Dave Shawe is clearly overjoyed as he leads in Dyce together with his Vaal-based raiding trainer Lucky Houdalakis (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Lucky Houdalakis was disappointed Isivunguvungu was scratched at the start of the Gr 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship.

Asked whether he reckoned his Cape Flying winner Dyce would have beaten Isivunguvungu, he replied, “Why not, we’ve beaten him before.”

It is a little known fact that when Dyce won the Gr 2 Epol Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m for two-year-olds at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Gold Cup day in 2021, Isivunguvungu was beaten seven lengths into eighth place.

Isivunguvungu has obviously improved a lot since then.

However, Lucky, speaking on behalf of Dyce, said, “You see the thing is they all became famous while I was standing in the stable. I was recovering and they were in the headlines, they were winning everything. Saturday was going to be the first time I’ve met them (since my two-year-old season). They were having fun, but now I’m back. Now they’ve got to deal with me as well.”

Lucky also mentioned how heartbreaking the Isivunguvungu incident must have been for the owners, the Hollywood Syndicate, not to mention trainer Peter Muscutt.

The Equus Champion Sprinter appeared to rush the gate and he reportedly cut himself on a rivet.

However, Dyce’s subsequent 0,40 length defeat of the Gr 1-winning sprinter Thunderstruck has created a lot of intrigue.

This is particularly in light of the high regard both the handicappers and the expert analysts hold Dyce in.

The handicappers awarded Dyce a 130 merit rating after his 4,25 length demolition of the field in the Gr 2 New Turf Carriers Merchants over 1200m on Betway Summer Cup day.

For Saturday’s win at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, respected analyst Karel Miedema awarded Dyce a 115 Ability Rating (AR) on his Raceform website, the highest AR he gave for the whole WSB Cape Town Met meeting.

To put that into perspective, the highest AR Karel has given this season is 117 for Sandringham Summit and the highest AR he ever gave Charles Dickens was 117.

The highest AR Karel has ever given Isivunguvungu, who is also merit rated 130, is 114.

The Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint is going to have a big build up, because it is going to answer the questions being asked i.e. would Dyce have won on Saturday had Isivunguvungu been running?

The Computaform, like the Cape Flying, is over 1000m.

However, Lucky believes Dyce is even better over 1200m, which is the trip of the other two remaining open Gr 1 sprints in the country per season, the Golden Horse Sprint and the Mercury Sprint.

Isivunguvungu is undoubtedly better over 1000m, despite following his Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint win last year with victory in the Mercury Sprint.

Dyce’s Cape Flying win was the culmination of a tremendous training feat.

He never raced as a three-year-old due to a fracture of the fetlock that kept him off the race track for 15 months.

Lucky recalled him to have been intermittently lame at the beginning of that season.

This prompted him to have Dyce x-rayed and the fracture was discovered.

Dyce races today with a screw in his one fetlock. The screw holds the fetlock together.

In his first comeback Dyce won second time out and then placed twice over 1475m amd 1400m respectively, including being runner up in the Grand Heritage.

Dyce did a tendon when running fourth in the latter 1400m event.

He was then off for nine months.

In his second comeback he has not looked like a horse who has had two serious injuries.

The five-year-old has only had 14 career starts due to those injuries.

The second of the injuries is why he did not stay in Cape Town to run in the Gr 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes.

Lucky said, “He has just come back from a tendon and I feel the tracks down there are too heavy for him. Horses with tendons and heavy tracks is not a good mixture.”

The Vaal has a light track that is ideal to work Dyce on and Lucky keeps him to that track.

Lucky always knew Dyce was a sprinter and he has stuck to sprints in his second comeback.

He added, “He gets iced everyday and time heals everything.”

Lucky said that if you gave them enough time and made sure it was properly healed before coming back, horses were able to come back the way Dyce had i.e. nobody would ever believe he had done a tendon before and that he had a screw in his fetlock.

Lucky’s other philosophy is to let the horse dictate the program rather than devise feature programs for a horse and then put the horse under pressure by sticking to the program.

