Questioning winning the Gr 3 Cape Classic in impressive style (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Turf Talk

The Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup over 1600m will headline the much anticipated meeting on Sunday, which sees racing return to a revamped Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

The highest rated horse in the race is the Vaughan Marshall-trained Querari gelding Questioning, who is a more forward type than his Listed-winning half-brother Senso Unico (Twice Over). Questioning was reeling off a hattrick when winning the Gr 3 Cape Classic over 1400m easing up under Bernard Fayd’Herbe last time out. The handicappers raised him 20 points to 111 for the run which made him the current highest rated Cape-trained sophomore. He has drawn well in two. He is out of a speedy twice-winner by Captain Al, but Senso Unico’s Listed win was over 2000m and he also has a half-brother by Oratorio, whose three wins for Marshall included two over this trip. Questioning is drawn well in two and Fayd’herbe stays aboard.

The Sean Tarry-trained Tail Of The Comet has won his two starts this season over 1450m and 1400m respectively in easy and impressive style. He beat the useful filly Just Be Lekker by 4,25 lengths in the BSA Sales Cup over 1400m last time out. The Gimmethegreenlight colt is out of a speedy Listed-winning Jet Master mere but gives the impression he will enjoy a mile. He has a fine turn of foot and Richard Fourie stays aboard from draw five.

The Justin Snaith-trained Trippi colt Hluhluwe has a lot of potential. He was a shorthead loser to My Golly Molly in the Gr 3 WSB Langerman over 1500m at the end of last season. He has won his only start this season over 1400m by 0,30 lengths from Zoomie, to whom he gave 3kg. The latter franked it by winning the Listed ROA Stakes over 1600m at Fairview next time out. Hluhluwe has his second run after a layoff and has the widest draw in the ten horse field, but stable jockey Grant van Niekerk is up. Hluhluwe is a half-brother to two horses who have won over staying trips and to another one who has won over 2000m, so he should relish the step up in trip.

His stablemate Snow Pilot by Lancaster Bomber was a 1,75 length runner up to Questioning in the Cape Classic and is out of the Gr 1 Majorca Stakes amd Gr 2 WSB Fillies Guineas winner Snowdance, so should relish the mile trip on pedigree. He has an impressive stride, but is widely drawn in nine. He took quite a strong hold in the Cape Classic from a wide draw, so did well to stay on for a 1,75 length second. If he finds cover in this race and drops the bit he could have a fine chance under JP van der Merwe.

The Dean Kannemeyer-trained Green With Envy was drawn in pole in the Cape Classic and sat behind Questioning. He could not match the latter in the straight and was beaten four lenghths. However, he was doing his best work late and is by Gimethegreenlight out of a Galileo mare, so should relish the step up in trip. He is drawn seven under Craig Zackey.

The Brett Crawford-trained Zoomie proved he likes this trip when winning the ROA Stakes and this Querari gelding now has pole position, so could be in the shake up. However, he was receiving 3kg from Hluhluwe when beaten 0,30 lengths over 1400m before his Fairview win.

The Eric Sands-trained My Golly Molly won the Langerman and a line can be drawn through his Cape Classic last place finish as he suffered a dreadful trip in which he was continually shuffled outward. The Fire Away colt should enjoy the trip but has a tricky draw of eight under Corne Orffer.

The Gareth van Zyl-trained King Pelles was just 1,30 lengths behind the fine unbeaten prospect Mexican Pete last time out in the Model man Mile over 1600m on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf. How the latter does in the Gr 2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans on Saturday could be a good pointer to this Duke Of Marmalade colt’s chances.

The Piet Steyn-trained Greeting My Master is held by Hluhluwe and Questioning on 1400m form and although his sire Master of My Fate should help him stay this trip his Kahal dam Eastern Greeting was a Gr 2 winning sprinter and his useful half-sister Winter Greeting (What A Winter) faded over 1400m on Friday evening after hitting the front.

The Ricky Maingard-trained Var gelding Just Var has to make up 11,90 lengths on Questioning from the Cape Classic.

