Dennis Drier’s Cape Summer Of Champions string arrived safely in Cape Town on Monday after the long journey from Summerveld, which included a stopover in Colesburg.

The 25-strong team will as usual be based at the Philippi training centre.

Among them is the unbeaten three-year-old Gimmethegreenlight colt Hack Green, whose likely chief target is the Gr 1 Cape Guineas on December 17.

The others in the string are Anime, Chestnut ‘N Pearls, Desert Fighter, Ferrie, Horseguards, Joy To Joy, La Revere, Lee’s Star, Mogostar, Nauticus, Premier Dance, Rock On Baby, Rocky Valley, Sail, Seventh Plain, Sommerlied, Shogun, The High Life, Triptique, Wealthy, Generalissimo (who returns from a long layoff), Field Of Light (an unraced three-year-old full-sister to Jackson), Miss Frankel (an unraced two-year-old filly by Frankel out of the champion sprinter Val De Ra) and one other unraced youngster.

Drier is due to arrive in Cape Town tomorrow on Wednesday. He will divulge the feature race program of his string to the Racegoer later this week.

He and his wife Gill have just returned from England where they attended a couple of prestigious Sales’ together with Mary and Jessica Slack.

Drier was thrilled to have picked up three horses at Ireland’s leading yearling auction, the Goffs Orby Sale. They comprise a Cape Cross colt, a Cape Cross filly and a Dawn Approach filly, who were all bid for by Jehan Malherbe of Form Bloodstock.

Gill said, “We loved the Goffs Sale and being at the Tattersalls Sales (Newmarket) and visiting Abington Place (Mary Slack’s training stable at Newmarket) were amazing experiences.”

The Cape Cross colt is out of an unraced Clodovil (Danehill) mare, who is a half-sister to a Listed placed mare. The latter has in turn produced four stakes placed horses. The family includes the ill-fated Summerhill-based sire Bankable, whose only crop have had reasonable success in South Africa to date and include the Listed Derby Trial winner Bankable Teddy.

The Cape Cross filly is out of a five-time winning Mujadil (Storm Bird) mare, who is a half-sister to a Gr 1 winner in France and who won a Listed race in Italy herself. The filly is a half-sister to a Listed placed horse in England.

The Dawn Approach filly is out of a placed Notnowcato mare, who is a half-sister to Rizeena. The latter was a two-time Gr 1-winner and was the champion two-year-old filly in Ireland in 2013.

Drier has been sending a string down to Cape Town since the 2011/2012 season and has been more than just a thorn in the flesh of the powerful Cape yards. His first Cape runner in this period was fittingly sent out on Guy Fawkes day, when the gelding Kalinago cruised to a comfortable victory. This ignited fireworks which have not ceased since.

The great sprinter Val De Ra and the darling of the South African turf Beach Beauty were both part of that first string. The former got Drier’s Cape feature race ball rolling by winning the Gr 2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m by two lengths. She followed up by winning one of the most eagerly awaited sprints this century, downing What A Winter by 0,4 lengths in the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship over 1000m. It was a thriller and Drier could not contain the tears of emotion.

It went some way to healing the wounds of the luckless first Cape campaign which Beach Beauty had suffered. However, the latter more than made up for it in the following two seasons. Her three Cape campaigns ultimately netted her three Gr 1s and a Gr 2, as well as a 1,85 length fifth and a 1,8 length third in two attempts at the J&B Met.

Drier’s five Cape campaigns this decade have yielded 17 feature race victories made up of four Gr 1s, six Gr 2s, two Gr 3s, four Listed races and one Non-Black Type event.

It could have been even more impressive had the brilliant colt Master Of My Fate not suffered rotten luck in the J&B Met of 2014 as well as a career ending injury later on.

The Drier yard failed to win a Gr 1 last season for the first time since the 2008/2009 term. A backlash can be expected and they should be followed.

David Thiselton

Champion trainer Sean Tarry has reacted to criticism levelled at a number of trainers who have declined to reveal information about their first-time runners to the public – following a Gold Circle initiative launched, as reported, in the interest of transparency and to promote the welfare of the punter.

Most trainers have obliged recently with short comments about their newcomers, but there are a few who have not been keen to part with information, and others who have refused to comment, period.

In reference to the article Trainer ‘No Comments’ Raises Ire published on the Sporting Post website, in which trainers were given a score out of 10 for cooperating (nor not cooperating) with the initiative, Tarry said that the issue has now turned into “name-and-shame” game which is not only unnecessary, but also unfair to the individuals concerned.

Tarry said: “I’d like to give my opinion on this matter and I trust it will be taken in the positive spirit intended.”

Tarry emphasised that once info is given, info is gone.

He explained: “We pay tax and we’re not sure where our tax rands are applied. We give to charity and we can’t be sure where in the pool our contributions end up going.  Information given by a trainer to an individual will always serve to benefit that individual first. I am not saying that the media who collect this information cannot be trusted – that’s not the issue at all.

