Luke Ferraris clinched his double on the Richard Gibson-trained One For All at Happy Valley tonight (HKJC)

Luke Ferraris Double Kicked Off By SA-Bred

Luke Ferraris scored a double at Happy Valley today and kicked it off with victory on the Klawervlei Stud-bred Vercingetorix six-year-old gelding Super Commander, who was known as Fearless Warrior when winning twice in four starts for Vaughan Marshall and finishing a narrow second in the Grade 3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery.

Super Commander is out of the Captain Al filly War Path, who has a place in South African racing infamy.

She won the non-Black Type King’s Pact Stakes on debut, a race which caused a meeting at Clairwood to be abandoned after the crowd protested about third-placed My Sanctuary being made a runner after her gate did not open. (She burst through the gate and ran on for third meaning she could not be made a non-runner according to the racing rules). My Sanctuary has made amends for her infamy because she is the dam of Grade 1 winner Safe Passage.

Ferraris has now won twice on the six-year-old both times when trained by his fourth trainer in Hong Kong Pierre Ng (he started out there trained by Tony Millard before moving to David Ferraris and upon the latter’s retirement he was trained by Chris So before moving to Ng this season).

Today, Super Commander showed superb gatespeed from pole position in a class 4 handicap over 1000m, but despite going like the clappers was able to get a tow into the straight by a horse who came from a wide draw.

He ran past that horse in the straight and at odds of R8.00 on the Tote held on by 0,75 lengths from the joint favourite Savvy Delight.

It was Super Commander’s third victory overall in Hong Kong, although this is his third season and he has dropped from an initial rating of 74 to 55.

In the next race Ferraris was aboard the Richard Gibson-trained four-year-old No Nay Never gelding One For All in a class 4 handicap over 1200m.

He was going for a hattrick and was ridden by Lyle Hewitson in his last start.

He started at odds of R8.20 on the Tote and was drawn 12, while Hewitson was aboard the favourite, the David Hayes-trained Snowalot whom he has partnered to two victories this season and who had draw 8.

Ferraris drove One For All furiously from the off and he managed to get around the field and wrest the rail in front.

He then gave him a breather down the back straight but quickened it up again entering the turn.

This allowed One For All to steal a march and although visibly tiring in the straight he had enough lengths in the bank and held on by 1,25 lengths from Charming Steed, who ran on from third place in the running.

Ferraris goes to 25 wins for the season at a strike rate of 6.56% and stakes earnings of HK$$38,308,475 which is an improvement on his 20 wins last season at a strike rate of 5.03% and earnings of HK$32,311,100.

Ferraris finished in 14th place on the log last season and is in tenth place this season.

Royal Aussie wins today at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Royal Aussie’s Next Move Undecided

The Gold Rush winner Royal Aussie. a three-year-old Klawervlei Stud-bred colt by Royal Mo, won in scintillating fashion over 1400m on the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Old Course today.

He was joint third best in at the weights but was 3kg under sufferance with the best weighted runner, the out of form Linebacker.

Royal Aussie had to overcome a wide draw of 8 out of 9 and Richard Fourie managed to slot him in one out with cover and three back, just ahead of the backmarkers.

In the straight, Fourie switched the strongky built colt inward and despite the short straight of the Old Course he was able to overtake more than half the field and get up by 0,30 lengths with Firealley, Grinkov, Port Louis, Speed Machine, Tout A Fait, Linebacker, My Bestie and Light Speed following him home, names which prove the strength of the field.

Royal Mo is owned by DA Squance, Suzette Viljoen and Dr Jill Warner.

Jonathan Snaith said, “We are in discussions with his owners on the next step.”

“He is a horse we feel will be at his best during the next Cape Summer Season. So for now the partners may decide to stick him away until the summer but could also decide on a run in KZN.”

“We will continue discussions this week on the way forward. For now we are celebrating his win!”

The colt has had ten starts for four wins, three seconds, a third and two fourths.

His career earnings before today were R5,228,800, not bad for a horse who was originally bought at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale for R70,000 by Grant Knowles and then pinhooked on the Ready To Run Sale for R300,000.

Strawberry Bear is unbeaten in two starts over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville including the above 1200m handicap last November and the recent Grade 3 Byerley Turk (Picture: Candiese Lenferna).

Strawberry Bear will Stick To A HWB Greyville Campaign

Strawberry Bear thrilled his part-owner and assistant trainer Sterling Miller when finishing a narrow second over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1200m on Saturday and the aim is to now keep him campaigning at his favourite course.

