Desert Miracle wins Saturday’s Grade 1 HSH Prince Charlene Empress Club Stakes (Picture: Candiese Lenferna).

MDK’s Phenomenal Record In The Empress Club

Mike de Kock’s victory with Desert Miracle in the HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes on Saturday took him to a phenomenal eight wins of the Grade 1 weight for age fillies and mares mile event.

Craig Zackey has been aboard three of De Kock’s winners. including Desert Miracle, while Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift’s Stud has owned three of them and bred two of them and Wilgerbosdrift’s associate stud farm Mauritzfontein owned the twice De Kock-winner Nother Russia.

Furthermore, Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein bred the first three runners home on Saturday, Desert Miracle, Feather Boa (Flower Alley) and Marigold Hotel (Querari).

There have only been 18 runnings of this race, which started in 2006.

De Kock won the inaugural running in 2006 with Fair Maiden and has has also won it with Little Miss Magic in 2007, Mother Russia in 2010, Europa Point in 2012, Majmu in 2015, Nother Russia in 2017 and 2018 and Desert Miracle on Saturday.

Weichong Marwing rode both Fair Maiden and Little Miss Magic, Anton Marcus rode both Mother Russia and Europa Point, Anthony Delpech rode Majmu and Zackey rode Nother Russia in both of her victories as well as Desert Miracle.

Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift Stud owned all of Mother Russia, Europa Point and Desert Miracle, while Wilgerbosdrift’s associate stud farm, Mauritzfontein, owned Nother Russia.

Wilgerbosdrift bred Nother Russia and Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein bred Desert Miracle.

Wilgerbosdrift also bred Desert Miracle’s sire Dynasty.

Mauritzfontein owned and bred the 2021 winner of the Empress Club, Summer Pudding, while the 2019 winner Camphoratus was out of the Horse Chestnut USA-bred mare Wild Camphor, who was bred by the late Bridget Oppenheimer, a founding owner of Mauritzfontein Stud.

Desert Miracle provided De Kock with a 135th career Grade 1 win.

De Kock said Desert Miracle had for the first time been ridden exactly how he had wanted her to be ridden in the Grade 1 Schweppes Majorca Stakes over 1600m on WSB Met day.

Under Christophe Soumillon’s sublime hands she was switched off at the back of the small six horse field and in the straight displayed an exhilarating turn of foot to win by 1,25 lengths from the champion Captain’s Ransom.

De Kock said Zackey had her too far back in his first ride of Desert Miracle last time out in a Pinnacle race over 1400m, but he was full of praise for his ride on Saturday.

Zackey also has fine hands and switched Desert Miracle off at the back of the field. He remained patient in the early part of the straight, covering her up behind Under Your Spell, but then switched her inward to the centre of the track just after the 600m mark.

She crept up menacingly under the hands and he then got to work at the 400m mark with vigorous pushing.

He drew the stick at exactly the 200m mark, at which stage she still had some work to do to get the better of the staying on Feather Boa.

She found extra to win by 1,25 lengths.

De Kock also revealed recently Desert Miracle had suffered from epistaxis on an occasion or two.

He added, “If she does not bleed she wins.”

It was therefore a good performance by Feather Boa, who was 3,75 lengths clear of the third-placed horse Marigold Hotel, who beat her Sean Tarry-trained stablemate Under Your Spell by 0,25 lengths.

There was then a further four lengths back to Humdinger, who appeared to prove De Kock’s opinion she is better at 1400m. The spread out nature of the small field suggests a top performance by the first two home.

De Kock said, “We bought Desert Miracle’s dam, Welwitschia, at Goffs, so Mary bred the sire of the winner, imported her mother and now bred the Empress Club winner from them. Add this to Nother Russia’s two wins and it’s a true family affair. Well done to both farms.”

Welwitschia, who was stretched by a mile, had two cracks at the Empress Club Stakes herself, finishing second in 2011 and seventh in 2012.

