Warren Lenferna

There was important business to be done at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth yesterday, the penultimate meeting before the big day on Saturday, when the Lucky Fish Cape Derby Grade 1 will be run. The weather was outstanding, it was an incredible February summers Cape Town day. A day that young Apprentice Eduan Muller from the South African Jockey Academy will never forget!

Rich Man’s World from the Vaughan Marshall yard caught the eye in the opening event when winning with a ton in hand. This handsome son of One World is related to Just Reckless whom was trained by Mike Miller. He was ridden to victory by Richard Fourie and after this imposing colt moved to post, it was no surprise to see him firm up in the betting market and his followers never had to sweat at all. He had Winter Pirate from the Sands barn behind him in second and this progressive son of What A Winter should win next time out. The second race was the first of two apprentice rider races and as much as Richard Fourie will remember the milestone of riding 378 winners in one season, apprentice Eduan Muller will remember the son of Rafeef, Trois Sept Huit for riding his first winner aboard. This gelding was named by his owners Hollywood Racing (Nominee: Mr Anthony Delpech) because of Fourie’s amazing record breaking achievement and what a moment for Muller. The story of the way the horses named and to ride his first winner on that particular horse was lovely! The young man gave the Lucinda Woodruff trained progressive three year old a peach of a ride. What was impressive was the way he showed patience by giving his mount a chance in a fast minimum five furlong race where there was some speed on early. Muller switched his mount out and sailed past the opposition to win cozily making it look like Muller had done this several times before. South African Jockey Academy Riding Master from the Western Cape Miss Colinda Austin reported that “Everyone in the Jockey Room was shouting for Eduan! He has been determined to get his first win. He has worked very hard to improve on his strong foundation he got from Durban and everyone is extremely pleased for him. Thank You to Hollywood and trainer Lucinda Woodruff for being so active in making this young mans first win a reality.”

 

Please Note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Kempton and Lingfield (UK) – 25 February 2026

David Thiselton

In form Grant van Niekerk has been given the spare ride in the Gr 1 Lucky Fish Cape Derby on the Justin Snaith-trained Note To Self, who is the fancy of more than a few to win the race.

Richard Fourie was originally on Note To Self, but when Andrew Fortune became unavailable after his fall on Friday Fourie jumped off Note To Self to get on to Fortune’s intended mount, Wish List.

Gavin Lerena is aboard the third Snaith-trained runner Happy Verse.

On paper Wish List is the one to beat. She is the highest rated runner on 115 and also gets a 2,5kg gender allowance which makes her officially 3kg well in with the second best-weighted runner, Star Major, who is rated 114.

Happy Verse is rated 113 and Note To Self  a lowly 96.

However, Note To Self created an enormous impression when winning a C Stakes event over 2000m on WSB Met day in effortless fashion by three lengths.

He is a highly progressive gelding by Futura and has a gigantic stride.

He is being nurtured along slowly but surely by Snaith.

Wish List will be out to become the ninth filly in history to win the Cape Derby, but the first filly this millennium.

However, one bit of history will repeat itself if she does win, because her sire Legislate won this race in 2014 and he was also trained by Snaith and ridden by Fourie.

Wish List has a smart turn of foot and a resolute finish, as she proved in the Paddock Stakes.

She should relish the extra 200m trip, as Legislate went on to win the July and her dam Wind Chill is not only by stamina influence Silvano, but she also won the Gr 2 SA Oaks over 2450m.

In 1925 a filly called Desert Born won the inaugural running of the race today known as the Lucky Fish Cape Derby.

Since then the following fillies have won the race:

Decoration (1929), Windlass (1930), Anthea (1935), Fringilla (1936), Green Lass (1951), Taim Bluff (Arg) (1980), Dog Wood (1999).

Happy Verse is by Vercingetorix out of a Giant’s Causeway mare, so he should also have no problem with the trip.

He is known for his fine turn of foot and if it turns into a crawl, he will have a big chance.

In fact the betting has Wish List and Happy Verse as joint favourites at 5/2 with Note To Self third favourite at 28/10.

Star Major relished the 1800m trip of the traditional Cape Derby trial race, the Gr 3 Politician Stakes, and ran on strongly to beat Happy Verse by 0,40 lengths. He looks to be a highly progressive sort and will not be a surprise winner. He is a 9/2 shot at present.

