“He arrived a hero will he leave a legend?” Commentator Alistair Cohen got it right but it was oh so close for Abashiri in the Gr1 SA Derby final leg of the Triple Crown at Turffontein yesterday. A nose separated hero from legend and owner Adriaan van Vuuren summed it up. “We expected to win more easily but we had to scratch deep in the barrel.”

And Abashiri did just that, Michael Azzie’s runner drawing on his very last reserves to take the crown and the R2 million bonus. Karl Zechner, eyes closed in relief and crossing himself on the walk back to the paddock, would probably freely admit that the occasion got to him and it was the horse that got him out of jail. Trailing with just two behind him as stable companion Scheme Of Things stretched the field at a solid gallop, Abashiri was out of his ground turning for home and looked gone and forgotten.

“I probably pressed the button too early,” he admitted. “But he’s a tricky horse to ride. You keep niggling but when you ask him he hits the front in an instant.”

So it proved as Abashiri quickened from last to first in a matter of strides at the 600 m mark putting a couple of lengths on the opposition; but then it was an agonising grind to the line. Drawing on his last reserves of stamina and courage, his legs working from memory, Abashiri fought off an equally game and exhausted Rocketball to hold on by the proverbial nostril.

For owners, who four years ago had no connection with the sport, Adriaan and Rika van Vuuren have spent a fortune on horses and victory was fitting reward and achieved in front of a sea of cheering employees decked out in orange and black.

A half-hour later Legal Eagle confirmed his status as the country’s top rated horse with a bloodless victory in the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Challenge, crowning another exceptional day for Sean Tarry whose horses bagged three of the four Grade 1’s on offer.

Beaten only once on his favourite course, Anton Marcus gave Legal Eagle a copybook ride, tracking the pace and then pressing for home at just the right moment. The three-year-old Brazuca made a game effort to go with the champion but came up short in the end with French Navy finding some of the form that saw him win the Daily News 2000 last season, rattling home for second to give Tarry the one-two.

The Vodacom Durban July has eluded Markus Jooste, the country’s leading owner for the past number of years, and he may have to look beyond Legal Eagle for a win this year. “This race was our aim. We are not overly keen on the July but I will speak to Derek (Brugman – Jooste’s racing manager),” Tarry confided.

“Maybe the Champions Cup at the end of the season but for now just a good rest.”

Carry On Alice obviously enjoys the last Saturday in April. Two years back she won the Gr1 SA Nursery for Tarry and last year finished second in the Gr1 Computaform Sprint. Yesterday she set the record straight as she made short work of the Computaform Sprint field. Tracking the early pace, Khumalo released the brake on the 13-20 favourite two furlongs out and she simply smoked home leaving Talktothestars chasing them – it was as simple and as clinical as that.

More complicated was Cloth Of Cloud as she kept her clean sheet, emulating stable companion Carry On Alice’s victory in the Gr1 SA Nursery. She gave her supporters and her rider a few heart-stopping moments as she dug in her toes before the line.

At her previous start Cloth Of Cloud almost unseated Khumalo just after the line but this time he was wise to her antics. Once past long-time leader Riverine and seemingly headed for victory, Cloth Of Cloud jammed on the brakes forcing Khumalo into an ungainly jig to keep her going.

She is obviously a filly of huge talent but keeping a lid on her temperament may prove more of a challenge for Tarry and Khumalo.

By Andrew Harrison

Chevauchee makes her long-awaited reappearance in the Racing.It’s A Rush Conditions Plate at Kenilworth tomorrow.

This Australian-bred is held in such high regard that she has started hot favourite on all her three starts – and in the second of them she was actually odds-on to beat Bela-Bela. She opened 5-2 equal favourite with World Sports Betting yesterday but this is her first run since Ridgemont split with Joey Ramsden nearly five months ago.

Brett Crawford has brought her along patiently but the 1 000m could be a big problem because she is bred to need at least twice that far. “We were looking for a 1 200m but there wasn’t a suitable race available,” said Ridgemont manager Craig Carey yesterday.

“We are very excited about her and, although we couldn’t gallop her because there was no grass, she has been going very nicely and I expect her to run well.”

The best horse at the weights is 8-1 shot Fear Not who has 3kg in hand (worth just over two lengths at this trip) on official ratings but she also needs further and this is her first run since her throat operation.

“She has shown quite a lot of natural speed and she has responded well since the op,” said Adam Marcus. “This is a come-on run for her and she will be coming from off the pace. Hopefully she will run a cracker.”

The two with no distance or fitness problems that stand out the most are Hoist The Mast (5-2) and Varumba who is a big price at 10-1. Both have a bit to find at the weights but their stables are in form and the Andre Nel runner possibly has more scope for improvement.

