Charles Dickens’ reputation was restored in the Grade 2 WSB Guineas at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)

Charles Dickens Will Come On From WSB Guineas Win

Candice Bass-Robinson was pleased with the way both of her Grade 2 winners, Charles Dickens and Trip Of Fortune, had come out of Saturday’s IOS race meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Both horses are by Trippi and are Drakenstein Stud homebreds, so it was a magnificent day for Gaynor Rupert and her staff.

Charles Dickens’ reputation was restored when he displayed his exhilarating turn of foot to shoot clear down the inside in the Grade 2 WSB Guineas, having found cover in midfield from his wide draw in the nine horse field.

See It Again can be deemed to have been unlucky and was closing fast in the latter stages, but Aldo Domeyer, rider of Charles Dickens, was looking around for dangers and it was not necessary for him to attempt to extract any more from the superstar three-year-old Trippi colt.

Earlier, Domeyer had made up ground approaching the turn on Trip Of Fortune in the Grade 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m.

Having been just forward of mid-pack he turned for home handy and got first run on the fancied trio Gimme A Prince, Al Muthana and Desert Miracle.

The four-year-old Trippi gelding kept going well to win his fourth Graded feature of the the season.

He has won a Grade 3 and a Grade 2 in Cape Town over 1400m and 1600m respectively, a Grade 1 weight for age event in Johannesburg over 1600m and a Grade 2 in Durban over 1400m.

Two of his other three runs this season have yielded third place finishes including in a Grade 2. His only non-earning run was when ill in the lead up to the L’Ormarins King’s Plate and Candice admitted she had taken a chance and in retrospect should not have run him.

Trip Of Fortune is likely to go back to the top of the Equus Horse Of The Year points table having lost the lead to Puerto Manzano when the latter won the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge.

However, he will now have to clash with his ultra classy stablemate Charles Dickens in the Grade 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m.

Charles Dickens will be a tough nut to crack in that race, bearing in mind he needed it when thrilling the crowds on Saturday.

Candice did not completely dismiss a tilt at the Hollywoodbets Durban July for Charles Dickens when asked the question, but said it had not been put on the table as an option yet.

After the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge the two options for both him and Trip Of Fortune at this stage will be the Grade 1 wfa Mercury Sprint over 1200m or the Grade 1 wfa Hong Kong World Pool Champions Cup over 1800m.

In the Grade 2 WSB Fillies Guineas on Saturday the Bass-Robinson-trained Golden Hostess was bumped sideways by fellow Drakenstein homebred Hold My Hand just when reaching full momentum in a dangerous looking run down the outside.

The bump cost her some ground and momentum and although she did rally she began hanging inward and was 1,10 lengths shy at the line.

An objection against Hold My Hand was unsuccessful, because the stipendiary stewards deemed she was unable thereafter to get past Hold My Hand despite carrying the latter inward.

The Gold Standard three-year-old filly’s next two targets might be the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint (1200m) and the Tibouchina (1400m).

The Bass-Robinson yard’s crack two-year-old filly Winter Cloud, a Drakenstein Stud-homebred by What A Winter, will be going for the Grade 1 Allan Robertson (1200m).

The Charleston (The United States) is also being targeted at the Allan Robertson, but had suffered a setback and she was not sure she would have her ready in time.

Silvano mare Marina will be targeted at the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 as well as the Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes and Grade 2 Gold Bracelet.

Six-year-old What A Winter gelding Arctic Drift will be aimed at all the staying events.

Piere Strydom rode another fine race on See It Again on Saturday (Picture: Wayne Marks).

See It Again Suffered Interference In The Opinion Of Michael Roberts

The stipendiary stewards did not believe an incident in which it appeared See It Again’s running was taken up in the Grade 2 WSB Guineas was worthy of mention and Michael Roberts said he understood why they took that stance after talking to jockey Piere Strydom.

The latter said the first movement made was See It Again running in behind Dave The King which left the way clear for Cousin Casey to run past them on their outside.

However, Roberts added, “As far as I am concerned he still suffered interference because a horse came off a straight line and crossed in front of him, although I am not saying who is to blame.”

He added See It Again had lost momentum and it was tough for a horse, especially a staying type, to pick up again after such an incident.

See It Again not only picked up again, but sped past Cousin Casey and Dave The King in eyecatching style to grab second place, beaten only two lengths by Charles Dickens.

Roberts said he would have been interested to see what would have happened had his charge been able to get a straight run.

Roberts knew his charge was fit enough for the race, but he had not quite expected him to run that well.

The interference might have actually been a blessing in disguise in the long run because it looked likely the 122-rated Cousin Casey would be used as the line horse, meaning 124 rated See It Again, who finished 0,90 lengths in front of the latter, would remain on 124.

