4Racing are reportedly owed around R500 million by the Gauteng government and if it is forthcoming it will provide a massive boost to stakes in the province. (JC Photos)

The Gauteng Government has failed in a bid to appeal against a High Court ruling that found it unlawfully ended a levy to Phumelela Gaming and Leisure.

This, says a Business Day report, could mean the government has to pay about R500m it unlawfully denied to racing companies.

The provincial government must now restore the levy, benefiting the local industry and possibly other operators.

The ruling sets a precedent for operators that may face similar regulatory disputes.

The High Court specifically noted the benefit must flow to Phumelela, the designated provincial operator at the time, and its new licence holder, 4Racing, after Phumelela went into business rescue.

Phumelela estimated it is owed R500m.

A report by then Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane recommended the gambling board stop paying over the levy the regulator receives from bookmakers.

The board did so and it was this implementation that was challenged.

The impugned regulation provided that 6% of punters’ winnings from bets placed with bookmakers would be paid: 3% as a tax and 3% as a levy to racing companies which held totalisator licences. Gauteng MEC Lebogang Maile stopped the 3% going back to the horse racing companies.

As a result of the court’s May ruling, the 3% had to be reinstated.

Maile and the gambling board sought leave to appeal, which suspended the reinstatement of the betting levy.

Justice Wilson dismissed the MEC and gambling board’s appeal this week. ‘I am not persuaded that the appeal now proposed stands reasonable prospects of success,’ he wrote.

The hard-knocking Star Performer wins his maiden by 4,25 lengths at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth in March (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Hobday Equestrian Enterprises were able to reveal that three of the 32 horses currently in Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Quarantine and who are set to embark on a historic journey to the EU on Saturday, 17 August, are racehorses.

However, they were only able to reveal the name of one of them as the other two are with another agent and they don’t have access to their information.

The horse they do know about is What A Winter gelding Star Performer, who had hard-knocking form under Vaughan Marshall’s care and this culminated in him winning his maiden at the seventh time of asking by 4,25 lengths at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

Star Performer was a R500,000 purchase at the BSA National Yearling Sale.

He is a half-brother to the Gr 2 Debutante Stakes (1200m Hollywoodbets Greyville) winner Montreal Mist.

He was purchased by David Ferraris and is owned by Ferraris in partnership with CW Hui.

The horse is likely Hong Kong bound as CW Hui is Hong Kong-based. He used to be a client of David Ferraris’ when the latter trained there and has been a long time supporter of the South African sales.

On debut Star Performer finished 1,10 lengths behind Main Defender over 1100m and in his next start he had the like of King Of The Gauls and The Shepherd behind him and he has finished close to the like of Riverstone, so it was not as if he was a battling maiden.

Three winners have come out of the maiden he won so easily over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth under Bernard Fayd’Herbe in March.

He looks the type who could have a long handicapping career in Hong Kong in 1000m and 1200m events.

It will be fascinating to see how well a South African-bred who has not had to endure a taxing five months long journey via Mauritius takes to Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, there are sure to be more racehorses on the 14 September direct flight to the EU.

The connections of last year’s Equus Horse Of The Season, Princess Calla (JC Photos) 

The Equus Awards take place tomorrow (Thursday) evening at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and it will be fasinating to see what the hosts Cape Racing come up with, considering the innovative and professional reputation they have geathered over a short two year period under Greg Bortz’s dynamic leadership.

The awards start at 19H00 and it will be streamed live.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE LIVE STREAM

The official points tables for the various categories are below with Turf Talk’s prediction of the winners in brackets below the category heading.

Horse of the year

(Turf Talk prediction: Dave The King)

Champion Three-year-old colt

(Turf Talk prediction: Green With Envy)

Champion Three-year-old filly

(Turf Talk prediction: Gimme A Nother)

Champion Older Male

(Turf Talk prediction: Dave The King)

Champion Older Female

(Turf Talk prediction: Princess Calla)

Distance Categories (excludes points from races restricted to 3-year-olds)

Champion Sprinter

(Turf Talk prediction: Thunderstruck)

Champion Miler

(Turf Talk prediction: Charles Dickens)

Champion Middle Distance

(Turf Talk prediction: Royal Victory)

Champion Stayer

(Turf Talk prediction: Master Redoute)

Champion Two-Year-Old Male

(Turf Talk prediction: Proceed)

Champion Two-Year-Old Filly

(Turf Talk prediction: Quid Pro Quo)

Jockeys to race in the 2024 King’s Plate reach for the trophy held by Woodbine CEO Michael Copeland and special guest Natalie Spooner. Ryan Munger is second from the right. (Michael Burns Photo)

The King’s Plate held annually at Woodbine is the oldest continuously run race in North America and is one year older than South Africa’s King’s Plate having been founded in 1860.

It is for three-year-olds and the mile-and-a-quarter event on the tapeta surface forms the first leg of the Candadian Triple Crown.

Ex-pat South African jockey Ryan Munger gets a ride in the prestigious race for the second time in successive years and is on a horse who has ony raced twice for two seconds.

His mount Rafaroo is nevertheless the third favourite at 8/1.

