Stephanie Miller claims that she was framed by a rival trainer when Bongo Dance tested positive to testosterone when he ran second at Flamingo Park last November and when needles with traces of the same prohibited substance were seized by National Horseracing Authority officials at her stables a month later.

The Kimberley trainer also maintains that the cattle prodder found at her training premises in June was there innocently and that she would never use it on a horse.

She has been fined R238 000 for these two offences and for a third – an out-of-competition specimen taken from Cape Rebel in May being found to contain traces of the banned anti-inflammatory Flunixin. In addition, she has had her trainer’s licence withdrawn for three months for the cattle prodder case, the withdrawal suspended for 12 months provided she is not found guilty of a similar offence in the meantime.

Mrs Miller said: “There has been an absolute hate relationship between us (my brother and I) and another trainer for a few years now and we had threats from him saying that he would make sure that our horses tested positive.”

When asked if she was implying that this trainer was responsible for the gelding Bongo Dance testing positive to the male hormone testosterone (which would have jazzed up the horse) she replied: “Definitely and in my bakkie they found five needles, and one of these was on the floor without a cap.

“I train for my brother (Francois du Toit) and I opened both his and my betting accounts to the NHA to show that we put not a cent on Bongo Dance that day. But under the rules the trainer is responsible for everything connected with the horse under his or her care.”

Mrs Miller admits giving Flunixin to Cape Rebel. “The horse pulled a tendon, was in terrible pain and I couldn’t get a vet at the time. I admitted my guilt to the NHA and said that this is what I did because I cannot see a horse in pain.”

But it is the cattle prodder that has really brought down the NHA’s wrath and seen Mrs Miller vilified on social media and in the correspondence pages of the Sporting Post website. Cattle prodders, whose tips can produce an electric shock, are real Dick Francis stuff so far as racing is concerned.

The work rider is instructed to carry one instead of a whip and towards the end of the gallop he gives a loud shout, touches the horse with the prodder at the same time as he presses the relevant button and an electric charge shoots through the horse. After receiving this treatment in two or three subsequent gallops he knows exactly what the shout means.

When it comes to the race the jockey is told to shout a furlong or so out and tap the horse with his whip. No electric shock but the horse believes he knows what is coming and takes off like Usain Bolt.

“I am not an animal abuser and I would never do anything like that to a horse but that cattle prodder had been sitting in my office for two years unknown to me,” said Mrs Miller. “My brother and I have a farm and two years ago we sold the cattle and bought game.

“I loaded the cattle onto a truck to take them to the auction. I had a prodder on the farm but that day it wouldn’t work. I took it with me to the stables and asked a trainer friend to have a look at it for me. He didn’t know what was wrong and left it there but my staff put it on the top shelf in my office without my knowing. The NHA raided my office on June 24 and they found the prodder. I have photos of it with the battery acid leaking out of it. But it was in my possession so I am responsible.”

Mrs Miller, 58, is the widow of Peter Miller who was the top trainer in Kimberley for nine seasons on the trot before his death from a heart attack at the age of 60 in April 2011. Their son Sean took over but was killed in a motor accident in June the following year and Mrs Miller, known as Steph to her friends, then assumed control of the training operation.

She has decided not to appeal against the fines and the suspension because of the cost of further legal action. “I had an advocate representing me in the testosterone case and I have received an account for R293 000 for that alone. I have decided that I am going to go out of racing. It has been a terrible time for me this last week although losing my husband and losing my son were far worse.”

By Michael Clower

Hurricane Harry could well have most to fear from Nevil Mu as he bids to lead a potentially profitable day for Snaith Racing followers in the opening maiden at Kenilworth this afternoon.

The Trippi gelding showed plenty of promise on debut when ridden by Aldo Domeyer – and starting joint favourite with more experienced stable companion Go Jewel who won the race – and is sure to have benefitted from that outing. “How much improvement can a horse make in under three weeks?” countered the trainer when the question was put to him. “Probably not a lot but the experience of his first run will be a help.”

The same applies with Nevil Mu who was picked out by Winning Ways (and countless others) when running on like a certain future winner on debut only ten days ago. Admittedly it was in a far from strong field but he was drawn badly and ran very green early. “I’d done nothing with him and he won’t miss next time,” was Peter Wrensch’s post-race verdict.

Hurricane Harry opened favourite at 3-1 with Nevil Mu on 9-2, the same price as Brett Crawford’s Ridgemont colt Bag Of Tricks who has a length and a half to find with Nevil Mu but, as he failed to get a clear run that day, he could well pose a major threat. 

