Turf Talk Newsletter – 17 February, 2025

Snaith Barometer: 193

Target: 222

Eight On Eighteen Heads Cape Derby Field Of 7

Eight On Eighteen becomes only the fifth three-year-old to win the Met since World War II (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Eight on Eighteen is going to be tough to beat in Saturday’s Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth as he is 12kg well in with the second highest rated runner.

The WSB Met winner is merit rated 127 and faces only six other entries, but it should be borne in mind that at this stage of the season some three-year-olds are still finding themselves, as Oriental Charm proved when finishing third in this race last year off an 87 merit rating at odds of 100/1 before going on to win the Gr 1 Hollywoobets Durban July.

Nevertheless, it has to be called disappointing that the seven runners are only represented by three yards, with Justin Snaith having a team of five.

The Cape Derby has always been accompanied by a lot of prestige.

However, quite where to put it on the racing calendar has become problematic as there is the WSB Met, the big Sales races and the Gr 1 SA Classic in Johanneburg as alternatives for three-year-olds.

Nevertheless, it is still shaping up to be an interesting race and the Snaith-trained Lancaster Bomber colt Eight On Eighteen won’t have it all his own way, despite his high merit rating, being drawn two and having Richard Fourie aboard.

The Piet Steyn-trained Vercingetorix colt Garrix has always been highly thought of and after avoiding the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas he has shown his ability in two subsequent outings without having much luck.

Last time out in the Gr 3 City Of Cape Town Politician Stake over 1800m he had to loop the field as the pace was too slow and he finished a 2,75 length second to the Andre Nel-trained Zeitz, who had the run of the race but nevertheless won in fluent style.

Garrix is 3,5kg better off with Zeitz in the Cape Derby and there should not be much in it.

Before the Politician Stakes, Garrix was widely draw in 15 out of 16 runners when beaten 3,80 lengths by Sail The Seas over 1400m. Sail The Seas was giving him 1,5kg too.

Garrix was 1,80 length ahead of Sail The Seas in the Politician Stakes when once again receiving 1,5kg.

So there should not be much between that pair on Saturday either running at level weights, although Sail The Seas fans will say he was too far back in the slow-paced Politician Stakes and was running on well.

Sail The Seas is by Vercingetorix out of a Philanthropist mare who won three times from 1200m to 1400m, so it remains to be seen whether he will enjoy the 2000m trip.

Native Ruler and Dawn Till Dusk were beaten 3.05 and 3,55 lengths respectively by Zeitz in the Politician Stakes at level weights so are up against it in the Derby, while Express Yourself was beaten 6,30 lengths in the Politician at level weights to Zeitz, so has a tough task.

The final field for the Splashout Cape Derby is shown below.

Race-7 (Turf / Summer) R1 500 000 2000m 15:45 Ref-406
1st R890625, 2nd R285000, 3rd R142500, 4th R71250, 5th R35625, RCIS R75000
SplashOut CAPE DERBY (Grade 1)
For 3-year-oldsNo Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance

1	1	Garrix	60	97	A	Aldo Domeyer	Piet Steyn
2	2	Eight On Eighteen	60	127	A	Richard Fourie	Justin Snaith
3	3	Dawn Till Dusk	60	93	A	Juan Paul v’d Merwe	Justin Snaith
4	4	Sail The Seas	60	103	A	Craig Zackey	Justin Snaith
5	5	Express Yourself	60	86	T A	Craig Bantam	Justin Snaith
6	6	Zeitz	60	97	BA	Corne Orffer	Andre Nel
7	7	Native Ruler	60	91	A	Gavin Lerena	Justin Snaith
Same Trainer
(2,3,4,5,7)

Greaterix Opts For The Horse Chestnut

Greaterix is pictured winnning the Gr 3 Got The Greenlight Stakes over 1400m, but does he stay the tough Turffontein 1600m course and distance? (JC Photos)

The Mike and Matthew de Kock trained Vercingetorix colt Greaterix has been entered in the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut stakes to be run over 1600m at Turffontein Standside on March 1 and he does not appear among the entries in the Gr 1 SA Classic, suggesting the connections have accepted he has stamina limitations.

