On Saturday the highly regarded Abashiri will face the first leg of his bid for Triple Crown glory, but down in the Cape his sire Go Deputy has virtually been abandoned by breeders despite his continually good statistics.

Abashiri’s trainer Mike Azzie has called the magnificently long-striding bay gelding the best he has trained since National Currency, a three-time Gr 1-winning sprinter who finished second in the Gr 1 Hong Kong Sprint to the great Silent Witness.

Abashiri has a genuine chance of landing the Triple Crown, although the first leg on Saturday, the Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas, will probably be his toughest  obstacle as he would prefer further.

Yet, Go Deputy only covered two mares this past season. Both were sent by the stud which own and stand him, Lammerskraal Stud.

Lammerskraal’s long-time stud manager Sally Jourdan said, “His sire Deputy Minister was a champion racehorse, a champion sire and a champion broodmare sire. Breeders just don’t recognise him for what he is and it is hard to resurrect a stallion. But, if Abashiri does really well we will try and promote him again.”

Jourdan added Lammerskraal’s new owner Pieter Graaff only races two or three horses from each crop, otherwise Go Deputy would have received more mares.

She also spoke of her keen anticipation of the progeny of Go Deputy’s daughters, as she believes like his father he will be an outstanding broodmare sire.

Among his daughters with nice looking youngsters to date is the three-time Listed-winning stayer Adobe Pink, who has a foal by What A Winter, the champion sprinter by Lammerskraal’s late great Western Winter.

Abashiri comes from Go Deputy’s 2012 crop, the season in which he covered 50 mares, and was purchased for R400,000 at the National Yearling Sales.

Also among his 2012 crop is Flying Ice, a Listed winner who finished second in Saturday’s Gr 3 Prix du Cap, beating a few significant four-year-old members of what many believe to be  the greatest female crop in South African history.

Significantly, Go Deputy’s progeny improve notably with age. Following progeny of this sire after they have turned four years of age always reaps dividends, so his excellent 2012 crop still have plenty to come.

As it is he has the highest percentage of black type winners to runners in the country this season at 6,8%.

The other Black Type winner among them is Current Event, who won the Gr 3 Grandwest Cape Summer Stayers Handicap over 2500m. Go Deputy has a high figure of about 41% winners to runners this season and they have average earning of R45,552 per runner.

Abashiri’s deserving owners are Adriaan and Rika van Vuuren. The couple are among the biggest spenders at the Sales in the country and as Abashiri is likely the best they have purchased there must still be hope for Go Deputy.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Abashiri (Nkosi Hlophe)

Futura has been retired to stand at Drakenstein Stud but fellow quadruple Grade 1 winner Legislate is to race in Durban before joining him before the end of the season. The Rising Sun Gold Challenge (June 11), which he won last year, is a possible objective.

The office of part-owner and stallion manager John Freeman issued  the details on Friday afternoon, saying that most of the shares had been sold overnight and adding: “The plan is to send Legislate to Durban for another attempt at Grade 1 glory in either or both of the two Grade 1 weight-for-age events there.”

Justin Snaith paid tribute to Futura, saying: “He was a very good and very impressive racehorse. He has everything a stallion needs, including temperament and soundness, and he is by a great sire.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Futura (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint at Scottsville on June 4 – and a possible rematch with Carry On Alice – is next on the target list for Cuvee Brut who convincingly justified Brett Crawford’s stamina convictions in the Vasco Prix Du Cap at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The 18-10 favourite came within the thickness of a racecard of beating the Sean Tarry star in the Southern Cross (admittedly receiving 2kg) and here she had no difficulty in holding the strong-finishing 33-1 shot Flying Ice. But seemingly it wasn’t as straightforward as it looked.

Anton Marcus reported: “She never wanted to corner all that well and up the straight she hung out quite badly.”

However Crawford added: “She has had an outstanding season and, after having a little break on the farm, we will take her to Durban [for Champions Season]. We will campaign her first in the Gr1  SA Fillies Sprint (now City of Pietermaritzburg) and then we will see whether to go for the Gr1 Garden Province.

“We will do the same sort of thing with Alexis who missed the kick and got a bit further back than I wanted but finished her race well to take fourth.”

