South African Champions Season’s fever usually begins with the running of the Byerley Turk meeting, which was held at Greyville on Friday night, and if past year’s ending in “6” are anything to go by there is likely to be plenty of excitement and drama in the build up to and running of this year’s Vodacom Durban July.

This winter will mark the 50th anniversary of the most dramatic incident in South African racing history, the shooting of the great Syd Laird-trained Sea Cottage, and it is also a significant anniversary year for July-winning darlings Jamaican Music, London News and Spey Bridge, for Mick Goss of Summerhill Stud, for great trainer Terrance Millard and brilliant jockey Bartie Leisher, and also for late great commentator Ernie Duffield.

Sea Cottage was shot from a concrete shelter, which still exists today, while walking under the Blue Lagoon bridge on the bright morning of June 10, 1966. Earlier, a bookmaker from the Field Street “rooms” had allegedly approached the owner of the Monaco Club across the road and asked him to settle his considerable debt. The bookmaker’s explanation had been the widely expected Sea Cottage July win, which would result in damaging losses to his business. The club owner’s alleged response was to ask what it would be worth to “stop” Sea Cottage. The bookmaker’s alleged reply was he would forego the debt. A bouncer from the club named Johnny Nel then allegedly hatched the plan and agreed to carry out the dastardly deed. A few mornings before the shootings, “gangsters” who frequented the Monaco Club arrived on the beach at Blue Lagoon still dressed in their evening suits, purportedly to watch the gallops, and Nel was among them. Sea Cottage’s white markings made him an easy horse to identify. The great horse was shot in the soft flesh of the hindquarters with a pistol and reared in fright.

Trainer Eileen Bestel was first on the scene and had the distressed horse walked back to the Newmarket Stables. He made a remarkable recovery and appeared at the July gallops a couple of weeks later to tumultuous applause. He ran in the big race just three weeks after the incident and finished an unlucky fourth after being severely checked at the two furlong mark. However, he famously won the July the following year carrying topweight and with the bullet still lodged in his hindquarter, deadheating with the lightweight Jollify, to whom he gave 27 pounds. Nel had been arrested less than a day after the shooting. He had foolishly used his yellow convertible, one of the most conspicuous cars in Durban, to drive to and from Blue Lagoon and a passing fisherman had seen him speeding away. The remorseful man was sentenced to three years, but was released due to ill health after one year and died shortly thereafter. Sea Cotttage ended his career with 20 wins from 24 starts and was widely regarded as the greatest horse to ever grace the South African turf until Horse Chestnut arrived. Sea Cottage’s old stable is today a vendor stall in a section of the Stables used as a popular evening market. Syd Laird had always been terrified somebody would “get to” Sea Cottage and had metal plates fitted over the air vents on the road side of his stable. The now rusted metal plates can still be seen there today, on the road side of the market three stalls to the left of the main entrance.

The year 1906 marked the tenth running of the July and Bonnie Dundee was the second Argentinian-bred to win it.

In 1916 the Pietermaritzburg-owned Margin won from start to finish carrying the joint-lightest ever winning weight of 38,5kg and apparently won another race at Greyville a few days later.

In 1926 the July had its third short-head finish and the judge awarded it to 5/1 shot Moosme at the expense of the hot 3/1 favourite Narrow Gauge. The decision stands today as one of the most unpopular and controversial ones in the race’s history. Ernie Duffield had his only July ride in 1926, as an apprentice, but finished last.

In 1936, Petersfield became the first of three July winners for renowned Cape trainer Ted Shaw, who had previously won the Met five times as a jockey.

In 1946 St. Paul’s, a graduate of Pony and Galloway handicaps, became the smallest ever winner of the July. He was owned by Mick Goss’ grandfather Pat.

In 1956, the Rhodesian (Zimbabwean)-bred Spey Bridge carried a record weight of 58kg to victory. El Picha (2000) and Pocket Power (2008) equalled this weight carrying feat and then Heavy Metal broke it in 2013 when carrying 59,5kg to victory. However, in the old days the race was a long handicap and Spey Bridge had to give 13kg to the runner up Labby.