Greaterix looked all over the winner in the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas last time out after sweeping past Parisian Walkway under the hands with just 200m to go, but he had no answer when Parisian Walkway fought back to win by 0,40 lengths.

Unfortunately Greaterix has drawn wide in ten out of 12 in the Horse Chestnut, so it will be a tough ask for him.

There is only one out of province entry in the Horse Chestnut and that is the progressive Gareth Van Zyl-trained Imelenzeyokududuma, who has been in good form in KZN. However, he did disappoint on Sunday when only managing 5th in the Fever Tree Stakes over 1500m and his merit rating of 114 also makes him 8kg under sufferance with the highest rated entry, the defending champion, Main Defender.

Main Defender has bounced back to his best recently and will take a power of beating from draw six.

In his last start over 1400m he beat Barbaresco by 0.9 lengths at level weights.

Barbaresco is also an entry in the Horse Chestnut and will appreciate the step up in trip and he will be a big threat to Main Defnder from draw two.

An interesting entry is the Sean Terry trained Cosmic Speed, who performed at the highest level as a juvenile over 1200m and 1400m, but he was somewhat disappointing in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600, albeit from a wide draw. However, in the Gr 3 Betway Got The Green Light Stakes over 1400 meters last time out Cosmic Speed came from last with a very strong finish to be beaten just 3.1 lengths by Greaterix and he was giving the latter 2kg. That run suggested he would enjoy the mile and, furthermore, he has landed a plum draw of three, so is likely to be a big runner.

Tarry in fact has two top runners entered, the other being the crack twice Gr 1 winner over 1200m, Lucky Lad, who proved in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate he is also effective over a mile. He ran on from last that day for a 5.95 length sixth. He will have the long straight of Turffontein to make up ground on this occasion after likely being dropped out from draw eight.

Another interesting entry is Back in Business, who was strongly fancied in the Gr 2 Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity mile before being badly hampered, causing Muzi Yeni to fall off. This will be this classy, but somewhat unlucky five-year-old gelding’s first start since then and hopefully he can bounce back into the top class form he was in at the time.

William Robertson is a fascinating entry and together with Barbaresco and Lucky Lucky Lad is one of the joint second highest rated runners on 125. He has been seen to be capable of devastating finishing runs from sprints up to 1400m, but he has actually finished fourth before in a Gr 3 over 1800 meters and he ran in the Betway Summer Cup once too, so trainer Corne Spies must be more than hopeful he will stay a mile. From draw 12 out of 12 as it stands he’s going to have to be dropped out and use his tremendous turn of foot to run on.

White Pearl is one of Danon Platina’s two stakes winning horses and will attempt to become his first Gr 1 winner. However, she has a tough task being merit rated only 114, although she did prove she enjoys this course and distance recently when winning the Mike de Kock Ipi Tombe Challenge and she has drawn pole position. She has 4,50 lengths to find on Main Defender from their last meeting over 1400m and is 3kg worse off.

Fire and Flames is an enigmatic horse capable of top class performances if things go his way, but he looks a bit out of his depth here running off a 101 merit rating.

Texas Red also has a tough task considering he was beaten 1.3 lengths by Main Defender last time over 1400 meters and will now be 6kg worse off.

BusstopinHounslow is a progressive sort owned by Hollywood Racing and this is a massive step up in class for this nice, scopey type. However, he tried this trip for the first tim last time out and won effortlessly by 3,30 lengths, so he could still be anything and being officially 17,5kg under sufferance with Main Defender is probably not a realistic reflection of his chances.