Five of the other seven races are maidens but winner-finding will not be easy because there are no stand-outs. Indeed A New Dawn and William Longsword both went into punters’ notebooks after potential-packed debuts and it is almost impossible to choose between them in the first. MJ Byleveld’s mount gets the nod at 22-10 as the money came for him first time but Ramsden thinks a lot of his colt who opened favourite at 12-10.

Moonsaballoon (33-10) looks marginally best in race two and it may be worth taking a chance with the Vaughan Marshall-trained Hernando’s Promise at the same price 35 minutes later. He should be receiving 5.5kg more according to the weight-for-age scale and this means he needs to be five lengths better than the three-year-olds. But he could easily be because they have not been good enough to win even after a further 12 months.

Crawford’s decision to fit Baqueira with blinkers could prove a winner in race four where fellow 5-2 joint favourite Flying Monarch looks the danger despite the presence of two Snaith two-year-olds.

By Michael Clower

Anticipation will reach fever pitch at Turffontein tomorrow when Abashiri lines up for the Gr 1 A Derby in his bid to land the Triple Crown.

There are four Gr 1s in total to look forward to, including the R4 million Premier’s Champion Challenge over 2000m, as well as five Gr 2s, so it is going to be another Champions Day of high drama.

Abashiri looks every inch a champion and should have no problem staying the 2450m trip on both pedigree and running style. A wide draw is a concern but he doesn’t over race and can afford to be dropped out due to his blistering turn of foot. He should pick them off one by one in the straight.

The Mike de Kock-trained Jubilee Line strikes as a Derby type who should be staying on strongly.

Samurai Blade showed his class when staying on for third in the SA Classic and gave the impression he would handle this trip.

Kinaan is a progressive sort who has proved he stays the trip, although he has a lot to do at the weights.

Rocketball has some class but will have to improve on his SA Classic run. He has a chance of staying the trip considering he is from the family of facile Derby winner Irish Flame.

Milla’s World will be improving, being by Ideal World, and will likely relish the trip.

Bankable Teddy impressed last time when romping home in the Listed Derby Trial over 2000m and he could be the dark horse.

The selection is Abashiri to beat Jubilee Line with Samurai Blade, Milla’s World and Bankable Teddy next best.

In the Premier’s Champions Challenge Inara versus Legal Eagle is “a clash of the century” epic and one for the purists to savour. Inara is taking on the boys for the first-time and if the travel and altitude don’t affect her she will be up to it. On a strict form line through Smart Call, Inara has the beating of Legal Eagle. French Navy loves the course and distance and at best his finishing effort will take him close, but his two below par build up runs create a question mark. Captain America has become more settled since gelding and should give another honest account of himself, although he is one who would prefer soft ground. Both Brazuca and Judicial’s sustained finishing runs make them ideally suited to the course and distance. Stonehenge should ensure a good pace, having proved last time riders can’t afford to ignore him out in front.

The WSB Computaform Sprint will be an exciting contest. Carry On Alice can go one better than last year and land her third Gr 1. However Trip Tease will make it tough for her, especially if there is a draw bias like last year in which high numbers were favourable. Barbosa can be relied on to produce a classy performance every time he steps on to the racecourse. Tar Heel is the dark horse as he is packed with speed and hopefully for his connections horses can win from anywhere as he has a low draw. The same applies to recent Scottsville 1000m record breaker Muscatt, whose high cruising speed and ability to find another gear will make him dangerous. Talktothestars can never be underestimated and Moofeed is capable of a strong finishing run so could be a surprise place getter if putting his poor last run behind him.

Sean Tarry probably has a record number of winning two-year-old fillies this season and has a good chance of landing both the Gr 1 SA Nursery and the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery.

Cloth Of Cloud is probably the best of his young fillies and will try and repeat Carry On Alice’s feat of beating the boys in the SA Nursery. She is temperamental, which is the only downside. Janoobi would prefer further in time, but his class could carry him close. Approval Mode had to give 2kg to Janoobi last time and could get closer.

In The Fillies Nursery unbeaten Exquisite Touch won unextended over 1000m last time and looks hard to beat. Fursa is improving and could get closer to Exquisite Touch this time. Myfunnyvalentine won easily on debut despite ducking in the closing stages and has a chance.

The Gr 2 SA Oaks could see a win for Peggy Jay, who has beaten older horses in her last three starts and is proven over the course and distance. There is not much between her and Witchcraft on form and Tarry has always said the latter is his Oaks horse. Zafira should finish on top of Peggy Jay on course and distance form. Persian Rug should relish the course and distance being a giant daughter of Ideal World. Princess Varunya will relish the trip. Juxtapose SA Fillies Classic win from off the pace suggested she would enjoy this trip. Estimation enjoyed a change to hold up tactics last time and is out of a daughter of Sadler’s Wells so should not be underestimated.

