Turf Talk Newsletter – 06 November, 2023

Future Swings wins easing up under JP van der Merwe (Pauline Herman Photography)

Future Swing became the fifth Justin Snaith-trained winner in the last ten years of the East Cape’s main race, the Listed Jonsson Workwear Algoa Cup over 2000m.

He provided Drakenstein Stud’s stallion Futura with a 16th stakes winner after being brought from off the pace by JP van der Merwe.

That is some feat for the Dynasty sire because he has only had four crops to race.

Futura’s progeny tend to get better with age so not surprisingly his 2017 crop (now six-year-olds) have had seven stakes winners, his 2018 crop four and his 2019 crop five, while his current three-year-olds are still reaching maturity and do not have a stakes winner among them to date.

Future Swing is a Drakenstein homebred, although he is also owned by Ravi Naidoo and Pam Isdell.

He runs in the colours of Naidoo.

Naidoo now races under the name Kalinga (see next article).

Future Swing started at odds of 8/1, but would not have been a surprise winner to Ravi who has always had a high regard for this horse.

It is well documented that Drakenstein hold the record for the most individual stakes winners in a season which they improved last season to 20 having had 18 the season before.

They already have five stakes winners this season.

Future Swing jumped from draw four and was left alone by Van der Merwe in the early stages.

He found a position in midfield and was always travelling well.

Van der Merwe remained admirably patient in the first bit of the straight.

He then drove his mount into a challenging position from the 500m mark.

At the 300m he still looked to have a lot to do being about three lengths behind Gallic Tribe, who had moved into the lead, and with some traffic to negotiate.

Fortunately Gallic Tribe hung inward from the outside which left Future Swing with a dream clear run.

He still looked to have a lot to do with 200m to go but was able to maintain a superbly long stride length which saw him easily swallowing up Gallic Tribe.

Last year’s winner, the Glen Kotzen-trained Han Solo, came from near the back with a resolute finish and emerged as the main danger, but Future Swing showed no signs of wilting and ran out a comfortable 1,25 length winner from Han Solo.

Jacques Strydom was the last local trainer to win the Algoa Cup way back in 2009 with Surfin’ USA and Gallic Tribe looked at one stage to have a chance of ending the drought.

In the end he managed a gallant 1,75 length third.

The Glen Kotzen-trained Lord William was a four length fourth.

Local hero Grazinginthegrass, trained by Alan Greeff, was going for a seventh consecutive win. However, his tasks have generally been easier in conditions races and under handicapping conditions having to carry topweight proved to much for him, although he tried hard all the way up the straight to finish a meritorious fifth under a welter 61.5kg burden.

Snaith won the Algoa Cup last year with Legislate gelding Hoedspruit, with Horse Chestnut gelding Magnificent Seven in 2018 and with Silvano gelding Nebula in 2016 and 2017.

All the raider winners since 2009 have come from Cape Town with the exception of the 2015 winner, the Sean Tarry-trained Stonehenge.

JP van der Merwe revealed his instructions had been to get the horse to drop the bit as early and for as long as possible being a horse whose previous four wins had all been over a mile and who was trying 2000m for the first time. He could not have fulfilled the instructions any better.

Ravi Naidoo (glasses on) leads in Cousin Casey after a big win at Hollywoodbets Greyville (Picture: Candiese Lenferna). 

Ravi Naidoo has had two fitting winners under the name he now races, Kalinga.

The name has an interesting background and refers to the Indian state of Odisha, which in ancient times was known as Kalinga.

Ravi’s great grandfather came to South Africa in 1904 having grown up in a village in the region formerly known as Kalinga.

The name of the latter region is derived from a tribe of the same name.

The Kalingas were a maritime force who created trade routes in South East Asia and were the equivalent of the Western maritime force, the Dutch East India company.

Ravi feels it to be a particularly poignant name for a company that will hold equine and farming interests.

As a Springbok rugby fan Ravi’s first winner under Kalinga was most fitting being the Justin Snaith-trained Master Of My Fate gelding Master Of Paris. He won  on October 10 at Hollywoodbets Durbanville, just 18 days before the Boks lifted the Rugby World Cup trophy in Paris.

Kalinga owns Master Of Paris together with Nancy Hossack and Pam Isdell.

Ravi’s second win under the name was in his own French grey colours and violet cap and came in Gqeberha’s biggest race, the Listed Jonsson Workwear Algoa Cup on Sunday.

The Snaith-trained Futura gelding Future Swing, whom he part-owns with Drakenstein Stud and Pam Isdell, won comfortably under JP van der Merwe on Sunday.

