Bishop’s Bounty is odds-on for the opening maiden juvenile at Kenilworth today and understandably so. Justin Snaith fancied him to make a winning debut in the Listed race on Met day and he almost certainly has much less on his plate here.

He started evens favourite last month and, despite not being able to get a run when he needed it, he was beaten less than a length into third.

“Bishop’s Bounty was a bit green that day but he has done very well since and we think he is a decent horse,” says Chris Snaith. “This is 200m further which will probably suit him.”

World Sports Betting opened him at 9-10 on Monday and he shortened to 4-10 yesterday with the twice-raced In Your Face second favourite at 6-1. “He has come on a bit and, if there is no superstar among the first-timers, I think he will finish on top of them,” says Paul Reeves.

Mike Bass, who has won the last three Cape Town two-year-old races, has no runner but three of the seven newcomers carry the Jooste colours including the Joey Ramden-trained R2 million purchase Attenborough (7-1).  “All three are nice horses and we are hoping for the best but I think Justin’s will be hard to beat,” says Derek Brugman.

Starrett City opened evens favourite for race two and has since hardened to 9-10. Although he was only eighth first time, it was a good maiden and he was only beaten four lengths. He looks the form horse. “He was a little shin-sore after his run but he is fine now and he has come on a bit,” says Neil Bruss. “Looking at the field I think he should go very close.”

Newcomer Hero Quest is second favourite at 33-10 while Mike Robinson’s pair The Best Of Me (4-1) and Zama (backed from 12-1 to 7-1) showed form before disappointing last time. Declarator (4-1) was third to runaway winner Orion Quest but the form of that maiden has a question mark over it.

Andre Nel’s once-raced Liberal Sally is 22-10 joint favourite with Prize Peg for the fillies’ maiden (race three) but Pixelate at 9-2 makes more appeal. Shane Humby’s filly has been off since the end of December but she had Prize Peg half a length behind when second that day.

The handicappers left Cuban Emerald on an unchanged 79 after his close third in the opener on Met day and, while Shadlee Fortune may not be in the same league as S’Manga Khumalo, he is good value for his 2.5kg claim and the top weight looks the one to beat in race four. His opening price of 13-10 was short enough and he has since eased to a more realistic 15-10.

By Michael Clower

Prospects are looking up for former J&B Met-winning trainer Yogas Govender at Summerveld after a slow start to his post Sabine Plattner training career.

Govender’s small string of unfashionably bred horses-in-training, which has seen him contesting only 22 races with ten horses since his post Plattner debut at Greyville last June, has now changed complexion completely.

He now has a string of 40 and 33 of these are two-year-olds.

Govender confirmed he had never been one to rush two-year-olds, so both he and his patrons will require plenty of patience.

He said, “It is going to be a waiting game and the key is the very good and understanding owners I have and they also understand racing. We will always do what we do in the best interests of the horse and ultimately we set out to ensure they have long and successful careers and hopefully reach Black Type status.”

In other Govender news jockey Billy Jacobson has joined the yard.

Govender spoke of the importance of a senior jockey working the string everyday and providing vital feedback.

He also believes many of the jockeys outside of the top echelons just need to be given a chance to prove themselves and the potential swing in fortunes then has a snowballing affect.

He cited Karl Zechner, currently eighth on the national log, as a good example.

By David Thiselton

Piere Strydom lamented the timing of his fall just after the post of the Vaal’s fifth race last Thursday which has left him with a broken collar bone.

Strydom will be replaced by UAE Champion Jockey Richard Mullen aboard the Paul Lafferty-trained star Harry’s Son in the Gr 2 Zabeel Mile on February 25 in Dubai.

However, Strydom, who will only know how bad the break is after visiting a specialist this week, is considering the use of a hyperbolic oxygen tank in an attempt to speed up the healing process as he has been promised the ride on World Cup night (probably in the Dubai Duty Free) if he is fit enough.

Strydom’s fortunes had just begun to swing in the right direction after having a few interruptions to his program last year.

He won two features at Turffontein on February 6, the Listed Wolf Power 1600 on the St. John Gray-trained Captain Aldo and the Gr 3 Three Troikas Stakes on the Robbie Sage-trained Madame Dubois.

The previous weekend he had ridden four winners for Justin Snaith on J&B Met day.

The stipendiary report describes Thursday’s incident as: “WINTER BREEZE dislodged Jockey P Strydom when stumbling in the pull up area.”

However, Strydom disagreed with the description and said, “The horse went straight down without warning.”

He added jockeys had been “moaning” for a while about the grass being too long and thick and said while it was important horses were looked after by providing forgiving ground the track should be rolled “like it is everywhere else in the world so why not here?”