Sterling said, “He was badly out at the weights and is all heart, so I wasn’t at all disappointed he was beaten. There is a rule about not being able to gallop horses at Greyville who have run there before and this is not ideal for a three-year-old, it is a nuisance, and this forced us to run him in this race.”

Strawberry Bear, carrying 58kg off a 106 merit rating, was 3,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted horse, the 118-rated Good Traveller, and he was 1kg out with the winner, the Vaughan Marshall-trained 105-rated Look For Hounds, who beat him by 0,60 lengths.

Sterling said, “Strawberry Bear will be going for the KZN Breeders Million Mile, provided he draws well. The 1600m will stretch him but the jockeys who have ridden him, including Tristan Godden, believe he will get a mile.”

He added, “The back up plan is the Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1200m also at Hollywoodbets Greyville. That race will be strong. but he likes Hollywoodbets Greyville and that is why we have that race as the back up.”

So Strawberry Bear is unlikely to be seen in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.

The Miller yard have some two-year-old feature prospects.

Romance In Rome has two his last two starts impressively and this Danon Platina colt will be aimed at the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

What A Winter colt Winter Games, who won second time out over 1200m, is a horse they believe will be better as a three-year-old, but he will also be aimed at the Gatecrasher and so will Potala Palace colt Ninety Nine Heros, who was tried in the Grade 3 Godolphin Barb on debut.

Exciting two-year-old filly African Folklore will go for the Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville and so will Epic View (Red Ray), Lady Lacewing (Danon Platina) and Sovereign Grant (Gimmethegreenlight).

Sterling thinks the Allan Robertson will be a touch strong for these fillies.

However, he hopes to qualify the two aforementioned colts for the Grade 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on Hollywoodbets Durban July day and he hopes to qualify the fillies for the Grade 2 Golden Slipper over 1400m on the same day.

Cousin Casey lands a good draw at last (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)

Good News At Last For Trainer Kotzen

David Mollett (Business Day)

Someone retrieve the smelling salts for Glen Kotzen. The Cape-based trainer will have fainted on learning his star three-year-old, Cousin Casey, has drawn pole position for the R1.5m Daily News 2000 at Greyville on May 27.

Kotzen must have thought he was cursed during the Cape season with a number of his runners — notably Cousin Casey and Hold My Hand — faring badly in the draw department.

In the Cape Met, Cousin Casey was drawn 14 out of 19 and even worse in the Cape Guineas with the three-year-old drawn 14 out of 15.

Gold Circle announced 15 nominations for the Daily News 2000 and the connections of See It Again, Dave The King and Anfields Rocket will be reasonably happy with single figure draws.

Turf Talk has revealed that trainer Robert Maroun will fit the blinkers to Anfields Rocket for the first time.

Not so lucky in the draw was the Mike de Kock inmate, Shoemaker, who drew 15 out of 15 and will start from the outside stall if accepting to run.

Sadly, it wasn’t all good news for Kotzen as his talented filly, Hold My Hand, drew 14 out of 17 for the grade 1 Woolavington 2000. In contrast, Sean Tarry’s grade 1 winner, Rain In Holland, drew in barrier two.

For the first time, the Woolavington — previously restricted to three-year-old fillies — has been opened up to older horses as well.

Then — in the Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup — Kotzen’s entry, Flying Bull, drew 22 of the 22 entries which will not have pleased the Cape trainer who has sent out 45 winners this season.

Turffontein hosts an eight-race programme on Thursday and the most interesting runner is De Kock’s four-year-old, Safe Passage, who takes on six rivals in the fifth race over 1,600m.

Third in last season’s Hollywoodbets Durban July, Safe Passage fluffed his lines big time in the recent Drill Hall Stakes with Richard Fourie’s mount never at the races and trailing in 15 lengths behind the winner, Trip Of Fortune. The Hollywoodbets Greyville stipendiary stewards asked the veterinary surgeon to examine Safe Passage but he reported “nothing untoward detected”.

The Silvano gelding — to be ridden by Craig Zackey — has far and away the highest merit-rating (124) in the race. Next highest is Eye Of The Prophet — the mount of Rachel Venniker — whose rating is 113.

Paul Matchett, trainer of Eye Of The Prophet, brings the three-year-old back to 1,600m following his no show behind Son Of Raj in the 2,450m SA Derby.

