Frankie Dettori, whose Cape Derby win in January was to presage a highly successful British season, will be back in South Africa in mid-November as a member of the visiting international jockeys team.

When he heard that Larry Wainstein was contacting potential team members Dettori rang the Racing Association boss and asked: “Is there a seat left on the bus?”

Dettori also took part in last year’s competition and rode a double at Turffontein. The other internationals who have accepted are nine times Irish champion Pat Smullen, Hong Kong-based Mauritian Karis Teetan, Brazilian Silvestre de Sousa (champion in Britain in 2015), British-based Italian Andrea Atzeni and Australian Hugh Bowman.

Wainstein said: “The format has changed this year. There will be no Port Elizabeth, just the one day at Turffontein when there will be six races reserved for the competition.”

He added that Kenilworth, dropped in 2015, would have been brought back into the fold last year had the competition not clashed with the big Lanzerac/Selangor Cup day when owners and trainers wanted their own jockeys in the valuable races. The same consideration was likely to apply this year.

By Michael Clower

Supporters of Legal Eagle had their hopes boosted for tomorrow evening’s Equus Horse of the Year Award when he was voted the winner of the Cape Breeders’ version at a dinner near Stellenbosch last Wednesday.

But the Western Province chapter of the Racing Association also gives its awards at the function and in this one Legal Eagle was usurped for the premier prize by Captain America. It might have been a surprise to some but it was greeted with cheers by those involved with the Gold Challenge winner, and Lance Sherrell led the charge to the stage displaying much of the gusto and dash he used to reserve for rugby internationals.

As Cape Breeders deputy chairman James Armitage pointed out, Western Cape-bred horses won the vast majority of last season’s 30 Grade 1 races (Klawervlei alone bred the winners of seven of them) and nearly half went to horses sired by Captain Al, Dynasty or Silvano.

Derek Brugman, accepting the owner of the year award on behalf of Mayfair Speculators, predicted: “One day when we start exporting you guys will reap the rewards you deserve.”

But he also pointed to the recent increase in stakes saying: “Three years ago we raced for R56 million and this year we raced for R96 million. We are going to keep pushing and we are aiming for R150 million.”

The huge prize money on offer in sales restricted races has played a major part in the increase but it was Brett Crawford who dominated the awards, with horses trained by him winning six of them. He himself was presented with an exceptional achievement award.

Similarly honoured was Candice Bass-Robinson for becoming the first of her sex to train a Durban July winner and for having such a sensational first season. “I got lucky this year,” she said modestly but the audience rose to their feet just as they had done for her father 12 months earlier. To cap it all last Wednesday was her birthday as well as National Women’s Day.

Justin Snaith, who pipped Crawford for the champion Cape trainer award, caused some amusement by recalling his first few years with a licence “when we used to go to the smaller breeders to pick from the chuck-out paddocks.”

Charles Faull was presented in his absence with a special service industry award and John Koster, accepting Klawervlei’s breeder of the year award, reported that Captain Al’s stable at the stud is to be turned into a museum to honour the outstanding stallion.

He added: “They say a great horse will change your life and a special horse will define it – and that is exactly what happened with us and Captain Al. He was our hero.”

– Triple Grade 1 winner Bela-Bela will start her stud career by visiting Gimmethegreenlight.

By Michael Clower

Sean Tarry won his third National Trainer’s Championships in succession in the season just passed and if he hasn’t already sealed his place among the greats in South African racing history it seems a foregone conclusion he soon will.

The two other Highveld big guns Mike de Kock and Geoff Woodruff were in the top ten again.

Tarry smashed his own stakes earnings record. His phenomenal return of R36,109,550 was 1,71 times more than the earnings of second placed Justin Snaith. In terms of dominance this was second in recent times only to De Kock’s 2010/2011 season in which his R21,714,451 earnings were 1,73 times the amount of second-placed Snaith.

Tarry’s 215 winners also broke his 209 mark from last season.

Tarry led the way in Grade 1 wins with seven, achieved through four individuals. He also won eight Grade 2s, seven Grade 3s, five Listed races and twelve Non-Black Type events.

Tarry’s reigning Equus Horse Of The Year Legal Eagle retained his crowns in both the Grade 1 wfa L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and Grade 1 wfa HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes to confirm his invincibility over a mile. However, when bidding to become the first horse since Sea Cottage to retain three Grade 1 crowns in one season, he was beaten into second in the Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m.  He also finished second in the Grade 1 Sun Met over 2000m and won the Grade 2 WSB Green Point Stakes. He has an excellent chance of retaining his Horse Of The Year title, especially considering he was giving 2,5kg to his 1,5 length conqueror in the Met, Whisky Baron, and 1kg to Deo Juvente, who beat him by a neck in the Champions Challenge.

