Geoff Woodruff landed plum draws for his two chief contenders in the Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup, Master Sabina and Deo Juvente, although it was the opposite for his other pair, Master Switch and Master ‘N Commander.

Master Sabina and Deo Juvente finished one-two in the big race last year. In 2014 Woodruff also saddled the first two past the post and in 2013 he saddled the first three and the fifth-placed horse.

Master Sabina (JC Photos)

Master Sabina will jump from barrier six in this year’s big race on November 26, while Deo Juvente jumps from draw 8. Last year they jumped from draws 7 and 18 respectively and were sent off at odds of 13/2 and 15/1 and off merit ratings of 105 and 102. This year they both have merit ratings of 106 and are priced up at 8/1 and 9/1 respectively with Betting World.

Master Switch and Master ‘N Commander drew 18 and 17 respectively and are both priced up at 25/1.

Master Sabina has the same jockey aboard as last year, Gavin Lerena, while Deo Juvente will be ridden by Anton Marcus. Master Switch has Anthony Delpech up and Master ‘N Commander is yet to have a jockey declared.

The 11/2 ruling favourite from the Sean Tarry yard, Samurai Blade, drew a favourable barrier position of four, while his 6/1 shot stablemate, Liege, drew 12.

Out of province trainers, Duncan Howells, Gavin van Zyl and Joey Ramsden have four runners between them. Howells’ fancied 9/1 chance Saratoga Dancer drew a tough 13, while 16/1 shot stablemate Ten Gun Salute drew nine. Van Zyl’s No Worries drew 10 and Ramsden’s St. Tropez drew pole position.

By David Thiselton

Sc# Horse                                  Mass   MR     Draw   Jockey                Trainer
1  MAC DE LAGO                      60.0   114      3         W Marwing     W Marwing
2  PUNTA ARENAS                  58.0   110       5         K de Melo         D Drier
3  DEO JUVENTE                     56.0   106       8         A Marcus           G Woodruff
4  MASTER SABINA                 56.0   106      6         G Lerena           G Woodruff
5  THE CONGLOMERATE      56.0   106       15       P Strydom          J Ramsden
6  JUDICIAL                               55.5   105       2         K Zechner          T Zackey
7  NO WORRIES                        55.5   105       10       W Kennedy        G van Zyl
8  SARATOGA DANCER         55.0   104       13       C Zackey           D Howells
9  JUXTAPOSE                          54.0   103      7         C Maujean       S Ferreira
10 LIEGE                                      53.5   102       12       S Khumalo        S Tarry
11 ROMANY PRINCE                 53.5   102       14       *L Hewitson      O Ferraris
12 TEN GUN SALUTE                53.5   102      9         G V’Niekerk       D Howells
13 MASTER SWITCH                 53.5   101       18       A Delpech          G Woodruff
14 SAMURAI BLADE                  52.5   100       4         M Yeni               S Tarry
15 STONEHENGE                        52.5   99         16       J P v’d Merwe   S Tarry
16 MOGOK MASTER                   52.0   99         11       M V’Rensburg   J Soma
17 MASTER ‘N COMMANDER   52.0   97         17       A Forbes            G Woodruff
18 ST TROPEZ                               52.0    97        1         *C Murray         J Ramsden
19 IRISH PRIDE                           52.0    95        20       R Simons           J Janse van Vuuren
20 BANKABLE TEDDY               52.0   91         19       R Danielson       B Wiid
Couplings: (3,4,13,17) (5,18) (8,12) (10,14,15)
No. of Trainers: 13

The Vaal Outside track stages a competitive nine race card tomorrow. High draws have been favourable by trends at this course.

The meeting heralds the return of the 111 merit-rated Brazuca, who runs in the second race, a Graduation Plate over 1400m. He has not been seen since running third to Legal Eagle and French Navy in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at the end of April. He deserved the rest having campaigned in Cape Town and in the Highveld classics. He should outclass this field as he has some speed and this should be an ideal trip for his return.

The best bet on the card could come in race three in the form of September Bloom. The Gitano Hernando filly is a decent looking sort and faces an uninspiring fillies and mares maiden field here over 1200m. In her last start over 1450m on the Turffontein Inside track she over raced early and was then stopped in her tracks when beginning a telling run. She still picked up well after that and the form has worked out well. She should relish this 1200m trip and from a fair draw of ten might be too classy here, despite having not raced since August. The obvious danger is At A Glance, but against her is a low draw.

The seventh race is a MR 92 Handicap over 1000m. Daspoort is six points higher than his highest winning mark, but has turned the corner and proved last time he was up to his current merit rating. He had a tough draw on that occasion and was also a bit hampered in the closing stages, but still managed to stay on for a one length third to the speedy Magic. He now has a plum draw on the outside rail and Piere Strydom rides. He is given  the nod for value bet on the card. Isphan is speedy and is off a competitive merit rating. He should make a bold bid, although he might end up giving Daspoort a nice tow and then be caught late. Seattle Singer would not be a surprise winner. She is a three-year-old filly running against the boys off a 94 merit rating, but has class and speed and done well against males at GR 1 level before. However, her draw is not as favourable as Daspoort’s and might cost her.

Another contender for best bet is Fieldmarshal Fenix, who runs in the eighth race, a MR 75 Handicap over 1000m. He has a nice stride on him and used it to lengthen in the closing stages of his debut over the quick 1160m Turffontein course. He is a four-year-old so started off as a 67 merit rating and was raised to a 70 after finishing second over 1450m. The form of his maiden over 1160m, in which he beat Refuge and Ronin Warrior, has worked out exceptionally well as they have gone on to win another five races between them. He has a fair draw and does not face an inspiring field. However, the slight concern is that he would probably prefer a touch further than 1000m.

In the first race Plum British could be a fair bet. This three-year-old gelding has plenty of speed, not surprisingly being by Great Britain. He is better drawn than the pair who strike as the main dangers, Amber Flash and Flying Russian. The question is whether he will stay the extra 200m in this 1200m event and he is given the nod too as he is a robust sort who should have come on from his first two career outings.

September Bloom’s performance in race three will be of interest regarding the chances of Miss Turbo in race five over 1400m. Miss Turbo beat the former the last time they met over 1450m. September Bloom was unlucky there, but Miss Turbo has dropped to a competitive merit rating after not being disgraced against a promising sort last time and has a favourable draw with Gavin Lerena up.

David Thiselton

Leading apprentice Lyle Hewitson has had a fairytale career to date and can add another chapter as his 100th winner in the professional ranks coincided with his first ever ride overseas.

Hewitson won a race for Arabian horses on Sunday in the UAE. He thus followed the example of fellow South African Jockey Academy pupil, Kersley Ramsamy, who rode a winner in his first overseas ride in France on October 16.

Lyle Hewitson (Nkosi Hlophe)

Hewitson and the Mauritian-born Ramsamy flew over to the UAE last week ostensibly to take part in Sunday’s finale of the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race in Abu Dhabi.

Hewitson discovered upon arrival only riders who had won one of the qualifying races, which are staged at intervals through the year in various parts of the world, can take part in the finale.

However, the trip was far from being a waste of time as he attended the press conferences and workshops put on for all of the invited visitors. He was also able to take time out to ride work for Mike de Kock at Meydan in Dubai.

Then came the cherry on the top. Former South African-based trainer Ernst Oertel learnt Hewitson was to be in attendance on the night of the Apprentice World Championship meeting and offered him a ride in one of the supporting races on the card.

Hewitson’s subsequent victory was all the more remarkable in that he did not have an opportunity to ride his mount work during the week. When he climbed aboard in the parade ring it was the first time he had ever sat on an Arabian horse. His mount, a seven-year-old grey entire named Ibn Harmany Al Zobair, was a battling maiden running in a handicap event over 1200m against winners. Furthermore, the horse was 2kg under sufferance on official merit ratings. Lastly, Hewitson was up against some of the best jockeys in the world, the like of Silvestre de Souza, Royston French, Richard Mullen, Fernando Jara and Tadhg O’Shea, all of whom had ridden in plenty of Arabian races.

He said about his preparation for the race, “I watched a replay and got feedback from previous jockeys. Arabians seem to be a lot more temperamental, so it’s important to have them in the right frame of mind to get the most out of them. You almost have to be more kind to them in your demeanour. However, with saying that, they take a strong and a hard ride. Mr Oertel left the race to me. He let me know about the horse and after that I played it by ear and took the race as it came.”

Hewitson jumped from a low draw and got his mount handy before sitting still and showing his usual fine balance. He began riding the blinkered grey from 600m out. Enough fuel had been reserved to enable the horse to produce a sustained finishing effort. The race developed into a ding-dong tussle between Ibn Harmony Al Zobair and Richard Mullen’s mount, a five-year-old mare called Extra Hope. However, Hewitson’s hard driving kept the former’s nose in front.

Kersley Ramsamy (right) and Lyle Hewitson (left) meet Richard Mullen

Later Ramsamy did the SA Jockey Academy equally proud. Ramsamy is the current East Cape Champion Apprentice. He rode the Eric Lemartinel-trained four-year-old colt Snaffy into third place in a conditions event for Arabians over 1600m. He had to overcome a wide draw and his horse was a whopping 17kg under sufferance with the best weighted horse according to official merit ratings. The ultimate winner of the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championships was Dylan Dunn of Australia. His mount, the Jean de Roüalle-trained four-year-old grey colt Qader, romped to a 7,25 length victory. Fittingly, the horse was owned and bred by Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is the deputy prime minister of the UAE, minister of presidential affairs and a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi.

Hewitson has not won any invites yet for the win, but felt it would open some doors.

He summed up the trip, “ I met great people and made new friends and work related contacts. The experience was amazing in all aspects. I also really enjoyed seeing the professional set up of Mike de Kock’s Dubai yard and being able to work some great horses at a wonderful training establishment.”

By David Thiselton

Craig du Plooy, who broke bones in his right hand when Sabina’s Dynasty fell with him as he was pulling her up at Kenilworth a fortnight ago, expects to be out of action until some time in January.

He said: “I had bad concussion and, perhaps fortunately, I don’t remember anything about it but I am told that the horse landed on top of me. I had a lot of facial bruising, including two black eyes, and the hand was broken quite badly. The doctors had to pin it and they told me that I will be out for eight weeks minimum – and that is if all goes well in the meantime.”

The injury is a blow, not just to Du Plooy, but also to Snaith Racing as he rides much of the work on the team’s big string. However he should be able to continue with his tuition of those taking part in Cape Town work riders’ races.

He explained: “I teach them basic racing rules and they all have to pass my course to be eligible to ride in those races.”

He works with them quite closely and appears on Tellytrack before each Kenilworth work rider race to inform both the presenter and punters of their various strengths and weaknesses.

By Michael Clower