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

Brett Crawford had his first winner as a breeder in nearly 30 years in racing when Corne Orffer got the best of a three-way photo on newcomer Sunset Breeze at Kenilworth on Saturday. But seemingly there is no need for the likes of Mick Goss and John Koster to lose any sleep.

The Philippi trainer said: “Somehow I don’t think I will be taking up breeding for a living. This is the third horse I’ve bred from the mare – the first one was useless and the second one died.”

Many punters assume that the trainer knows everything and only needs to put the money down to collect. Glen Kotzen explained just how wrong this can be after the Donovan Dillon-ridden Stockade finally won – at the ninth time of asking – in the Steve Phelps Memorial Maiden.

He said: “If you watched her at home you would do your money every time. She is unbelievable – not even the top division horses can work with her.

“I hope to God she goes on from this. We will tie her tongue down next time and see what happens but maybe now that she has learnt to get her head down she will be alright.”

Greg Ennion issued a public pledge to support Lucian Africa, apparently one of the unsung heroes of morning trackwork, after the rider came from well back to spring a 14-1 surprise in the Investment Data Services Handicap.

It was only his third winner of the season and Ennion said: “I can’t understand why other trainers ignore him. He is a natural lightweight, enthusiastic, as fit as a fiddle and he is there every single morning. He deserves a chance and I am going to give him one.”

The winner is part-owned by former Bloodstock South Africa boss Tom Callaghan who is now involved in converting waste plastic into diesel, seemingly a more lucrative business than selling horses although his heart remains in racing. “It’s definitely the most fun you can have with your clothes on,” he insisted as he downed the victory champagne.

However Ennion’s luck ran out 35 minutes later when Just Felicity got trapped upside down in the pens and injured a hind leg. She lashed out and inflicted much the same injury on stable companion Northern Corner in the adjoining stall.

The close circuit cameras switched to shots of the crowd when this was going on while Tellytrack chose to concentrate on betting updates, in both cases presumably to avoid upsetting public sensibilities.

But punters need to know what is going on and their vested interest entitles them to do so. Also they may want to back another horse or increase their original stake. Most racegoers know that racing can be a dangerous business and they are not going to turn away from the game because of a distant view of some poor horse’s plight.

Kenilworth had a well-documented problem with loud music on J & B Met day and something similar happened on Saturday when the White Knight Group made for a good atmosphere and more than doubled the attendance.

Eric Sands, trainer of Captain Bagg who made all under Grant Behr, said: “He got really wound up by the music which was played right behind where you are expected to saddle up, and it’s not fair on the horses.”

Racing can only benefit from groups like White Knight – indeed it can ill-afford to turn them away – and the last thing such people want is to upset anyone. On-the-day liaison should be enough to sort things out to everyone’s satisfaction on future occasions.

Joey Ramsden was out of luck with his seven runners but he bred Wake Up Maggie who provided Mike Bass with his third consecutive two-year-old winner while Vaughan Marshall  stressed that “the stronger the pace the better” for Annigoni who MJ Byleveld got up almost on the line.

The market took an extraordinary course in the Reynolds Group Maiden. Leisure Trip, the second leg of a quick Aldo Domeyer double, was just about the only horse backed. She went from 7-10 to a scarcely credible 1-5 with the bookmakers able to attract scarcely a rand for the remainder. Four of them went off at 100-1 including runner-up Helen’s Bay.

By Michael Clower