Here is an analysis of all the whole 13 horse field done by Chris Lomon of Woodbine.com.

There is a chance the horse recognised as KZN’s best, Royal Victory, will go home empty-handed from his hometown awards ceremony (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

The KZN Racing awards will be held on 30 August in the Classic Room at Hollywoodbets Greyville and there is going to be a quandary this year about the KZN Horse Of The Season just as there was last year.

The Horse Of The Year award, unlike the other awards, are open to horses from the yards of trainers who are not domiciled in KZN as long as the subject horse has had three or more runs in KZN. It can thus be won by an out of province horse who has excelled in KZN during the season. The other awards can only be won by horses from KZN  yards, although Glen Kotzen and Dean Kannemeyer count as KZN yards because they have had satellite yards in KZN for many years.

The Horse Of The Year exclusion was probably made due to there not being a suitable candidate for some seasons in recent times. However, should not genuine KZN-trained horses like the Michael Roberts-trained See It Again last year and the Nathan Kotzen-trained Royal Victory this year be acknowledged in some way? Everybody in the industry would have viewed the former as the best horse from KZN in the 2022/2023 season, although the Peter Muscutt-trained Isivunguvungu could also have laid a claim, and this season Royal Victory is viewed by all and sundry as the best horse from KZN, although the Gareth van Zyl-trained Flag Man could also lay a claim having performed better on paper than Royal Victory in both the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July and Gr 1 wfa HKJC Champions Cup.

The Highveld racing awards could also potentially lead to an out of province horse being named Horse Of The Season. They are actually called the Highveld Feature Season awards as they go on performances of horses on the Highveld in features races during the season. Royal Victory was thus named the Champion Middle Distance Horse and Champion Older Male in the Highveld feature Season awards this year and he was only ousted in the Horse Of The Season award by the outstanding Mike de Kock-trained Gimme A Nother.

However, the big difference is that the Highveld features only have a sprinkling of out of province horses competing in them. The Horse Of The Season award will virtually always be won by a Highveld horse and was this year it went to the outstanding Mike de Kock-trained Gimme A Nother, even though Royal Victory became the first out of province horse in history to win both of the Highveld’s biggest races, the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup and the Gr 1 World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge.

The KZN horses, on the other hand, have to compete with every champion from every province, because all champions from around the country descend on KZN for the three month long world famous racing festival, The Champions Season.

Last year the Horse Of The Season was won by the Sean Tarry-trained Princess Calla, who won three Gr 1s in KZN during the season.

This year the favourite must be the Mike de Kock-trained Dave The King. He qualifies because he ran in KZN three times in the season and he won two open weight for age Gr 1s in KZN. He was in fact the only horse in the country to have won two open wfa Gr 1s last season.

However, Royal Victory is a history-making KZN horse. On top of being the first out of province horse to do the Highveld double of the Summer Cup and Premier’s Champions Challenge, he is in fact the first out of province horse to have ever won the Premier’s Champions Challenge and the second out of province horse this millennium to have won the Summer Cup.

He could well go home empty-handed on KZN Awards night. If Dave The King is to be named Horse Of The Season then he must also surely be named Champion Older Male. Furthermore, the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Green With Envy ran three times in KZN during the season, so qualifies for awards as explained earlier by Kannemeyer’s KZN status, and like Royal Victory he won two middle distance Gr 1s during the season and one of them was in KZN, so he must be in pole position to win the Middle Distance award.

So the widely acknowledged best horse in KZN, Royal Victory, might be completely unacknowledged in his home province.

There are special awards occasionally put on at racing award ceremonies and this might be a case in point of creating one.

However, what would probably be better considering the realities of racing in KZN during any given season, would be to create a new permanent award to acknowledge KZN’s best horse of the season. The award should only be open to horses from KZN yards.

Twenty Drachmas is progressive and could win the Middle Stakes event (JC Photos)

The Turffontein Inside track stages an eight race meeting today and punters should get off to a good start with Saigon Suzie.

This Gimmethegreenlight filly started slowly second time out but produced a strong finish and as that was only her second start she will have learnt from the experience and will be improving. She has pole position and should go close. It is never easy against the boys but she does have a gender allowance and doesn’t face an inspiring field. Lets Play Poker is a half-brother to the three- time-winning What A Winter sprinter Coldhardstare and she should appreciate the step down in trip from 1400m to 1200m. However, she does have a tricky draw of five out of eight. She has decent pace and can use it to hopefully get into a good position, but she was comfortably beaten last time by a battling maiden having his 30th start. Ombudsman ran well last time over 1000m with first time blimkers on and on pedigree should relish the step up in trip, but the Sean Tarry yard is having a lean spell which is a bit of a concern.

A fillies and mares 97 handicap over 1450m is the highest rated race of the day and the Tarry-trained That’s My Baby has the class to do it over an ideal trip from a fair draw under in form Gavin Lerena, although the current form of the Tarry yard is a concern. Duenna is drawn in pole over an  ideal course and distance and she should go close for a yard who are in flying form at present. Alabama Anna is ideally course and distance suited but does have a tricky draw. Soldier’s Eye has some class and won the last time she was in a handicap so could be involved off a four point higher mark, although she has the widest draw of all. Vix Princess has the ability to be right there but returns from a layoff and is widely drawn.

