Silvan Star may come out on top in a hot race for the Place Your Bets Graduation Plate at Durbanville today.

Greg Cheyne’s mount scored over 200m further here last month in her first race since early June and afterwards Glen Kotzen disclosed that this was the filly he had been aiming at the KZN version of the Fillies Guineas. However a series of foot abscesses caused her to miss most of the Durban season.

Captain Gambler, winner of the 1 500m Irridescence, is an obvious danger and Joey Ramsden says she has come on since her return here 16 days ago.

The four-month absent Fromafar has a theoretical 4.5kg in hand over the next best (Just Sensual) on adjusted merit ratings but Dean Kannemeyer cautions: “She may not be at full racing fitness and may just need it.”

In the circumstances Silvan Star looks fairly priced at World Sports Betting’s 3-1. Captain Gambler is on the same price with stable companion Just Sensual on 15-4, Abound West 9-2, Leisure Trip 5-1, Fromafar and Lady Of The House 7-1 and Excellent the rank outsider at 33-1.

The opening 1 400m maiden looks a straight fight between Cheyne’s mount Candid and Greenflashsunset, the first of S’Manga Khumalo’s six rides for Justin Snaith. Both horses finished strongly to take second on their debuts here nearly three weeks ago and will obviously be suited by the extra furlong.

Candid would have won in another stride but Greenflashsunset came from some way back and was last turning into the straight. “It will be close predicts,” Snaith who reports that his colt has been doing well while Candice Bass-Robinson adds: “Candid ran green that day but he has done well since.”

Candid opened favourite at 15-10 and his turn of foot would have made him the choice had the race been over 1 200m but over this trip his slightly better-priced  (22-10) opponent may just prevail.

Nightingale Lane has obvious appeal at 9-2 in the next where Snaith’s My Word My Bond is favourite at 5-2 and gets the vote. “He has been gelded since his last run and he has a chance,” says the trainer. Brett Crawford has any amount of useful three-year-old maidens but newcomer Border Control, who opened favourite at 3-1, is likely to ease following Andrew Fortune’s decision to cry off his mounts.

Andre Nel’s horses seem to be running as well as ever so it could pay to side with Jingle Belle at 5-2 in the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap.

Michael Clower

DURBANVILLE TUESDAY 18 OCTOBER 2016 COMMENTS BY WARREN LENFERNA:

1

Preview: GREENFLASHSUNSET made an eye catching debut and over the extra distance today, should be a very hard horse to beat. CANDID also made a smart debut and should improve to be right there at the finish once again. LAUREN OF ROCHELLE can improve to get much closer – his debut effort was encouraging. (Warren Lenferna 6-4-7)

2

Preview: WHITELIGHTWARRIOR comes into the race with strong each way claims – he should enjoy the 1400m trip he gets today. NIGHTINGALE LANE showed big improvement in his second run and if he improves like that again could be hard to beat – massive chance. GONDWANA can improve on his fair debut effort – a must for the quartet. (Warren Lenferna 2-8-6)

3

Preview: BEAUTIFUL GIRL has been running well recently and looks ready to set herself free from the maiden ranks. PUT THE BERRIES is taking time to deliver the win but she is consistent and looks a certainty for a place here. BRINKLEY is not out of it either and should give a good account of himself and is a must for the quartet. (Warren Lenferna 1-2-3)

4

Preview: NORTHERN BALLET has solid form and has been knocking very loudly at the door in her last two. She looks the right one here but ELUSIVE WAVE can give plenty of cheek all the way to the finish. Her last run was good and one can never ignore the combination of Crawford and Fortune. JINGLE BELLE gets a light weight and the best draw at Durbanville – her form is solid and if one takes all these positive factors into account, she has to be given a serious chance here. (Warren Lenferna 4-2-7)

5

Preview: STRATHDON won his maiden last time and might be able to record back to back wins – include. UNION JACK finished not far off the winner last time and that has to give him a bright chance. KILRAIN and ANNIGONI have chances as well and must not be overlooked. (Warren Lenferna 9-4-2)

6

Preview: CAPTAIN GAMBLER has solid form and rates the horse they all have to beat. ABOUND WEST should give plenty of cheek as her form is also very good having won two out of her last three starts. FROMAFAR is doing okay and coming back to best recently. It would be silly not to give her a place in the quartet. (Warren Lenferna 5-2-1)

7

Preview: DAWN RISING looks very progressive and has been selected to go one better. MOONSABALLOON ran a cracker last time and nearly got up to beat Pint Pot – she has a massive chance today but might battle to beat the Snaith runner Dawn Rising. BON BON can come on plenty from her excellent debut run and has a strong chance. (Warren Lenferna 8-1-5)

 

Durbanville Tuesday October 18

BRETT CRAWFORD:

Race 1 – PENTICON (8): Is scratched.