Snaith says he is making a point of getting his three-year-olds into action at the moment and adds: “I am bringing out some nice ones including Halliberry (race two) and Double The Fun in the last.”

Halliberry is 3-1 favourite but she was flattered by her three-length second to Pretty Young Thing against older horses on debut because the winner could have scored by 12 lengths had Anton Marcus not eased her. Furthermore she is untested in the soft.

Howl (33-10) is better than last-time’s six length-plus second to Honey Pie would suggest because she was reported tied-up in her shoulder after that run. However it was only 17 days ago and so it might be better to take a chance with Ryan Munger’s mount Sweet Karma who went quite close last time and is proven in the ground.

The Interbet.co.za Pinnacle is the class race of the day but, as so often in this type of race, it is complicated by those horses coming off a break (their fitness is a matter of guesswork, often on the part of their trainers too) and I prefer to concentrate on the Progress Plate.

Vaughan Marshall runs three of the seven including Binoche who impressed when scoring on debut. Marshall says that he fully expected her to win that day but shares the view of the handicappers that Mirage is the best of the three. She should win.

By Michael Clower

It was a case of déjà vu at the 2018/2019 Cape Racing and Breeders Awards, held recently at the Vineyard Hotel, with Snaith Racing and Gaynor Rupert’s Drakenstein Stud again dominating the awards.

Justin Snaith was crowned Cape Trainer of the Year, while his charges Do It Again, Oh Susanna, Kasimir, Magnificent Seven and Miss Florida collected eleven of the Cape Racing and Breeding Awards between them. Do It Again, who was crowned Champion Older Male (breeding and racing), Champion Miler (racing), Champion Middle Distance Horse (breeding) and Horse of the Year (breeding and racing), was the star of the Cape Awards and is likely to repeat the exercise at the upcoming Equus Awards. His nemesis, the Eric Sands trained Rainbow Bridge, was named Champion Middle Distance Horse (racing), while his dam Halfway To Heaven was awarded Broodmare of the Year for owners Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud, who also collected the Champion Breeder award.

Snaith was full of praise for his exceptional superstar. “It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving horse”, he said. “He has everything that you could want in a champion racehorse, looks, temperament and talent, he literally ticks all the boxes.”  Snaith, who has enjoyed an incredible year with Do It Again becoming the first horse since El Picha (1999/2000) to achieve back to back victories in Vodacom Durban July, was also awarded the Exceptional Achievement Award for the second consecutive year.  His brother Jonathan, who is a key element of the Snaith Racing team, thanked the breeders and owners of the Western Cape for their contribution. “We have a cohesive industry in the Cape and it is the people that make racing in the Western Cape great.”

Drakenstein Stud was named the Outstanding Breeder of the Year with Gabor being crowned Champion Two Year Old Filly (breeding), Kasimir collecting the Champion Sprinter trophy (breeding and racing) and Clouds Unfold named as the Champion Three Year Old Filly (racing). Owner Nic Jonsson also enjoyed a memorable evening with Do It Again, who he part owns, named Horse of the Year, while his homebred Miss Florida received the Juvenile Filly award (racing) and Magnificent Seven was named Champion Stayer (racing).

By Liesl King

Image: The Snaith Racing Team . . . recently awarded the Exceptional Achievement Award at the Cape Racing and Breeders Awards held at the Vineyard Hotel.

It will be a long time before the bookmakers recall the name Al Bragga without a warm glow spreading through their systems and in the first at Kenilworth on Saturday a massive gamble on the newcomer went spectacularly wrong.

Mike Stewart, who trains Red Rum-style on the beach at Noordhoek, may have a Summer Cup to his name but he operates at bargain basement level and scores with well-backed first timers about as often as Justin Snaith has a winner starting at 30-1.

The money poured on Andre Hauptfleisch’s homebred as if there was no tomorrow and the Captain Al colt’s price tumbled from 15-2 to 19-10 favourite. “It’s not my money but I don’t think he will get beaten,” said the trainer.

Yet the favourite lost ground at the start and never got into it, finishing with only one behind him and over 20 lengths off the winner Psychedelic. “He had shown plenty at home but Donovan Dillon said it was the ground and that the horse hated every minute of it,” said a mystified and bitterly disappointed Stewart. “I have worked Al Bragga in the wet, but in ground that was possibly not as wet as it is here.”

It was Kate Meiring and Juan Batt who solved the mystery. The course vets examined the colt on the instructions of the stipes and found him to be lame on his off-fore.

The stipes had a busy time and they also quizzed Snaith about the dramatic improvement of the 30-1 winner. “He showed a lot of pace in his first two runs but at the end he died,” the trainer reported. “Now, with gelding and a little bit more fitness, he managed to finish the race – but I was surprised.”