Mary Slack commented: “Desert Miracle is so beautiful and it’s wonderful to have won two Group 1 races with her this season.”

De Kock said Desert Miracle’s immediate future will be discussed when the whole team meets at the National Sale next week. “We’ll debate this at length. We’ve won two Grade 1s with her, that’s enough for her pedigree so we have to ask ourselves if we go out on a high or go for another big race or a trophy. Fortunately, Mary always puts her horses first so the right decision will be made.”

On a memorable day for Mary Slack she also won the Listed Spook Express Stakes over 2400m with a Wilgerbosdrift homebred filly, the Sean Tarry-trained three-year-old filly Red Maple.

Red Maple is by Silvano out of an Irish-bred Fastnet Rock mare and she enjoyed the step up to a staying trip, beating the consistent and gallant Barend Botes and Yolandi Vosloo-trained Kind Judy by a quarter of a length.

Red Maple, ridden by Philasande Mxoli, did only carry 50kg off her 80 merit rating but it was only her sixth career start and she should continue to progress.

Tarry also won the most lucrative maiden of the season, the R300,000 Monaco Sport Of Kings Charity Maiden Sprint over 1160m with the Lance gelding Silver Turdor, who was ridden by Richard Fourie and won easily by five lengths.

The Mauritzfontein BSA National Yearling Sale string being walked (BSA).

Alistair Gordon Over The Moon With BSA National Yearling Sale Quality

BSA National Yearling Sale inspectors Alistair Gordon and Jane Thomas have re-seen every yearling they inspected on their tour of SA’s stud farms back in January and Alistair said he and Jane were both “over the moon” with the quality.

He added, “It is a very good catalogue with quality pedigrees. The economy is not great, but we think it is a great draft and fingers crossed for a great Sale.”

The established sires will attract their usual interest, but it is the young sires which also have Gordon excited.

He said. “There are three new sires this season who are hitting their straps, Danon Platina, Fire Away and New Predator, and that is very, very exciting.”

He was asked about the new sires that will appear on this Sale for the first time and said, “If I had to single one out it would be Soqrat. He has produced amazing quality, but we all know they still have to prove themselves on the racecourse.”

Pure Predator winning on Saturday at Turffontein Standside (Candiese Lenferna).

More Success For New Predator And Danon Platina

New Predator has a Grade 2 SA Nursery candidate on his hands in the form of the Fanie Bronkhorst-trained Laurence Wernars homebred Pure Predator.

He made it two wins and a second from three starts when winning a Juvenile Plate over 1160m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday.

The Fire Away gelding Fire N’ Flames beat him last time over 1200m on The Inside track by 1,10 lengths when appearing to outpace Pure Predator.

The latter was making up ground late but Fire ‘N Flames could have won by further as he was eased before the line.

So there was a bit of a concern that despite receiving 2kg from Fire ‘N Flames on Saturday, New Predator would not be fast enough on the fast Turffontein straight course.

Instead, after a good break, he was able to free wheel behind Fire ‘N Flames on the outside, suggesting it might have been green-ness around the turn that slowed him last time rather than a lack of natural pace.

Gavin Lerena was also awake to Fire ‘N Flames dash for home and got his mount to unwind into his big stride before that moment arrived, so he was not left flat-footed.

Pure Predator was soon ranging up on Fire ‘N Flames inside and got the better of him.

However, he then had to repel the first-timer Barbaresco, who is a Gimmethegreenlight full-brother to the useful 110 merit rated Outofthedarkness.

Pure Predator gave the latter 3kg and a 1,40 length beating and he beat Fire ‘N Flames by 1,75 lengths.

His time was not only 1,32 seconds quicker than the fillies Juvenile Plate on the day, but it was also 0,17 seconds quicker than the time of Aussenkehr, who clinched a course and distance hattrick when winning the last race, although he did carry 2kg more than Pure Predator.

Pure Predator might be a SA Nursery candidate, over this course and distance, but will probably prefer further in time. His dam Little Sparrow is a maiden by Var and she was out of the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic winner Bambina Stripes.

