Horse racing is widely touted as the ‘brain game’ when it comes to the leisure rand and for this reason for years it was the only legalised form of ‘gambling’ before lotto, scratch cards and casinos were given license.

The number of gambling zombies mesmerized by the pressing of buttons and staring at revolving screen images beggars belief. When they lose, which is often, they blame bad luck. Punters on horse racing can blame a myriad of other factors such as going – good or bad – bad jockeys, bad trainers or bad horses – they can also add to that their own bad judgement.

Mark Khan

The first night meeting of the new season sees racing switching to the Greyville poly and it will be a ‘brain test’ for punters who are faced with a tricky card.

Form for the first two races on the card is thin but Mark Khan, now a regular rider for Lezeanne Forbes, can get the evening off to a winning start when he partners Easy Ginger.

The filly showed good improvement when taking on winners last time out. Back in the maidens she should have a bright chance in a weak field. Danger could be Twice Over Satin who has only had a barrier trial but she put up a decent time and the ‘winner’ of that trial had some fair form behind his name.

In the second, Don’t Look Back improved nicely in blinkers at his second outing and that form has held up quite nicely. He should also be suited by the extra 300m. Paddington’s Luck is another that should enjoy the step up in trip and the stable is in excellent form.

When ever Johan Janse van Vuuren comes into town his horses invariably start favourite and that is the case in the opening leg of the Pick 6. The presence of Anton Marcus aboard Dreams Are Made adds to the filly’s appeal and she was a short at 17-10 yesterday. Second favourite is the Duncan Howells-trained Starlight. The daughter of Stagelight has a staying pedigree and should much prefer this trip to her debut sprint. The stable is also in form with a brace of winners at Scottsville on Wednesday.

Second Request, a facile winner of her maiden, has been priced up 6-10 favourite for the fourth although Sean Tarry’s filly is not the best weighted filly in this Graduation Handicap. Statute was a victim of her easy debut win and subsequent beating of the well-tried Miss Varlicious and was lumbered with a rather unrealistic merit rating of 98. She has dropped to a 91 for this race, in theory 5kg superior to Second Request, but has been forced to compete in tough company courtesy of her high rating. However, Michael Roberts steps her up to a mile tonight and she makes her poly debut.

Also in the line-up are two useful performers from Dean Kannemeyer’s Summerveld yard and both Miss Milanna and Mara warrant serious consideration.

The fifth is another competitive handicap but Marcus appears to have picked another plum in Fieldmarshal Fenix. The gelding has been knocking at the door for some time now and was only run out of it late last Sunday. He is back over his best trip and his consistency can be rewarded. Elusive Wolf has a big weight but is another overdue a win while Piaget Prince nearly caused a major boil-over when a close-up third at long odds last time out and the stable is starting to turn the corner.

Van Vuuren and Marcus team up with Penny Royal in the sixth but in another tricky filly’s handicap is only a luke warm favourite at 2-1 ahead of recent course and distance winner Call Me Winter.

Noemi was thrown in at the deep end when lining up for the Gr3 The Debutante at the end of last season but earned her place with smart win on debut. She takes on a lot weaker here but again it’s not a race to go light in, in the exotics.

It can test the nerves to rely in a banker in the last leg of an exotic bet but Benfontein will be a banker in many a bet. The gelding has not been out of the money since arriving in KZN from the Cape and with blinkers on for the first time he could have the measure of Putchini and Honest Prince.

By Andrew Harrison

CEO Rian du Plessis had tendered his resignation from Phumelela Gaming and Leisure Limited.

In a statement on the JSE news service on Tuesday, Phumelela said that Du Plessis had resigned for personal reasons.

“Rian has full confidence in the company’s executive management team, underlying business fundamentals and strategic direction,” reads the statement.

And as a further vote of confidence in the future success of Phumelela, Du Plessis has given the assurance that he will not consider disposing of any Phumelela shares held directly or indirectly by him, his family or otherwise in the foreseeable future.

Stepping in to take over the reins from Du Plessis is John Stuart, International Executive Director of Phumelela.

Stuart served his articles with KPMG before joining TAB KwaZulu-Natal in 1979 as Internal Auditor, and occupied various positions there before leaving in 1996 as Assistant General Manager. He then joined TAB Transvaal (transferred to Phumelela as part of the corporatisation process) in 1997 and served in various positions before heading up the international division in 2006. John also heads up the Tellytrack operation on behalf of the Tellytrack partnership.

He is also Executive Director of Premier Gateway International.

“With more than 39 years of experience in the horseracing and gaming industry, the Board welcomes John’s increased participation in the business and looks forward to his ongoing contribution.”

According to the statement, Du Plessis has also committed himself to assist his successor until the end of March 2019 to ensure a smooth transition.

“The Board and management team would like to thank Rian for his valued service and contribution to the company over the past 10 years. He led the development of a sophisticated business with multiple revenue streams and has formed a management team supporting long term stability and growth,” reads the statement.

“The Company’s financial results announcement scheduled for 5 October 2018 will be delivered by the new CEO.”

– Phumelela Gaming

Chief Handicapper Roger Smith looked back fondly on 33 years of service in the racing industry.

