Louis Nhlapo after a win in Kimberley. The horse is being led in by trainer Corrie Lensley and his partner Emmie Le Grange (Picture Supplied).

Louis The Sniper Is One To Follow!

The talented and experienced Louis Nhlapo is excited to be back in the saddle and is looking forward to his first comeback ride after a layoff of close to eight years.

He has no concern about his age of 48 and said, “Race riding is all about experience. Being young does not help if you do not have the knowledge and experience. Look at Piere Strydom who is still riding big race winners at the age of 56. Horses are animals and you have to know what you are doing. This month I have been going to the gym morning and afternoon too. If I had just been sitting at home for the last few years my overall fitness and leg strength would have been a problem, but I haven’t because I play soccer. In fact in soccer here, do you know what they call me? … I am known as Louis The Sniper! The goalkeeper doesn’t know what is coming to him!”

Louis’ license was renewed on January 18.

He has not yet ridden only because he had a few other things to sort out first.

He has been workriding chiefly for the Corrie Lensley yard, but also for a couple of other trainers and is confident he will get rides.

Louis stopped riding in 2015 due to a personal tragedy.

He was in a car accident in which he lost his first and second born children.

He admitted to losing the will to live.

He said, “That was when the NHA came to the rescue. They offered me a job as a stipendiary steward. I am very grateful to them because it saved my life. I had to do a lot of reading and writing in the job. I didn’t have time to think and the healing fight began. It kept me going and I eventually pulled through … the job turned out to be a cure.”

However, when his life was back on track he began missing what he had been doing since the age of seven … riding.

Louis resigned after seven years of stipendiary stewarding.

Louis grew up on James Maree’s farm and from the age of seven was given one horse at a time to look after.

He used to go straight to the stables when school was over and his afternoon schedule included riding the horse.

He was officially a groom with James Maree for 15 years and for two years he was a farrier.

He started riding in workriders races at the age of 14.

He was accepted into the SA Jockey Academy in 2001, despite being in his mid-twenties.

However, he regards James Maree as the man who taught him how to ride and added, “Mr Maree was a very good teacher. He has the right temperament because he is never in a rush and takes time to teach you the right things the right way.”

He pointed at some of the riders Maree had taught, including Lyle Hewitson, and he added that not many are aware that Luke Ferraris started with James Mareee before joining the Academy.

Louis’ first winner as a professional rider was over 1700m at Gosforth Park on October 20, 2001, on the Tansie Leisher-trained seven-year-old Springing Leopard colt Hot To Spot, who jumped from draw 15 out of 16. He recalled him to be a 100/1 shot although with bookmakers his official starting price was 33/1.

He went on to have 49 wins as an apprentice and 238 as a licensed jockey.

The trainer who gave him the most support and whom he most admired was Ormond Ferraris.

He said, “The Old Man was a very fair trainer, he gave rides to those who did the work and was not concerned by owners who told him which riders to put on their horses.”

Louis thus rode such crack horses as Overarching and Snowdon.

He regards winning on Snowdon on debut as one of his best racing memories.

Snowdon went on to win nine races and finished second in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint and third in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint in successive races in 2012.

Leon Erasmus was also a big supporter of his as were Corrie Lensley and Peter Miller in Kimberley, although he said he rode for most trainers.

Louis became known for his superb balance and his ability to ride effectively from off the pace.

He said, “I have never had an injury so am the same guy I was when I started … my balance has always been good.”

He said the man who most influenced his style was Piere Strydom.

He said, “Piere Strydom was my favourite jockey and still is today. To me he is the only brilliant jockey there has been, he knows exactly what he is doing and is a mastermind.”

Louis said coming back to the saddle recently was easy. He said when riding his first horse at track it felt as if he had never left the saddle.

He thinks he will come back to race-riding better than ever and pointed out one of the reasons, ironically, was due to the great learning curve he was subjected to as a stipe.