On Sunday at Hollywoodbets Scottsville Danon Platina’s progeny won both of the Maiden Juvenile Plates, both for fillies over 1200m.

He has now joined new season sire Fire Away on six individual winners for the season and they have won seven races between them compared to Fire Away’s eight.

However, Danon Platina has moved into second place behind the late Lancaster Bomber in stakes earnings, which is the statistic that decides the new season sires championship.

What is noticeable about the Danon Platina’s is that they are not only precocious but progressive too. In the first of the races at Scottsville, the solidly built Mike Miller-trained Lady Lacewing was able to reverse previous form with her more fancied stablemate African Beat (Querari) and beat her by 0,60 lengths. It did not surprise those who had watched their previous clash, because Lady Lacewing, bred by Mr and Mrs J. Martin, has scope.

In the next race the Duncan Howells-trained first-timer Oriental Bouquet appeared from nowhere late to mow down the second favourite Bomber Girl, who would have given Lancaster Bomber a fifth individual winner.

Howells bought the Riethuiskraal Stud-bred filly for R120,000 at the BSA National Yearling Sale last year.

Danon Platina has 21 yearlings for sale at the BSA National Yearling Sales starting on Friday and New Predator has nine.

DAWNOFANEWDAY, with Keagan de Melo up, wins the Listed World Sports Betting Scarlet Lady for trainer Dean Kannemeyer at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday. (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)

Kannemeyer Scores Feature Double At Hollywoodbets Scottsville

Andrew Harrison (Gold Circle)

The boss is back in town after summering in Cape Town as Dean Kannemeyer made his first appearance back in KZN readying up for winter. He celebrated his return with a feature double as Rex Union kicked off his Champions Season Campaign in the WSB Highland Night Cup and was quickly followed by Dawnofanewday in the WSB The Scarlet Lady (Listed).

Rex Union, second in the Gold Vase and third in the Gold Cup last season, staked his claim for the forthcoming features. There is plenty to the son of Duke Of Marmalade, Kannemeyer describing him as a ‘bull’ of a horse, as stable rider Keagan de Melo played the waiting game in the 2400m event at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday as Juan Carlos set the gallop closely followed by El Rey Viene, Rex Union handily placed in mid-field.

The two up front were quickly tackled by Etiquette and Riccardo with De Melo hunting a gap. When it did appear, he punched Rex Union forward and the gelding responded in good fashion, getting home comfortably in the end.

Southern Cape almost made it home in The Scarlet Lady with Ashton Arries taking them on up front. The filly was still going great guns over the final furlong and was game in defeat as Dawnofanewday finished the stronger with Southern Cape holding off the pack for second.

Lord William has come well since arriving in KZN from the Cape and assistant to Glen Kotzen, John Buckler had the Kings Cup third-placed horse primed and giving Arries a second win on the son of William Longsword. An eye-catching second was stable companion Flying Bull who is starting to find his feet after a change of stables at the end of last season.

It was a day that many punters will be happy to forget with a few long-shots arriving.

African Beat looked to be the right one of the Mike Miller yard and favourite in the first but as game as she was, she was not able to get onto terms with stable companion Lacewing who held her off in a driving finish with first timer Mauritania showing good pace before running out of gas late.

More was to follow in the next as Duncan Howells watched on speechless as his filly Oriental Bouquet came from last to win in exceptional fashion. “I could never get her into the starting stalls at Ashburton but at Summerveld she walked in. I think she has some ability but I thought she would need it today. Two of the best fillies that I trained, Fiorella and Gypsy’s Warning also caught me unawares. We live in hope,” he said.

Craig Zackey was aboard Oriental Bouquet and he followed up aboard the Peter Muscutt-trained first timer Neitherherenorther, also starting at lengthy odds. Bennie In The Area cut a smart early pace and pulled clear of his field except for Neitherherenorther who kept with him and getting his head in front. ‘Benni’ kept fighting and was a courageous second.