His wife has taken up a position in Jersey with Price Waterhouse and he plans to continue his racing career on the channel island in an administrative role, although there are only a handful of race meetings on the island a year.

Smith began as assistant handicapper at Gosforth Park in Germiston in 1985 and then moved to Newmarket in Alberton in 1988 where he ran the racing services department and also worked as a handicapper.

He joined the National Horseracing Authority in 1999 as a handicapper and became manager of handicapping a couple of years later.

Smith’s career coincided with the change from the old race figure system to the merit rating system.

The latter system is disliked by more than a few but Smith said, “I think the original system (race figure) was not very scientific and there was a standard adjustment of two or three kilograms for a win, so the range of weights was too close and this didn’t make for competitive racing, there was more dominance in the racing. Some preferred it like that but if you consider the average ability of most horses it didn’t cater for the majority. The merit rated system enables longer careers for horses and allows the handicap racing to be more competitive.”

Commenting on the restrictions and guidelines which have accompanied the merit rated system during its lifetime, he said, “It has protected some younger horses as it has held down their ratings and this sometimes skews things as their ratings are then sometimes not a true representation of their ability. But the older horses will always have more chance to establish themselves and with them we are always cognisant of performances which are suddenly way better than their ratings.”

The job of chief handicapper is not for the feint hearted as handicappers take a lot of flak and Smith said, “Yes, we are like referees in rugby or soccer and are impartial and do not have a vested interest.”

However, he pointed out handicapping required dealing with sentient beings, which could otherwise be described as “flesh and blood”, and this meant they could be unpredictable.

He continued, “They can make fools of you and on other occasions they can vindicate you. There are so many factors which effect performance, that is why it is called gambling, but the more data you have the more chance you have of arriving at an accurate prediction.”

Smith lamented the lack of atmosphere on racecourses today compared to the vibrant days of the 1980s and 1990s, but he also recognises the upside of Tellytrack, where racing fans have access to live racing and replays in the comfort of their own home.

For him the thrill of racing has never dwindled, “I really enjoy watching it,” he said.

He mentioned Golden Loom, Jungle Rock, Chestnut Grove, Variety Club, Rolands Song, Petrava, Empress Club, Horse Chestnut as some of the horses which would always be etched in his memory.

He concluded, “South African racing has been an integral part of my life for a long time so I am going to miss it, but there was an opportunity for a new chapter and we took it with both hands.”

The entire racing industry would wish the best for Smith in his new venture as he has served the industry with honesty and integrity for many years.

By David Thiselton

The National Horseracing Authority’s (NHA) chairman Ken Truter has called an urgent committee meeting for next week to discuss the position of CEO after the resignation this week of Lyndon Barends.

The latter had been CEO since March 2016 but he and his wife were provisionally sequestrated recently after a high court hearing and he had taken a leave of absence before resigning.

Meanwhile, there will be an announcement made shortly about any changes in the NHA’s handicapping staff as chief handicapper Roger Smith will be departing with his wife at the end of this month to take up new respective career opportunities in Jersey.

By David Thiselton

Milnerton-based trainer Adam Marcus’ stalwart filly Brave Move gave his yard a few headlines last season and he now believes he can begin competing with the big Cape yards as he has recently received support from owners one would “dream of having”.

He consequently has a two-year-old and three-year-old string which are “a division above” what he has ever had before.

He said, “I would be surprised if we did not crack a couple who are above average, so it is very exciting times ahead. The difficulty of training in Cape Town is that there are a few yards who pretty much have everything sown up but I hope to keep my strike rate up and think we can now give them a bit of a run.”

Adam Marcus (hamishNIVENphotography)

Meanwhile, the now five-year-old mare Brave Move has been doing “exceptionally well”.

She is just in light work as she is coming off her compulsory African Horse Sickness vaccinations. However, Marcus said, “She softened up a bit during her rest, which was what we wanted to see, and is now looking great. Aldo (Domeyer) rode her in work this week and she felt as good as ever.”

Marcus plans to give her a gallop prior to her first preparation race and there are then a number of options but her main aims for the summer season will be the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m and the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes over a mile.

The Horse Chestnut mare won her maiden over 1400m in her second career start in the July of her three-year-old year and was accorded a merit rating of 72. Last season she began with three second place finishes in a row and then reeled off six wins on the trot, including comfortable victories in the Listed Highlands Stud Fillies Mile and the Grade 3 Final Fling Stakes over 1800m. She is now merit rated 107.

The Sandown Stud-bred mare was bought at the National Two-year-old sale in 2015 for what now looks a bargain R100,000.

Marcus said, “She was a stand out, we liked her from the first day we saw her. She is by Sandown Stud and we have had a lot of success with their progeny (which included the like of Priceless Jewel, Crystal Cavern and Royal Badge). James Armitage is an outstanding breeder so we always look at his draft.”

Brave Move is out of the three-time winning Qui Danzig mare Brave Bid, who is out of the Zimbabwean-bred Grade 3-winning Goldkeeper mare Bold Bidder.

Adam has been left to run the yard on his own for the last year-and-a-half by his father Basil, who is now fully retired. However, he still speaks to him everyday and Basil pops in to the yard once a fortnight.

Adam said, “It is good to always have that professional advice behind you.”

By David Thiselton