He had not been worried about Dyce’s four length fourth when favourite over 1160m in his last start before heading for Cape Town.

He said a bump had set Dyce alight and Kabelo Matsunyane had been unable to hold him.

Lucky was also not worried when he saw Dyce going like the clappers out in front on Saturday over the tough Kenilworth 1000m course and distance.

He said Craig Zackey knew the horse well and he had left it to him. Dyce was clearly in the hands too, unlike in his previous start.

Dyce produced a kick at the 200m mark on Saturday which can only be described as breathtaking considering how fast he and Thunderstruck had been going out in front.

Dyce provided one of Lucky’s chief owners, Dave Shawe, with a first Gr 1 win.

Dave’s Titanium Racing officially bred Dyce.

In truth, Dave bought a Galileo mare called Beshaayir (Aus) at a dispersal sale with the William Longsword colt Dyce already in her stomach.

Lucky revealed he had not known Dave Shawe when the latter asked him out of the blue to be his trainer.

To this day, Lucky does not know why he was chosen.

He quipped, “I think it is because I am a nice guy!”

He added Dave had made the right choice, as they had had a lot of success together.

Dyce is the first Gr 1 winner for William Longsword and he himself has a possible stud career ahead of him, still being an entire.

Dyce arrived back home from his triumphant Cape Town sojourn on Tuesday morning.

Picture: Gimme A Nother (JC Photos)

Mike de Kock dominates the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas with five of the 11 runners, and they are good enough to fill all of the places.

His undefeated Gimme A Nother has been priced up at 6-10 to win this race.

His charge Silver Sanctuary was just pipped in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Filllies Guineas.

Champagne Cocktail won her first two and is better than her last run. She is impressive and should be in the shake up.

White Pearl is knocking on the door in her bid to be Danon Platina’s first stakes winner.

Mary’s Greenlight won well the last time she races over the course and the distance.

The Sean Tarry-trained Let’s Go Now is progressive and can put her last start behind her.

Tarry also runs Mia Moo, who is not far off Let’s Go Now.

The Lucky Houdalakis-trained Egyptian Mau has class and her last run can be ignored.

There is a Pick 6 carryover of R500,000 for the meeting with the pool likely to reach R3 million.

Picture: Double Superlative was raised to 124 after his WSB Cape Town Met win and that is one point lower than the mark he was given after his Cape Guineas win just over two years ago. But will he ever race again?  (Image: Wayne Marks)

World Sports Betting Cape Town Met (Grade 1)

DOUBLE SUPERLATIVE was adjusted to 124 from 118 after landing the Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Met over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. The Handicappers were unanimous in choosing the runner-up RASCALLION as the line horse here and he remains on a rating of 122.

3rd placed WITHOUT QUESTION was raised to 120 from 117 while 5th placed SUGAR MOUNTAIN was increased to 115 from 109. SUGAR MOUNTAIN finished 3.25 lengths or 7 points behind the 122 rated RASCALLION at level weights hence his adjustment to 115.

ANFIELDS ROCKET received a 2 point drop from 117 to 115 while WATERBERRY LANE and AL MUTHANA received drops of 1 point each, from 113 to 112 and 126 to 125 respectively.

World Pool Cape Flying Championship (WFA) (Grade 1)

Top rated DYCE remains unchanged on a rating of 130 after he captured the Grade 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. Here it was the runner-up THUNDERSTRUCK who was deemed to make for the best line horse, leaving him unchanged on a mark of 124. In rating the race this way 3rd placed BEREAVE and 4th placed RIO QUERARI also run to their ratings of 122 and 118 respectively, effectively making them line horses as well.

MR COBBS, who was rated to run 2nd last on official pre-ratings, was only given a partial adjustment to 108 from 103 for his performance in 5th position. MUFASA and CAPTAIN ARROW were also given partial adjustments, from 103 to 107 and 98 to 102 respectively. The Handicappers did not take the above performances literally and considered the overall profiles of the unplaced runners when making these adjustments.

WE’RE JAMMING was dropped to 110 from 114 after failing to confirm his Grade 3 Champagne Stakes run in his 3 subsequent performances, while BARTHOLDI was given a 2 point drop from 119 to 117.

