The Western Cape trainers were as prominent as usual in the 2017/2018 season and four of their yards finished in the top ten on the national log.

The Western Cape wrested back the South African trainer’s championships as the Justin Snaith yard broke the three year hold Sean Tarry had on the title. Snaith’s first national championship was in the 2013/2014 season and that broke a four season streak by Mike de Kock.

However, the Western Cape won less Grade 1s than their Johannesburg counterparts. Of the 29 South African Grade 1s on offer 15 were won by Gauteng yards and 13 by Cape Town yards.

Snaith’s stakes earnings of R32.263.050, if restricted races are excluded, was his best ever return but was less than Tarry’s record amount of R32,263.050 in the 2016/2017 season. If restricted stakes are included Snaith earned R29,987,488, a massive return yet some way short of Tarry’s R36,109,550 of the 2016/2017 season.

Snaith won seven Grade 1s and these included the countries two most celebrated races, the Vodacom Durban July with Do It Again and the Sun Met with Oh Susanna. He was also just 0,4 lengths away from winning the prestigious Grade 1 L’Ormarin’s Queens Plate with Copper Force. Oh Susanna became the first three-year-old filly in over 100 years to win the Met and this followed an emphatic victory in the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes. She then made it three Grade 1s in a row when winning the Woolavington 2000 in her only start in KZN. Before those three wins she had met her stablemate Snowdance twice, in the Grade 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship and the Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and been beaten into fifth and second respectively.

Snowdance also won the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes. She arrived in KZN a superstar but was then responsible for the yard’s three biggest disappointments as she was beaten narrowly into second in all of the Grade 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas, the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes. However, it was still a memorable SA Champions Season for the yard as they returned the most dominant finish in Vodacom Durban July history. Terrance Millard did the July trifecta twice but Snaith went one better by sending out the trifecta and the fifth-placed horse. However, Snaith’s best day of the season was on Met day, where he landed three Grade 1s. Sergeant Hardy got the ball rolling that day in the Betting World Cape Flying Championships.

Snaith also won five Grade 2s, six Grade 3s, seven Listed races and five Non-Black Type events. Among the latter was the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes with Miss Katalin.

Brett Crawford was fourth on the National trainers log with official earnings of R12,379,188. He won three Grade 1s, all in the SA Champions Season. He retained his crowns in both the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and the Champions Cup. His highlight was when Captain America, the yard’s flag bearer for many seasons, won the latter race in his swansong. Three-year-old Undercover Agent won the Gold Challenge. His other Grade 1 winner was with three-year-old Bold Respect in the Tsogo Sun Sprint. He also won two Grade 3s, five Listed races and two Non-Black Types. Among the latter wins was the US$500,000 CTS Mile with Undercover Agent.

Candice Bass-Robinson finished sixth on the National trainers log with official earnings of R10,463,900. She retained her crown in the US$500,000 CTS 1200, this year doing it with Dutch Phillip.  All in all she won two Grade 2s, three Grade 3s, two Listed races and two Non-Black Types.

Glen Kotzen finished 8^th on the National log with official earnings of R8,985,000. His highlight was winning the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby with Eyes Wide Open, who also won the Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap. Kotzen provided the first South African Graded winner for the top European performer Duke Of Marmalade when Temple Grafin won the Grade 3 Debutante over 1200m on Gold Cup day, Kotzen won one other Grade 3 and also five Listed races.

Dean Kannemeyer finished eleventh on the National log and pulled off a magnificent training feat with It’s My Turn, who joined his yard as a five-year-old having not won since victory in the Cape Derby as a three-year-old. In the space of five weeks in June and July It’s My Turn won the Track and Ball Oaks, the Gold Vase and the Gold Cup, all Grade 3s but the latter event remains the most prestigious staying event in the land. Kennemeyer also won one other Grade 3 and a Non-Black type with his unbeaten KZN-based filly Hashtagyolo, and he also won a Listed race.

Joey Ramsden was probably the chief sufferer among trainers when perennial champion owners Mayfair Speculators began disbanding last December, but he still finished 13^th on the national log and landed one Grade 1, the Computaform Sprint with Attenborough, and won Grade 2 and four Listed races. His filly Fresnaye did the Stormsvlei Mile and Winter Oaks double.

