The Andre Nel-trained Head Honcho began his transformation from average handicapper into a true Grade 1 class horse last season and the turning point was some advice given by Anton “Superman” Marcus.

Nel’s Summerveld assistant trainer Byron Foster said, “He always showed a lot of speed at home but Anton Marcus got off him after a 1600m event at Scottsville and said this horse needs ground. He hasn’t put a foot wrong since we have followed that advice.”

Marcus made that suggestion on Christmas Eve 2017 and since then the rangy Querari gelding has won six times in eight starts over distances from 1800m to 2200m. His stakes wins include the Listed Sledgehammer over 1800m, the Grade 3 Betting World 2200 and a highly impressive win in the Grade 2 WSB Premier Trophy over 1800m at Kenilworth.

Then he stepped up again when running a magnificent 0,95 length third from the front in the Sun Met, thus proving himself one of the best horses in the country.

The 122 merit rated five-year-old enjoyed a “nice break” after the Met and has been at Summerveld for about a month.

His chief SA Champions Season target will be the Vodacom Durban July and his build up into it will be via a Pinnacle Stakes race and the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge. 

Foster said, “He has improved beyond what we thought and must be some sort of runner in the July. If the same front-running tactics are adopted Greyville will suit him with its short run in.”

He has certainly proved his liking for Greyville before as both the Sledgehammer and the BW 2200 were on the Greyville turf.

Foster said Head Honcho was a sound and tough horse. He looks set for a good campaign. The yard are a bit thin on SA Champions Season horses besides Head Honcho.

Kampala Kampari will be aimed at the WSB 1900 and it will be taken from there.

They have some regard for three-year-old Vikram and Red Shift has been doing well. This pair may be aimed at the Listed Thukela on July day.

He mentioned Q The Music as a tough handicapper who would be targeted at a poly feature.

Silver Rose was deliberately targeted at the Highland Night Cup, which he won over 2400m at Scottsville on Sunday, as the yard realised some of the other Champions Season stayers would not be at their best for the race. However, it is now going to be harder for him with the others having come on and his merit rating having risen.

The four-year-old Var filly Evelina has been bought to KZN but Foster admitted this sprinter to 1400m sort would need to make a big step up.  The Poinsettia will be her starting point.

Foster said training at Summerveld had not been possible on Tuesday due to the rains but they had been able to use the poly yesterday (Wednesday).

By David Thiselton

Brett Crawford has had magnificent returns in the last two SA Champions Seasons, landing four Grade 1 wins in 2017 and three in 2018.

This season he has a small but powerful team at Summerveld and has a chance of adding to that record.

Undercover Agent was one of his stars last year and this year will be starting off in the Grade 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m, then running in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m and completing his campaign in the Grade 1 WSB Champions Cup over 1800m. He ran in the same three races last year and finished second, first and second respectively. He will have come into his own this season but the opposition is going to be stronger. 

Bold Respect landed the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint for Crawford last year but had to be scratched from the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint. He started last year in the Listed In Full Flight Stakes, which he won, but will avoid that race this year and go straight into the Tsogo Sun. Brett Crawford’s assistant trainer Peter Muscutt confirmed Bold Respect thrived in KZN. He said this horse did not quite see out the “stiff Kenilworth 1200m”, so he could do better than his fourth place finish in the Diadem last time out. He ran off a 111 merit rating when winning the Tsogo Sun by a cosy 1,75 lengths last year and is currently off a 113, so has every chance of defending his crown.

Sunset Eyes finished second in the I Full Flight last year and then third in the Tsogo Sun and fourth in the Mercury. This year he starts in the In Full Flight and then goes for the Tsogo Sun and the Grade 2 Post Merchants.

The yard have had one Grade 1 winner this season, the filly Front And Centre, who won the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas. Her Champions Season targets are the Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas, the Grade 2 Tibouchina over 1400m and the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m.

Princess Irene is also a useful three-year-old filly and won the Listed Ardmore Jamaica Handicap over 2000m in her last start in early January. Her first two Champions Season targets are the KRA Fillies Guineas and the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000. 

The yard’s talented Trippi colt Charles, who finished a narrow second in the Grade 1 GBETS Cape Derby last time out, will run in the Grade 2 KRA Guineas, the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and possibly the Vodacom Durban July.

The five-year-old Dynasty mare Sabina’s Dynasty made a fine debut for the yard on Sunday at Scottsville when running on strongly for second in the Listed Scarlet Lady over 1750m. She will be going for the Listed East Coast Cup over 2000m next and it will be taken from there. The connections were disappointed the former Paul Peter-trained mare didn’t get into the July last year as the winner of the Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes and as those partners remain in the syndicate, along with new partners Ridgemont Stud, the July is still a possibility, although she was not among the first entries.

