Dennis Drier has hit the ground running this season with last Sunday’s five winners at Scottsville taking his winning tally to 15 for the season at a 19% winning strike rate. Only Justin Snaith is ahead of him in the winner’s column with 21.

After an absence of nearly two months while the pull-up area was extended by 100m, Friday night racing on the Greyville poly track returns this evening and Drier can start where he left off – with another winner.

The gelding Taranaki, after catching the eye on debut, was well fancied to win his next start over the Scottsville 1200m where he started favourite. However, he was caught flat-footed over the final 200 m and did well to finish in the money behind debutant Cumulus that gave Nathan Kotzen the first winner of his career as a fully licensed trainer.

Given that run, it is not surprising that Taranaki has been stepped up to 1600m and just to make sure the gelding’s mind stays on the job, he races in blinkers for the first time.

Drier has a chance of an early double as Al’s Bells will start among the fancied runners for the second, a fillies and mares maiden over 1600m. Al’s Bells made her debut on the poly track and then turned in two useful efforts on the Scottsville turf, the last over 1400m where she found Girl In Gold a touch too smart.

Drier has also stepped her up in trip from a good draw and with Mauritzfontein retained rider and reigning champion jockey Anthony Delpech in the irons, she has a lot going for her.

In opposition, Delpech will also know exactly what his is up against in Roy’s Riviera after piloting Frank Robinson’s Australian-bred filly into a close-up third behind Colour Your Dreams. She has no stamina doubts and has also drawn well but in an ironic twist, Drier’s stable jockey, Sean Veale, will be aboard Roy’s Riviera.

The third has a tricky look about it with Dean Kannemeyer back in action with Lady Lisha and Miss Milanna. Most of the Kannemeyer runners are returning from a break after their compulsory African Horse Sickness vaccinations so one needs to be a little cautious in this regard.

Miss Milanna, ridden by Delpech, made the better debut but Delpech has switched to Lady Lisha which may be a story in its self. Song Of Mitu and Just One More have the best current form so it may prove prudent to keep a close eye on the betting.

What A Moon is another Kannemeyer runner that is likely to start near the top of the boards in the fourth after two promising efforts on the poly. However, he is another back from a break and with Drier in such mustard form and Captain Moss, much improved after gelding, having his second start after a lengthy break, one needs to be cautious.

Captains Moll takes on males in the Durban View Restaurant Handicap but is overdue her second win. James Goodman’s yard has come to hand of late and although the filly takes on a competitive field she was a close-up second last time out and looks good enough to have the measure of the likes of Kali’s Champ, Keep Your Light On and Rock Master.

By Andrew Harrison

Barrier trials – a burr under the saddle of many – is about to become a reality in KwaZulu-Natal. Sanctioned by racing operator Gold Circle, the trials are likely to start as soon as the first week of November this year.  The trials will be held at both Greyville and Scottsville, but mainly on the Greyville poly track, prior to the start of race meetings.

Paul Lafferty, Chairman of the KZN Trainers Association and a Gold Circle board director, was instrumental in seeing it through. “This has been my pet project. We need transparency in racing. We need to get punters to trust us.”

“We have tried getting first timer comments published but although the majority of trainers do not had a problem giving out info, there are the few that are unwilling to co-operate.”

“We had an AGM yesterday (Tuesday) and barrier trials were approved by Gold Circle CEO Michel Nairac. It was also unanimously supported by the trainers.”

“I think it’s a very good idea. I just hope that it can be carried out effectively,” said KZN Champion trainer Duncan Howells.

The trials will be held in six-horse heats over 1000m on the racetracks proper (at weight-for-age in case of mixed ages), with full control from stipendiary stewards, and with official race videos produced for every trial. All unraced horses from outside of the province but destined to make their debuts in KZN will also be subject to the trials in their racing silks before they can compete in a race.

Trial runners are expected to be fully punched out under hands-and-heels. All trial results with run-ons and times will be made available so that punters can have access to all the information they require. Barrier trials will also apply to horses that have been off the track for three months or more.