1976 saw a fairytale victory for one of South African history’s most popular grey’s, the Ralph Rixon-trained Jamaican Music. Two years earlier he had started second favourite but had infamously dislodged jockey Tom Rattley when pecking down the back straight. The intelligent grey had then won hearts by continuing to run as if he had a jockey aboard and crossed the line first but riderless. There was hardly a person who begrudged this gallant grey his official July win two years later.

In 1986, Bartie Leisher pulled off one of the all time great July rides, dictating in front on the Terrance Millard third string Occult to hold off even money stablemate Fool’s Holme. Another stablemate Enchanted Garden finished third. It was the first of Millard’s pair of one-two-three finishes.
However, Syd Laird still holds the July training record of seven wins and his son Alec won the Big race in 1996 with London News, who later paved the way for South African-breds overseas by winning the Gr 1 QE II Cup in Hong Kong.

In 2006 Dean Kannemeyer landed the second of his three Julys, winning with three-year-old Eyeofthetiger. The latter ran in the same Fieldspring Racing colours as Kannemeyer’s Byerley Turk winner on Friday night, Mambo Mime.

By David Thiselton

Inara will make the near 600k trip from Durban to Johannesburg on Friday evening for the following day’s L Jaffee Empress Club Stakes.

Candice Robinson said: “The journey takes about six hours and she is due to arrive in Jo’burg at 11.00pm. She has been doing very well in Durban this time and, if the altitude doesn’t affect her, we have to be optimistic.”

The triple Grade 1 winner did not thrive at Summerveld last year but Mike Bass’s team are in a different yard this time and this is believed to have made a big difference.

Grant van Niekerk said: “I’ve ridden her a few times since she has been in Durban and she feels good, much better than last season.”

Brett Crawford has decided to keep Captain America in Johannesburg for the time being and last year’s Horse Chestnut winner will renew rivalry with this year’s scorer Legal Eagle in the R4 million President’s Champions Challenge a fortnight on Saturday.

Joey Ramsden may send the first part of his KZN string to Summerveld this week and he put a number of them through their paces at Kenilworth on Saturday morning. These included Act Of War, St Tropez, Disco Al and The Conglomerate.

Ramsden said:  “They didn’t do a lot and it was just to get them going a bit before they truck up to Durban.”

By Michael Clower

Joey Ramsden is debating whether to add Miranda Frost to his Durban armada after the 5-2 shot comfortably outpointed four previous winners in the Ian Balfour Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Ramsden, whose previous KZN juvenile scorers include Copper Parade (Golden Horseshoe) and Nania (Thekwini), said: “I don’t normally take two-year-olds to Durban but I’ve done quite well with those I have taken and I think Miranda Frost is pretty special.

“I have no doubt that she will get seven furlongs and maybe even a mile. I will have a chat with Jessica Slack and see what she would like to do.”

Donovan Dillon, who led just over a furlong out and employed no more than hands and heels, added: “She does phenomenal work at home and I didn’t ask her much here. She will go from strength to strength.”

In fact she came close to missing the race with Ramsden reporting: “She had a snotty nose two weeks ago and missed five days’ work. It was touch and go whether she ran.”

Indeed the filly returned with a nasal discharge according to the racecourse vet but there were also problems with odds-on Le Harve who managed only third. “He was hanging so we will get him checked out,” said Jonathan Snaith. “That wasn’t his form at all. He was a bit heavy and he went too hard early on.”

However Snaith is keen on first-timer Nordic Breeze who, despite losing a good two lengths at the break, responded well to Robert Khathi’s urgings to become the first two-year-old to beat the older horses in Cape Town this season in the Carnavon Lodge Maiden.  “She is going to run in the fillies features and she is one to watch,” advised Jonathan.

Sharp Peg, the 3-1 favourite, managed only sixth and was found to be not striding out on both front legs while State Ballet (fourth) was coughing afterwards.

