The Vaal Inside track has an eight race meeting today and punters might be tempted to put one or two bankers in their exotics.

By trends on this track low draws are favourable, but at the last meeting here two winners jumped from high draws.

The two plate races in the Pick 6 each have a stand out horse on paper, but closer inspection reduces confidence.

In the first of them, race five, which is a Graduation Plate over 1400m, the twice Gr 1 runner up Negroamara is officially 7kg better off with any other horse in the field. However, this is her first outing since running second to Equus Champion three-year-old Bela-Bela in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 on May 28. The trip is short of her best, but her class could pull her through, and she does have the normally favourable draw of one. Randall Simons rides for the first time. Negroamara is trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren and he could get the quartet here as he has four of the six runners.

The biggest threat to Negroamara could be Silver Class, whose recent form suggests this trip will be ideal. She has always been well regarded and being by Silvano will be blossoming as a five-year-old. She is in good form and also has the advantage of recent runs under the belt as well as a plum draw of two and top class jockey Gavin Lerena aboard. On the downside, after winning her first two career starts, she has not won since August 28 two years ago.

Another stablemate Girl On A Run has only raced six times but being by Silvano should now be coming into her own as a four-year-old. This sentiment is strengthened when considering her last run as a three-year-old on May 18 yielded a facile 3,25 length win over 2000m on the Greyville polytrack. Tomorrow’s trip will be too sharp, but she might enjoy it running fresh. However, she is officially 12,5kg under sufferance with Negroamara. The other stablemate is Seattle Lady, who is 10kg under sufferance, but is of some interest because it is the first time she will be tried beyond sprints. She is by Sail From Seattle out of a Fort Wood mare who won once over 1300m. Her victories over 1000m include a three length defeat of Silver Class in a Graduation Plate. The Paul Peter-trained filly Caribbean Queen is officially 14,5kg under sufferance but is still unexposed and on the up and she should handle this trip. Some punters might decide to risk bankering Negroamara, but including Silver Class could be wise.

The second of the plate races, a Novice Plate over 1200m, might see the handicappers being proven wrong. Roquebrune is officially 8kg better off with any other horse, but the alarm bells begin ringing when seeing he earned this rating by winning an early season 800m event as a two-year-old. It was 18 months before he raced again and he was far from disgraced in finishing 7,5 lengths behind the top class Trip Tease. He showed good pace before fading, not surprisingly as he no doubt needed the run. As a classy looking type he has to be included, although he might be vulnerable to the up and coming sorts.

The Janse van Vuuren-trained British Royale could be the one to beat as he will likely relish a return to faster ground and he has a favourable draw. Last time out he was used up early to overcome a wide draw in the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes and did well to stay on for a five length fifth considering winners in the testing conditions on the day were coming from off the pace. A horse who also has to be seriously considered is Rebuked, despite only having had one run and returning from an eight month layoff. On Sansui Summer Cup day this Albert Hall colt jumped from draw one over 1160m and won at long odds. The win looked more and more meritorious as the day progressed as low draws proved to be particularly unfavourable.

Tour Of Duty is another one who is hard to ignore having won his maiden over 1160m easing up by 4,3 lengths and Gavin Lerena is now aboard, although the high draw might make it tough.

Goodness Me could get punters off to a good start in race one over 1200m, despite it being competitive. This Noordhoek Flyer filly was caught wide of runners from an unfavourable draw over course and distance last time after being bumped at the start. She did well to stay on for a 3,6 length third. It was an eyecatching run and she now has a better draw.

The second is a competitive sprint handicap and the whole field might has to be considered, although the three who make most appeal are Rafa, Manx Park and All Night Flight.

In the third the most eyecatching horse is Speed Monitor.  However, he has over raced twice over 1400m, which is a concern considering he is now going over 1700m. On the positive side the good hands of Andrew Fortune might be able to settle him from a good draw. Tafteesh is an interesting debutant being by Tiger Ridge out of Summer Cup winner Flirtation. Sabre Dance makes most appeal of the rest.

The fourth is weak staying maiden and Reminiscence should start coming into his own being by Ideal World out of a Gr 2-winning Fort Wood mare over 2000m. Yours And Mine at last gets a good draw over a suitable trip and could surprise. Wall Of Ice has a lot in his favour too.

The seventh is a competitive sprint. The transformed Paree won well again on Saturday and goes for a hattrick if she takes her place. One Yesterday, Our Miracle, Bally Swiss, Patty Cake, Nitrogen and Embrasiatic have to be considered.

The last over 2000m could be won by Banking April, although Tobesuretobesure relished front running tactics over 2200m last time and has to be included, while Parisienne Chic, Over It and Indzaba have to be considered too.

