Turf Talk Newsletter – 10 March, 2025

Snaith Barometer: 187

Target: 222

Big Cap - One Stripe 8kg Well In

One Stripe’s final appearance in South Africa will be at the Royal Raceday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Sunday. (Picture: Wayne Marks).

The anticipation for the R5 million HSH Princess Charlene Big Cap over 1400m at Hollywoobets on Sunday is mounting as there is potentially big earnings for the participating connections and for fans it offers a last chance to see the magnificent Vaughan Marshall-trained One Stripe in action.

The R5 million prize money is distributed thus: 1st R3000000, 2nd R900000, 3rd R450000, 4th R300000, 5th R175000, 6th R175000.

The conditions attempt to bring lesser horses into the race with a chance, but a superstar entry like One Stripe is favoured by an additional condition which puts an upper limit on the weight carried and he will thus be difficult to oppose.

The benchmark for the race is 53kg equals a nett merit rating of 96 and for three-year-olds there is a 2,5kg penalty for a Gr 1 win and 1kg for a Gr 2 win (penalties not cumulative) and there is a 2kg gender allowance for fillies.

However, there are upper weight limits as such:

three-year old male 60kg

three-year-old female 57,5kg

four-year-old male 62kg

four-year-old female 60kg.

One Stripe is merit rated 132 and is a Gr 1 winner, while the weight for age allowance for a three-year-old at this time of the year over the 1400m trip is 3kg.

So to work out what weight he would have to carry if there were no upper limits, the following calculations must be done:

132 – 96 = 36 = 18kg.

18kg – 3kg (weight for allowance) = 15kg.

15kg + 2.5kg (Gr 1 penalty) = 17,5kg.

53kg + 17,5kg = 70.5kg.

One Stripe would have to carry 70,5 if there were no upper weight limits.

Therefore, he is a whopping 10,5kg well in all in all and he is 8kg better off than he would be in a handicap.

His wins in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas and Gr 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate showed that a mile could be his optimum trip, so the step down to 1400m might not be ideal.

However, he showed in his close second to last year’s Cape Guineas winner Snow Pilot over 1400m that he is effective over this trip too, as he was 7,5kg worse off than weight for age with Snow Pilot in that race.

One Stripe has plenty of speed and Gavin Lerena is in fine form.

The Drakesnstein Stud-bred One World colt should make it his seven wins from nine starts from a plum draw of two.

It will be his first start with Hollywood Racing as part owners together with original owner Rikesh Sewgoolam and could well be his last ever start in South Africa as he is due to depart overseas after this race.

One interesting point is that on Cape Guineas form alone the Justin Snaith-trained 112-rated Great Plains would finish close to One Stripe. Great Plains was beaten 2,75 lengths in the Cape Guineas and is now 2kg better off. However, Gavin Lerena divulged to connections that the horse still had a ton in hand at the finish of the Cape Guineas. This was proven when Great Plains was beaten 11,20 lengths by One World in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate on the same weight terms as the Cape Guineas.

Neverheless, Great Plains is continually improving and could use his big stride to go close to One Stripe again, although Richard Fourie will have to overcome a tricky draw of seven out of ten.

The 112-rated All Out For Six actually has his stablemate One Stripe beaten on the form of the Cape Punters Cup over 1600m. He was beaten 1,75 lengths and is now 2kg better off.

However, in his next start in the Cape Guineas One Stripe put All Out For Six in his place by beating him by 8,45 lengths.

Nevertheless, All Out For Six has the ability to earn, although he has a tricky draw of eight under Grant van NIekerk.

The Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Rafeef colt Empire State is 3kg under sufferance acording to the benchmark carrying 53kg off a 96 merit rating and is 11kg under sufferance with One stripe on offficial merit ratings. However, this one is on the up and could be ideally distance suited looking at his overall form. He jumps from the widest draw of all though with JP van der Merwe up.

The Justin Snaith-trained The Grey King is a talented horse who is in good form at present and is distance suited and looks to have had a good prep, so this 98-rated four-year-old could make his presence felt from a plum draw of three with leading jockey Craig Zackey up.

The Snaith-trained 106-rated Makazole has won a Listed race at Fairview over this trip, but on Cape Town form he looks well held by the like of The Grey King and All Out For Six. Muzi Yeni rides from draw nine.

The 106-rated four-year-old Coastal Commander gets 2kg from One Stripe, but on official merit ratings is 8kg under sufferance. This Marshall-trained horse finished a neck send in last year’s Gold Rush and his only subsequent win was over this trip. He also ran a good third to Snow Pilot over this trip this season so on his day he is capable of earning from draw five with Gareth Wright up.

The 104-rated East Cape-based Kelly Mitchley-trained filly Passchendaele is another who is capable of a fine performance and is effective over this trip. She will likely be the pacemaker, so as she is drawn in pole position with Calvin Habib up, Lerena will be wary of her.

The Sean Tarry-trained 88-rated four-year-old Tail Of The Comet would be a big threat receiving 7kg from One Stripe if able to produce his best. However, he has for some reason completely lost his way and in his last seven starts has only once not been beaten by more than ten lengths and that was last time when beaten 9,20 lengths in a class 3 race running off a 93 merit rating. Ashton Arries rides from draw four.

La Pulga is an improving sort but has it tough off a 93 merit rating as a three-year-old and he looks to need further. Sean Veale rides from draw six.

The final field is

shown below:

R5 000 000 1400m 16:15 Ref-442
1st R3000000, 2nd R900000, 3rd R450000, 4th R300000, 5th R175000, 6th R175000
HSH PRINCESS CHARLENE BIG CAP
Open (Non-Black Type)
WFA: 3yrs-3kgs 4yrs-0kgs
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance

1	1	Passchendaele	55	104	A	Calvin Habib	Kelly Mitchley
2	2	One Stripe	60	132	A	Gavin Lerena	Vaughan Marshall
3	3	The Grey King	54	98	A	Craig Zackey	Justin Snaith
4	4	Tail Of The Comet	53	88	THA	Ashton Arries	Sean Tarry
5	5	Coastal Commander	58	106	A	Gareth Wright	Vaughan Marshall
6	6	La Pulga	53	93	A	Sean Veale	Candice Bass-Robinson
7	7	Great Plains	58	112	A	Richard Fourie	Justin Snaith
8	8	All Out For Six	58	112	A	Grant van Niekerk	Vaughan Marshall
9	9	Makazole	55	106	A	Muzi Yeni	Justin Snaith
10	10	Empire State	53	96	A	Juan Paul v’d Merwe	Candice Bass-Robinson
Same Trainer
(2,5,8) (3,7,9) (6,10)

CRS Cape Slipper Leading Contenders' Pedigree Analysis

Stablemates Black Cheetah (nearest) and Clair de Lune (red colours) renew rivalry in the R1.5 million Cape Racing Sales Cape Slipper on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. (Picture: Chase Liebenberg).