It is going to be an intriguing race which could be fought out by Questioning and Tail Of The Comet. Hluhluwe has his second run after a rest, but in time could become as good as the former pair and might even threaten here, while Snow Pilot will be a big runner if he finds cover and settles well. Green With Envy is not out of it either as he shoud enjoy the step up in trip and should be running on.

The field for the Gr 2 Punters Cup is shown below:

Race-8 (Turf) R500 000 1600m 16:25 Ref-208
1st R296875, 2nd R95000, 3rd R47500, 4th R23750, 5th R11875, RCIS R25000
CAPE PUNTERS CUP (Grade 2)
For 3 year-olds

No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
1 1 Zoomie 60 101 A Luyolo Mxothwa Brett Crawford
2 2 Questioning 60 111 A Bernard Fayd’Herbe Vaughan Marshall
3 3 Greeting My Master 60 95 A Ashton Arries Piet Steyn
4 4 Just Var 60 90 A Denis Schwarz Ricky Maingard
5 5 Tail Of The Comet 60 106 A Richard Fourie Sean Tarry
6 6 King Pelles 60 93 A Athandiwe Mgudlwa Gareth van Zyl
7 7 Green With Envy 60 101 A Craig Zackey Dean Kannemeyer
8 8 My Golly Molly 60 100 A Corne Orffer Eric Sands
9 9 Snow Pilot 60 105 A Juan Paul v’d Merwe Justin Snaith
10 10 Hluhluwe 60 105 A Grant van Niekerk Justin Snaith
Same Trainer
(9,10)

Purple Pitcher winning the BSA Sales Cup (JC Photos). 

Turf Talk

Robyn Klaasen has two runners in big races on Saturday at “the Big T”, Second Base in the Gr 1 R5 million Betway Summer Cup and the exciting prospect Purple Pitcher in the Gr 2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans over 1600m.

Six-year-old Gimmethegreenlight gelding Second Base was ignored in the betting for the Gr 1 weight for age WSB Premier’s Champions Challenge over the 2000m course and distance of the Summer Cup in his first start for the Klaasen yard earlier this year and only just failed, beaten a shorthead by Summer Cup winner Puerto Manzano.

He started 33/1 that day and has been ignored again, being at 80/1 with the sponsor, but Robyn said, “I can’t really blame them this time after his run in the Charity Mile (beaten 12,25 lengths off a 120 merit rating).”

He was lowered three points by the handicapper to 117 after that run and jumps from draw seven under Kaidan Brewer.

Robyn said, “He needed the Charity Mile run quite badly. It was also very short for him and the race just did not work out for him from his draw (of nine) the way Dave The King went so fast. I am expecting him to run a nice race on Saturday . He’s got a nice draw (seven out of 20). He can be handier than he normally is from that draw, which will help, and hopefully that is what he needs.”

Robyn bought the Gold Star Stud-bred Second Base at a horses in training sale for a bargain R150,000 and he is owned by Nu-Atlas Racing (Nom: Mr P J Klaasen) in partnership with Mr “Stinky” Pooe.

Mr Pooe also owns the Bush Hill Stud-bred New Predator colt Purple Pitcher, who is unbeaten in four starts since joining the Klaasen yard.

Robyn said, “He’s doing very well, can’t fault him in his work and his well-being.”

She confirmed he was a progressive horse and added, “He is still very dum, believe it or not, which I think works in his favour because he doesn’t overdo it in his work.”

He beat Gimmeanotherchance at level weights in the BSA Sales Cup by two lengths over 1450m and the latter was subsequently beaten 3,20 lengths by Dingaans favourite Sandringham Summit in the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m.

That leaves Purple Pitcher with about four lengths to find on Sandringham Summit on paper.

However, he does have a draw of six out of twelve compared to Sandringham Summit’s nine.

Robyn said about the draw, “He is so versatile he can be placed anywhere, but having that nice draw makes it a bit easier.”

She added, “I am expecting a huge run from him.”

Purple Pitcher has his final work out on Wednesday. Not a lot has had to be done with him because he has had a run every month of this season.

He will be ridden by Kabelo Matsunyane, who has been aboard for all four of his wins to date.

