A plan comes together as Bereave wins the Grade 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes full of running undeer Gavin Lerena at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday (Wayne Marks).

Bereave Connections Approached Diadem With Heads Not Hearts

Adam Marcus said the breeder and original owner of Bereave, Danny Collins, had to take a lot of the credit for where the horse had got to in his career.

He also praised the current owners for believing in his own plan, which involved thinking with the head instead of the heart by avoiding a Grade 1 race and targeting a Grade 2.

He was also grateful for the roles his famous father Basil and jockey Gavin Lerena played in Bereave’s Grade 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes victory on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

He said the five-year-old Vercingetorix gelding had had issues and X-rays as a youngster had shown the quality of his bone not to be great.

Patience was therefore needed and that is what he got from Collins, who owned him for his first five starts, which were over a seven month period and yielded two wins, a second and third over distances of 1200m to 1600m.

The current syndicate of Dr B C Arrison, Messrs M A Govender, L H Paletz, G D Tooch & D Yutar, Nick & Val McFall, Mr C Dorrington & Ms A M de Manielle took over in about July 2021.

Adam was surprised to see the generous odds of Bereave, considering his form, in which, for example, he finished a 1,95 length fourth in the Diadem last year and in his last two two starts in the Grade 2 Cape Merchants over the same course and distance he had finished a 0,40 length second last season and and a 2,05 length third this season.

The latter race was behind Diadem favourite Gimme A Prince and he was going to be 1kg better off on Saturday.

That was not to mention Bereave’s consistency, or as Adam puts it, a horse “who doesn’t know how to run a bad race.”

Adam believed the hype surrounding the two big guns Gimme A Prince and Rio Querari, who were coming in off a one-two finish in the Grade 1 Pongracz Cape Flying Championship, must have caused the public to overlook Bereave, who started at double figure odds of 25/2.

Bereave, in his best races, has been noticeable for his flying finishes.

Adam said he was a horse who had to be ridden in a specific way because he tended to “try a little too hard” if out in the open.

He said he had learnt from his father Basil the importance of studying races beforehand in detail.

He revealed Basil used to study every single race in Hong Kong for about one-and-a-half hours, and that included form as well as replays.

This enabled him to arrive in the parade ring supremely confident, because he had a good idea of what all of the opposition would do and what he had to do.

No wonder he was a seven-times Hong Kong Champion jockey!

Adam himself now studies the races in detail and so does Basil and they then compare notes.

After studying the Diadem they had both come to the conclusion that there would be a lack of pace.

So it was not going to be easy to find the cover Bereave needed unless a provision was made for it.

Therefore, Adam instructed Gavin to come out of the stalls “with soft hands”.

Lerena duly did so from draw two and had his mount relaxed in the pack towards the inside.

Adam and Basil were correct in reading a lack of pace.

They were not surprised to see the like of Keagan de Melo and Aldo Domyer taking advantage of it by respectively having Gimme A Prince and last year’s runner up Trip Of Fortune up there in the leading line.

The gaps opened for Bereave and he was able to come with a sweeping run on the outside of the latter pair.

The way he had been relaxed by Lerena for the first half of the race meant he had plenty in the tank and he won full of running by a length from Gimme A Prince with Trip Of Fortune a 1,40 length third.

Rio Querari was on the inside of Bereave in the running and ran on for a 1,70 length fourth.

Bereave did receive 2kg from Gimme A Prince and 1kg from Trip Of Fortune.

Countdown was interestingly in fifth place beaten 3,95 lengths, which fitted in with the form of his last race in a handicap over the same course and distance when receiving 7kg from Bereave and beating him by 0,40 lengths.

Adam said it always made a big difference to have a “top jockey” aboard.

He said Gavin had ridden the horse as if he had known him for years.

Adam said Bereave had travelled well in last year’s Cape Flying but the 1000m proved just to sharp for him, especially in the faster summer going.

Therefore, he had to think with his head and not his heart by avoiding the only Grade 1 sprint in Cape Town and targeting the Diadem.

He was glad the owners had been rewarded by believing in this plan.

