The National Horseracing Authority has taken a decision to downgrade four races from Grade 1 to Grade 2. The races to be downgraded in 2016 are:

• Golden Horseshoe
• Golden Slipper
• S A Oaks
• Gold Cup

The downgrading of these races followed a recommendation from the Graded Races Committee.

The Graded Races Committee had received a letter from the Asian Pattern Committee expressing concern that the number of Grade 1 races in South Africa was excessive compared to other countries.

The Asian Pattern Committee has in fact suggested that ideally South Africa should have no more than 25 Grade 1 races and against this background, the Graded Races Committee has agreed to aggressively review all of South Africa’s Grade 1 races over the next few years. The down grading of the aforementioned races is the first phase of this process.

In 2011 South Africa agreed to comply with the Ground Rules of the Asian Pattern Committee. In terms of the Ground Rules all races must justify their grading by the quality of its runners. The quality of the field is assessed primarily by the annual race ratings of the first four placed horses over a three year period.

The Asian Pattern Committee also expressed concern that a number of South African Grade 1 races did not measure up to the international standards.

In recommending that the Golden Horseshoe and the Golden Slipper be downgraded, the Graded Races Committee was of the view that the number of Grade 1 races for 2-year-olds was excessive. These races had also not measured up to the international standards over the past years.

The S A Oaks and the Gold Cup also fell short of the international requirements for Grade 1 races. Notwithstanding that these are of the best races in their category, the overall quality of staying horses in South Africa unfortunately does not compare with other countries in Part 1 of the International Cataloguing Standards.

Justin Snaith made a clean sweep of the first three two-year-old races of the Cape season and he can strike again with Soweto Moon in the opening Maiden Juvenile Plate at Kenilworth tomorrow.

This Australian-bred colt was cheaply bought by Hassen Adams for AUS$17 000 at last year’s Magic Million Sale and Snaith says: “He has only been on the grass once and out of the pens once but he is a powerful horse and he could be interesting.”

The former champion trainer, who has had just two reverses on the two-year-old front this term (they were second and fourth), also introduces Gimme Green in the Adams colours but riding arrangements point to the stable companion who opened at 8-10 with World Sports Betting on Monday. Gimme Green was 7-1. By yesterday afternoon, though, the firm had removed the race from its betting list.

Dancer, bought by owner Martin Wickens for R275 000, is out of a mare that won twice at 1 400m and is Joey Ramsden’’s first juvenile runner of the season. He opened at 7-2.

Paul Reeves has been busy with his two-year-olds and his pair have both run once and shown promise. They are obviously capable of improvement.  Moulina was the shorter-priced  at 33-10.  Stable companion Navarone, who started favourite on debut and was reported striding short behind when disappointing last week, has gone lame and been scratched.

Andre Nel is making a big success of his new role as Sabine Plattner’s private trainer. He has a strike rate of virtually 20% at Kenilworth (12 wins from 61 runners) and he can land a double with Weskus Klong and Leisure Trip.

The former would have finished closer to second-placed Castlewood on debut three weeks ago had he not thrown away valuable ground at the start. Castlewood was due to oppose again in the Racing.It’s A Rush Maiden but has unfortunately fallen victim to the cough and, as a result, Weskus Klong is now a prohibitive 3-10.

“Leisure Trip has done pretty well and has improved,” says Nel. “However I would like the form of her debut second to have worked out better.”

He is referring to Oli Miranda and My Cherry, third and fourth when Leisure Trip was second, managing only fifth and sixth behind Hilaria in the first last Saturday. That certainly casts a slight doubt and is probably why Leisure Trip opened at evens rather than odds-on for race four. She has since been backed to 8-10. Vaughan Marshall’s Queen At War (15-4) looks the alternative.

Boomtown Belter receives weight all round in race two and can justify 2-1 favouritism. “I am bringing her back from 1 200m and she will like that,” says Adam Marcus who is hoping that the gallop will be a strong one. “She likes a good pace and to chase them.”

