Andrew Harrison

THE racing season officially ended on the last day of July but thanks to the now notorious virus lock-down, the running of the Vodacom Durban July was delayed by a month and there has been a further four-week hiatus between the July and the World Sports Betting Gold Cup meeting to be held on Saturday, August 29.

It will again be a close-shop affair with only essential staff on course and more is the pity with three Gr1 races, the Gold Cup and a host of other features making up the programme.

With the majority of the top horses already warmed up and ticking over for the big meeting, the quality of racing in the interim has tailed off but that’s not to say it does not remain interesting.

A race in point is the Soccer Any15 Handicap that heads the card at Hollywoodbets Greyville tomorrow.

It is a high merit rated handicap that has attracted some smart fillies who could well make their presence felt come the last Saturday of the month.

Diamondsandpearls takes a further step up in class and victory here and could set her up for a crack at some black type in the months to come.

She has won three of her last four starts, all on the poly, but the switch to the turf should not trouble her. At her penultimate start she was touched off by Cherry Road over seven furlongs when jumping from a wide gate but showed her true worth when trying 2000m for the first time last time out. She made most of the running under stable rider Donovan Dillon and although only getting home by a neck, she was never in danger of defeat.

She got a four-pound rise in the ratings for that effort but that may not be enough to stop her as she gets weight from many of her biggest dangers, notably stable companions Perfect Air and Escape Club.

Perfect Air in particular has a smart recent record, playing second fiddle to VDJ runner Mayabi Gold last time out and prior to that just getting the better of the useful Connect Me.

On a line through Connect Me and Rille, Perfect Air would appear to have the wood on Diamondsandpearls but the latter has a handy galloping weight and, even though a five-year-old, is lightly raced and only now hitting her straps.

Connect Me finished four lengths back to Diamondsandpearls when last they met and is 2.5kg better off. This is her third run after a break and should strip close to her peak.

Escape Club, On The Double, Rille and Star Vega are others to consider in an open but exciting contest.

Sean Tarry is in town until after Gold Cup and he saddles Magical Flight in the opening leg of the Pick 6. She showed plenty of speed when second best behind the smart Winter Smoke when taking on winners. That was a big effort and she should make a bold bid even though she goes this trip for the first time. Biggest threat could be My Lady who has been knocking at the door. She jumps from a good draw and should be thereabouts again

Dean Kannemeyer broke his season’s ice with Fade To Black at Hollywoodbets Scottsville last Wednesday and he saddles the regally bred Lion’s Head in the fourth.  The son of Dynasty has put up two smart sprints and should much prefer the extra. From a good draw he should go very close. Of the balance, Chapter And Verse was a close-up fourth from the worst of the draw last run. He has put up two smart efforts and must have a big chance along with Ibutho that came in for strong market support on debut and was not far back. He is likely to make improvement on that first effort. 

Dutch Alley and News Stream look set to fight out the fifth. Dutch Alley has cracking form over the trip but a cautionary is that most of his recent starts have been on the poly. News Stream tried further last start but has good form over this trip. He has drawn well and should at least go close. Arizona bolted in last start when taking on stronger but got a hefty shunt up the handicap for his efforts which could have put paid to his winning chances while a lurker could be Karoo Lark who is back from a break and lightly raced.

The last two legs of the Pick 6 look a lot more difficult. Divine Hugh is lightly raced back and came back strongly after a break. He looks the part in this field. Storm Ruler has a tricky draw but has shown up well in two starts for his new stable. Everdene takes on males but has been running consistently. She gets first time blinkers which could make all the difference.

It may be prudent to load up in the last leg with plenty in with winning chances. Kenneth Macarthur is lightly raced and was narrowly beaten over course and distance last start after finding strong market support. He can go one better. All Time High, Sonjador and Flying Pekan may be others to consider.

DIAMONDSANDPEARLS image by Candiese Lenferna

Andrew Harrison

MOST jockeys battle to keep their weight in check. For apprentice Mfanelo Zuma it is a battle to put weight on. He arrived at the South African Jockey Academy weighing a little over 40kg and has been on a diet to boost his weight. He now goes to scale at 48kg so put up 8kg of dead weight to ride Wylie’s Wonder at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday.

