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Picture: Cousin Casey powers to victory in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes (Candiese Lenferna)

Kotzens Keeping It In The Family

Glen Kotzen and family had a rewarding double on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Greyville as the progeny of horses dear to their hearts were the respective winners.

In the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m Grant van Niekerk got Cousin Casey (Vercingetorix) over from a draw of eight to take the lead and the impressive-striding colt kept going in fine fashion to win by an easy 1,90 lengths.

Kotzen said, “His dam Bretton Woods is a full sister to Big City Life so Cousin Casey is from our family who have been so dear to us.”

Cousin Casey’s grandam Dollar Crisis was sent to Casey Tibbs four times. The results included a two-time winner; the Durban July-winning four-time Grade 1-winner and Equus Champion Three-year-old colt Big City Life; Cash Register, a Grade 3-winning four-time winner who has produced four stakes winners, Speedpoint, Point Of Sale, Snapscan and Chat Ching; and now Bretton Woods looks to be following suit as she had already produced twice Listed-placed Klever Kathy before Cousin Casey earned himself black type on Saturday.

Glen continued, “Ravi Naidoo is the owner of Cousin Casey, he has the unique colours of the french grey with the violet cap, which are just absolutely beautiful. We are going to see a lot of Ravi Naidoo in the future, he is getting into racing in a big way. He is in syndicates with Gaynor Rupert and friends. In his own right this is his first stakes winner in his colours, which is fantastic, but there will be many more to come. He is very enthusiastic, he loves the pedigree side of it. He’s a deep thinker and loves going back generations to find the nicks. He is from KZN but he is now living in the Cape.”

Glen continued, “Vercingetorix is a superstar and unfortunately we don’t have many of them, we missed the boat. He was a phenomenal racehorse and has a fantastic female line, so we sent our mares to him, but they didn’t take. So we were a little unlucky and now they are just too expensive and hard to come by. The home grown stallions have shown they can do it in this country.”

That brought him to his second winner of the day, the two-year-old filly Hold My Hand, who waltzed away with the last race over 1600m to win by four lengths under Richard Fourie. This filly is by the former Kotzen-trained Cape Guineas runner up, Gold Standard (Trippi).

Glen said, “I think he is going to be a super, super stallion, if he gets the chance and gets the support. I think you will see them getting better and better as they go around the bend. He has only had two winners but a number of places from a number of runners, but the ones that are going around the bend are starting to win.”

Hold My Hand is a Drakenstein Stud homebred and Glen said, “Kevin (Sommerville) said to me ‘Come and pick one of the best two Gold Standards we’ve bred’, so I picked this one. She looked just like her father, or actually more like her father’s father. She’s got that beautiful classic head and she looks like a classic filly and that’s what they are. She was not getting her full weight for age allowance on Saturday against older horses so it was impressive.”

Both of these horses might be seen on Hollywoodbets Durban July day in the Grade 2 two-year-old features over 1400m, the Golden Slipper and the Durban Golden Horseshoe respectively.”

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Callan Murray To Ride Al Muthana In July

Today saw the final supplementary stage deadline for the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

35 of the original 69 entries accepted.

The one supplementary entry Airways Law has until next Monday to accept.

There were a number of jockey declarations.

The most interesting of them was Australian-based South African Callan Murray being declared to ride the Mike de Kock-trained Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge winner Al Muthana.

Murray has had nine Grade 1 victories in his career, including a treble at one meeting, two of them for Mike de Kock. He has had other Grade 1 wins for De Kock too.