Bereave is now going to stay in Cape Town, because Adam believes the soft going of a Cape Town winter will suit him and there will be plenty of suitable Pinnacles and minor features for him on Cape Racing’s revamped program.

He pointed out that early in his career Bereave had finished just 2,50 lengths behind Jet Dark at level weights over 1500m and had followed that with a close up finish over 1600m.

Therefore a 1400m race might also be on the agenda.

How well he does there will tell whether he can step up to a mile.

Captain’s Ransom departs the race track for the last time after finishing second in Saturday’s Grade 3 SplashOut Prix du Cap (Candiese Lenferna).

Captain’s Ransom Retired

There are a few examples of famous racehorses who have compromised their legendary status by being kept on for too long, with Citation being the most obvious overseas example and MIlesia Pride perhaps being a good South African example.

Hats off therefore to trainer Justin Snaith and owners Suzette and Basie Viljoen, who have decided to retire her on the first sign of a wane in form.

On the other hand it might have always been the plan to retire her at this point whether she had won her last three starts or not.

She has very little left to prove as the winner of six Grade 1 races from 1200m up to 1800m.

The announcement appeared on the Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s facebook page, accompanying a picture of her trotting back to the parade ring on Saturday, and stated:

Captain’s Ransom leaves the racecourse for the last time and has been retired.

Our Equus Horse Of The Year has enjoyed a sterling career with Justin Snaith and owner Suzette Viljoen and we have loved following her multiple Gr1 winning career.

Her dam, Cinnas Ransom by Red Ransom and out of a Seattle Slew mare, is a half sister to French Gr3 winner Black Rock Desert, and this is the family of sire Slew City Slew.

A daughter of Captain Al bred by Moutonshoek, Captain’s Ransom sold at the 2019 National Yearling Sale for R225 000.

She is a filly who lives up to her name, and aside from winning she loves to frolic in the sea.

Her race record:

Won Perfect Promise Sprint (L) 1200m

2nd Irridescence S. (L) 1500m

Won Gr3 Diana S. 1400m

Won Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas 1600m

Won Gr1 Majorca S. 1600m

Won Gr2 SA Fillies Guineas 1600m

Won Gr3 Diana S. 1400m

Won Gr1 Paddock S. 1800m

Won Gr1 Majorca S. 1600m

Won Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint 1200m

Won Gr1 Mercury Sprint 1200m

2nd Gr1 Paddock S. 1800m

2nd Gr1 Majorca S. 1600m

2nd Gr3 Gordon’s Gin Gr3 Prix Du Cap (F&M) 1400m

We look forward to following her career at stud and wish her connections all the very best!

The Brett Crawford-trained Dynasty gelding Inside Story, ridden by Luyolo Mxothwa, becomes the Hollywood Syndicate’s 400th winner today at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth (pciture: Wayne Marks)

Hollywood’s 400th Winner!

The Hollywood Syndicate had their 400th winner today at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

It was also a special moment for trainer Brett Crawford, jockey Luyolo Mxothwa and groom Bonga Mgqwamba.

They are the trio associated with the Ridgemont Highlands-bred Dynasty gelding Inside Story, who won his maiden today by half-a-length to make it the magic number 400 for Hollywood.

Hollywoodbets rewarded Crawford and Mxothwa with a R10,000 bonus each and Mgqwaba with R2,000.

An indication of how Hollywood have grown is that they reached 200 winners after over 18 years of endeavour just two years ago, on February 3 2021!

That happened at the Vaal with the Clinton Binda-trained Hope Is Power (Soft Falling Rain).

Hollywood had 101 wins last season and have had 75 this season, so are well on their way to passing the personal best they set last term.

See It Again is about to cause a 50/1 shock (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Entertaining Article About Saturday’s Shock Cape Derby Result

Charles Dickens Meets Muis Roberts

International Racing Club

Whenever someone mentions anything about reading, or books, I somehow hear a school colleague tell me (a non-reader at the time) that it’s always best to read a book and then watch the movie afterwards, as your mind-visuals when reading portray very different pictures as opposed to that of the movie.