Gimme One Night runs in the Listed Sledgehammer on Sunday and will then be aimed at the staying features. He finished fifth in the Grade 2 New Turf Carriers Stayers over 2800m on Sun Met day having previously landed a hattrick of wins from 2400m to 3200m, including the Grade 3 Cape Summer Stayers over 2500m and the Grade 3 Heineken Chairman’s Cup over 3200m.

The Eric Sands-trained Sun Met winner Rainbow Bridge is also staying in the Crawford yard for the Champions Season.

Muscutt believed his targets would be the Drill Hall, the Gold Challenge and the July.

Muscutt concluded by saying he was happy with all of the horses.

By David Thiselton

We are thrilled to announce that Track & Ball Gaming are again sponsoring this year’s Charity Turf Challenge which kicks off on “The Independent On Saturday” Drill Hall Stakes Day, Friday 3 May, and finishes on Saturday 27 July headlined by the Gr.3 eLan Gold Cup with a supporting cast of top races featuring four Gr.1 events.  

As you already know, the Charity Turf Challenge is an exciting competition that offers fans of the sport of horseracing a unique opportunity to test their skill – after all, racing is the “Intelligent Bet”!

So, what’s CHANGED this year?

• In these trying economic times, we’ve decided to “spread the love” with prize money (same quantum as in previous years) being paid out to 7^th place:
  • 1^st – R75 000
  • 2^nd – R25 000
  • 3^rd – R15 000
  • 4^th – R10 000
  • 5^th – R7 500
  • 6^th – R5 000
  • 7^th – R2 500
• The stand-alone prize for the entry that earns the most points on Vodacom Durban July Day will be pitched at R10 000
• An extra bonus race (worth 5 points to the winner): Gr.3 Track & Ball Derby on 22 June
• A new charitable beneficiary: Coastal Horse Care Unit

For those who are trying the competition for the first time, the aim of the Charity Turf Challenge is to select a team of 12 horses you feel are most likely to score points during the official period of the Champions Season. A list of all the Graded races will be provided and whilst the emphasis remains on these feature races run in KZN, ALL winners throughout the country will be eligible to earn points. Don’t forget Turffontein’s big day on 4 May counts, so make sure you pay attention to the big guns, especially those that are likely to feature in the KZN Champions Season as well.

The points breakdown can be found below:

Grade 1 Races: 

1st place              20 points

2nd place             14 points

3rd place              10 points

Grade 2 Races: 

1st place              14 points

2nd place             9 points

3rd place              6 points

Grade 3 Races: 

1st place              9 points

2nd place             5 points

3rd place              3 points

Listed Races:              

1st place              2 points

All other Races:         

1st place              1 point

Bonus Points: the following are eligible for 5 bonus points:

a) Bonus Races – the winners of the following races:

Gr.1 Tsogo Sun Sprint – 1200m (26 May at Scottsville Racecourse)

Gr.1 The Rising Sun Gold Challenge – 1600m (09 June at Greyville Racecourse)

Gr.3 Track & Ball Derby – 2400m (22 June at Scottsville Racecourse) ** NEW**

Gr.1 Vodacom Durban July – 2200m (07 July at Greyville Racecourse)

Gr.3 eLan Gold Cup – 3200m (27 July at Greyville Racecourse)

b) Long Shots – any winner whose official Tote win payout exceeds R15

Points will be scored on the FINAL result (all clear to pay) posted on SAFTOTE.

Racing South Africa, the competition host, will provide a list of horses that are thought to be campaigning in KZN during Champions Season. Only horses from this list are eligible. 

The final list of horses is expected to be available by Wednesday 17 April. To the best of its knowledge, Racing South Africa will attempt to keep players informed of horses that are NOT participating for whatever reason.

Additional INCENTIVES for racing enthusiasts:

• FREE BONUS entry for every 5 entries submitted for ONLINE users (sixth entry is free)
• Track & Ball Gaming, is offering ALL CTC entrants a betting credit worth R200 added to their next deposit (minimum deposit of R50) online. For more information about this promotion, please contact the Track And Ball team directly on: 031 314 1969 or email: onlinesupport@trackandball.co.za or visit the website: www.trackandball.co.za
• TabGold is again kindly sponsoring R10 000 worth of betting vouchers for the ever-popular weekly draw

Watch the press for more details!

Racing South Africa Team

E – ctc@racingsouthafrica.co.za