Tarry’s superstar mare Carry On Alice beat the boys in the Grade 1 weight for age (wfa) Betting World Cape Flying Championships over 1000m at Kenilworth and won the Grade 1 South African Fillies Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville for the second time. The latter race was her swansong. Her stablemate Bull Valley also won two Grade 1 sprints, the Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville, in which he carried third topweight and won comfortably, and the wfa Mercury Sprint over 1200m at Greyville. He also won a Listed sprint, so headed Carry On Alice in stakes successes. Tarry’s other Grade 1 victory was in the SA Derby with Al Sahem.

Tarry’s best day of the season was likely on SA Classic day in which he won the first six races and his haul from 23 runners on the day was seven wins, five seconds, one third, two fourths and a fifth, and the wins included one Grade 1 and three Grade 3s.

De Kock finished fifth on the National log with earnings of R16,879,625. His overseas operations mean his best horses usually leave the country during or after their two-year-old or three-year-old years and he also closed his Summerveld yard during the season. De Kock had five individual Grade 1 winners. He won the SA Fillies Classic with Orchid Island, the Grade 1 SA Classic with Heavenly Blue, the Grade 1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes with Nother Russia and two full brothers, Mustaaqeem and Rafeef, won the SA Nursery and Computaform Sprint respectively for him on the same day. Mustaaqeem, an Australian-bred son of Redoute’s Choice, looks to be a particularly exciting prospect. De Kock also won three Grade 2s, two Grade 3s and three Listed races.

Geoff Woodruff won the Grade 1 Sansui Summer Cup for the fourth year in succession as Master Sabina retained his crown. Woodruff’s first and third in the Summer Cup was actually his worst recent return in Johannesburg’s biggest race, which emphasises his dominance. Woodruff also won the Grade 1 Champions Challenge with Deo Juvente. He also won one Grade 2, one Grade 3 and three Listed races. His R12,505,038 earnings put him in sixth place on the log.

Lucky Houdalakis’ Vaal-based yard continued their steady climb up the national log and finished in 13^th place. His 68 winners included a Grade 2 win and two Non-Black Type victories.

Johan Janse van Vuuren also achieved his highest position on the log in 14^th place and his 53 wins included two Grade 2s. He won five Grade 3s, including three at one meeting, two Listed events and three Non-Black Types.

Mike Azzie finished in 16^th place on the log and at the end of the season re-registered his yard in both his and his son Adam’s name. His 69 wins included a Grade 2 and a Grade 3 victory.

Paul Peter, 17^th on the log, also had 69 winners and a Grade 2 and Grade 3 victory, as well as a Listed win.

Gary Alexander was in 18^th place on the log and had two Grade 2s, one Grade 3 and two Listed wins.

Paul Matchett won the Grade 1 Allan Robertson Championships with Brave Mary and also had a Listed win.

Weiho Marwing did the stayers “Gold” treble with Hermoso Mundo, who won the Grade 3 Gold Bowl, the Grade 3 Gold Vase and the Grade 3 Gold Cup. Marwing  also won two Non-Black type races.

Alec Laird won two Grade 2s and a Listed race.

Joey Soma won the Grade 2 SA Oaks with Wind Chill and he also won a Grade 3.

Candice Dawson won Kimberley’s biggest race, the Non-Black Type RA Mile with Sundari.

Corne Spies won a Grade 3 and two Non-Black Types; Ormond Ferraris won a Grade 3 and a Non-Black Type; Roy Magner, Grant Maroun and Robbie Sage each won a Grade 3 apiece; Louis Goosen and Barend Botes each won a Listed race apiece; Stephen Moffat won a Non-Black Type event.

By David Thiselton

Peter White and Chris Gerber are two of racings staunchest supporters and the R300k they clubbed together to purchase Broadway Trip from Moutonshoek was repaid in double at Scottsville yesterday as the son of Trippi bolted home in the BSA August Million Colts & Geldings.

It was a superb performance by Alec Laird’s charge as the colt came from near last at the top of the straight to win going away from the debutante Zen Arcade and second pick in the betting, Silva’s Bullet.

“He’s certainly got an action on him. He’s a big, leggy colt but he can get those legs to move,” said Laird. “When I got him he was a small horse but he’s grown into a tall horse.”

All the money was for PE raider Kimberley Star but the gamble went astray as Alan Greeff’s runner could only manage fourth.

