down Stuart Randolph for my runners this Saturday. Aldo will again be riding for me in the future but it depends on how long he is going to stay.”

Greeff said yesterday that World Radar, impressive winner of her only two starts, is to travel from Port Elizabeth on Thursday. African Warrior is 3-1 favourite for Saturday’s Cape Classic despite doubts about him running because of the weight he has to give away from a bad draw.

Dean Kannemeyer is deferring a decision until this morning and said on Saturday: “I am not ruling anything out at the moment and African Warrior is still under consideration. Liberty Hall and Seventh Gear both did pacework over 1 200m at Durbanville on Thursday. They didn’t gallop together but they worked well. Seventh Gear is nicely drawn but he still has to prove himself. I will see how they go on Monday morning and then decide.”

By Michael Clower

Charles has had a R6 million bill hanging over his head all his racing life but, while removing his stud potential eliminates his long-term earning capacity, seemingly it is going to be the making of him as a racehorse.

“He was gelded in August as soon as he got back from Durban,” relates Brett Crawford. “Since then his whole attitude has changed. He is not playing around anymore and he is now focussed on what he is doing.”

Punters were expecting the old Charles – good enough to get placed but not to win – and were happy to let him drift unbacked from 11-2 to 10-1 in the Tellytrack.com Pinnacle at Durbanville on Saturday but from Keagan de Melo’s position the picture looked very different. “I was always going well,” he said. “Everything seemed to be slowing up 600m out and, when I managed to get a couple of lengths on them, I knew I was going to win.”

For the horse’s trainer equine psychology is now the deciding factor in future plans. “To win, drawn ten out of ten over a trip that was his shortest, was impressive but I have got to build up his confidence.

“He is only rated 111 and so he is far behind the 130-plus stars. There is a mile coming up next month (Cape Mile) and if he wins that well we will take on the old guns in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and the Sun Met.”

If Charles was a revelation Twist Of Fate was a disappointment. Last into the parade ring, he looked in the picture of health, albeit a bit big round the middle. The money poured on him from 17-10 to 17-20 and he raced handy. But when Stuart Randolph started riding two furlongs out the response was nil. Indeed he weakened to finish fifth. To be fair, he was giving away lumps of weight and it was his first race for nearly three months.

“He needed it,” said the jockey. “Turning into the straight he began to labour a bit but he will come on from this.”

Snapscan had been off just as long but there was confidence behind her – she shortened from 9-2 to 26-10 – and she led 100m out under Louis Mxothwa for a convincing win in the TAB Telebet Conditions Plate. Like Charles she set a new class record.

“She has run in staying feature races to get black type,” said Glen Kotzen. “We will go the soft route with her to start with and run in the Victress (Dec 21) but if she wins that we can look at the Paddock Stakes.”

Justin Snaith clocks up the winners so fast that he is past landmark after landmark with nobody noticing – including himself. His tally now stands at 2 635, an incredible average of 146 a year since he started training in 2001.

He and Richard Fourie chalked up three more on Saturday with Aye Aye, Wild Coast and the wandering Winter Is Over.

Sandile Mbhele is nearing a landmark of his own as he needs just five more winners to lose his claim after scoring on Spy for Vaughan Marshall. However the talented 21-year-old’s personal schedule has been put back a week with an interference suspension.

Donovan Dillon is making the most of his flying visits from Durban and he scored on How And Why for Eric Sands and the well-backed Brett Crawford-trained Khopesh in the last.

By Michael Clower