Vaughan Marshall and Andre Nel finished 18th and 19^th on the national log respectively. Marshall landed the Grade 1 Cape Guineas with Tap O’Noth, who also won a Grade 3. Marshall also won a Grade 2, a Listed race and two Non-Black Types. Nel won a Grade 2, three Listed races and a Non-Black Type.

Eric Sands’ provided one of the Cape highlights with the unbeaten three-year-old Rainbow Bridge, who won the first two legs of the Cape Winter Series, both Grade 3s, before being sent overseas.

Harold Crawford won a Listed race as well as the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes with Perovskia.  Bill Prestage won a Grade 2 and a Listed race, Dan Katz won a Grade 2, Glen Puller won a Grade 2, Adam Marcus won a Grade 3 and a Listed race, and Mike Robinson won a Grade 3.

By David Thiselton

Joey Ramsden is considering again sending horses to Johannesburg in the first few months of the season and these could include Mercury Sprint runner-up Attenborough.

The Milnerton trainer said: “He is a good horse who just needs to be ridden in a certain way. He ran a good race in the Mercury Sprint – he got caught wide and the winner got first run on him – and he will return to Cape Town when they lift the restrictions.”

Dutch Philip, only tenth of 14 in the Mercury, left Summerveld with others of Candice Bass-Robinson’s string on Saturday morning and will spend two weeks in Touws River before being allowed to continue to Cape Town.

His trainer said: “It was the draw and racing wide in the Mercury but I don’t think he is as effective round the turn. It might be different, though, if he is drawn on the rails.

“I may well geld him when he gets back. He is not going to be a stallion and he is quite coltish. He will then have a break before returning for the Cape summer season.”

Stable companion Tevez will run in his fourth successive Kenilworth Pinnacle on Saturday when he will be ridden by Ryan Munger for the first time. The now nine-year-old was not suited by the slow gallop when starting joint favourite last time and managed only fifth.

Anton Marcus flies in to take just one ride – the Brett Crawford-trained Water Spirit for his new retainer Ridgemont in the three-year-old fillies maiden – while Anthony Andrews rides for the first time since damaging his shoulder in a pens accident at the end of April.

By Michael Clower

A total of 58 horses have been entered for the R750,000 World Sports Betting Grand Heritage (Non-Black Type) – the event with the biggest field in South African racing – to be run over 1475m at the Vaal on Saturday, September 29.

There will be 28 starters for what has become known as “the cavalry charge”.

Former national champion trainer Sean Tarry has no fewer than eight nominations, including Africa Rising, Count Tassilo and London Secret.

Mike de Kock has entered just two, but they are quality individuals: Triple Crown performer Noble Secret and highly rated Australian import Dhabyaan.

Winner of the inaugural Grand Heritage in 2016, Irish Pride, from the Johan Janse van Vuuren stable, is among the hopefuls.

Others to catch the eye are veteran campaigner Killua Castle, from Geoff Woodruff’s yard, and a raider from KwaZulu-Natal in the shape of Shane Humby-trained Socrates.

The Grand Heritage is open to all horses and the final field is by way of invitation from racing operator Phumelela.

To be considered for inclusion in the final field, every horse nominated must have had at least a minimum of ONE run from the time of first entry up to and including the time of the final supplementary entry.

Base weights are determined by the handicapper prior to consideration of additional weights for Graded and Listed races. Additional penalties for highest Graded/Listed win in the last 18 months are: Grade 1 3kg, Grade 2 2kg, Grade 3 1kg, Listed 0.5kg. Thereafter, where applicable, amended weights for runs between first and final supplementary entries will be published on a weekly basis until final weights are published. There is no sex allowance and no apprentice allowance.

Stakes are payable up to 15th position, provided 28 runners + 2 reserve runners are declared, with the first prize being R406,250.