The R1.5 million Cape Racing Sale (CRS) Cape Slipper’s final field was announced today (Monday) and Sarah Whitelaw has analysed the pedigrees of the leading contenders.

Sarah Whitelaw

The Cape Racing Sale (CRS) Cape Slipper ranks as an exciting addition to the two-year-old races run in the Western Cape. The R1 500 000 contest, restricted to horses bought from the 2024 Premier Yearling Sale, is 1200m contest set to be held at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Sunday March 16th, days after the 2025 Premier Yearling Sale takes place. The winner of the Cape Slipper will receive a cheque for R937 500, while the runner up and third place finishers receive R300 000 and R150 000 respectively.

Below is a brief look at likely leading contenders for this year’s Cape Slipper:

DREAMWORLD: c One World – Dream De Ra, by Oasis Dream
A colt with a big reputation, Dreamworld duly lived up to expectations when making a winning debut in February. His G1 Sun Met winning sire One World, whose sire Captain Al was eight times Leading Sire of 2YOs in South Africa, was South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire in 2023-2024, when he came up with no fewer than 30 winning two-year-olds. One World’s remarkable first crop includes not only this season’s G1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate/G1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas winner One Stripe, but nine other horses who have either won or been placed in black type races.
Dreamworld, who hails from his exciting sire’s second crop, is a half-brother to two winners, including the very smart Dreamland. His lightly raced dam Dream De Ra, a half-sister to Listed KwaZulu-Natal Stakes winner Miss Frankel, is a daughter of star sprinters Oasis Dream and Val De Ra, with the latter the Equus Champion Sprinter of 2011.
Dream De Ra’s sire Oasis Dream, a G1 winner at two and champion sprinter at three (he is also sire of Querari), has become an exceptional broodmare sire, with his daughters responsible for more than 100 stakes winners including Desert Miracle, winner of both the G1 Schweppes Majorca Stakes and G1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes in 2023.

BLACK CHEETAH: c Querari -Mara, by Var
By South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs for 2024-2025, out of a mare by Var, twice Leading Sires of 2YOs in South Africa, Black Cheetah has won both his starts convincingly.
He shares his sire Querari, South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs in 2018-2019, with 43 stakes winners including recent G1 Wilgerbosdrift H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes winner Cosmic Speed and champion sprinter Rio Querari.
Black Cheetah is a half-brother to this season’s G3 Cape Classic winner Great Plains and Listed Ibhayi Stakes runner up Trip To Maputo. His dam Mara is a winning half-sister to Listed Perfect Promise Sprint winner Lesedi La Rona and Listed East Cape Oaks winner Swazi Queen, as well as to the G3 placed dam of Summer Lily, who ran second in this season’s G3 Baker McVeigh Diana Stakes.
In turn, the well bred Mara is out of the Western Winter mare Barberton Daisy, who won three times and ran second in the Listed East Coast Handicap.
Tellingly, perhaps, Black Cheetah’s first three dams were sired by Var, Western Winter and Sadler’s Wells respectively, and this colt is directly descended in female line from none other than La Troienne.

MILITARY COMMAND: c Fire Away -Lady Val, by High Chaparral
After finishing fourth on debut, to Spacebound, Military Command made a big impression when winning next time out by two and a half lengths. His G3 Dixie Stakes winning sire Fire Away has made a big impression with his first two crops produced seven stakes winners led by recent G1 TAB SA Classic 1-2 finishers Confederate and Fire Attack. Fire Away has also proved more than capable of coming up with high-class two-year-olds, with the son of War Front (himself sire of such star two-year-olds as Air Force Blue, Brave Anna and War Command), having already sired such stakes winning two-year-olds as the aforementioned Fire Attack as well as Luna Halo and My Golly Molly and the G1 placed filly Egyptian Mau. (Fire Away is also the sire of this season’s promising two-year-old Fortress Of Fire who made a winning debut at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday).
Military Command is a half-brother to the useful Famous Lady, who won on debut before going on to finish second in the G3 TAB Pretty Polly Stakes.
The pair of out of Lady Val, a twice winning daughter of dual Derby winner and outstanding sire High Chaparral, with Lady Val’s own dam, Took, a half-sister to G3 Round Tower Stakes winner Intelligence Cross and classy Hong Kong galloper Sweet Orange. Both Intelligence Cross and Sweet Orange were sired by War Front, the outstanding sire of Fire Away himself.

CLAIR DE LUNE: f Trippi -Louvre, by Doowaley
While Clair De Lune has yet to win, she has done little wrong in finishing second in her first three starts and ran a creditable race when runner up in the Listed Heineken Summer Juvenile Stakes on World Sports Betting Cape Town Met day.
While her champion sire Trippi is famed for siring such champion males as Charles Dickens, Winchester Mansion and Trip Of Fortune, he has also excelled in producing some top-class daughters. Among Trippi’s star daughters are five time G1 winner Inara, Equus Champion Hammie’s Hooker, US G1 winner R Heat Lightning and G1 SA Fillies Sprint queen Real Princess. The latter has become an outstanding producer, and is responsible for this season’s stakes winners Gimmie’s Countess, The Real Prince and outstanding sprinter Gimme A Prince.
The regally bred Clair De Lune is a full-sister to G1 winner Trip Of Fortune, Equus Champion Older Male of 2022-2023. The latter won five graded races during his career which was crowned by a triumph in the 2023 G1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes. Clair De Lune, the top lot sold at the 2024 Premier Yearling Sale, is out of G2 Tibouchina Stakes winning millionaire Louvre, and this filly is bred on similar lines to the Trippi sired Equus Champion and G1 Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Winchester Mansion.

