Prolific Highveld-based owner Larry Nestadt and partners were given sweet consolation when their newly acquired colt Lobo’s Legend was a shock winner of the Grade 1 R2 million SA Classic on Saturday and he praised Joey Soma for a fine training feat.

Nestadt had been alerted in December by Jeff Shill of the Tawny Syndicate that the Trippi colt was one of the many horses on the for-sale list of Mayfair Speculators.

“He had finished a short-head second to a sprinter Mike de Kock rates, Buffalo Bill Cody, and he then won his maiden by 8,5 lengths, so we bought him with CTS 1200 in mind,” recalled Nestadt.

Imagine the disappointment of himself and the other part-owners Shill, JR van der Linden, Mark Currie and Soma when the horse’s chances were botched at the start of that lucrative US$500,000 race. He had become fractious and the handler was unable to remove the hood until after the start was effected. He lost a few lengths and was later declared a non-runner.

Muzi Yeni

“We were devastated,” said Nestadt. “He didn’t finish far off them in the end too.”

Nestadt believed he was a sprinter, so was surprised when Soma suggested he target the SA Classic over 1800m.

He said, “It was a gamble but Joey went in committed, he was not going in thinking he didn’t have a chance, so it was a good training feat.”

Lobo’s Legend must be the most unusual SA Classic winner of all time from a form point of view as he had never run beyond 1200m in five previous starts, had never gone around the turn and had never run in a black type event before. To cap it all he had won only one of those five races and had finished lame in his last start. However, Nestadt did point out that on pedigree he should stay 1800m and that was one of the reasons the connections supported Soma’s recommendation.

Nestadt was on the golf course at the time of the race on Saturday and listened in via a cellphone call to Shill.

He recalled, “Jeff shouted ‘this horse is going to win’ and he then began screaming so loudly I thought he had lost his marbles!”

It was a tremendously exciting moment for Nestadt and particularly gratifying that the connections’ faith in Soma had paid off.

They have not yet discussed the long-striding bay’s future, but Nestadt reckoned he would likely be seen in action during the SA Champions Season in KZN. However, he believed he would not go much beyond 1800m and a race like the Daily News 2000 would be his very limit.

Indeed the colt fought for his head for a moment or two right at the beginning of the race on Saturday and Muzi Yeni did a fine job settling him. It could well be that he has a fine future as a miler.

By David Thiselton

Featured Image Anthony Delpech (Liesl King)

KZN owner Eric Buhr is one of the quieter men of racing but follows his horses passionately and regretted not being at Greyville on Sunday where he had shares in two winners, Hack Green and Blaze Of Silk.

“It was such a pity, but I had decided to go to the races on Wednesday (tomorrow) instead, where I have two running. It was a bad decision!”

Corinne Bestel is one of Buhr’s chief trainers and three-year-old Twice Over gelding Blaze Of Silk got off the mark at the sixth attempt. The 1000m maiden event was weak on paper. However, he has tended to over race, as he did on Sunday, and jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe believed he would go on to win more races once he had learnt to settle, although he confirmed 1000m would likely be his optimum trip.

Hack Green

The Dennis Drier-trained Hack Green was a higher profile winner. This four-year-old Gimmethegreenlight colt was at one stage much touted and then proved it by winning the Grade 3 Umkhomazi Stakes for two-year-olds over 1200m at Greyville by three lengths in just his second career start. He followed it by winning the inaugural running of the Bloodstock SA Million Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville two weeks later. Hack Green arrived in Cape Town last season as an unbeaten winner of three, but disappointment after disappointment followed. Buhr confirmed there had even been discussions to make other arrangements for him, but the connections had decided to give it one more go. Drier said, “We sent him to Jane Trotter for three months, we brought him back and we worked him on this track, we worked him on that track, we did everything we don’t normally do with a horse, and no grass.” It didn’t appear to work as he was beaten five lengths in his comeback run in January and 5,75 lengths in his next start. Drier then decided to slap a pair of blinkers on and after Sunday’s win, of a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1100m on the turf, he said, “That was the Hack Green I know.”

Buhr said one never knew whether it was as simple as a change of equipment and related, “I once told a trainer, ‘I think that horse needs a tongue tie’, and he came out and won his next race!”

He added, “But it is always nice when a horse whom we believed should have done well comes back and wins.”

Hack Green was merit rated as high as 101 at one stage. If Sunday’s race had been a handicap he would have received 15,5kg from the narrow 123 merit-rated runner up Sergeant Hardy, instead of just 8kg, so it was a commendable performance. Drier might now be eyeing the Scottsville Festival Of Speed meeting’s Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint.

Buhr is no stranger to success at that meeting as he part-owned the Drier-trained Potent Power, who won the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m in 2012. Drier has virtually made the Medallion his own having won six of the last eight renewals and seven overall. At this time of the year pundits are looking out for Drier’s next Medallion winner and Buhr happens to part-own the first one to put up its hand, a Master Of My Fate colt called Goliath Heron. He is an impressive, strongly built sort, who showed speed in his Barrier Trial over 1000m on the poly, and he then confirmed his promise by winning his debut over 1200m on the Greyville turf by four lengths.

Dennis Drier

Buhr’s association with racing began as a youngster and he recalled listening to the Durban July every year on the radio with his father. However, he owes his venture into ownership to a Nomad’s Golf colleague of his, bloodstock agent Andy Williams.

He said the love of horses was the most fulfilling part of ownership and elaborated, “It’s an expensive hobby, but if you can meet your commitments you can get lucky and can sell a promising horse for good money, like we sold Potent Power to Hong Kong. That’s the ideal scenario.” However, he confirmed it was “very difficult” to land in such a situation. Potent Power, who is by National Emblem, continues to race in Hong Kong as an eight-year-old under the name Rocket Let Win and has won three races over there.