Dave The King was going to be the most effected horse if Cousin Casey was made the line horse and he has duly been raised from 111 to 122.

Roberts is thrilled with the way See It Again has come out of the race.

Piere Strydom will only be able to ride See It Again in the Hollywoodbets Durban July if he carries 57kg or more and as things stand the horse will be carrying exactly 57kg.

See It Again roared to the top of the July betting boards after his scintillating effort on Saturday and is currently 6/1 favourite, replacing previous incumbent Cousin Casey.

There are still a few races that can change the weights though and one or two supplementary entries could change things too.

Dave The King, second from right, staves off Cousin Casey for third place in the WSB Guineas (Picture: Candiese Lenferna).

Dave The King Raised To 122

Dave The King was set to carry the minimum weight of 53kg for a three-year-old male in the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July the way things had stood before Saturday’s Grade 2 WSB Guineas, but that has now all changed and as things now stand he will carry the same weight as both See It Again and Cousin Casey … 57kg.

The consistent 122 merit-rated Cousin Casey was made the line horse in Saturday’s race and as Dave The King finished 0,30 lengths in front of him, he has been raised eleven points from 111 to 122.

Charles Dickens and See It Again remained on their ratings of 132 and 124 respectively and both fifth placed Anfields Rocket and sixth-placed east Coast remained on 120 and 112 respectively.

The only change besides Dave The King was for seventh-placed Melech, beaten 4,95 lengths, who was raised ten points to 107.

The highest rated older horse in the July at present is rated 124 meaning in a true handicap the 124 rated See It Again would carry 58kg as things stand, while the 122-rated pair Cousin Casey and Dave The King would carry 57kg.

However, as there is a clause stating the maximum weight for three-year-old males is 57kg, See It Again will come down 1kg to 57kg and will thus be 1kg well in.

Dave The King looks to be the sort of horse Mike de Kock could improve on, although the big son of Global View was a little bit on the one-paced side in the closing stages.

Anfields Rocket was staying on well and is increasingly looking to be a horse who is crying out for the July distance.

Peach Daiquiri wins the Grade 2 WSB Fillies Guineas under Luyolo Mxothwa (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)

Peach Daiquiri’s Dream Victory For The Playgate SA Syndicate

The Grade 2 WSB Fillies Guineas saw another dream result for the Playgate SA Syndicate as their Alec Laird-trained Vercingetorix filly Peach Daiquiri got home by 0,60 lengths under Luyolo Mxothwa from a luckless Saartjie.

Playgate SA’s Racing Manager, Rob Champion, commented after this filly had won her first three starts at Fairview for initial trainer Sharon Kotzen, “We don’t want to make our geese look like swans, but Peach Daiquiri does look special and we’re all excited. Sharon picked her at the 2021 Premier Sale and we paid only R100,000 for her, an absolute steal considering her pedigree. She’s by a star stallion in Vercingetorix from a Querari mare, that’s the same cross as last year’s G1 Guineas winner Chansonette; and comes from the family of Punta Arenas and Paraca.”

She is in fact a three-parts sister to Grade 1-winning Vercingetorix gelding Pomp And Power as her dam Pomona by Querari is a half-sister to Pomp And Power.

She came from a handy position on Saturday and after being asked the question at the 300m mark produced a sustained finishing effort under Luyolo Mxothwa, although the other chief protagonists, Saartjie, Hold My Hand and Golden Hostess, were involved in a melee towards the outside which effected all of their chances and sixth placed Shantastic was also effected.

Peach Daiquiri ran in the Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas for Sharon Kotzen after her three Fairview wins, but finished unplaced.

Alec Laird was then a natural to take over as he was one of the trainers who had horses for Playgate SA.

She had one fifth place finish in a strong field over 1160m for Laird on April 15 before Saturday’s KZN SA Champions season race.

Peach Daiquiri should stay further on pedigree and might be seen in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000.

It would be interesting if doing well there to see her supplemented for the July because there will then be two pairs of three-parts siblings in the big race, Do It Again and See It Again and Pomp and Power and Peach Daiquiri.

Hold My Hand went down to the start straighter than she came back (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)

Glen Kotzen Happy With Cousin Casey But Had A Frustrating Day

Things did not pan out quite as expected for Glen Kotzen at the IOS meeting on Saturday, but his admiration for his star colt Cousin Casey has not changed.

He said, “It was a slow run race and he ran on nicely. He maybe went past those on his inside too quickly in the straight because they came back at him. It was a stepping stone race and he will be better for the run.”

The Vercingetorix colt has come out of the race well.

Kotzen had wanted Cousin Casey to be in front of the favourite Charles Dickens but his charge had ended up behind him after jumping slightly to the left and then being restrained.

