Nationals Gets Off To A Flyer
The BSA National Yearling Sale got off to a flyer with Lot 1, a Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud-bred Vercingetorix colt out of the Gr 1 Garden Province Stakes winner Zarina (Master Of My Fate) going for R3,250,000. (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
The BSA National Yearling Sale had a good first day, even if it did not quite match the fireworks of the Cape Racing Sales March Sale Day 1, where the average was R757,734.
The average for the 179 lots sold after day one of Nationals is R555,391.
It must be remembered that the BSA Nationals do not have an elite day, like the Cape Racing Sales March Sale has.
The March Sale’s Day 2 had an average of only R218,438.
However, the average today at Nationals was actuallly slightly down on last year, so no records have been smashed yet.
The highest price was for an Avontuur Estate-bred Rafeef colt called October Rush, who is out of the Var mare Miss October. This colt is a half-brother to two Gr 1 winners, Tempting Fate (Master Of My Fate) and October Morn (Trippi). Form Bloodstock went to R4,250,0000 to secure him.
The first lot on the Sale was second highest at R3,250,000, a Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud-bred Vercingetorix colt out of the Gr 1 Garden Province Stakes winner Zarina (Master Of My Fate).
24 Lots went for seven figure prices.
Vercingetorix was the leading Sire as expected and his 12 lots fetched R18,800,000 for an average of R1,566,667.
Eight of his 12 lots fetched seven figure amounts and the lowest price for a Vercingetorix was R600,000.
David Abery Would Have Been Grinning At Nationals
Avontuur Also Provide A Bargain
Avontuur Estate bred the highest priced lot on the Sale but also let one go for R100,000, a Futura filly who is a half-sister to the above filly Heirloom, who is a three-time winner who has given her owners a lot of fun. (JC Photos).
It is always telling when a trainer goes back to the well and it would not have escaped watchers’ notice that Robyn Klassen added a third progeny of Avontuur’s mare A Woman’s Will to her yard when landing an Avontuur-bred Futura filly for just R100,000 at the BSA National Yearling Sale on Day 1.
The filly is a half-sister to Oratorio filly Heirloom and Master Of My Fate filly It’s Her Way, who are both trained by Klaasen, and she is also a half-sister to the Gareth van Zyl-trained filly Music Is Life.
None of the three are great shakes, but Heirloom has won three races and placed nine times in 26 starts for earnings of R295,625 and It’s Her Way has run 13 times for a win and seven places for earnings of R128,062 and has been thought highly of enough to have been entered in two Graded events.
It’s Her Way runs next week Thursday over 1200m at the Vaal and should earn another cheque as she has only missed a cheque twice in her career.
The Futura filly was not the cheapest lot on the Sale.
The cheapest was a Cornerstone Stud-bred Chimichuri Run colt out of a Gimmethegreenlight mare who is a full-sister to the useful Tail Of The Comet, who won the Cape Racing Sales Ready To Run Stakes by 4,25 lengths to make it three wins from his first four starts and he subsequently started odds on favourite for the Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup, where he finished fifth. He subsequently lost his way, but he was an exciting runner at one stage.
Chimichuri Run if of course a son of Trippi, who had his last ever lot at the BSA Nationals on Day 1.
The Bloomhill Stud-bred Trippi colt fetched R300,000 and was bought by none other than Greg Bortz.
Bortz equalled the record for purchase price of R9 million when buying a Vercingetorix half-brother to Snow Pilot at last month’s Cape Racing Sales March Sale Day 1 and has been taking it easy at this Sale with just one other purchase, a Drakenstein Master Of My Fate colt which he got for R325,000.
Kingdundee Can Win Despite Switch To Poly
Gavin Smith should have a good day. (Pauline Herman Photography).
Jack Milner
There are some nice races to look forward to at Fairview on Friday but bettors need to take cognisance of the decision to move the meeting from the turf track to the Polytrack.
An announcement was made yesterday that despite no further rainfall over the course, it was found that certain sections of the track are inconsistent. As a result a decision was made to move the meeting to the Polytrack.
The pick of the card is Race 7 – the Fairview Flying Five (Listed) over 1000m – where star sprinter Kingdundee can return to winning ways.
The United States gelding has won four of his seven starts, finishing second on two other occasions. He was narrowly denied last time out by the top-class Fairy Knight over 1200m, but is better judged on his penultimate start, when he was a dominant winner over this course and distance.
Craig Zackey, who has partnered him in all four victories, is back aboard and knows exactly how to get the best out of the Gavin Smith-trained gelding.
The main threat looks to be Mercantour who has had a great start to his Eastern Cape career, finishing a 1.60-length behind Fairy Knight in the Listed East Cape Sprint Cup over 1200m.
Now with Alan Greeff, the five-year-old Var gelding will have Richard Fourie in the irons and should have a positive impact on the outcome of this race.
He has yet to win over 1000m but has placed three times in six starts over the distance.
However, the one concern is that neither Mercantour nor Kingdundee has raced on the Polytrack and that could open up this race somewhat if they fail to handle the surface.