Crawford did even better in the Calulo Cape Mile when Big Cat led a furlong out under JP van der Merwe to spring a 25-1 surprise, beating stable companion Sail South by a length. The former Stan Elley-trained gelding spent six months with Dennis Drier before joining Crawford who said: “I am still learning about this horse so I’m not yet sure about Durban. But Sail South was a touch unlucky – he got carried out by the horse in front (Hard Day’s Night).”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe told the stipes that there was something wrong with 4-1 second favourite Heartland who finished last and the vet reported the colt not striding out in front as well as making an abnormal respiratory noise. But a similar check on 33-10 market leader Night Trip (ninth) revealed nothing.

King Of Pain opened up some intriguing distance options when given a chance to show long-suspected stamina by making all in the CTS Chairman’s Cup at 8-1.

Fayd’Herbe plotted his moves, and the expected counter ploys of the opposition, like a grand master at the World Chess Championship – “It was always my game plan to lead. The last thing I wanted was Anton Marcus (on 11-20 hotpot Coltrane) dictating it in front.

“When you swing round the corner here nobody wants to commit until after the junction. If they wanted to go round me then I knew they were probably going to kill themselves.

“I was going a decent pace. Not too fast but not slow enough to give Anton a chance of coming round me.

“When King Of Pain puts it together he is a hard horse to beat. The only problem he’s got is that in a race he thinks even more than I do!”

This was Joey Ramsden’s eighth Chairman’s Cup this century and he introduced a smart-looking newcomer in the Mauritzfontein colours in the Nima Consulting Maiden. Miranda Frost was backed from 20-1 to 11-2 and led from pen to post under Donovan Dillon.

Assistant trainer Ricardo Sobotker said: “She is very stocky and powerful, she showed natural speed from day one and she has a bright future.”

But perhaps the most significant winner for punters was Line Break. He might have only just got home in the Kepu Pinnacle Stakes – indeed Grant van Niekerk feared he was beaten – but apparently he is considerably better than his present 97 merit rating.

He lost valuable ground at the start in last month’s Betting World Cape Flying Championship and from then on his rider had to repeatedly switch this way and that looking for an opening. He covered more ground than Jan van Riebeeck and, while he finished halfway down the field, he was only beaten two and a quarter lengths.

Candice Robinson said: “He was unlucky not to win that day. He is exceptionally talented and has all the ability in the world but we have to get it out of him. He is not the easiest of horses to train, or the soundest, and he has lots of problems.

“I am not 100% sure he will go to Durban – it might not be the right place for him – but, that said, there might not be that much for him here.”

> The course’s fourth prawn festival was an even bigger success that the previous ones and attracted the best crowd outside Met day. Phumelela estimated it at 7 000 and they consumed 2.5 tonnes of prawns. That works out at over 350 grams each!

  The organisers reckon to sell three tonnes at this Saturday’s Turffontein version and, in case anyone thinks racing is single-handedly emptying the ocean, the prawns come from a special farm in India.

Michael Clower
Picture: Cuvee Brut (Liesl King)

Following 40mm of rainfall over the past few days in the KwaZulu-Natal region and with further rain forecasted for the weekend, Gold Circle has taken a decision to change racing venues for Sunday, 21 February 2016, from Scottsville to Greyville Racecourse.

Please note that race times remain unchanged and all races will be run on the polytrack.  Race 5 distance has been amended to 2000 metres.

Ends

Jockey Anton Marcus has landed two top rides for the Johan Janse van Vuuren stable on Guineas Day. Marcus will be riding Brazuca in the R1-million Betting World Gauteng Guineas and Negroamaro in the R500,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas at Turffontein on Saturday 27 February. Both races are Grade 2 events.

The Gauteng Guineas is the joint first leg of the SA Triple Crown which carries a R2-million bonus for any runner capable of winning the Cape or Gauteng Guineas over 1600m, the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1800m and the Grade 1 SA Derby over 2450m in the same season.

The Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara carries a R1-million bonus and goes to any filly who can win the Cape or Gauteng Guineas, the SA Fillies Classic and the SA Oaks.

Van Vuuren has a strong hand in both races as he has New Predator to back up Cape Guineas and Cape Derby runner-up Brazuca. Stuart Randolph has the ride on New Predator.

However, the horse they might all have to beat is Abashiri from the Mike Azzie yard. The son of Go Deputy is in top form currently and unlike the other two who have drawn at Nos 10 and 11, Abashiri, to be ridden by Karl Zechner, jumps from barrier No 3.