“There are many advantages to barrier trials and the most important of all is that it will go a long way to restoring public confidence in racing,” said Lafferty. “There is a perception that racing is crooked. Certain trainers refuse to talk about their unraced runners and when they win, punters believe they were placed at a disadvantage, that wool was pulled over their eyes or that vital info was withheld on purpose.”

“Perception is reality. We want to eliminate the perception of unfairness so that the people who wager money on races can be assured that they are on an equal footing, they have all the necessary information at hand before they put their cash down.”

“There are trainers who withhold information on their runners to plan so-called ‘betting coups’. This is tantamount to insider trading. It’s illegal on the stock exchange so why should it be allowed in horseracing? I said to them yesterday, ‘How many coups have any of you actually pulled off? I don’t see any helicopters parked at your stables. Forget the betting coups, those days are over. We need new owners in the game!

An added advantage is that young horses will be given experience such as going into a float and experiencing a race on a raceday. It is also an opportunity for trainers to have their horses pitted against other trainer’s horses, something not allowed under current National Horse Racing rules.

Lafferty conceded that there would be teething problems. “There will be incidents where actual race results won’t reflect the results of the trials, but the trials will establish form patterns for stables which punters will be able to follow with reliable results. They will be able to see which stables bring their horses to hand faster or slower compared to others, and so on.  The main issue, however, remains the aspect of public confidence. The betting public wishes to see that the operator is doing everything it can to help them win!”

By Andrew Harrison

Barrier trials will soon be a reality in KZN racing and all minor races in KZN will have stakes increases from November 1 this year.

The barrier trials will be welcomed by punters and will also provide an exciting platform from which racing enthusiasts can become racehorse owners.

The stakes increases will provide an incentive for potential owners.

At the KZN Trainers AGM held on Tuesday there was unanimous agreement by the trainers to go ahead with the barrier trials initiative.

For all unraced horses or horses returning from long layoffs barrier trial will be compulsory. Such horses will otherwise not be allowed to line up in a race in KZN.

The barrier trials will be staged about half-an-hour before the first race or after the last race on the Polytrack at Greyville.

The weights the horses carry will be dictated by weight for age parameters and the distance of the trials will be 1000m. The horses will jump from the starting stalls. The stipendiary stewards will be in control of the trials and the horses must be extended but whips will not be necessary.

There will be full coverage of each trial and an official video will be made available.

Paul Lafferty, the Chairman of the KZN Trainers Association, was excited by this “breakthrough for transparency”, which himself and Gold Circle’s Marketing Executive Graeme Hawkins had been advocating for some time.

Lafferty believes barrier trials will have a major impact on “consumer confidence”, or in other words the confidence of owners and punters to invest in the sport.

He spoke of the dwindling confidence of people to venture into ownership and believed this was related to transparency.

The barrier trials would now offer potential owners the chance to view a horse for themselves, either live or on video.

This will be of benefit for trainers who still have shares available in a horse.

What is particularly exciting for potential owners in this regard is that the trials will be carried out under race day conditions.

This could open a whole new perspective to the sport as there are many enthusiasts who have an eye for a horse’s racing style, but this skill has hitherto been of little benefit to them.

Lafferty also spoke of the additional benefits the trials would have for both trainers and current owners of horses, “It will provide an opportunity to show the horse the course and teach them to float (transport) and introduce them to the race pens.”

Lafferty pointed out trainers were often not a hundred percent sure of how good an unraced horse was, or how ready it was, until they had seen them running in a race.

He also spoke of the need from both an owner and punter perspective to eliminate the practice of “insider trading.”

The other important factor is that as the trials will be conducted on race day they will be of no extra cost to the industry.

“We are in discussion with the NHA to implement Barrier Trials at Greyville and are hopeful to start this initiative in December”, said Raf Sheik, Gold Circle’s Racing Executive. “Once finalised the operational details and conditions will be published.”