In addition, this trip on the poly is raced around the turn and while Kingdundee, who will be better over this 1000m than the 1200m of their last race, is drawn No 1, Mercantour will jump from the No 9 barrier position.
Greeff will also be out to make his mark and holds a strong hand in Race 4 – the East Cape Oaks (Listed) over 2000m. He sends out two fillies, both of whom arrive on the back of hat-trick wins.
Stable jockey Richard Fourie opts for Lotus Island, who is likely to go off favourite, but her stablemate, First Wish, has done nothing wrong and could push her all the way.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Ready, 4 Priceless Treasure, 6 Sombreuil, 5 Smart Star
Race 2: 1 Barolo, 8 Silvan Mistress, 6 Royal City Girl, 5 Lady Blunt
Race 3: 3 Waheed, 1 Master Forester, 2 Coral Creek, 4 Mister Speaker
Race 4: 1 Lotus Island, 5 Tap Shoes, 2 First Wish, 6 Greenlitealltheway
Race 5: 3 Blossoming Mind, 1 Genteel, 9 Dancing In Winter, 6 Duchess Of Seville
Race 6: 8 William The First, 4 Final Edition, 5 Grandiosa, 11 Prime Venture
Race 7: 1 Kingdundee, 3 Mercantour, 5 Anuschka’s World, 6 Cliff Top
Race 8: 6 Champonelle, 5 Captain Tik Tok, 1 Sweet And True, 3 Coastal Path
BEST BET
Race 3 No 3 Waheed
VALUE BET
Race 6 No 8 William The First
BEST SWINGER
Race 7 1×3
BIPOT
R288
Leg 1: 1, 4, 5, 6
Leg 2: 1, 6, 8
Leg 3: 3
Leg 4: 1, 5
Leg 5: 1, 3, 9
Leg 6: 4, 5, 8, 11
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R128
Leg 1: 1, 8
Leg 2: 3
Leg 3: 1, 5
Leg 4: 1, 3
Leg 5: 4, 5, 8, 11
Leg 6: 1
Leg 7: 1, 3, 5, 6
PICK 6
R1200
Leg 1: 3
Leg 2: 1, 2, 5, 6
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9
Leg 4: 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11
Leg 5: 1, 3
Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
JACKPOT 1
R240
Leg 1: 1, 2, 5, 6
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9
Leg 3: 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11
Leg 4: 1, 3
JACKPOT 2
R300
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9
Leg 2: 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11
Leg 3: 1, 3
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Netflix Announces 'Race For The Crown' Documentary
The documentary series will tail jockeys, trainers and owners as they chase titles and triumph in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred horse racing.
Paulick Report
Netflix released the official trailer on Wednesday for Race For The Crown, a documentary series that will tail jockeys, trainers, and owners through the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred horse racing.
Jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr., winner of last year’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, was featured in the opening scenes of the trailer.
Other big names shown in the two-minute trailer included owners Mike Repole, John Stewart, and Michael Iavarone; trainers Ken McPeek, Brad Cox, Todd Pletcher, and Bob Baffert; and jockeys Frankie Dettori and Flavien Prat.
According to Netflix fan site Tudum, “the new series follows horse owners and jockeys over the course of a Grade 1 stakes Thoroughbred racing season. The Kentucky Derby is commonly known as ‘the most exciting two minutes in sports,’ but there’s so much more that goes on behind the scenes, both before and after the Run for the Roses. Race for the Crown explores horse racing across six in-depth episodes, covering the thrilling journey from the Breeders’ Cup to the Triple Crown. Plus, the racing world is full of colorful and controversial characters — including billionaire business tycoons and horse-doping trainers — which leads to plenty of intense rivalries fueled by million-dollar investments and insatiable appetites for glory.”
Other jockeys expected to be featured in the docuseries include: Katie Davis, Umberto Rispoli, Antonio Fresu, Irad Ortiz, Jr., John Velazquez, Javier Castellano, Florent Geroux, Jose Ortiz, and Luis Saez.
All six episodes of the series will be released on April 22. Race for the Crown is executive produced by James Gay-Rees, Paul Martin, Hillary Olsen, Warren Smith, and Ian Sambor at Box to Box, and co-executive produced by Tim Stampher and Jordan Bogdonavage.
Hundreds Turn Out To Welcome Home Mullins' Grand National Heroes
Randox Grand National, Patrick Mullins on winning horse Nick Rockett with groom Katie Walton and owner Stewart Andrew Photo: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
Ger McNally (Carlow-Nationalist.ie)
The locals of Leighlinbridge have grown accustomed to seeing equine superstars paraded through the streets after high level success but all those great occasions were surely eclipsed by what occurred on Wednesday afternoon.
In glorious sunshine, hundreds lined the streets as the first three horses home in one of the world’s most famous horse races, the Randox Grand National National, were given the reception they so richly deserved.
Winner Nick Rockett, second placed I Am Maximus and third placed Grangeclare West were treated like Hollywood stars as locals, young and old, queued to get a glimpse of the Willie Mullins trained trio.
It was a day of days for Mullins, who was so overcome with emotion after watching his son Patrick ride the winner to victory.
