Fatal Flaw cruises to an easy win in tihe Gr 3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes (JC Photos).

Brett and Jame Crawford have their first runners together as an official training partnership at Hollywoodbets Kenwilworth on Saturday and they have a good chance of big race success with Fatal Flaw (New Predator) and Mon Petit Cherie (Rafeef) running in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas, while Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Oriental Charm and Mercury Sprint winner Surjay run in the Gr 2 WSB Green Point Stakes over 1600m.

James had to sit his trainer’s examinations to become an official partner in the yard and passed with flying colours, getting a mark of around 85% to 86% and he said, “It’s everything I’ve worked for and everything I wanted to achieve, so it’s nice for it to become reality. Just got to show the results now, that’s all.”

James said Fatal Flaw (New Predator), who arrived in Cape Town on Tuesday, had been doing well and had come on a lot from her last start.

She is currrent ruling favourite for the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas at 2/1 with the sponsor, despite drawing 13 out of 13, while stable companion Mon Petit Cherie (Rafeef) is drawn in pole and is a 6/1 shot.

In her last start in the Gr 3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes over 1400m, Fatal Flaw showed her usual exceptional gatespeed under Piere Strydom and set good fractions out in front without overracing.

In the straight she went further and further clear using an impressively big action, although Strydom was just sitting still and holding her together.

This filly clearly has good natural cruising speed.
Strydom looked around at the 200m mark and just shook the reins to keep her going before easing her down at the end.

Runner up World Of Alice was thus flattered by the winning margin of 2,25 lengths.

The form has since been franked by World Of Alice coming out and beating the classy Fiery Pegasus in the Gr 3 Betway Fillies Mile on Saturday.

The draw should not be a problem for Fatal Flaw due to her exceptional gatespeed.

The guess is that Strydom will probably try and find the rail in front, but the wily tactician tends to do what is least expected. Nevertheless, the assets of gatespeed and high natural cruising speed will be handy weapons to have at his disposal.

Furthermore, Fatal Flaw has already proved she stays the trip.

She used her fine gatespeed to claim the rail from draw seven in the Gr 1 Douglas Whye Thekwini Stakes in her last start as a two-year-old. Strydom then allowed Lock And Key to go ahead of her. In the straight she ran on well and was only bested by the sensational Quid Pro Quo. She was beaten only 1,40 lengths. The third-placed horse Frozen Fantasy was beaten 4,30 lengths and World Of Alice was next best, beaten 4,70 lengths with the fifth-placed horse Spirit Of Levana beaten 6,80 lengths.

Fatal Flaw is thus a worthy favourite.

Mon Petit Cherie comes off a victory in the Gr 2 Westen Cape Fillies Championship over 1400m.

Richard Fourie dropped her out from a wide draw in that race.

She had a lot to do at the top of the short Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Winter course straight but Fourie managed to weave his way on to the inside rail where she stayed on well and won by a shorthead.

It was not a flashy win but this filly should relish the step up in trip being by Rafeef out of a Galileo mare who won on debut over a-mile-and-a-half at Galway. She should be staying on resolutely under the Richard Fourie drive on Saturday.

It is a wide open looking Cape Fillies Guineas, but Crawford should both go close, although Fatal Flaw perhaps has the more eyecatching form and is visually more impressive.

Brett has won the Cape Fillies Guineas three times before with Bad Girl Runs in 2005, Front And Centre in 2018 and Make It Snappy in 2022.

James said about Oriental Charm, who makes his season reappearance in the Green Point, “He is flying. He is very, very well. His last gallop was very good.”

Asked whether the trip was on the sharp side for the July winner, he replied, “Not for the first run of the season, I wouldn’t say so. You’ve got to start somewhere and you aren’t going to start over 2,000 metres, that’s for sure.”

Surjay was a hard-knocking big race sprinter before finally landing a big one, the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the last weekend of last season.

