Gareth van Zyl, son of former top jockey and now successful trainer Gavin, made a dream start to his career as a licensed trainer at Greyville on Friday night when sending out a winner with his first  runner. He later capped it by winning the first feature he had contested, the Listed Jonsson Workwear Michaelmas Handicap over 1900m, with the four-year-old Captain Al gelding Celtic Captain.

Both of the winners were for popular KZN owner Brian “Buffalo Bill” Burnard, who has thrown his support behind Gareth’s venture.

Celtic Captain was allowed to go off at generous odds of 10/1, considering he had finished just 2,3 lengths back in the Gr 2 Canon Guineas and was now running off just a 98 merit rating. He had always looked likely to enjoy this trip.  Furthermore, he jumped from a plum draw of three.

Stable jockey Warren Kennedy had him perfectly positioned on the rail within striking distance. The tall bay made up the ground easily and then quickened well. He held on to win by 0,5 lengths from the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Ashton Park.

Earlier, Gareth’s licensed career had started on a high note when the three-year-old Noordhoek Flyer filly Northern Storm had finished strongly to win a qualified maiden over 1000m under Anton Marcus.

Gareth is deeply grateful to both his father and prolific owner Brian Burnard for the opportunity he has been given.

Gavin decided to consolidate his training operation last year. He suggested Gareth dedicate himself to training the powerful Burnard string. At the same time Gavin would focus exclusively on the other horses in the yard.

Brian was agreeable and he and Gareth had immediate success together. They combined to win the R2,5 million Lanzerac ready To Run Stakes with the Lithuanian gelding Budapest at Kenilworth in November last year.

Later, Burnard’s stalwart Kahal gelding No Worries reclaimed the KZN Breeders Million Mile crown which he had won two years earlier.

Gavin initially encouraged Gareth to pursue a career outside of racing. However, the lure of the sport eventually proved too strong.    “I was obsessed with racing right from the beginning,” he admitted.

As kids he and his younger brother Chesney supported their father at both the track and the races as often as possible. They also became famous for racing each other through the sugar cane fields and on the Summerveld tracks on the ex-racehorses the family kept on their small holding. The youngsters cared for these horses themselves.

After completing matric, Gareth worked in the Tony Rivalland stable for about six months. Chesney was already in the game by then. He had proven to be a gifted farrier and later became caretaker trainer of the Van Zyl satellite yard in Johannesburg, a role he still fills with aplomb. Chesney  does all the farriery work for this yard too.

Meanwhile, Gareth had left to do missionary work in Uganda. He is, like his father, a devout man of God. Upon returning, he completed the first year of a B-Comm degree, and later worked as a sales representative and insurance broker.

It was to no avail and in 2009 Gavin succumbed to his son’s wishes and appointed him Summerveld assistant trainer. Gareth said, “In this game you never stop learning. Working with my Dad was a good learning experience and in due time everything came together.”

He had also absorbed some vital principles of training during a short learning stint in 2009 with Mike Azzie, a man he still regards as a friend and mentor.

Two or three years ago Gareth was hosted in the USA for a short period by James Bond, who has trained seven individual Gr 1 winners to date. On the same trip he spent time with veterinarian and consummate horseman Dr. Pug Hart. Both visits were organised by Kip Elser of Kirkwood Stables in the USA, a regular buyer at South African sales.

Gareth plans to travels overseas again. He said, “The science of training and horse care is constantly advancing and the first world countries are the leaders. It is important to keep up to date.”

He will continue to train exclusively for Burnard, although the latter has brought one or two of his friends and relatives in to the yard as well.

Gavin and Brian’s joint buying strategy will likely continue unabated, considering the success they have enjoyed at the sales. Gavin is only too happy to see his son reap the dividends.

Gareth named No Worries and Redcarpert Captain as the kingpins of his string last week and Celtic Captain has likely now joined them.

He also has a potentially powerful team of two-year-olds, which include four Australian-bred colts as well as SA-bred progeny of the like of Captain Al, Oratorio, Pathfork and Querari.

He still has hope for a few of his three-year-olds too, including Onesie, Captain At Sea and Venice In May.

Gareth enjoys “a very good” relationship with Chesney. Consequently, No Worries will travel up to the Highveld for the Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile next week and will then stay at Chesney’s Turffontein yard until the Sansui Summer Cup.

Jessica von Niebel has been with the Van Zyls at Summerveld for six years and now becomes Gareth’s official assistant trainer. “She is the backbone of the yard,” said Gareth.