By Michael Clower

Saturday’s Investec Day Of Dreams meeting will have two Gr 1 events but the focus will be on the Non-Black Type CTS Million Dollar, which will have a total stake more than four times bigger than the previous richest race in South Africa.

The final field consists of a variety of different types of horses, some of whom are packed with speed but might not stay the 1400m trip, while others are perfectly suited to the trip and others who would likely appreciate a touch further.

Those able to stay further will want the pace as quick as possible in order to maximise the stamina factor. The highest rated make among them, Exit Here, landed pole position, the ideal draw from which to force the pace. Exit Here enjoys being in front and does not tear away, so could be called a natural front runner, and he has top jockey Anthony Delpech aboard. However, the other horse contestant, who like Exit Here might go the Derby trip in time, Hard Day’s Night, is also a natural front runner, and amazingly enough he is drawn in barrier two.

He will have the cool, calm and collected Piere Strydom up, and some pundits, when discussing the race, ventured the opinion that there will be a mad scramble from the off followed by a furious pace, and Strydom will simply lick his lips while restraining his mount and mow them down in the straight. Strydom does not look to have the right horse to employ those tactics, but is sure to have some sort of wily plan up his sleeve. One probability is that he and Delpech, two of the best and most experienced riders in the race, are unlikely to be dicing for the lead and burning their mounts out.

On the other end of the scale are the speedsters with stamina doubts and they include the filly Jo’s Bond, who has never raced beyond 1000m, Tar Heel, whose best form is over the minimum trip, and to a lesser extent Vurumba and Swift Sarah. Vurumba is speedy but has won up to 1300m. Swift Sarah  had excuses the only time she tried 1400m as she burst through the stalls, but she does pack a lot of speed.

Among these Swift Sarah is a front-running type and if a gamble is taken by taking her to the front in the belief she will see out the trip, she might offer a lead to Exit Here and Hard Day’s Night as she is drawn three. Jo’s Bond, Vurumba and Tar Heel are likely to be dropped out to give them a chance of seeing out the trip. If the pace is slow and they manage to settle, their speed will come into play in the straight and give them a shout. In the likely event of a fast pace they can be ridden cold but will need cover all the way around the turn, which will be tough from a draw of 15 and 20 for Jo’s Bond and Vurumba respectively, but manageable for Tar Heel from draw six. Jo’s Bond and/or Vurumba could therefore be gambled with and sent to the front.

The best merit rated male is Seventh Plain, who has won a Gr 1 over 1400m, but the feeling is that he is probably better at 1200m. He attempted to get to the front from a wide draw in the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m, but the eventual winner Budapest scuppered this chance and he ended up racing handy but wide, and didn’t find his normal strong kick. That was his first run after a layoff, so he probably needed it, but the pace is likely to be on again, so it will be interesting to see where Anton Marcus places him in this race. He has a big stride and a fine turn of foot so would likely enjoy using that stride behind a fast pace before running on.

The highest rated horse in the race is the filly Silver Mountain, who will be very well weighted as she also receives a 2,5kg fillies allowance. She has a plum draw of five, which will likely come into four, so she will be able to afford to relax if the pace is on as she has good gatespeed and a superb turn of foot. However, Aldo Domeyer will remember being left a touch out of his ground in the Grand Parade Cape Guineas and will not want a repeat.

Redcarpet Captain is  perfectly distance suited and will be hoping for a fast pace so that gaps can open, allowing him to find cover from a wide draw as he has a fine turn of foot. Victorious Jay has proven he gets a mile and will love a fast-paced 1400m. However, he will also need some luck from a wide draw. Prince Of Thieves looks ideally suited to the trip and, jumping from a likely draw of eight, he will love to use his nice stride to sit within striking distance before unleashing his telling turn of foot, so will also enjoy a fast pace.