Broadway Star had shown a smart turn of foot on debut when making up many lengths inside the final furlong to get up close home but he did face a more testing field yesterday

However, he proved more than up to the challenge. Turning for home from what looked to be a hopeless position he motored home to win as he liked. “He’s still a big baby,” said newly appointed stable jockey Randal Simons. “He’s still green and shows a lot of potential. I just showed him the stick at the 200 to keep his mind on the job. In the end he won a good race.”

Louis Goosen, having recently re-located from the Vaal to Ashburton, will have been well pleased with Zen Arcade earning a fat cheque on debut. He too rattle home to deny Silva’s Bullet second.

Dean Kannemeyer’s runner was far from disgraced in third. He was never comfortable as Anthony Delpech, ever the professional having dashed back from Ascot on Saturday to partner the colt yesterday, was hard at him for most of the race and having a rough passage approaching the bend.

He hit the front briefly at the 200 m mark but had no answers to the finishing bursts from the first two home.

Robbie Hill was a top rider on his day but Fullfillyourdream gave him his finest hour as a trainer as the spec buy lifted the R600k first cheque in the BSA August Million Fillies.

“I liked the look of this filly at the sale and when she went through the ring twenty thousand, twenty thousand, I stuck up my hand and got her for R25 000. I didn’t have a buyer so I was grateful when Gerald (Kalil) took her over.”

“I only saw her for the first time two weeks ago,” admitted Kalil, “but she’s fulfilled my dream.”

It was not a result most punters will have been happy with as Fullfillyourdream paid R48 a tote win.

This was the third of four winners on the day for Sean Veal as the Oldlands Stud-bred daughter of Indigo Magic home ahead of Mind Your Business and Cloud Atlas.

Fullfillmydream took advantage of a murderous gallop and her stout pedigree kicked in over the final furlong as she got up to collar a game Mind Your Business and PE raider Cloud Atlas.

By Andrew Harrison

Expensive yearling buy Silva’s Bullet can go a long way to recouping some of his R2.1 million purchase price when he lines up in the BSA August Million Colts & Geldings at Scottsville on Sunday.

This race, along with the filly’s equivalent, the BSA August Million Fillies, is weighted according to purchase price so it’s no surprise that Dean Kannemeyer’s runner shares top weight with the unraced Louis Goosen runner Zen Arcade who went through the ring at R550k, with Broadway Trip getting 2kg relief for the R300k that secured him for Peter White and Mickey Gerber.

But big price tags don’t guarantee that a horse can run and the history of the sport is littered with record priced yearlings that battled to get out of their own way let alone win a race. But in the case of Silva’s Bullet, the signs are promising. A son of champion sire Silvano, he was a late starter, only making his debut in the first week of the new season over the Scottsville 1400m, but is a really smart, well-balanced individual who promises much.

His victims on debut will not get their names on jam tins with third-placed War Demon, also in Sunday’s line-up, making major improvement and beaten less than a length. However, it was the manner of victory that stamped Silva’s Bullet as a horse to follow.

Anthony Delpech was ‘at him’ from the jump and the top of the straight the favourite looked to have blown any chance of winning.

“He was lost halfway down the straight, I thought we weren’t going to get there, but he got going in the last 50m. He is smart, he needs further but he wanted to win. He’s got every little thing about him that tells me he’s going to be a decent horse,” commented Delpech post-race.

It is a little surprising that a race with a R1 million stake has a field littered with unraced horse and maidens and it was enough to tempted Alan Greeff up from Port Elizabeth with Kimberley Star. The colt has twice won over the distance and yet to finish further back than second.

He is obviously a smart colt but there is no collateral form to go on and the opposition is likely to prove stronger than what he has met in his home town, so his ability must be taken on trust.

The fillies event could well rest between Spring Breeze and Mind Your Business. Spring Breeze is the first semi-feature event to be saddled jointly by the father and son combination of Michael and Adam Azzie and it may well prove to be a winning debut. The daughter of Querari has been racing in strong feature company, finishing two lengths of Desert Rhythm in the Golden Slipper and a similar distance behind Princess Peach and Neptune’s Rain in the Debutante Stakes on the last day of the season.

Newly crowned KZN Champion Trainer Duncan Howells will have a line on Spring Breeze through Neptune’s Rain and is fairly confident of his chances with Mind Your Business. “I think I only have one horse to beat; that one of Azzie’s,” he said.

Mind Your Business landed an inspired gamble second time at the races, getting going late to beat Dame Commander and giving the impression that Sunday’s trip will be more to her liking.

However, Pearl Glow and Make Me Happy, come from powerful yards in Mike de Kock and Kannemeyer respectively and both showed up well on debut. They both have to give weight to fillies with a relatively proven track record that may prove difficult but it would be foolish to write off their chances.

By Andrew Harrison