Turns out, she was right.

The Iconic Book: “Great Expectations by Charles Dickens”

The South African Movie: “Great Expectations by Charles Dickens”

The bildungsroman book ends with joy and satisfaction, whilst the movie we saw at Kenilworth this past Saturday was just pure tears, heartbreak and devastation.

On Monday, I took a large part of my newsletter to give a rundown of how I saw the Cape Derby panning out. I feel I was pretty much spot on with everything, except the minor prediction where I believed the 0.3/1 favourite would triumph!

There are no excuses for Charles Dickens losing – not the 2000m, not the wind, nothing. He lost because See It Again was the better horse on the day. The form books had always suggested that the Muis Roberts colt would be well-suited to the trip. The breeding suggested so, and furthermore, his Gold Rush run over the mile trip was the clearest indicator that he would revel over further.

If there were two turn-offs which contributed to his 50/1 pricing, they were the fact that Muis had never trained a Group 1 winner, and Stryker was a chance mount – he was only aboard because there was no declared jockey for See It Again, and Strydom’s original ride was a scratching.

Whatever the case may be, it’s just a wonderful fairytale.

We’ve been saying it, for years now, that Piere Strydom won’t be around as a jockey for much longer, and he’s giving good reason as to why he keeps pushing back the retirement. Truth be told, it’s not like he’s being given the stars of the field in the feature races. The cliché can be used: He’s still got it!

I hope Piere sticks around to ride in the KZN Champions Season once again, as I think he could be a leading, and deciding factor in quite a few features.

I’m too young to lie and say that I’ve watched Muis Roberts in his riding days, but I’m not unwary. My racing conversations often lead to a member of the circle labelling Muis as one of, if not: The Greatest.

With absolutely no offence intended, the current Muis Roberts training string didn’t look to have a Group 1 winner in it, and I don’t stand alone in that opinion. What I must point out, is the man has been an overachieving trainer, and I mean that in a positive sense. He preps his horses to the tee, and he regularly finds the winners enclosure, even if the odds are against him.

Commenting on his Derby win, Muis stated, “I waited a long time for my first Group 1 horse. I’ve had some decent horses, but just not up to this level. I always had faith in this horse, from an early stage, and I could see him on the up all the time.”

He deserves this Group 1, and I think, he’s one of the few that has earned the “top jockey, top trainer” moniker. He will have to do tons more if he wishes to reach the heights of his riding days, but you can only work with what you’ve got, and he’s done exceptionally well.

Nic Jonsson had 6 runners in the Derby field, and if we told Justin Snaith prior to the race that Nic Jonsson would be the winning owner, he would’ve been salivating, but irrespective whoever the winning trainer was: Nic is a worthy winner and deserves these sort of wins for his mighty, and constant investment in racing.

As for the new public enemy, Charles Dickens is undeniably a top horse and one of the best in the country.

They always look for a con-reason, rather than the facts. I’ve read some of the most insensible comments possible:

“He’s an average horse.”

“He doesn’t stay.”

“He needs gelding.”

An average horse who’s a Group 1 winner, ran 8 races for 6 wins (in a row) and 2 seconds. A horse that doesn’t stay who, last time out, was labeled with the term “needs more ground” after a short-head, Group 1 place and is bred to be best over the distance. A horse that needs gelding despite the fact that his pedigree suggests he is the perfect specimen to stand at Drakenstein.

Just a few races before the Derby, Captains Ransom was beaten by Live My Life.

This is racing. No further comment.

Have A Good One – Austin Racegoer IRC

Diamond Girl landed a R1,275 million payout for a Merewent pensioner last Sunday at Hollywoodbets Scottsville as he played the free Hollywoodbets Punters Challenge and selected all eight winners. (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)

Hollywoodbets Punters Challenge To Include Highveld & East Cape Meetings + Some T&C’s Changes

Hollywoobets made an exciting announcement today about the popular daily Punter’s Challenge.

This free competition has already netted massive payouts to a few players with one player winning a cool R2, 325,000.