Ernie defeated Prince Of Thieves as a two-year-old over 1400m and finished strongly to win a Listed 1200m event last time, but he will be 4kg worse off with Seventh Plain from that 1200m race, and is another with a wide draw to overcome. Illuminator was in that race too and beat Seventh Plain by a short-head, but is now 6kg worse off. However, he has no stamina doubts and will likely jump from a the enviable position of six.

Lunar Approach has won over a mile and proved last time to be perfectly suited to 1400m when obliterating a strong field at Turffontein in a three-year-old handicap. He is likely better than his 95 merit rating and is the dark horse, although he has a tough draw to overcome.

A Time To Dream’s wins have been from 1200-1400m, but she will have to reverse a 6,9 length defeat by Silver Mountain from the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas.

Melliflora is the lowest rated horse in the race but has a Gr 1 second to her name over 1600m. She is courageous and will likely be running on from a likely draw of nine.

The atmosphere will be electric on the day and the event will appeal to the racing purist too as the tactics employed by the jockeys are likely to be paramount to ultimate success.

By David Thiselton
Picture: Hard Day’s Night (Liesl King)

Apprentice Eric Saziso Ngwane clinched the first treble of his riding career at Scottsville on Sunday on A P Strike, who ironically also provided him with his first ever ride back in April last year.

It is fitting A P Strike is trained by former jockey great Garth Puller as he taught both Ngwane and Jose Barnes the ropes for over a year before they had entered the South African Jockey’s Academy. Both youngsters came from Merewent, the suburb neighbouring the now defunct Clairwood racecourse, where Puller used to train.

Puller, now at Summerveld, still guides Ngwane today in tandem with the tutelage the latter gets from the Academy’s riding masters. He said, “He has a very bright future, I won’t allow his head to get too big, it is important if you are going to make it to not think you are too big for your boots. He is lacking in experience, so still has one or two faults, such as not getting out of the pens quickly enough and not securing a good position quickly enough, because obviously the apprentices can be a bit intimidated, but he makes up for it with his good hands and balance.”

Ngwane rode five winners last season at a strike rate of 6,76%. He rode A P Strike to a 1,75 length third at odds of 33/1 on his race riding debut over 1200m at Scottsville on 15 April last year. This year he has added a further 22 winners at a strike rate of 10,28%.

It had taken A P Strike more than two years to drop from a merit rating of 75 after his maiden down to a  mark of 58. However, he was backed in on Sunday from 10/1 to 4/1 and found a good finish after being handy throughout to win by 0,5 lengths from outsider Dreamy Forest. The win gave Puller a weekend double having sent out Suzie’s Arrow to win a Maiden under Anthony Delpech at Greyville on Friday night.

Ngwane made full use of his 2,5kg claim in the slightly soft conditions on Sunday and had earlier won a maiden over 1200m on the Julie Dittmer-trained Lockheed Star and a fillies and mares handicap over 1200m on the Chris Erasmus-trained Cayenne.

Academy Riding Master Laurence O’Donoghue said, “He is a very well balanced rider and should go along way if he stays level headed. He is a natural lightweight and shouldn’t pick up any more weight as he is already in his early twenties.”

By David Thiselton

Picture (Nkosi Hlophe): Eric Ngwane winning on Lockheed Star at Scottsville on Sunday

There is some good racing to look forward to on the Turffontein Inside track tomorrow as some classy sorts will be turned out in two Graduation Plate races and there is also an MR 88 handicap on the card.

The first is a Workrider’s Maiden over 1450m. Seattle Prince over-raced early last time over 1600m before settling behind a fast pace and running on well, so will likely relish this step down in trip from pole position. Profit Ratio is drawn well after going close over this trip at the Vaal. Just A Gigolo unfortunately didn’t settle last time over this course and distance from a wide draw. Having run on in eye-catching fashion from a wide draw on the Standside 1400m before that, and from this better draw will be a big runner if settling. Lokshina ran a good race over this trip in penultimate and could earn. American Gladiator has shown some promise befoe and now runs for a new yard from a good draw with a classy jockey aboard.