The 36 horses still standing and their weights below:

Horse	Weight	MR	Trainer		Jockey
Zillzaal	54	117	Sean Tarry		……………
Never Ending Rain	53	101	Glen Kotzen		……………
Astrix	56.5	122	Paul Peter		……………
Nebraas	54.5	118	Sean Tarry		……………
Hoedspruit	53.5	116	Justin Snaith		Craig Zackey
Divine Odyssey	53	113	J A Janse van Vuuren		……………
Waterberry Lane	53	117	Dean Kannemeyer		……………
FireAlley	53	112	Candice Bass-Robinson		……………
Bingwa	55	119	J A Janse van Vuuren		Kabelo Matsunyane
Marina	54.5	118	Candice Bass-Robinson		……………
Sovereign Spirit	53.5	116	Ashley Fortune		……………
Red Saxon	53	118	Joe Soma		……………
Super Silvano	53	107	Brett Crawford		……………
Linebacker	58.5	126	Vaughan Marshall		……………
Zapatillas	53	118	Brett Crawford		……………
Belgarion	59.5	128	Justin Snaith		Piere Strydom
One Way Traffic	53	104	Justin Snaith		……………
Second Base	54.5	118	J A Janse van Vuuren		……………
Flying Carpet	53.5	116	Sean Tarry		……………
Crimson King	53	108	Glen Kotzen		……………
Puerto Manzano (ARG)	55.5	120	J A Janse van Vuuren		……………
Silvano’s Timer	53	98	Dean Kannemeyer		……………
Kommetdieding	60	129	HWJ Crawford/M Rix		……………
Russian Rock	55.5	120	Dean Kannemeyer		……………
Pomp And Power	53	118	Justin Snaith		Richard Fourie
Do It Again	58.5	126	Justin Snaith		Aldo Domeyer
Jet Dark	60	129	Justin Snaith		S’manga Khumalo
Native Tongue	53	107	Justin Snaith		……………
Warrior	53	108	Justin Snaith		Grant van Niekerk
Crown Towers (AUS)	53.5	116	Justin Snaith		……………
Safe Passage	54.5	122	Mike de Kock		Muzi Yeni
Sparkling Water	53.5	116	Mike de Kock		S’manga Khumalo
Aragosta	53	118	Mike de Kock		Warren Kennedy
Al Muthana (AUS)	58	125	Mike de Kock		Callan Murray
Airways Law	53	108	Andre Nel	Still To Be Declared
Chollima	53	102	Glen Kotzen

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Picture: Puerto Manzano wins the Grade 3 Jubilee Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein Standside on Sunday (Candiese Lenferna).

Vermaak, Janse van Vuuren And De Melo Toast Of The Wernars’ Household

Bloodstock agent Justin Vermaak, trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren and jockey Keagan de Melo were the toast of the Laurence Wernars’ household over the weekend after he had scored a Graded double.

Wernars’ racing fortunes have risen to a high level recently and this has allowed him to “enjoy it again”.

Therefore, he has lately always made a point of acknowledging “the talent and hard work” of those who have enabled him to get it to that level.

His first Graded winner of the weekend was the Querari three-year-old filly Homely Girl.

Vermaak astutely purchased her out of the Justin Snaith yard on behalf of Wernars after she had finished third in the Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas.

She finished second in her first three starts for Janse van Vuuren on the Highveld.

He decided to put a pair of “half-cup” blinkers on her for the Grade 2 East Coast Radio Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.

He explained she had been hitting a flat spot on the Highveld tracks that she would not have been able to afford on the sharper Hollywoodbets Greyville track.

De Melo said the blinkers had made a big difference.

He rode a race which would provide a good race-riding lesson for the Jockeys Academy classes.

He found himself caught wide at about the 900m mark in a one-out position in joint-third place.

However, instead of wasting time looking around to try and slot in, and risking unbalancing the horse, he accepted his fate and allowed her to slide forward slowly. This ensured she did not pull and waste energy.

She thus turned home just a length off the pacemaker in the weight for age plus penalties event.

The small filly galloped resolutely down the straight with a nice big action and won by a cosy 0,80 lengths from a fast-finishing fellow Higheld raider Ecstatic Green.

Then on Sunday the trio of Van Vuuren, De Melo and Wernars combined again to win the Grade 3 Jubilee Stakes over 1800m with the Argentinian-bred Puerto Manzano, who gained his first bold black type.

Wernars explained to the Sporting Post, “We bought Puerto Manzano on a second trip to Argentina. On the first Justin Vermaak bought Mohican, who bolted up at his second start, but unfortunately went in the wind. He also bought Kay Tee Perry who got black type. Also on the second trip, Justin went back to buy Kay Tee Perry’s sister and we needed two colts for the flight. Puerto Manzano was well priced and by a first season sire, but as a specimen he was the best yearling Justin felt he had seen all year. So Justin added him to the group.”

