One of the doyens of South African horseracing, Jack Ramsay, in Durban died yesterday at the age of 94.

Ramsay, who had not missed consecutive Vodacom Durban July’s since his first in 1936, rarely missed a racemeeting. His only break coming when serving in the British Navy as a seaman during World War II.  On his return from the war he was appointed racing editor on the Rand Daily Mail in Johannesburg before moving to The Natal Mercury until his retirement in 1986. He subsequently worked as racing correspondent for the South African Press Association.

Rodney will be campaigned in top sprints like the Cape Flying Championship next season after showing his true colours in the Racing. It’s A Rush Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

True, the three-year-old only collared 14-10 favourite Search Party on the line but the runner-up is much improved and this was Rodney’s first appearance since Met day.

Candice Robinson said: “He had done a lot of work at home but he’d only had one gallop and that was a month ago. Grant van Niekerk (pictured) said he would have won a bit easier but he got in behind horses and he was getting kickback in his face. He is a sprinter and a very talented horse.”

Rain for much of the afternoon saw the going changed from good to good-to-soft after race three but the official descriptions are linked to penetrometer readings and the jockeys reckoned it was soft from the word go. Some of them said it had turned heavy by mid-afternoon when the divots were really flying.

Richard Fourie found his reins so slippery going down to the start on Studioli in race three that he rubbed sand into his hands to get a better grip. Even so he dropped a rein and his whip when driving out the Glen Kotzen-trained winner in the closing stages.

However the rain suited In Limine who finally came good under Heavelon van der Hoven in the last. Greg Ennion reckons to win again with her before the winter is out and he also struck with 50-1 shot Jeremy despite Robert Khathi putting up half a kilo overweight to beat better fancied stable companion Chrome Blue a head.

Justin Snaith flew back from Durban on Friday evening to supervise the work of next Saturday’s Winter Derby meeting runners and he was rewarded by Oceans Trip landing the odds under Bernard Fayd’Herbe in the first.

Derek Brugman, on hand to see Epona score 35 minutes later – “she is a half-sister to Jay Peg and she will be worth her weight in gold as a broodmare,” reported that Red Ray had one eye closed and puss coming out of it following his disappointing run when favourite for the Post Merchants the previous evening.

Michael Clower

Bela-Bela now heads the market for Saturday week’s Vodacom Durban July following Anthony Delpech’s shock decision to jump ship and get off the favourite Black Arthur in order to ride his stable companion.

World Sports Betting has cut the Woolavington winner from 15-2 to 11-2 clear favourite and Betting World has her 5-1 joint favourite with Black Arthur while Marinaresco comes next on 6-1 with French Navy a 13-2 chance.

Delpech, bidding for his fifth July win, has not got where he is today by picking the wrong one but Justin Snaith is not entirely convinced that the record-breaking former champion has made the right move.

He said: “Personally I think it’s too close to call. The weights are not in Bela-Bela’s favour and she only gets a kilo from the colts.

“But Anthony says that Bela-Bela has given him an unbelievable feel and he wants to stick with her regardless of the weights.”

When he heard that Mike Azzie had cancelled Dougie Whyte’s booking for Abashiri, and reinstated the gelding’s Triple Crown-winning partner Karl Zechner, Justin’s brother Jonathan moved quickly to secure the 13-time Hong Kong champion for Black Arthur even though Whyte will be riding at Sha Tin the night before and will not arrive in Durban until mid-morning.

Azzie, speaking at Greyville last Friday evening, explained: “We are going for the July with Abashiri and we are going to do our best to try and win it but we didn’t feel we needed the pressure of having to wait in case he doesn’t make his connecting flight. Adriaan van Vuuren has had a bit of a tense week with the press having a go at him about jocking off Dougie but it was a joint decision and this is the reason we took it.”

The Snaith camp, though, reckon the flight risk is worth taking and Justin said: “We had an opportunity to have a renowned international champion and I felt we should take it. Having him brings an extra spice to the race and I am very grateful to Alec and Gillian Foster (Black Arthur’s owner-breeders) for allowing this to happen. Without them it wouldn’t have been possible and I’m not worried about the flights – unless there is some world problem he should get to Durban on time.”