Better Man received 1,5kgs from the first two in the Politician and was beaten 3,15 lengths, but he always struck as a Derby type and Vaughan Marshall has won this race twice before, including with an unfancied horse, Top Seller (2011).

Viva’s Liberte will be a fascinating runner as he was being touted by some race watchers as one who would blossom into a proper classic horse. He won his first two starts and after a disappointing fourth next time out he was given a three month lay off. He came back with a fair effort and now faces his first acid test. He is by Vercingetorix out of the Jet Master mare Viva Maria, who won the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000, so he should have no problem with the trip.

Pay The Palace has 4,15 lengths to make up on Star Major from the Politician Stakes, so is up against it, although he did finish a fine third in the Gr 2 Punters Cup earlier so is capable.

Ignite The Fire is only rated 88, but runs in the same Greg and Gina Bortz colours that Oriental Charm carried in this race two years ago when rated 87 and starting at 100/1 odds. Oriental Charm finished third before going on to win the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

Alistair Cohen

Sommerstern has always given an impression that he has something in the locker that could take him to a relatively high level. He has won his last two runs and he must have a solid chance of completing a hat-trick in race 6 over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Wednesday.

On a card that lacks the class of a festival racemeeting, there are still a few gems to be found just a few days prior to the Grade 1 Lucky Fish Cape Derby on Saturday. Sommerstern’s development came too late for him to be considered anywhere close to feature races for the time being and he has a long way to go to be considered there but he is certainly forging his own path.

His wins came over 1500m and 1400m respectively. The slight step up in distance should not provide much fear. He is not necessarily bred to stay all day because his dam was a high-class sprinter but Sommerstern has a very appealing turn of foot. If the pace is fast enough and he has a few to aim at who might have used up too much, he can put that asset to good use.

The biggest aspect of his chances is that he has beaten Prairie Dawn by 1,25 lengths in that 1500m event. He is 0,5kg better off for beating a horse who must be given some respect. Sommerstern has also pulled the ace draw of No 1 so things should be uncomplicated.

Lucinda Woodruff has her string going along nicely. She could have a few plums for the KwaZulu-Natal winter season. Chad Little rode Sommerstern to victory last time and he is back aboard.

Delta Pride has an awkward draw of No 9 but he has given hints that he has something to come. He was never a threat in his last run against far stronger when 4,45 lengths behind Roland Garros over 1400m at this course. He has kept good company and he has the services of Keagan de Melo. He will need some luck but someday he will pop up with a win. He once galloped with recent Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met winner, See It Again when he was starting his engines for the peak summer season. He has certainly been face-to-face with one of the best around.

Keep an eye out for United Front. He holds an entry for the Lucky Fish Cape Derby but his acceptance here surely steers him away from Saturday’s feature. Always held in high regard, the son of One World has surely underdelivered slightly but he is in the same mold as Delta Pride, perhaps a little more exposed.

Unless a first timer is of good quality, Winter Pirate should be hard to beat in race 1 over 1000m. He was given a smart introduction when he did his best work late to finish 3,5 lengths behind World Series over this course and distance. Trainer Eric Sands is not known to press his horses on debut so this was exactly what he was looking for. De Melo is carded to take the ride. Lenoxx and Rich Man’s World are on show for the first time and they could be interesting in the market from the yards of Dean Kannemeyer and Vaughan Marshall respectively.

Trois Sept Huit showed excellent improvement in his most recent run when he was less than a length behind the winner, Trailfinder in third over 1000m at this course. He is back over the same course and distance in race 2 and any confirmation of that run should see him do the job. It could be a huge moment for apprentice Eduan Muller who is yet to ride a winner.

Just about any of the six runners could win race 3 over 2500m. A chance is taken on Tothemoonandback from probably the most in-form yard in Cape Town. Des McLachlan has his string firing at the moment. Andrew Fortune takes the ride. Tothemoonandback has placed in five of his last six runs. Winning does not come on a regular basis but he could get a reward now.

Kituba made a moderate debut but any improvement in such a shallow maiden could make her the horse to beat in race 4 over 1200m. She finished midfield over 1250m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville, a performance which could have been much worse. Crucially, Craig Zackey is carded to be aboard. He does not ride for Andre Nel often.

Pacific Waters seems to be coming to hand now and despite being a frustrating maiden, she runs against frustrating maidens in race 5 over 1600m. She left a fair impression in her last run when she was less than a length behind Cassandra in third over this course and distance. In a pretty puzzling affair, she could simply be the most likely to step out of the maidens now.