Entries for the R750,000 WSB Grand Heritage (Non-Black Type) (Open) over 1475m at the Vaal on Saturday 29 September:

18 AFRICA RISING (S G Tarry) 0.0,

37 AFRICAN RULER (P A Peter) 0.0,

15 BOCKSCAR (S G Tarry) 0.0,

13 BOLD COAST (S M Ferreira) 0.0

20 BRONX BOMBER (A G Laird) 0.0

16 CERTIFIABLE (S J Gray) 0.0

25 CHAPEL JIVE (S J Gray) 0.0

43 CHEPARDO (A G Laird) 0.0

33 CLASSIFY (D Sham) 0.0

53 CLEVER GUY (S Moffatt) 0.0

52 COMBAT MUSTER (S J Gray) 0.0

41 COUNT TASSILO (S G Tarry) 0.0

57 DAFFIQ (G Terzi) 0.0

47 DAN THE LAD (P F Matchett) 0.0

11 DANZA (A G Laird) 0.0

56 DHABYAAN (M F de Kock) 0.0

44 DIVINE CONNECTION (A G Laird) 0.0

10 DIVINE ODYSSEY (J J van Vuuren) 0.0

31 FINCHATTON (G Terzi) 0.0

35 FLYING WINGER (A G Laird) 0.0

32 FULL OF ATTITUDE (J A Soma) 0.0

2 GALACTIC WARRIOR (M N Houdalakis) 0.0

46 HUYSSTEEN (M N Houdalakis) 0.0

3 IMAGE AWARD (S G Tarry) 0.0

23 IRISH PRIDE (J J van Vuuren) 0.0

8 JUBILEE LINE (F P Habib) 0.0

7 JUST ASK ME (C J Lensley) 0.0

42 KILLUA CASTLE (G V Woodruff) 0.0

24 KINGS ARCHER (S T Pettigrew) 0.0

12 LAKE KINNERET (S J Gray) 0.0

21 LONDON SECRET (S G Tarry) 0.0

50 MARDI GRAS (J J van Vuuren) 0.0

26 MOUNT KEITH (A B Fortune) 0.0

19 NOBLE SECRET (M F de Kock) 0.0

49 PILOU (S G Tarry) 0.0

29 PURPLE DIAMOND (S G Tarry) 0.0

6 REBUKED (S Moffatt) 0.0

34 RINGS AND THINGS (A B Fortune) 0.0

4 ROUGE ALLURE (S Moffatt) 0.0

27 SAIL FOR JOY (F P Habib) 0.0

28 SEVENTH OF JUNE (P A Peter) 0.0

17 SILVER COIN (G Terzi) 0.0

38 SILVER PEG (G M Alexander) 0.0

1 SOCRATES (S W Humby) 0.0

58 SOLDIER ON (S T Pettigrew) 0.0

22 SOVEREIGN REIGN (D Nieuwenhuizen) 0.0

14 STRAWBERRY PAVLOVA (S J Gray) 0.0

45 STREET FLYER (P F Matchett) 0.0

55 TALKTOTHESTARS (F C de Beer) 0.0

9 TANDAVA (G Terzi) 0.0

54 TOP SHOT (G M Alexander) 0.0

40 TORIO LAKE (J J van Vuuren) 0.0

5 TSITSIKAMMA DANCE (A B Fortune) 0.0

30 UNAGI (G M Alexander) 0.0

48 WILD CURVE (F P Habib) 0.0

51 WILLIAM NICOL (S J Gray) 0.0

39 YAMOTO (S G Tarry) 0.0

36 ZOUAVES (G V Woodruff) 0.0

From Saturday, August 11 to the end of November, any horse winning a Maiden Plate in its first five starts will have to run twice in an Assessment Plate before being allowed to compete in a handicap race on the Highveld.

These Assessment Plates are being introduced at Turffontein and Vaal racecourses on a trial basis from August through November at the request of a group of Highveld trainers and many other industry players nationally led by Mike de Kock.

“We believe in trying something different. These plate races can only assist the handicappers in making more informed decisions in arriving at merit ratings for horses who win within their first few starts. This way we can have less debate,” said De Kock.

Trainers were requested to attend the meeting at which the Assessment Plate proposal was put forward and discussed. Phumelela representatives, the senior handicapper and De Kock were joined by trainers Sean Tarry, Geoff and Tim Woodruff, Mike and Adam Azzie, Grant Maroun, Joe Soma, Clinton Binda, Ormond Ferraris, Paul and Tony Peter, David Niewenhuizen and Johan Janse van Vuuren. Cape-based Brett Crawford and Durban trainer Tony Rivalland participated via video conference.

Senior handicapper Roger Smith indicated that he was willing to trial Assessment Plates.

