Horizon, the R5.2 million colt who smashed the South Africa auction record as a yearling, came good at the second time of asking in the mile maiden at Kenilworth yesterday.

This was a very different performance from his disappointing debut nine weeks ago and, backed from 15-2 to 4-1, he made smooth progress to lead 200m out before drawing away under hands and heels to beat odds-on favourite Crompton Court by a comfortable two and a half lengths.

Grant van Niekerk said: “We got a lot of negative comments after his first run but I know exactly how good this horse is and it will pay to follow him. He is going to go places.”

Candice Bass-Robinson added: “There was a lot of pressure when he ran first time but he is a Dynasty out of a full sister to Silvano so he was never going to be an early horse.

“He has got his own mind and is not all that keen on doing his work at home but over the last month or so he has put things together and I think he is going to be a really decent horse.”

Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion winner Always In Charge made a most satisfactory return in the Racing Association Graduation Plate. Vaughan Marshall had warned that the colt was only 80% and the 11-10 favourite looked beaten a furlong out when Attenborough seemed to be travelling by far the better.

But he found another gear when Anton Marcus gave him a couple of taps and surged clear 20m out to get the better of Orion Quest by three-quarters of a length with a weakening Attenborough a neck away third.

Michael Clower

Some apprentices never ride out their claim in the five years of their apprenticeship but trainers are quick to cotton on to those that are full value for their allowance.

Lyle Hewitson is an example, riding out his claim in record time, but he was more the exception than the rule given his background in the work rider series. Denis Schwarz has a more conventional grounding but in the space of a couple of months has notched 13 winners and is full value for his 4kg claim as his almost full card of rides at Greyville this afternoon bares testimony.

He partners the Doug Campbell-trained Lala in the fourth and although the four-year-old daughter of Visionaire faces a tough task, Schwarz’s claim coupled with a pole position draw could be enough to see her score her fifth career victory.

Schwarz was aboard when Lala made her seasonal debut over the Scottsville mile and racing handy, she kept on gamely to finish third behind Fantasy Lady giving the winner 3kg.

There is the spectre of the second run after a lay-off hanging over her for those that believe but she has a lot going for her this afternoon.

Duncan Howells is at Turffontein overseeing the preparation of Saratoga Dancer and Ten Gun Salute, both runners in the Charity Mile on Saturday, so assistant James Rich will be saddling Crackpot who looks a likely threat to Lala. She has a fair bit of pudding to shoulder but she is in cracking form, winning her last start comfortable over the Scottsville 1950m. She is ideally suited to today’s trip and can go in again under Brandon Lerena.

But this is far from a two-horse race. Mamasita was only run out of it late by Crackpot at her penultimate outing and although she didn’t feature in the Michaelmas Handicap last Friday, this will be her third run after a break so she should strip super fit.

Playboy Buddy won over course and distance last time out but could be held by Crackpot while Anton Marcus take a rare mount for Belinda Impey. Music World doesn’t know how to run a bad race and loves the poly on which surface Marcus is a master.

Punters generally face another difficult card but Newyorkstateofmind could get them through the opening leg of the Pick 6. Sean Tarry’s runner took an age to shed his maiden but he continues to improve and is hunting his third success. He got a small penalty for his last win and has not finished further back than third in five starts on the poly. He has another good draw and can go in again.

Victory Team has shown some promise and caught the eye last time when returning from a break. He has a tricky draw but should be in the shake-up. Aramouse has yet to run a bad race since arriving in KZN and has won over course and distance. He has a difficult draw but must be a runner while Fire The Rocket has a big weight but loves this course.

It often pays to follow the combination of Anthony Delpech and Dean Kannemeyer and Tanjiro will be many pundit’s idea of a Pick 6 banker when he lines up in the Track & Ball Gaming Handicap over 2000m. He was a beaten favourite over course and distance last time out, taking a bump at a crucial stage of the race, and going down a nod-of-the-heads behind Jama. With Born To Rule and possibly Classe Mondiale likely to set a brisk early pace, expect Delpech to pounce over the final furlong.

Andrew Harrison

 

 

 

 

 

 

High flying Cape Town jockey Richard Fourie believes he is finally back to his “old self”. Ironically it was a horrendous fall which appears to have done the trick.

He also spoke forthrightly on the end to his “first call rider” status for the Justin Snaith yard. The latter gave his views on the matter too.

Fourie fell off the ill-fated Rock Stewart on October 12 at Durbanville.

However, rather than speaking of any adverse effects, he said, “I had been experiencing a pinched feeling in the Thoracic (chest) area for a while and the fall appears to have released it.”

Fourie had been blossoming into a truly world class jockey at the time of his horrific fall on Jet Explorer in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Clairwood in June 2014.

A lot of the niggles he has felt since then could well have been an after effect.

It is exciting news he now feels back to his very peak and he is definitely a jockey to follow.