He said, “It is only when you have been a stipe you can see it from the other side. I have learnt so much doing that job and will now know when I am right and when I am wrong and I will also know my rights.”

He felt it would just be a matter of time before he was getting rides and in fact said he was already supposed to have had a winner on a horse he was booked to ride for in one of the recent cancelled meetings, whom he felt would have won.

He concluded, “I am looking forward to being given an opportunity to prove myself, you can’t prove yourself unless you’ve been tested, and I believe I will deliver. I am going to be coming back with a vengeance!”

He reserved a final word for the great racing man Laurence Wernars, who sponsors his soccer team. He said it was great to see the youngsters having something to do through this team and thus staying on straight lines during difficult times.

The most important factor in the structuring of the July weights this year will be whether or not the L’Ormarins King’s Plate winner Al Muthana is still standing his ground at the time of the publishing of the weights.

July Weights Anomaly – 2,5kg Relative Swing For Charles Dickens If Al Muthana Not Entered

Al Muthana might not be the favourite for the Hollywoodbets Durban July in the ante-post betting, but he is the most important horse on the board because the entire weight structure at this stage depends on him being among the entries at the time of the publishing of the weights.

His presence at the time of the publications of the weights can ultimately make a whopping 2,5kg difference to the relative weight carrying task that Charles Dickens will have to face.

The 2000m of the WSB Met was regarded as a stretch for Al Muthana, although it remains a question mark because he could not get a run in the straight, so the connections might opt for a full go at the Grade 1 Champions Cup rather than attempting to stretch him to 2200m.

However, a weights anomaly will happen, as things stand, if the 133 merit rated Al Muthana is not among the entries at the time of the publication of the weights.

In that case the highest merit rated horse will, as things stand, be Charles Dickens, presuming he is still among the entries.

Furthermore, the crack three-year-old will have the highest net merit rating.

Charles Dickens is currently merit rated 132 and if he stays on that figure his net merit rating, at the time of the running of the Hollywoodbets Durban July, will be 128.

The next highest, as things stand, will be the 124 merit rated pair Safe Passage and Pomp and Power. The latter pair are both four-year-olds merit rated 124.

Therefore the 128 net merit rating will be the benchmark for the race and the weights will have to be set accordingly.

The confusion happens due to the clause in the July conditions which states that the maximum weight for a three-year-old male at the time of the publication of the weights is 57kg.

The relevant clause then becomes the one that states, “Notwithstanding 2 and 3 above (i.e. the minimum and maximum weight restrictions per age and gender), the Handicapper will raise all the weights proportionately to 60kg should the top weight originally allotted be less than 60kg at final declaration.

Chief handicapper Lennon Maharaj explained the order in which the relevant adjustments happen in such a scenario.

Charles Dickens will initially be allotted 60kg off his net 128 merit ratings and the rest of the field will be weighted accordingly.

This means Safe Passage and Pomp And Power will be allotted 58kg (two merit rated points equals 1kg).

The clause restricting Charles Dickens to 57kg will only be excercised after all of the weights have been set.

So Charles Dickens will then drop from 60kg to 57kg.

That will leave Safe Passage and Pomp And Power as topweights on 58kg.

They will then have to be dragged up to 60kg.

The rest of the field will be dragged up accordingly by 2kg and that will leave Charles Dickens carrying 59kg.

If this scenario does happen there will probably be a few “experts” who will be touting the usual “a three-year-old can’t win with such a big weight”, but they will in that case be ignoring the fact that Charles Dickens will actually be 3kg well in!

However, if Al Muthana is still in the field at the time of the publications of the weights, then Charles Dickens, as things stand, will only be half-a-kilogram well in as opposed to the above scenario where he is 3kg well in.

Al Muthana will be given 60kg, Charles Dickens will initially be given 57,5kg and Safe Passage and Pomp and Power will only have to carry 55.5kg.

The three-year-old clause is then excercised and Charles Dickens goes down to 57kg, meaning he will have to give Safe Passage and Pomp and Power 1,5kg and that will make him only half-a-kilogram well in.