“The point is, whomever compiles the information has first access, in theory, so the info will always remain the property of that person or a select few around him who can use it before it is disseminated to the public.

“Again, I am not suggesting dishonesty on behalf of the media, but let’s say, for example, that Tellytrack send out an interviewer to Randjesfontein who gets exclusive info on a first-timer in an interview with a trainer.

He or she says nothing to anyone, but while the interview clip is being prepared someone walks by the editing studio, hears the info and is now also in the know, in possession of information destined for dissemination to the public at large.

“Seriously, how would the public at large receive any exclusive information without someone else having been advantaged first? There are any number of scenarios like this that can affect the price of a first-time before the information reaches the public, or certain members of the public, the proportion who happens to be reading the info online or happens to be tuned in to Tellytrack at the time of dissemination.

Tarry also posed the question:  “How would the public benefit from us giving opinions on horses we are in reality unable to assess with authority until they’ve competed in a race?“

It is not easy for any trainer to “label” a horse, Tarry said. He elaborated: “From time to time you’ll get stars like Horse Chestnut or Variety Club who have freakish talent and are few and far between. They are the rare ones a trainer would have full confidence in.

“As for lesser talents, more of them will get beat than win when they are expected to win. Some young horses show good work and disappoint when they get into a race; others show nothing and surprise you on the racetrack.

Some pull up with ailments or breathing problems undetected before the race, others race too green to compete.”

Tarry said that he followed a process when planning to bet: “Personally I never have a bet until I’ve seen the runners in the parade ring on the day of the race, and I’ve compared them to others on the canter-down.

“An example. A month ago we fancied End Game to win her first start at Turffontein, we also had Written in the race, unfancied. As things turned out End Game was beaten half a length by David Nieuwenhuizen’s 5-1 shot Hurricane Bertha in a nine-horse field.  Written ran on so well she would probably have won in another stride! What would punters have said if I’d announced, on what we saw in work, that End Game was the fancied one, Written was unfancied and they ran the other way?”

Tarry said that, in his view, no professional or serious punters would ever splash out money on a “tip” from a trainer or a jockey. “Punters who sit and wait for info on first-timers are on a free trip to the poorhouse.

With no form exposed there is no way of comparing the runners in a race and also, the market for first-timers is small. How would any punter expect to get their bets on at the best price, whatever info they are in possession of?

“Betting opens sometimes half an hour before the first race, which makes it mostly impossible to claim a good price.

Punters with so- called info are able to take Opening Betting (OB) or Starting Price (SP) ahead of time, but chances are they will end up with the wrong odds most of the time as the betting market establishes itself.

“Betting on horses is a science of discipline that takes years of trial and error to master, and anyone with experience in racing will tell you that. What our punters need is more education, they need to study form, watch replays and be intimately involved with racing every day to be able to make a call on when to bet and when not to bet.”

Get a form book, go to the track and learn, Tarry advised punters. Look at all the variables and make your own form decisions.

He concluded: “By trying to force trainers to speak about first-timers the goal posts are being moved and punters could get hurt, rather than advantaged.

Trainers can be potentially embarrassed and castigated by a sometimes very immature betting public.”

“Personally I am always willing to help, to give pointers on my horses that have raced. I am also in favour of barrier trials for unraced horses which will give everyone an equal opportunity to compare young horses against each other on times recorded at the work track.

“But I think what we have here now is a situation that can turn sour and has been overblown in the media.  If we could “rubber stamp” our first-timers this would be an easy game, we’ll just make money every time and we’d be able to eliminate training fees altogether!

“Let’s respect those trainers who decline to make comments, and who really have nothing to be ashamed of in exercising their right not to comment.”

– Turf Talk

Durbanville Wednesday Oct 12 Race Previews by Warren Lenferna

Preview: SILVER RIDGE ran a much better race than he did on debut and showed encouraging improvement. He has a dreadful draw to overcome but if overcoming this disadvantage should be able to show more improvement and go very close to winning. PURPLE ROCK has been running well recently and should once again be right there at the finish – big chance. Watch the betting on the first timer CORTADA as he is by Var and could be absolutely anything. (Warren Lenferna 13-1-10)

2

Preview: ROCK STEWART (Trained by trainer Stewart) is lightly raced and has been knocking loudly at the door in her last two starts – she looks ready to win now. BUTTERFLY SPIRIT showed good improvement from run one to run two and this is always encouraging for the connections involved. She had her bit pulled through her mouth last time but still managed to run well! Stable is in top form and one that has a big chance. MOULINA gets the services of Andrew Fortune and anyone who ignores his mounts is taking a chance as he is riding winner after winner – her form is consistent and it looks set to continue that way. (Warren Lenferna 4-8-3)