MJ Byleveld, in double form, has been trying to persuade Billy Prestage to send Milton to Durban and, after making all on the 11-2 chance in the Goindustry Dovebid Handicap, he explained: “With the righthand bend and low weights, he would be very competitive there.”

Prestage, remarkably good value for his 81 years, quipped: “I thought about it but I’m too old to go anywhere!”

Fareed Anthony was taken to hospital with a suspected broken wrist when the Glen Puller-trained Larimar gave him his first winner of the season in the Gotha Health Maiden. The outside rail ended soon after the winning post and the 20-1 shot immediately ducked right, unseating his rider.

Anthony said yesterday: “It’s dislocated, not broken – I put out a hand to try and save myself when the horse ducked. But I have to have an operation to repair some ligament damage and the doctors say I will be out for between three and six weeks.”

Anthony wasn’t the only casualty. Hidden Dragon’s bridle came off as he left the pens and Corne Orffer followed suit. Despite lying still for an ominously long time, he pronounced himself unhurt. His mount, despite suffering cuts on both front legs, not only continued in the race but then went round again!

Vaughan Marshall reckons the Cape Derby trip was too far for Paladin despite the horse finishing sixth and Ken Truter’s gelding proved his point in the mile Boland Market Agency Handicap. “Everybody felt he would get the 2 000m but he doesn’t quite stay that far,” said the Milnerton trainer, sending out his fifth Kenilworth winner of the week.

By Michael Clower

Le Harve could have a battle on his hands up against the equally impressive Miranda Frost in the Ian Balfour Juvenile Plate at Kenilworth tomorrow.

This has turned into a cracking race with three other previous winners also in the line-up, so different from Monday morning when it looked like another sorry episode in the Cape Town small fields saga.

There were two 1 000m two-year-old races but only six were declared for the colts’ event and four for the fillies’. The National Racing Bureau staff hastily rang the trainers and asked them to reinstate some of those not declared. But nobody would reconsider.

Then it was decided to amalgamate the two races but the trainers concerned had to be consulted again. “Fortunately they played ball,” said NRB kingpin Raf Sheik, recently promoted to Racing Executive of Gold Circle. “It would have been very different if one or two of them had said no.”

Le Harve looked so good four weeks ago that he is sure to start favourite even though Justin Snaith has been treating him with kid gloves – “I have done no grass work with him since his win because I think he has huge potential and he is such a big horse that I can’t do a lot of work with him. His brother (Scottsville Grade 1 winner Normanz) injured himself as a two-year-old and I don’t want to do that with this one.”

Miranda Frost really looked the part when making every metre of the 1 200 in February after being backed from 20-1 to 11-2. Joey Ramsden says he fully expected her to win that day. “She is a very nice filly and her form is standing up well. The only thing is that I didn’t want to run her over 1 000m but there are no races.”

The drop in distance is almost certainly against her – she is out of a Fort Wood mare – and that could swing it in favour of Le Harve but she will be a tough nut to crack.

Mike Bass has won seven Cape Town two-year-old races this term (only one less than Snaith) and he runs both first time scorer Bombs Away and Felicity Flyer who was fourth in the Met day Listed race and looks the better of the pair. “I think she is probably going to need her first run back against the colts,” cautions Candice Robinson.

Darryl Hodgson had intended to use this to give Chill Baby Chill more experience in advance of next month’s fillies features. “She is maturing and getting better but it has turned into a hot race against colts,” he says.

Half the field are newcomers but they are surely up against it. Sharp Peg narrowly holds Kwando 35 minutes later but the latter, a little disappointing when turned out again a week later, is likely to start at a better price and could be worth backing to reverse the placings.

Everything would appear to be against Persian Silk in race five – off for two months, first run out of the maidens and sometimes disappointing previously – but she really got it together last time and the handicappers have not been hard on her. At a forecast 8-1 she is suggested each way.

By Michael Clower

Justin Snaith could get his KZN campaign off to a flying start tonight at Greyville’s Byerley Turk meeting, a traditional curtain raiser to the South African Champions Season.