If Al Muthana is scratched before the declaration stage after the latter scenario, Charles Dickens will in fact have to carry 60kg and Safe Passage and Pomp And Power will be dragged up accordingly to 58,5kg.

Charles Dickens will be carrying more weight in the latter scenario, but his relative weight carrying tsak will still be the same and he will still be half-a-kilogram well in.

Charles Dickens, long odds on to land his second Grade 1 victory on Saturday, is pictured winning the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas (Photo: Cape Racing)

Mark van Deventer Analyses The SplashOut Cape Derby

Splashout Cape Derby Grade 1!

A racing maxim used by grizzled veteran punters is “never bet on a short-priced favourite trying something for the first time.” Accordingly, these sceptics would play against Charles Dickens, odds on favourite to capture the Grade 1 SplashOut Cape Derby – as he now ventures over 2000m, which is 400m further than he’s ever attempted.

Despite that query, on pure ability (MR132) he towers over ten rivals opposing him at level weights, including six foes from Justin Snaith’s barn.

Charles Dickens has forged an increasingly formidable reputation by winning his first six starts, including the Cape Guineas, before succumbing to Al Muthana, when a few ticks below his usual brilliant best in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate.

Most probably, if freshened and restored to full powers by Candice Bass Robinson, settling comfortably and lasting home, then the truly high-class son of Trippi should smash them.

Best of Snaith’s tag team could be Rockpool who gets stronger at each successive start and will love the longer route. He was only shifting into top gear late in the piece when outrunning companion, Without Question and has untapped potential.

Much Dinero suffered a cruel racing injustice when pipped by Sudden Song, after being badly blocked. He will boost his underestimated current figure, but whether he can get within the same time zone as the mighty Charles Dickens is entirely another matter.

See It Again sports a progressive profile and, with pace presser, Grinkov is worth considering underneath for single race exotics.

On past performances however, the biggest threat to the fave is Brett Crawford’s versatile, At my Command. He stayed on purposefully behind Rockpool and is 6kg’s better off for that 2.75 length beat.

Twice before, he’s finished three/four lengths adrift of C.D. which puts things in perspective. Nevertheless, he should go boldly.

– Mark van Deventer

Entries open for CRS Mare & Weanling and CRS Winter Sale

Cape Racing Sales will be staging their 2023 Mare & Weanling Sale on 12 June and the Winter Sale on 16 June, at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Racecourse. Vendors are invited to send in their entries for both auctions. Entries are due on 20 March.

The CRS Mare & Weanling Sale is, as always, a place where vendors present bloodstock for shrewd buyers and stud farms, who are given an opportunity to acquire quality mares for their broodmare barns, while astute pickers can find themselves future racing prospects among young, undeveloped thoroughbreds. Entry forms are live and can be downloaded in PDF format, HERE.

The old Farm Sale has been re-invented as the Winter Sale – a Yearling auction open to all vendors and traditionally well supported by buyers. A minimum auction price of R15,000 will apply to all lots.

The annual Farm Sale Race remains a part of the Winter Sale. Buyers will be invited to ‘tick the box’ at a race levy of R5,000, to qualify for the 2024 renewal, for which the date and prize money will be announced.

Note that entries for the Winter Sale will be subject to Cape Racing Sales’ new vendor commission structure – a levy of 5% will be charged instead of 8%, to assist vendors and breeders with their costs. Entry forms, live and in PDF format, HERE

Only horses registered in the General Stud Book of South Africa at the time of sale will be auctioned.

For more information: Joanne Knowles: jo@caperacing.co.za

Russian Emperor wins the QAT G1 H.H. The Amir Trophy (2400m) in Qatar on Saturday.

Doug Whyte’s Russian Emperor Will Have It Tougher In Dubai

Asian Racing Report

A history making Group 1 victory for Hong Kong’s Russian Emperor in Qatar on Saturday has connections looking towards Dubai, but the Sheema Classic is already shaping as a tough assignment for Douglas Whyte’s charge.