Less so by the two Drakenstein homebred winners sired by the ill-fated Kingsbarns – Queensbarns who looked a bit special when storming home five lengths clear under Robert Khathi and Casino Queen who completed a double for the eloquent Sandile Mbhele, rider of Psychedelic and now on the 49-winner mark.

But the one that stood out, by winning distance at least, was Cane Lime ‘N Soda who went clear over a furlong out under M.J. Byleveld in the Betting World Maiden to score by more than eight lengths and give Vaughan Marshall good reason to celebrate his 68^th birthday a day early.

“I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves but he was bloody impressive and he looks to have a bit of a future,” said Robert Bloomberg who shares ownership with Ron Chetty.

If ever an owner deserved a medal for perseverance it is Alfie Baum whose Duntoche came good at the age of five and at the 18th time of asking in the Tab Telebet Maiden. She had been placed on half her starts so she has kept producing a return and the Paul Reeves-trained mare never hesitated when Morne Winnaar asked her to lead from the start.

We hear a lot about small trainers and the problems they face so it is good to be able to report that Harold Crawford is pulling away from that troubled category. Assistant Michelle Rix, who has turned things round for her father, revealed after Orferd’s Flash’s victory under Ossie Noach that the one-time single figure stable now has 30 horses plus ten two-year-olds to come.

Brett Crawford, no relation, was responsible for three of the seven runners in the 2 000m handicap, and had a one-two with Principessa and Magic Mary. But it was last-race Reenan who kept the punters happy by winning the finale with a Glen Puller horse for the third time in the last six Kenilworth meetings. Ready To Rumble came home at 25-1 under Brandon May to give part-owner George Eveleigh the birthday present he wanted most of all.

By Michael Clower

Sean Tarry did not believe he had the firepower to win last season’s National Trainers championship so it came as a bonus along with his season’s chief target of “getting Chris (van Niekerk) over the line.”

Loyal owner Van Niekerk will receive the South African Champion Owner award for the second time at the Equus Awards next week, where Tarry will receive the Trainer’s trophy for the fourth time.

Tarry said, “I thought Mike and Justin had the goods last season. It is usually the trainers who win the R4 million races who win it, so maybe it was days like Scottsville which kept us in the race.”

Tarry won three Grade 1s in one day for the first time in his career at Scottsville’s annual Festival Of Speed meeting in May and was unlucky not to clinch a Jackpot of Grade 1s as Cavivar was hampered in the Allan Robertson Championship and lost by a head. Tarry also sent out the trifecta in the main race, the Tsogo Sun Sprint.

Tarry will approach this season like last and said, “I will just tack on and if things look good will start worrying.”

His dual Grade 1 winning sprint-miler Celtic Sea will remain in training although she is not a certainty to go down for the Cape Summer Of Champions season.  

Grade 1-winning sprinter Chimichuri Run is also not a certainty to travel down as there is only one proper race for him, the Grade 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship over a five furlong distance which is a touch sharp for him, although it is a tough five furlongs.

Tarry said realistically speaking he did not appear to have a Sun Met horse, unless the three-year-olds put their hands up, as Cirillo, whilst having proven class, was not as good as the like of Do It Again and Rainbow Bridge.

He said a line could be drawn through Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion winner Eden Roc’s run on eLan Gold Cup day in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m as something had worried him on course and he had become uncontrollable in the parade ring.

He labelled Putontheredlight, runner up to Eden Roc in the Grade 2 Durban Holden Horseshoe, as another of his three-year-old classic hopes for the season although added races like the Dingaans and Cape Guineas were the true tests which showed whether a horse was up to it or not.

He mentioned a number of horses as candidates to clinch him a third successive Gauteng Summer Cup. 

He said, “I have a couple of nice horses off decent marks. Lord Silverio had a premature injury last season which put paid to his campaign and he is back in training, there is Al Mutawakel (unbeaten in three starts), Zillzaal has had the gelding he needed badly, although the Summer Cup might come too soon.”

He will also target the defending champion Tilbury Fort at the Summer Cup and will consider running his Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic, Grade 2 SA Oaks and Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg-winner from last season, Return Flight, although he said it was not the perfect race for her.

Tarry’s chief jockey Lyle Hewitson has departed for a stint in Hong Kong, so will need to be replaced. He said, “I don’t want to force any new relationship but have got a lot of horses and those who put in the hard work will get the opportunities.”

Gold Circle have allowed Tarry to take a “sabattical” from his KZN satellite yard at Summerveld which he will open again for the SA Champions Season.

By David Thiselton