A ban of the whip has been gaining momentum in the UK and Phumelela have showed their support for this movement by staging a race at Turffontein on Saturday in which jockeys will not be permitted to use whips.

Saturday sees the running of the R1-million Peermont Emperors Charity Mile and Clyde Basel, on-course sales and marketing executive for Phumelela, views the meeting as an ideal opportunity to introduce whip-free racing to the public. “Being Charity Mile we want to show that we are willing to take a positive step forward for those who support a welfare approach to the role of animals in our lives,” he said.

“As a responsible operator/regulator there is a view that the current rules and penalties around the use of the whip are simply not good enough and can be both improved and made clearer.

“Obviously much research still needs to be done but this is a perfect trial for Charity Mile day with the newbies (celebrities and the like) all watching, and in particular all the horse-related charities who will welcome this concept with open arms.”

Jockey Piere Strydom has been a keen exponent of the innovative move. “While the whips do not inflict pain on the horse, it still does a lot of damage to the image of the sport.

“I feel this is a very positive move and I congratulate the operator for coming up with the concept,” said Strydom.

Trainer Mike de Kock is another staunch supporter. “The first question we get from newcomers to the sport is ‘why do we whip horses’. It gives the sport a very poor image and I’ve been pushing his idea for months.

“There are no negatives. It can only be positive for horseracing.”

In 2011 The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) had a ten month review of the use of the whip and as a result they made new whip restrictions and instituted more severe penalties for whip offenses.

However at the time racing pundit John McCririck believed the sport had missed an ideal opportunity to boost its image by failing to ban hitting horses with the whip.

He described the BHA as ‘gutless’, but believed it would be just a matter of time before hitting horses would be a thing of the past.

‘We’ve been talking about the whip for 30 years and the fact is the whip is on the way out,’ he said. “There’s no other living creature on the planet you are legally allowed to hit.’

The restrictions soon had consequences as top jockey Richard Hughes threatened to hand in his jockey’s license after receiving two bans in less than a week. However, he did not follow through with the threat and won the British Jockeys Championships the following season.

The permitted number of uses of the whip with hands off the reins was restricted to seven times for Flat races and eight times for Jumps race in Britain.

Riders could only carry a specifically designed and approved energy absorbing whip.

This whip has cushioning and does not inflict nearly as much pain as the old whip did although it does make a loud noise. The use of this standardised whip is also compulsory in South Africa.

However, welfare groups want the whip banned completely and the petition Care 2 started three years ago in the USA was an eye opener in how racing outsiders view the whip.

They said, “The whip is used in horse racing to beat horses towards the end of the race when they’re tired or sore and want to slow down. This is cruel and inhumane. Yet, the horse racing industry gets away with it. Just like the bullhook, the whip is another torture device for animals. During Victor Espinoza’s ride on American Pharoah in the Kentucky Derby, he hit the horse 32 times with his whip.”

In horseracing mad Australia a poll was conducted on whether the whip should be banned and the results were interesting. Of people who never attended racing 90% said it should be banned, of those who attended once or twice a year 77% said it should be banned, those who attended more than monthly but less than weekly the figure was 47% and those who attended more than weekly it was 31%. These figures appear to show how detrimental to the sports image the whip is and with administrators around the world attempting to win new fans to the races the whip regulations probably need to be revisited.

The whip might help a horse on occasion, but is often detrimental to its cause. The best riders in the world know how to use it correctly and this is summed up by legendary South African jockey Michael “Muis” Roberts. He said he would usually give a horse a few light taps to test the response and if it was positive he would whip more freely, but would otherwise use it sparingly or not at all. “Fillies often don’t take kindly to the whip”, he said. However, Roberts also mentioned another use for the whip which most experienced racegoers would probably regard as its most important asset: when a horse begins floundering or hanging, the changing of the whip to another hand and giving it one smack can see it changing legs and finding another gear.

Hands and heels races, mainly for claiming apprentices, are regularly held in the UK. Saturday’s race at Turffontein is a welcome innovation and will likely lead to more such races.

By David Thiselton

Crown Towers, who left punters stunned and painfully poorer when beaten at 1-3 five weeks ago, has the chance to redeem his reputation in the Bradbury Finance Handicap at Kenilworth today.

This is the horse who Paul Lafferty said “Could be the Guineas favourite” so impressive was he when winning on debut, yet he proved unable to win a six-runner Durbanville handicap. Justin Snaith was as shocked as the horse’s backers that day but he put the defeat down to the colt being caught flat-footed in a tail wind.

Richard Fourie’s mount seems sure to maintain his record of starting favourite each time he has raced – World Sports Betting opened him at 15-10 -but Snaith has reservations and explains: “He is doing very well and I am expecting a big run but he is going to have to be as good as we think he is if he is to win this.

“He was raised three points for finishing second and he has to give 4kg and 3.5kg to the other three-year-old maiden winners (Herodotus and Capoeira). Also I have been quiet with many of my horses as I have had a lot of two-year-olds coming in.”

What Snaith means is that two-year-olds are rather like small children going to school. They pick up every bug that is going and these infections can spread to the other horses. Three-year-olds are particularly at risk whereas four and five-year-olds have had more time to develop immunity.

Herodotus and Capoeira are joint second favourites at 4-1 with Aldo Domeyer’s mount What A Joker on 9-2. However what is suggested is an each way bet on Brandenburg. He was available at 25-1 yesterday and anything like those odds could prove better value each way than taking a skimpy price about the favourite. True, the four-year-old took ten races to win his maiden but he made all the running over this trip last time and both Paddy Kruyer and Morne Winnaar are in great form.