David Thiselton

KZN breeding was given a timely boost when the Aiden O’Brien-trained Galileo filly Seventh Heaven, a half-sister to the Scott Brothers-based stallion Crusade, destroyed the field in the Gr 1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks over a mile-and-a-half last Thursday to win by  2,75 lengths from her stablemate Found.

It was Seventh Heaven’s second Gr 1 victory as she also won the Irish Oaks by the same margin. To put the class of her victory on Thursday into perspective, the runner up Found was the filly who beat Golden Horn in last year’s Gr 1 Longines Breeders Cup Turf over a mile-and-a-half. Golden Horn was subsequently named Cartier Horse Of The Year.

It must be the influence of Galileo which has allowed Seventh Heaven to stay the Oaks trip considering the rest of her family, including Crusade, are all about speed.

Crusade, who is by Mr. Greeley, won the Gr 1 Middle Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket as a two-year-old for O’Brien and was retired after only one run as a three-year-old.

His dam La Traviata will be in line for Broodmare Of The Year because from her four foals to have raced to date she has produced two Gr 1 winners and a Gr 1-placed horse.

La Traviata had only four starts, all as a three-year-old, and won the first three of them from 5,5 furlongs to 6 furlongs by a combined margin of 27,5 lengths. In the last of those victories, in the Gr 3 Victory Ride Stakes over six furlongs at Saratoga, she stumbled at the start yet still won by 9,25 lengths.

She acquired her speed from her sire Johannesburg, whom Aiden O’Brien sent out seven times as a two-year-old and he finished the season unbeaten. His seven victories included four Gr 1s from six furlongs up to 8,5 furlongs. Johannesburg had an exceptional turn of foot.

Crusade has had full books every season to date and his first crop, who are now two-year-olds, have been the second highest-priced progeny at the Sales of South Africa’s current first season sires.

At the National Yearling Sale his 21 lots sold at an average of R162,380.

Robin Scott of Scott Brothers said the “big, strong” stallion had produced “very good looking” foals to date. He believes Crusade will produce horses with precocious speed, who would train on and perhaps stay further in time.

However, he expected them to predominantly be sprinters and Scott Brothers had planned their own matings with this in mind.

David Thiselton

 

Vaughan Marshall has a veritable armada of three-year-old talent to go to war with this season – including Grade 1 winners Always In Charge and The Secret Is Out – and William Longsword confirmed at Kenilworth on Saturday that he can be mentioned in the same exalted breath.

Marshall said: “He is very good. He has a lot of talent and he will be going places. This wasn’t the strongest field but it was a tough task with 58kg against older horses and he came through it with flying colours.”

The Milnerton trainer added that plans are fluid, not least because the R2.2 million half-brother to Real Princess is eligible for the two CTS $500 000 races on Met day. So too is Always In Charge and all three stars are by Captain Al who Marshall trained to win the 2000 Cape Guineas.

Saturday’s Quinte Plus Handicap was the colt’s first appearance for three months and Donovan Dillon had little hesitation in sending him on over two furlongs from home, saying: “He was cantering. I like the horse a lot and this was a win full of merit.”

Marshall, incidentally, rates Craig Bantam who led from halfway on Olympian in the 1 000m handicap – “I think he is a kid for the future. He rode a very good race and he did the same on Royal Chian the previous Saturday.”

Although Quine only won the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap by the width of one of the hairs on her nostrils – amazingly Grant van Niekerk was always confident he was going to get there – Andre Nel is convinced there are more victories to come.

He explained: “The ground was a bit soft for her – she is much better when the going is on top – and we will probably aim her at a feature at the end of October or in November.”

Nel and Sabine Plattner elected to disregard veterinary advice with Eleadora and at the age of five the mare is starting to come good, leading a furlong out to convincingly beat a modest field for the 2 000m maiden.

“When I got to the farm she was a cripple and chronically lame,” Nel related. “We found a chip at the back of a knee and the vets suggested we operate.

“At that stage she had shown absolutely nothing so we thought ‘Is it worthwhile?’ The chip is still there but these days she is very sound.”

Corne Orffer, who rode her, reckons he should also have won Olympian’s race on third-placed Ovar and reported: “I pulled him in behind something whereas I should have let him stride.”

Those who had their fingers burnt backing hot favourite Glorious Goodwood for the second race in succession just might get their money back next time. Unlike last month, his defeat by Volatile Energy in the 1 400m maiden was through no fault of his.

“The horse on my inside (Devout) bumped me and Glorious Goodwood lost his footing. He ran a good race considering,” reported Richard Fourie.

Volatile Energy had losses to recover for the  Candice Bass-Robinson stable after managing only fifth when starting favourite four weeks earlier and Van Niekerk said: “He was drawn wide that day, it was in the mud and he never enjoyed one bit of it.”