Strydom concluded by talking about Harry’s Son’s outstanding performance first up in Dubai when finishing second in the Gr2 Al Fahidi Fort over 1400m, inside the previous course record, “He looked outstanding and was striding out beautifully.”

By David Thiselton

 

Act Of War, rested since his sixth in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate when he was officially returned coughing, could see action in Durban later this year.

Racing manager Derek Brugman said: “He is having a holiday on the farm at the moment and then we will decide what to do but he will probably go to Durban for the season.

“But, as last year, it is subject to draws. We are not going to run from bad draws at Greyville and, if that does happen, we would keep him for another go at the Queen’s Plate.”

Last season’s Grand Parade Cape Guineas winner has a history of being drawn poorly and, although Joey Ramsden sent him to Durban last year, he did not race. The Rising Sun Gold Challenge was a target but he was not declared after being drawn 22 out of 22.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Act Of War (Liesl King)

South African Jockeys Academy (SAJA) Headmaster Graham Bailey has poured energy into his important role in the industry since starting in 2009 and has brought about many positive changes, but has often had to endure negative feedback based on false information and the latest bout has been the mumblings about the perceived unfairness pertaining to apprentice Heavelon van der Hoven having to pay a large proportion of his CTS Million Dollar prize money back to the Academy.

Bailey puts his heart and soul into the job both for the good of the industry and for the lives of his pride and joy, the apprentices, and admitted to being thrilled by Van der Hoven’s Million Dollar win and the turnaround in fortunes it has brought to his career.

However, he explained, the Academy would not be viable as a learning institution were it not for its funding structure. The racing industry would instead have to revert to the old system of apprentices being indentured to trainers.

The Academy budgets for expenditure per annum of R13,174,063 per year.

The breakdown of this amount is 51% on salaries, 6,4% on running costs of the Cape Town Academy, 4,8% on the Port Elizabeth Academy, 6,3% on the Stables and horses at the Academy, 5,7% to the kitchen, 4,7% on Property costs, 4,1% on electricity, 2,5% on vehicles and 14,5% on other costs such as transport to and from races etc.  The 51% for salaries might seem high, but it compares very favourably to other training institutions. Bailey points out research would show schools and colleges spend probably between 65% to 68% on salaries and added the Academy runs on a tight ship and has a “very sleek” staff.

The Racing Operators (Gold Circle, Phumelela and Kenilworth Racing) subsidise the Academy to the tune of R6,7 million per year, which equates to about 50% of the required budget.

Therefore if the parents or guardians of the apprentices were required to make up the shortfall, they would need to contribute R6,5 million in total, and the current  37 apprentices countrywide would be charged training fees of R175,000 per annum.

This would in most cases be impossible and some are unable to even afford the reduced fees charged. In fact the current training fees in total contribute only R530,000, or 4%, to the expenditure budget.

This means the Academy are left with a shortfall of close to R6 million, or 46% of the budget.

Therefore the riding fee and stakes money accumulated through the race riding of the apprentices is a vital contributor to the running of the institution.

The apprentices, upon signing their indentures, agree two-thirds (67%) of their income will be put towards the Academy’s expenditure budget and the other third (33%) goes into a personal savings account. Whilst a good University Student will graduate with zero money to take home, a good riding apprentice can expect to leave the Academy with over R200,000 in his back pocket.

However, even with this funding plan in place, the Academy have a problem because the apprentices’ riding income contributes only about R2,95 million per year, which covers only 22% of the total expenditure budget.

The Academy were still left with about a R3 million shortfall (24% of the budget).

Bailey’s unremitting appeals for help to the Board of Higher Education eventually led to a visit by cabinet minister Blade Nzimande in 2012. The latter was so impressed with what he saw, including the seamless integration of the students, he immediately contacted CATHSSETA. Consequently the Academy have received a government grant ever since.

Bailey’s efforts also saw funding contributions being made by the gambling boards.

The 24% shortfall has thus been covered, while necessary upgrades to the facility have been possible and the Academy have also been able to come in line with global trends in professional sport by providing the apprentices with biokineticists, gymn facilities, a state of the art equisizer etc.

Bailey also pointed out an apprentice will on average take two years before earning any income, while it is only the cream who actually pay their way.

Ironically, Van der Hoven would have left the Academy with very little at the end of his five years, which were drawing to a close at the time of his miracle Million Dollar win.

However, his indentures have now been extended into a sixth year to allow him to reach 50 winners, because history has shown apprentices who have been granted their licences without losing their claim have never made it in this toughest of professions.

By David Thiselton