He had just endured frustration in the Grade 2 WSB Fillies Guineas when wanting Hold My Hand to go handy in a race that lacked pace and knowing she was sharper than she had been in the Cape Summer.

However, she was instead dropped out to second last and had to come around them wide into the straight.

She then ran on well and looked just about the favourite to win at the 300m mark.

However, she then hung outward before suddenly shifting further outward just before the 200m mark, bumping Golden Hostess.

The stipendiary report said the sudden shift was due to a rein drop.

To add to her woes she is then carried inward by Golden Hostess.

Kotzen felt severe frustration as he clearly had Hold My Hand in fine shape and he felt she could have won the race.

However, he said both horses had come out of their respective races really well and were on track for their next target races which will likely be the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 respectively.

Trafalgar Square ridden by Jason Gates gets coronation day’s IOS meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville off to a topical start when winning the first race, the Durban Dash over 400m. (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)

Topical Hollywoodbets Greyville Results on Coronation Day

Charles Dickens’ win in the Grade 1 WSB Guineas on Saturday saw some history repeating itself.

The victory came on the same day as the coronation of King Charles III.

In 1981 Big Charles won the July during the frenzied build up to the wedding of Charles and Diana which took place three-and-a-half weeks later.

However, the WSB Fillies Guineas had a topical result in a roundabout way too.

The winner Peach Daiquiri is by Vercingetorix, which is a Gaulish name which literally means ‘Great/supreme king/leader of warriors/heroes’.

Vercingetorix himself was a Gallic king and chieftain of the Averni tribe.

Furthermore, Peach Daiquiri is a three-parts brother to Pomp And Power, which goes a long way to describing the British monarchy.

The first race of the day also had a topical result.

It was won by the Dennis Bosch-trained Trafalgar Square by Great Britain out of London Dipper by London News.

Frankie Dettori eases down and begins the celebrations on Andrew Balding’s Chaldean. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Chaldean Delivers Glory for Frankie Dettori In His Last 2,000 Guineas

Dettori wins Newmarket Classic for fourth time

Legendary jockey set to retire at end of Flat season

Greg Wood at Newmarket (The Guardian)

There will be more, perhaps many more, days like this one as Frankie Dettori’s farewell tour makes its way around the biggest races in Britain, Europe and beyond, and more opportunities for the only jockey whose first name is enough to reflect on an astonishing career. But it was still clearly a special moment for the adopted son of Newmarket on Saturday as he celebrated a fourth success in the 2,000 Guineas, on Chaldean, on his final start in the season’s first Classic.

Newmarket has been Dettori’s home since he arrived from Italy in the mid-1980s as a 14-year-old stable lad and apprentice jockey.

Within a few years he was the champion apprentice and the first teenager since Lester Piggott to ride 100 winners in a season. The town’s two tracks have been among his happiest hunting grounds for more than three decades.

“It’s so surreal,” Dettori said. “I was in a fight with Oisin [Murphy, on Hi Royal] and once I got rid of him, I thought, I’m sure something’s going to come and I saw plenty of daylight.

“I can’t believe it’s happened, my last Guineas and to win it in front of my home crowd. Amazing.

“Winning Classics is difficult. It’s my last season and to cap it off with a Classic is beyond my wildest dreams. Let me savour the moment, my emotions are all over the place. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry or enjoy it, I’m so messed up at the moment.”

Chaldean’s success was, by Classic standards, as straightforward as they come after Dettori got Andrew Balding’s colt smartly away from the stalls and settled close behind the early leader, Hi Royal.

Auguste Rodin, the 13-8 favourite, was three lengths behind him in the early stages and appeared to be bumped after about a furlong, before briefly moving towards the head of the field with a quarter of a mile to run.

Hi Royal, a 125-1 outsider, was still just about in front but Dettori eased past him on Chaldean and set off for home, probably in the expectation that Auguste Rodin or another of his rivals would be in hot pursuit.

There was no late rattle from the favourite or anyone else, however, and while Hi Royal drifted sharply left across the course he still managed to hold on for an unlikely second place. Royal Scotsman, who was just behind Chaldean in the Dewhurst Stakes last October, confirmed that form with a fast-finishing third. Auguste Rodin was 12th of the 14 starters.

While Dettori and his celebrations were understandably the centre of attention this was a significant moment too for Andrew Balding, Chaldean’s trainer, who was winning the Classic for the second time in four years after Kameko’s victory in 2020.

“I was a bit worried about the mile in this ground, but he’s just done a wonderful job, Frankie,” Balding said. “What can’t you say about Frankie? Since I’ve been involved in the sport he’s been an omnipresent superstar and what a fitting way to ride his last 2,000 Guineas.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long while, it’s a mixture of relief and elation. It will probably sink in in a bit, it’s a big deal.”