Team Gold will have his supporters as the Roy Magner inmate — to be ridden by Muzi Yeni — receives 10kg from Safe Passage.

This season’s leading jockey, Keagan De Melo, has six booked rides at the meeting and the pick of the sextet could be Coldhardstare who represents the Mike and Adam Azzie stable. A daughter of What A Winter owned and bred by Drakenstein Stud, boasts two wins and two placings from her five starts.

Another of What A Winter’s progeny, What A Honey, might be the right horse for a swinger bet with Coldhardstare. Lucky Houdalakis’ filly has a favourable high draw.

SELECTIONS

1st Race: (2) Spring Of Elixir (1) Miss Christmas (5) Three Bells (3) Kit Kat Katie

2nd Race: (6) Royal Guide (1) Kambulu (2) Archimedes (3) Celtic Rush

3rd Race: (3) Saka Gold (1) Magic Prince (8) Turbo Power (9) Capsaicin

4th Race: (1) Inventrix (4) Someday Maybe (7) Duenna (5) Law Of Success

5th Race: (5) Team Gold (2) Eye Of The Prophet (1) Safe Passage (3) Shango

6th Race: (4) Cleaver Greene (3) Wind Water (8) Mrs Browning (5) Tsar Bomba

7th Race: (5) Coldhardstare (3) What A Honey (9) Rozara (1) Rockets Red Glare

8th Race: (3) Time For Charity (4) Nettleton (7) Tiz Magic (5) Arilena

The above facebook page is fake.

S’Manga Khumalo Warns Of Facebook Imposter

Sporting Post

Former SA Champion jockey Smanga Khumalo has distanced himself from a Facebook page in his name which attempts to illegally extort money from unwitting racing fans.

The popular jockey, who is off injured after a nasty fall on Sunday, spoke to the Sporting Post via his agent Monty Mariemuthoo.

“Professional jockeys are not permitted to gamble and ‘Bling’ has never offered tips for reward on Facebook or any social media platform,” confirmed Monty, who said that Smanga was saddened to know that innocent and unwitting fans may be lured into the scam.

His real Facebook profile name is Bling Khumalo.

The matter has been reported to Facebook.

Raceriding is just one of the many pressures jockeys face.

‘They’re Human Beings Not Machines’: The Mental Health Challenges Facing Jockeys

Paulick Report article provides an insight into the pressures from many angles faced by jockeys.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

Lady Silvano completes a double for Brett Crawford and is the first leg of a double for Craig Zackey (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Fourie/Snaith Treble, Zackey Double, Brett Crawford Double

Richard Fourie rode a double for Justin Snaith at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth today and Craig Zackey and Brett Crawford also had individual doubles.

Fourie goes to 192 wins for the season at a strike rate of 21.89%.

Snaith has had 115 wins at 12.78%.

Zackey goes to 36 wins at 9.97%.

Brett Crawford goes to 84 wins for the season at a strike rate of 13.29%.

The horse in question is pictured above before the 1957 July. (Source: southafricanracehorse.wordpress.com)

Today’s Question

Which horse born this year 70 years ago was by Lester Piggot’s first major stakes winner and won the Grade 1 SA Guineas before being disqualified from the Met after crossing the line second and he later won the Grade 1 Cape Derby and finished a short-head second in the July.

Turffontein Standside Fields, Thursday

Migraine (far side) just holds on from Masquerader in the 1957 July (via Notable South African Thoroughbred Racehorses video).

ANSWER TO TODAY’S QUESTION

Notable South African Thoroughbred Racehorses (facebook)

Masquerader 1953 b.c. by *Mystery IX-*Wagtail by Epigram.

From the archives of Richard A. Bidnick

Shown here finishing a close second to the beautiful three year old filly Migraine(a very rare occurrence)in the 1957 July Handicap. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE REPLAY

Masquerader was out of the first crop of the exceptionally well bred *Mystery IX who was imported into South Africa after his win in the 1951 Eclipse Stakes. *Mystery IX was piloted in that win by the legendary Lester Piggott and it was his first major stakes win.

Masquerader had an exceptional classic season in 1956-57 winning the South African Guineas and the Cape of Good Hope Derby.

*Mystery IX would go on to sire Aztec who would capture the 1958 Cape of Good Hope Derby giving his sire back to back wins in South Africa’s leading classic at that time.

Turf Talk Newsletter – 17 May, 2023