Full details of Assessment Plates are as follows:

* For maidens and one and two-time winners. Maidens carry 54kg, one-time winners 57kg and two-time winners 60 kg with a 2.5kg sex allowance. A 0.5kg allowance will be applied for each unplaced start since a horse was placed (first four) up to a maximum of 3kg. Graded and Listed-race starts do not qualify for allowances. The current weight allowance applied in all plate races will apply.

* The winner of a maiden race within five starts must have two compulsory runs in an Assessment Plate before participating in a handicap.

* Any horse taking more than five starts to win a maiden race is not required to run in an Assessment Plate before running in a handicap.

* A maiden with two runs in an Assessment Plate can run in a handicap after a minimum of three starts.

* Any Graded, Listed and non-black type feature race will be counted as an assessment run. In other words a maiden winner who then competes in a Listed feature twice can then run in a handicap.

* Horses may participate in any number of Assessment Plates subject to the race conditions and elimination procedure.

* Handicappers shall adjust merit ratings at their own discretion for horses required to run in Assessment Plates. In the case of horses not required to run in Assessment Plates, penalties are optional at the request of the trainer.

* Elimination details will be published in the programme book.

* Prize money for an Assessment Plate will be R108,000 of which R2,000 is for finishing sixth, R1,500 for seventh and R1,000 for eighth.

The Vaal Outside track stages a nine race meeting tomorrow and punters should take note of any draw bias in the early events as it has been unpredictable at this venue recently.

The best bet comes in the second race where the R4 million filly Frankly by Frankel faces an uninspiring field over 1200m. She made a good debut behind the subsequent Grade 2 Golden Slipper runner up Mazari. She then disappointed in two features but now has her first run for the in-form grandfather-grandson combination of Ormond and Luke Ferraris. Vega Vox could be the chief threat. She lost a length on debut over 1000m and was then green but was doing her best work late. Being by Noble Tune she will relish the step up in trip and can reverse form with Seneca Falls, who was just ahead of her in that last race but had a clearer passage and was being caught late.

The first leg of the PA over 1000m is the highest rated race and should be fought out by Winter’s Forge and Queen Laurie, who are the best in at the weights in this fillies and mares Conditions Plate. Winter’s Forge is more reliable so can be made a PA banker. Queen Laurie has more ability but is a quirky sort who costs herself sometimes at the start and needs to settle behind cover to show her best.

Casual Wear is chosen as a banker in the first leg of the Pick 6, but this is only because the Pick 6 has many difficult legs and a banker has to be chosen somewhere. It is always risky to select a filly having her first run out of the maidens in a handicap, especially a young three-year-old merit rated above 80. However, the form of some of her maiden runs, such as a 2,1 length second to subsequent Grade 1 Allan Robertson winner Mighty High, is good and the form of her maiden win has worked out very well indeed. Ideally Ilha Da Var and the first-time blinkered Queen Of War should also be included in the Pick 6 but this will cut the percentages a lot.

Mount Keith is a potential banker in the first leg of the Jackpot considering the ease with which he won last time. However, he was scratched from his last intended start on July 26 with an abnormal temperature and does face a six point merit rated raise so there are a couple of concerns. Beyond him it is wide open and just about the whole field has to be included.

In the sixth race Seventh Rule is a most interesting runner with a 4kg claimer up. He has a lot of pace and kept going recently in his maiden over 1400m to hold on. He now has a 4kg claimer up and will likely attempt to gallop them into the ground, but it is debatable whether he will see out the trip. Darkest Hour will be a big threat as he showed a return to form last week when going close over 1400m and his close up finish in the Dingaans is the stand out bit of form in this race. Punters should consider going wider than those two though.

The seventh is another tough race. Big Myth, an easy winner of a weak maiden last time, has scope for further improvement and is taken to beat Sovereign Reign, who has always been well regarded and is in fine form but he has to prove he stays the trip. Others like Front Rank, Colonel Bogey and Wildlife Safari will have to be considered too,

The eighth over 1600m looks to be a straight fight between two horses who should enjoy the step up in trip, Royal Future and Hot Chocolate.

The last leg of the Pick 6 is tough despite being a maiden. Tripple Z and Peapack should both do well. The one with the best form is Proud Dynasty, who is another Cape Town horse to join the Ashley Fortune yard. However, he has reportedly bled twice and returns from a layoff. Therefore Power Of Place, Ready To Strike and possibly others will also have to be included in the exotics.

By David Thiselton