City Of Cape Town Majorca Stakes (WFA) (Grade 1)

Top rated PRINCESS CALLA remains unchanged on a rating of 127 after easily accounting for her rivals in the Grade 1 City Of Cape Town Majorca Stake over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. The Handicappers were of the view that 5th placed RED PALACE would not have run below her official rating of 111 and used her to rate the Majorca. The Handicappers felt that PRINCESS CALLA was rated to win this event easily and did not have to produce her career best effort to win this event.

Only two fillies received increases to their ratings here, RASCOVA was adjusted to 115 from 110. DOUBLE GRAND SLAM was also adjusted to 115 from her pre-rating of 104 after finishing together with RASCOVA at the line on level weight terms.

GOLDEN HOSTESS was dropped to 115 from 117 as she has failed to run to a 117 in her last 4 starts. The only other filly to receive a drop was GIMME A SHOT who also dropped 2 points from 108 to 106.

New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers (Grade 3)

MASTER REDOUTE had his rating increased to 113 from 102 after winning the Grade 3 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers over 2800m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. MASTER REDOUTE was not favourably treated at these weight terms on his pre-rating of 102 and had to run at level weights with ARAGOSTA rated 118 and NEBRAAS rated 112. It was in fact NEBRAAS who was deemed to be the most suitable line horse in this event and his rating remains on 112.

2nd placed TRIPLE TIME was adjusted from 108 to 112 while ONE WAY TRAFFIC received a 2 points adjustment from 106 to 108. The only other horse to receive an increase in this event was FIGHT SONG who was given a marginal adjustment of 4 points from 90 to 94 despite running to considerably higher. The Handicappers were not convinced that this horse would be able to sustain his literal achievement here given his overall ratings profile and that this higher achievement could well be attributed to the compact nature of the finish to this race and the fact that he ran at unfavourable weight terms.

Three horses received a rating’s drop. FLOWER OF SAIGON was down to 104 from 105, DECORATED dropped from 100 to 96, and lastly THEFUTUREISBRIGHT was dropped from 98 to 96.

Schweppes Politician Stake (Grade 3)

The well weighted GREEN WITH ENVY remained on a rating of 110 after winning the Grade 3 Schweppes Politician Stakes over 1800m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.

It was GREEN WITH ENVY who was considered to make for the most suitable line horse here and his rating remains unchanged on 110. The runner up GREY KING, who received 5.5kg weight from GREEN WITH ENVY and finished 1.25 lengths behind was accordingly adjusted to 96 from 87. HARAJUKU was adjusted to a rating of 101 from 96 and is now rated higher than the runner up THE GREY KING due to HARAJUKU carrying 2.5kg more weight and finishing in close proximity to the runner up.

GET IMPRESSED and BLUE BAY were each given increases of 2 points from 90 to 92 and 84 to 86 respectively.

The following horses were given drops to their ratings, KING PELLES was dropped to 87 from 93, EXCEPT TEMPTATION was dropped from 89 to 86 and JUST VAR dropped to 82 from 85.

Pongracz Olympic Duel Stakes (Listed)

RIPPLE EFFECT saw her rating increased to 107 from 104 after winning the Listed Pongracz Olympic Duel Stakes over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.

MISS MARGUERITE was deemed to make for the most suitable line horse here and her rating remains unchanged on a mark of 99. The runner up SIDDELEY was only adjusted to a rating of 95 from 92 despite performing to a higher level, due to the specific race conditions that place a maximum adjustment of 3 points for placed horses in this event.

Four horses received drops to their ratings in this field, BLUE HOLLY was dropped to 98 from 100, ONI SAN dropped from 98 to 97, DISTINCTION dropped to 91 from 92 and DISTANT WINTER dropped to 106 from 108.

Dr Richard Maponya Handicap (Listed) formerly Drum Star Handicap

LITIGATION had his rating increased from 109 to 111 after narrowly winning The Dr Richard Maponya Handicap (Listed) over 1800m at Turffontein on Sunday.