He has only tried 1600m twice in his career, finishing 7,35 lengths back in the Gr 1 Cape Guineas in his fifth career start and a few runs later he finished a 1,25 length second in a 1600m handicap at Hollywoobets Kenilworth off an 87 merit rating.

Interestingly, he is by the same sire as Gladatorian i.e. Vercingetorix. Gladatorian has had a new lease of life since stepped up from sprints and Surjay could do the same.

Surjay’s damsire is the stamina influence Badger Land.

His dam Something Of Value won twice, both over 1400m, but she is a half-sister to Natural Selection (Western Winter), who won a Gr 2 over 2000m, was second in the Summer Cup, third in the Premiers Champions Challenge and tie fourth in the July. Something Of Value had produced eight runners and one of them won over 2400m, although that one was by stamina influence Dynasty.

Surjay made his seasonal reappearance in a 1400m Cape A Stakes race carrying 61,5kg and was beaten only 2,90 lengths by crack filly Rascova.

Oriental Charm and Surjay are in a field of just six runners for the Green Point.

World Of Alice winning the Gr 3 Fillies Mile (JC Photos)

Sean Tarry is swinging towards the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara series of races for his Gr 3 Betway Fillies Mile winner World Of Alice (One World).

He said the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes had been considered but as the Triple Tiara starts on February 1, just four weeks after the Paddock Stakes, he believed it made better sense to keep her on the Highveld.

Tarry believes the mile is the absolute minimum trip for World Of Alice, so she has a realistic chance of repeating the feat of Rain In Holland, whose hardest task before landing the Triple Tiara in 2022 was perceived to be the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.

World Of Alice is out of Hussonet mare Alice Springs, who won four times from 1200m up to 1600m.

However, Alice Springs has produced Joe Harman, a Master Of My fate gelding who won over 2200m.

World Of Alice fetched the likely looking winner Fiery Pegasus in the Fillies Mile and enjoyed the testing Turffontein Standside 1600m.

She was bred by Varsfontein Stud and is owned by Eugene and Sandy Arundel’s Itssa IT & Business Solutions (PTY) Ltd syndicate.

Meanwhile, Tarry reintroduces Cosmic Speed at Turffontein Standside on Saturday.

He said he did not have him fully wound up but believed he could still win, pointing out how good his sprint form was. He is also well treated at the weights in the Graduation Plate event over 1160m, especially with 1,5kg claimer Trent Mayhew aboard.

Asked whether he believed Cosmic Speed would get a mile this season, he said, “He may get the mile, but I don’t think it’s nailed on. I think 1200m to 1400m is probably a good distance for him at the moment.”

His promising three-year-old colt Legend Of Arthur was scratched from the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas due to a little bit of a virus. He said, “So, we had to just take it easy on him, but hopefully he’ll be back for the triple crown.”

He said The Specialist had hit the front of his face going into the gates or while standing in the gates last time and  there was blood from the mouth. It was supposed to be his preparation race for the Cape Guineas and Tarry added, “Thereafter the race was a mess. Unfortunately, it’s another run, but you have to just put a line through it. The run in the Graham Beck, the same story, he was pulling and Gavin battled to settle him. So, unfortunately the two runs over the distance we need to start stepping him up over were both a mess, but it happens.”

In between those two runs The Specialist ran a fair 5,50 length second over 1200m, with the form being franked as the winner, Mount Pilatus, won the Gr 3 New Turf Carrier Merchants on Saturday.

Tarry was happy with Lucky Lad’s 3,05 length fifth in the Merchants.

He said, “Obviously we were drawn on the wrong side and carried a hell of a weight. There’s a Pinnacle Plate coming up but I wanted to get him to Cape Town and wanted to give him one more run. We would have loved to have won, but those were two massive obstacles to overcome, so I was happy, I thought that was a good run.”