Picture: Anfields Rocket winning the Gr 1 WSB SA Classic (JC Photos)

Turf Talk

Last year’s Gr 1 WSB SA Classic winner over 1800m, the Grant Maroun-trained Anfields Rocket, has had a gallop since his 9,90 length fifth in the Gr 2 Betway Jo’Burg Spring Challenge over 1450m and runs in the Gr 1 R5 million Betway Summer Cup over 2000m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday.

Maroun said about the Coup de Grace gelding, who was bought from him by the Hollywood Syndicate before the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas last season, ” I’m happy with the draw (10). The horse is pretty fit, he’s very well, he’s very sound and I am very confident he will run a big race. He’s won the Classic on Turffontein Standside and he’s run his best races there.”

Anfields Rocket also won the Gr 3 Allied Steelrode Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m on Turffontein Standside and finished a staying on third in the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m there.

He stayed on resolutely from midfield in the SA Classic after being left alone from draw two.

His rider that day was Raymond Danielson and this talented jockey, who has a fine Gr 1-winning record, will be aboard on Saturday.

Grant said as Anfields Rocket won a Gr 1 over 1800m as a three-year-old he should get 2000m as a four-year-old.

Anfields Rocket is a 20/1 shot currently with the sponsor.

Maroun also runs Lance gelding Sea Shanty on the day, provided he has recovered from his fair fifth place finish on debut on Friday evening. He gives him a “small place chance” in the second race over 1160m.

Picture: A December 1931 picture of the Turffontein grandstand (equilife.co.za)

Mike Moon unearths some fascinating facts about the Summer Cup

Jamieson Raid put on hold for a week as it clashed with the big race meeting

Mike Moon (The Citizen)

The first major social event ever staged in Johannesburg was a horse race meeting.

To modern generations obsessed with celebs and awards ceremonies, that might sound far-fetched; an old git’s tall tale from the racing pages. But it’s true.

George Harrison tripped over a rock on the farm Langlaagte, held it up and said, “Here Comes the Sun!”.

OK, that bit’s not all true. But, in early 1886, Aussie minerals prospector George did stumble on the richest seam of gold the world has ever seen.

It opened the floodgates to fortune seekers from around the world, the first ones arriving weeks later and setting up a digger settlement known as Ferreira’s Camp. By December, the competitive nature of these desperadoes and their gambling instincts saw to it that a racetrack was marked out in the veld and transport horses were racing against each other.

First running of Summer Cup

The whole camp turned out in their posh gear.

A year later, what we now know as the Summer Cup, was first run. In 1887, and for years thereafter, the big race was known as the Johannesburg Handicap – and the annual summer meeting has always been the premier race day on the Highveld.

The first winner was an outsider, Haco, whose victory produced “deafening” shouting from ecstatic bookmakers, or “pencillers”, according to the Eastern Star newspaper.

That meeting, on a course ploughed in what is now known as City & Suburban – and which contains Arts on Main and the Kwai Mai Mai Traditional Market – attracted more than 3,000 spectators.

“The whole town kept high holiday for the occasion … and was free from the drunkenness and rowdyism witnessed at some meetings,” ran a report.

Turffontein
The newly established Johannesburg Turf Club acquired nearby farm Turffontein in 1889 and started to build the course we know today.

In the early years, the greatest champion was an English import called Malgo, who won the Summer Handicap over a mile and a half, the Merchants sprint (still on the Summer Cup card) and another, third race on consecutive days in 1897.

The popularity of summer racing in Johannesburg is evident from a telegram sent by mining tycoon Cecil Rhodes to his friend Leander Starr Jameson, who was preparing for his abortive raid on the city: “…the polo tournament [code name for the raid] is postponed for one week as it would clash with Race Week.”

The race’s two greatest champions were Java, who won three times in the 1950s, and Elevation, who notched a hat-trick in the 1970s.

But many famous horses have made it into the winner’s box – Pamphlet, Lenin, Hengist, Numeral, Home Guard, El Picha, Master Sabina and Summer Pudding.

