Gavin Lerena makes his first appearance in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup that takes place at Ascot, on Saturday, August 6. Lerena is part of the three-man Rest-Of-The-World team captained by Brazilian-born Silvestre de Sousa. De Sousa is the reigning Champion Jockey in Britain.

Lerena, winner of the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship in Hong Kong last year, is joined leading Japanese rider Kenichi Ikezoe, who partnered the great Orfevre on all his starts in Japan

Last year saw an historic victory for The Girls team and Canadian Emma-Jayne Wilson, the winning captain in 2015, is at the helm again. Wilson is joined by Hayley Turner, who has come out of retirement specially to ride at her 10th Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, and exciting young jockey Josephine Gordon, who currently leads the Apprentice Jockeys’ Championship in Britain.

Team Europe is captained by Frankie Dettori, who will also be making his 10th appearance. The British-based Italian, who is rapidly approaching 3,000 winners in the UK, is joined by two of France’s leading jockeys in Pierre-Charles Boudot, who rides regularly for master trainer Andre Fabre, and Thierry Jarnet, who partnered the great Treve to two victories in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Boudot and Jarnet are both riding in the competition for the first time.

All three jockeys on the Great Britain Team are making their first appearance. Joe Fanning, long-associated with the Mark Johnston stable, captains the Great Britain & Ireland team, which also consists of Martin Harley,  who won the 2015 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on Goldream, and Oisin Murphy, who is the retained rider for Qatar Racing. – Ascot Racing

Candice Bass-Robinson, as she will appear in the racecard from now on, has her first runners at Durbanville today. There are seven of them and her best chance of a winner is probably with Prince Of Eden in race eight.

Grant van Niekerk’s mount opened 2-1 favourite with World Sports Betting yesterday. He led two furlongs out when scoring convincingly last time and runner-up Waiting For Rain franked the form when winning last Saturday. The negatives are his outside draw and the five points he was raised for his win.

Bombs Away (race five) and A Time To Kill in the seventh are 5-1 shots but the former has been off almost four months. However the well drawn A Time To Kill may be able to reverse last time’s placings with Red Peril on a kilo better terms.

Candice Robinson (hamish NIVEN Photography)

This is the last Cape Town meeting for 11 days and Summer Sky – each way at 15-2 – could be value in the first. Dean Kannemeyer’s colt is almost certainly better than the bare form would suggest, having lost a front shoe when starting second favourite last time.

Imperial Dancer is 17-10 favourite and first time blinkers may improve him enough but he has been something of a bookmakers’ benevolent fund so far. Second favourite New Caledonia’s claims are almost as obvious but watch out for 6-1 shot Flower Blue. “He was right with them 100m out last time but then got squeezed- and this time I’ve got Andrew Fortune,” points out Harold Crawford.

Many of the leading contenders are badly drawn in race two but even so 22-10 joint favourite Miss Hyde is hard to oppose. She really caught the eye on debut here – last to leave the pens, last into the straight but finished like a train. She can beat Fortune’s mount Emerald Gal (also 22-10) and 12-1 chance Turnpike who is drawn better and ran well last time.

Rock On Wood, despite losing ground at the start when odds-on in his last two races, warrants another chance at 16-10 in the Quinte Plus Maiden. Figure Of Grey (2-1) and 7-2 shot Dontknowhy are the obvious dangers.

Argo Solo’s task in the Soccer 6 Handicap is a good deal tougher than it would have been at last week’s rained-off meeting, he is drawn wider and the bookmakers have been forewarned. A week ago they were advertising him at 9-2 and they now have him favourite at 22-10.

Oceans Trip could be better value at 33-10 – he beat first-timer Power Grid last time and the runner-up has won since – and Shepherds Purse looks intriguing at 10-1.

“He is a bit in-and-out and you have got to catch him on his day,” cautions the in-form Piet Steyn. “I fancied him when he disappointed last time but I expect him to run a lot better here.”

Michael Clower

Drakenstein-based stallion Trippi will be crowned National Champion Sire after holding on to his lead on the final day of the season on Sunday, despite Silvano’s son Marinaresco winning a R1 million race and causing a few anxious moments for the former’s connections.

Trippi entered Sunday’s eLan Property Group Gold Cup meeting about R800,000 ahead of former national champion sire Silvano.

The gap closed slightly when the Alec Laird-trained Silvano filly Arissa earned R60,000 for finishing runner up in the Gr 2 R300,000 Debutante Stakes.

However, two races later the Duncan Howells-trained Trippi filly Dawn Calling earned R120,000 for runner spot in the Gr 1 R600,000 Thekwini Stakes.