Gavin will continue to train under his own license, but will remain Gareth’s biggest mentor.

It remains to be seen how the race day publications will separate the pair as they both have the same initials, “”GH”.

Gareth reflected on the moment he attained his own license, “It was exciting but also intimidating as I don’t know what future racing holds. But when seeing my name among the other trainers I felt honoured.”

He concluded, “My number one goal is to take horses overseas to run and I hope there will soon be changes in the export protocols to allow for such a possibility.”

David Thiselton

 

Mauritius Pronostic previews Champ De Mars Saturday Oct 29:

R1           [3] Vigilante [2] Joe’s Legacy [1] EkTha Tiger

R2           [3] Valerin [4] Beluga [1] Burg

R3           [1] Adi Star [3] Lord Al [9] Count Emmanuale

R4           [5] Elite Class [2] Moothadee [4] Sir Earl Grey

R5           [3] Scotsnog [6] Lucky Valentine [4] Door of Deception

R6           [3] Kremlin Captain [1] Charles Lytton [2] One Coold dude

R7           [2] In your dreams [1] Rebel’s Game [11] Chester Wish

R8           [5] Triad of Fortune [1] Melson [8] Var’s Dream

BEST BET	R 4	Elite Class
VALUE BET	R 1	Vigilante
P.A   R 80	Leg 1	3
Starts R 2	Leg 2	1,3,7,8,9
	Leg 3	5
	Leg 4	3
	Leg 5	1.2.3.9
	Leg 6	1.2
	Leg 7	1.5
P 6   R 480	Leg 1	1.3.7.8.9
Starts  R 3	Leg 2	5
	Leg 3	3.4.6
	Leg 4	1.2.3.9
	Leg 5	1.2
	Leg 6	1.2.5.8
Jackpot :  R 144	Leg 1	3.4.6
Starts R 5	Leg 2	1.2.3.9
	Leg 3	1.2.11
	Leg 4	1.2.5.8
P3  R 48	Leg 1	1.2.3.9
Starts R 6	Leg 2	1.2.11
	Leg 3	1.2.5.8

Anton Marcus, Joey Ramsden and Markus Jooste bid to win the Drakenstein Vet Clinic Cape Classic for the third time in four years at Kenilworth tomorrow and Table Bay is a class act.

He has still to prove that he is in the same league as Red Ray and Act Of War but he is officially the best horse in the race. True, he has a huge task at the weights but the just-as-relevant question is whether he is fit enough.

He wasn’t at Durbanville four weeks ago and that has been the story with many of the stable’s other runners this term.

“We didn’t bustle them after their injections but now I have got the horses where I want them,” says Ramsden who was also hindered by one of his treadmills going wrong (it has since been repaired at considerable cost).

“Table Bay has a hell of a tough task but he has come on an awful lot since that Durbanville run.”

Just how tough a task can be gauged from Our Mate Art who was only a head behind in the Langerman and is now 3kg better. But he too ran below expectations on his return, admittedly over a distance too short for him. He has 2.5kg in hand on adjusted merit ratings but all his running so far has suggested that even this 1 400m could be on the short side.

“Possibly,” says Candice Bass-Robinson.

“But he needed that first run back, he will be better over this trip and he has come on.”

Elevated will be a big price for a horse who comes out second best on adjusted ratings. “He wasn’t quite ready in his last two runs but now he is fit,” enthuses Riaan van Reenen.  “We will give them a go.”

Donovan Dillon’s mount has been declared to run without shoes. Zola Budd got away with it but this is a racehorse up against class opposition and it’s hardly a plus.

Le Harve has to prove he can get this trip and Edict Of Nantes, despite winning his last three, still has something to find. Table Bay should be able to give him a kilo.

The Secret Is Out puts her unbeaten record on the line in the Choice Carriers Championship, a race her trainer won with the filly’s full sister All Is Secret four years ago, but she has to give weight to everything. Vaughan Marshall , reporting that her prep has gone well, adds: “I’m not worried about the weight – it’s just the draw.”

MJ Byleveld could have his work cut out from pen 12 although his mount is the forecast favourite and favourites have won five of the last six runnings.

Final Judgement, rated the equal of The Secret Is Out, significantly receives a kilo and has a much better draw.

However it is Sail who gets a tentative vote. She was beaten barely a length when third in both the two top Greyville two-year-old fillies races and Dennis Drier says that she is in good shape, has had a gallop on the course and will not be in need of the run.