The entries in draw order are shown below:

1 White Pearl 57.5 114 Mike / Mathew de Kock

2 Barbaresco 60 125 J A Janse van Vuuren

3 Cosmic Speed 57 116 Sean Tarry

4 Back In Business 60 114 Joe Soma

5 Fire ‘N Flames 60 101 Kobus Roux

6 Main Defender 60 130 Tony Peter

7 Texas Red 60 110 Robyn Klaasen

8 Lucky Lad 60 125 Sean Tarry

9 Imilenzeyokududuma 60 114 Gareth van Zyl

10 Greaterix 57 120 Mike / Mathew de Kock

11 Busstopinhounslow 57 95 Grant Maroun

12 William Robertson 60 125 Corne Spies

Quid Pro Quo Looks For Revenge On Spumante Dolce

The unbeaten Spumante Dolce wins the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas at the expense of VJ’s angel and Quid Pro Quo. (JC Photos)

Quid Pro Quo and Spumante Dolce both hold entries in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic and neither holds an entry on the same day in the Gr 1 SA Classic, so they look to be on a collision course.

Willy Meet Again enters the fray, having avoided the Gauteng Fillies Guineas.

Alec Laird has a strong hand in the SA Classic with Gauteng Guineas winner Parisian Walkway and third-placed Aristotle being joined by Betway Dingaans runner up Fire Attack, who would have just about been favourite for the Gauteng Guineas had he not had to be scratched on the morning of the race with his blood reading showing him to probably be harbouring a virus.

Sean Tarry has a strong hand with Legend Of Arthur and Saturday’s impressive winner Don’t Cry For Me.

Fabian Habib has entered the promising pair Confederate and Bacchus.

Grant Maroun has Busstopinhounslow in both the SA Classic and the Horse Chestnut.

The entries lists for the SA Classic and SA Fillies Classic respectively are sown below:

Gr 1 SA Classic:

1	0	Confederate	60	107	Fabian Habib	Still To Be Declared
2	0	Legend Of Arthur	60	109	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
3	0	Chestnut Bomber	60	106	J A Janse van Vuuren	Still To Be Declared
4	0	Parisian Walkway	60	121	Alec Laird	Still To Be Declared
5	0	Fire Attack	60	111	Alec Laird	Still To Be Declared
6	0	Don’t Cry For Me	60	101	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
7	0	Miss Scaletta	57.5	98	Paul Matchett	Still To Be Declared
8	0	Aristotle	60	113	Alec Laird	Still To Be Declared
9	0	Grey Jet	60	96	Weichong Marwing	Still To Be Declared
10	0	Vj’s Angel	57.5	119	Tony Peter	Still To Be Declared
11	11	Busstopinhounslow	60	95	Grant Maroun		Ryan Munger
12	0	Bacchus	60	101	Fabian Habib	Still To Be Declared

Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic

1	Willy Meet Again	60	107	Lucky Houdalakis	Still To Be Declared
2	Hat’s Queen	60	96	Tony Peter	Still To Be Declared
3	Olivia’s Way	60	110	Roy Magner	Still To Be Declared
4	Bakwena	60	97	J A Janse van Vuuren	Still To Be Declared
5	Too Late My Mate	60	100	Alec Laird	Still To Be Declared
6	Queen Of Love	60	99	Roy Magner	Still To Be Declared
7	Gerbera	60	88	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
8	Sensoria	60	84	Robyn Klaasen	Still To Be Declared
9	Spumante Dolce	60	119	Mike / Mathew de Kock	Still To Be Declared
10	Vj’s Angel	60	119	Tony Peter	Still To Be Declared
11	Miss Scaletta	60	98	Paul Matchett	Still To Be Declared
12	Quid Pro Quo	60	118	Barend Botes	Still To Be Declared
13	Fatal Flaw	60	115	BJ Crawford/JI Crawford	Still To Be Declared
14	World Of Alice	60	108	Sean Tarry	Still To Be Declared
15	Fiery Pegasus	60	115	Joe Soma	Still To Be Declared
16	Care Forgot	60	98	Barend Botes	Still To Be Declared

Your Chance To Watch Isivunguvungu In The Flesh On World Cup Night

Picture: Isivunguvungu winning the Da Hoss Stakes on his USA debut in September last year. (Coady Media).