The competition started with KZN meetings only, but was then extended to include Cape Town meetings as well as Hong Kong and Singapore meetings.

However, among the changes announced in a press release today are a couple of new venues.

There are also some new points in the terms and conditions.

Their press release stated:

There are new changes to the Hollywoodbets Punters Challenge from the 1st March 2023:* HPC now covers all South African race meetings (WCP, KZN, GAU, ECP). HPC also covers all Singapore and Hong Kong meetings.* There is R5,000 on offer across the boards for the MUST BE WON competition for each meeting. The winner will be awarded R2 000, with the runner-up R1 000, and the balance apportioned in terms of the published rules down to the 20th finisher.* The ALL OR NOTHING BONUS is no longer done on a roll-over basis.* The ALL OR NOTHING BONUS is based on the actual runners on the day x R10 000 per runner. We say actual, as scratchings will reduce this number. For example, if there are 80 runners on the day, then the ALL OR NOTHING bonus is R800,000. This applies to all SA, HK, SING meetings.* Winnings, in the “Must Be Won” and “All or Nothing” will be doubled for any prize winner, should they bet a minimum of R50 on the betslip via the Hollywoodbets Punters Challenge website. Therefore if they win R2000 for the comp, and took R50 minimum on the betslip, they win R4000. If they land the All Or Nothing, the R800k example would become R1.6 million.* The game is still free to play, and open to all active Hollywoodbets account holders.Full T&Cs: punters.hollywoodbets.net/#/termsandconditions

Roll Over Redrover (Pciture: JC Photos).

Bank Roll Redrover At Turffontein (Thursday 02 March)

Jack Milner (4Racing)

David Nieuwenhuizen has had a love for horseracing almost his entire life and has turned into a very dedicated trainer.

He is one of those hardworking people who keep the game ticking over and really deserves to have the fortune of getting a decent addition to his stable.

He could just have struck that good fortune with Roll Over Redrover who looks to be above average. What has been a touch unfortunate is that he only started to race as a four-year-old and lost the opportunity of contesting some of the three-year-old features. But there is a lot to like about the son of Wylie Hall.

While the chestnut colt did not appear to have a spectacular debut run in October last year, closer analysis reveals it was not bad at all. He was slowly away, got bumped and still produced the fastest final 400m.

Roll Over Redrover was given a three-month break and next raced on 2 January over 1400m at Turffontein in the wet. He was allowed to go off at 66-1 but proved those odds to be a joke as he jumped out into the lead and they did not get another sniff of him as he raced to a three-length victory over Brave Viking. Despite leading all the way, Nieuwenhuizen’s runner again produced the fastest 400m to finish.

Even more impressive is that two winners have come from that form line. Runner-up Brave Viking and third-placed Silvano’s Song, beaten 7.25 lengths, both came out to claim their follow-up races.

Last time out Roll Over Redrover came up against Celtic Rumours who was the talk of the day. Although there were some key scratchings in that race, Sean Tarry’s charge had already found loads of betting support and went off as the 5-4 favourite.

Celtic Rumours won by one length but Roll Over Redrover, who ran second, had the fastest 400m to finish for the third time.

Tomorrow he lines up in Race 6, a Novice Handicap over 1450m on the Turffontein Inside track, and with apprentice Siyanda Sosibo claiming his 2.5kg allowance, Roll Over Redrover will carry just 54kg – and that will make him very hard to beat.

While this full brother to Fifth Of July, also trained by Nieuwenhuizen, is surely going to be even better over further eventually, he does look a great banker on tomorrow’s card.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 9 Sharapova, 2 Gimme A Diamond, 5 Free Movement, 10 Count Your Chances

Race 2: 5 Raffles, 1 Arividicio, 4 Fast Love, 6 Climate Control

Race 3: 1 Lady Zultanite, 6 Island Beauty, 2 Impersonation, 4 Efficient Trader

Race 4: 7 Queen Of Smoke, 9 Cape Lights, 5 Unconditional Love, 3 Crimson Princess

