Ferrie Pair Are Good Value On LKP Day
Gladatorian is pictured winning the Gr 1 HKJC Champions Cup, but is being generally ignored again ahead of the L’Ormarins King’s Plate, while the yard’s crack sprinter I Am Giant is also double figure odds (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Stuart Ferrie has vast experience in training racehorses and has proved himself up to the task in close to three years of being on his own and looks to have a bright future.
On Saturday he has two realistic chances of Gr 1 weight for age glory at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth with Gladatorian running in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate over 1600m and I Am Giant running in the World Pool Cape Flying Championship over 1000m.
Gladatorian ran a 3,25 length eleventh in the Gr 2 Ridgemont Green Point Stakes over 1600m in his first Cape Town start but Stuart pointed out, “It was his first time at the course and first time around a left hand turn and he was green around the turn and a bit unbalanced.”
Stuart had said earlier he had been a bit stronger on the bit than usual, but he thought the first experience of the left hand turn was the main reason for the below par run.
Gladatorian has now not only seen the course in the Green Point, but Stuart also took the Vercingetorix gelding to Hollywoodbets Kenilworth last Tuesday and galloped him 700m around the turn.
Gladatorian was a fast finishing 0,35 length third in the last Gr 1 wfa mile he took part in, the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge at Hollywoodbets Greyville, and he just ran out of real estate as a stride or two more and he would have beaten Dave The King and Oriental Charm.
So he should enjoy the long straight of Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
At the end of last season he won the Gr 1 HKJC Champions Cup over 1800m, beating The Real Prince, See It Again, Fire Attack and Dave The King, all of whom he faces in the King’s Plate on Saturday.
Furthermore, the bookmakers, in making him a 14/1 shot, seem to have ignored the fact he carried a 2kg Gr 1 penalty in the Green Point. He will be better off at the weights on Saturday with a number of the horses who beat him in the Green Point..
Gladatorian has drawn nine out of fourteen, but as a horse who comes from well off the pace that is not a serious issue.
Ferrie flew in on Thursday for the big race and he sounded bullish about the chances of his six-year-old Vercingetorix gelding.
Stuart said he felt the one to beat was Sail The Seas, who ran a cracker in the Green Point, and he added, “We all know how good See It Again is too and if his mind is right he will be in with a shout.”
He said about the three-year-old favourite Jan Van Goyen, “I am on the fence with him. He is now facing the best horses in the country, and it is not just one or two of the best, it is a whole field of the best.”
Stuart’s Gr 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship contender is the six-year-old Querari gelding I Am Giant, who runs for champion owners Hollywood Racing.
I Am Giant, winner of the Gr 2 Post Merchants, comes off a fine second in the Gr 2 Splashout Cape Merchants over 1200m in which he was beaten a neck by Outlaw King.
He carried 62kg off his 122 rating in that race and will now be 3,5kg better off with Outlaw King.
He was raised two points to 124, so is officially 4kg under sufferance with the 132-rated favourite Buffalo Storm Cody.
However, he is the third highest rated runner.
Stuart also took him to the course last Tuesday and he said he was in fine shape.
He added, “Sean Veale (who rides Hollywood Racing star filly Asiye Phambili) reckons he might be on the wrong one, although Asiye Phambili is comfortable over five furlongs whereas I Am Giant is a six furlong horse.”
Stuart has the privilege of British Champion jockey Oisin Murphy riding I Am Giant and asked what his instructions would be he replied, “I think Anthony (Delpech) will give the instructions, but there are not too many instructions. Just leave him alone, he likes to come from off them and if he runs them down, he runs them down.”
I Am Giant is drawn low in two, so the connections will hope the field does not create traffic problems for him by tracking over to the inside which can happen if there is a perceived draw bias.