Silvano had two chances in the Gr 2 R1,25 million eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m, but Balance Sheet finished just out of the money in 6^th and Zafira was eighth.

However, the Mike Bass-trained Marinaresco gave the Maine Chance Farms-owned Stallion Silvano a sniff of a second title when earning R625,000 for his brilliant win in the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup. Trippi’s son Baritone earned R25,000 for fifth in the same race.

The next race was the Gr 2 R400,000 Gold Bracelet, where first prize was R250,000, and the Bass-trained Silvano filly Nightingale made a bold bid but could not catch the runaway winner Flying Ice. Trippi was now assured of the title.

The USA-bred stallion by End Sweep remains the most expensive thoroughbred ever imported to South Africa.

Cape Town-based stallion manager John Freeman has said a stallion of the quality of Trippi would never have been landed had it not been for the financial crisis in the USA.

As a three-year-old Trippi won the Gr 1 Vosburgh Stakes over seven furlongs at Belmont Park as well as two Gr 2s over the same course and distance. He won seven races in his career, five of them major stakes races.

In 2005 he finished eighth on the North American first-crop sires list. The following season he was third on the North American second-crop sires list and in 2007 was third on the third-crop list.

In 2008, the year he landed in South Africa, he finished 41^st on the general North American Sires list and the following year improved to 34^th and then 20^th in 2010. He finished 23^rd in 2011.

Freeman said Trippi’s progeny had initially been viewed out here as “forward” types and he consequently broke the South African record for having the highest number of two-year-old stakes winners with his first crop.

Freeman said, “That was initially his undoing, but trainers now understand not to rush them and give them the time they deserve and the rewards are coming.”

Trippi has produced four Gr 1 winners in South Africa, including five-time Gr 1 winner Inara, and he also produced the winner of the most expensive race ever run in South Africa, the CTS Million Dollar, won by his son Illuminator. A filly from his last USA crop won a Gr 1 in 2010, while a filly from his previous USA crop, Jealous Again, won the Gr 2 Queen Mary Stakes over five furlongs at the Royal Ascot meeting from pillar to post by an impressive five lengths.

David Thiselton

Mike de Kock retained the eLan Gold Cup trophy at Greyville yesterday and this year it was with the Australian-bred High Chaparal gelding Enaad, who provided S’Manga Khumalo with his first win in the country’s premier staying event.

However, the show was stolen in the next race, the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup, by the magnificent three-year-old Silvano gelding Marinaresco, who was brought home by Grant Van Niekerk. Marinaresco’s win gave legendary trainer Mike Bass, after whom the race was named, a perfect end to his official training career as he now hands over the reins to his daughter Candice Robinson.

Newly crowned national champion jockey Khumalo rode a confident race in the Gold Cup in testing ground on a horse who was presented in superb condition.

From his good draw of three, Khumalo sat in the back three down the back straight. He made up ground continually under the hands on the outside as they neared the straight. Khumalo revealed later his charge still had plenty of running in him and he soon hit the front on the standside. The Bass-trained Helderberg Blue relished the step up in trip and charged at Enaad, but it was too late as the latter still had plenty in the tank and won by 1,25 lengths.

S’manga Khumalo leaping dismount from Enaad (Nkosi Hlophe)

Enaad’s stablemate Kinaan was third, despite being officially 4,5kg under sufferance, Ovidio was next best and Master Sabina repeated his fifth place finish of two years ago.

It was De Kock’s fourth Gold Cup victory. Enaad is owned by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s Al Adiyaat South Africa (Pty) Ltd and was also bred by him.

In the Champions Cup over 1800m Marinaresco looked to be in trouble when a gap closed on him on the outside, after being brought from well off the pace. He had to be snatched up and it was testimony to his class that he was still able to pick up again and rocket through to win by 1,25 lengths from Judicial with No Worries, Saratoga Dancer and Baritone next best. Marinaresco fittingly raced in the colours Marsh Shirliff, the Bass ýard’s most prominent owner in recent times. Shirtliff owns Mauritzfontein Stud-bred Marinaresco in partnership with Bass himself as well as F Green and Bryn Ressell.

Mike and Carol spoke of being humbled to have had the race named after them and Shirtliff paid tribute to them and their highly professional staff.