MALMESBURY MISSILE: c Gimmethegreenlight -Gabor, by Kingsbarns
Recently purchased off a partnership dissolution auction, the blue blooded Malmesbury Missile ran third and fourth in his first two starts before winning over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
His sire Gimmethegreenlight has beeen Champion Sire in South Africa three times, with the son of More Than Ready having also been South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs on three occasions. Gimmethegreenlight has made another good start with his two-year-olds this season including Listed Heineken Summer Juvenile Stakes winner Wild Wild Green.
Gabor, winner of the G1 Thekwini Stakes, was Equus Champion 2YO Filly of 2018-2019, and she is out of a stakes placed daughter of Trippi, broodmare sire of the Gimmethegreenlight sired G1 winners Gimme A Prince and She’s A Keeper. Gabor’s short-lived G1 Racing Post Trophy winning sire Kingsbarns was produced by Beltisaal, whose classic winning grandson Kameko is currently one of Britain’s most promising young stallions.

The final field is shown below:

R1 500 000 1200m 12:40

1st R937500, 2nd R300000, 3rd R150000, 4th R75000, 5th R37500CAPE RACING SALES CAPE SLIPPER

2yo R100 000 Win Bonus (Non-Black Type)No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance

1	1	Clair De Lune	57.5	0	A	Sean Veale	Justin Snaith
2	2	Military Command	60	0	A	Craig Zackey	Peter Muscutt
3	3	Dreamworld	60	0	A	Gavin Lerena	Vaughan Marshall
4	4	Malmesbury Missile	60	0	A	Muzi Yeni	Justin Snaith
5	5	Getupandgo	60	0	A	Juan Paul v’d Merwe	Vaughan Marshall
6	6	Spirit	60	0	A	Grant van Niekerk	Piet Steyn
7	7	Captains Alliance	60	0	A	Oswald Noach	Vaughan Marshall
8	8	Hedrivesmecrazy	60	0	A	Gareth Wright	Piet Botha
9	9	Churchillian	60	0	A	Aldo Domeyer	Candice Bass-Robinson
10	10	Whatastar	57.5	0	A	Andrew Fortune	Candice Bass-Robinson
11	11	Black Cheetah	60	0	A	Richard Fourie	Justin Snaith
Same Trainer
(1,4,11) (3,5,7) (9,10)

Immediate Edge Stamps His July Credentials

Immediate Edge (yellow colours) gets up by a head in a thriller. (JC Photos).

The Hollywoodbets Durban July is looming large already with ante-post betting out and the Mike and Matthew de Kock yard will be a player this season.

Mike de Kock has won the race five times and two of his winners have carried the familiar yellow with a royal blue chevron colours of Sheik Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, which are these days registered as Al Adiyaat South Africa (Pty) Ltd.

On Saturday at Turffontein Standside the Shadwell Stud-bred Vercingetorix colt Immediate Edge remained unbeaten in three starts when carrying Sheik Khalifa’s colours to victory in the Listed WSB Hawwaam Stakes over 2000m and De Kock said in the winner’s enclosure, “He is the sort of horse you have to aim at the July and make sure you come in with the right weight.”

De Kock’s last winner in the July was Sparkling Water, who gave Mary Slack her first win of the big race as an owner as the Silvano filly was a Wilgerbosdrift Stud homebred.

Fittingly, Wilgerbosdrift also own a share in Immediate Edge.

Mike de Kock himself owns a share and so does a long time supporter of his yard, Chris Haynes.

Immediate Edge, who is out of the Australian-bred Commands mare Anhaar, an unraced half-sister to the three time Gr 1-winning champion Soqrat, was a R1.2 million Purchase at the BSA National Yearling Sale.

He was not actually the best performed horse in the Hawwaam Stakes on Saturday as he received 3kg from the Lucky Houdalakis-trained shorthead runner up Wild Intent. The latter is by Gimmethegreenlight out of the useful Listed-winning stayer Wild Ash and this twice winner was thought of as good enough to go down to Cape Town to run in the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m, where he finished a not disgraced 6,25 length ninth.

Wild Intent went into Saturday’s race merit rated 96 compared to Immediate Edge’s 88.

Towers Of Gold opened up a big lead at a fair pace and Immediate Edge, jumping from pole position, sat in midfield behind Wild Intent, who had jumped from draw five in the eleven horse field.

Wild Intent set sail for home quite close to the rail and there was a difficult moment for Immediate Edge who was on his inside because Towers Of Gold had impounded and was on the rail. Immediate Edge managed to squeeze between the latter and Wild Intent.

A thrilling duel ensued between Immediate Edge and Wild Intent but Ryan Munger managed to get the former’s head in front close to home. Wild Intent fought back but Immediate Edge managed to keep him at bay by a head.

Hollywoodbets reacted by making Immediate Edge a 17/1 shot for the July and they have Wild Intent at 25/1.

Diwali Rocket was third but was beaten 8,25 lengths.

Yeni Scores Feature Double At Turffontein

Breeze Over was last away but first home at Turffontein Standside on Saturday and the win secured a feature race double for Muzi Yeni. (JC Photos).

Muzi Yeni rode a feature race double at Turffontein Standside on Saturday and it was also a fine day for big Johannesburg-based owner Larry Nestadt, who had a Gr 1 and Listed winner as a part-owner in Australia before landing a feature as a part-owner at Turffontein.

The Robbie Sage-trained filly Poplar Park, a R40,000 buy back by Met runner up Last Winter (Western Winter) out of a Judpot mare, jumped from pole position and needed every inch of the 2000m trip in the Ormonde Ferraris Oaks Trial.

Yeni had to push her at the top of the straight from midfield to stay in touch, but the further they went the stronger she got and she ran out a 2,40 length winner from Cocomelon with the rank outsider Fetching Flyer third.

Poplar Park only ran off an 82, despite going into the race as a twice winner, and she received 1,5 kg from the runner up and third-placed horses.

She was bred under the Tawny Syndicate banner by “JJ” van der Linden and Jeff Shill and “JJ” part-owns her together with Larry Nestadt, Mark Currie and M Lieveaux.