Patrick was on hand to ride Nick Rockett through the streets where he grew up. Injury prevented Paul Townend from attending but Danny Mullins filled in on last year’s winner I Am Maximus while Brian Hayes was on Grangeclare West.
All three happily posed for photos and signed anything that was thrust in their direction by the adoring public. Well over an hour after arriving Willie was still happily chatting away to well wishers who had travelled from far and wide just to be part of such a historic occasion.
Nick Rockett’s owner Stewart Andrew travelled over from England to join in the celebrations and had with him the beautiful Grand National trophy, while groom Katie Walton helped keep the horse calm amidst all the excitement.
The celebrations in the Lord Bagenal Inn continued long into the night and even for an area that has seen many of these kind of scenes, this was something special.
Constitution Hill 'Fresh As Paint', With Sights Set On Punchestown
Constitution Hill has fallen in his last two starts. (Picture: Sky Sports Racing)
‘He’s in good nick and all being well, we will be in Punchestown’.
At The Races
Constitution Hill remains on course for a trip to the Punchestown Festival, according to Nicky Henderson.
Now with questions to answer having fallen at both Cheltenham and Aintree, he has still to be beaten when completing and a clash with the likes of Lossiemouth, State Man, Birghterdaysahead and Champion Hurdle heroine Golden Ace is a mouthwatering prospect in the Boodles Champion Hurdle on May 2.
“It is our intention to come to Punchestown,” said Henderson, who is no stranger to the winner’s enclosure at the Kildare track.
“It was my original plan after Cheltenham and then, he was so well, I couldn’t say no to Aintree. Thankfully, I think he’s come out of that very well and we’ve got four weeks to Punchestown. It was only three weeks from Cheltenham to Aintree.
“And don’t forget, in neither race has he actually had a race. He is very fresh at the moment. He’s as fresh as paint here. He’s in terrific shape.
“It’s a long way to go and I can’t tell you anything else at the moment, but we think he’s in good nick and all being well, we will be in Punchestown. We are looking forward to going.”
Referring to the strength of the entries, Henderson went on: “It’s meant to be a great clash of two great horses – State Man and Constitution Hill – and they deserve to have a head-to-head. And we may have more if Lossiemouth, Golden Ace and Brighterdaysahead are there.
“I think everyone has been talking about State Man and Constitution Hill and want to find out what happens if they turn into the straight together. Wow! That’s what it’s all about. It would be fantastic. Everybody deserves it and we would love to have that in Punchestown.”
One of Henderson’s great days in Ireland was when Sprinter Sacre completed a famous Cheltenham-Aintree-Punchestown hat-trick and the Seven Barrows trainer still looks back on that day fondly now.
“The day we brought Sprinter over will be in my memory forever because of the reception that the Punchestown and Irish crowd gave him,” he said.
“And I mean that. He was a French-bred horse, trained in England and the reception was incredible, before and after the race. It meant a lot to me.”
Jeremy Scott is under no illusions Golden Ace may have been a fortunate winner of the Champion Hurdle but she was in the right place to capitalise in an eventful race.
“She came out of Cheltenham very, very well,” Scott said. “I’m really happy with her and looking forward to coming over. We have never managed to have a winner at Punchestown – we’ve had several seconds – and we love the whole experience. It’s really good fun.
“We were probably a very lucky winner of the Champion Hurdle, so in terms of pressure, I’m not sure we’re feeling a huge amount because we achieved more than we were expecting to this season anyway. So this Punchestown trip is a bonus, if she runs well, and I hope she will.
“Also, it took away from the win a bit the fact that Constitution Hill and State Man both fell. If we’d finished an honourable second to State Man, you’d have nearly felt better in many ways. I loved winning the race, of course, but I’m not sure we proved anything. So it would be nice to come out and prove that maybe it wasn’t entirely luck.
“To be involved in a race of this nature, if everyone turns up, is a pleasure. That’s why we all train horses, isn’t it? Because we want to be able to compete at that level. I think that division is particularly strong at the moment as well, so it’s nice to be part of it.”
Today's Question
What does the horseracing related term “double carpet” mean?
The picture gives a clue to the answer
FIELDS, Friday, 11 April
Fairview
Today’s Question Answer
In the heyday of the on-course betting ring, the job of the tic-tac was to convey information to his, or her, bookmaker, by means of a series of coded arm movements. Odds of 33/1 were conveyed by crossing the arms and placing the hands flat on the chest. Verbally, odds of 33/1 were and, in some cases, still are, called out as ‘double carpet’, which, like the arm movements, was intended to keep the information secret from anyone not ‘in the know’.
Betting ring vernacular often draws on sayings and slang including, but not limited to, backslang and Cockney rhyming slang, for its inspiration and ‘double carpet’ is no exception. In criminal, or prison, slang dating from the nineteenth century, the term ‘carpet stretch’ meant three months’ imprisonment; three months was reputedly the length of time required by an inmate to to weave a carpet or mat for his cell in the prison workshop. Thus, in the betting ring, odds of 3/1 became known as ‘carpet’ and, naturally enough, odds of 33/1 became known as ‘double carpet’. (RacingQuestions.co.uk)