Tarry’s three Betway Summer Cup runners Future Pearl, Litigation and Hotarubi finished 13th , 14th  and 16th and he said, “I thought Future Pearl ran a reasonable race, Hotarubi from that draw things did not work out for him and you can put a line through that run, and with Litigation the run maybe came a bit soon. He was still a few kilograms overweight, he was even heavier for the Charity Mile but we got away with it over a mile, but I think he probably still needed the Summer Cup run a bit.”

Future Pearl clearly loves Durban, where his form is top drawer, and Tarry is going to take him to Cape Town and take his chances in the stayers races down there with the hope that he also loves the coastal course of Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. His long term aims will be the Hollywoodbets Durban July and World Pool Gold Cup.

Tarry is also looking forward to the Grand Heritage where he has a few entries including Champion Warrior, who seems to love the Vaal straight course.

Dave The King (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

The stipendiary report about the Tuesday racemeeting at Turffontein contained some interesting addendums, which explained the well below performances of Equus Horse Of The Year Dave The King and the Gr 1 winner Silver Sanctuary on Betway Summer Cup day and the disappointing performance of odds-on Dingaans favourite Greaterix.

Dave The King was beaten 12,25 lengths in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1400m and Silver Sanctuary finished last in the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup having been fancied by many, while Greaterix was beaten five lengths into third in the Betway Dingaans.

The addendums stated:

TURFFONTEIN RACECOURSE, 30 NOVEMBER 2024:

RACE 3 : CIRCA HOSPITALITY PINNACLE STAKES : 1400M (344)

Trainer M F de Kock reported that DAVE THE KING returned to stables with an abnormal trachea wash.

RACE 7 : BETWAY DINGAANS (Grade 2) : 1600M (348)

Trainer M F de Kock reported that GREATERIX returned to stables with abnormal bloods.

RACE 8 : BETWAY SUMMER CUP (Grade 1) : 2000M (349)

Trainer M F de Kock reported that SILVER SANCTUARY returned to stables with abnormal bloods.

Hopefully the horses bounce back in their next starts.

Picture: Jackson Street (left) gets up under Kyle Strydom to give Dylan Cunha his 50th win in the U.K. 

Dylan Cunha had his 50th win in the UK on Tuesday at Newcastle when the Dandy Man three-year-old gelding Jackson Street got up by three-quarters of a length at odds of 5/1 in a six furlong class 6 event, and fittingly the jockey aboard was ex-pat South African Kyle Strydom.

Among Cunha’s wins in his two-and-a-half year U.K. Career has been a lucrative Heritage Handicap victory with Silver Sword at York, he won the first two-year-old race of the season, The Brocklesby, with Zminaiture, and he won the Gr 2 Joel Stakes with £10,000 bargain buy Prague, an Aidan O’Brien chuck out.

The owner of Prague, Amedeo Dal Pos, is a stable employee of the Cunha yard’s, and does all the workriding on Prague, and Amedeo fittingly won a special achievement award for Prague at the glittering ROA awards at the Lancaster Hotel in London tonight (Thusrday) (see picture below)..

Cunha, who won the Summer Cup with Australian-bred Strategic News in 2007 while still in his twenties, started out in the U.K. just over two years ago with just three horses and has had a meteoric rise.

Cunha’s burgeoning fortunes are such that he has been able to send a couple of horses to the Dubai Carnival.

Silver Sword and King’s Call arrived in Dubai earlier this week.

Cunha has at least 50 horses now at his historic Phantom House yard in Newmarket on the famous Fordham Road. He took over the yard from the retired William Jarvis last year.

Below are the overall statistics for Cunha’s training career in the U.K.