The big galloping type Fortune Fella proved himself a decent stayer last time and could beat Cool Chardonnay and Storm Warning in the Gold Bowl.

Pennington Sands is seen at her best in fast ground and is course and distance in the Gerald Rosenberg Stakes over 2000m where she could be a surprise winner ahead of the ideally course and distance suited The Centenary and the classy and consistent Trophy Wife.

The Gr 2 Camellia Stakes could see Lazer Star in the winner’s box again from Kwinta, although the dark horse is Joan Ranger who should enjoy being brought back to a sprint trip again.

By David Thiselton

The exciting Robbie Hill-trained two-year-old colt Red Chesnut Road faces his first big test in the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville on Sunday.

The Pathfork colt faced a number of talked about first-timers on debut over 1200m at Scottsville but after showing good early pace he kicked clear effortlessly and destroyed them by 7,75 lengths under Brandon Lerena.

The only detracting point was the winning time of the following race contested by two-year-old fillies which was only 0,5 seconds slower and the winner, Princess Analia, then finished only fifth in a polytrack handicap against older horses next time out off a merit rating of 82.

However, on visual impressions the blinkered Red Chesnut Road looked something special.

Shannon Hill said the impressively built chestnut has improved a lot since then and looks likely to get better and better. He wears blinkers simply due to his naughtiness.

The horse which makes most appeal as the danger is the shrewd Corne Spies-trained entry Timedtoperfection. As a maiden filly this daughter of Judpot will receive 4,5kg from Red Chesnut Road. Furthermore, she is a full-sister to the useful sprinter Aurum Pot and caught the eye on debut over 1000m at the Vaal when running on strongly from some way off the pace and only just failing to get there.

The inside rail will remain 5 metres out on Sunday, which is good news as this appears to have given horses a fair chance no matter where they have been drawn.

David Thiselton
Picture: Nkosi Hlophe

 

 

Former Vodacom Durban July winner Legislate is likely to be the main attraction for racing enthusiasts at The Independent On Saturday night racemeeting at Greyville Racecourse next Friday evening, 6 May 2016, when he opens his South African Champions Season campaign in the R400 000 Grade 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes over 1 400m.

The Dynasty entire, destined for stud duties later in the year, will use this race as a season “pipe opener” on his way for a shot at securing one more Grade 1 sash in either the Rising Sun Gold Challenge or the Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup. He has not been nominated for Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event, the Vodacom Durban July which he won two years ago.

The night racemeeting at the central Durban venue is also Guineas night and will feature the R600 000, Grade 2 Canon Guineas and the R400 000, Grade 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas which have both drawn talented fields guaranteed to produce close and exciting finishes.

Legislate, trained by Justin Snaith, has only run twice since finishing third to stable companion Futura in the Champions Cup at Greyville last season, taking second place to Legal Eagle in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and sixth behind Smart Call in the J&B Met.

Among his opponents next week is the gallant seven-year-old from the Charles Laird stable Ice Machine that flew up for second behind Futura in the Champions Cup and more recently finished third to Captain Aldo in the Hawaii Stakes at Turffontein.

The Conglomerate, a Vodacom Durban July entry from the Joey Ramsden stable that was at one time rated highly after winning the KRA Guineas and finishing third in the Daily News 2000 last season, has poor recent form but could show improvement at the Greyville track.

Also in the field is last year’s Vodacom Durban July runner-up Punta Arenas from the Dennis Drier stable who has been entered for another crack at the big race later in the season.

In the Canon Guineas, the smart Brave Tin Soldier colt Rabada from the Mike Azzie stable heads the card but could be hard-pressed by the Sean Tarry-trained Toreador gelding Prospect Strike that finished just over a length behind him at level weight in their last meeting at Turffontein. Others that could challenge for the lion’s share of the stake include the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Mambo Mine and Baritone from the Snaith stable that finished first and second in the Byerley Turk over 1 400m at Greyville three weeks ago.

Snaith also runs the winner of the Politician Stakes and Investec Cape Derby fourth Black Arthur while Malak El Moolook, third in the Gauteng Guineas, is another string to the Tarry bow in the race.

Some very smart fillies will contest the Daisy Fillies Guineas including the first three past the post in the Cape Fillies Guineas – Silver Mountain, Our Destiny and Taffety Tart – and the runner up in both the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and SA Fillies Classic, Negroamaro.

Add Bela-Bela, third to Smart Call in the Grade 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes, to the mix along with Fromafar and Flying Ice, and you have the recipe for a brilliant clash.