Race 2 – BORDER CONTROL (4): Will need the run.

Race 2 – DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD (5): Will need the experience.

LUCINDA WOODRUFF on behalf of GEOFF WOODRUFF:

Race 1 – PLANO (9): He is a smart colt showing nice work at home but may be a bit green.

VAUGHAN MARSHALL:

Race 3 – MUFFIN (9): Has not shown much speed at home so I am trying her over this distance.

GLEN KOTZEN:

Race 7 – ISLAND MUSIC (9): Is drawn 11/11 and from that draw it will be very hard to be competitive – she will also be green and need the run.

Disclaimer: A Gold Circle information initiative. The views and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the quoted author and stable represented. None of Gold Circle, the author, trainer or trainer representative, accept liability for any damages that may arise from any reliance placed on the views expressed therein.

Following a Gold Circle initiative to collect comments on first-timers and the refusal of some trainers to oblige, a debate about “transparency” has been prevalent in the South African racing community.

However, there has been a lack of debate about a related but more important issue i.e. the absence of measures taken on South African training tracks to prevent insiders from having total control of information.

Renowned international syndicate owner and journalist Barry Irwin summed it up best three years ago in a reply to an email I wrote him asking whether saddle cloths were compulsory on USA training tracks. At the time I had been running a Gold Circle approved website where I attempted for every KZN meeting to publish as many comments on runners as possible.

This exercise highlighted the missing link racing scribes in South Africa have in their potential armoury.

The three weapons which should be in this armoury are 1) form study, 2) comments from the connections of a horse and 3) watching the horse working.

However, being able to identify relevant horses and watch them work is very hit and miss in South Africa. Hence my letter to Mr Irwin.

His reply was eye opening. He said visiting a South African training track was like going back to the 1950’s. He used an amusing analogy, writing, “Going to South Africa is like watching one of those movies where somebody gets shipwrecked and one or two of the survivors washes ashore on a remote island where prehistoric beasts roam the land.”

His point was the information available in South African racing is controlled by those on the inside. There are zero measures on South African training tracks to exert control for the benefit of outsiders, like the media, who can then relay the information to the punters.

Irwin went on to explain the role of “clockers” in the USA, to whom it is compulsory to report to when going through “the gap” on to the track. All times for workouts are published in Daily Racing Form and on line at Equibase.com. (I should imagine a scribe could watch a lot of relevant gallops too by simply standing next to the clocker).

Irwin concluded by saying in his opinion the electronic barcode system used in Hong Kong and Japan should be a worldwide standard, although admitting in some instances it would be too expensive to install.

Irwin hits the nail on the head.

When going to the track in South Africa, the only time a scribe is generally able to see a relevant horse working is if he or she happens to be standing with the trainer at the time, as the latter will then be able to identify the horse. I count myself lucky to see a handful of relevant gallops on any morning i.e. you know who the horse is, it will be running in the meeting you are covering, and it is doing fast work.

It is generally impossible to stand with more than one trainer at a time and there is an improbability of a relevant gallop coinciding with your visit to a trainer’s ring.

Furthermore, it is a logistical nightmare trying to schedule gallops to watch. For example, at Summerveld there are many trainers and also a number of tracks, all of which are far apart. It is a sad state of affairs, because the most confident information a scribe can provide is when they have been able to see an eye catching gallop.

I list a few examples below.

I was metres away from Jackson when he strode past on a sand track at Philippi a few days before the Investec Cape Derby. To say his enormous stride took my breath away would be an understatement. Trainer Brett Crawford’s subsequent comments included his opinion the horse would stay and at that stage of his career Jackson had a good temperament too. The comments added the cherry on top of what had just been seen, coupled with the horse’s form, which spoke for itself. Therefore, a report of true confidence could be written and Jackson duly beat the great Variety Club.

On an earlier occasion I stood by trainer Frank Robinson and watched the two-year-old filly Chocolicious giving the older sprinter Intellectual a hiding on Summerveld’s bottom grass track. Intellectual had never been a great work horse, but had just come off a second place finish in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint.  A few days later Chocolicious won the Gr 1 Allan Robertson at odds of 55/1 and I received a phonecall from a grateful punter, who had not considered Chocolicious for his Jackpot until reading the newspaper report.

In the week of this year’s Vodacom Durban July meeting, I watched Isca putting up a magnificent gallop on the Summerveld beach sand. Trainer Gavin van Zyl confirmed him to be in “tip top condition” and was bullish about his form chances too. The glowing newspaper report was backed up by tipping him to win, which he did by three lengths at odds of 9/2.