A Middle Stakes event over 2600m also has some good runners. Tweny Drachmas looks to be coming into his own and only just failed in his first try at this trip last time. Flying Bull returns from a layoff but certainly has the ability to be right there and stays the trip. Raiseahallelujah has been facing stronger and has the class to carry topweight and he should go close under in form Gavin Lerena, although he has been on the go for a long time.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 Chili Bomb went close last time and represents a yard who usually do well in August. Twelve OClock High only has 0,90 lengths to find on Chili Bomb and has pole position for an in form trainer and jockey. The form of that last run has worked out quite well and he should get it right here. Red Legend ran an improved race with headgear on last time and horses improve in this yard, but he does have draw seven out of eight. Heroic Act should be able to earn here. Flight Engineer has a chance on the form of his last run and has a good draw.

In the second leg of the Pick 6 Todoque ran a good race second time out and shoul be cherry ripe to deliver from a good draw. The main danger is Far Reaching, whose form has been working out well, but she does have a tough draw.

In the sixth race over 1200m French Impact won well over course and distance last time and now has a better draw off just a three point higher mark and in form Gavin Lerena is up. Final Try had some fair maiden form and has drawn well over a slight drop in trip and has blinkers on. Coming In Hot has dropped to a competitive mark and will enjoy this trip, although the draw in tricky. Kylie’s Angel had consistent maiden form and could earn. King Of Numbers could earn.

In the last race over 1450m Doitwithdiamonds has run two good races on the Highveld and should go close. Green Bubble won a good race in her penultimate start over course and distance and now has a better draw off a three point higher mark. Princess Iliara has hard knocking form but has a tricky draw.

In the first leg of the PA Autumn Var and Take Your Place should get punters through.

Economics cruises home in the Dante (Picture: Edward Whitaker (Racing Post))

Impressive Dante winner returns to action in Deauville after three months off

At The Races

Tom Marquand is excited at the prospect of being reunited with Economics on Thursday, as the impressive Dante scorer makes his eagerly-awaited return to the track at Deauville in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano.

It has only been 91 days since William Haggas’ son of Night Of Thunder was seen dazzling on the Knavesmire, but such was the taking impression of that Derby trial demolition, his spell on the sidelines has felt much longer.

However, his big-race jockey feels the approach taken by connections will be vindicated on the Normandy coast, where he is hopeful the talented colt can tee-up some big-race assignments for later in the season.

“I’m just really looking forward to having him back on track and he obviously remains an extremely exciting horse,” said Marquand.

“Thursday is going to be a pivotal day in his career in terms of setting goals and plans for the rest of the year.

“William and Maureen look at their horses and then act accordingly and that is what they have done with this fella.

“Seeing him at home, it looks the perfect move (to bide their time) and hopefully he can translate that on the track, having had that time to strengthen and mature – it should have done him the world of good.”

Marquand had the best seat in the house for Economics’ six-length Dante romp and shares in the anticipation to see if his mount can repeat his York heroics in this intriguing Group Two event, that Haggas landed with Dubai Honour three years ago.

“You couldn’t help be excited (after York),” continued Marquand.

“There is always that element of, when they do win so impressively, you have to have a bit of scepticism about it – the race was run to suit and you can’t be unrealistic about that.

“But the manner in which he did it – and if you took away the rest of the field and just watched him on the way round – you couldn’t help but be impressed.

“It’s not an easy race by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m looking forward to being on board him.”

Chief among Economics’ opposition is Ed Walker’s Almaqam, who established himself as a colt to note when dispatching Kikkuli in the Heron Stakes and then was not disgraced when upped to Group One company in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The son of Lope De Vega – who will be partnered by William Buick – now makes the move up to 10 furlongs for the first time with his handler believing it could bring about the required improvement to take a hand in this red-hot contest.

Walker said: “It’s going to be a hell of a race, I think, and it’s great to have a horse I think is good enough to be part of it.

“We will see, but I imagine the first three home will all be winning Group Ones at some stage of their careers and I’m looking forward to it.

“I think stepping him up in trip will bring about plenty of improvement and William knows him well, so we’re very hopeful.”

Brian Meehan’s Hampton Court winner Jayarebe is also in the mix searching for his third win of the season, while Arrow Eagle, Safwan and Wahdan will all represent Jean-Claude Rouget, who is seeking a hat-trick in the race having saddled Al Hakeem and Ace Impact to strike in the last two seasons.

Andre Fabre’s Prix Eugene Adam scorer Bright Picture completes the seven-strong field heading to post in France.

Charles G. Smith became Durban Turf Club chairman in April 1908.

He had won the July with Corriecrian in 1907 and this horse won the race again in 1908. The Centenary History Of The Durban Turf Club said he still owned Corriecrian in 1908, but other records say the F Wade-trained horse was owned by Messrs Hutt and Wade in 1908.

Corriecrian became the second horse after the inaugural race’s winner Campanajo to retain his July crown. Corriecrian was considered a “wonder horse” and won both of his Julys comfortably.