Snaith is bidding for a third July win following dead-heater Dancer’s Daughter in 2008 and the promoted Legislate two years ago (he jokes that he is the only trainer in the history of the race to have won it twice without having a horse passing the post with its head in front!) and he can hardly wait for the big day.

He said: “We have a serious chance and we have three runners – hopefully four with Dynamic – who are all doing well. We just have to get through the draws and the July gallops which are always a worry. But we are very excited and I wouldn’t swap the position I’m in with anyone.”

The final field and draws will be announced tomorrow and the July gallops are on Thursday.

Michael Clower

Trainer Dean Kannemeyer, jockey Anthony Delpech and owner Lady Christine Laidlaw of Khaya Stables added a fourth Graded success to their tally this SA Champions Season when the progressive Mauritzfontein Stud-bred Cape Speed won the Gr 3 Track And Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville yesterday in cosy fashion.

Delpech,

Cape Speed (Nkosi Hlophe)

who has now had an amazing seven Graded winners this Champions Season, rode an enterprising race from a tricky draw, taking his mount around runners to be handy. However, the progressive Ideal World three-year-old was still easily able to repel the challenge of runner up Deputy Jud and win by 0,25 lengths.  Three Balloons, Kitty’s Destiny and Storm Warning were next best.

This was Cape Speed’s third win in three outings since gelding.

Earlier, the Sean Tarry-trained Summerhill-bred Kahal filly Witchcraft had proved a point when winning the Gr 3 Track And Ball Oaks over 2400m by 1,5 lengths under S’Manga Khumalo from the Neil Bruss pair Flying Ice and Deputy Ryder. Witchcraft dictated in front and the odds-on favourite Nightingale was too far back but managed to finish fourth. Patchit Up Baby claimed the fifth place cheque.

The Vodacom Durban July supplementary entry The Centenary finished unplaced and her chances of making the final field look to be gone. Tarry had always regarded Witchcraft as an Oaks filly but in her chief target for the season, the Gr 1 SA Oaks, the race just did not pan out well and she finished unplaced.

David Thiselton

The Gary Alexander-trained three-year-old Querari gelding Kangaroo Jack defied his 14/1 odds at Greyville on Friday night to win the Gr 2 Post Merchants over 1200m in effortless fashion under Craig Zackey and out of the blue has become a serious Gr 1 Mercury Sprint possibility.

The Alexander team received a phone call one day from owner Joyce Wallace asking whether they would like to train this horse, who was bred by her late husband RB Wallace. It came as a nice surprise as they had never trained a horse for the Wallace family before. Kangaroo Jack duly arrived at the Alexander’s Turffontein yard as a young two-year-old having been pre-trained by Sharon Patterson.

Kangaroo Jack travelled down to Greyville on Friday morning. Assistant trainer Dean Alexander saddled him. The bay gelding glided down to the post as if he was on air and was the stand out.

He was dropped out from a wide draw and behind a strong pace showed an exceptional turn of foot in the straight. Coming from near the back he had hit the front under the hands by the 200m mark. He just required a few back handers from then onward to keep his mind on the job.

Kangaroo Jack (Nkosi Hlophe)

He passed the line 3,75 lengths clear of the Mike Bass-trained 10/1 shot Fly By Night, who pipped the Garth Puller-trained 25/1 shot Asstar for second. The Dennis Drier-trained second favourite, three-year-old Ferrie, completed the quartet.

Dean later described Kangaroo Jack as one who had been progressive from day one. The bay still looks to have scope for further improvement.

Kangaroo Jack was officially 2kg under sufferance with the Gr 1-winning mare Fly By Night, who was coming off a second place finish in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint just two weeks earlier. Therefore it will be no surprise to see him being given the maximum ten point merit rating raise to 110. The yard might now consider running him in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint Over the same course and distance in mid-July.

The favourite for Friday night’s race was Red Ray, who went down to post in eye-catching style. However, the long-strider’s momentum was affected by interference early in the straight and he was not persevered with after his chances of placing were gone.
The other runner coming out of the Tsogo Sun Sprint two weeks ago, Captain Alfredo, also failed to place.

David Thiselton