Zackey was looking to make it a hattrick of wins on the odds-on favourite Call To Glory, but Alec Laird’s filly found one too good for her in Gareth van Zyl’s filly Faizah. Call To Glory, bred in the purple by Kingman out of former Cape Met winner Smart Call, tried to make all but could not match Faizh’s finishing burst. Given the favourite’s pedigree, ten furlongs may now be a better option.

Ramblers member Thomas Kendall with the National trophy and his pride and joy Corach Rambler. Cars lined the road leading to Arlary House Stables, thirty miles north of Edinburgh, in Milnathort, Kinross, in Scotland on Sunday. Lucinda Russell has been training there since 1995 and is Scotland’s leading national hunt trainer. Picture credit: Grossick Racing

Corach Rambler’s Connections Revel In ‘Mind-blowing’ Grand National Win

David Carr (Racing Post)

Even the bleakest of situations can occasionally bring some joy. Ask the Ramblers, the seven strangers brought together by the Covid lockdown who have now won the world’s greatest chase.

They answered an advert to buy a horse with Lucinda Russell, who put them together in a partnership and the rest is history. Quite extraordinary history.

Winning back-to-back runnings of the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham was exceptional for a horse bought for just £17,000 – to add success in the Randox Grand National was the stuff of dreams.

“I have tears in my eyes, I’m pinching myself,” said William Wallace after the race on Saturday. He is originally from Glasgow and got into racing because: “When I was a wee boy, my uncle used to take me to write his betting slips for him.”

He recalled: “It was during Covid lockdown, the horse was advertised. We’ve all become friends. There are seven of us, we were complete strangers and now we’ve bonded around the horse.

“Derek Fox, what a genius. Thanks to him and Lucinda and Scu and everybody at the yard. It’s a dream come true.”

Wallace, who works in telecoms, now lives in Australia, and said: “I have a 9.30 flight tonight which I don’t think I’m going to make!”

Cameron Sword, 21 and a student at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, said: “We always thought the horse could do it, he’s a special horse. But you can never say ‘we’re going to win the National’ – it just doesn’t work like that.

“Derek Fox gave the horse an absolutely phenomenal ride. He was just soaring over those fences. The horse made it look easy, which is mind-blowing.”

“We are so privileged to be in this position. There’s very few that can say they’ve got to experience what we have. It’s all down to Lucinda and Scu and the hard work of the staff, day in day out, up early riding out.”

“It also shows you that you don’t need to invest millions in this sport. He was 17 grand, he’s won twice at Cheltenham and won the Grand National.”

Sword is old enough to know how lucky he has been, and said: “It’s a shame I’ve peaked too early! It’s never going to be anything like this again.”

Grant Knowles has won a daily prize, a weekly prize, a most-winners-in-a-week prize and is in line for the overall prize in the Hollywoodbets Racing Stars Challenge.

Grant Knowles Wins Hollywoodbets Racing Stars Challenge Weekly Prize

Experience is a vital aspect of racing nous and this was borne out last week in the Hollywoodbets Racing Stars Challenge when the “oldies” dominated the daily competition.

The consistent Grant Knowles is out to lay a claim for the “Mr. Racing” title as he emerged the winner of the more lucrative weekly prize and he also scooped the prize for tipping the most winners during the week.

Grant was also lying in second place on the overall table behind experienced presenter Neil Pretorius with commentator Rouvaun Smit in third, Graeme Hawkins in fourth and veteran sports writer Gary Lemke in fifth.

On day two last week on Tuesday, the ever-improving presenter-commentator Brandon Bailey won the daily prize.

However, veterans were to the fore for the rest of the week.

Clyde Basel kicked off by winning the daily prize last Monday.

The Wednesday prize went to racing anchor Neil Andrews.

On Thursday it was won by the African Betting Clan’s owner Dave Scott.

On Friday it was won by Graeme Hawkins

On Saturday it was commentator Nico Kritsiotis’ turn.