A Look At The History Of Saturday's Three Gr 1s
Charles Dickens becomes the first Drakenstein Stud-owned horse to win the L’Ormarins King’s Plate in 2024. The stud is situated on the L’Ormarins estate, a wine farm which sponsors the big race and whose owner Gaynor Rupert and team have transformed the King’s Plate into the Royal Ascot of South African racing (Picture: Wayne Marks)
By Ada van der Bent
This year marks the 165th running of South Africa’s premier mile race, the L’Ormarins King’s Plate Gr 1. First contested in 1861, the prestigious race was run as the Queen’s Plate in honour of Queen Victoria. The race became the King’s Plate during the reigns of Edward VII and George VI, but reverted to its original name in 1953 after the accession of Queen Elizabeth to the throne. Following her passing in 2022, it is once again known as the King’s Plate.
In all its gloried history, the honour roll reads like a veritable who’s who and includes the names of such Titans of the Turf as Sea Cottage, In Full Flight, Sledgehammer, Politician, Wolf Power, Flaming Rock, Empress Club, London News and Jet Master. The latter is the only modern-day winner to sire a Queen’s Plate winner, this the incomparable Pocket Power, the only horse to have won the race four years running, a record which is unlikely ever to be equalled.
Only eleven three-year-old have managed to hold their own against their elders, the most recent of which last year’s winner One Stripe, who has since shown winning form Stateside. This year, Jan Van Goyen is the lone sophomore in the line-up and like One Stripe, enters the King’s Plate off a victory in the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas Gr 1.
Just three members of the fairer sex have won the race since it was contested under weight-for-age conditions: Wainui (1989), Empress Club (1993) and most recently Mother Russia (2011).
DID YOU KNOW
That the L’Ormarins is one of a ‘win and you’re in’ races, where the winner is automatically guaranteed an entry into the Breeders’ Cup Mile Gr 1 contested in the States.
That the adage ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again’ perfectly applies to that grand galloper of the sixties William Penn. After placing third behind the mighty Sea Cottage in 1967 and fourth to Peter Beware in 1968, he returned as a seven-year-old in 1969 and finally managed to capture the coveted race by relegating Peter Beware to second.
That in 2012 future champion stallion Gimmethegreenlight broke a 38-year drought to become the first three-year-old winner since Yataghan back in 1973.
That Candice Bass became the first lady trainer of a King’s Plate winner with Drakenstein homebred Charles Dickens in 2024. She followed in the footsteps of her father Mike, who won the race with Trademark and of course the legendary Pocket Power.
That champion trainer Justin Snaith aims for his fifth winner, having won it last in 2022 when Jet Dark made it back-to-back victories. His father Chris trained 1990 winner Flaming Rock.
That Drakenstein Stud has bred four of the last five King’s Plate winners and will this year be represented by Eight On Eighteen, See It Again and Sail The Seas.
CARTIER PADDOCK STAKES
Widely regarded as the race every breeder strives to win, the Cartier Paddock Stakes Gr 1 has been contested since a wonderful source of fillies who later became influential broodmares, one of which being the inaugural winner Sun Lass. She turned into a veritable goldmine at stud, producing no less than six stakes performers, amongst which was Queen’s Plate hero Yataghan.
Party Time, whose impact on the Stud Book has been profound to say the least, ran third at three and set the record straight as a four-year-old. The grandam of 2001 Queen’s Plate winner Trademark, her name still pops up, albeit remotely, in pedigrees of black type winners, with last season’s Golden Horseshoe Gr 2 winner Chronicle King being a fine example.
Party Time was trained by the late maestro Terrance Millard, who practically owned the Paddock Stakes, winning the contest sixteen times. This phenomenal list of winners includes not just Party Time, but also standouts such as Horse of the Year Tecla Bluff and multiple champion Olympic Duel, who won the race not once, but twice.
Last year’s winner Double Grand Slam is back to defend her crown and will aim to become the eighth back-to-back winner of the Paddock Stakes, a feat achieved in recent times by Beach Beauty, Oh Susanna and Queen Supreme. No filly or mare has ever won the Paddock Stakes three times.