Taking out the 2400m G1 Amir Trophy for former Hong Kong-based hoop Alberto Sanna, Russian Emperor added to his two Hong Kong Group 1 wins of last season with a strong performance in the US$2.5 million feature.

But the opposition will jump from what essentially amounted to ‘Listed’ grade in Qatar to the serious Group 1 quality of the Sheema Classic.

“The horse really deserved that… but (the) Dubai Sheema Classic? Designs on Rome couldn’t do it (and he was a) much better horse than this horse I would say,” said Asian Racing Report’s Chief Journalist David Morgan

“(In Dubai) he’s going to come up against horses like Equinox, who is a superstar, Win Marilyn who put them all in their place in the Vase in December, Shahryar might go there, and that’s without the Europeans.”

Warren Kennedy winning the Grade 2 $140,000 Ellis Classic on Prowess (Photo: Trish Dunell)

Warren Kennedy Has A High Regard For Prowess

The New Zealand racing public have been waiting on tenterhooks to see whether the clash they are hoping for, the filly Prowess versus the gelding Sharp ‘N’

Smart (Redwood), is going to happen.

It all depends on Prowess taking her place in the Grade 1 New Zealand Derby on March 4.

Warren Kennedy has won two Grade 2s on Prowess (Proisir) and said this morning to Turf Talk, “So far she is going for the Derby, but it is not set in stone yet.”

Asked how she compared to the best he had ridden here he replied, “She is very good, almost as good as Summer Pudding.”

He said about the importance of the New Zealand Derby, “It is one of the most prestigious races here but not the biggest stakes wise.”

Prowess is trained by Roger James and Robert Wellwood.

Her sire Proisir is by Choisir, while her dam Donna Marie is by Don Eduardo, who is by New Zealand legend Zabeel, who is in turn by another New Zealand legend in Sir Tristram.

American performer and producer Burt Bacharach was a fan of horse racing when he wasn’t on stage. Picture: Getty Images

Burt Bacharach: An avid owner of top racehorses

“He could talk the talk if he was involved with a bunch of horsemen.”

Mike Moon (The Citizen)

Burt Bacharach was a lifelong horse racing fan and a multiple Grade 1-winning owner, and he described the game as “exhilarating”.

All the world’s news outlets ran lengthy obituaries to Bacharach, the musical genius who died on February 8 aged 94, but, amazingly, not one of them mentioned his favourite past-time.

The man who composed such brilliant songs as Close to You, I Say A Little Prayer, The Look Of Love, Always Something There to Remind Me, What the World Needs Now, That’s What Friends are For, Alfie and scores more, was seduced by racing while growing up in Queens in New York in the 1940s and 1950s.

Between slipping, underage, into New York jazz clubs to revel in the thrilling, innovative sounds of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, young Burt studied race cards and took “mind bets”.

Classical music training in a variety of instruments soon saw the prodigy performing publicly and writing melodies. A stint in New York’s Brill Building – a legendary locus of pop song creation – drew him into a fateful partnership with lyricist Hal David.

Through the 1960s, Bacharach and David ruled the world’s pop charts; only Lennon and McCartney were in the same league.

First race horse

After gathering fame and fortune with hits like Magic Moments (Perry Como), Baby It’s You (The Shirelles and The Beatles), 24 Hours From Tulsa (Gene Pitney), Anyone Who Had a Heart (Cilla Black), Walk On By (Dionne Warwick) and What’s New Pussycat? (Tom Jones), Bacharach was ready to fulfil a longstanding ambition and buy a horse.

In 1968, around the time he was picking out Do You Know The Way to San Jose? and I’ll Never Fall In Love Again on his home keyboard, he asked a neighbour in California, acclaimed trainer Charlie Whittingham, to find him a horse.