De Melo was at his best again, expertly finding cover from a wide draw and then bringing him through the field from the back to get there at just the right time.

“Sickening the amount of talent this oke’s got,” said Janse van Vuuren abut De Melo after the race.

He then echoed Wernar’s sentiments by saying, “We’ve just got a lovely team at the moment.”

Puerto Manzano fulfilled the belief from last season that he would blossom as a four-year-old by running a Grade 1 second and third respectively recently.

Janse van Vuuren was glad he had got in the winner’s enclosure for the first time for over a year as it should give him a nice confidence booster going onto the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

The connections will have to find a new jockey though because De Melo’s first obligation is to the Dean Kannemeyer yard and he will be riding Waterberry Lane in the big one.

The team had done well a week earlier when the Janse van Vuuren-trained Duke Of Marmalade mare True To Life, bought by Vermaak in training as a two-year-old, finished second in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint brought to you by The Witness in the Wernars colours ridden by De Melo.

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Save The Date For The CTS Farm Yearling Sale (See Above Advert)

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Picture: Lot 13: Normandy’s strong, well-made colt, out of a full-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Depardieu. (Normandy Stud).

Normandy hopes to sell another flag-bearer

Oscar Foulkes is excited about the young colt and four fillies entered in Sunday’s CTS Farm Yearling Sale, and said: “With Grinkov flying the flag for our Farm Sale graduates, we hope to be able to look forward to more of the same from these five”:

Lot 13: c. Pomodoro – Janis

“He is a strong, well-made colt, out of a full-sister to multiple-graded stakes-winner Depardieu. It is also the family of Winter Solstice, Bravura and Mother Russia. Pomodoro has a few highly promising juveniles, amongst which is a colt we bred, Return to Russia.”

Lot 64: f. Erupt – Upper House

“This is a well-grown, beautifully-topped filly out of a National Assembly mare that has bred a few prolific winners. Her dam is a half-sister to the uber-consistent sprinter, Cap Alright, who at one time was referred to as the ATM of Cape racing.”

Lot 47: f. Gimmethegreenlight – Royal Jubilee

“I think this filly is going to surprise a lot of people when she gets to the racecourse. I am not going to pretend that she is not easy to fault – she is on the small side, and she splays. What she does have going for her, though, is that she is very athletic when she moves, and she is by Gimmethegreenlight. Her grandam won the Gold Cup, and has bred a graded stakes-winner.”

Lot 78: f. Potala Palace – Ashram

“This is a neat, well-made filly with loads of quality. Potala Palace is a hugely underrated stallion – I cannot think of another who has bred Grade I winners out of this class of mares. Ashram was a very courageous race filly, who would surely have won more races if she did not have screws in her fetlock.”

Lot 84: f. Master of My Fate – Captain’s Catch

“There cannot be many yearlings on the sale that move as well as this filly. She is super athletic. Her dam was a useful race filly, who has already bred a stakes-winner and a stakes-placed. It is a family with plenty of potential.”

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Soetendal’s trio brings sweet memories

Julia Pilbeam of Soetendal Estate noted the following on the three lots offered at the CTS Farm Yearling Sale on Sunday, 19 June, at Kenilworth Racecourse. They are all well-related, with stars from the recent past in their pedigrees.

Lot 43 : Prince of Tibet

“This supremely athletic colt is a very good mover. He is by Potala Palace, the sire of Katak, out of a half-sister to Secret Obsession (dam of Bunker Hunt and Salvador Mundi). He is a half-brother to five winners, and looks to add to the mare’s page!”

Lot 93 : Plum Blossom

“This strong, deep-girthed filly is a beautiful type with plenty of quality. By Ideal World, the sire of Smart Call, she is a half-sister to three winners, and her black-type dam is a half-sister to Badger’s Gift.”