Firealley has been tipped to win the 7th. (Pauline Herman Photography)

R1     (1) MAN OF COURAGE is making steady progress and has more scope compared to many respectfully so is the firm first choice. (5) AMERICAN PITBULL wasn’t beaten far in the last start and will be a big runner here. (4) WORLD SOPRANO ran a cracker in the last start and should be in the placings. (11) MILLION REASONS is racing well and is expected to make the frame once again. (Devonne Govender 1-5-4-11)

R2     (7) CICADIDAE was an impressive winner in her last start and will be a big runner here in this small but competitive race where a case can be made for a few. (6) AMAZING COLOURS is very capable on her day and won’t be far, she is rated by the yard so must be included in everything. (5) LADY SILVANO placed at big odds and can get involved. (1) MEDLERS TART has the ability to win a race of this nature so must go into everything. (Devonne Govender 7-6-5-1)

R3     (2) HOME REEF is holding consistent form and looks the horse to beat in this contest. (1) HE’S A GAUL ran extremely well in the last start and will go close if repeating that performance. (5) ANGEL OF MY HEART has had many chances at cracking her maiden but she has been holding form overall so will have to be respected. (8) FIRE FESTIVAL placed at big odds and can into the quartets. ( Devonne Govender 2-1-5-8)

R4     (3) ALL ABOUT LOVE is holding form and will be a huge contender here over the extended 1600m trip. (6) GENTEEL has scope to go very close here especially with the light mass on her back, her provincial debut effort was excellent and her last run was good so she will have a big say. (5) EXTRACTION is never far back on overall form and can place again. (8) COME ON YOU SPURS can get into the quartets. (Devonne Govender 3-6-5-8)

R5     (1) THREE ROCKS is a very smart horse, although she has been beaten favourite in the last few starts he should be able to get the job done here. (4) SYMBOL OF LOVE is holding solid form and rates a strong winning chance, she will be the main danger to the top selection. (6) ELLORIX seems to be getting better with every run and another decent effort can expected. (8) KABON KAPI has been in top form but meets stronger here. ( Devonne Govender 1-4-6-8)

R6     (2) USA’S HOPE has plenty ability, his last win was impressive and he is expected to follow up. (9) PURPLE OPERATOR ran extremely well in the last start and another good run is expected. (6) WHATEVER NEXT is very capable on his day and cannot be ignored. (7) NOTORIX Is never back and is very capable of winning this. ( Devonne Govender 2-9-6-7)

R7     Algoa Cup winner (2) FIREALLEY is back in action and looks hard to oppose here. He has the best draw and can deliver the goods. (5) BLACKBERRY MALT is holding solid form and there won’t be much to choose between the top two based on the last run. (1) SILVER FALCON packs some class and will be a serious factor here. (6) MOUNT ANDERSON won at big odds in his last start however he has always shown plenty ability and can get into the action once again. ( Devonne Govender 2-5-1-6)

R8     (3) UNION ROSE is holding consistent form and is knocking on the door for that next career win. (5) MR MOLONY is another who is racing well so must be respected. (9) REACH FORTHE STARS is always there in the mix and won’t be far. (8) MASTER FORESTER has a tough draw to negotiate however can win this on best form so must go into all bets.

Picture: Spumante Dolce wins cosily on debut and impressed. (JC Photos).

The 2022 Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Sparkling Water was to the fore today when her half-sister by Vercingetorix, Spumante Dolce, made a sprkling debut over 1400m on the Vaal straight course.

The Mike de Kock-trained filly looked to have plenty of substance and looked the winner virtually the whole race.

She converted 17/10 favouristism by a comfortable two lengths under Gavin Lerena.

The filly is out of the mare Espumanti who won the Gr 2 Ipi Tombe Challenge over 1600m and the Gr 2 Greyville 1900.

She was bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein and is onwed by them in partnership with Mr. BC Ralph.

Kabelo Matsunyane and Tony Peter were the only double scorers at the meeting.

Matsunyane goes to 30 wins for the season and has achieved it at a strike rate of 8,36%.

Gavin Lerena leads the championship on 84 wins with Richard Fourie and Craig Zackey next best on 74 and 72 respectively.

Tony Peter goes to 35 wins at 16.28%.

The picture gives a clue to the answer

Whose Kentucky Derby time record did Secretariat break?

Secretariat broke the Kentucky Derby record time of Northern Dancer when winning the big race in 1973 and his time of 1:59.4 still stands today.