The Narrow Creek/South African bred, Isivunguvungu, has received an invitation to run in Dubai on World Cup night.

The superb sprinter will ship over from the USA for the big week.

The local travel group, Let’s Go Travel, will be sending an entourage to watch him run.

A great chance to see our Group 1 winner take on the best.

It is a fun filled week of top class racing, horseracing entertainment at its finest.

All racing enthusiasts should seriously consider joining the group for a wonderful day with some of the finest international racing on offer.

For more information on this trip please contact Phil Georgiou …phil@letsgotravel.net.za

Isivunguvungu has been putting in some sparkling workouts recently.

Below is one he did on February 2 over four furlongs:

Son Of Raj Bounces Back

Son Of Raj wins the London News (JC Photos)

The five-year-old Duke Of Marmalade gelding Son Of Raj scored his first win since his victory in the Gr 1 SA Derby some 680 days previously when landing the GR 3 Betway London News Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday under Gavin Lerena.

Son Of Raj was given a holiday at Grace Stables after last seaon’s Champions Season and the Tony Peter-trained Steven Chetty-homebred five-year-old has returned in fine fettle, running third twice before Saturday’s win.

He went into the race only half-a-kilogram under sufferance with the best weighted runner, None Other, who won the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks on the same day as he had landed the SA Derby.

In his previous start he had finished well to be beaten just half-a-length in the Listed Richard Maponya Handicap over the same course and distance.

The horse he beat by 0,80 lengths in the Richard Maponya, Radicchio, was now going to be 9,5kg worse off with him and is a decent type, so Son Of Raj was going to take some beating in the London News, especially as he had in form Gavin Lerena aboard.

He duly shortened in the betting to 2/1 from 7/2 with the Gr 1 SA Classic winner over this course and distance, Purple Pitcher, also shortening slightly from 28/10 to 5/2 as None Other drifted out from 3/1 to 9/2 and the Gr 1 Wollavington 2000 winner Silver Sanctuary drifted out from 9/2 to 7/1 and her progressive stablemate Forgiveness, who was way under sufferance on official merit ratings, drifted out from 7/1 to 25/2 while former SA Oaks runner up My Soul Mate stayed steady at 6/1 and Radiccio drifted out from 7/1 to 10/1.

Son Of Raj also had the advantage of pole position in the small seven horse field.

Gavin Lerena relaxed him well from the off and sat behind the natural front-runner Purple Pitcher.

Purple Pitcher set steady fractions in the soft ground, but Son Of Raj behind him had relaxed superbly throughout and was striding out nicely.

My Soul Mate hit the front as they approached the 400m mark, but Son Of Raj and Forgiveness were close up on either side of her as they swept past a beaten looking Purple Pitcher.

However, it was soon clear that the only one who was still full of running in the testing conditions was Son Of Raj, although the brave Purple Pitcher was fighting back on the inside.

Son Of Raj ran out a 1,90 length winner from the gallant Purple Pitcher, from whom he received 3kg.

My Soul Mate was beaten 3,10 lengths into third with Radiccio a 3,90 length fourth and Forgiveness a 4,30 length fifth.

Son Of Raj went into the race merit rated 119, which is the same rating he ran off in the Hollywoodbets Durban July when beaten 19,55 lengths.

He was beaten 8,60 lengths in the Gold Cup off 119 too.

However, his holiday clearly did him good, so he will likely have another crack at the July and if he gets into the final field it will be dream time again for passionate Durbanite Steven Chetty.

The handicappers have not changed Son Of Raj’s rating of 119.

Son Of Raj was raised at Boland Stud and is a son of the deceased Cartier Champion Duke Of Marmalade out of the three-time winning Black Minnaloushe mare, Freudinia.

He has now won 5 races with 5 places from 20 starts for stakes of R1 587 250.

Son Of Raj is a half-brother to the useful Listed -winning stayer Arumugam.

The subsquent siblings to Son Of Raj was a filly by Futura, who finished well beaten in three starts and currently there is a colt by The United States, the Tony Peter-trained Status, who finished a promising two length third on debut over 1450m on December 19 last year.

