Turf Talk Newsletter – 22 April, 2025

Picture: JP van der Merwe is reportedly the only one of the protesting jockeys to have signed the Admission Of Guilt notification.

With dramatic irony, the jockeys involved in the industrial action at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on the 26th of March have each reportedly been hit with a R100,000 fine by the NHA, with R50,000 of it suspended for a period of five years.

The strike was in support of Grant van Niekerk being handed an interim suspension after voicing his disapproval of the severity of NHA fines and suspensions, among other utterings, during a winner’s interview.

The jockeys have reportedly all received an Admission Of Guilt notification, but it is believed that at present only JP van der Merwe has signed it.

The Admission Of Guilt begins by explaining that they were in contravention of Rule 72.1.27, which states: without lawful reason be a party to or incite any other PERSON or individual to perform
any act, or by omission create a circumstance which does or might lead to the
abandonment, postponement or interruption of any RACE or RACEMEETING;

The Sporting Post  reported that those jockeys who do not sign the Admission of Guilt face respective inquiries in May.

Van Niekerk was subsequently given a 90-day suspension from race riding, of which 60 days were suspended for three years, subject to the following conditions:

1.1         Public Apology: Jockey van Niekerk must issue a public apology to the NHA via the media within ten days of this ruling.

1.2         Jockey van Niekerk must not be convicted of Rule 72.1.26 during the three-year suspension period.

1.3         The nine days suspension already served will be taken into account in determining the dates of the remainder of the 30 days’ suspension.  Accordingly, the 30-day suspension could be served from 27 March 2025 to 26 April 2025, subject to his right of appeal.

Fine

2.1       A fine of R100,000, of which R75,000 is suspended for three years, on condition that Jockey van Niekerk is not convicted of another Rule 72.1.26 violation during this period.

Van Niekerk was given the Right of Appeal against both the finding and the penalty imposed.

The Sporting Post understand he may be appealing.

Picture by Candiese Lenferna Photography.

Rachel Venniker had a nasty fall in training on Friday at Summerveld and it resulted in a broken leg.

She could not be reached for comment, but her guv’nor Michael Roberts confirmed the incident had happened on Friday.

He said he believed after falling awkwardly off a horse on the sand track her leg struck one of the supporting curb stones, that keep the sand in from both sides of the track, and the leg consequently snapped.

He said it had been a clean break.

A clean break usually leads to quicker healing time.

She has been operated on and a pin has been inserted.

She is likely to be out for most of the Champions Season at least.

Raymond Danielson, seen after winning the Gr 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes last year on October Morn, was at one stage known as the “Super Sub” due to his fine big race record when replacing first choice riders. (Chase Liebenberg Photography).

The underrated Raymond Danielson has been appointed Champions Season rider for the Michael Roberts-trained Nick Jonsson-owned dual Gr 1 winner See It Again.

Roberts said, “I sat down with Mr Jonsson and we discussed it and looked through it. You would like to have someone who is not going to jump on and off and I have always enjoyed the way Raymond Danielson rides. I have been watching him and he is calm and has nice hands. I have always rated him pretty highly and actually thought he would have been in with a big stable by now. The big boys have used him and he has delivered.”

Raymond has won numerous Gr 1s, including one last year on the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained October Morn in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint.

Meanwhile, the five-year-old Twice Over gelding See It Again is in fine shape.

Roberts said, “He’s looking good and I’m very happy with him. Last year we couldn’t do what I’m  planning this year, because he was an entire and he was quite hard to train. He had little niggles and problems, but since the gelding I can do normal things with him.”

See It Again will start his Champions Season campaign in the IOS Drill Hall Stakes and will then go for the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge..

However, his chief aim is the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July, which is over his right trip.

The Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Tenango (Canford Cliffs) ran out an easy winner of the Gr 3 Champagne Stakes under Andrew Fortune on Monday. (Picture: Wayne Marks).

Graeme Hawkins

Andrew Fortune produced the exciting Tenango (28/10) from well off the pace to win yesterday’s R250 000  Champagne Stakes (Gr3) over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth with contemptuous ease.

Tenango was switched off towards the rear of the field as Seeking The Stars and Lion Rampart cut out the early pace. Approaching the final 200m Gem King moved through menacingly but by now Tenango was in full cry and the 4yo son of Canford Cliffs swept past to score going away by a wide margin.

Tenango has now won five races from only thirteen starts and we are likely to see him next in the Grade 2 Golden Horse Sprint over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville towards the end of May. Trained by Candice Bass-Robinson for owner-breeder Ian Longmore, Tenango has recovered remarkably well from a wind operation and is now in the form of his life.

Gem King finished second ahead of All Out For Six and a running on Silver Falcon but were they simply no match for Tenango who was recording his first Graded Stakes success, with the promise of more to come.

Tenango was Fortune’s third winner on the card, having booted home Hunga Tonga and English Mistress earlier in the day.

The 2yo’s North Point, Randolph Hearst and Ukuduma were impressive winners of the first three races on the programme. All three appear to be well above the average and should be worth following for the remainder of the Season.

Underworld (Querari) beats stablemate Get Impressed (Vercingetorix) to give Muzi Yeni a double and Justin Snaith the first leg of a double. (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Andrew Harrison (Gold Circle)

Locally based trainers always face an uphill task during South Africa’s Champions Season as the out-of-towners arrive with the cream of their crops. Highveld-based trainers have their moments but most are hard-pressed to match runners from the Western Cape. The second race on the Hollywoodbets Greyville card, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1400m, was a prime example as it was dominated by Cape-based runners, Aversator making good improvement on his debut effort for Dean Kannemeyer and the Justin Snaith-trained Indigenous runner-up.