Lot 94 : Essential

“A scopey daughter of William Longsword, this filly has lovely rein and shoulder, good bone, and a good hind leg. She is from a Silvano half-sister to Just Sensual. The dam’s first runner is a recent winner by 7 lengths in Johannesburg, and this is a great opportunity to buy into this wonderful family.”

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Picture: Coroebus fends off Lusail to win the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot (Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)).

Royal Ascot: Baaeed, Nature Strip and Coroebus win on opening day

By Frank Keogh

BBC Sport

Baaeed, Nature Strip and Coroebus were the big winners on a thrilling opening day at Royal Ascot.

Australian sprinter Nature Strip surged clear to take the King’s Stand Stakes from Twilight Calls after American rival Golden Pal was slowly away.

“He’s an absolute freak of a horse,” said winning jockey James McDonald.

Baaeed extended his unbeaten run to eight in the Queen Anne Stakes, while 2,000 Guineas winner Coroebus landed the St James’s Palace Stakes.

The world’s top-rated horse Baaeed got the meeting off to a brilliant start with a classy win in the Queen Anne Stakes.

The four-year-old, with Jim Crowley riding for trainer William Haggas, beat Real World by one and three quarter lengths.

Baaeed, sent off as the 1-6 favourite, justified his short odds.

“It doesn’t get any easier than that. Everything went like clockwork,” said Crowley.

“It’s the pinnacle. You could spend your whole life waiting for a horse like this to come along.”

King’s Lynn, owned by the Queen, was seventh in a dramatic King’s Stand Stakes.

The 96-year-old monarch has been experiencing mobility problems and did not attend on Tuesday, but may be there on another day, in what is her Platinum Jubilee year.

Golden Pal was the 15-8 favourite, but missed the break while Mondammej failed to enter the stalls and Khaadem unseated his jockey after the gates opened.

Nature Strip (9-4), the first Australian-trained victor at Royal Ascot since Black Caviar in 2012, won by four and a half lengths from Twilight Calls with 200-1 shot Acklam Express and Mooneista close up in third and fourth respectively.

“It’s pretty special to bring a horse all this way and compete against the best in the world and to win the way he did. It was breathtaking,” said Waller, who trained record-breaking mare Winx.

Waller said he would decide later in the week if Nature Strip would run in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes on Saturday, for which he has another contender in Home Affairs.

Jockey William Buick briefly looked boxed in on 10-11 favourite Coroebus, for Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby, in the St James’s Palace Stakes but found the gap in time.

Lusail was second, with My Prospero third and Maljoom coming with a late burst to finish a close-up fourth after being denied a clear run.

Appleby said Coroebus could run against Baaeed in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood next month.

“I’m sure a clash with Baaeed is something that we’d all need to discuss, but (Godolphin boss) Sheikh Mohammed never shies away from a challenge,” added Appleby.

Hollie Doyle won the Coventry Stakes on 8-1 chance Bradsell, trained by Archie Watson.

It was a third Royal Ascot victory for Doyle, making her the meeting’s most successful female rider, and provided some compensation for Watson after stablemate Dragon Symbol was demoted from first in last year’s Commonwealth Cup.

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Ashley Fortune and Ryan Munger scored a quick double at The Vaal today and the clincher, Jaimala (Flower Alley), is pictured been led in. Fortune went to 55 winners for the season at a strike rate of 11.80%. Munger has now ridden 76 winners this season at a strike rate of 9.38%. Lucky Houdalakis and Muzi Yeni also scored doubles at the meeting. Houdalakis went to 31 winners for the season at a strike rate of 10.99%. Yeni has ridden 140 winners this season at a strike of 11.35%

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Today’s Question

Why was the runner up in the Durban July 40 years ago in 1982 i.e Sweet Wonder, not so aptly named.

Picture: The Gail Thompson-trained Jamaican Rumba (Jamaico) with Paddy Wynne up won the July in 1982.

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Kenilworth Winter Course Wednesday June 15

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Today’s Question Answer

The runner up in the July of 1982, Sweet Wonder, attempted to savage the winner Jamaican Rumba close to home. The picture shows his head still twisted shortly after the incident.

Picture Source: The history of the July book by Ernie Duffield

Turf Talk Newsletter – 14 June 2022