Durban July hero Marinaresco lost a front shoe in the course of last Saturday’s World Sports Betting Champions Cup and this may well have been why he ran way below form, finishing with only one behind him.

Marinaresco (Nkosi Hlophe)

Candice Bass-Robinson said yesterday: “Bernard Fayd’Herbe told me that the horse felt scratchy so maybe it affected him. But I also think that the way the race was run didn’t suit him – nothing was coming from off the pace – and so it could have been a combination of the two things.”

The five-year-old will return to his Milnerton base next week and will have his horse sickness vaccinations before going on a well-earned break while his connections reflect on his place in South African racing history – the first July winner to be trained by a woman and the one who carried more weight to victory in the country’s greatest race than any horse has ever done.

In the Cape season he will attempt to atone for managing only fourth in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and fifth in the Sun Met, and then there is the intriguing possibility of an overseas campaign.  “It’s possible, we will have to decide at a later stage,” said Mrs Robinson.

It’s My Turn, only just in front of Marinaresco in the Champions Cup, was found to be not striding out on his right fore but the course vet could find nothing to account for the performance of Judicial who finished over five lengths last.

By Michael Clower

Newly crowned champion sire Silvano smashed his own record for earnings in a season and was dominant throughout the 2016-2017 term.

The Maine Chance Farms-based German-bred stallion won his second National Sires Championship with earnings of a staggering R27,867,675, which surpassed the record of  R20 946 892 he set in the 2012-2013 season.

Silvano (Supplied)

This season he was R8,775,037 clear of the 2014-2015 champion sire, the recently late Captain Al.

Silvano recently achieved his fourth victory in the country’s premier race, the Vodacom Durban July.

He is undoubtedly one of July history’s most dominant sires and to emphasise this point he sired Marinaresco, Al Sahem and Nightingale to first, second and tie-fourth in the big race this year, while he famously sired the July trifecta in 2015 and he sired the first and third-placed horses in the 2013 renewal.

Silvano had four individual Grade 1 winners this past season and they each won a single Grade 1. They were Marinaresco, Nightingale, Orchid Island and Al Sahem.R27,867,675

He was also the leading sire of three-year-olds and dominated in this department too. His three-year-olds earned R11,836,200, which was R4,852,000 clear of second-placed Dynasty.

Silvano’s average earnings per runner was R126,098 and he had a 54,3% winners to runners ratio.

He had 13 individual Black Type winners of 20 races and all in all from 221 runners had 120 winners of 207 races.

A symbol of his dominance this season could be seen in the running of the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m on Sunday where half of the ten runners were by him.

By David Thiselton

Yesterday’s Kenilworth meeting fell victim to rain and will now take place on Sunday with the first race again at 1.15pm.

Heavy rain began falling shortly after 7.30am and 28mm was recorded. The wet weather panel (including jockey and trainer representatives plus a vet) was convened and at 11.30am Greg Cheyne galloped a horse on the course, reporting that there was surface water and inconsistent underfoot conditions. The course was declared unsafe and the meeting called off at 11.50am.

By Michael Clower

Dennis Drier looks to have a bright classic season ahead of him as his Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes winner Lady In Black looks as special as his Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion winner Sand And Sea.

Just about everything which could have gone wrong in the running for Lady In Black went wrong for her on Sunday. She was bowled a couple of times when attempting to slot in from a wide draw and was ultimately trapped wide throughout. She then took two nasty bumps at the top of the straight and was later found to have been cut into too. Yet she still managed to stay on best of all to win by half-a-length and remain unbeaten in three starts.

Lady In Black (Candiese Marnewick)

Drier was full of praise for the filly and also for jockey Sean Veale. He said, “I obviously didn’t think it was going well for her. I think what won her the race was Sean didn’t panic and chase, but just sat and waited. Then when S’Manga (Khumalo) pulled his horse out at the top of the straight and gave her two nasty bumps Sean once again didn’t panic and just held her together until she could get back into her rhythm. She also showed tremendous guts and courage and, of course, ability.”

She is by Dynasty out of the Jet Master mare Mystery Dame, who won five times from 1400-1800m and was twice Grade 3 placed. Mystery Dame is a half-sister to the Jallad colt Talahatchie, who won the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes, which is the male equivalent of the Thekwini.

Bloodstock agent John Freeman, representing owners Jack Mitchell and his daughter Nancy, had to go to R1,1million to secure her at the Bloodstock South Africa National Yearling Sales.

Drier has trained a few for the Mitchells before and counted himself most fortunate to be earmarked for this one.

Drier did not know the reason he was chosen, but perhaps it was due to him having been the trainer of the most successful Dynasty female to date, Beach Beauty, who won five Grade 1s.

Lady In Black was bred by Willie Englebrecht, who has a glittering record as a breeder. After being sold she was sent to Drakenstein Stud to be spelled. Drier did not think she would be an “early” filly, so he turned down the offer to have her sent to him during the Cape Summer Season, where he always has a string at Phillippi training centre.

Instead, Lady In Black was transported to Summerveld to join him upon his return from the Cape.She showed she was special from day one. He said, “She is one of those fillies every trainer would love to have and thank goodness my name came out of the hat.”

Sand And Sea (Nkosi Hlophe)

However, he said she is completely different to Beach Beauty in everything but temperament. He said, “Beach Beauty was a small and robust little horse, but Lady In Black has a lot of scope. She has a bright future.” He added, “But in temperament she is exactly the same as Beach Beauty. Nothing worries her. She is unbelievable and very easy to work with.” Drier said she had come out of her race very well, despite the rough race she had to endure.

Lady In Black will now be earmarked for the big fillies races in the Cape Summer, with the Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas being her chief target.

The big Twice Over colt Sand And Sea, who is unbeaten in two starts, will also be heading for Cape Town. Drier is confident he will get a mile.

Drier and Veale also had two winners together on the first day of the Gold Cup Festival of Racing on Saturday.

In the first, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1600m on the turf, they won with Colour Your Dreams, who was bred by James Armitage’s Sandown Stud. Armitage is the nephew of Beach Beauty’s late breeder Trevor. Drier was thrilled to witness the excitement the Philanthropist filly’s victory brought to the ten enthusiastic ladies who own her and also to the other part-owner Bobby Norton, whom Drier described as “the thorn among the roses.”

In the third race, a MR 70 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m on the poly, Drier and Veale won with Western Winter filly Chamber Maid. She was well supported in the betting and is owned by former Gold Circle chairman John Bescoby in partnership with former Gold Circle director Bruce Armstrong as well as by Sally Bruss, who was the stud manager of the filly’s breeders, Lammerskraal Stud. Bescoby was of course a part-owner of Beach Beauty.

By David Thiselton

The Equus Awards voting panel met at Greyville late last Sunday evening, 29 July, to decide the finalists for this season’s awards.

The voting panel comprised of Andrew Harrison, Matthew Lips, Jason Dedekind, Roger Smith, Michael Clower and RA chairman Larry Wainstein as non-voting chairperson.

The panel submitted their first round of nominations after Vodacom Durban July Day and voting for the finalists took place after the Gold Cup race meeting.

The categories and finalists are:

Champion Two-year-old Colt – distance immaterial: Eyes Wide Open, Mustaaqeem, Sand And Sea.
Champion Two-year-old Filly – distance immaterial: Brave Mary, Lady In Black
Champion Three-year-old Colt – distance immaterial: Al Sahem, Edict Of Nantes, Heavenly Blue, William Longsword.
Champion Three-year-old Filly – distance immaterial: Just Sensual, Lady Of The House.
Champion Older Male – distance immaterial: Captain America, Legal Eagle, Marinaresco, Whisky Baron.
Champion Older Filly/Mare – distance immaterial: Bela-Bela, Carry On Alice, Nightingale, Nother Russia.
Champion Sprinter – (1000 – 1200m; age/gender immaterial): Bull Valley, Carry On Alice, Rafeef.
Champion Miler – (1400 – 1600; age/gender immaterial): Bela-Bela, Captain America, Legal Eagle, William Longsword.
Champion Middle Distance – (1800 – 2200; age/gender immaterial): Legal Eagle, Marinaresco, Whisky Baron
Champion Stayer – (2400 and up; age/gender immaterial): Al Sahem, Hermoso Mundo

Voting Criteria

The awards are based on graded races and in particular Grade 1 races. As regards the stayer category, the winning horse will be at the discretion of the voting panel. This decision was taken as the only Grade 1 race in SA is the SA Derby, which would mean that this should be the obvious winner based on a single run. This would also have excluded fillies and mares.

Breeder Awards:
Stallion of the Year
Broodmare of the Year
Breeder of the Year

The Thoroughbred Breeders Association may include outstanding and/or international achievement awards.

Individual Awards:
Champion Apprentice
Champion Jockey
Champion Owner (based on stakes earned)
Champion Trainer (based on stakes earned)
Industry Merit Award
Horse of the Year Award

The awards are a glittering black-tie gala event that takes place at the Convention Centre at Emperor’s Palace on Tuesday, August 15. Clyde Basel and Graeme Hawkins will be the masters of ceremonies for the evening and guests will be treated to an array of entertainment.  There will also be an after party at the same venue.