Champion South African mare Smart Call leads a huge international contingent among a top class entry of 36 fillies and mares for the Group 1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes run at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile Racecourse on Saturday, October 1.

Unraced since thrashing many of the best South African horses (of either sex) by three and a half lengths in the Grade 1 J & B Met at Kenilworth in Cape Town back in January, Smart Call is one of 21 foreign-trained entries for this £250,000 one mile contest, which will be the sixth of seven races in the Mile category of the QIPCO British Champions Series.

This initial entry includes a remarkable ten individual Group or Grade 1 winners of no less than 23 top level races.

The QIPCO 1000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks winner, Minding, heads a sextet of potential Irish challengers while the French, who have run this race five times in the last seven years, are responsible for 14 candidates including last year’s winner, Esoterique, and the 2015 Classic heroine, Ervedya.

The Hugo Palmer-trained German 1000 Guineas winner, Hawksmoor, and John Gosden’s unbeaten Royal Ascot winner, Persuasive, are the pick of the home team.

Alec Laird, trainer of Smart Call, said:

“Smart Call has been in Newmarket for around a month now and is doing quite well – I will find out more when I’m am over there again in a week’s time when she will be doing a couple of gallops.”

“It will be a big adventure for us but she has nothing more to prove in South Africa and if we didn’t try we would never find out just how good she is.”

“She is definitely the best filly that I have trained and after she won the Met I began to think that she might even be better than London News, who I sent over to finish third in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in 1997.

“It’s quite exciting as she will be my first true runner in Europe – London News was officially trained by Barry Hills. I couldn’t ask to travel with a nicer horse as she has a very good nature and seems to have taken all the various flights in her stride.”

“It’s extremely exciting just to be on the world stage and it’s a real thrill for her to be in Newmarket – the home of horse racing.”

“She spent three months in Mauritius to fulfil quarantine regulations so she was only at 50 per cent of her full fitness when she got to Newmarket. The Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot will be her first run in nine months so it will be really tough as the top European horses are scary good.”

“We are using it as part of her preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf [on 5th November]. It’s a bit daunting the length of time that she’s been off but, barring any hiccups, we should have just enough time to get her ready.” – Newmarket Racecourse

Ashburton-based Paul and Beth Gadsby have reason to be optimistic about the future because they have five Gimmethegreenlights in their yard and one of them, Gunner, landed the promising sire his first Gr 1 on Sunday when winning the Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville under Brandon Lerena.

Lerena has shown tremendous courage to come back from a broken vertebrae after a nasty fall in training last September and this was the fifth Gr 1 victory of his career.

Paul Gadsby said, “I have always had big faith in Gimmethegreenlight. As a racehorse he beat Variety Club fair and square twice. Any horse who can do that has to be a champion.”

Gadsby selected Gunner purely on looks at the CTS Cape Premier Yearling Sale in January last year and was subsequently impressed by the pedigree too. He said, “Gunner was very neat and reminded me of Sea Warrior.”

Gadsby, a former jockey, had broken in and spelled the Vaughan Marshall-trained Gr 1 Richelieu (Cape) Guineas winner Sea Warrior back in the 1980s.

Gunner is out of the decent Captain Al mare Play Nice, who won three times between 1200m and 1300m. Gadsby said, “Two no brainers as broodmare sires are Captain Al and Fort Wood.”

He continued, “I had tried to buy a couple of Gimmethegreenlights previously but couldn’t afford them, but I managed to get Gunner for R200,000 and have bought more Gimmethegreenlights since.”

Gunner was bred by Hassen Adams’ Nadeson Park stud farm. Adams kept a quarter share in the horse and allowed him to stay on his farm while Gadsby put an ownership syndicate together. Gadsby said, “It took me a long time to put him together and I aged five years, but perhaps this is what us KZN trainers have to do, otherwise we are not in the game.”

Gadsby was thankful to prominent KZN owner Morgan Pillay for introducing him to Neshal and Anusha Lalla. Gadsby said, “Neshal and Anusha came up to see Gunner and I told them he was a very nice horse. I told them he would come early and thank goodness I was right about that.” The couple are first-time owners.

Shakthi Banwari and Keith and Melanie Carelse were others to come to the party. Gadsby had advised the latter couple, who are good supporters of his yard, to buy into a “proper” horse.