Steven Chetty owns Status in partnership with S Govindsamy.

Meanwhile, Gavin Lerena’s double on the day matched Craig Zackey’s double down at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, meaning Zackey stayed three wins clear on the national jockeys log. Fourie only had a single winner in Cape Town and was 14 wins behind Zackey at close of play on Saturday.

Zackey was on 146 wins achieved at a strike rate of 18.32%, Lerena was on 143 at 26.68% and Fourie was on 132 at 24.18%.

However, at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday Zackey rode a double while Lerena scored a blank, meaning the gap is now five.

Milestone Weekend For Erik The Red

Tenjiku becomes the first winner for Varsfontein Stud-based stallion Erik The Red (JC Photos).

Cape Breeders

Varsfontein Stud’s well bred young sire Erik The Red came up with his first winner when his two-year-old son Tenjiku scored at Turffontein on Saturday.

Just one day later, he produced a second winner, Polar Light.

The Alec Laird trained gelding Tenjiku had finished seventh on debut before running third and second in his two subsequent outings.

Dispatched a 17-10 tote favourite for Saturday’s 4Racing Welcomes You Maiden Juvenile Plate (1400m), Tenjiku duly lived up to his billing.

Under Diego De Gouveia, Tenjiku kept going strongly in the closing stages to hold on and win by nearly a length and a half.

Bred by Varsfontein Stud, the gelding is out of Kawakami, whose high-class sire Master Of My Fate hails from the same family as Erik The Red.

Tenjiku, who has a full-sister on offer at the 2025 Cape Yearling Sale, was a R260 000 buy from the 2024 Cape Yearling Sale.

He hails from the first crop of his Erik The Red, winner of six of ten starts, headed by the G2 Cape Thoroughbred Sales Cape Merchants.

Erik The Red filly Polar Light got off the mark when she won the Download The Race Card Online www.goldcircle.co.za Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) (1100m) at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.

The two-year-old, making just her second start, defied her starting price of 80-1 with a convincing display.

Under Jacey Botes, the Paul Lafferty-trained filly stormed home to get up and win by over a length and a half.

Bred by Varsfontein, Polar Light is out of the Gimmethegreenlight mare Different Light.

Sunday’s winner was a R120 000 buy from the 2024 Cape Yearling Sale.

To date, Erik The Red has had three runners either win or finish in the money.

Also victorious in the G2 Epol Umkhomazi Stakes and G3 Kepu Cape Of Good Hope Nursery, Erik The Red is one of more than 100 stakes winners for his sire Captain Al.

The latter is also responsible for current boom sire One World as well as proven G1 stallions Captain Of All and William Longsword.

Bred on the Captain Al/Western Winter cross as G1 winners Carry On Alice and Tap O’ Noth, Erik The Red is out of the Western Winter sired G1 Majorca Stakes winner Covenant.

This is the family of top-class sire Master Of My Fate, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf hero Pluck and South African Triple Crown winner Malmoos. The latter was sired by Captain Al, making Erik The Red and Malmoos bred on very similar lines.

Erik The Red has 12 lots on offer at the Cape Yearling Sale and 18 lots on offer at the Premier Yearling Sale.

Holding Thumbs Runs Them Ragged At HWB Kenilworth

Holding Thumbs progressed again on Saturday with a fine front-running victory. (Picture: Wayne Marks).

Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle)

Holding Thumbs, an imposing 17-hands son of Vercingetorix, is maturing into a serious performer and KZN-based rider Sean Veale has struck up a solid partnership with the Glen Kotzen inmate. Sporting the black and white colours of Gary Player, Veale sent Holding Thumbs into the lead shortly after the start of the seventh race, the R185 000 Paarl Diamant Cape A Stakes over 2000m, and the well-supported favourite galloped resolutely all the way to the line to score comfortably. Call To Unite held on to second just ahead of an improved Nebraas to give Vercingetorix a stallion’s Trifecta.