Fourie believed he was within his rights to take the ride on the highly regarded Michael Robinson-trained Smokey Affair in a handicap on October 5 at the expense of a Snaith-trained horse. He said, “I was not being paid a retainer by the Snaith yard.”

Justin Snaith agreed the jockey was within his rights, but added, retainer or not, “we need a jockey who is fully committed to the yard for both the sake of the yard and all of our owners.”

Earlier in October Snaith said, “If we have a horse that we think will suit Richard then he will ride it.”

Fourie did in fact ride the Snaith-trained three-year-old Zodiac Ruler on Saturday in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1200m and was highly impressed with his 1,9 length fifth.

Snaith was also over the moon with the run and said, “He does not have a sprinting bone in his body and to finish heads up and heads down with Marinaresco in his preparation for three-year-old features was very impressive.”

If most pundits are to believed the Gr 1 Cape Guineas on December 17 is a foregone conclusion, so impressive was the Joey Ramsden-trained Table Bay on Saturday.

However, Snaith is of the opinion Zodiac Ruler’s performance was just as impressive.

Fourie rode Smokey Affair on Saturday in the Gr 2 Choice Carriers Championship, where she finished a 2,05 length fourth over 1400m.

He said, “She is still a contender for the Cape Fillies Guineas, it didn’t go my way.”

The Elusive Fort filly looks likely to enjoy a mile as she was doing her best work late.

Meanwhile, Snaith, who had smashed his own fastest 50 winners in a season record by October 2, admitted he had a very powerful string this season.

His chief headache is the program for champion filly Bela-Bela.

“Our three options are to run her against the boys, run her carrying 64kg, or run her over 1000m.” He added he had in the past sent fillies straight into features with success and this would also be an option. Her chief target is the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes.

Bela-Bela has been doing “very well” at home, as has Black Arthur, who will take the WSB Green Point Stakes, L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and Sun Met route.

It’s My Turn’s chief aim would be the Met.

Snaith said the smart Bishops Bounty would be perfectly suited to 1400m and would go for the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes on November 19, where he will attempt to go one better than both of his full brothers, Red Ray and Brutal Force, respectively.

The unbeaten Dynasty gelding African Night Sky would be aimed at the Selangor Cup and the CTS US$500,000 race in January.

By David Thiselton

Brett Crawford will take it one step at a time with Nebula, who won Port Elizabeth’s biggest race, the Gr 3 Algoa Cup over 2000m at Fairview on Sunday under Richard Fourie.

The four-year-old Wilgerbosdrift Stud-bred Silvano gelding is owned by Hong Kong-based Edmond Siu.

There is a possibility the gelding, who is a full brother to J&B Met winner Martial Eagle, might be exported to race on the South East Asian island one day and if he does he will likely be trained by South African ex-patriot Tony Millard, who signed for him at the 2014 BSA National Yearling Sales for a massive R3,75 million.

However, his immediate aims are likely to be races like the Gr 2 Premier Trophy and the Gr 2 Peninsula Handicap, both over 1800m at Kenilworth.

“We will take it from there,” said Crawford.

On Sunday he snuck into the handicap with the minimum weight of 52kg off only a 90 merit rating.

However, he won cosily, so it would be no surprise to see him make the further step-up necessary to win a Cape Summer Of Champions feature.

He started well on Sunday from a good draw and was handy throughout in a race run at a fair pace.

He was full of running throughout the straight and the first time the whip was used was at about the 50m mark.

He finished 0,75 lengths clear of a flying Justin Snaith-trained Captain Splendid, from whom he received 1,5kg.

Fourie said, “He won very comfortably, he has a nice stride on him and is a lovely horse who being by Silvano will get better with time.”

Fourie believes the gelding’s best trip at this stage would be 1800m, so regards him as one who would be “a big danger” in the Premier Trophy and/or the Peninsula Handicap.

Nebula was the first runner Crawford had ever had in the Algoa Cup.

The Algoa Cup trophy has now returned to Cape Town for seven years in succession.

By David Thiselton

Former stalwart Cape jockey Karl Neisius said he had not seen a three-year-old performance as good as Table Bay’s on Saturday for “a long time.”

“To carry that weight and do what he did was a special achievement,” he said about the Joey Ramsden-trained Australian-bred colt’s exhilarating victory in the Gr 3 Drakenstein Vet Clinic Cape Classic over 1400m at Kenilworth under Anton Marcus.Neisius was sort after as a jockey not only for his race riding skills, but also due to his gifted judgement on the training tracks.

The latter asset included a good eye for a horse. Proof of this is that he is currently involved in a pin-hooking syndicate, which is enjoying success to date. The horses are usually bought at early year sales and then pin-hooked on the Ready To Run Sales.

Otherwise, Neisius is “enjoying his retirement”, although he is staying as close to the game as possible.

“I go racing, and to the track in the morning now and again, to keep my eye in. I will be going more now because this is the time of the year you can enjoy watching the good horses come out. I saw the Guineas winner on Saturday (Table Bay).”

He is currently cautious about ever becoming a trainer.

By David Thiselton