Champion Jockey S’manga Khumalo got his new season off to the worst possible start when he copped a 60-day ban for an injudicious ride in the third race at Fairview on June 24.

Khumalo was charged with not taking all reasonable and permissible measures to ensure that his mount Captain Courteous was given full opportunity to win or be placed by a National Horseracing Authority enquiry board on Monday.

Khumalo pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to a 60-day suspension from riding. The suspension started on Tuesday this week and ends on October 7.

Dean Kannemeyer sends out his highly regarded Var colt Paperback Writer for Sundays Bloodstock SA Million Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville and said he was definitely better than his last run.

He also said the key to his SA Bloodstock Million Mile contender Gregorian Chant had been found.

Kannemeyer said, “We expected better from Paperback Writer in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion but we have freshened him up and he worked nicely this morning (Wednesday). We have always thought highly of him, he is a speed horse and is not out of it if he puts his best foot forward.”

The Medallion did not pan out well for Paperback Writer and he could have otherwise been closer than a 7,9 length seventh.

Anthony Delpech has not abandoned him and rides from a number one draw.

Kannemeyer said, “Gregorian Chant is very well and when we put the blinkers on and stepped him up in trip to 1400m, he won well. Unfortunately he is drawn in the bush.”

The Trippi colt is drawn 16 and Keagan de Melo rides.

David Thiselton

Highveld trainer Joe Soma sends down two promising horses in gelding Orapa and colt Old Oak Tree for the Bloodstock South Africa Million Mile to be run at Scottsville on Sunday.

Orapa has been merit rated 83 after an impressive win second time out over 1400m at Turffontein where he came wide into the straight before cantering past the field effortlessly and winning by 3,25 lengths.

On debut over 1450m Orapa was backed in from 12/1 to 4/1 but it did not pan out too well for him and Old Oak Tree beat him by 3,1 lengths.

In his next start Old Oak Tree was caught wide so was not at all disgraced in finishing a six length fourth to the highly regarded Heavenly Blue. However, he has been accorded a merit rating of only 78.

Orapa, who is by Tiger Ridge out of the decent Fort Wood mare Loupe (who won three-in-a-row between 1160m and 1200m early in her career), has unfortunately drawn 18.

Soma said, “We rate him highly although it is still a big ask for a young horse who is still gathering experience. We are also a bit concerned about how well he will travel, as he has tended to be a naughty horse in the pens, and there is also the draw, although on the bright side with the new rules in place he should load last from that barrier position.”

Old Oak Tree, who is by champion freshman sire Gimethegreenlight out of Captain Al mare Ribbons For Thee, was a 12/1 shot when winning the 1450m maiden third time out from a handy position and Soma said his last start proved he is improving. He is drawn in barrier 10 and Andrew Fortune, who rode him in his last two starts, is up again.

Soma said, “When you have a jockey like Andrew Fortune, you always have a chance.”

Corné Orffer will ride Orapa for the first time as Aldo Domeyer, who won on him, is serving a suspension.

Soma concluded, “There is not much between them in work. We are not a stable who drills young horses and they could both have very nice futures ahead of them, so I hope they come through the race unscathed.”

David Thiselton

Sean Tarry can hardly separate his pair for Sunday’s Bloodstock SA Million Sprint over 1200m at  Scottsville, but said he would “only just” swing towards Bold Viking ahead of Side Show if he had to. He expected a better run from his Bloodstock SA Million Mile contender Kahula.

Bold Viking and Side Show met in a grass gallop this week and “there was not much in it”, but Tarry pointed out the conditions of the gallop had favoured Side Show.

Tarry added, “They are different types of horse, Bold Viking takes his time but has a very strong kick, while Side Show will be there the whole way as he has some toe. I think the tough Scottsville 1200m will suit Bold Viking.”

Bold Viking, a strong Black Minnaloushe colt who came from a seemingly beaten position to win going away by 1,2 lengths on debut over 1200m at the Vaal, will be ridden by Andrew Fortune from a middle draw, while Querari colt Side Show, who romped home by 5,25 lengths when stepped down to 1200m for the first time, will be ridden by Lyle Hewitson from a draw of 12 in the 16 horse field if the reserves come out.

Tarry said about the Kahal filly Kahula, who will be ridden by Hewitson from draw ten in the Mile, “She threw us a curve ball last time, it was a very disappointing run (in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes), but before that she hadn’t put a foot wrong.”

Her first three runs for a win and two thirds were over sprint distances, but being out of the Tarry-trained SA Oaks-winning Fort Wood mare Bedloe’s Island she should easily stay 1600m.

David Thiselton

Dennis Drier has a chance of landing both the R1 million Bloodstock SA Sprint over 1200m and the R1 million Bloodstock SA Mile at Scottsville on Sunday as he sends out two promising types in Hack Green and The High Life respectively.

Both Drier and stable jockey Sean Veale made no bones about how highly they regard Gimmethegreenlight colt Hack Green after he had powered home to win the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes by three lengths from a wide draw over 1200m at Greyville on eLan Gold Cup day to remain unbeaten in two starts.

Assistant trainer Stuart Ferrie said, “He is a tough boy and is as well now as he was before the Umkhomazi.”

The Horse Chestnut filly, The High Life, caught the eye when running on strongly to win a Juvenile Plate over 1600m at Greyville on July 16.

She will be 3kg worse off on Sunday with Costa Da Sol for a mere short-head beating but does now have a draw advantage.

Furthermore, Ferrie said, “She has a tough task against the boys, but was still green last time and only got going in the last 100 metres. She is a nice filly and should go well.”

David Thiselton