Restoring the old magic
The arrival of corporate sponsorship saw the Summer Handicap renamed several times and even moved to a date in autumn.

Eventually it lost a lot of its glamour and prestige. In recent decades, though, a major effort has gone into restoring the old magic – with a return to the old date and the liberal application of gold dust.

Current sponsor Betway is on board for a second year and has upped the prize money to R5-million. The 2023 action takes place on Saturday 25 November at Turffontein.

Incidentally, George Harrison sold his claim at Langlaagte for £10 and was never heard of again.

Nonetheless, a giant statue of him at Eastgate reminds us of why we all scrabble away in the mining camp. A public park bearing his name, at his old diggings just south of the Mayfair shunting yards, long ago became a zama zama holdout.

Ndaka clinched the double for the Crawford yard and the win was celebrated joyously by a passionate group of young racing friends (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Andrew Harrison (Gold Circle)

Lola Crawford may hold the trainer’s license but her daughters Taryn, assistant, and Haley are tasked with the training.

The move from Ashburton to Summerveld was not an easy transition given that they were not familiar with Summerveld.

Leading up to Sunday’s Hollywoodbets Scottsville meeting they had only had one win since their relocation.

However, it now stands at three.

That was thanks to the yard’s first ever double.

The gelding Happy Wanderer (Pathfork) was well named as he was never easy to train but perseverance triumphed as he came home lonely under apprentice Siphesihle Hlengwa, despite being 4.5kg under sufferance in the 1200m handicap event.

Next up for Crawford was Ndaka (Willow Magic), who came from draw three under Tristan Godden in the 1000m handicap to give Crawford a well-deserved double by 1,30 lengths from a flying Northern Warrior.

Ndaka is owned by a quartet of enthusiastic owners with Brendan Gaillard leading the vocals. Chad Britz, Jarred Eady and Kyle Storkey are the other three owners.

They displayed their passion in the post race interview: CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW 

Turf Talk wrote last year about this group of racing friends.

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THESE PASSIONATE RACING FRIENDS

Major Apollo winning second time out over 1000m (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Jack Milner (Tab4Racing)

The last couple of meetings at Hollywoodbets Durbanville have not been particularly punter friendly but this is the last meeting at the course for a while as racing returns to Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Sunday.

Hopefully we can rely on jockey Richard Fourie to do us a good turn when he resumes his partnership with Greg Ennion-trained Major Apollo in Race 6, a Cape C Stakes over 1000m.

Fourie has ridden the gelding in his two starts to date, both at this course.

This three-year-old son of Captain Of All caught the eye when running on well to finish third on debut behind William West, with whom he renews rivalry, and confirmed that promise by winning next time out at restricted odds.

Major Apollo also impressed the handicappers as he will carry 61.5kg from the widest No 7 gate but that is unlikely to prevent him from winning again. He has the most scope for improvement so could well prove better than rated.

William West had the benefit of six previous runs before shedding his maiden tag and there were 2.25 lengths between himself and an unraced Major Apollo, who is likely to have improved more than that deficit.

The former was also conceding 9kg to last-start conqueror Wordsworth when finishing third in a similar contest last time and is 1.5kg better off now for a 1.35-length beating.

Bonanza, who split those rivals last month when runner-up on his return from a break, is closely matched on that form so also enters the equation.

On a line through William West, however, improving Major Apollo ought to have the measure of them all, even from the widest gate.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 6 Quick Trip, 8 Tres Chic, 3 Nile The Boss, 7 True Horizon