Poplar Park was put on the BSA November Two-year-old Sale, but was bought back for R40,000.

She looks to be one who will stay all day and in fact won her previous start over 2400m, so will be a most interesting runner in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks over 2450m.

In the Listed WSB Aquanaut Handicap over 2400m the Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Breeze Over dwelt and lost a couple of lengths, but Yeni decided to take him round horses to the front as that is where this horse likes to be. Fortunately, there was no early pace on and he got there without wasting any energy. The big horse dictated and kept going well in the straight to win by 1,70 lengths from Marauding Horde and Twenty Drachma’s with Raiseahallelujah and Thunee Playa next best.

Breeze Over became Drakenstein Stud’s tenth black-type winner of the season.

He is owned by Messrs S M Leahy & C H J Higgs.

Zackey's Lead Under Threat As Fourie Charges

Letitbesaid (Vercingetorix) is the first leg of a treble for Richard Fourie and secured a quick double for Justin Snaith at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday. (Picture: Wayne Marks).

Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle)

Richard Fourie’s charge in the defence of his Championship title is now in full swing, booting home another three winners at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday just a day after posting a five-timer at Fairview on Friday. Current leader Craig Zackey added a solitary winner to his tally on Saturday and his overall lead has now rapidly been reduced to single figures. Meanwhile Gavin Lerena, who does not enjoy the benefit of riding for either Alan Greeff or Gavin Smith in Gqeberha, won’t surrender easily and rode four winners at Turffontein over the weekend. At the conclusion of Saturday’s action, Craig Zackey had 167 victories to his credit with Fourie on 159 and Lerena on 155.

The first of Fourie’s three winners came in the second race, a Cape B Stakes over 1600m. Adopting very aggressive tactics on the 5/10 favourite, Let It Be Said, the pair turned for home with a significant advantage but not surprisingly Let It Be Said began to shorten his stride in the closing stages while Fatal Gem (14/1) was running on strongly from the rear. The winning post came just in time for Let It Be Said to hang on by a rapidly diminishing neck and land trainer Justin Snaith the opening double on the 9-race card.

Fourie recorded his second winner in the eighth race, a Class 3 Handicap over 1250m, riding a more patient race on the well-backed Dumbledore (33/10) for the Vaughan Marshall yard. Tracking the pace into the home stretch, Fourie made his move approaching the final 200m and the 4yo grey son of William Longsword lengthened beautifully to put the race to bed in stylish fashion. The ultra-consistent Callmegetrix finished second ahead of African Prince and a rather disappointing Miss World who drifted ominously in the market as race time approached.

Fourie closed out the meeting for in-form trainer Des McLachlan on Pilot Flame (7/2) who showed tremendous courage when taking out the ninth race, a Class 4 Handicap (F&M) over 1250m. Caught wide in the early stages Fourie was forced to make a forward move on the 4yo daughter of Master Of My Fate and she was disputing the lead as heads turned for home. Pilot Flame stuck to her task well in the stretch, but defeat was on the cards when Tanneron moved in to challenge at the 200m pole. Tanneron appeared to edge past Pilot Flame for a few strides but somehow Pilot Flame found hidden reserves over the final 50m and fought back bravely to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Zackey’s solitary winner came in the seventh race, a Class 5 Handicap over 1250m, when scoring back-to-back victories aboard Tambourine Man for trainer Adam Marcus. Zackey made best use of pole position and took the 5yo son of Twice Over into an uncontested lead but halfway up the home straight dangerous-looking challenges were being mounted either side of Tambourine Man (28/10) by his stable companion True Horizon and the Paul Reeves-trained Mighty Mac. But Tambourine Man responded gamely under pressure and forged clear over the last 150m to score by a length with rank outsider Wing Walker (33/1) flashing up late to grab the runner-up spot. The favourite Trippi’s Silk (14/10) was never comfortable in running and failed to make an impression.

Louis Burke cemented his position at the top of the Workriders’ Series with a facile victory aboard Dawn’s Early Light (13/10) in Saturday’s opener, a Maiden Plate over 1250m. Sporting blinkers for the first time, Dawn’s Early Light made all the running and was two lengths clear of the newcomer Ocean Sky (12/1) as they reached the winning post. The biggest disappointment of the day was Victor Hugo who flopped badly in the fifth race, an Open Maiden over 1400m. Victor Hugo led the field into the home straight but was a spent force a long way out and faded away tamely as Chasingtherainbow flashed up with a strong late charge from the rear of the field to beat his lesser fancied stable companion Monkey Puzzle by a neck.

Gimme A Nother, Lloyd, Nestadt, Cunha, Hewitson, Ferraris, Fly SA Flag

Picture: Gimme A Nother chases Saffron Moon home at Tampa bay on Saturday. (Image: Tom Keyser)

At Tampa Bay Downs in the USA on Saturday, the former De Kock-trained Mauritzfontein homebred Gimmethegreenlight filly Gimme A Another lost her unbeaten career record, but did not lose anything in defeat.

It was the champion dual Gr 1-winner’s eighth career start and her first outing for eleven months and she finished an eyecatching 1,75 length second under Irad Ortiz.

In the Gr 2 Hillsborough Stakes over a mile and an eighth it could be said that having raced at Turffontein Standside with its long straight for her last six starts she simply found the Tampa Bay Downs track to tight.

Gimme A Nother was toward the back of the nine horse field and showed her usual exhilarating turn of foot, but could not fetch the winner Saffron Moon, who had stolen a march at the top of the short straight while Gimme A Nother was still stuck behind horses.

Trainer Graham Motion has been shown to get an effective tactics change out of Beach Bomb, who was a hold up horse in South Africa but who led from start to finish last time out.

He might have to do the same with Gimme A Nother with the Breeders Cup on the tight Del Mar course in mind.

In Australia on Saturday South Africans were prominent in the big Guineas meeting at Randwick.

Zac Lloyd rode the Gr 1 Randwick Guineas winner Linebacker, who is trained by John O’ Shea and Tom Charlton, beating the Godolphin-owned favourite Broadsiding by half-a-length.

At the same meeting big Johannesburg-based owner Larry Nestadt had shares in a Gr 1 winner and a Listed winner. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained imported horse Royal Patronage (Wootton Bassett) won the Gr 1 Canterbury Stakes over 1300m. The imported Waterhouse and Bott-trained Mastercraftsman mare Alalcance won a Listed event over 2000m.