Piere Strydom (Nkosi Hlophe)

The second race is a fillies and mares maiden over 1450m. Span Die Seile showed a fine turn of foot over 1600m last time and only lost the race in the boardroom. She looks likely to enjoy this trip and can come from off them from a wide draw. Sapphire Girl showed promise on debut after being backed and was not given a punishing ride and should show considerable improvement with Strydom up from a good draw. Eversilver had the pace to overcome a wide draw three runs ago over course and distance and stayed on resolutely so is interesting back to this trip from a good draw. Catwalk Tease stayed on for second over1400m in her penultimate and is ridden by Fortune, who has interestingly been replaced by Strydom on Sapphire Girl. Tangerine Lady appears to love this course and distance and has run on strongly from a similar wide draw before. She’s A Flirt could earn.

The third is a Maiden over 1800m and Nawab is drawn well after doing his best work late over 1700m at the Vaal last time to finish second and now has a plum draw with Lerena up. Smartifact at his best will be a big runner here if taking his place although he is known to have his problems and ran below par last Thursday. Spring Lodge was only just behind Smartifact last Thursday over 1700m when wearing first-time blinkers and staying on well and is now drawn in pole with Marwing up. Champions Cup’s full-sister has run a fair race over this trip before. Secunde’s Victor made late headway to earn the last time he tried this course and distance. Zillionaire has the ability to earn but has pulled or made breathing noises when raced beyond a mile. Frappachino can improve being by Ideal World but has made breathing noises in his last two starts.

The fourth is a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1000m.Musical Romance returns from a three month bleeding suspension but has shown ability and this is a weak field. Gimmeabreak has ability but often ruins her chances with slow starts. However, her best run was over this course and distance when running on from a wide draw and she is now well drawn. Honeybush Tea is usually thereabouts and should earn here.

The fifth is a strong Graduation Plate over 1600m. Buckland has class and should love the step up in trip. Rainy Day Blues is a progressive sort whose formline is strong. Romany Prince was only beaten by top class Abashiri on Saturday over 1800m. Trading Profit did well against older horses over course and distance in a handicap off a merit rating of 94 and has a chance back in a plate race. The distance-suited Neuf De Pape is under sufferance on official merit ratings but is well regarded and the form of his last run in a handicap over 1400m has duly been franked. Danza is a progressive sort who should love the trip and is drawn well. Coral Fever ran a fine race last time over 1450m despite bolting before the start and Strydom is up.

The sixth is a Graduation Plate for fillies and mares over 1450m. Penny Serenade looks promising, has good formlines and is drawn in pole over a step up in trip she should relish. London goes well for this jockey and should be thereabouts. Silver Class has been doing well since dropped to sprints from a mile and further, so is interesting over this trip. Joan Ranger disappointed last time over a mile having finished strongly for a close third in a Gr 3 over this trip before that. Frosty Friday is improving and can’t be ignored despite her two wins being over further. Jungle Mist over raced last time and could earn if settling. Tahini is better than her last start.

The seventh is a MR 88 Handicap over1450m. The promising Fort Meyers has his second run after a long break over a suitable trip and is well drawn. Cumberland is course and distance suited and proved last time he is up to this merit rating. Var Bay is 2,5kg better off with Cumberland for a 1,75 length beating over course and distance. His last run can be ignored as he reared in the pens. Tabreek is 1,5kg under sufferance but is drawn in pole and faces Cumberland on the same terms for a 0,5 length beating. Mr. Mulliner has the form to earn. Cockade can’t be ignored.

The eight is a MR 68 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m and Tobesuretobesute is widely drawn but usually travels well and stays on well and is distance suited. Indzaba’s maiden form has worked out well and Fortune is up from a good draw over a suitable course and distance. Ruby Ruby stayed on well over 1600m last time and is drawn well over the trip of her maiden win.

By David Thiselton