Race 2: 3 Time For Love, 8 Lickety Split, 1 Bytheliteofthemoon, 7 Grandiosa

Race 3: 3 Naushon, 6 Flash Lightning, 2 Apache Chief, 10 Run Rudolph Run

Race 4: 2 Storm Boulevard, 1 Masterofallstorms, 3 Heknows, 7 Weather King

Race 5: 7 Epikleros, 4 Gentleman Joe, 1 Avignon, 8 Exceeder

Race 6: 7 Major Apollo, 5 Bonanza, 3 William West, 1 Axl

Race 7: 2 Icy Blast, 1 The Abdicator, 7 Bluff On Bluff, 5 Tough Terrain

Race 8: 7 Open Highway, 2 Masked Vigilante, 1 Fort Red, 3 Hard Winter

BEST BET

Race 2 No 3 Time For Love

VALUE BET

Race 8 No 7 Open Highway

BEST SWINGER

Race 2 3×8

BIPOT

R192

Leg 1: 6, 8

Leg 2: 3

Leg 3: 3, 6

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3

Leg 5: 1, 4, 7, 8

Leg 6: 1, 3, 5, 7

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 3

Leg 2: 3, 6

Leg 3: 1, 2

Leg 4: 1, 4, 7

Leg 5: 3, 5, 7

Leg 6: 1, 2

Leg 7: 1, 2, 7

PICK 6

R1728

Leg 1: 2, 3, 6

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 7

Leg 3: 1, 4, 7, 8

Leg 4: 1, 3, 5, 7

Leg 5: 1, 2, 7

Leg 6: 1, 2, 7

JACKPOT 1

R192

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 7

Leg 2: 1, 4, 7, 8

Leg 3: 1, 3, 5, 7

Leg 4: 1, 2, 7

JACKPOT 2

R144

Leg 1: 1, 4, 7, 8

Leg 2: 1, 3, 5, 7

Leg 3: 1, 2, 7

Leg 4: 1, 2, 7

National Colour was a champion sprinter and was ironically out of a mare by the disappointing racehorse Mr Eats (Ire) (Picture: Gold Circle)

Charl Pretorius’ Off The Record Column #2

Abraham Lincoln, known for his eloquence and wisdom, once said: “The desire to own a fast racehorse is like the desire to eat a hasty meal; it must be fed”. It is true, indeed, that the majority of active thoroughbred owners are prepared to persevere as long as it takes, often having to feed an endless line of slow horses for their dream of getting just one racer with the powerful pace needed to smash records.

The fast thoroughbreds get the praise, the headlines and, by implication, the big cash. The slow ones softly disappear from the racing scene and often become the butt of jokes. There are horse lovers who retain a soft spot for their mediocre performers. Some track rejects are placed with suitable new owners and go on to happy new careers in eventing or showjumping.

According to certain sources on Google, the slowest horse in recorded history was ‘Buddy’, a chestnut gelding who raced in the early 1920s in England. He was sired by Galtee More, one of the champion stallions of the time, and trained by the renowned Tom Lawlor. Despite his impressive lineage, Buddy was known for his laid-back attitude and lack of speed on the track. It was joked that he was so slow that he once stopped in mid-race to take a nap. “I’ve seen garden snails with a more aggressive racing strategy,” Lawlor reportedly said.

Buddy’s last race at Windsor Great Park in 1924 was particularly disastrous. He finished last, and the race officials actually had to stop the clock because Buddy was so far behind! The poor guy even earned himself a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the slowest racehorse in history.

In South Africa, like elsewhere, all trainers have had experiences with slow thoroughbreds and their amusing recollections are easy to come by. We’ve got two of the most interesting true stories in this week’s Off The Record, with a few more next week.

Retired horseman Cliffie Otto told of a very expensive purchase that joined his stable in the early 1990s. His name is long forgotten, but he was a stunning bay by champion stallion Foveros, owned by big hitters Jaap van der Vendel and Joe Stravino.

“We had high expectations for this one,” Otto recalled. “He was a beautiful looking specimen by the best stallion from a top mare. They paid R400,000 for him at one of the auction sales. That was a massive amount of money at the time. But from the first day we tried him on the training tracks we could see he was going nowhere. He had absolutely no ability whatsoever. I gelded him, gave him work on sand and on grass and we put a pair of blinkers on one day to see if that would work. But he seemed to run even slower.

“There was a story going round at time that the horse broke loose from his handler one morning and that my Cocker Spaniel ran after it and proved to be the faster of the pair. But that was really just a pub joke. Closer to the truth is that I could personally run faster than this horse, with my gum boots on!

“Jaap and Joe eventually gave the slow steed away to a riding school. He retired without running in a race. They didn’t want the public to see their names in the race card next to the slowest, most expensive racehorse that ever came through the stable!”