Gareth van Zyl’s filly was set to carry 60kg but with only one Kimberley winner under his belt, Zuma claims a regulation 4kg apprentice allowance and he needed it all to touch of multiple champion jockey Anton Marcus on race favourite and the rather luckless Lady Of Lutetia.

In his haste to get to the line, Zuma got himself into a tangle as he took the scenic route home, but he kept his mount going just long enough to hold Lady Of Lutetia.

“He’s strong and he’s brave and he’s got the right attitude,” said trainer Shane Humby.

Marcus, who had one of his worst months in recent years with only two winners in July, had earlier worked hard for his crust aboard the MJ Odendaal-trained Shavout.

Very green in only his second start, Marcus was hard at work before the final turn and then kept his mount all the way up the straight. Just when he looked to have the race in the bag, Tree Of Knowledge came roaring home under apprentice Kyle Strydom who failed by a piece of paper to catch Shavout. “This win was a big relief. I was beginning to think that there was a piece of pork in the winner’s circle,” quipped Marcus – he of Jewish faith.

In five starts, Tree Of Knowledge had finished no closer than nine lengths to the winner and a combined 80 lengths at his last two starts. However, Michael Roberts explained, “He was never right. But he had ulcers and I gave him a break. I didn’t think he could win today but I was hoping for him to run a place.”

Marcus and Odendaal go back a long way with Marcus a year behind Odendaal in the Jockey Academy. Odendaal’s career in the saddle was cut short by a series of horrific falls and on one occasion the pair also shared a hospital ward.

Odendaal had another near miss as he wrecked a wheel on his car on the way to Scottsville after hitting a large piece of metal lying on the highway.

David Thiselton

Rainbow Bridge pulled up from the Vodacom Durban July with a slight knee niggle so will be monitored before a decision is made about him defending his Grade 1 Champions Cup crown on Gold Cup day, 29 August.

His Eric Sands-trained stablemates Golden Ducat and Driving Miss Daisy are on track for the Champions Cup and the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet respectively.

Sands said about Rainbow Bridge, “He seems fine and we will check him but I won’t risk anything.”

Sands said he had been a little disappointed with Rainbow Bridge’s sixth place finish in the July.

He elaborated, “He has always run a little below par in his second run after a layoff but he had that respiratory problem upon arriving at Summerveld so had to miss the Drill Hall.”

Sands then admitted, “I outwitted myself a little bit really…”

He explained he had anticipated the chief Snaith trio of Belgarion, Do It Again and Bunker Hunt coming across from their wide draws and believed he would thus be trapped on the rail. Consequently, he had asked the jockeys to move off the rail in the first 400m.

He continued, “The filly (Silvano’s Pride) was out in front but the real pace was just in front of us. However, that pace fell away too soon. My pair were the only two up there who stayed on the others all fell away and finished close to tailed off. So, it just did not pan out well for us. It was no fault of the jockeys though, there was nothing wrong with their efforts.”

The sectional timing data provided by statistician Jay August showed the Sands pair to have gone through the 1800m mark in the lead in a blistering time of 107.46 seconds, which was 1,57 seconds faster than the previous fastest July to that point on the new narrow track and more than four-and-a-half seconds quicker than the 2018 and 2019 Julys. Golden Ducat and Rainbow Bridge thus did extremely well to stay on for a 1,90 length fourth and 2,75 length sixth respectively. 

Rainbow Bridge finished 0,40 lengths behind Do It Again last year when receiving half-a-kilogram and this year was 1,85 lengths behind the latter when giving away half-a-kilogram, which equates to only about a quarter of a kilogram worse performance in comparison to the latter from last year.  

Sands, along with many pundits, was particularly impressed by Golden Ducat’s performance. 

The big Philanthropist gelding had not handled Hollywoodbets Greyville well in his first two SA Champions Season starts and he had consequently been fitted with a new noseband for the July Gallops. That change brought the best out of him so was retained for the July. 