Ravi’s big hope for the season at this stage will likely be with his Gr 1-winning champion colt Cousin Casey, whom Kalinga own outright. This Vercingetorix colt is being tried in a new environment up on the Highveld with Sean Tarry. He made a good start up there with a second place finish in the Gr 2 Allied Steelrode On A Mission Charity Mile.

Cousin Casey is currently a 7/1 shot with the sponsor for Jo’Burg’s traditional biggest race, the Gr 1 R5 million Betway Summer Cup.

Ravi owns the Gr 2 winner and Gr 1 placed Zapatillas with the same partners as he owns Future Swing.

This Brett Crawford-trained Master Of My Fate entire is recuperating after another arthroscopy (procedure for the treatment of joints) and “will be back next Autumn”.

Ravi’s fascinating history in racing was documented by Turf Talk in the build up to last year’s Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas (read below):

Ravi was born in and grew up in Durban.

He said, “I am definitely not a Johnny-come-lately. I have had a long love affair with racing ever since In Full Flight won the July in 1972. I was only eight years old, but can remember my father backing the winner. After that I used to read the form and was fascinated by the pictures showing the 800m, 400m and finishing positions. I used to know all the course records etc too.”

He continued, “Then in the early 1980s members of my family became an advance guard during the apartheid years by being granted their colours, so they were pioneers and owned a good horse called Casal Garcia.”

This Harry Hotspur filly won seven races and was multiple stakes-placed, including a narrow second in the Tibouchina.

Ravi also recalled her breaking a course record once.

Later, Ravi went down to UCT and with encouragement from Professor Tim Noakes decided to do a post grad study on EPO, a naturally occurring cytokine which was a controversial topic in athletics at the time as there were practices being used to manipulate its abundance in the bloodstreams of unscrupulous athletes.

He thus regularly accompanied veterinarian Bob McDaniel on his rounds at the Cape Town training tracks, which always ended with him taking some vials of blood back to UCT for study purposes having been drawn from racehorse’s neck veins.

Ravi then decided to contact Alec Hogg, who was at the time publishing the Racing Digest, to tell him he was in a good position to talk to trainers.

“So I wrote for the Racing Digest for a while.”

Later, with his second pay cheque working for an advertising company, he bought a 10% share in a Dancing Champ filly who was a three-parts sister to Olympic Duel.

He began expanding his interest, but it all ground to a halt when a consortium he had joined bought into an expensive import called Habaayib.

This horse injured a canon bone in his third SA start and Ravi decided  to take a complete sabbatical from ownership. He  did not even excercise his stallion rights.

It was at a L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate after-party a few years ago where he was encouraged by Gaynor Rupert to own again.

She invited him to join the L’Ormarins Syndicate and he accepted.

Later, Gaynor, Pam Isdell and Ravi started a fun group in which they buy three horses at the National Yearling Sales per year and race them together.

They call themselves “The Tricolores” and draw to see whose colours the horses will run in. The person who draws the colours is also allowed to choose the trainer.

One of their first runners together was Zapatillas, who won the Grade 2 WSB Guineas.

As the bug had bitten again, Ravi began buying for himself and hence the purchase of Cousin Casey.

Atticus Finch wins the Victory Moon in eyecatching style (JC Photos) 

The Alec Laird-trained Varsfontein Stud-bred Master Of My Fate gelding Atticus Finch won the Gr 3 Betway Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m in fine style on Saturday at Turffontein Standside and in the process opened up an interesting Betway Summer Cup formline that might highlight two or three horses as fair value in Johannesburg’s biggest race.

On a line through Victory Moon runner up Electric Gold, Atticus Finch will need to show a few lengths improvement to beat Puerto Manzano in the Summer Cup.

Electric Gold was 8kg better off then weight for age with Puerto Manzano when beaten 1,75 lengths in the Jubilee Stakes over 1800m last June.

Atticus Finch beat Electric Gold by 1,25 lengths at level weights on Saturday and as things stand will likely only be 5,5kg better off than weight for age with Puerto Manzano in the Summer Cup.

That means on paper he needs to find an extra three lengths to match Puerto Manzano.

By the manner of victory on Saturday he could do that.

His sire Master Of My Fate by Jet Master brings him enough stamina to enjoy 2000m.

His damsire is Caesour who sired the like of Irridescance, winner of the Gr 1 QE II Cup in Hong Kong over 2000m, as well as Regal Ransom, winner of the Gr 1 Champions Challenge over the Summer Cup course and distance.

Atticus Finch’s dam Alexia was an unplaced maiden but she is very well related being the dam of Main Defender’s dam Alessia (Judpot) as well as being a full sister to two stakes winners and a half-sister to two others.

Atticus Finch is currently the 13/2 second favourite with the sponsor for the Summer Cup.