The Handicappers were of the opinion that all of 2nd EMIRATE GINA, 3rd CRIMSON KING and 4th MERIDIUS made for suitable line horses, they remained unchanged on ratings of 105,103 and 110 respectively.

There were no other rating increases. The following horses were dropped in the ratings. SHOEMAKER dropped from 109 to 108, both WHAFEEF and STAR COIN were dropped to 101 from 103.

Tab Spook Express Stakes (Listed)

EXPLOSIVE BOND was adjusted to 90 from 84 after winning the Listed Tab Spook Express Stakes over 2400m at Turffontein on Sunday.

RED MAPLE was deemed to make for the most suitable line horse when rating this event and her rating remains unchanged on a mark of 93.

The specific race conditions of this event prohibits the Handicappers from raising the winner by more than 6 points and the placed horses by more than 3 points. Accordingly, the winner had to be capped to a rating of 90 despite performing to a higher level. 2nd placed BONETE was also capped to an adjustment of 96 despite performing to a slightly higher level.

The following runners received ratings’ drops. SPECIAL CHARM is down to 82 from 83, NAMAQUA BLOSSOM drops from 80 to 79 and AVOONTOAST is down from 72 to 70.

Enquiries:

The Handicapping Team

Sun Classique (Kevin Shea) after the Dubai Sheema Classic, with Lionel and Caroline Cohen, Warne and Wendy Rippon.

Off The Record with Charl Pretorius

PART II

The mighty Sun Classique

In the captivating second part of Warne Rippon’s remarkable life and times, we cover the story of Sun Classique, within a series of events that embodies Warne’s ambition and perseverance, coupled with fate and destiny and not without good luck. Join us for this, and Part III next week, when we’ll uncover the pivotal moments that defined Warne’s philanthropic journey, with Sun Classique’s injury central to the theme.

For a coherent narrative, let’s start where we left off in Part 1. Warne was finally on his legs with Allied Steelrode in 1996, the company was growing steadily and the year 2000 approached. His brother Greg, an estate agent, recommended a property investment for the businessman on the rise. Warne bought his first piece of land in the Eastern Cape in 1999, a small 800-hectare property at the source of the Kowie River not far from Grahamstown, his place of birth. The idea was to introduce some game to the property and then sell it at a later stage.

With some spare cash to indulge his passion for horses, Warne bought Wave Maiden, a filly by Counter Action, from breeder Lionel Cohen and Cocktail (Northern Guest), from Summerhill. While Cocktail only managed a few places, Wave Maiden won three races for trainer Kobus Roux. Warne was delighted, but eager for more.

On a trip to Cape Town in 2006, Warne received a race day invitation to trainer Mike Bass’ private suite at Kenilworth, arranged by Lionel. He recalled: “I had a few bets and got well tickled up. I said to Lionel, ‘I want a proper horse, a really good one. I want to win a big race!’ He replied immediately, ‘I’ve got one for you. This is a good filly, I promise. Her name is Sun Classique. She is by Japan’s champion sire, Fuji Kiseki. I bought her dam, in foal, in Australia. She is due to race soon.’ Lionel had valued the unraced Sun Classique at R500,000 and was willing to sell me half a share for R250,000. I said, ‘Are you mad, Lionel, how would I get that past my wife?’

“In fairness, Lionel offered me a deal. He said he’d keep his price at R250,000 until after her first run, which would give me a chance to see Sun Classique in action. We shook on it, and when the day came, I was quite intrigued. Sun Classique was entered for a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m on 9 May 2006. Heinz Runge was booked for the ride, and Bass had his stable jockey Karl Neisius on her stablemate, Secure, the odds-on favourite

“I was on a hunting trip near De Aar in the Karoo that day with my son. We left our Springbok hunt to watch the race. Sun Classique drifted in the betting to 10-1, she got left at the pens and had lots of ground to make up halfway through the race. I thought for a while I’d be saving 250k. But she swept effortlessly through the field and won easily, Secure in second. We were suitably impressed. I paid for my share and this started a racing adventure that very few individuals have had the pleasure of being on.”