Dettori was a few strides away from a perfect double, as he had earlier steered the royal colours to within a head of a victory on Coronation day aboard the King and Queen Consort’s Saga in a nine-furlong handicap.

Saga has been a late scratch from races in the past due to unsuitably soft ground, but he had no issues with the surface and was still going well as Dettori struggled to find running room a couple of furlongs from home.

Mage, a 15-1 shot with Javier Castellano up, winning the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.Credit…Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Mage Captures the Derby After an Agonizing Week at Churchill Downs

Mage, with Javier Castellano aboard, won Saturday’s Kentucky Derby by a length, bringing joy and relief to fans after a dispiriting run-up to the race in which seven horses died.

By Joe Drape (New York Times)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The best thing you can say about the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby is that the 18 horses who made it to the starting gate on Saturday survived. That came as a relief after at least seven horses died at Churchill Downs in the past week, two of them on Saturday in races leading up to America’s most famous race.

By the time the horses edged into the starting gate for what is an annual thoroughbred celebration on the first Saturday in May, all anyone who loves the sport was thinking — no, praying — was that these ethereal creatures and their riders get around the mile and a quarter race safely.

Could you blame them?

In the past week, seven horses died, one trainer and his horse were kicked off the grounds by regulators under a cloud of suspicion and four other Derby horses were declared out of the race. The most stunning was the favorite 3-1 morning line Forte — last year’s 2-year-old champion — whom Kentucky state veterinarians decided early Saturday morning was not healthy enough to compete even after nursing a bruised hoof for the last couple of days.

Forte was trained by a Hall of Famer, Todd Pletcher. He was co-owned by a passionate champion of horse racing, Mike Repole, who by his own estimate has sunk $300 million into buying horses, even as he confessed that he was confounded by the dysfunction that is tolerated in horse racing.

It was not a good day for a sport on life support.

Horse racing is fighting for its life as animal rights activists call for its end at the same time that waning interest among gamblers has put it on the losing side of a battle with online sports betting.

The fragile nature of thoroughbreds themselves was front and center with the Derby entrant Wild on Ice, who was euthanized after he sustained a leg injury while training.

The sport’s underbelly was exposed when two horses trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. collapsed last week after racing beneath Churchill’s famed twin spires. Kentucky regulators and Churchill Downs, concerned about the unexplained deaths, told Joseph to take his horse and go home to his Florida base.

There was no real explanation for why Joseph was dispatched, and Churchill officials stood by their statement that its dirt and turf tracks were not the cause of the repeated horse deaths. But on Saturday, after two more horses were loaded in equine ambulances and subsequently put to death, Churchill officials refused to comment.

The record will show a colt named Mage won the mile and a quarter classic in a solid 2:01.57 to give his Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano his first and fiercely sought-after Derby win. Castellano rode for his Venezuelan countryman Gustavo Delgado, Mage’s trainer, delivering a capstone victory for an everyday horseman based in Florida.

“He’s a little horse with a big heart,” said Castellano, who found the Derby’s winning circle on his 16th try. “It was the dream trip for any jockey.”

Castellano, 45, once was the most dominating rider in America: He was named the champion jockey every year from 2013 through 2016. His talent may not have waned, but his opportunities did, and the shades have inched down on the twilight of his career.

He took over the mount on Mage only after the younger Luis Saez abandoned Mage to ride one of the favorites, Tapit Trice. Castellano, an old man by jockey standards, welcomed the opportunity to be Delgado’s second choice.

“The whole team gave me the opportunity to ride this horse in the biggest race in the world, “ Castellano said. “I had a lot of confidence in myself this year would be the year.”

Mage did not race as a two-year-old, and this was only his fourth start. He barely lost to Forte with Saez aboard last month in the Florida Derby, getting caught in the final strides.

“I never gave up and tried hard. It took me a while to get there, but I’m very blessed to be here,” Castellano said.

Mage had to fight off a late surge by Two Phil’s to secure the victory — one that took the breath away from Delgado. Mage and Delgado are clearly moving on to the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore and the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Still, Delgado was in no state to say how he would prepare the horse.

“Give me a couple of days at least,” he said.

The spotlight should have belonged to Castellano and Delgado. Instead, it was eclipsed by a drumbeat of casualties that were barely explained and haltingly acknowledged from the one horse racing state, and the one racetrack, that the rest of the world knows.

American thoroughbreds are among the finest athletes in the world — collectively they are worth tens of millions — and are the bedrock of a multibillion-dollar agribusiness industry. But the sport has precipitously lost its hold in the United States, where it was once revered as a cornerstone of America’s character.

Either nature or neglect or abuse sent these athletes collapsing on the racetrack, soon to be hustled into equine vans to meet their grim fates.

It certainly was not the celebration of an American pastime that anyone wished for.