In the big race Golden Ducat raced without cover from the Drill Hall onwards in a handy position behind the strong pace with his half-brother Rainbow Bridge in his slipstream. After being overtaken by the latter at the 200m mark he amazingly fought back and ran all the way to the line, finishing almost as strongly as the first three who had come from way off the pace. 

Golden Ducat’s performance, on paper, had also improved despite the race having not panned out well for him. In his previous start in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 he had finished 1,55 lengths behind the comfortable winner Got The Greenlight and in the July on the same weight terms he had finished just 1,1 lengths behind the latter despite the latter having been flat to the boards. 

Sands said, “He is on the up.”

He added that having shown speed over 2200m and staying on well he believed the classic 1800m distance of the Champions Cup would suit him.

Driving Miss Daisy has also been in fine form and will be a big runner in the Gold Bracelet over 2000m. She stayed on well in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 and looked the winner before Summer Pudding got going to beat her by 0,90 lengths. Then on July day, wearing first-time blinkers in the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m, she ran on strongly from the back of the field for a fine 1,90 length fourth in a star-studded field.

Image of Rainbow Bridge by Candiese Lenferna

David Thiselton

Marco van Rensburg is pushing to be back by September 1 after breaking a clavicle (collar bone) in a fall at the Vaal on July 14.

He had broken the same clavicle in March.

Both occurrences were the result of horses, Bondiblu and Green Gunston respectively, breaking down. 

The first breakage was accompanied by tremendous pain as the clavicle was shattered and a plate had to be fitted.

After the second fall Van Rensburg initially felt he was alright as there was no pain and the arm still functioned normally.

However, x-rays showed a clean break and the plate had been bent in half.

Van Rensburg’s six week layoff for the first break largely coincided with lockdown so he was able to finish the season in tenth place on the national jockey’s log with 78 winners. It was the first time he had broken into the top ten.

He said of his ambitions for this season, “I am going to be giving it a full go and want to finish in the top ten again and maybe even the top five.”

His optimism stems from the confirmation that top Port Elizabeth trainer Gavin Smith will continue to support him as soon as the travel restrictions for jockeys are lifted.

Last season he had 28 winners in PE from 170 rides but the support from Smith only started in November and then had to end in March due to injury and COVID-19 restrictions.

Van Rensburg effectively will not be losing his regular Monday rides as Cliffie Miller, with whom he has had a partnership for twenty years, has moved from the now defunct Kimberley to Ashburton. Van Rensburg will be hoping to pick up other rides in KZN too when his raids to support Miller are allowed.

Van Rensburg’s chief supporters in Gauteng are Lucky Houdalakis, Stuart Pettigrew, Weiho Marwing and he also picks up rides occasionally from the like of Mike de Kock, Mike Azzie and others. 

He will initially have to rely on that Gauteng support alone as the NHA rules for jockey movement, i.e one move per month, remain in place for the foreseeable future.  

David Thiselton

Tributes poured in for Avison Carlisle, one of KZN’s most passionate horseracing men and long-time chairman of the board of the South African Jockeys Academy (SAJA), after he had passed away Saturday the 1 August 2020.

He and his wife Mary are testimony to the enjoyment that can be derived from owning, breeding and watching thoroughbreds and Avison cared so deeply for the health of the industry that he became involved beyond the call of duty.

The couple were introduced to racing by Scotch Ferrie, who was the assistant headmaster at their son Keyan’s school Weston Agricultural College, and three years later they bought their first horse Rebel Patriot for R75,000 at the Yearling Sales in Durban.

Duncan Howells trained this Exclusive Patriot gelding to six wins.

His success was the beginning of a love affair with the sport for the Carlisles.

In 2002 Howells notified them that Rebel Patriot’s dam, Rebel Qui, was up for sale together with her weaning at a dispersal sale at The Dargle in KZN.

They were not really interested but on the day of the sale Avison needed to escape the frustration of watching the South African cricket team losing so he and Mary decided to go and have a look.