When Lovers Lane is given a vote of confidence, one must be sure they are diving into a moderate race. He goes to post in race 7 over 1200m. This is an apprentice race and Blaine Marx-Jacobson has turned a few heads since having his confidence lifted after relocating from Durban to Johannesburg. Lovers Lane won his most recent start but the narrowest of margins over Act Of Grace over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville. That trip is on the end of his range.

Act Of Grace runs a race later and she must have a good chance but the narrow vote is given to Splash Of Colour. She seemed to run in snatches in her last effort when running second to Black Path. She is no superstar but the services of Eduan Muller could be crucial, especially if he visits the winners’ box earlier in the day.

David Thiselton

The racing highlights around the globe last week were two instances where the sport and the love of the horse ruled over all else and were a reflection on one of Winston Churchill’ most famous quotes. “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man“.

The two horse involved were Constitution Hill and Ka Ying Rising, both champions of their respective racing disciplines over hurdles and the flat respectively.

The first of the two highlights was actually the most spine-tingling as it came so unexpectedly, at least to a South African racing fan.

Constitution Hill was turning out in a mile-and-half race on the All Weather track at Southwell just 18 days ahead of the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The nine-year-old was unbeaten in his first ten hurdles races and they included eight Gr 1 races with two Cheltenham Festival Gr 1 championship races, the 2022 Supreme Novices Hurdle and the 2023  Champion Hurdle, among them.

However, his whole career was under a cloud as he had fallen in three of his last four hurdles starts and in the other one had finished fifth out of six in the Gr 1 Boodles Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

He was 1/2 favourite in last year’s Champion Hurdle, having missed the 2024 Champion Hurdle and also having had wind surgery, when having the first of his falls.

The unthinkable then happened on two further occasions as he was evens favourite when falling in the Gr 1 at Aintree and 6/4 favourite when falling as early as the second flight in the Gr 1 at Newcastle.

There has obviously been a lot of thought put into running him in the Champion Hurdle and whether it is worth the risk and an inkling of how much the great trainer Nicky Henderson cares for him was seen in his decision to give him a fitness preparation outing on the flat, where there was no risk of falling over obstacles.

South Africans who tuned in expected to just witness a normal all weather race with some added interest.

So it was astounding when Constitution Hill used his long stride to surge to the front from a handy position to hear a massive roar coming from the crowd.

It was one of those rare moments, like when Desert Orchid won the Gold Cup or when winning his fourth King George, or like when Zenyatta won the Breeders Cup Classic, where the entire crowd was united behind just one horse.

As Constitution Hill neared the line the roar got louder and the TV footage captured images of the crowd jumping up and down with hands in the air.

It then came to light that Constitution Hill’s presence had seen the crowd expand by 800% from the previous meeting at the track.

The crowd were lined deep around the winner’s enclosure to give Constitution Hill a hero’s reception as he returned, a sight more familiar with the Cheltenham Festival than a Southwell All  Weather meeting.

Henderson and owner Michael Buckley face the tough decision on whether to go for the Champion Hurdle, but in the meantime a whole new option has opened for them such was the impression the nine-year-old had created when converting 6/4 in his first ever flat start on Friday in that Novice Stakes event.

Buckley is now dreaming of a tilt at the Melbourne Cup.

There was more excitement for the racing purist on Sunday as the David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising was attempting to break Hong Kong’s 17 successive wins record set by the legendary Silent Witness.

The crowd came armed with flags and 18-in-a-row souvenirs and the brilliant horse did not disappoint.

He was out in a flash as usual and was able to settle in second place behind Copartner Prance.

Zac Purton made sure there was no opportunity for anybody to box him in by moving off the rail when Patch Of Theta made a move to come alongside him.

Ka Ying Rising was thus on the leader’s quarters rounding the turn and he was still hard on the bit when passing the Silent Witness statue that is positioned on the public forecourt adjacent to the top of the straight.

There was then the familiar site of the equine hero powering to the front still under the hands with the rest of the field chasing shadows.

The race was the Gr 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup over 1400m and despite cruising in Ka Ying smashed the course record by 0,56 seconds, to add to his 1200m course record.

He has broken the successive wins record 7,629 days after Silent Witness had recorded his 17th successive triumph and the crowd gave him a massive reception, including a gigantic banner with 18 on it being moved by the crowd above their heads.