The biggest winning margin in the Paddock Stakes belongs to the phenomenal racemare Renounce. Following her five-length romp in the 1965 renewal, she increased that to a stunning eight lengths twelve months later.
Two Paddock winners have emulated their dams. New Zealand-bred Hoeberg claimed the honours eleven years after her dam Petrava won the 1985 renewal.
Champion Beach Beauty, who triumphed as a five-year-old in 2013 and showed she hadn’t lost a step to make it a double at age six, is the dam of 2023 winner Beach Bomb.
This year’s contender Little Suzie is the first foal of 2018 and 2019 Paddock victress Oh Susanna. Should the Drakenstein homebred prove equal to the task, she will add yet another chapter to the rich history of this important race.
WORLD POOL CAPE FLYING CHAMPIONSHIP
Like the L’Ormarins King’s Plate winner, the World Pool Cape Flying Championship Gr 1 also carries an automatic invitation to the 2026 Breeders Cup Sprint at the prestigious year end meeting. No wonder then that this year’s renewal has attracted runners from all racing centres. Gr 1 winners Lucky Lad and Buffalo Storm Cody head the Highveld contingent, top filly Direct Hit and Kingdundee represent the Eastern Cape, while I Am Giant is the sole KZN-trained raider.
While some of the country’s finest sprinters have won the 1000m dash more than once, amongst them Signor Amigo, Flobayou, Nhlavini, What A Winter and the Australian-bred mare Laisserfaire, it is the mighty Sentinel who stands supreme as the only three-time winner, completing the hat-trick in 1975.
Only one horse has managed to claim both the Cape Flying Championship and (then) Queen’s Plate in modern times. That honour belongs to the mighty Jet Master. Three weeks after completing an impressive double in the mile race, he annihilated his rivals in the sprint by more than six lengths, a margin which to this day, has never been matched. A seven-time champion stallion, he sired 2007 winner Mythical Flight. This year, he features as the grandsire of Jan Van Goyen and as the broodmare sire of Dave The King.
It takes a special female sprinter to pull one over the boys in this sprint and those few that have managed to do so, include some of the finest. This year, What A Winter’s six-year-old daughter Asiye Phambili will attempt to add her name to an exalted list which includes not just aforementioned Laisserfaire, but also the champions Sweet Chestnut, Val De Ra, Via Africa and Carry On Alice.
Trainer Comments For The L'Ormarins King's Plate
Vaughan Marshall won the L’Ormarins King’s Plate last year with One Stripe and he will be out to defend his winning trainer crown with the five-year-old Querari gelding Questioning (Picture: Wayne Marks)
A STELLAR field goes to post in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate Gr1
2 Equus Horse of the Years
7 Grade 1 winners
The field of 14 have won 78 races and amassed R34M in prize money.
Can Jan van Goyen join an elite group of 3 year-olds to have won in the 165 year history of the race?
Hear from the Trainers
2. Jan van Goyen: “He’s third up into this race so it’ll be his peak run,” Mathew de Kock.
7. Eight On Eighteen: “The mile is on the short side, but he is Eight On Eighteen. When you have class like this, anything is possible. He’s doing the turn, but will run a monster race,” Justin Snaith.
10. See It Again: “If he ‘turns up’ on the day, he could run a big race. A horse that you cannot … cannot leave out,” Justin Snaith.
6. The Real Prince: “He was ‘ring rusty’ going into the Ridgemont Green Point Stakes. The run has brought him on,” Dean Kannemeyer.
1. Dave The King: “Dave the King has improved since his win in the Ridgemont Green Point Stakes. We’re heading into the race with confidence”, Mathew de Kock.
8. Garrix: “I make him one of those horses to be respected. We’re hoping for a big run,” Elbert Steyn.
5. Sail The Seas: “He’s had the perfect prep. I do feel he’s a horse that will be in the first four,” Justin Snaith.
9. Gladatorian: “In the Ridgemont Green Point Stakes he was lost going around the left-hand bend for the first time. He had a gallop at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth around the turn, which I was very happy with,” Stuart Ferrie.