Sun Classique won her second start and then finished second to Royal Fantasy in the G1 Thekwini Stakes at Clairwood Park in her first run over 1600m. Following this, she beat Countess Corlia to win the Grade 3 Diana Stakes over 1400m at Kenilworth, proving her classic potential and versatility.

Mike Bass prepared Sun Classique for the Grade 1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas on 2 December 2006 and she was primed to the minute. But a week before the race Lionel received a call from Team Valor International’s Barry Irwin, who was enjoying a most successful spell with horses bought in South Africa. He offered US$1-million for Sun Classique and Lionel was keen to take the cash for a massive payday, as the Rand was at around 8-1 to the US Dollar at the time.

Warne told: “I was attending a steel trade show in Germany when Barry phoned me, trying to convince me to accept the offer. The American was assertive, a strong negotiator, but I’d had a few Pilseners and told him I’m staying in, not selling. I gave Barry some lip with the kind of beer-based bravado I’m sure Lionel would’ve found irrational and frankly stupid if he was there.

“So it was on to the Guineas, Jeff Lloyd got the ride and we were confident she’d win it, even from a 13-16 draw. Lionel and I were standing next to each other watching the runners at the start. Sun Classique had been backed from 2-1 to 12-10 favourite, the pressure was on. When they jumped, Sun Classique was three wide and battling to get cover in the back straight. She was up against it, with no way out, and as they turned for home Lloyd had her placed near the back, behind most rivals in the pack. There was only one thought in my mind – I’d tossed $1-million in the water!

“I glanced briefly at Lionel and I knew that he was thinking exactly the same thing. I started looking for the exit. I wanted to leave the track, disappear and never come back. But moments later I could hear some support for Sun Classique coming from her many supporters on the grandstand, that unique sound that builds gradually and is normally associated with a favourite starting to run at the leaders. When I looked up, Sun Classique was weaving her way through the field and race caller Rouvaun Smit boomed, ‘Here comes Sun Classique!’ which made my heart skip a few beats. Our filly burst through the middle of the field with a late charge and won going away from Festive Occasion. There are plenty of words to describe sheer joy, but is there a better word for, ‘relief’?”

Sun Classique wins the 2006 Cape Fillies Guineas

In 2007, Mike Bass planned Sun Classique’s route to the Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July via five Graded features. She was a touch unlucky when beaten into second in the Paddock Stakes on New Year’s Day, but won the Fancourt Majorca Stakes at Kenilworth on 27 January. Following two warm-up runs in Durban, she took the Woolavington Stakes, then over 2200m, under Bernard Fayd’Herbe.

Sun Classique went into the Durban July with high hopes, and Piere Strydom was engaged to ride her. She’d drawn 17/20, but outside draws have never been insurmountable in SA’s flagship race, and she was a course-and-distance winner. Warne remembers: “Seven is my lucky number and when I saw Sun Classique was number seven, I was even more confident. Plus, she was racing on the 7th of July, 2007. Sadly, things didn’t go as planned. Sun Classique finished seventh to Hunting Tower and we were gutted.”

Lionel, not deterred, had big plans. He phoned Mike de Kock, who had taken Dubai by storm, and asked if he’d consider taking Sun Classique to the UAE to compete in the 2008 Dubai Carnival. Mike was not sure. He was worried that she may not be good enough for racing in the big desert league. Also, the costs and shipping logistics made this exercise prohibitive.

Warne recounts: “We asked Mike to watch her July video and he did. Mike Bass had instructed Striker Strydom to drop Sun Classique out from her wide draw and to run her through on the inside, but in the race she was bustled along, five wide and got a clod in her eye. I pester Piere about that ride, to this day. She returned with one eye closed, Despite her mishaps, she was beaten under three lengths. This got Mike’s attention.”

Sun Classique was shipped to Dubai in August 2007. Her arduous route went via Mauritius to Newmarket, UK, and she arrived in Dubai in early December. She went into training at Mike de Kock’s Grandstand Stables among established Dubai runners and her accomplished new stablemates, including Asiatic Boy, Irridescence, Oracle West, Lucky Find, Honour Devil and Royal Vintage.

