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

Mike de Kock successfully bid a recording-breaking R9 million on behalf of Shadwell South Africa for a Silvano colt on Day 1 of the National Yearling Sale in Germiston.

The colt, called Masaki, is out of the mare Quickwood and was bred by the Wilgerbosdrift Stud of Mary Slack.

The R9 million is easily the highest price paid for a thoroughbred racehorse at auction in South Africa and came as something of a surprise with the second last lot of the day.

Shadwell is the racing operation of Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum of Dubai, the De Kock stable’s most prominent owner and a long-time supporter of South Africa’s breeding and racing industries.

The underbidder was expat South African trainer Tony Millard, shopping for clients in Hong Kong, where he has been based for decades.

A hush fell over the Thoroughbred Breeders Association auction amphitheatre as Millard and De Kock battled it out, with auctioneer Graeme Hawkins calling the escalating bids by the half-millions. Hawkins gave Millard plenty of time to up his final offer, but finally brought down his gavel to set off loud applause.

De Kock was also the bidder for the day’s second most expensive lot, which went for R4.4 million. This was the Captain Al colt Vasco Da Gama, also bought on behalf of Shadwell. The strapping bay is a full brother to well-performed Captain Splendid and was bred by Varsfontein Stud.

The third highest price on the first day of South Africa’s premier sale was R4.3 million, paid by the Form Bloodstock agency for filly Kim Soo, consigned by Drakenstein Stud and by the recently deceased champion stallion Dynasty.

A half-brother to star filly Blossom was sold for R4.2 million. The colt from Mauritzfontein Stud – named Ficksburg and by Querari out of Triple Tiara champion Cherry On The Top – was signed for by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

That sale came hot on the heels of a R2.2 million sale of a full brother of former Horse of the Year Legislate. Bred by Cheveley Stud, the unnamed colt is by Dynasty and is out of the mare Champers. He was released by prominent owner Nic Jonsson.

After a slow start and a morning of solid, if unspectacular, bidding, the action picked up in earnest after lunch and the rash of multi-million lots whipped up excitement at the Thoroughbred Breeders Association sales centre.

Another highlight was the R2 million paid by Bjorn Nielsen for a Silvano filly consigned by Klawervlei. Seven other yearlings topped the R1 million mark and included purchases by Shadwell, Bass Racing and leading bloodstock agent John Freeman.

Jonsson was also the successful bidder for an unnamed daughter of Dynasty out of the brilliant race-mare All Is Secret. She fetched R900,000 for Klawervlei.

– BSA

Gavin Lerena’s retainer by Mauritzfontein and Wilgerbosdrift Studs means the ride on Hawwaam will likely be available to another lucky jockey in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge on May 4 at Turffontein as he is probably going to have to ride Cascapedia.

Lerena has just come off a seven day suspension last week and faces two more suspensions, but depending on how his appeals go and his success rate over the next few weeks, he might still chase the National Jockey Championship title.

He said, “I have a lot of ground to make up but if I am in contention I will definitely go for it.”

He has ridden 126 winners to date at a strike rate of 26,20% and is 27 winners behind leader Muzi Yeni.

Lerena felt the interference caused by Hawwaam to Approach Control at the 200m mark in the Grade 1 SA Classic was “nothing serious”, so did not feel it necessary to attend the enquiry. Therefore, he was surprised to receive a seven day suspension. Hawwaam shifted in slightly when powering past Approach Control and jockey Craig Zackey appeared to stop riding for a stride. However, Lerena is hoping the enquiry is re-opened so he can state his case.

Lerena will be appealing against a ten day suspension he received for his ride on Cascapedia in the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein on March 2. The big mare finished a narrow second, but Lerena was charged with failing “to ensure that she did not cause interference to other runners shortly before the finish line.”

Lerena will be travelling to KZN to ride in the big SA Champions Season races and will monitor the National Jockey Championship log before deciding whether to give it a full go in the last two months.

He was full of praise for the Silvano colt Hawwaam and confirmed he was one of the best he had ever ridden.

He said, “He makes it up so quickly, it feels as if he is not even touching the ground. If he can just learn to relax like he did in the SA Classic nothing will beat him.”

He is not sure yet whether Hawwaam will be running in the big one, the Vodacom Durban July, and said if he was not going to line up he would like to be on Rainbow Bridge.

Lerena has won the SA Championship once, in the 2014/2015 season, and he turned an intriguing tussle that year with S’Manga Khumalo into a one horse race when riding a record 42 winners in the month of June. So if he does decide to chase the title the frontrunners will have reason to feel a bit nervous. 

The current WSB odds for the title race are: Hewitson13/10; Yeni16/10; Marcus7/2; Lerena15/4; Fourie 150/1; Kennedy175/1; Munger330/1; Cheyne350/1.

By David Thiselton