Silvano’s Pride in the Astra Maiden is another Snaith three-year-old with losses to recover. She started favourite at Durbanville on the same day as Crown Towers but she ran on too late. It looked as if Fourie had given her too much to do – how could you write such sacrilege, he will say! – but the stipes report’ reveals that his path was blocked for several strides at a crucial stage approaching the furlong marker. She is 2-1 favourite here and is preferred to both the badly drawn Star Fighter and Vomandla.

In the last there is precious little to choose between the main Snaith hope Minona and Cantata. The latter was caught on the line ten days ago and is marginally preferred.

In the Samson Foundation Maiden (race two) 18-10 favourite Almost Captured may have come on enough to account for 28-10 shot Au Revoir who returned from a lengthy absence to run well at Durbanville on Matchem day.

By Michael Clower

The Grade 2 Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile to be run this Saturday on Turffontein Standside has gained a reputation for upsets and in the last six renewals only one winner has started in single figure odds.

The reason for this is likely due to the race being used by a few as a stepping stone into the Summer Cup and this year there looks to be a couple of value runners who could upset the applecart again.

The favourite is Noble Secret and according to trends he does not make appeal at around 33/10 as he looks to have the Summer Cup as his chief target. However, this classy sort will surely go close carrying just 55kg from a plum draw as he will be coming into his own and does not face a vintage field.

The next in the betting is Matador Man whose optimum trip is a mile so he ticks one important box as this is his likely chief mission. His Turffontein Standside record is dismal without a single place in seven starts. However, he has been prepared where he is happiest this year, in KZN, and comes off a superb win at Greyville. He is drawn in pole and will likely sit off the pace and with a nice galloping weight of 56kg it’s just a question again of whether he can reproduce his Greyville form.

The third favourite is Coral Fever. Last year he ran well in the Victory Moon Stakes in his second run of the season and this will be his second run of the season here so he could surprise. He was staying on very well in the Spring Challenge over 1450m and much prefers the Standside track with its long straight so this much improved horse can’t be written off despite having to carry 61kg from draw 14 as he has class and is ultra consistent.

The fourth favourite at 7/1 is the winner of two years ago New Predator, who was a close fourth last year. He has been off form but has consequently come down the merit ratings and carries 3kg less than he did two years ago. However, he has quite a tough draw of eleven and might not be quite the same horse he once was.

The fifth favourite is last year’s winner Hat Puntano, who carries the same weight as last year and is drawn one wider in eight if the reserves come out. He did not enjoy the best preparation last year either, but his reappearance this season after a nine month break in the Spring Challenge was too lacklustre for him to be fancied here.

Champagne Haze is next in the betting. He won over 1600m early in his career but since then it has become apparent he is better up to 1400m.

Tilbury Fort at odds of 16/1 is an interesting contender as he responded to gelding last season by reeling off two good wins in succession over this course and distance, so goes well fresh and this is his first outing of the season. However, he does have a tricky draw of nine and the handicapper might have caught up with him.

Captain Aldo is a specialist 1400m horse so is hard to fancy here.

Full Mast had to overcome quite a wide draw in the Spring Challenge to go handy, but his stride was shortening late and he now has an even wider draw over 1600m.

Doosra looked promising early in his career but became disappointing, although blinkers have livened him up and he is in good form. However, it is questionable whether he is good enough to win this race.

Romany Prince showed his class when winning the KZN Breeders Million Mile carrying 60kg and he needed his last run. He is a miler and has landed what by trends is just about a perfect draw of six, so he should be in the shake up carrying 55,5kg.

Social Order finished second last year carrying 52kg and now carries 55kg and is drawn ten as opposed to two. He is suited to the Standside track and ran a good recent preparation race, but the Summer Cup is likely his aim as this is just his second run of the season.

Bulleting Home has a plum draw and is one to consider as he has never quite fulfilled his potential and a mile is his best trip. However, his lacklustre last run over 1400m, his third run after a year long layoff, was a touch off putting.

Unagi comes off a good preparation but has a tough draw and appears better on the Inside track.

Infamous Fox is an improved sort who reeled off four on the trot last season and he needed his last outing when a touch strong in the running before moving up well and fading. Unfortunately he has a tough draw to overcome.

Arctica is the joint biggest outsider but represents fair value as he had no luck in running last time out and now has a good draw and carries just 53kg with in form Ryan Munger up.

The three top horses in the betting should be in the mix, and the value contenders look to be Arctica and Romany Prince. Infamous Fox would have been included if it were not for his tough draw.

By David Thiselton

Oh Susanna may begin her campaign in a mares and fillies Pinnacle at Kenilworth on 15 November after comfortably coming out on top in a 1 400m gallop at the Cape Town course on Saturday morning.

The Sun Met winner was ridden by Richard Fourie in the work-out and went with 20-1 Summer Cup hope Made To Conquer (Athandiwe Mgudlwa) and Elusive Silva (Robert Khathi).

Justin Snaith said: “It was a good first gallop of the season for all three of them. I want to get a couple of races into Oh Susanna as she hasn’t had much racing this year and Natal didn’t suit her. She didn’t like the fast tracks at Summerveld and it was very crowded there. She didn’t enjoy that either.

“I will see how she comes out of this gallop but I will nominate her for the Pinnacle and I might well have a dip at that.”

The mile race could be a hot affair as the unbeaten Hashtagyolo is on course for it and Brave Move may also be in the line-up.

Front And Centre, ante-post favourite for last Saturday’s big fillies race until being scratched with an abnormal blood count early the previous morning, will run in an MR 88 handicap on 21 November.

Brett Crawford said: “The blood count was abnormal enough to cause concern and one thing I have learnt is that if you go into a Group race not 100% you will always come off second best. There is time to get another race into Front And Centre before the Fillies Guineas (15 December) and in the MR 88 handicap she will receive her full wfa allowance.”

By Michael Clower