Former trainer, Scott Kenny, remembered another expensive racetrack failure, although this horse redeemed himself through one of his daughters. Named Mr Eats (IRE), he was imported as a three-year-old colt from the United Kingdom, where he was Group-placed several times, including a fourth place in the 1986 G1 Racing Post Trophy to the highly regarded Reference Point.

Kenny said: “Mr Eats, by Nishapour, was brought to South Africa at a cost of well over a (then staggering) R1-million for my patron Henry Devine. His aim was to win major local races with the colt, with a view to a good future career at his Golden Oaks Stud. His ability was in his form, there for all to see and Mr. Devine wanted to start him off in Durban.

“There was an early setback. When Mr Eats came out of quarantine in Johannesburg, he had to endure a long and tiring trip to Durban. He was dehydrated, got sick and had to be put on a drip. He was stabled by Herman Brown (sr), who gave him ample time to recover but reported after a while that Mr Eats wasn’t showing much in work. He raced twice in Durban without showing any kind of enthusiasm and finished downfield, so Mr. Devine decided to relocate him to my stable at Newmarket.

“We were both excited, thinking that his poor runs came as a result of his not enjoying coastal conditions or suffering the effects of his post-quarantine trip. However, when put through his paces, Mr Eats showed us nothing, and his work riders weren’t exactly impressed. We were thinking that perhaps he was a horse that reserved his best for an actual race.

“When Mr Eats was physically as fit and well as we could get him, I entered him for a 1400m race at Turffontein, hoping for the best, but halfway through we knew our fate. He never got into the hunt, trailed in many lengths behind the winner. There is a raw, sinking feeling that goes with the realisation that your boom horse is going to be an expensive failure – more so, of course, for the individual that invested the money. Discouraged, Mr Devine and I walked to the unsaddling enclosure where we found Mr Eats limping. He was lame on his off-fore leg and in discomfort.

“While that would have explained his bad run, we had the leg X-rayed and, to our surprise, the X-rays showed that Mr Eats had a plate and screws inserted in his off-fore joint. This was something which was no revealed to Mr Devine by the seller’s agent and had, by hook or by crook, not been visible on the outside of his leg. There were no bumps or scars.

“Considering some potential value at stud, Mr. Devine retired Mr Eats to stud, where he understandably received little support. But the story has a good ending. Mr Eats proudly redeemed himself by siring the seven-time winning filly Rainbow Cake, who made him a grandsire of some repute. In 1996 Rainbow Cake foaled down with National Colour (National Assembly), the great international sprinter, Equus Champion and later Broodmare of the Year in Australia. Her progeny sold for millions.”

National Colour’s sons included Rafeef and Mustaaqeem (both by Redoute’s Choice), and both scoring at G1 level for owner Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. They are both at stud, Rafeef already among the top sires in South Africa and a potential future champion.”

Next week: Geoff Woodruff remembers his slowest horse, Mike de Kock tells of one expensive, outright failure. Kevin Shea recalls his strategy to tell owners about their slow horses.

Turf Talk

Since 1950, which was the year Johannesburg went from having four main races a year to having just the one i.e. the Summer Handicap,  the following females have won the city’s biggest race:

The Ricky Howard-Ginsberg-trained Birch Brothers-bred Bold Cherry (Plum Bold) (1980);

The Terrance Millard-trained Enchanted Garden (Roland Gardens)  (1986);

The Mike de Kock-trained Evening Mist (Peactime) (1989);

The Jean Heming-trained Koster Brothers-bred Roland’s Song (Roland Gardens (1990 and 1991);

The Tony Millard-trained Argentinian-bred Empress Club (Farnesio) (1992);

The Mike de Kock-trained Brazilian-bred Ilha da Vitoria (Candy Stripes) (2005);

The Mike de Kock-trained Advocate Altus Joubert-bred Flirtation (Silvano) 2010;

The St. John Gray-trained and homebred Dancewiththedevil (Modus Vivendi) 2011;

The Paul Peter-trained Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud homebred Summer Pudding (Silvano) 2020;