Earlier, Mike Azzie had gone one better than last year in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m courtesy of Querari Falcon, who was given a patient ride by Anthony Delpech. Querari Falcon gave Maine Chance Farms’ sire Querari his first Gr 1 winner. Delpech, jumping from a tricky draw of eight, was content to sit about five lengths off the lead where he was covered up and beautifully relaxed. The long-striding horse found plenty in the straight to win by a length from the favourite Dawn Calling , who had been handy from the off. Sail was a neck back in third from Safe Harbour and Fortissimus. Querari Falcon was bred by the late BH Botha, Arne J Botha and ME Botha and is owned by Adriaan and Rika van Vuuren.

Hack Green (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes the stallion Gimmethegreenlight landed his first Gr 1 victory with the Paul Gadsby-trained gelding Gunner, who was given a fine ride by Brandon Lerena. It was former jockey Gadsby’s first Gr 1 winner as a trainer since San Carlos won the Star Sprint in 1991. Lerena from a tricky draw of seven was in the last three in the running together with the hot favourite Zodiac Ruler. Gunner had been caught wide in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m last time out when beaten 1,75 lengths by Zodiac Ruler. This time, with cover throughout, he moved through smoothly and was able to fight off Zodiac Ruler to win by 0,5 lengths. Misty Birnam also came from well back in the testing conditions for third, just pipping Africa Rising with Lotus Elan fifth.

Duncan Howells won the first race and made it a double on the card when the Avontuur-bred Var filly A Womens Way ran on well to win the Gr 2 Debutante over 1200m on the turf under Ian Sturgeon, just getting up to deny Arissa. La Revere pipped the favourite, The Merry Widow, who was giving 4kg to the field, for third.

Dennis Drier landed the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m with the big Varsfontein Stud-bred Gimmethegreenlight colt Hack Green,(pictured)  who jumped from a draw of seven and hacked up by three lengths, under a confident ride from Sean Veale, running on strongly from behind. The previously unbeaten Wrecking Ball was second and Hack Green’s stablemate Rocky Valley clinched third ahead of the fading favourite Seattle Singer. This was Gimmethegreenlight’s first stakes winner.

Neil Bruss once again showed his class as a trainer when Flying Ice won the Gr 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m under a fine ride by Anthony Delpech. The race was switched to the polytrack after a jockey’s protest. The Lammerskraal-bred Go Deputy four-year-old filly loved her first outing on this surface, bursting through from a handy position to beat a running on Nightingale by 2,75 lengths with the Bruss-trained Deputy Ryder third. The hot favourite Olma over-raced and faded tamely in the straight. Flying Ice is owned by M Paterson. Bruss now departs for another stint training in Saudi Arabia.

Trainer Garth Puller dedicated the win of Ashaawes gelding Asstar in the Listed Umgeni Handicap over 1000m on the poly to his recently late nephew and talented jockey Christoper Puller. Asstar was ridden by Alec Forbes.

David Thiselton

The jockeys wore black armbands and flags were flown at half-mast at Kenilworth on Saturday as a mark of respect to Chris Puller who was found dead on Thursday. He was 31 and steeped in racing.

His father Glen was a jockey before turning to training and his uncle Garth, also now a trainer, was one of the best jockeys of his generation. Richard Fourie is married to Chris’s sister.

Puller’s big race successes included the 2007 Diana Stakes on 20-1 shot Joshlin and two Chairman’s Cups for Mike Bass – Meteor Shower in 2009 and Golden Parachute two years later.

In recent seasons he was repeatedly forced to cry off riding arrangements, complaining of the after-effects of old injuries, and he had just 80 rides (including seven winners) last season. His death came as a shock, as well as a devastating blow, to his weighing room colleagues.

Christopher Puller on Pure Power (Liesl King)

Aldo Domeyer said: “It’s very sad. We grew up together and we were at the Academy at the same time. He was one guy who had real natural talent and he used to make bad horses look good.

“He always seemed happy and he was the one who uplifted others when they were down or going through a bad patch. I don’t know what demons he had but maybe we should have been more there for him. His death is a sad loss.”
Craig du Plooy added: “It’s tragic. He sat alongside me in the jockeys’ room for 15 years. He was a fun, jokey sort of guy, always revving us up in a nice way.”

Grant van Niekerk said: “I didn’t expect this. He was a bubbly person, always happy and cheerful, and I can only imagine what the family must be going through.”

Puller had a good association with a number of Cape Town trainers including Greg Ennion for whom he won the 2006 Sophomore on Bulldozer and the Milnerton trainer said: “Chris was an unusually talented rider and very good at judging a horse in its work. Indeed he was as good a judge as Garth and that is saying something.

“I was waiting for him to rehabilitate himself and ride for me again. He rang to say he was coming to talk to me – but he never arrived.”
Michael Clower