On Sunday the popular presenter and jockey agent Deez Dayanand was the winner.

Grant Knowles was announced as the weekly winner on Sunday. Rouvaun Smit tipped the winner of the last race of the week to make a late charge, but Grant hung on by a nerve-wracking six-and-a-half points.

The camaraderie between the industry people taking part has been the highlight of the competition and it has really brought these workers together, so this competition has been an excellent innovation by Hollywoodbets.

Grant thanked everybody on the whatsapp forum which is attached to the competition by saying, “Thanks Team. This has certainly been a mind- boggling journey. Love the camaraderie on this group. Looking forward to starting again. Thanks Devin and your Hollywood team!”

This week the veterans got off to a flyer again, with Paul Lafferty making it a quick double for KZN presenters, although he is also the only trainer in the competition.

Click here to view the top 10 finishers today plus the week 1 and week 2 weekly tables respectively

Frankie Dettori does a flying dismount from Enable after their first Arc victory at Chantilly in 2017. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Dettori Kicks Off Final British Campaign At Newmarket

Rider will bow out at the end of 2023.

www.attheraces.com

Frankie Dettori could be the star of the show on the opening day of Newmarket’s Craven meeting as he begins his final domestic campaign in the saddle.

The evergreen Italian announced his intention to hang up his boots following one last season in December and has since embarked on something of a world tour, spending Christmas and the early part of 2023 riding in the United States, with fleeting appearances at events such as the Saudi Cup and Meydan’s World Cup night.

He is now back in Newmarket as this season’s Classic contenders prepare to step out in the various trials and Dettori could hit the ground running on day one of three on the Rowley Mile.

The 52-year-old’s first taste of the action will be in the Close Brothers Handicap where he will don the royal blue silks of Godolphin aboard John and Thady Gosden’s Unforgotten, while he looks to have a fine chance of getting on the scoreboard with hot Clarehaven prospect Covey in the Alex Scott Maiden Stakes.

The Frankel colt bumped into the Greenham-bound Zoology when going down by a neck on debut at Southwell and Barry Mahon, of owners Juddmonte, believes he could develop into a smart colt this term.

He said: “You don’t expect to run into a 90-something rated horse in a novice at Southwell, but unfortunately he bumped into one.

“He ran Zoology all the way to the line, it was a big run and hopefully he can improve.

“I think he can be a very nice horse. He has always been a very impressive physical, he was just a bit immature last year.

“He was prone to respiratory infections and a couple of times when he was close to the races, he would give a few coughs and he just never made it to the track for that reason. I do think he can develop into a nice colt.”

On the return of Dettori, Mahon added: “The main man is back from California. He has had a good winter out there and rode plenty of winners and hopefully he is looking forward to being back here and getting going again.”

In the bet365 Earl Of Sefton Stakes – the feature of the seven-race card – Dettori will partner the King’s Reach For The Moon as he makes his return.

Once thought of as a Derby candidate, the Gosden-trained four-year-old has been gelded over the winter following an interrupted 2022 which saw the son of Sea The Stars hit the track on just three occasions.

He reappears sporting first-time blinkers with connections looking forward to the run.

“We are pleased with how Reach For The Moon has wintered and we are hoping for a bold show,” said the King’s racing manager John Warren.

Simon and Ed Crisford’s unbeaten Poker Face is the likely favourite for the Group Three contest, but it is no surprise that the first meeting of the year at Newmarket sees strong Godolphin representation in the form of Charlie Appleby’s course winner Ottoman Fleet and stablemate Blue Trail.

“Ottoman Fleet ran very consistently in Dubai, being placed in all his starts, and he’s come back in great shape. He’s a past winner on the Rowley Mile and he’s got to have a good chance.” the Moulton Paddocks handler told www.godolphin.com.

“Blue Trail was last seen winning emphatically by 11 lengths at Meydan and we know he’s a horse with an engine. If he can put it all together, he has the ability to win a race such as this.”