Buhr also gets much enjoyment out of following stallions. In fact, Master Of My Fate is one of his favourites at present. He leaves the selecting of horses at Sales to the trainers, but has some of his own theories and believes it is important to look carefully at the first crop of any promising new stallion and then to buy them if the signs are good. Master Of My Fate is a case in point and he said, “I have been in Dennis’s yard for a while, so I know how good Master Of My Fate was as a racehorse and we now look lucky to have got one of his first crop at a reasonable price. Noble Tune is another interesting one. I hope he does well for KZN and I have sent one or two of the mares I have shares in to him.”

One of Eric’s sons Dieter used to be a regular sight in the winner’s enclosure when any of the Buhr horses won. He has grown in the sport with his father and still follows the family’s runners avidly from his current home in Germany.

The Buhrs look to have good prospects for the forthcoming SA Champions Season as Eric said he also has a share in a promising unraced filly, so the excitement will be building in the Buhr family home.

By David Thiselton

African Night Sky, the new 6-1 favourite for the Vodacom Durban July now that Glen Kotzen has taken Eyes Wide Open out of consideration, has been nominated for the Sledgehammer at Scottsville on Sunday week but will not run.

Jonathan Snaith said: “Elusive Silva will run in the Sledgehammer and African Night Sky will start in the Betting World 1900 at Greyville on May 19. He then goes for the Cup Trial (June 9) before running in the July.”

The stable has made no secret of its plan to adopt a low-key approach in the run-up to the big race with African Night Sky in order to preserve the horse’s 108 merit rating.

Stable companion Jo’s Bond (Grant van Niekerk) bids to repeat last year’s win in the Kwazulu-Natal Stakes at Scottsville on Sunday and could then go, as she did last season, for the Computaform Sprint at Turffontein on May 5.

The Candice Bass-Robinson trained Allan Robertson candidate Western Angel faces six opponents in the Juvenile Fillies Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday. Aldo Domeyer’s mount and fellow previous winners Clouds Unfold (Van Niekerk) and Racine (MJ Byleveld) have to concede 3kg to the four maidens.

By Michael Clower

Featured Image: African Night Sky (Liesl King)

A MR83 Handicap over 1600m heads a low key eight race meeting at the Vaal Classic track tomorrow and Muzi Yeni could follow on from where he left off on the weekend by winning it aboard Judd’s Rocket.

This three-year-old Judpot gelding was drawn on the wrong side last time over this trip on the Outside track and had to run on the inside of horses, so he put up a fine performance to stay on and only be beaten by 1,25 lengths. He now has a plum draw of two and from a handy position could kick for home when it counts and hold on carrying just 53kg. The three-year-old Tapit gelding Wheel Of Time was also quite unfavourably drawn in that aforementioned race and beat Judd’s Rocket home by a head. He should also be in the shake up from pole position and will likely be closing on Judd’s Rocket late. The three-year-old Silvano gelding Prince Swarovski got going too late last time over 1500m on the Vaal Classic track but was finishing fastest of all for a 2,1 length fifth. He remains on the same 77 merit rating which is competitive and he has a fair draw of four.

Muzi Yeni

Marco van Rensburg remains aboard. Till Dawn took seven runs to win his maiden but had faced some decent sorts and cruised in just over a week ago by 4,6 lengths. He looks to be a progressive sort as one would expect as he is by the decent late sire Await The Dawn. He should stay this trip and is drawn on the right side so is another one with a chance. Notting Hill has come down four points in the merit ratings after leading and running out of steam in the race in which Judd’s Rocket and Wheel Of Time ran. He is a big horse who should now be at his peak after three runs on the Highveld and he could improve on that performance, but he does have to make up 2,75 lengths on Judd’s Rocket and is only 2kg better off and there is also a reversal in draw fortunes. Those five are the most fancied in an open race.

The next race, a MR 72 Handicap over 1500m, looks to be the toughest on the card. Bubbly Reply’s last win in November last year over 1450m was with Lyle Hewitson aboard and this is the first time he has ridden him since. He has a fair draw and has dropped to an attractive merit rating. Humble Addict flew home from way back over 1160m last time to win his maiden and the form has been franked. His sire Reward For Effort was a sprinter but he is from the same family as Brazuca, so he has a chance of staying the trip. He has to carry topweight first time out the maidens, which won’t be easy, although he looks likely to rise above his current merit rating of 79. He has a tricky draw of nine by trends too. Lock Him Up is better than his last run when widely drawn over this course and distance. He has a slightly better draw this time but will need some luck. Those are the three most fancied runners but the advice is to go as wide as possible.

The meeting opens with a maiden over 1500m where hard-knocking Agent Kay at last has everything in his favour. He has on occasion been a bit strong in the running over further so this trip should be ideal and he now gets a good draw too. Nuntius Oratorion has scope for improvement and could be the chief threat along with first-timer Power Beauty, who is by Fastnet Rock out of a mare who won the prestigious Grade 1 Prix de l’Abbaye over 1000m on Arc day at Longchamp.

The first leg of the PA is tricky as the fancied horses are all drawn wide. However, Kick Butt and Evangeline look to be coming into their own and are the two first choices with Regal Girl the back up.

In the first leg of the Pick 6, SA Classic-winning combination Joe Soma and Muzi Yeni will attempt a hattrick with Tirzan and they could well do it as his last two wins over this 2000m trip have been wide margin ones and he could still be ahead of the handicapper despite having been given the maximum eight point raise.

In the last race of the day the impressive Buffalo Bill Cody still looked immature when beating none other than Saturday’s SA Classic winner Lobo’s Legend on debut over 1160m last November. He would likely have benefitted from the subsequent layoff, so is the one to beat in this 1000m handicap with Great Shaka the back up.

By David Thiselton