That was Battle Royal, who won his first race and set the Bacharach off on a happy, decades-long journey as an owner and breeder.

He named his breeding operation Blue Seas Music and adopted pale blue silks embellished with a musical quaver symbol (a 16th note triplet, to be more precise, hinting at the complexity of Bacharach tunes, which confound many musos and led Frank Sinatra to say, “He’s the only guy who writes in hat sizes, like seven-and-three-fourths!”).

As the likes of Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head (BJ Thomas) and Arthur’s Theme (Christopher Cross) were winning Oscars and Grammys, Bacharach was looking keenly at horseflesh.

His first really good horse was Heartlight No. One, named for the song Heartlight he wrote for Neil Diamond, hoping it would top the charts.

The song only got to No 5, but the filly got to No 1 after winning two Grade 1 stakes races and being named US champion filly of 1983.

His best runners

In the 1990s, came his two best runners – Soul Of The Matter and Afternoon Deelites – both of whom were good enough to contest the Kentucky Derby, finishing fifth and eighth.

Soul of the Matter won seven races and $2.3-million, but perhaps his greatest moment came in the 1996 Dubai World Cup when he battled the mighty Cigar all the way down the Nad-al-Sheba straight but had to settle for second.

Famous US racing writer Jay Hovdey penned a stirring account of this:

“On a warm night in Dubai … a lean, spry figure of a man dressed in a pale blue suit of exquisite tailoring floated down the staircase to the cheers of the surrounding crowd… awaiting him in the walking ring was a dark brown thoroughbred, unsaddled and sweating in the desert night. Soul of the Matter had just run the race of his life, which is why the man, his owner, was crying for joy…

“Burt Bacharach was overcome with affection and respect for the equine athlete he had bred, named, and suffered alongside … Burt did not curse his luck or wonder at what might have been.”

They are lyrical words David might have penned for Bacharach to apply his bewitching time signatures and melodic hooks to.

‘Talking the talk’

Another who summed up Bacharach for the racing press this week was Hall Of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, who said: “He was a hundred percent entertained by us instead of the other way around … [but] he had a knowledge of horse racing, breeding, all aspects of the game. He could talk the talk if he was involved with a bunch of horsemen.”

And he was still involved in racing when he died. A month ago, his filly Duvet Day won at Santa Anita.

He made music well into old age, including collaborations with the likes of Elvis Costello and Diana Kral – and even performing live himself.

A man whose songs were recorded by artists as diverse as Nat King Cole, Dusty Springfield, The Carpenters, Luther Vandross, Dr Dre, The Stranglers and The White Stripes had to have been some kind of genius.

And he loved thoroughbreds.

The United States gelding Texas Red, ridden today by Ryan Munger, makes it two-in-a-row and lands trainer Ashley Fortune a double at today’s Turffontein Inside meeting (JC Photos).

Matchett And Fortunes Land Doubles

Paul Matchett and Ashley Fortune both landed doubles at the Turffontein Inside course today.

Matchett has now had 27 wins this season and has achieved it at a strike rate of 11.44%.

Fortune has had 31 wins at 10.20%.

The picture gives a clue to the answer.

Today’s Question

How many Cape Derby winners this century have won the July and what else did the successful candidates for this answer have in common?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

Fairview Turf Fields, Friday, CLICK HERE

The Glen Kotzen-trained Casey Tibbs colt Big City Life wins the Durban July in 2009 under Greg Cheyne (Gold Circle).

ANSWER TO TODAY’S QUESTION:

The Justin Snaith-trained Legislate (pictured above the question) was the last Cape Derby winner to land the July (2014), although he had to rely on a successful objection against Wylie Hall.

In 2009 the Glen Kotzen-trained Big City Life won the Cape Derby and, like Legislate, he went on to win all of the Grade 2 KRA Guineas, the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and the Grade 1 Durban July.

Those are the only two horses this century to have won both the Cape Derby and the July.

Turf Talk Newsletter – 23 February 2023