However, his formline exposes a horse or two who look too long in the Summer Cup betting

The Nathan Kotzen-trained Royal Victory is a 67/1 shot with Hollywoodbets for the Summer Cup, for which he was supplemented.

This Pathfork gelding finished a three length fifth in the Gr 1 WSB SA Classic last season, beating Electric Gold at level weights by 4,25 lengths. On the previously discussed formline that puts him in with a big chance if he gets into the field carrying 54kg off his current 111 merit rating.

Billy Bowlegs was third in the SA Classic, 1,25 lengths ahead of Royal Victory, and on Saturday he gave the winner and the runner up 6kg and was beaten just 1,50 lengths.

In the Summer Cup he will carry 55,5kg as things stand, which is just 1,5kg more than the likely weight for Atticus Finch, so on paper his Summer Cup price with the sponsor of 15/1 is thus too long. On paper he should beat Atticus Finch by three lengths on the form of Saturday’s race.

On the other hand Atticus Finch did look to have a bit in hand at the line.

On Saturday a flood of money for Atticus Finch saw him shortening into even money for the Victory Moon, a traditional pointer to the Summer Cup.

Calvin Habib boldly took the four-year-old Varfontein Stud-bred gelding to the front from draw eight.

The impressive part about him getting there by the first turn was he still had his ears pricked and was clearly relaxed as he used his big action to lope along.

In the straight Habib let out some rein and the horse’s ears remained pricked as he stretched out down the centre.

He was challenged on the outside by a number of horses, including his old stablemate Billy Bowlegs, and by Electric Gold on his inside.

However, Atticus Finch found extra when given a backhander and then found another gear when changing legs at the 200m mark.

His demeanour was never of a horse who was under great pressure, but rather of one who was more than willing to do what was being asked of him.

It was his fourth win in succession following a five month layoff and he has never won by far, winning by 1,25 lengths 1,80 lengths and 2,25 lengths over 1600m, before seeming to relish the step up in trip to 1800m on Saturday.

On the downside he did only have to carry 52kg under the conditions of the race and will have to carry at least 54kg in the Summer Cup as that is the new bottom weight under the current conditions.

However, he looks to be progressive and also looks to have the perfect racing temperament i.e. a relaxed way of racing and a lot of courage.

 Mucho Dinero is in a race of his own under Yuzae Ramzan (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Gqeberha-based jockey Yuzae Ramzan grabbed the opportunity with both hands when given a chance on the Justin Snaith-trained Twice Over gelding Mucho Dinero on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Durbanville in the Listed Woolavington Trophy over 2400m.

The 93 merit rated four-year-old gelding was allotted a weight of just 50kg and Snaith was left with a problem when the Cape-based lightweight rider whom he regurlarly uses, Joshwin Solomons, had already been booked to ride the Greg Ennion-trained Love Is A Rose.

Snaith said after the race, “I called all over, including trying Martin Ball at the SA Jockey Academy in KZN. Eventually I thought of trainer Gavin Smith in Gqeberha. He suggested Yuzae Ramzan as a hardworking and talented jockey. I rang owner Nic Jonsson. He said let’s give him a chance. The rest is history.”

Mucho Dinero was only third favourite behind the Piet Botha-trained Baratheon and the Snaith-trained One Way Traffic, who also runs in the Jonsson colours.

Ramzan brought Mucho Dinero from near the back in a race that was run at a sedate pace initially set by Baratheon before One Way Traffic came from midfield and went around him at about the halfway mark.

However, Richard Fourie on Baratheon did not accept the cover offered him by One Way Traffic and imstead challenged him on his outside, so must have been aware of how slowly he had initially been going.

Baratheon ended up pipping One Way Traffic by a shorthead but neither of them were a match for Much Dinero who came flying on the outside and won by an easy 4,25 lengths. He was receiving 4kg from baratheon and 8kg from One Wat Traffic.

Topweight Senso Unico, carrying a welter 62kg, finished a gallant 4,80 length fourth coming from last and Love Is A Rose was next best.

Much Dinero provides Jonsson with yet another stakes winner by Twice Over. The Durban-based businessman is the owner or part-owner of the three best Twice Overs to race, the legendary dual July-winning Do It Again, the dual Gr 1 winner See It Again and the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas winner Double Superlative.

Mucho Dinero, like See It Again, was bred by Drakenstein Stud.

He is out of stalwart Casey Tibbs mare Cash Register, who is a full-sister to July winner Big City Life.

Cash Register has had five runners and every single one of them is now a stakes winner, the others being Speedpoint (Var), Snapscan (Oratorio), Point Of Sale (Var) and Chat Ching (Duke Of Marmalade).