Warne said: “My friend Andrew Poole and I flew out to Dubai for a meeting on 17 January 2007. This was a few weeks ahead of Sun Classique’s first run, which Mike had pencilled in as the Darley Cape Verdi Stakes over 1600m on 7 February. We didn’t know Mike from a bar of soap, we wanted to meet him and stable jockey Kevin Shea, check on the filly’s progress and go racing at Nad Al Sheba.”

“We found Mike and his team at the stable’s horse treadmill, early one morning, and Sun Classique was running hard on it. I remember Kevin’s words to me that day. After we exchanged pleasantries and discussed Mike’s plans, he said, ‘Warne, we want to go bang, bang, bang with her. First the Cape Verdi, then the Ballanchine, then the Sheema Classic!’

“Bang, bang, bang! It stuck in my mind all day, every day and we flew over again on 7 February 2008 for the Cape Verdi. Sun Classique had drawn barrier one, the stable was confident of a good run and the Bass family came along too, a proud moment for Mike and Carol Bass. Kevin Shea said he didn’t know which tactics to employ in the race as Sun Classique had been plagued by bad draws for most of her career and didn’t seem to have a clearly apparent running style.”

“Mike de Kock said, ‘Ask Mr. Bass for advice, he’ll know best’. Mike Bass replied, ‘Kevin, I’ve always wanted to see her handy from a good draw. Sit just behind the pacemaker and don’t wait too long. When you come into the straight, let her go rightaway, she’ll give you more!’. Kevin rode her that way, and she thumped Godolphin’s filly Many Colours by two-and-a-quarter lengths. We were over the moon and one of several good Dubai parties ensued.”

Next came the Balanchine Stakes over 1800m on 17 February with Warne trackside, again. He recalled several anxious moments, best explained by Kevin Shea himself.

Shea said: “It was all systems go and we had Warne’s lucky Number 7 on Sun Classique’s saddle cloth, in Race 7. We’d heard that Many Colours had improved and that she was fancied to turn the tables on us. Sometimes, as a jockey, you sense things. It was apparent that the money was on Frankie Dettori and Many Colours, and I was looking at Frankie and the other jockeys at the start, trying to figure out what was brewing. I smelt a rat.”

“Sun Classique broke well and we got into a handy position, fifth, on the rail, and travelling smoothly. Many Colours led the field for home and Sun Classique moved up to track her. My filly was in full stride and gaining fast when Mick Kinane, the wily old fox, appeared on our outside, riding Light Green. With Gower Song having moved into the rails position to my outside, Mick rode his filly to the inside and swiftly closed us in, which can be clearly seen on the head-on replay. There was no way out. I had to ease Sun Classique and switch her to the outside, around the front three. With her momentum broken, Sun Classique had four lengths to find with 150m to go. But she was good, so good it was scary. She found her stride again, knuckled down and reeled them in. Mick moved outwards on Light Green to intimidate us again but she flew by, got there to win by a neck. Mick and I exchanged a few words in the jockeys room, but he broke the tension by shouting for everyone to hear, “Jaysus, I almost brought this man down, his filly can’t lose the Sheema Classic!” Watch the exciting race replay here, amazing to see!

Commentator Terry Spargo crooned: “Oh brother, that was heart in your mouth stuff. They put her in a pocket, but she snatched victory from looming defeat!”

“Sun Classique’s Ballanchine win under 61kg must have been one of the greatest performances ever by a Thoroughbred. The way she fetched them after her setback so late in the race was just astonishing,” Warne opined. “We were ready for the $5-million Sheema Classic now. We gathered the supporting troops for Dubai World Cup week and the big night of Saturday, 29 March 2008.”

“There are lavish functions and festivities in Dubai during every World Cup week, including the draw for the main race, midweek. On the Wednesday, at the draw ceremony, representatives of Sheikh Mohammed offered us $3-million for Sun Classique. They wanted her to race in the Sheikh’s silks. That was, again, a staggering amount of money in Rands, the same as the winner’s purse for the race itself. But we decided to stick with her. She’d come all this way for us, and we weren’t going to back out.”