At Sha Tin in Hong Kong on Sunday Lyle Hewitson had a welcome double as well as two seconds, while Luke Ferraris had a winner too. Ferraris is now on 30 wins for the season and Hewitson is on 15.

UK-based former South African trainer Dylan Cunha had his first winner over the jumps in the UK last Friday and on the same day he had his first winner in Dubai. Stable soldier Silver Sword won the AED 250,000 Burj Aziz Handicap over 1600m at Meydan. Cunha has a 50% record over jumps as his second ever runner in this code was Mahons Glory, who was bought out of Patrick Neville’s yard in February and won a Novices Limited handicap Chase over two miles and six and a half furlongs on his debut for the yard at Leicester.

Champion Sire To Shine For Varsfontein Stud At Premier Sale

Lot 50 is by Gimmthegreenlight and is a half-brother to G2 World Sports Betting Guineas winner Zapatillas and a full-brother to Jonsson Workwear Dingaans runner up Shoemaker.

Varsfontein Stud is home to an extremely attractive band of stallions. The farm, who will stand Gimmethegreenlight’s champion son Green With Envy in 2025, is currently home to all of Erik The Red, Master Of My Fate, Sandringham Summit, and the latter’s outstanding sire Gimmethegreenlight.
Gimmethegreenlight, who has been Champion Sire in South Africa on three occasions, is having another fine season in 2024-2025. At the time of writing, Gimmethegreenlight had been responsible for nine black type winners this season, with his progeny having claimed 11 Graded or Listed races in 2024-2025. Among his flagbearers this season are the graded stakes winners Gimmie’s Countess, Gimme A Prince, and Gimmefabulous, while his daughters Give Me Everything, Kinda Wonderful, and Goodnessgraciousme finished 1-2-3 in the recent Listed Schweppes Cape Fillies Classic.

Varsfontein Stud will be offering six (three as Agent) yearlings by their wonderful stallion at the Premier Yearling Sale, and these yearlings look bound to find favour with buyers!

Lot 50: Running Shoes c Gimmethegreenlight -Moggytwoshoes
A half-brother to G2 World Sports Betting Guineas winner Zapatillas, this colt is a full-brother to G2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans runner up Shoemaker and the useful Boogie Shoes.
Moggytwoshoes was a smart performer, who won five and ran third in the Listed Syringa Handicap, and this is the family of the now Varsfontein based champion Sandringham Summit, who, like Running Shoes, was sired by Gimmethegreenlight.

Lot 111: Wood Green c Gimmethegreenlight -Winter Wood
This colt is a half-brother to G3 Europa Point Man O’War Sprint winner Mercantour and the smart filly My Lady Soul. His dam is a Western Winter half-sister to Royal Vintage, a stakes winner in both Dubai and South Africa, and G2 November Handicap winner Alderry. The latter produced three black type horses, notably G1 SA Derby winner Al Sahem, and the dam of G3 Sea Cottage Stakes winner La Moohal.
Western Winter, South Africa’s Leading Broodmare Sire of 2017-2018, is broodmare sire of more than 60 stakes winners including champions Carry On Alice, Good Traveller, and Past Master.

Lot 154: In Due Course f Gimmethegreenlight -Due Diligence
From the same family as the Gimmethegreenlight sired stakes winners Cala Muretta, Favorita, Give Me Everything and Hack Green, this filly is out of a G3 Starling Stakes winning daughter of Silvano.
Due Diligence, in turn, is a half-sister to G3 Fillies Mile winner Ghaalla, the latter a R5 000 000 yearling buy, and Due Diligence and Ghaalla are out of the winning Captain Al mare Fidelity, a three-parts sister to Triple Crown winner Malmoos and Varsfontein’s promising young sire Erik The Red. This filly is bred on the same Gimmethegreenlight/Silvano cross as champion Bless My Stars.

Lot 48: Trompe L’Oeil c Gimmethegreenlight -Mirage
Bred on the same Gimmethegreenlight/Captain Al cross as champions Proceed and Sandringham Summit, this colt is out of Listed KwaZulu-Natal Stakes winner Mirage.
His granddam Sea Glitter is a Holy Bull three-parts sister to the Holy Bull sired G1 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, with the latter a half-brother to G1 Santa Anita Derby/G1 Goodwood Stakes winner Tiago.
This is also the family of the very fast US sire Nashville, as well as G3 Providencia Stakes winner Medoro.

Lot 70: Roman Reign: c Gimmethegreenlight -Roman Royalty
Out of a winning daughter of successful Australian sire All Too Hard, this colt’s granddam Roman Treasure won three stakes races in the US and was also third in the G1 Test Stakes.
Roman Treasure was produced by G1 Fantasy Stakes winner and G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies runner up Jeanne Jones, a daughter of legendary racehorse and sire Nijinsky II.

Lot 110: Cairn William c Gimmethegreenlight -Wintersweet
Out of a winning full-sister to the G3 placed dam of graded stakes winners Black Arthur and Robert The Bruce, this colt is a half-brother to G1 Cape Guineas winner Tap O’ Noth, G3 Cape Summer Stayers winner Strathdon and G3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup hero Black Knap.
Wintersweet is directly descended in female line from none other than Mumtaz Mahal, one of the most influential mares in the stud book, and Wintersweet’s fourth dam Courtessa is granddam of both outstanding sprinter Habibti and legendary broodmare Eight Carat.

For more information on this draft, interested parties are asked to contact

Carl De Vos on 082 800 8490.

Riethuiskraal’s Perfect Ten To Star At Premier Sale

Lot 59: This One World filly, inbred to the mighty Giant’s Causeway, is out of a six time winning half-sister to multiple graded stakes winning filly Running Brave.

Riethuiskraal Stud prides itself on its superb record of producing world-class thoroughbreds.

Among the impressive list of equine stars to have been bred and reared by Riethuiskraal are Crimson Palace, a Grade One winner in both South Africa and North America, G1 Summer Cup heroine Flirtation, and world-class sprinter National Colour. The latter also enjoyed tremendous success at stud, with National Colour’s foals including G1 Computaform Sprint winner and leading sire Rafeef.