Snaith could win both the Byerley Turk and Umzimkhulu Stakes with a pair of classy sorts in Baritone and Bela-Bela respectively.

Baritone was a comfortable winner of a 1600m race on J&B Met day and strikes as one who will get better as he gets older. The Greyville 1400m should be suitable running fresh, although the wide draw on this tight track is a concern. If he doesn’t win he is still likely to make an impact during the Champions Season.

Victorious Jay weaved his way through traffic in the CTS Million Dollar over this distance to finish a narrow third, having earlier finished close up in both the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas and Selangor Cup. He is officially the best treated at the weights so will be a tough nut to crack from a good draw.

Beat The Retreat was a convincing 5,5 length winner of a Progress Plate over 1300m here last time out and is officially second best in at the weights. From a tricky draw of seven he will be hoping for the same fast pace he got last time.

Budapest runs well fresh and is ideally distance suited so also has a chance.

His stablemate Redcarpet Captain has class and is distance suited but apparently a haemo-concentration problem has surfaced and he is under a cloud after being beaten 12,75 lengths by Beat The Retreat last time out, having finished 2,8 lengths behind Victorious Jay in the Million Dollar before that.

Mambo Mime has always possessed class and is interesting with blinkers on over a step down in trip from pole position.

The jockey reported something amiss with Bunker Bill last time and at his best he could play a part, while Spanish Captain is still unexposed but strikes as a classy sort.

Baritone is predicted to mow them down late and win from Victorious Jay, Beat The Retreat, Budapest and Mambo Mime.

In the Umzimkhulu the always highly regarded Bela-Bela proved how good she was when running a three length third behind two world class fillies in Smart Call and Inara in the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m. She has a wide draw of ten, but should enjoy running fresh over this trip and is 3kg better off with any other horse in the field.

Flying Ice could pose a threat as one who will be race fit, ideally course and distance suited and drawn in pole. She had to continually switch outward in the Gr 3 Prix du Cap last time out before finally seeing daylight 200m out and she then flew up for an unlucky second to Cuvee Brut. Furthermore, her trainer Neil Bruss has started off his KZN campaign well.

Star Express was not far behind stablemate Bela-Bela in the Paddock Stakes and her class might pull her into a place, despite topweight and the trip being on the sharp side.

Taffety tart also has a wide draw but will likely be running on strongly. Killer Woman showed class in her last two wins on the Greyville turf over 1600m and 1800m respectively and Bella Sonata won well over 1300m here last time, but both have wide draws. Joan Ranger has to be respected from a good draw with Marcus up, although her last start pointed to her possibly being a sprinter.

Bela-Bela is the selection from Flying Ice with Star Express, Taffety Tart and Killer Woman next best.

Earlier, the progressive three-year-old filly Nightingale runs in a MR 76 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m and is likely to have too much class for the local contestants running fresh over a trip shorter than ideal. However, the other two Cape horses Secret Seven and All Mine are likely to relish the course and distance and could pose threats.

In race one over 1400m on turf Roy’s Rolls Royce caught the eye last time staying on well at Scottsville over 1600m and should beat this field with Marcus up despite a wide draw and the trip probably being a touch sharp. However, first-timer Winter Is Coming is by Dynasty out of a mare who won the first two legs of the Zimbabwe Triple Crown against the boys and was Gr 3 placed in South Africa, so betting moves must be monitored.

In race two Jayrista will likely attempt to steal it from the front due to his wide draw. Cause Celebre and Willowgrange will be closing in and it could be a tight finish.

In race six Let’s Go West ran well last time out over this polytrack 1600m course and distance and has the same top 4kg claiming rider up albeit from a wider draw. He wasted a lot of energy trying to find a position last time and this time will likely be taken to the front. He is having only his second start for the Craig Eudey yard and they expect him to win as he is “very well and moving beautifully” but they also believe he is looking for further.

In race seven over 1900m on the poly the Australian-bred Gypsy Pirate caught the eye staying on strongly on debut over 1400m, having been outpaced early, and will relish this step up in trip so looks hard to oppose.

By David Thiselton