3

Preview: CANDALEEYAH should go very close to winning if able to overcome her dreadful draw – leave it to Andrew Fortune the wizard! Strong winning selection and the stable is in form as well, to add to the confidence. VARIFAST tries blinkers, gets a light weight and a great draw – these three factors should help make her chances very bright. She is lightly raced and probably has a bit more to offer – watch! DROP THE PILOT was slow out a length and very one paced last time. She is surely better than that run reflects? I wouldn’t leave her out of the quartet and am more than happy to give her another chance. (Warren Lenferna 1-9-3)

4

Preview: LOUISIANA took on very much stronger last time and acquitted herself very well when finishing second with legitimate excuses. She looks hard to beat here despite her carrying top weight. LA FLAMBEE is as honest as the day is long and is like an ATM for her connections! Every time she comes to the races she simply runs her heart out and is due her second career win. If she can beat the first choice today – I am not too sure but she will certainly be right there when the chips are down! NAVASHA must be included in the quartet. (Warren Lenferna 1-5-4)

5

Preview: QUINE has won three from four starts and is clearly very useful. She is well bred and looks to have a lot more to offer – she should relish the mile and could prove a very hard horse to beat here. TONYA is returning from a rest and a campaign in KZN (where she did well) she has a chance if not in too much need of this run. INANNA is way better than her lengths behind form reflects – she could race fresh and make a serious race of it. (Warren Lenferna 4-3-1)

6

Preview: NEW CALEDONIA has flourished since relocating to Cape Town and has won his last two rather impressively. It is hard to win three in a row but he clearly has ability and is confidently selected to reel off the hat trick. Light weights CHESTNUT WILD and THE GREAT ONE look set to fight out the minor money. (Warren Lenferna 2-11-10)

7

Preview: ON THAT NOTE is improving with racing and looks to have a bright winning chance today. There is however opposition in the race and the main danger is LIGHT CHASER whom is improving with racing and seems to enjoy the country course – she is drawn a bit wide. SILVER LAUREL is consistent and should win one of these days – include in the quartet. (Warren Lenferna 3-2-1)

 

Alec Laird has not ruled out the Breeders Cup for J&B Met winner Smart Call.

The brilliant Ideal World mare had to be scratched from her intended preparation race, the Gr 1 Sun Chariot Stakes, which was run over a mile at her current Newmarket U.K base on October 1.

The five-year-old is currently sound. However, the issue which prevented her from lining up in the Sun Chariot was not a bad or “obvious” one, and this makes it difficult for the connections to make a definite decision.

Laird said he would proceed cautiously with her, taking it “a little bit at a time.” If she comes through fine, a decision will then be made on her Breeder’s Cup engagement.

She is due to run in the Gr 1 Filly and Mare Turf over a mile-and-a-quarter at the Santa Anita showpiece on November 5.

KZN’s record-breaking jockey Anthony Delpech was among many who were bitterly disappointed by her late scratching from the Sun Chariot, which was due to her trotting up lame in the stable’s routine pre-race check at Abington Place on the morning of the race.

The race was to be Delpech’s race riding debut in England. The booking was also intended to give him a feel of the mare ahead of the Breeder’s Cup.

Delpech is currently retained by Mary Slack of Wilgerbosdrift Stud and the agreement also included him having first call on horses owned by Mauritzfontein Stud, which is run by Mary’s daughter Jessica.

Smart Call is owned and was bred by Mauritzfontein.

David Thiselton

The Conglomerate will have at least one more run before the Sansui Summer Cup after the Vodacom Durban July winner finished last on his reappearance in the Joburg Spring Challenge at Turffontein on Saturday.

Joey Ramsden said: “While I didn’t exactly walk away ecstatic I certainly wasn’t suicidal. He has always been a slow starter to the season, he got bumped leaving the pens and he was only beaten seven lengths.”

Stable companion St Tropez fared rather better, finishing fifth, and his trainer added: “The biggest thing is getting the horses over all the vaccines they have to have – it’s the hardest part of my job.”

Brett Crawford reports that Rabada, ruled out by an over-reach, now goes straight for the Emperors Palace Charity Mile on November 5.

Greg Ennion believes that there is a lot more to come from Roman Discent following the 7-1 chance’s win under second top weight in the Racing Association Handicap at Durbanville on Sunday.

The Milnerton trainer said: “Roman Discent was very unlucky when fifth in the Settlers Trophy on his previous start. The horse that went to the front dropped almost to a walk and stopped in front of him.

“He had a few niggles earlier in his career but he is sound again now. He is still immature and I honestly think that he has a future.”

The four-year-old only had a neck to spare over the strong-finishing Cuduiari at the line but he was value for quite a bit more as he slowed far more than Andrew Fortune expected when he dropped his hands before the line. Fortune was interviewed by the stipes and “strongly advised to ride his mount out to the end of a race in future engagements.”

The National Racing Bureau rang round the Cape Town trainers yesterday morning after only four were declared for Saturday’s Graduation Plate and it was rewarded with Ramsden adding Dancer  and Aviemore.  The highest-rated at 93 is Lord Balmoral trained by Vaughan Marshall. The fillies 1 200m maiden attracted 19 declarations and has been divided.

Michael Clower