Riethuiskraal will be offering a ten strong draft at this year’s Premier Sale, where the farm will be offering yearlings sired by the likes of Erik The Red, Hawwaam, Master Of My Fate, The United States, and the sensational One World.

Lot 59: Desert Ice f One World –Pilgrim’s Progress
By the same sire as such stars as One Stripe and World Of Alice, as well as the very exciting Dreamworld, this filly, inbred to the mighty Giant’s Causeway, is out of a six time winning half-sister to multiple graded stakes winning filly Running Brave.
Her Jet Master sired granddam Movingandgrooving is a full-sister to Listed Darley Arabian winner Jet Jamboree and also closely related to the Jet Master sired stakes winners Careful Landing, Princess Ofthe Sky and G1 Majorca Stakes winner Love Is In The Air. Desert Ice’s fourth dam won the storied G2 SA Oaks.

Lot 64: Auguste Renoir c Hawwaam –Puritani
By five time G1 winner, and Equus Champion, Hawwaam, Auguste Renoir is a half-brother to four winners, including the stakes placed Great Affair. His dam is a full-sister to the dam of G3 Lebelo Sprint winner Anna Capri, and is a half-sister to globetrotting champion, and Joint Horse Of The Year, National Colour. The latter produced not only G1 winner and leading sire Rafeef, but also Equus Champion, and G1 SA Nursery winner, Mustaaqeem, as well as Sarraqa, the dam of dual Australian G1 winner Celestial Legend.

Lot 90: City State f One World –State Factor
This filly, a half-sister to three winners, is out of the National Assembly sired G2 The Fillies Nursery winner State Factor, who ran second in all of the G1 Golden Slipper, Listed Ruffian Stakes and Listed Banyana Handicap. From the immediate family of the National Assembly sired champion and outstanding broodmare National Colour, State Factor’s dam Corn Factor is a half-sister to G1 Cape Of Good Hope Derby Futurity winner Corning Touch and G3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery winner Corn Belt. This is also the family of G1 Administrator’s Cup winner Cardinal Fury as well as the likes of Boland Boy and Full Colour.

Lot 172: Fog In Finland f Erik The Red –Haizi
By one of South Africa’s leading First Season Sires, Fog In Finland (who hails from the same female line as Erik The Red himself), is a half-sister to five winners including Listed Milkwood Stakes runner up Horse Hazi. Out of a stakes winning daughter of top-class broodmare sire Kahal, Fog In Finland’s granddam, Royal Princess, is a half-sister to G2 Gold Circle Derby winner American Badger. This filly’s fourth dam is multiple stakes winner, and former Broodmare Of The Year, Soho Secret, the dam of globetrotting champion London News, and ancestress of such stars as Malmoos, Promisefrommyheart, Master Of My Fate and Kings Gambit.

Lot 207: Spirit Of Life f Querari –Secret Magok
By the sire of recent G1 Wilgerbosdrift H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes winner Cosmic Speed, this filly is a half-sister to Listed Dahlia Plate winner Hooves Of Troy, Spirit Of Life is out of a mare who won seven times up to 1450 metres. Secret Magok, in turn, is out of the six time winning Jet Master mare Secret Superjet, a half-sister to the stakes placed Monterey Boulevard. Secret Superstar’s granddam was sired by champion and influential sire Diesis, himself the broodmare sire of such star performers as Dylan Thomas, Sixties Icon, Homecoming Queen, and Lucarno.

Lot 236: Odds And Evens f Master Of My Fate -Algebra
By the same sire as such star fillies as Zarina, Sentbydestiny, Lady Of Power and Splicethemainbrace, this filly is out of a winning full-sister to Zimbabwean Horse Of The Year Mathematician. Her granddam, Time Piece won the G2 Gold Circle Oaks and Time Piece’s full-brother Super Quality won all of the G1 Rothmans July Handicap, G1 SA Derby, G1 Cape Of Good Hope Derby and G2 Newmarket Stakes. Odds And Evens’ third dam is Rani Stakes winner and outstanding producer Reveille and this is also the family of Met winner Ding Dong.

For more information on this draft, interested parties are asked to contact Jo Mari Fourie on 083 324 5272.

Richard Johnson's Cheltenham Suggestions

22-Time Festival Winner Richard Johnson: My top tips for the week

Johnson has revealed his best bets for the week and long-shot value bets, and also spoke on Cheltenham being a “soulless place” if you have had a particularly tough week riding at the Festival, why Constitution Hill is the horse he would love to ride of them all at the Festival and spoke on what the Festival is like a jockey.

https://betway.com/en-gb/s/cheltenham-festival-betting-odds/

Richard Johnson: My best tips for the Cheltenham Festival and each-way value plays, it can be soulless and very lonely if your Festival hasn’t gone well and my trainer to follow for the Festival isn’t Willie Mullins

Richard Johnson says Constitution Hill is the horse he would want to ride at the Cheltenham Festival this week and believes Nicky Henderson’s stable star can prove himself a cut above his rivals in the Champion Hurdle.

Constitution Hill is the favourite in the Cheltenham Festival betting to reclaim his crown in the race he won in 2023 but missed last year due to injury.

In our exclusive interview, Johnson also discusses his experiences of Cheltenham as a jockey, his best bets for the week ahead and Willie Mullins’ domination of the sport.

What is Cheltenham week like for a jockey?

It’s a place where you experience every emotion going over the four days. Chris Maude, the former jockey, used to say Cheltenham is about three things – tips, tickets and disappointments. He’s right.

Unfortunately, at the end of the Festival, disappointment is probably quite high on the list when you’re walking out of the place. You do feel deflated at times. It can be the most amazing place when you’re flying high, but it can be a soulless place and a very lonely place when things haven’t gone right.

As a young jockey you always wanted initially to be involved and then to ride a winner. To start with you tend to ride 50/1 or 100/1 shots that obviously aren’t really going to be getting involved.

We all go there with hope! In your head you’ve dreamed that whatever you’re on runs the race of its life or it comes back to some form it showed four years ago. You convince yourself that they’re going to run their best ever race.

So, you sort of scratch that itch. But it gets hard to get on horses that are going to have a chance. That is the next step.