They returned to announce to the family the purchase of Rebel Qui for a paltry R1,200 and her foal for R14,000.

Rebel Qui thus became the foundation mare of the Carlisle’s Kinmount Stud, based on their farm, which is situated between Howick and Nottingham Road.

It was the beginning of a KZN racing fairytale.

The weanling was Ravenscraig, who won three-in-a-row early in his career and was good enough to be entered in the Grade 2 KZN Guineas. He went on to win one more race.

The Carlisles sent Rebel Qui to Winter Romance and she was soon in foal.

In 2003 while holidaying in the UK and traveling on the Flying Scotsman headed for Edinburgh Avison and Mary received an SMS from their daughter Kristy to let them know Rebel Patriot was running that day.

Later, upon arrival at a quaint hotel recommended by a taxi driver, the phone beeped again and this time the SMS said simply, “He won!!”

They were standing at the time on the front mat and after a joyous celebratory outburst they looked down and read the words “The Howard.” In an instant the name of Rebel Qui’s pending foal was decided. The Howard won a 1600m race at Clairwood and later added another win at Flamingo Park. He was no great shakes but gave many people a lot of enjoyment including the owners of The Howard Hotel in Edinburgh who posted regular reports of his progress on their communications billboard. Such was the infectious enthusiasm for the sport Avison had.

Rebel Qui’s next foal was Rebellious Streak, a Deep Sleep gelding who won five races and was placed 12 times.

The next two foals were both by the disappointing stallion Requiem, one being unraced and the other unplaced.

However, the unraced one, Quinarius, produced a four-time winner and two-time winner both by Lion Tamer.

Rebel Qui then produced one time winner and seven-times placed filly Yet Again by Muhtafal. Yet Again went on to produce a twice winner by Toreador.

Then came a windfall when Rebel Qui’s next foal, Patriotic Rebel was purchased for R100,000 by Brett Crawford.

This Stronghold gelding went on to win twice and finish placed in two stakes races, including the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby, before being bought into the Mike de Kock yard, for whom he finished a narrow second in the Grade 3 Mango (Campanajo) 2200. However, he was destined to only win one more race.

At around the same time of Patriotic Rebel being sold at the Ready To Run Sale, the Carlisles bought Rebel Patriot’s full-sister, Polish Rebel, who was in foal to Silvano, for a bargain R60,000 at a Cape mare and weanling sale.

The resulting foal was Regal Eagle, who won five of her first eight starts and later finished fifth in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint.

Rebel Qui’s last filly was the three-time winner Crystal Ball and she will be covered this season by What A Winter.

Kinmount have produced an incredible fifty wins from small beginnings.

Avison was also a compassionate man and the family adopted a street child named Ronald Khumalo. This soon looked to be another fairytale story as Ronald was not only accepted into SAJA but became the first of his year to make it to track and the first to race ride. However, with a bright future beckoning Ronald’s attitude changed for the worse and the Carlisle family’s sadness was later compounded when he passed away at a young age.

Avison’s connection to SAJA had started with Ronald and in 2009 he was voted in as Chairman of the Academy Board. He vowed to stamp out the conceited attitude which had crept into the Academy students and which had led to Ronald’s decline in fortunes

.

Mary confirmed SAJA became Avison’s passion and he poured a tremendous amount of energy and love into this world renowned institution. He enjoyed a fine working relationship with headmaster Graeme Bailey and was still the Chairman upon his passing yesterday.

Avison also attempted at one stage to start an organisation which would represent the collective wishes of KZN owners, trainers and breeders, but after a year of effort it did not get off the ground.

He never missed a Scottsville racemeeting and the Carlisles enjoying the day in the members area together with the Ferries and two other veteran KZN racing families The Gibsons and the Elliotts became a familiar sight.

KZN racing will miss Avison’s presence but he leaves behind a legacy in many areas of the sport.

A celebration of the life of Avison Carlisle will have to be delayed due to COVID-19 but he has left many good memories for Mary and their children Keyan. Kristy, Duncan and Tan and for the eight grandchildren he doted on.