There are many other examples I could provide.

However, there are also the ones which don’t come to fruition. The saying “if in doubt leave it out” is very true in racing. Eye catching work on its own can be as misleading as a trainer’s bold comment on its own.

As far as trainer’s comments go, the ones I have found most useful are when a horse with good form is returning from a layoff as the public will then have an idea of how close to its form it will run. First-timer comments can be useful too, especially when accompanied by a detailed analysis of the pedigree.

Those bringing the trainers’ comments should be congratulated for their efforts.

However, to conclude, there are no measures in place on SA training tracks for the benefit of work watchers. This should really be the primary issue for debate, ahead of the rather tired transparency one.

David Thiselton

The winners of last season’s Vodacom Durban July, SANSUI Summer Cup and Gold Cup all feature among the entries for the R1-million Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile. The Grade 2 race will be run over 1600m on the Turffontein Standside track on Saturday 5 November.

The Conglomerate, Master Sabina and Enaad are probably looking ahead at the Summer Cup at the end of November but this is an important race and none of the connections would mind walking away with the winner’s cheque.

While Master Sabina has landed No 12 draw and Enaad No 10, Durban July champion The Conglomerate as draw no 28 of the 38 entries.

However, there are some excellent “milers” in the field, including Rabada, St Tropez, Mac De Lago, Champagne Haze, Mogok Master, Saratoga Dancer, New Predator and last year’s winner Bouclette Top.

Rabada has joined Brett Crawford’s yard but has been in Joburg for quite a while. Unfortunately he was withdrawn from his warm-up run and if he is declared to run he might have to go in without a prep race. Crawford will not be happy that his charge has landed No 31 draw.

John Janse van Vuuren will be reasonably happy New Predator has drawn No 13. That should see him come in to around No 8 for the race, should he accept.

Gary Alexander did not enter Kangaroo Jack for this event but he has nominated Champagne Haze who had a decent warm-up run when placed fourth behind his stablemate in the Grade 2 Joburg Spring Challenge. He has landed No 18 draw.

Last year the half-brother to Pierre Jourdan won the R2.5-million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup over 1400m on Charity Mile day.

The final field will be unveiled at a function at Emperors Palace on Tuesday 25 October. The 16 celebrities and charities will also find out which horse will represent them in the big race.

The charity who draws the winning horse will receive R150,000, the charity represented by the runner-up will receive R100,000 with the other 14 charities getting proportionate amounts of the total donation, depending on the allocated horse’s placement. No charity will go home with less than R20,000.

Supplementary entries close at 11am on Friday after which the weights will be posted.

Declarations close at 11am on Tuesday 25 October after which the final field will be announced.

Entries and draws for the R1-million Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile (Grade 2) over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday 5 November:

35-ARCTICA (M G Azzie); 24-BEZANOVA (A G Laird); 11-BULLETING HOME (S G Tarry); 33-CAPTAIN ALDO (S J Gray); 18-CHAMPAGNE HAZE (G M Alexander); 3-DEO JUVENTE (G V Woodruff); 9-DEPUTY JUD (M G Azzie); 10-ENAAD (M F De Kock); 20-FINCHATTON (S G Tarry); 38-FORT MEYERS (S G Tarry); 26-INTERGALACTIC (S G Tarry); 30-IRISH PRIDE (J A Janse van Vuuren); 21-JANOOBI (M F De Kock); 17-KINGS ARCHER (S T Pettigrew); 15- LUNAR APPROACH (S G Tarry); 7-MAC DE LAGO (W H Marwing); 19-MACDUFF (J Ramsden); 16-MASTER ‘N COMMANDER (G V Woodruff); 12-MASTER SABINA (G V Woodruff); 22-MOGOK MASTER (J A Soma); 2-MOOFEED (M F De Kock); 13-NEW PREDATOR (J A Janse van Vuuren); 29-NIGHT TRIP (C L Bass-Robinson); 4-NO WORRIES (G H Van Zyl); 37-PIVOTAL PURSUIT (G M Alexander); 25-PRINCE OF ORANGE (C Dawson); 31-RABADA (B Crawford); 32-ROMANY PRINCE (O A Ferraris); 5-ROYAL NAVY SHIP (K Naidoo); 36-SAMURAI BLADE (S G Tarry); 6-SARATOGA DANCER (D C Howells); 8-SHADOW OFHIS SMILE (G V Woodruff); 14-ST TROPEZ (J Ramsden); 1-STORMY ECLIPSE (C Laird); 23-TEN GUN SALUTE (D C Howells); 28-THE CONGLOMERATE (J Ramsden); 34-WILL PAYS (M G Azzie); 27-WUKKIN’ UP (S G Tarry)

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