The Willie Mullins-trained Vauban is the hot favourite for the Melbourne Cup and will be ridden by Ryan Moore (Picture: The Age) 

CLICK HERE TO GET INFORMATION ON ALL OF THE RUNNERS FOR THE RACE THAT STOPS THE NATION, THE MELBOURNE CUP

Cody Dorman posed for a trophy photo after his namesake, Cody’s Wish, won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Park in California on Saturday. Cody, who died on the trip home to Kentucky on Sunday, was pictured with his father Kelly (holding trophy), mother Leslie (at left) and sister Kylie. Ashley Landis AP

Cody Dorman, whose relationship with a horse who was named after him became an inspiration to the country, died while flying from Los Angeles to Kentucky the day after Cody’s Wish won his second Breeders’ Cup race.

He was 17. “We are heartbroken to share the news that our beloved Cody suffered a medical event on our trip home to Kentucky (Sunday) and he has passed away,” Kelly and Leslie Dorman, Cody’s parents, said in a statement. “On Saturday, Cody watched his best friend, Cody’s Wish, display his usual perseverance and toughness in winning a second Breeders’ Cup. Those are the same characteristics Cody has showed time and again for the 18 years we were blessed to have him. We have been completely amazed to experience the impact Cody has had on so many people, through the journey that this wondrous racehorse has taken us all on.”

Dorman, from Richmond, was born with the rare genetic disorder Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, and the effects include delayed growth and development, intellectual disability, low muscle tone and seizures. He was not supposed to live past age 2 and used a wheelchair.

Cody and his family were celebrating Cody’s 18th birthday a month early when they came to Santa Anita to see his namesake run in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

The horse, who was running his last race, won by a nose and also had to endure a five-minute inquiry after there was bumping between him and National Treasure down the stretch.

Cody was waiting down in the winner’s circle as he has on several other occasions.

“With Cody’s diagnosis at birth, we always knew this day would come, but we were determined to help Cody live his best life for however long we had him,” the boy’s parents, Kelly and Leslie Dorman, wrote.

It was in October 2018, when Cody attended a Make-a-Wish event, sponsored by Keeneland, at Gainsborough Farm in Versailles.

There was concern because Cody was in a wheelchair and Danny Mulvihill, the farm manager, was unsure how a young horse would react to that unfamiliar piece of equipment.

So, he chose an unnamed colt who had not yet been weaned from his mother, Dance Card.

“The foal just came out and took a look at the wheelchair and Cody, and took a second look and inched closer and never gave us a cause for concern,” Mulvihill said. “And he just kept inching closer until his nose was right there. He was nuzzling Cody’s hand and then his head went into Cody’s lap.”

The next year, the colt was named Cody’s Wish at the suggestion of Mary Bourne, the office manager at Gainsborough, who had stayed in touch with the Dorman family.

Two years later, Cody was having problems at home and his parents thought a visit to the farm and to see the horse he seemingly bonded with would help Cody. A visit was set up. Again, there was concern because Cody’s Wish was now full sized, fit and in training.

But, things worked out perfectly. “(The trainer’s) exact words to me when he came out is, ‘That horse remembered who he was,’” said Mulvihill. “Once again, he pulled him, pulled him, pulled him forward and he was right there in front of Cody again and nuzzling his hand.”

That scene played out several times as Cody went to the horse’s races at Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Saratoga and on Saturday, at Santa Anita.

“I think that horse probably saved Cody’s life in a lot of ways,” Kelly Dorman said Saturday. “I know him and the horse have made a lot of lives better.”

Saturday’s victory ensured a storybook ending for Cody’s Wish in his final race before retirement. He won 11 of 16 career starts, including eight in stakes races, and over $3.1 million in earnings for owner Godolphin.

“This heartfelt story has touched the hearts of many in and outside of the thoroughbred industry,” Dan Pride, chief operating officer of Godolphin, said in a statement. “And while Cody’s passing has saddened us, we find comfort in knowing that Cody found many joyous moments during this journey with his best friend, Cody’s Wish. Our hearts are with the Dorman family.”

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO OF CODY DORMAN’S BOND WITH CODY’S WISH 

Richard Fourie clinched his treble on the Wendy Whitehead-trained Vercingetorix filly Minogue (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Richard Fourie rode a treble on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf today (Monday) and MJ Odendaal sent out a double.

Fourie is now on 80 wins for the season at 21.45% and has opened up a ten win lead on Muzi Yeni on the national log.

Odendaal is on 8 wins at 11.11%.

The Melbourne Cup has been won 14 times by a female horse in its 162 runnings.

Twleve female individuals have won the Melbourne Cup as the legendary Makybe Diva won it three times in succession, 2003, 2004 ane 2005, and she is the only horse in history to have won the race that stops a nation three times.

Verry Eleegant in 2021 was the last female to win the race.