What do you remember about the biggest celebration you had from all your winners?

Probably my first ever winner there, Anzum for David Nicholson, who was 40/1 in the Stayers’ in 1999.

I thought he would be placed and always felt he would run well. But never did I believe he was going to win. It was supposed to be the big clash between Le Coudray and Lady Rebecca.

It was such a big shock. We all celebrated like mad including all the lads in the yard. We celebrated for a long time in the Plough, the pub at the bottom of the gallops.

We had an amazing evening. It was the ultimate high really because I’d never ridden a winner there. For me and my career it was huge especially as I was only 21.

And what was your worst experience?

That has to be Detroit City, who was the favourite for the Champion Hurdle in 2007. I had a whole host of rides that week for Philip Hobbs that we really fancied, probably five or six of them really strongly and none did anything.

Detroit City had won all his starts that year. You couldn’t see him not being in the shake-up. And I was beaten after the first hurdle, I knew I couldn’t win. I didn’t know why or didn’t know what, but something was wrong. I was absolutely devastated. None of us could believe how badly he’d run. Detroit City was the one that we really felt was a banker. I think he was unbeaten after winning the Triumph Hurdle the year before. He’d won everything and appeared to be a horse that was improving at every run.

We went there thinking it was our race to lose really. But after the first hurdle, I knew we were beaten. He was just lifeless.

It transpired the following season they found he had a heart problem and he died as a five-year-old.

That whole week was miserable. I remember I couldn’t wait to leave Cheltenham on the Friday night and get home. I just had a depressing week that started with so much hope. That was a long four days for me.

Any other memories?

In 1997 when Mr Mulligan won the Gold Cup, I obviously rode him the year before for Noel Chance whose daughter Fiona I went on to marry in 2007. I couldn’t ride him at the start of that season and the owner had said whoever rides him at the start of the season is going to keep the ride. Unfortunately, I couldn’t, David Nicholson wanted me to ride some other horses when he first ran and I couldn’t commit to that.

I remember watching him win the Gold Cup in 1997 and there was a bit of me thinking this was my big chance to get on the big stage and I’d missed it. I was only obviously very young but I almost felt like I’d missed that opportunity and there was a real worry for me that I’m never going to get another opportunity to ride. When you’ve had a few days that have gone completely wrong you literally feel like your career is over.

But three years later I rode Looks Like Trouble for him, and we won. There’s a lot of swings and roundabouts and you never quite know what’s around the corner.

Do you have any concerns about the Festival?

Firstly, when I started riding there were full fields in every race, whether it was the Supreme, the Triumph Hurdle, the Bumper, the Champion Chase, and probably the Champion Chase and the Gold Cup.

Everybody wanted to be there if they had a horse good enough to be involved. Now for example the Fred Winter is a race that I think does take away from the Triumph.

The last few years we’ve had a small field in the Triumph and the hustle and bustle of the race was half the excitement. You needed a horse that could cope with the whole thing, lots of runners, jumping at speed, the atmosphere, everything, and the talent obviously to do the job.

It’s a shame that we haven’t got more runners in some of the races.

What are your hot fancies for this year?

Kopek des Bordes in the Supreme is the one they are all looking to avoid. He was obviously very impressive at the Dublin Racing Festival. But I was also told he is a horse that gets very excited. So, if he doesn’t cope with all the preliminaries and everything else, all of a sudden, the race could be wide open. He probably will win. It’s a shame that as soon as people see a good horse, they try to avoid it. Cheltenham should be the place where the best takes on the best.

Ballyburn is a very solid favourite in the three-mile Novice Chase (Brown advisory). He’s not at odds-on, which I’m quite surprised about. He’ll be very hard to beat.

Constitution Hill is the horse I’d want to ride. I’d like to see him almost cement himself as a very superior champion hurdler compared to anything else at the moment. He deserves to be. He’s unbeaten. I’ve seen a lot of horses and a lot of very good ones, but he takes my breath away really.

The New Lion might well go off favourite in the end [in the Turners]. Everyone says that because he won the Challow Hurdle he can’t win at Cheltenham, because the Challow has got such a bad record. But I think he’s definitely the best novice that we’ve got over here.

Il Est Francais didn’t get the credit in the King George because he didn’t quite get home. He went very quick on Boxing Day and if you look at the speed he was going, it was incredible. I was half thinking he might go for the Champion Chase, just because he showed so much speed. The Ryanair looks the obvious choice with the drying ground.

There’s Protektorat also in the Ryanair who looks the most talented horse of all of them. Protektorat is a very, very good horse. But Il Est Francais is the one I would want to be with.

Lulamba from Nicky Henderson’s yard is a good thing for the Triumph Hurdle. He was very impressive at Ascot. Nicky is very good with his juvenile hurdlers. This horse has only run twice, but he’s just looked very professional. For me, he’s a very interesting one. Lulamba could be the next Sir Gino or Constitution Hill type. They hold him in very high regard. He’s hopefully got the talent to produce himself and got more in him than just the Triumph Hurdle.

A lot of Triumph Hurdle horses really struggle once they’ve won the Triumph and get a high rating. It’s hard for them to go on but I think this horse looks like he will do.

What are your Cheltenham value tips?

Joseph O’Brien is a very shrewd operator and I’ve been told he’s bringing over about 10 or 15 horses – and they are not coming over for the ride.

In the two-and-a-half-mile Novice Handicap Chase on the Thursday [the Jack Richards], he runs Nürburgring. He was rated 150. It’s been a plan to get him here in this handicap. He’s rated 140, he jumps well, he’s very uncomplicated. He’s got a massive chance in that Novice Handicap.

Also, Beyond Your Dreams for JP McManus is also trained by him. Whatever Joseph O’Brien runs in the Fred Winter is definitely worth being on the right side of.

Be Aware for Dan Skelton in the Coral Hurdle. It’s been running over two miles and it definitely looks to me like he wants two and a half miles. But they probably kept him until this to actually step him up in trip. He’s been running really well. He’s definitely a horse that I’m sure we haven’t seen the best of.

Skelton is definitely good at pinpointing one or two horses for these valuable handicaps. He looks for horses that he feels that these races will suit.