But the biggest name of the lot runs without any black type or potential stud value in the Drakenstein Pinnacle. This is the first outing of the season for Marinaresco, winner of the Champions Cup and second in the July. “This is a gallop,” says his trainer.

“We have decided to go 1 200m, a mile and a mile rather than 1 400m and then a mile. The sprint will bring him on.”

Michael Clower

The Vaal Inside track stages a low key ten race meeting tomorrow and low draws will be favourable in all races.

The highest rated race on the card is a MR 80 Handicap over 1 000m. Roquebrune was disappointing in a Novice Plate over 1 200m last time, but has plenty of early pace so will appreciate the step down in trip.

Considering he finished just one length behind the top class Rivarine in a Graduation Plate the last time he tried 1 000m, he looks well handicapped here off just a 75 merit rating. He is drawn towards the favourable inside so should go close.

However, he is unlikely to find the rail as the speedy Just Africa is drawn one inside of him. This horse is a 1 000m specialist. The draw will help but against him will be the little bit of rain which is about. He seems to prefer the ground to be as fast as possible. Furthermore, he is seven points higher than his last win.

All Night Flight beat Just Africa by 3,7 lengths last time and as he is only 3kg worse off, so he should confirm the form.

Magic is returning from a layoff which followed a run in June where he went lame and was eased out of the race. On ability he will be a big factor. Furthermore, he has the plum draw of one. Considering the speed among the low draws, the race should set up well for him too. Kapitan has dropped to a mark eleven points lower than his last win.

His early pace can help him overcome a high draw and he might appreciate the step down in trip. He was found to have been not striding out in his last two starts, so should be inspected closely on the way down, because if he is sound he could be a runner here.

Roquebrune is selected to beat All Night Flight, Just Africa, Magic and Kapitan in that order.

The banker on the card is Charming Charlie in the first leg of the Pick 6. He set the pace over 1 800m last time and went a decent clip without over racing. He was outrun in the straight by Okavango Delta, but was not stopping at the line, so should enjoy the step up in trip. Furthermore, he is a full-brother to Duchess Kate, whose two career wins have both been over 2 000m.

A further plus is that Star Of Caesour, whom he beat by six lengths in that last race, has since come out and won by 4,8 lengths over 2 000m.

Charming Charlie has a fair draw of seven and Muzi Yeni is an able substitute for Anton Marcus. On the downside, he faces a weak field and is likely to be short in the betting.

The one who makes most appeal for the exacta is Stool Pigeon. He stayed on over 1 600m last time to finish eleven lengths behind a promising sort and on both visual and pedigree evidence he should relish the step up to 2 000m. He is by Call To Combat, who won over 1 950m, out of a Scuffleberg mare who won over 2 000m.

Punters should get off to a good start with Ebony Knight in race one, a Maiden over 1 200m. He showed good speed over 1 200m last time and just failed. He now has a fair draw of five.

As a four-year-old he has a 4,5kg weight for age advantage over the biggest threat Plum British. The latter is speedy and has been backed in both of his starts. He started slowly on debut, but jumped well in his second start over 1 000m. He then stayed on well for second, suggesting he would handle the step up to 1 200m. Furthermore, he has a plum draw of two.

An interesting runner here is Kings Landing, who could represent good place value. In his penultimate start over 1 200m, he stayed on in eye catching style from a hopeless position.

In his next start over 1 450m he moved up in eye catching style, but was then run out of the places late, suggesting he would appreciate a return to 1 200m. He now has a plum draw, so should be within striking distance when starting his finishing effort.

The selection for race three, a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 2 000m, is Fish River Canyon. She faced a promising sort last time over 1 600m and was beaten 6,75 lengths into second. She should enjoy the step up in trip and is preferred to the other form horse in the race, Hallucination. The latter probably has more ability but over raced in a 1600m race last time and duly found little extra. Therefore, a step up in trip does not augur well.

An interesting runner on the day is Consequentially, who runs in the fifth race, a MR 73 Handicap for fillies and mares over 2 000m. She had caught the eye last season in the strong centre of Cape Town. Being a well bred filly by Silvano, significant progress could have been expected this season as a four-year-old.

She duly won her maiden, but ran moderately in her next two starts. However, the disappointment was put to bed last time out when blinkers were applied in a 2 000m fillies and mares handicap. She swept past the opposition and won full of running by six lengths. She was given the maximum raise of eight points.