Race 5: 6 Lady Calavera, 9 Oyster King, 1 Indus Knight, 3 Little Prince

Race 6: 3 Roll Over Redrover, 1 Golden Prospect, 6 Futurewolff, 4 Light Of Day

Race 7: 9 Follow My Path, 3 Irontail, 4 Sage King, 12 Maboneng

Race 8: 5 Melech, 8 Tirpitz, 2 Bard Of Avon, 1 Cabinet Shuffle

Race 9: 7 Laetitia’s Angel, 1 Stormy Seas, 3 There She Goes, 11 Timbavati River

BEST BET

Race 6 No 3 Roll Over Redrover

VALUE BET

Race 3 No 1 Lady Zultanite

BEST SWINGER

Race 8 5×8

BIPOT

R108

Leg 1: 5

Leg 2: 1, 2, 6

Leg 3: 5, 7, 9

Leg 4: 1, 3, 6, 9

Leg 5: 3

Leg 6: 3, 4, 9

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 1, 2, 6

Leg 2: 7, 9

Leg 3: 1, 6, 9

Leg 4: 3

Leg 5: 3, 9

Leg 6: 5, 8

Leg 7: 1, 3, 7

PICK 6

R1800

Leg 1: 3, 5, 7, 8, 9

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9

Leg 3: 3

Leg 4: 3, 4, 7, 9, 12

Leg 5: 2, 5, 8

Leg 6: 1, 3, 7, 11

JACKPOT 1

R90

Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9

Leg 2: 3

Leg 3: 3, 4, 7, 9, 12

Leg 4: 2, 5, 8

JACKPOT 2

R60

Leg 1: 3

Leg 2: 3, 4, 7, 9, 12

Leg 3: 2, 5, 8

Leg 4: 1, 3, 7, 11

This horse above is the subject of one of South African Racing’s most heartwarming comeback stories

The Hack Who Finished Second To Pocket Power

There have been many failed comebacks by racehorses, especially those who have been off for over two years. And such seemed the case when a Glen Kotzen-trained charge made a comeback 15 years ago, in the January of 2008. Beaten 14 lengths in a comeback from an injury-enforced layoff of over two years, it was decided to retire him to a hack yard. However, this hack was not finished yet. One-and-a-half years later he made another comeback. Read the remarkable story below.

The “Ma” Filmer-owned and bred Grafton Street was one of those natural born leaders who just loved to race.

His usual style was to dictate in front, something not many thoroughbreds are capable of doing as their natural tendency when seeing daylight is to over-race.

Therefore, when he found himself at a riding school in Durban in 2008 as a hack his countenance cried out, “This is not me.”

His doting owner visited him regularly and it was clear that the apple of her eye was unhappy.

She phoned Cape Town trainer Mike Stewart, whose yard is situated on the fresh and beautiful Noordhoek Beach in Cape Town, and told him Grafton Street was looking so miserable would he mind taking him on as a trail horse.

Stewart agreed and in so doing secured a lifetime of contentment for Grafton Street.

The Jallad gelding had won the Grade 2 Premier’s Trophy as a four-year-old in late 2005 for Glen Kotzen but went wrong just before the J&B Met with a tendon injury.

Kotzen sent him away to the farm for a year to recover and then slowly brought him back into training.

However, in his comeback race at Greyville in January 2008 he pulled the tendon again and the jockey’s diagnosis that he would “never race again” was accepted.

Ma Filmer adjudged the riding school would be a nice home for him, but it was not to be.

Upon arrival at his second retirement home, Grafton Street’s new guv’nor Mike Stewart was immediately taken by his athletic looks.

“I took a good look at his tendon and it had healed up nicely,” he recalled. “Later, I phoned Ma and said to her ‘He looks like a racehorse. I will make a deal with you, We will give it a try training him for three months at half-fees.’ She made me promise we wouldn’t hurt him and I assured her of our priorities.”

The sea water was also going to help Grafton Street remain sound.