“I woke up before dawn on race day morning, a bundle of nerves. We were staying on the seventh floor of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. I decided to jog along the beach to the gym at the Burj Al Arab Hotel, where I fiddled around for a while and then went into the sauna, where I found the American jockey, Garett Gomes, sweating it up. He was wasting to get his weight down for his rides at the World Cup meeting. He said he had a chance on Spring House in the Sheema, but that he’d heard the South African filly was the one to beat. I didn’t tell him that I was her part-owner. It was good to hear that our rivals were wary of Sun Classique.”

“There wasn’t a soul in sight when I took a jog back, the sun had just come up. I saw something small reflecting white, not too far away. When I got to the spot, there were three cards partly covered in beach sand, all number sevens! At that moment, my hair stood up. I took a picture with my Blackberry, left the cards as I found them and sprinted to the hotel. I told Wendy that the stars had aligned. There was no way Sun Classique would get beaten in the Sheema Classic!”

Nad Al Sheba racing executive Martin Talty told a reporter: “The Dubai World Cup is where thoroughbred racing turns full circle. These horses are racing in the footsteps of their ancestors.” This was the richest race day the world had seen. The Dubai World Cup alone was worth $6-million; the Sheema Classic $5-million, and 60,000 spectators turned up, many of them visitors from around the world in the latest high fashions, mixing with masses of locals.

“We were seated early for the 1pm start and the day rolled on quick. Mike de Kock and Johnny Murtagh struck in Race 3, winning the UAE Derby early with Honour Devil. Shea was second on Royal Vintage. The stable was hot. We, the connections of Sun Classique, were hotter. At 4pm we were already drenched in sweat walking down to the parade ring for the Sheema Classic, due for 16:40. The full field of 16 runners included Hong Kong’s superstar, Viva Pataca, Doctor Dino, winner of Belmont’s Man O’War Stakes, the German Champ Quijano and Godolphin’s Gravitas.”

“We remained confident. As Kevin had remarked, Sun Classique was ‘scary good’, and here she was, well in at the weights, perfectly turned out and ready to race. Our stablemate Oracle West enjoying being up there with the pace-setters, and Kevin’s plan was to track Johnny Murtagh throughout the race for cover and some protection from intimidation by some of the world’s best race-riders, all keen to win. As they cantered down to the 2400m start, we remained in the ring to watch the race on the big screen and to see the last bit, close-up.”

Shea, commenting on the race itself, recounted: “There were no incidents this time. Sun Classique was drawn at three, she broke well and, as expected, our big boy Oracle West got handy early. He raced into third, relaxed and strode out nicely behind Garret Gomez on Spring House, who set the clip ahead of West Wind. We were right behind Oracle West for most of the race and the rest of the field spread out almost in Indian file. Sun Classique was running beautifully in my hands. Before the home bend I could feel a rush coming on and I had to focus. She was strong, ready to pounce. I wanted to time our finishing run, and at the same time started counting dollars.”

“This was surreal. I thought about Mike Bass saying before the Ballanchine, ‘Go early, she’ll give it to you’, and I decided to hit the accelerator on the turn, perhaps 300m too soon. Sun Classique changed gears like a fancy car, sailed past the leaders and quickened away. She didn’t feel any real pressure over the last 300m, but it was an especially long 300m. I could hear the whips cracking behind us. Darren Beadman was in full cry on Viva Pataca and others were shouting at their mounts to challenge us, but Sun Classique sensed it. She kicked again and with 75m to go the race was in the bag. I was dizzy with delight and punched the air. This felt like heaven on earth!”

In the parade ring, said Warne, there were tears as the connections jumped around wildly in celebration. “I was in a pool of sweat. This was high pressure, high stakes and I think the week’s partying culminated in this frenzy of near delirious excitement. We led Sun Classique into the winner’s box to loud applause and a hundred flashing cameras. Wendy and I stood shaking alongside Caroline Cohen, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Lionel was more composed. ‘I am so proud, so honoured,’ he told TV interviewer, Lydia Hislop.”