She is likely running off a capped merit rating and can win again over the same trip from a fair draw with the blinkers staying on.

David Thiselton

Gareth van Zyl comes out from under the wing of father Gavin and saddles his first runners under his own name at Greyville tonight. Gareth has long been the private trainer to prolific owner Brian Burnard but under the name of his father and he could make a winning start with two strongly fancied runners in Northern Storm and Celtic Captain, the latter in the Listed Jonsson Workwear Michaelmas Handicap.

Northern Storm steps out in a Qualified Maiden, third race on the card, and if the daughter of Noordhoek Flyer can produce the form that saw her finish close-up to A Womans Way and Querari Falcon in her first two starts then she should be difficult to beat in what stacks up into a pretty moderate field.

“It might be a bit short for her,” said Van Zyl. “But it’s not a strong field so I think she has a good chance.”

Her recent form on the turf has been disappointing but back on the poly, Anton Marcus aboard, and blinkers back on she is in with a big shout.

Michaelmas runner Celtic Captain was always up against it in the Grand Heritage over 1 475m at the Vaal where he carried 61,5kg in a 28-runner field. He raced handy for much of the trip but was left in the scrum when it counted most.

Prior to that he had made a cracking seasonal debut behind the smart sprinter Humidor. Celtic Captain was not too far off the best of his generation last season and he should more than hold his own in a field of solid handicappers.

“I think that he’s a runner,” concluded Van Zyl with some enthusiasm and who could well kick off his solo career with a feature victory.

Marcus is one jockey who was quick to master the poly surface helped by an impeccable judgement of pace. He will be aboard top weight Ashton Park who has threatened in both starts since arriving in KZN from the Western Cape, both in competitive Pinnacle Plates.

In his only foray beyond a mile the now seven-year-old finished five lengths back to champion Futura and Ice Machine in the Gr1 Champions Cup over 1800m at the start of last season.

The step up in trip may be a gamble but it may prove significant that Marcus is back aboard after the combination finished within a length of the winner Silver Spring over a mile at his local debut.

The grey French Revolution is one of the most handsome horses in training but his back mane and tail but he also counts four wins among his 20 starts. More to the point is that he has found form, finishing runner-up in his last two. He does come up against stronger here but the poly holds no fears and he is in receipt of 6,5kg from Ashton Park which will make him dangerous.

Princess Varunya arrived on the Highveld for their classic season off a string of four straight victories but her fourth in the Gr1 SA Fillies Classic was sandwiched between two indifferent performances in the Gr2 Gauteng Guineas and the Gr1 SA Oaks.

She was given a four-month break after the Oaks by Kom Naidoo and she returned to the track with a creditable sixth behind the well fancied Crackpot in a competitive filly’s handicap at the beginning of the month. She may be looking for some relief from the handicapper before being competitive again but she does have a shout. Champion trainer Sean Tarry was on song at Turffontein on Saturday saddling a four-timer.

With mostly poly track racing the order of the day for the next few months, whenever Tarry sends horses down from his Highveld stronghold one needs to take note, especially when it comes to his older runners. Stonehenge fits into that category and he makes his poly debut.

His recent Highveld form is nothing to write home about but given a plum draw and former champion S’manga Khumalo aboard he may be worth including in bigger exotic perms. Gavin van Zyl can make it a family affair on the evening when he saddles Arctic Swift in the opening leg of the Jackpot although the daughter of Var does face a stiff task in a competitive maiden.

The filly has only had a couple of starts and punters piled in at her second outing when stretched to a mile as she shortened from 14-1 to start 5-1.

Racing green for most of her trip around the turn she made little impression on winning favourite Joy To Joy. Arctic Swift is sure to have come on with the experience and with Marcus in the irons from an inside gate she has a lot to recommend her as Marcus has jumped ship from beaten odds-on favourite Florrick in spite of two close-up seconds on the poly. Marcus seldom makes mistakes so the inference is obvious. Van Zyl has a second string to his bow in the somewhat disappointing Black Hall Bar but stable rider Warren Kennedy has the ride.

Formerly trained by Neil Bruss, who recently took up a post in Saudi Arabia and who opened his account last week with a trio of winners, Black Hall Bar has flattered to deceive.

However, she did not have the best of draws when making her debut for Van Zyl and with a better gate this evening she could put one over Arctic Swift and Florrick.

Andrew Harrison