By David Thiselton

Five times South African champion trainer Geoff Woodruff will likely be attempting a national record in this year’s Sansui Summer Cup, to be held on November 25.

Racing records are poorly kept in SA and in some other racing countries too and there is usually uncertainty surrounding them.

However, it was believed Woodruff became the second trainer in SA history to win a major race four years in a row last year when landing the Summer Cup with Master Sabina.

Therefore, he will be attempting to become the first trainer to win a major South African race five years in succession.

Fred Murray was believed to be the first to achieve four-in-a-row when training the Durban July winner every year from 1910 to 1913.

The three races in South Africa traditionally considered to be the “majors” are the Vodacom Durban July, the Sun Met and the Sansui Summer Cup.

If it is extended to include the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate, which has risen rapidly in prestige in recent times and is considered South Africa’s most important weight for age event, then Mike Bass can be included alongside Murray and Woodruff. The great Bass-trained Pocket Power won the Queen’s Plate four times in succession from 2007 to 2010.

This year Master Sabina will also be attempting to emulate Java (1956-1958) and Elevation (1972-1974) by winning the Summer Cup three times in succession.

However, Master Sabina joined the Justin Snaith yard for the SA Champions Season and is currently with Highveld trainer Joe Soma.

Woodruff still has twelve Summer Cup entries and he said, “You never quite know who your best for the Summer Cup are going to be and some of them won’t qualify. You only narrow it down in the last fortnight.”

However, he did mention two horses, Deo Juvente and Pagoda. Deo Juvente was runner up in 2015 and this year won the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge over the same course and distance, although his merit rating was raised as a result to 115. Pagoda was an easy winner of the Listed Derby Trial over the course and distance and runner up in the Grade 1 SA Derby over 2450m and he is only merit rated 99.

Woodruff said, “Deo Juvente is a big strong horse, but will have a big weight to carry, Pagoda loves the track and trip and will be a lively runner with a low weight.”

By David Thiselton

Brett Crawford’s Undercover Agent, well fancied for the Betting World Handicap at Kenilworth yesterday, stamped himself as a smart Cape Guineas candidate come the season with an emphatic victory – but so too, third-placed Hemmingway.

Undercover Agent hunted pacemaker Western Storm in the 1400m event but once Corne Orffer extracted him from the traffic the race was over in a matter of strides.

Aldo Domeyer aboard Hemmingway, tracked Undercover Agent throughout, but the son of Silvano took a little more time to find his stride and did well to snatch third behind a fast-finishing Triple Explosion. The Guineas trip looks ideal.

Crawford will have been well pleased with this showing after earlier upsetting the applecart with outsider One For One putting the skids under two well fancied debutantes November Storm and Sark. However, there was not much in it at the finish and both expensive yearling buys will be short-priced at their next starts.

Later Tap O’ Noth scribbled on his clean sheet when going down to the older Our Mate Art and Cot Campbell in the Play Soccer Graduation Plate, but as in the case of Hemmingway, there was cause for optimism. The year older Candice Bass-Robinson’s Australian-bred Our Mate Art had an exceptional record in last season’s Winter Series without winning but yesterday showed his versatility and stamping himself as a serious Cape Summer Season and Champions Season contender with a clinical demolition of two highly rated sophomores.

Effective from six furlongs and further, Our Mate Art was recording only his second victory in 11 starts but had earned in all but one. Cot Campbell finished his race off nicely in second and in spite of two prior victories, the penny still has to drop with Tap O’ Noth.

Mike Robinson’s Good Time Gal made short work of her opposition in the Interbet.co.za Pinnacle stakes in a superb performance under Bernard Fayd’Herbe. Apprentice Aksay Balloo was determined to make a race of it as he bulleted Mike Stewart’s It Is What It Is to the front off her light weight but Goodtime Gal, not far off the best of her generation that included Bela-Bela and Nightingale, proved far too classy and reeled in the pacemaker with ease.

By Andrew Harrison