Distant Winter on her way to victory in the Grade 3 Winter Nursery under Grant van Niekerk (Picture; Wayne Marks).

Bass-Robinson Roll Continues With Nursery Win

Candice Bass-Robinson had a fine day at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday when landing two Grade 2 victories and today she won the Grade 3 Winter Nursery over 1100m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth with the What A Winter A Winter filly Distant Winter who was ridden by Grant van Niekerk.

Distant Winter is a Drakenstein Stud homebred and is a full-sister to the promising Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Far Away Winter.

Van Niekerk was told by Aldo Domeyer, who rode stablemate Future Variety, “She is a nice type and has a nice set of gears to go through.”

Van Niekerk rode her accordingly.

He was content to be at the back of the inside group from draw two.

He made his move at the 400m mark and she had soon joined Blue Holly in front and quickly mastered her.

She pulled clear and had it in the bag by the time October Morn began a strong late run.

Distant Winter won by 0,40 lengths from October Morn and Blue Holly and Baltic Secret ensured it was a quartet for fillies.

Despite her speed and class Distant Winter is not the best two=year-old filly in the Bass-Robinson yard.

She has been beaten comfortably beaten twice at level weights by her What A Winter stablemate Winter Cloud, who is in KZN getting ready for races like the Grade 1 Allan Robertson over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.

Winter Cloud is going to be a warm order in that race considering the quality of her stablemate’s win today.

Sean Tarry

Sean Tarry Has Had Most Stakes Wins This Season

Candice Bass-Robinson scored her 14^th stakes win of the season today when landing the Grade 3 Winter Nursery and joined Justin Snaith on that mark.

However, Sean Tarry leads the way in this statistic and has had 16 stakes wins this season.

Tarry’s stakes wins have been the Grade 3 Victory Moon Stakes with Litigation, the Grade 2 WSB Southern Cross Stakes with Princess Calla, the Grade 3 Cartier Sceptre Stakes with Princess Calla, the Listed Ruffian Stakes with Mrs Geriatrix, the Listed Storm Bird Stakes with American Graffiti, the Grade 2 WSB Hawaii Stakes with Under Your Spell, the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic with Bless My Stars, the Grade 2 Senor Santa Stakes with Princess Calla, the Grade 3 Protea Stakes with Lucky Lad, the Grade 2 Colorado King Stakes with Rain In Holland, the Grade 3 WSB Caradoc Gold Cup with Nebraas, the WSB Listed Spook Express Stakes with Red Maple, the Grade 2 WSB SA Fillies Nursery with Mrs Geriatrix, the Grade 2 WSB SA Nursery with Lucky Lad, the Grade 3 Dennis Drier Poinsettia Stakes with Marigold Hotel and the Grade 3 WSB Gold Bowl with Future Pearl.

Kevin Sommerville, racing manager of Drakenstein Stud, accepts another trophy at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth today (Picture: Wayne Marks).

Drakenstein On Cusp Of Breaking Individual Stakes Winners Record

Today’s Grade 3 Winter Nursery saw a 16th individual stakes winner this season for Drakenstein Stud.

Last season they set a new South African record with a return of 18 individual stakes winners.

Last season the 18 stakes winners won 25 stakes races between them and this season the 16 have won 24.

Furthermore, Drakenstein are leading the Breeders Championship, albeit by just a narrow margin of close to R500,000 from incumbent champions Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein.

Drakesnstein’s individual stakes winners this season are Trip Of Fortune, Charles Dickens, Jet Dark, See It Again, Rain In Holland, Santa Maria, Winter Cloud, Somerset Maughan, Sheela, Grazinginthegrass, Pacaya, Bureau Des Legendes, Gold Poker Game, Dawnofanewday, Future Pearl and Distant Winter.

The WSB Guineas had the field of a Grade 1 event on Saturday (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Grade 1 Status Should Be Aim For WSB Guineas

The Grade 2 WSB Guineas felt like a true Grade 1 South African Guineas, which used to be its name, on Saturday with the best three-year-olds from around the country clashing.

However, a race has to surpass the standard of a Grade 2 for three consecutive years before it can be considered by the pattern committee for an upgrade.

4Racing have helped the cause by staging their Autumn season, which includes the WSB SA Triple Crown trio of races, earlier in the season.

Using 2017 and 2018 as examples the Grade 1 SA Classic was held on April 1 and April 7 respectively and the SA Derby was held on May 6 and May 5 respectively.

The WSB Guineas in those years was held on May 7 and My 4 respectively, so there was a clash with the Derby and the Classic runners did not have an ideal amount of time to freshen up.

This year the WSB SA Classic was run on March 6 and the SA Derby on April 1 while the WSB Guineas was on May 6.

That gave the SA Classic runners time to freshen up and tackle a new duo of classics, i.e. the WSB Guineas and Grade 1 Daily News 2000.

The SA Guineas was first run in 1947 and maintained Grade 1 status, whether retrospective or proper, until being changed to a Grade 2 in 2005.

Considering the quality of breeding in SA at present and the accommodating program there is no reason the WSB Guineas can not maintain the standard it achieved this year.

Charles Dickens joined a number of other greats as a winner of this race.

A clash between him and the 2012 winner Variety Club would have been something to behold. The latter had phenomenal gatespeed and that coupled with a good racing temperament enabled him to dictate. His exhilirating turn of foot meant he would only have been able to be overtaken by a horse with as phenomenal a turn of foot as Charles Dickens’.

