Picture: Trippi, sire of ten individual Grade 1 winners and 63 individual stakes winners of 80 races, had a statue of himself unveiled at Drakenstein Stud’s stallion day yesterday (Chase Liebenberg).
Drakenstein’s Trippi Statue A Fine Work Of Art
Chase Liebenberg (words and pictures).
HKJC World Pool A Hit With South African And International Punters
The involvement of the Hong Kong Jockey Club and being able to bet into their World Pool was the icing on the cake for a successful Marshalls World of Sport Gold Cup raceday at Hollywoodbets Greyville last Saturday.
It was without doubt the best racing day on the South African racing calendar and a defining day when it came to the country’s premier racing awards.
The World Pool gave South African punters the opportunity to bet into massive tote pools on local races and added much to the occasion.
“Gold Circle’s turnover on the day more than doubled from last year’s pandemic-hit event which saw limited public attendance on-course and at tote outlets,” said Gold Circle’s CEO Michel Nairac. “Gold Circle looks forward to continuing the fruitful relationship with the Hong Kong Jockey Club and would like to thank them for affording the Gold Cup meeting World Pool status. We will be eternally grateful to the Hong Kong Jockey Club for the assistance they provide to the South African Horseracing industry” he added.
Fenyxx Gaming Consultants, Manging Director Dean Sawarjith, who has been responsible for the simulcast and World Pool initiative into Hong Kong, added, “the increased liquidity in the tote pools provides punters with the confidence to place their bets on the tote without materially affecting the dividends.
The gross turnover on the nine races simulcast in Hong Kong reached HKD 394,7m a 17% increase on the 2021 meeting, which reinforces the quality of South African racing on the global stage. It was fitting that this meeting achieved the highest turnovers for a World Pool meeting in Hong Kong.”
“The Champion’s Cup meeting turnover was a remarkable effort and truly highlights the universal appeal of World Pool. It has reinforced the brand objectives of promoting the best international racing events and maximising returns to the industry for prize money and other strategic investment benefits.” added Michael Fitzsimons, Acting Executive Director Customer & International Business Development for the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The Mercury Sprint was again the top performing race, with turnovers reaching HKD51m
Three of the Grade 1 winners on the day will have cemented their place as the leading contenders in the country’s Equus Awards and the stretch duel between Jet Dark and Kommetdieding in the Gr1 HKJC World Pool Champion Stakes brought a fitting end to a record-breaking South African season with champion trainer Paul Peter breaking the record for the most number of winners in a season.
Picture: Alphat Fovohoro, Ashley and Andrew Fortune (Troy Finch).
Ashley Fortune’s Big Leap Up Trainers Table
The Vaal conditioner has jumped from 16th place into the top 10
9th Race: (4) Esqueville (2) Ridge To Reef (1) Frontline Fighter (6) Integrate
Greg Bortz Talks To Troy Finch About Cape Racing’s Recent Announcements
Picture: Collen Storey extracts a late rally from the 125/1 shot Kraka (via youtube)
Collen Storey Receives Accolades For “Brilliant Ride”
“Hats off to Collen Storey, causing a big upset aboard 125/1 shot Kraka at Yarmouth thanks to a sensational front-running ride!”, wrote At The Races before posting the below video of yesterday’s race.
The Christine Dunnett-trained seven-year-old Dark Angel gelding Kraka had not finished within ten lengths of the winner in his six previous starts.
He started at those long odds despite there just being six horses in yesterday’s field.
It was Storey’s 28th ride in the UK and his third win.
He has an 11% strike rate, despite generally riding longshots.
“This horse does not like company, so I tried to keep him away from the others and it has worked out,” Storey told Sky Racing.
Picture: The Tara Laing-trained Integrity wins the Listed East Cape Paddock Stakes over 1600m under Ryan Munger (via youtube).
Uncle And Nephew Both Ride Winners At Fairview’s Feature Meeting
Piere Strydom inched one win closer to his goal of 5500 winners when riding a winner for Emmanuel Kaknis at Fairview today.
Fittingly, nephew Kyle later rode a winner for Zietsman Oosthuizen.
It was the first time Piere and Kyle had ridden together in the home city of the Strydom family.
They both rode in both of the Listed races at the meeting.
Piere finished second on the Justin Snaith-trained Nexus (Dynasty) in the Listed Memorial mile, which was won by the Allan Greeff-trained Grazinginthegrass (Philanthropist), ridden by S’Manga Khumalo.
Piere had earlier finished third on the Snaith-trained Rain In Newmarket in the Listed East Cape Paddock Stakes, which was won by the Tara Laing-trained Integrity (Flower Alley), ridden by Ryan Munger.
Piere aims to officially retire when reaching 5500 career winners.
He is now just six short of the target.
Disputed Thekwini Photo Finish Clarified
There has still been the odd complaint cropping up about the finish to the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes and perhaps it was the blurred front foot of the winner Canadian Summer which caused the confusion.
The close up of the photo finish (below) leaves no doubt.
Picture: Kelly Mitchley delighted after her first winner (Pauline Herman Photography).
First Winner For New Trainer Kelly Mitchley
Kelly Mitchley saddled the eighth runner of her career today, the battling Flower Alley maiden filly Klaserie who was having her 17th career start, and she won by a comfortable 1,25 lengths under Ryan Munger at odds of 10/1 (picture below taken by Pauline Herman).
Today’s Question
What was the inspiration behind W.B. Yeats’ poem At Galway Races.
W. B. Yeats – 1865-1939
Turffontein Standside Saturday August 6 Fields
Hollywoodbets Scottsville Sunday August 7 Fields
Today’s Question Answer
“In his poem “At Galway Races” WB Yeats laments the fact that poetry in the contemporary world cannot compete in popularity with sport. Presumably Yeats is thinking back to an imagined ancient Greece as well as an archaic Ireland, populated by beautiful long-limbed horsewomen. In ancient Greece, not only athletes competed in the original Olympic Games, and other similar festivals held at Delphi, Nemea and Corinth, but also poets, dramatists and musicians.” Harry Eyres (ft.com)
Art competitions formed part of the modern Olympic Games during its early years, from 1912 to 1948 and although Yeats’ At Galway Races poem was written in 1909 it is not clear whether it inspired art’s inclusion.
What is interesting though is that Yeats’ brother Jack Butler Yeats won a silver medal for painting at the 1924 Olympics.
Yeats can rightly be claimed as the greatest painter in Irish history.
Therefore, it is a tribute to the popularity of horseracing in Ireland that his equally famous brother W.B. Yeats (William Butler Yeats) chose horseracing to emphasise his point in his poem At Galway Races.
The probable greatest stayer in history, Yeats, who won four Ascot Gold Cups, was named after Jack Butler Yeats.
The annual Galway racing festival runs for seven days from the last Monday in July.
WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF LAST WEEK’S GALWAY RACES
Picture: The painting “Race Course Town Galway, Ireland” by
Jack Butler Yeats.