Grant Behr rode Silver Chalice with commendable initiative in the Place Your Bets Handicap, dashing the 14-1 chance into the lead three furlongs out and poaching what proved to be an unassailable lead. The four-year-old is the last foal of Crystal Chalice, dam of 2008 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Sparkling Gem.

Breeder and part-owner Pat Schafer recalled: “Crystal Chalice was 35 days overdue, the foal was huge and ten days after he was born the mare died.”

That wasn’t the end of the drama either because Silver Chalice failed the scope when sent for sale and Eric Sands has had to work round the wind problem ever since, saying: “He was too weak to go over the ground he needs until this year, hence the recent improvement.”

Dillon continues to impress and when Sabrina Fair refused to settle in the last he boldly let her stride on, fully aware that Justin Snaith usually dislikes seeing his horses dashed to the front so early.

The move paid off handsomely and the former champion trainer was also on the mark in the first with Gimme Six who was given a much more conventional Snaith ride by Craig du Plooy.

Michael Clower

 

Confirming that the field applies where today’s Scottsville races form part of Mix exotic bets. The Scottsville racemeeting (Sunday, 21 August) was abandoned following 60mm of overnight rain:

Bipot Express (closes @ 3.05pm)

Leg 1 [Field]

Leg 2 Brighton R2

Leg 3 [Field]

Leg 4 Brighton R3

Leg 5 [Field]

Leg 6 Chelmsford R4

JP Quickmix 2 (closes 4.55pm):

Leg 1 [Field]

Leg 2 Chelmsford R5

Leg 3 Chelmsford R6

Leg 4 Curragh R6

Visit www.tabgold.co.za for Bipot Express and Jackpot Quickmix fields and information. 

The market proved strong and buoyant throughout the two days of trading at the 2016 National Two Year Old Sale, which was concluded at the TBA sales complex in Germiston on Friday evening.

The aggregate, average, and median prices all enjoyed notable increases and the sale concluded with a record average for a South African two-year-old sale.

From R22,872,000 in 2015, the aggregate for the sale increased this year to R23,920,000 – despite the fact that 80 fewer lots were catalogued.

However it was the growth in average and median prices which proved particularly encouraging, with the average rising 35% from R89,344 to R120,808 this year, and the median rising by 30% from R50,000 to R65,000.

The sale topper was a son of Silvano, consigned by Klipdrif Stud on behalf of Willem Engelbrecht jun, Lot 218, who is out of winning Jallad mare Boston Tea Party. He was knocked down to Form Bloodstock for R2,100,000. Named William Junior, the handsome bay is a half-brother to four winners, including Grade 2 Betting World 1900 hero Solid Speed (by Dynasty) and Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap runner up Rainy Day Blues (by Western Winter).

Boston Tea Party is a full-sister to Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes winner Talahatchie.

Klipdrif enjoyed a magnificent sale because not only did they consign the sale topper, they also consigned, as agent, the sale’s top-priced filly.

Lantana Lady was knocked down to Varsfontein Stud for R800,000. Her popularity came as no surprise. A daughter of former champion sire Captain Al, Lantana Lady (Lot 45) is a full-sister to Listed Java Handicap hero Fulcrum and a three-part sister to Captain Al-sired Equus Champion Captain’s Lover.

Form Bloodstock ended the sales as the leading buyer – with the Cape-based organisation purchasing eight lots for R3,955,000.

Not surprisingly, Klipdrif Stud (as agent) ended the 2016 National Two Year Old Sale as leading vendors –with the Robertson-based farm enjoying a truly magnificent sale. Klipdrif (as agent) also sold a total of 15 two-year-olds for a gross total of R4,995,000.

Former champion sire Silvano, South Africa’s second leading sire by stakes in 2015-2016, was the sales’ top sire. The son of Lomitas had seven lots which grossed R2,975,000 for an average of R425,000, and he topped the sires’ standings ahead of Captain Al, Ideal World, Sail From Seattle and Judpot.

Michael Holmes, who ran the sale in partnership with the Equine Group, was upbeat about the sales’ positive outcome. “It was a well-supported sale, and the turnover increase markedly from last year,” he said. “The positive spin from the sale was that all sections of the market held up well – and for that, we must thank both the vendors, who presented a quality horse for sale, and our many loyal buyers. The Two Year OId Sale attracted interest from both local and international buyers, which included Robert Chung from Hong Kong, as well as our loyal Dubai, Kenyan, Mauritian and Zimbabwean patrons. This adds further positive proof of the appeal of the South African thoroughbred.  Sale graduates qualify for the two R 1-million races to be run in August next year at Scottsville.” – TBA