Nicky Henderson has told me he has never had Mister Coffey so well. He thinks he’s got a massive chance in the Cross Country race. Your one negative is that he is an 11-year-old maiden chaser. Nicky feels that for whatever reason he’s just really come into himself. Being a handicap this year, the Cross Country is going to be a much wider wide-open affair. I know Gordon Elliott hasn’t agreed with it becoming a handicap because he used to use it as a prep run for the Grand National. Now some of his horses are having to give lumps away to other horses in the race.

Finally in the Gold Cup, Corbett’s Cross. I don’t think he’s going to beat Galopin des Champs but he won the National Hunt Chase last year. He’ll stay really well. I don’t think there’s going to be many runners in the Gold Cup because a lot of them are trying to avoid the favourite. Emmet Mullins is a very shrewd man. He’s run him over all sorts of trips this year, which I’m slightly surprised about. I think he could definitely finish second in the Gold Cup.

What do you think of Sir Alex Ferguson’s impact on racing?

I’ve met him a couple of times. I think he’s brilliant. We all know him from football, especially in the 90s and 2000s. He was always in the headlines. He was almost as much of star as his players. His love for racing comes across really well. It’s great for our sport to have people like that.

He’s got good Flat horses as well, but he loves the jumping. It’s a bit like a football team where you can have lots of things go wrong and right. You see him here, there and everywhere.

He’s part of a group that included the late John Hales who the last time I saw was when Protektorat won at Windsor. That was a very emotional day for him. It would be great for him to run well again in memory of John.

Sir Alex, Ged Mason and Fred Done between them have a consortium of horses they all have a quarter share in. They have got a huge amount of jumpers now, which is great.

They have really got behind jump racing and the fun they have out of it.

Willie Mullins ‘bingo’ – do you think yards should be made to outline their intentions for horses a lot earlier?

A lot of betting companies now will do No Runner No Bet, and that is helpful. I know for people that can be frustrating. But at the same time, the weather is one of those weird things you don’t know what it is going to do.

You want the right horses to run the right races so I think it is probably the right thing to do to leave horses in multiple races.

That doesn’t make it very easy for a punter, but in a weird way I think it can give you a bit more value.

What’s the worst thing about the Festival from your perspective?

Last year Cheltenham seemed to lose a little bit of atmosphere. There were obviously a few people that were upset about different things. Cheltenham have taken on board some of the criticism. It’s a huge sporting event that takes an awful lot of organising and it’s not a cheap thing to attend. So affordability was one issue.

Another thing is that people in the less expensive areas felt that they weren’t getting looked after properly. If people think that they’d be looked after better, that they will have a better day, but also then that will help the atmosphere of the meeting.

We want to show the world that this is one of the best sporting events of the year, which I feel it is, but we need that to filter out into the wider world. I’m hoping that people feel that when they get there this year, they feel appreciated.

What’s the best thing about Cheltenham?

Having the stars of the sport there. Willie Mullins has got an army of horses coming over. But I think to have Constitution Hill, Jonbon, those British stars that are going to have a better feel to it because we want something to shout about.

Is the Irish dominance, and Willie Mullins in particular, a bit of a turn-off do you think?

Paul Nicholls, Dan Skelton and Nicky Henderson are as good as Gordon Elliott, Henry de Bromhead and Gavin Cromwell. But Willie Mullins stands above everyone.

Looking through all the entries, he’s got double figure entries in a lot of races. I take my hat off to him, and he’s worked really hard to get that team all together.

But from an outsider’s perspective if he’s got four in the Supreme and there’s only 10 runners, you’re thinking, ‘Well that’s a bit odd.’ And then at the end of day, if he’s had four winners out of six or seven races, it looks a bit one-sided.

I don’t know what you can do about it. You can’t restrict him and it is the best of the best, but it doesn’t look great.

What’s the consequence of that?

The racing is still going to be very competitive but if Willie Mullins has four horses in the first, if they were all trained by four different people, it would have a better look to it.

At the Dublin Racing Festival, which is a brilliant meeting, you sort of felt like Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead were almost like saying, ‘We’ll wait until Cheltenham.’

DRF was almost for Mullins’ benefit. They were just literally Grade 1 after Grade 1.

That isn’t good for our sport. It’s not his fault because you’ve got to take your hat off to him for getting where he has got.

Dan Skelton, he’s probably the one trainer over here that is pushing the boundaries. He’s working very hard to try and get the best horses in all of the time. He’s a young man that’s really determined. Of all the British trainers at the moment, he’s the one that I think is the one that’s probably on the upward curve.

We need people when they think about having a horse not to think of Willie Mullins, they need to think of Dan Skelton or Paul Nicholls. Especially the English owners.

It is disappointing when you see some of the Irish horses that are coming over are owned by Brits.

The trainers in Britain are definitely just as good as the Irish. It’s just fashion now. But people like being with winners and obviously if Willie Mullins has another 10 winners at the Cheltenham Festival, he’s the one getting all the headlines. So, he’s the one in the best position to attract a new owner coming into the sport.

If you were in charge of the festival, what change might you make?

I definitely would get rid of the Fred Winter. I think it would make the Triumph Hurdle a lot more competitive. We’ve got to make things as competitive as possible.

Is Cheltenham too omnipresent?

I don’t think it can be too big. We’ve got to make the most of our big events. Aintree has done really well to upgrade the Grand National meeting to a much higher level than it was 20, 30 years ago. It’s now three days of very good racing.

We shouldn’t take away from Cheltenham. It does draw people from all over the world.

It’s not quite make or break, but is it important that the Festival puts on a good show this year?

I think it’s important for all racecourses, not just Cheltenham, that people feel appreciated for going and feel that the race courses have put good facilities in, so you can enjoy your day, whether you’re going with a bunch of mates on a boozy afternoon or whether you’re taking a family. I think it’s important that everyone feels appreciated.

Who was your biggest rival at Cheltenham and who did you respect most?

AP [McCoy] was always my rival from the first day I ever got to the racecourse. Charlie Swan was probably the first jockey where I remember thinking he rode Cheltenham in a different way to other people.

He was definitely a real thinking man’s jockey. I used to remember thinking, why is he so far back? He’d be in different places on different horses. A lot of trainers would give you the same instructions on the majority of their horses, whereas he was always in a different place but again he was always in the right place at the right time.