13. Fire Attack: “He’s had an interrupted program. We’re hoping to be thereabouts,” Alec Laird.
14. Cosmic Speed: “This is his third run after a rest. He has lots in his favour. All that’s against him is the draw”, Sean Tarry.
4. Questioning: “His work has improved significantly since the Green Point Stakes. I’m hopeful for a very good run,” Vaughan Marshall.
3. Sugar Mountain: “He’s come into his own as a 7-year-old. He shouldn’t be too far off them,” Candice Bass.
12. Jet Force: “He gave a very decent account of himself in the Green Point Stakes. From the draw, we’ll have to ride him ‘cold’, but we’re there and going to take our chances,” Des Mclachlan.
Littlemissmillion Can Now Be Aimed At The Big Time
Littlemissmillion makes it three wins in four starts and has plenty of scope for further improvement (JC Photos)
The Tyrone Zackey-trained three-year-old filly Littlemissmillion put her hand up as a Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara contestant today (Thursday) at the Vaal Classic track when winning a 1600m fillies and mares handicap in taking style off a 96 merit rating.
She found a midfield position on the rail from draw three and just loped along until the spur at the 800m mark at which stage the small filly used her big action to get into a more handy position, although she had to switch when the inside path down the rail became blocked.
She surged through a gap to get into contention and then when it appeared she might not get there in time she produced a late burst of speed after Philasande Mxoli had changed whip hands to win easily in the end by half-a-length from the decent 94-rated four-time winner Accept Cookies.
Mxoli confirmed afterwards she had still been green, so there is scope for further improvement.
The Elusive Fort filly was bred by Neil Croft of Croft Stud and Helene Taylor.
Tyrone Zackey’s daughter and son-in-law Nadine Backos and Kevin Backos own her and clinched her off a BSA online Sale for a mere R50,000.
She has now won three out of four starts, with her only defeat being a 3,75 lengths fifth in the Gr 3 Ducat Africa Fillies Mile when returning from a five month layoff.
Mxoli rode her in the Fillies Mile for the first time.
Zackey said the trip today was some way short of her best trip, but added that he had wanted to see how she went today before aiming her at bigger races.
She will be an interesting contender for the The Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic as the tough Turffontein 1800m course and distance should suit her down to the ground.
She is out of the decent four-time wining Kahal mare Brigtnumberfive, whose wins were from 1400m to 1600m but Elusive Fort will give her more stamina and she runs as if she will enjoy further.
It is exciting times for Zackey and the Backos couple.
Zackey And Houdalakis Individual Doubles
The Sean Tarry-trained Drakenstein Stud homebred One World filly Gerbera scored her third career victory at Vaal Classic today in an 1800m Graduation Plate and she gave Craig Zackey a double in the process (JC Photos)
Craig Zackey scored a double at the Vaal Classic track today (Thursday) to go further clear in the national Jockey championship.
Lucky Houdalakis was the only other double scorer at the nine race meeting.
Zackey is now on 118 wins for the season achieved at a strike rate of 16.95%.
He is 17 wins ahead of Richard Fourie and Hollywoodbets now go even money the pair for the championship with Callan Murray, who is is third place on 70 wins, at 25/2.
Houdalakis is now on 21 wins at 15.56%.
Justin Sniath leads the championship with his 60 wins having accumulated R8,845,638.75.
Mike and Mathew de Kock are in second with stakes of R5,886,059.38.
Tony Peter, Sean Tarry and Alan Greeff are all hot on the De Kocks’ heels.
Alan Greeff has the most wins of all the trainers on 67, seven more than Snaith.
Words Of Truth Could Be Hard To Beat At Meydan On Friday
Words Of Truth has been tipped to win the 5th race over six furlongs at the Dubai Carnival meeting on Friday (Picture: Sky Sports Racing)
Last week’s column produced 3 winners for At The Races tipster Tim Carroll, who previews all nine races at Meydan on Friday with the action starting at 15H30 SA Time. .