Holding Thumbs, bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein, has now won six of sixteen starts and his victory at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday boosted his career earnings to close on R600 000, with the prospect of more to come as the late developing 4yo gelding continues to go from strength to strength.

The opener, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m, saw an impressive debut performance by Spacebound, a 2yo son of freshman sire Declarationofpeace, who raced away from his eight rivals to score emphatically by four lengths. Ridden by Richard Fourie for trainer Peter Muscutt, Spacebound (9/4) was a second juvenile winner for new owner Jordie Daniels, whose attractive purple and pink colours were carried to victory by Jordash a few days earlier.

The impeccably bred Dreamworld, trained by Vaughan Marshall, was sent out a firm 15/10 favourite to make a winning debut in the second race, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m, and the 2yo son of One World showed good resolve to hold out the more experienced Good For You (20/1) by a little less than a length. The pair joined locked horns approaching the 400m marker, and it was only inside the final 75m that Dreamworld asserted his superiority under Sean Veale. Dreamworld races in the familiar blue and white silks of Ken Truter and was bred at the Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm.

Punters were again on the mark when Lhasa (8/10) ran out a comfortable winner of the third race, an Open Maiden (F&M) over 1200m, for the Candice Bass-Robinson/Aldo Domeyer combination. Lhasa was never in danger of defeat and had more than a length to spare over runner-up Cape Captain at the winning post.

Bass-Robinson and Domeyer were back in the winner’s enclosure 35 minutes later after Bright Gold fought (28/10) back bravely to deny Wehaveasituation (13/10) by a neck in the fourth race, an Open Maiden (F&M) over 1600m. Owned and bred by Drakenstein Stud, Bright Gold was full value for her win but will need to show further improvement to make her mark beyond the maiden ranks.

The scratching of firm ante-post favourite Victor Hugo threw the fifth race, a Maiden Plate over 1400m, wide open and it came as no surprise to see a minor upset as Bel Canto Dream (16/1) quickened well early in the stretch under Grant Van Niekerk and put the race to bed 300m from home. It was left to Konnichiwa (9/4) to do the chasing, but the substitute tote favourite was still more than two lengths in arrears at the line with the balance well beaten.

December Dawn, attempting four wins on the bounce, topped the betting boards for the eighth race, a Class 4 Handicap (F&M) over 1200m, but the rise in class proved her undoing and the well-supported Back At The George (5/1 into 28/10) was produced with a strong finishing effort by Craig Zackey to get the better of Shesgotclass and third-place dead-heaters, Little Miss Pink and Dark Winter. Zackey followed up in the ninth race, a Class 5 Handicap over 1200m, producing the Adam Marcus-trained Tambourine Man (5/1) with a well-timed finish to collar Trippi’s Silk (16/10) in the final few strides.

Empire State closed out the race meeting with a classy win in the tenth race, a Class 4 Handicap over 1100m, to complete a treble for Candice Bass-Robinson and Aldo Domeyer. Widely regarded as the nap-of-the-day, Empire State was sent off at the prohibitive odds of 5/10 and under a confident ride the 3yo son of Rafeef got the job done with a minimum of fuss.

Today's Question

Which jockey arrived back in South Africa this month back in 2008 after five successful years in Hong Kong and immediately became the first call rider in South Africa for Mike de Kock?

The picture gives a clue to the answer (Picture: HKJC).

FIELDS, Tuesday, 18 February

Vaal Classic

Today’s Question Answer

Picture: Anthony Delpech salutes on the great Vengeance Of Rain.

Anthony Delpech had 135 wins and stakes earning of over HK$150 million in five seasons in Hong Kong and he was associated with the great David Ferraris-trained Vengeance Of Rain, winner among other races of the 2005 QEII Cup in Hong Kong and the Gr 1 Dubai Sheema Classic in Dubai in 2007.

However, in the 2007/2008 season Vengeance Of Rain had not only retired but Anthony had picked up a plethora of suspensions too and he decided it was time to return to South Africa.