“The night ended on a high note when Asiatic Boy finished second to Curlin in the Dubai World Cup and South Africa was the talk of the track. Nad Al Sheba turned into one big party playground and there were South Africans everywhere, including former jockey Johnny Panas in a memorable, bright green suit. We all ended up in Zinc night club at the Crown Plaza Hotel in downtown Dubai, where there was a South African DJ and they cordoned off the VIP area of the club for the winning connections, guests and racing media.”

“We partied until the first rays of sun became visible over the desert. Literally. Sun Classique, the little horse born in Africa and originally passed unsold through the ring at R60,000, had just taken her earnings to the dollar equivalent of near R30-million. The world was our oyster!”

Don’t miss Part III, next week!

https://news.4racing.com/off-the-record-12

Picture: Cervetto was the first leg of a double for Dylan Cunha Credit: Bryn Lennon

Racing Post (David Milnes)

A tip-off from the now retired William Jarvis was behind the win of Cervetto in the opening 7f apprentice handicap, which provided the first leg of a double for Jarvis’s new tenant Dylan Cunha.

He is now back in his old box at Phantom House stables after Cunha bought him at the horses-in-training sales last October on Jarvis’s advice.

Cunha, who took over the Newmarket yard at around the same time, was given the nod to try to buy the horse by the retiring Jarvis, who always thought he had potential.

He was proved right when the well-backed 5-4 favourite made all under the experienced Luke Catton.

Dylan Cunha and William Jarvis at Phantom House Stables on Monday morning
Dylan Cunha (left) with William Jarvis
South African Cunha has plans for the likeable chestnut who was making light work of a mark of 67 in his first handicap.

He said: “It was very nice of William to advise me to buy Cervetto and what was funny was he left the yard one day and went to the sales and the very next day he was back in the same box. I think we’ll put him by for the summer when he could make up into a nice horse.”

Cunha landed his double when the busy Gogo Yubari came from off the pace to land the 5f handicap under Rhys Clutterbuck.

The 15-2 chance had been in action 24 hours earlier when third at Southwell, but you would not have known it by the way she finished off to deny Unavailable.

Picture: With just four fences to jump in the straigtht Midnight Ginger still has about 15 lengths to make up (Via youtube)

Today (Tuesday) at Chepstow racecourse in the U.K. the outsider of a three horse field in a Novice Chase came from an impossible position to win. The Andrew Martin-trained Midnight Ginger ridden by James Martin looked to have a forlorn hope after still having about 50m to make up on the front pair well after entering the final straight.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE RACE

Picture: Three women had doubles on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly today, Wendy Whitehead, Rachel Venniker and owner Kelly Hadden. Venniker clinched respective individual doubles for both herself and Hadden when winning the last on the Dennis Bosch-trained Captain Of All filly Poursomesugaronme ( (Pictured Above). Hadden owns Poursomesugaronme outright and was part-owner of an earlier winner, the Wendy Whitehead-trained Giambattista (Wylie Hall) (Candiese Lenferna Photography). 

Richard Fourie, Rachel Venniker, Wendy Whitehead and Garth Puller all scored doubles on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly today.

Fourie goes to 154 wins for the season at a strike rate of 20.42%.

Venniker is on 32 wins at 9.20%.

Whitehead is on 24 wins at 12.18%.

Puller is also on 24 wins at 8.66%.

The top ten on the KZN Trainers Championship log are Mike Miller with 25 wins in KZN this season, Wendy Whitehead and Garth Puller 24, Gareth van Zyl 23, Peter Muscutt 22, Alyson Wright 21, Louis Goosen 20, Duncan Howells 19, Michael Roberts 15, FRank Robinson 14.

Kerry Packer, a wealthy Australian businessman and the man responsible for the largest bet ever placed, is known for placing a bet of approximately $1.6 million on a horse named Mahogany in the Victoria Derby at the 1993 Melbourne Cup meeting. After a conversation with jockey Hall, Packer added another $3 million to his bet.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY