There was a distinct international flavour to the action at Bath yesterday evening with leading South African jockey Gavin Lerena riding for Charlie Hills, with whom he will be based for the summer.

Lerena’s only previous visit to Britain came last year when the three-time champion apprentice in South Africa notched a 285-1 double at the Shergar Cup at Ascot – an experience which left the rider wanting more.

Lerena is to be sponsored by Chelsea Thoroughbreds, with the owners set to give the rider opportunities on their 27 horses spread between nine trainers in Britain.

Lerena said: “Racing over here is just so historical and everyone is so passionate about it. The racing gains worldwide coverage, so hopefully I can find one or two nice horses for the big days.”

Lerena was a key member of the Rest of the World team that landed the Shergar Cup in August, with notable victories coming aboard the Amanda Perrett-trained 25-1 shot Arch Villain and Richard Hannon’s Danehill Kodiac .

Despite being pipped to the Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle Trophy by French rider Thierry Jarnet, Lerena describes the day as “one of the best of his career”.

He said: “Never mind riding a double, just to be at Ascot was truly amazing. The surface was beautiful and the track was testing. The winners just put the cherry on the top.”

If all goes to plan this campaign, Lerena may become a more familiar figure in Britain in the future.

He said: “If it all goes well I’d love to spend every summer in Britain. I don’t think I’d winter particularly well over here but summer racing is magnificent and something everyone wants to be a part of. It’s the place you want to be.”

– Racingpost.com

Newly licensed Summerveld trainer Nathan Kotzen attributes his passion for horseracing to his father, also named Nathan, and will attempt to get his career rolling on Friday night at Greyville where his classy filly Persian Rug runs in the Listed KRA East Coast Cup over 2000m.

The Ideal World filly infamously stopped in front of the grandstand shadow when looking to have the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes in the bag as a two-year-old.  She became disappointing thereafter on the Highveld but her career took off again soon after she was sent back to Greyville. Her form points to 2000m being her best trip, but she does have a wide draw to overcome and has also had an interrupted preparation.

Kotzen said, “She injured a near hind stifle after her last start and had a hematoma so was out of work for a bit. Therefore, I would have liked to have had one more race going into this one. The recent rain also ruled out the one more gallop I would have liked. But she has had two gallops and has done well in her work. She is fit and should run well.”

Persian Rug is a massive filly and should be suited to soft ground. She won a 2000m fillies and mares handicap on the polytrack in January, but her most eye-catching performance this season was when running the decent gelding Celtic Captain to half-a-length over 2000m on the Greyville turf in February.

Kotzen is the younger brother of Vodacom Durban July-winning trainer Glen. The brothers were taught the ropes by their father, who was both a jockey and a trainer.

Nathan has vast experience as a trainer of thoroughbreds and his new career ended a 16-year stint as assistant trainer to the legendary Mike de Kock. He obviously learnt a lot from De Kock but also attributed his overall knowledge to other trainers such as David Payne, Robbie Sivewright, Mike Azzie, Pat Shaw, Paddy Lunn, the late Michael Roberts and to his brother Glen.

Nathan helped De Kock win the KZN trainers title nine times between 2002 and 2012 and the Vodacom Durban July four times courtesy of Ipi Tombe, Greys Inn, Bold Silvano and Igugu. He was closely associated with other top horses such as Victory Moon, Flight Alert, Kildonan, Irish Flame, Vercingetorix and many others.

Nathan once dreamed of being a jockey, but was just too big to ever become one, although he did win plenty of races in the amateur ranks.

Nathan is already looking to move yards as his string has expanded to 22 and he has another four on the farm. Among the owners supporting him are Mary and Jessica Slack, long time breeding and owning stalwarts of South African racing and loyal supporters of the De Kock yard.

The long-time KZN colours of the Armstrong family will also be seen on one of his runners. These black, white and red colours are owned today by former Gold Circle director Bruce Armstrong.

Nathan picked up a Master Of My Fate filly at the National Yearling Sales, and also picked up three at recent CTS sales and one at a dispersal sale. There were a couple of well-bred sorts among those.

Kotzen said experiencing the other side of the coin, where he was now master of the yard, had not really “hit him” yet but he did confirm there was added pressure.

He spoke of the help brother Glen had given him at the sales. The skills in this area is the most important asset needed to convert from a successful assistant to a successful trainer.

His father is helping him at the yard and eldest daughter Natasha will be doing the books.

The affable Nathan has always been an asset to South African racing and it would be no surprise to see him reach the heights brother Glen has. Persian Rug, whom he has always had a share in, will be the second runner of his licensed career. 

David Thiselton

African Night Sky faces only six rivals in his bid to become the fourth horse in five seasons to complete the Winter Guineas-Winter Classic double at Kenilworth on Sunday.

African Night Sky (Liesl King)

But Our Mate Art (second), Loadshedder (third) and Turbulent Air (fifth) take on Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount again in the Highlands Stud-sponsored feature as does the Cape Guineas fourth Elevated who flopped in last month’s Grade 3.

Riaan van Reenen, who won this 1 800m test with Sweet Virginia 12 years ago, said: “Nothing showed up after the Winter Guineas but I had issues with Elevated beforehand, time got hold of me and he had to go into it needing a run.

“He also got bumped at the start and then ran a flat race. But he has come on since and has been doing well at home. This will be his third run after a lay-off and he should go well.”

Ngaga, unbeaten in three starts and half-sister to Vodacom Durban July and Met winner Igugu, has her first race since straining a suspensory on New Year’s Eve in the Stormsvlei Mile.

The in-form Grant van Niekerk rides her for the first time and Andre Nel said: “She is working well and doing well.”

By Michael Clower

Lyle Hewitson has been discharged from hospital after suffering a broken collar bone in a nasty fall at Fairview on Saturday after his mount Gitano Giant broke down.

Lyle Hewitson

The leading apprentice now faces a race against time to be ready in time to ride in the Vodacom Durban July.

However, he did not sound optimistic and said, “I will use all means possible to heal it better and faster but I will only come back when strong enough and the July is only six weeks away.

Hewitson had his first ride in the professional ranks on March 6 last year and has already notched up 177 winners, including one overseas.

He had a ride in last year’s July, setting the pace on Dynamic and finishing a 3,95 length 12^th.

He has wrapped up this year’s SA Apprentice Championships already, having had 103 winners this season, 76 clear of joint second-placed Eric Saziso Ngwane and Diego de Gouveia.

He was also seven clear of Callan Murray, on 36 winners to 29, when the latter ended his apprenticeship earlier in the season.

By David Thiselton

The cold front which has brought heavy rains to KZN has made full work for Summerveld horses impossible. Trainer Justin Snaith, whose three charges Elusive Silva, It’s My Turn and Prince of Wales are at the top the boards for Friday night’s Gr 2 Betting World 1900, said it would consequently be impossible to predict just how well his charges would run.

Elusive Silva (Liesl King)

Snaith pointed out, on top of the horses’ interrupted program, another important aspect to training was for a horse to go into a race feeling well and he added, “They have been soaking wet for three days, there has been a huge amount of rain.”

However, on the bright side, he said the Summerveld polytrack had allowed the horses to canter and he had also been “over the moon” with the well-being of the horses at the time of the cold front’s arrival.

He also singled out Elusive Silva as a horse who had proven himself to be “useful” in soft conditions.

He added, “Above all it is important for racing to go ahead.”

Elusive Silva is the current Vodacom Durban July joint-second favourite, not surprisingly after his impressive win in the Listed Sledgehammer over 1800m at Greyville. Snaith pointed out he had needed that run and would still be well weighted for the Betting World 1900 as his merit rating of 99 happened to be at the top of one of the merit rated bands.

He said Prince Of Wales, a running on third in the Sledgehammer, had probably needed the run even more than Elusive Silva had and would now be 1kg better off for a two length beating.

Elusive Silva was in 16^th place on the first July log, while Prince of Wales was among the first five horses just outside the top twenty. The former will thus need a good run to solidify his place and the latter will need a big run to impress the panelists.

It’s My Turn (Liesl King)

It’s My Turn finished fourth in last year’s July. He will carry 60kg on Friday night and will have to give the whole field at least 2kg. It will be his first run since finishing a decent 5,65 length eighth in the Sun Met, where he carried a 2kg Gr 1 penalty. Interestingly he finished just 1,6 lengths behind the current July favourite Marinaresco in the Met at level weights. He will receive 4,5kg from the latter in the July, as things stand, yet Marinaresco is a 15/2 shot and It’s My Turn is at 22/1.

Snaith said It’s My Turn would not be at his best on Friday night as he had to ensure he lasted for the entire SA Champions Season. However, he rated him a July dark horse.

“He will be better weighted in the July than he was last year,” he concluded.

Snaith also spoke of the well-being of Zodiac Ruler, who made a decent start to his Champions Season campaign by finishing second in an Allowance Plate over 1400m and then third in the Gr 2 Daisy Guineas.

Zodiac Ruler was in 17^th place on the July log and It’s My Turn was in 18^th place.

Snaith said Krambambuli, whose last two runs have yielded wins in the Gr 2 Blue Label Telecoms Cape Stayers over 2800m at Kenilworth and the Non-Black Type Highland Night Cup over 2400m, would likely be weighted out of the Gold Cup, so this race was currently not on his list of targets. Krambambuli has virtually booked his July berth as he was in 13^th place on the log.

Meanwhile, the yard’s champion filly Bela-Bela will start her Champions Season campaign in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint at Scottsville’s Festival Of Speed meeting. The connections, whilst keeping in mind how valuable she already is, would decide the rest of her Champions Season campaign after that race. Snaith said a tilt at the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge might be one of the options. Her two Gr 1 wins have been in the Woolavington 2000 and the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m and she is currently ninth on the July log.

By David Thiselton