Gunner won on debut over 1000m on April 10 and was gelded after his next start. Two runs later he was stepped up to 1400m in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m and managed to stay on strongly despite having been caught wide throughout the turn.

If only he could find cover in the Premier’s Champions Stakes, he would have to have a shout. The other questions were whether he would stay the trip and whether he would handle the testing, rain affected going.

Gadsby was also concerned by him not having eaten up to his maximum capacity in the week of the race. However, he became upbeat about an hour before the race when the Dennis Drier-trained Hack Green became Gimmethegreenlight’s first stakes winner, hacking up by three lengths in the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m.

Brandon Lerena said, “I was very grateful to be given the ride by Mr Gadsby and the owners.”

Lerena spoke of the valuable race riding lessons he had learnt from Gadsby while the latter was chief riding master at the South African Jockeys Academy and of the tremendous support Gadsby had subsequently given him upon renewing his trainer’s license.

Lerena said about Gunner, “He has the whole package, a good action and he is laid back and does what you want. If a stallion is to have a chance he has to be sent the right mares and Gimmethegreenlight looks to have had that. Gimmethegreenlight and Captain Al looks like a nice cross.”

Lerena reined Gunner back early from a tricky draw of seven. The horse responded beautifully and showed no sign of fighting. He was at the back, one wide, but, crucially, was covered up. Lerena said, “At the 450m mark he was the only horse still on the bridle.”

Lerena swung Gunner outward to the centre, but not before noticing 17/20 favourite Zodiac Ruler coming under pressure.

He patiently waited for a gap to open. Gunner then burst through and had caught the leader Africa Rising by the 150m mark. However, the big horse Zodiac Ruler had found top gear and was suddenly in front on the inside.

Gunner, despite probably being the smallest horse in the field, has an impressive stride and once again responded to the powerful and rhythmic urgings of Lerena. He found another gear and passed the favourite inside the 50m pole to win going away by half-a-length. Lerena said, “The way he quickened up was impressive.”

Gadsby was impressed by the courage Gunner had shown in going through the patchy area close to home so well. On the downside the time was 1,11 seconds slower than the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes for two-year-old fillies.

Lerena has experienced plenty of back trouble since making his comeback at the end of Novemner, two months after the fall. However, he is doing extensive excercises under the guidance of a personal trainer to strengthen the back muscles. The always talented rider is eager to be back to 100% well-being in order to chase his ambitions to full capacity.

Gunner has pulled up well and will have a holiday before likely being prepared for the CTS $US500,000 Sales race over 1600m at Turffontein next January.

David Thiselton

One of the two-year-olds to follow next season is undoubtedly Sunday’s Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes winner, the Dennis Drier-trained Gimmethegreenlight colt Hack Green.

As part owner Hassen Adams remarked after the race, Hack Green had “looked the splitting image of his father” when he saw him at the Sale and he had to have him.

Gimethegreenlight throws them in all sizes and this colt is one of the bigger ones around.

Drier said in the winner’s enclosure on Sunday he had made an early prediction of Hack Green’s ability and had told the connections he felt they had “a bit of a star here”.

Jockey Veale said this “special horse” gave him “a tremendous feel” everyday in work.

Veale was confident after cantering down on Sunday and felt it would take a good one to beat the good looking Varsfontein-bred colt.

He duly rode a confident race, reining his mount back from a wide draw early on.

Hack Green quickened superbly in the straight and burst through the centre to hit the front just before the 100m mark. He went on to win by three lengths.

He is in good hands and the maestro trainer will likely be wanting to put an overall disappointing season by his high standards behind him.

Even then Drier romped home in the KZN Trainer’s championship with 81 winners to Duncan Howells’ 72.

However, the yard lacked a Gr 1 winner for the first time in many a season, and the likely backlash makes the yard’s young horses a must to follow this term.

David Thiselton

Midlands breeder Bruce le Roux of Spring Valley Stud was thrilled when an expensive plan came together at Greyville on Sunday courtesy of the Duncan Howells-trained Var filly A Womens Way.

The filly cantered down to the start exceptionally well and returned full of running, despite jumping from a wide draw, and just got up under Ian Sturgeon.