This Friday sees a competitive nine-race card from Meydan on both the turf and dirt tracks and the feature of the meeting is race 6, the Lord North Handicap, over 9-furlongs.
Now onto this week’s selections.
Click here for a comprehensive guide to the Friday meeting at Meydan
Andy Coogle Can Notch Up A Hattrick
Andy Coogle has been tipped to win the 5th race and therefore record three wins in succession, with the removal of the blinkers seeming to have done the trick (Pauline Herman Photography)
Fairview Poly Friday Formguides And Selections
R1 (2) TERMINAL VELOCITY is holding consistent form and must be respected in this field. (4) MONT TREMBLANT ran extremely well in his last start and will give the top selection plenty to think about, include in all bets. (1) TWO FOR THE BOYS hasn’t been far and can get closer. (3) AETHELWULF is another who is always in the mix and can get involved, include in larger perms. (Devonne Govender 2-4-1-3).
R2 (3) GREAT NOTION is in top form and will be the firm first selection. (4) HAPPY WIVES won a gutsy race in the last start and could challenge so needs to be respected. (5) KINGS AGAIN is holding consistent form and another honest run is expected. (1) SMASHING is another who is never far back and will be in the mix. (Devonne Govender 3-4-5-1).
R3 (6) KING RAHUL has been racing well and gets the claimer up which brings him right into this. (1) WAROFDYNAMITE is holding solid form and gets the claiming apprentice aboard hence he must be respected. (5) CADENZA had a tough draw in the last start and now gets a much better draw, he will be there. (7) NOTORIX is capable on his day and can go into larger perms. (Devonne Govender 6-1-5-7).
R4 (1) CLIFFIE CLAVIN is holding consistent form and cracks the ace draw, massive runner here. (3) WARRIOR’S SWORD ran well on provincial debut and will build on that, include in everything. (2) BUGLE is capable of running into the money so needs to be respected. (4) BLAME IT ON ME has an eye catching jockey booking, he now goes 1400m and is certainly one that can win this. (Devonne Govender 1-3-2-4).
R5 (5) ANDY COOGLE has been impressive in both his recent wins and is expected to go close again. (4) SILVONIAN is another who is in top form and in with a bright chance. (6) FRENCH FLAME has been consistent and must be included in all bets. (2) MR FOX is very capable on his day and can challenge here but has a big weight to shoulder. (Devonne Govender 5-4-6-2).
R6 (5) RHYTHM is holding solid KZN form and will be a strong contender in this line up respectfully. (1) AADEHYA is very capable over this trip and will be a big runner here, respect. (4) GENERAL PARDON won impressively when exiting the maiden ranks and has scope to go well. (7) FLIGHT ENGINEER hasn’t been far and can get into the placings. (Devonne Govender 5-1-4-7).
R7 Open race. (3) ROYAL CITY GIRL is holding consistent form and rates a strong winning chance. (1) FAMILY POWER returns after a break but if fit will be tough to beat here. (6) WHITE WATERS is in top form, she won a gutsy race in her last start and should be right there again. (2) EXQUISITE won well in her last start and is another that can challenge here. (Devonne Govender 3-1-6-2).
R8 (6) LADY BOMBER is holding excellent form, she won well in her last start and could prove tough to beat. (4) JAMBO SANA is a very honest type and another good run can be expected. (3) SAIGON SUZIE ran a cracker in her last start and will be a big challenger if repeating that performance. (5) UMZOLOZOLO is capable of better and can run into the money. (Devonne Govender 6-4-3-5).
Today's Question
FIELDS, Friday, 9 January
Today’s Question Answer
Jack Berry was a stable lad-turned-journeyman jump-jockey-turned-top-trainer and he then became an MBE as racing’s greatest fundraiser.