Sean Veale gave him a clear run at the line going up the inside of the field and the son of Rafeef quickened up smartly to win going away. Andrew Fortune picked his way through the field from well off the pace and Indigenous ran on well to take the shallow end of the purse.

Both colts look promising and worth following come the sharp end of the season.

Nautical Landing saved a large number of Place Accumulator tickets as two rank outsiders Street Talk and Echo were culprits of one of the biggest exacta payouts in recent memory, both finishing strongly to edge out the luckless Nautical Landing as Tristan Godden tried valiantly to keep the filly together over the final two furlongs. Muzi Yeni was of the opinion that Kom Naidoo’s filly is looking for much further with the strong pace playing in her favour.

Harun Al Rashid finally got his act together, a runaway winner of the opening leg of the Pick 6. Not an easy horse to train as he tends to lather up before his races but he finished with a rattle to finally show what he had promised in his earlier races. Runaway pacemaker Angel Boy J compounded at the top of the straight and apprentice Mxolisi Mbuto was lucky to stay aboard as his mount nearly came to a halt.

The handicappers are often under fire from trainers accusing them of being heavy-handed when dishing out penalties but the three points afforded One Smart Cookie kept her competitive as Tienie Prinsloo’s filly went back-to-back but with the entire field breathing down her neck in a blanket finish to the fifth. Magical View, School Policy and Woza Nawe were all within a neck at the line.

Pongola is not an easy ride as alluded to by Michael Roberts. Not a horse that takes kindly to being bustled early in a race stand-in rider Siphesihle Hlengwa, replacing an indisposed Rachel Venniker, was on a hiding to nothing. However, from off the pace, Pongola was closing in relentlessly on the filly Fireburst who had got the better of pacemaker Gorgeous Dude, but he kept shifting in on his rival. There was no contact but Hlengwa lost his crop 100m out trying to keep his mount on a straight course and got to the line with a nose to spare.

It was a Snaith one-two in the seventh as Underworld got the better of stable companion Get Impressed with Diani staying on strongly for third. It was a tactical ride from Fortune who had Underworld pinned on the rail behind pacemaker Cherry Ano and getting first run. However, not to be outdone, Yeni got his mount into stride off the false rail and a ding-dong battle ensued up the straight with Underworld making light of his weight to get the better of his rival.

Okavango looked to be the best bet on the card and so it proved as Fortune finally got out of the second box. A son of Master Of My Fate out of the exceptionally talented mare Sabina Park, he had turned in an eye-catching performance when winning at Hollywoodbets Durbanville last time out, coming from the clouds to get up close home. It was a lot easier yesterday as Fortune had him in the box seat from his pole position draw and although he took a little time to get rolling, Fortune was looking around a long way out for any challenges.

It was a comfortable victory and with Fortune saying that Okavango would enjoy a furlong further, the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 looks a possible target but he will probably be up against stable companion Eight On Eighteen and the WSB 1900 may be a better option.

Cape form was once again to the fore as Plum Pudding rounded off the meeting for Andre Nel and Serino Moodley. Well back turning for home, Plum Pudding got a dream split up the centre of the track and finished off her race in style.

Picture: Jack In The Green (nearest) gives Richard Fourie a treble and Alan Greeff a double in a thrilling finish in the seventh race. (Pauline Herman Photography).

The sixth race at the Fairview Poly meeting on Tuesday had to be abandoned after a series of incidents which ultimately resulted in some of the jockeys not hearing the siren for the false start and completing the distance.

The last horse to be loaded was the favourite Greenlight Legend and as the gates were closed behind him the assistant starter raised the white flag from behind the stalls to signal to the starter that all of the runners, from his perspective, were installed and ready to jump.

However, almost as soon as the gates had been closed behind him, Greenlight Legend kicked the gates open again and backed out.

However, the assistant starter’s flag was already on the way up.

He dropped the flag after the horse had backed out, but the starter had already taken the raised flag as the all clear signal and pressed the button.

The rest of the field jumped and began racing.

The starter realised the situation and set the siren off to recall the runners.

However, only a few of the jockeys heard the siren and the rest completed the distance.

The stipendiary stewards had the option to either re-run the race or declare the race a “no race” and abandon it.

Obviously it had to be abandoned with the majority of the field having raced to the end.

If any blame could be apportioned it was that the white flag was raised a touch too soon as the gates behind Greenlight Legend were only actually closed for a split second.

Greenlight Legend was out to give Richard Fourie a third winner at the meeting and Alan Greeff a second winner.

Fourie and Greeff did win the next race to end up with a treble and double respectively.

Zietsman Oosthuizen, whose horse won the no race, did have a good day anyway as he scored a double, both of them ridden by Nirvan Nastili.

There was also a double for Gavin Smith.

Fourie made up a nett two wins on national log leader Craig Zackey, who rode a single winner.

Zackey is now on 195 wins for the season achieved at a strike rate of 18.88%.

Fourie had a four-timer at Fairview last Friday and a single winner at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Monday, so he has closed the gap on Zackey to nine wins.

He is on 186 wins at 26.27%.

Gavin Lerena has not surprisingly decided to appeal his suspension from the Jason Gates whipping incident. This was expected as he is in contention for the title and the appeal process in SA allows riders to delay their suspension until after the season has ended.

Lerena is on 179 wins at 25.98%.

Nastili is on 13 wins at 7.65%.

Greeff, who also had a four-timer last Friday, is on 130 wins at 18.31%.

Smith is on 92 wins at 12.80%.

What did the Durban Turf Club spend 65,000 on in 1960?

The picture gives a clue.