It is interesting to note that trainer Sean Tarry did not declare Prospect Strike as a runner in the Guineas. The son of Toreador was making his first appearance in 201 days and Tarry would have been forced to make the declaration before his charge ran on Thursday. Prospect Strike has also been entered in the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes on the same day and Tarry has until Tuesday to make a final decision.

Prospect Strike finished third in a Graduation Plate over 1000m at the Vaal on Thursday, 5.75 lengths behind Seattle Lady.

Negroamaro has drawn No 5 in the Fillies Guineas and on paper looks hard to beat. However, KwaZulu-Natal-based trainer Kom Naidoo will fancy the chances of Princess Varunya who has won her last four starts but those were over 1900m and 2000m. She could be a Triple Tiara contender if she can win the Fillies Guineas.

Final field and draws for the R1-million Betting World Gauteng Guineas (Grade 2) (1st Leg SA Triple Crown) over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday 27 February.

1 – 3 ABASHIRI (M G Azzie) K Zechner 60.0 – 109

2 – 10 BRAZUCA (J A Janse van Vuuren) A Marcus 60.0 – 109

3 – 11 NEW PREDATOR (J A Janse van Vuuren) S Randolph 60.0 – 107

4 – 6 CHAMPAGNE HAZE (G M Alexander) A Fortune 60.0 – 106

5 – 13 ROCKETBALL (G H van Zyl) M Yeni 60.0 – 103

6 – 16 SUYOOF (M F de Kock) A Delpech 60.0 – 103

7 – 1 MUWAARY (M F de Kock) C Murray 60.0 – 102

8 – 15 ROMANY PRINCE (O A Ferraris) B Fayd’Herbe 60.0 – 101

9 – 8 LE CLOS (M G Azzie) M Thackeray 60.0 – 99

10 – 4 LUNAR APPROACH (S G Tarry) S Khumalo 60.0 – 95

11 – 2 CELTIC CAPTAIN (G H van Zyl) B Lerena 60.0 – 94

12 – 9 LIEGE (S G Tarry) J P van der Merwe 60.0 – 93

13 – 7 RIKITIKITANA (S G Tarry) C Zackey 60.0 – 93

14 – 5 MALAK EL MOOLOOK (S G Tarry) M van Rensburg 60.0 – 91

15 – 12 OLE GUNNAR (P V Lafferty) K de Melo 60.0 – 87

16 – 14 CORAL FEVER (R R Sage) R Danielson 60.0 – 79

Same Trainer: (1,9) (2,3) (5,11) (6,7) (10,12,13,14)

Final field and draws for the R500,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas (Grade 2) (1st Leg Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara) over 1600m.

1 – 5 NEGROAMARO (J A Janse van Vuuren) A Marcus 60.0 – 104

2 – 2 SHE’S A DRAGON (C Mayhew) R Munger 60.0 – 101

3 – 13 JUXTAPOSE (S M Ferreira) C Maujean 60.0 – 98

4 – 9 PRINCESS VARUNYA (K Naidoo) A Delpech 60.0 – 98

5 – 6 HEAPS OF FUN (S G Tarry) S Khumalo 60.0 – 95

6 – 4 PERSIAN RUG (M F de Kock) B Lerena 60.0 – 94

7 – 14 FROSTY FRIDAY (G H van Zyl) M Yeni 60.0 – 93

8 – 10 LALA (D I Campbell) I Sturgeon 60.0 – 92

9 – 15 MELLIFLORA (M G Azzie) M Thackeray 60.0 – 90

10 – 8 CRYSTAL GLAMOUR (G M Alexander) A Fortune 60.0 – 88

11 – 11 ALEXA (G V Woodruff) R Danielson 60.0 – 87

12 – 7 KHONZA (W H Marwing) C Murray 60.0 – 87

13 – 17 JUNGLE MIST (M G Azzie) K Zechner 60.0 – 85

14 – 12 BELLA SONATA (G H van Zyl) C Zackey 60.0 – 84

15 – 3 CHRISTMAS CAROL (G V Woodruff) B Fayd’Herbe 60.0 – 83

16 – 1 PENNY SERENADE (M G Azzie) J P van der Merwe 60.0 – 82

17 – 16 POLYPHONIC (A G Laird) R Simons 60.0 – 82

Same Trainer: (7,14) (9,13,16) (11,15)

RELEASED BY: PHUMELELA GAMING AND LEISURE LIMITED