Do It Again (2018), Legislate (2014) and Vercingetorix (2013) are other good winners from last decade and the previous decade included winners like Big City Life (2009), Dynasty (2003) and Celtic Grove (2001).

Others greats to have won the race are Empress Club (1992), Illustrador (1990), Royal Chalice (1988), Prince Florimund (1982), Politician (1977), Archangel (1975), Sabre (1973), Sentinel (1972), Mazarin (1971), Home Guard (1969), Hawaii (1968), Sea Cottage (1966) and William Penn (1965).

French Duchess pictured as a yearling (Picture: BSA).

Three Parts Sister To Trip Of Fortune Runs At Vaal On Thursday

The third race at the Vaal Classic track on Thursday May 11, a Maiden Juvenile Plate for fillies, sees the Sean Tarry-trained first-timer by Trippi called French Duchess making her debut.

This Drakenstein Stud homebred is out of an unraced Duke Of Marmalade mare who is a half-sister to Trip Of Fortune, so as the latter is also by Trippi this filly is a three parts sister to Trip Of Fortune.

The filly does not face a strong field in the 1000m event.

However, she is only the 6/1 fourth favourite with Hollywoodbets.

The favourite is also a first-timer. The Mike de Kock-trained Woman Of Power has the eyecatching booking of Keagan de Melo and this Vercingetorix filly out of a Fort Wood mare is a half-sister to Tuk Tuk, who won four times although three of the wins were at Fairview.

The At The Races Tipster has selected Laetitia’s Angel to win the last race (JC Photos).

Vaal Classic Track Thursday May 11 Formguides And Selections

www.attheraces.com

1 12H25 – 4racing Welcomes You Work Riders Maiden Plate (F & M)

ELUSIVE FIRE is in a competitive field of maidens and could take the Work Riders opener. SOUTHERN STYLE shouldn’t be far off on their recent meeting. HEARTLIGHT hasn’t been far back and could make a race of it. LAW OF SUCCESS is improving steadily and could get into the reckoning. SHE’S A KLAWER could have a say.

Top Tip: ELUSIVE FIRE (6)

Watch out for: SOUTHERN STYLE (4)

2 13H00 – Racing240 For Racing. For You Maiden Juvenile Plate

QHAWE LAMI took a walk in the betting last time and ran accordingly – respect in this company. OPEN HIGHWAY ran third in both his starts and shouldn’t be far off again. VIVACIOUS VICKY attracted support on debut and will come on. Watch the many first-timers especially AMBRYM.

Top Tip: OPEN HIGHWAY (3)

Watch out for: QHAWE LAMI (4)

3 13H35 – www.tab4racing.com Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies)

MICKE’S BOMB is improving but races before this – watch. Stablemate SIGNORA BOMBA showed marked improvement last time and could earn. CALA MURETTA found problems last time and could make amends. Watch the first-timers especially WOMAN OF POWER and IVY LEAGUE.

Top Tip: CALA MURETTA (1)

Watch out for: IVY LEAGUE (5)

4 14H10 – Book A Table Call 0116811796 Maiden Plate

VIVA DE JANEIRO was a bit flat in his second start but deserves another chance – the one to beat. NAZARE never got into it when tried with blinkers. They have been removed and a much better run is expected. FOREVER FREE showed improvement last time and is looking for Trifecta money. SAKA GOLD is overdue finishing runner-up again last time out. BAAZIGAR shows brilliant speed but could still just need it.

Top Tip: VIVA DE JANEIRO (7)

Watch out for: NAZARE (1)

5 14H45 – Racehorse Owners Association Maiden Plate

It could get close all round on collateral form. BROADWAY looks the ‘safe’ horse but I’M A MAN should be on top of him. On this, US OPEN who has drawn wide shouldn’t be far behind and could hold GODFATHER. KING’S EXPRESS will come on in heaps from his debut. With 3kg less to shoulder, filly PINK DIAMOND could trouble them all.

Top Tip: BROADWAY (5)

Watch out for: US OPEN (2)

6 15H20 – Play Soccer 6, 10 And 13 Maiden Plate (F & M)

Good race. GREENLIGHTRANGER (looking for the extra) and SECRET RECIPE (found support last time) were both not striding out last time and should do better. CALL TO GLORY was a beaten odds-on favourite last time but got snagged late. IMPRESSION is doing well and should get into the action. MISS CHRISTMAS disappointed last time but could be back on track. HAVE A PARTY could find the Quartet.

Top Tip: CALL TO GLORY (1)

Watch out for: IMPRESSION (2)

7 15H55 – 4racing.tv Mr 68 Handicap

OVER TWO YOU needed his last run and holds TINDER DRY on their recent meeting. OYSTER KING is holding form and if covered till late should be finishing off strongly. RIVER ROMEO is a strong frontrunner but needs to keep galloping. LUTHULI disappointed last time but could get back to best. Others could place.

Top Tip: OVER TWO YOU (2)

Watch out for: RIVER ROMEO (1)

8 16H30 – Next Vaal Racemeeting Tuesday 16 May Mr 75 Handicap

DEFENDER OF RIGHTS is threatening for her second win and could get there. POWER RANGER should challenge strongly. SURYAVARMAN is in good form and could go in again. Despite 61kg to shoulder LAETITIA’S ANGEL cannot be ignored for honours. COSMIC STAR never recovered from a bad start start last time. Others are looking for minor money.

Top Tip: LAETITIA’S ANGEL (1)

Watch out for: POWER RANGER (11)