The most famous example of the sea’s magical healing powers is in the story of the legendary three-times Grand National winner Red Rum. When he arrived on the beach for his first work out with new trainer Ginger McCain he was clearly favouring one leg. McCain groaned inside, fearing he had wasted his owner’s money. He ordered Red Rum to be walked into the sea water. The great horse stayed knee deep in the sea for an hour and walked out “as sound as a pound”. He didn’t take another lame step for over five years.

Grafton Street made his comeback in September 2009 in a 1600m race at Kenilworth and ran just 7,75 lengths back to the talented Mike Bass-trained Road To Reason.

He then ran 5,5 lengths back to the previous year’s Canon Gold Cup runner up, Noblewood, over 2400 and ran on steadily next time out for a close fourth over 1800m in heavy going.

Stewart had nurtured him superbly and he was now ready to hit top form.

Grafton Street ensured his comeback was remarkable by winning a MR 94 Handicap over 2000m at Kenilworth on December 19, 2009, by a cosy 1,5 lengths.

It had been a long wait between drinks and to be exact his Premier’s Trophy victory had happened four years and two days earlier.

However, It didn’t stop there as Grafton Street then won two of his next four starts.

Stewart now had his eye on the 2010 Durban July.

The eight-year-old then made it four wins in the space of six starts in a MR 100 Handicap at Kenilworth over 1600m, despite carrying 60,5kg.

Stewart put him on the float to Durban and he and Ma Filmer were on tenterhooks when attending the July final field announcement.

Grafton Street unfortunately didn’t make it into the particularly strong line up and instead ran in the Grade 3 Consolation Race where he finished downfield.

Stewart then gave him a layoff and he made his reappearance in the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes where he not only faced the mighty Pocket Power but also Past Master, who went on to win the Met, as well as Grade 1-winners Bravura and Ivory Trail and classy sorts Tales Of Bravery, Fort Vogue and Fabiani.

Grafton Street was taken to the front by Grant Behr in the 1600m event on the Kenilworth winter course.

The rest allowed him to dictate as he was a 50/1 shot who would surely come back to them.

However, in the straight he kept on rolling and in the final furlong a massive upset looked on the cards,

It was only the legendary Pocket Power who was able to fetch him, thus denying racing folklore a fairytale comeback story of epic proportions.

However, Mike Stewart was confident his nine-year-old would win the Grade 2 Premier’s Trophy next time out, five years after he had won the same race.

Stewart said one morning in the build up, “I’ve just ridden him this morning and he acts like a three-year-old. He is very well and actually really needed that last run. The 1800m is his perfect trip as long as he can dictate.”

Alas, he ruined his chances by jumping slowly from a wide draw and expending too much energy getting to the front.

Grafton Street was to never reach the heights of that Green Point run again but did win a race in the April of his nine-year-old season and finished second in a race a few days short of turning eleven.

Stewart eventually retired him midway through his eleven-year-old season but said it was only because his high merit rating gave him no chance of winning.

Grafton Street was aged nineteen when this article was written in 2020 and was the proud lead horse for Stewart’s Noordhoek “beach rides” business.

He couldn’t be ridden by members of the public as “he still thinks he’s a racehorse”. His obedient followers copied everything he did, whether turning left, right, stopping, trotting or cantering.

Danny Mullins and Il Etait Temps are welcomed by Wayne Kieswetter after winning the Tattersalls Ireland Gr1 Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown recently (Picture: Sporting Post).

Today’s Question

Hollywood Syndicate colours will be seen in the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival in two weeks time when the Paddy Mullins-trained Il Etait Temps lines up in the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Hollywood who race him in a lease partnership with the Kieswetter family’s Barnane Stud and Bloodstock man Ross Doyle and longstanding Barnane Stud manager Patrick Wynn Jones are also owners.

How many Supreme Novices’ Hurdles has Willie Mullins won?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

Turffontein Inside Fields, Thursday, CLICK HERE

Willie Mullins.

ANSWER TO TODAY’S QUESTION:

Willie Mullins has won a record seven Supreme Novices’ Hurdles: Tourist Attraction (1995), Ebaziyan (2007), Champagne Fever (2013), Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015), Klassical Dream (2019), Appreciate It (2021).

Turf Talk Newsletter – 1 March 2023