Le Roux said, “It was only her second start and it was a Gr 2, so she has already done what she needed to do and everything from now on will be a bonus.” Le Roux owns the unbeaten Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm Stud-bred filly in partnership with Tinus Gericke.

Le Roux had travelled to last year’s CTS Cape Premier Yearling Sale in January in search of a well-bred filly by either Var or Captain Al. He said, “In my opinion A Womens Way was the nicest filly on the sale, but I didn’t think I would have the money.”

Her full sister had cost R900,000 at the previous year’s National Yearling Sale.

Le Roux’s fears were exacerbated when he saw how good A Womens Way looked upon being walked out of her box. Therefore, he asked her to be returned to the box almost immediately.

When the bidding quickly reached R400,000 he became demoralised and was ready to throw in the towel, but his wife jabbed him in the ribs and said “if you want her you must get her”, so he plugged on and managed to land her for his maximum of R500,000.

He said, “We were lucky to get her for that price.”

A Womens Way was backed from 7/1 into 11/2 on debut over 1000m at Scottsville on May 11 and won by 0,75 lengths. The form now looks strong. The Drier-trained filly she beat, Anime, was beaten 2,5 lengths into third over 1200m next time out by subsequent Gr 1 winner Querari Falcon with subsequent KZN Yearling Million winner Lunar Rush filling the second place. Anime then won by 4,75 lengths in her third start over 1000m at Scottsville.

A Womens Way has got her “litte quirks” according to Le Roux and in her second start had to be scratched after being loaded first and then rearing and dumping the jockey.

Michael Shaw is gaining an increasing reputation as a “horse whisperer” and he put in plenty of work at the stalls with A Womens Way, which enabled her to regain her starting stall certificate. Michael was also with her at the start on Sunday, where she was perfectly well behaved. Michael hails from the famous Laird clan. He is the son of Summerveld trainer Therese Micthley, who is the daughter of Russel Laird, brother of Syd. Russel was a fine trainer in his own right.

A Womens Way jumped superbly on Sunday, as progeny of Var often do, and this enabled her to slot into a handy position. She then displayed the kick typical of Var’s progeny and was also able to stave off the determined challenge of Arissa in the closing stages.

Le Roux admitted A Womens Way had her issues but nothing a trainer of Howells class could not handle.

Howells had a fine day on Sunday from beginning to end. He also won a minor race as well as finishing second in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes with Dawn Calling, fourth in the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup with Saratoga Dancer and fourth in the Gr 2 Gold Bracelet with Patchit Up Baby.

Ashburton would have been celebrating this week because Paul Gadsby also brought home a trophy, courtesy of Gunner winning the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes.

Le Roux said Howells was of the belief A Womens Way would stay up to a mile in time, so the CTS US$500,000 Sales race to be staged at Turffontein next January over 1600m might be on the cards.

David Thiselton

Marinaresco is officially trained by Candice Robinson now and has been accorded a 110 merit rating by the handicappers after winning the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville in impressive style on Sunday.

Durban-based handicapper Mathew Lipps said about the decision to raise the classy colt by just one point, “It was not the strongest Gr 1. In time he will probably be running to a lot higher, but for now he is running to a 110.”

It is not for a long time a horse has been seen in the country with such an exceptional turn of foot.

He made up some seventeen metres in the straight in the Vodacom Durban July and from a hopeless position was beaten just a quarter-of-a-length.

On Sunday he was stopped in his tracks at the 350m mark when two horses came together in front of him. However, despite being jostled and having his momentum affected the diminutive gelding managed to pick up quickly and then rocketed home to win easily. Commentator Craig Peters could not contain his excitement and shouted “Go you baby!!” as the fairytale everybody wanted unfolded.

It was the legendary Cape trainer Mike Bass’s last day before official retirement and he had landed the race named in his honour.

Jockey Grant van Niekerk called Marinaresco the next “Pocket Power”. The latter horse also raced in the famous blue, pink and white colours of Marsh Shirtliff.

However, as it was Marinaresco’s first Gr 1 victory, Mike is unlikely to be as quick to compare him to the great nine-times Gr 1 winner.

Meanwhile, the Gr 2 eLan Property Group Gold Cup winner, the Mike de Kock-trained Enaad, was raised the maximum ten points to 99, although Lipps added he had not raced to any higher than that merit rating.

David Thiselton