Puerto Manzano completed a Gr 1 double when winning the Premier’s Champions Challenge last year. (Candiese Lenferna Photograph)
David Mollett column brought to you by Klawervlei Stud
Over Easter, the major supermarkets try and attract customers with special offers. So what is “value for money” in the sporting world over this period? The answer is unquestionably a day at the races at Turffontein on April 6.
The entrance fee to the city track is zilch. What a contrast to the recent Cheltenham festival in the UK.
It cost 100 pounds (R2300) to get into the County Stand at Cheltenham with no seat. “I feel for the people who earn a decent wage but still can’t afford it,” was the comment of one racegoer.
On my many trips to the Gloucestershire track, it was a relief to grab a seat in the Press Room. It’s quite a task standing all day.
Just to see the crowds packed in the stands is an awesome sight, but it’s a slight worry that attendance for the four days dipped to 229 999 compared to the post-covid total in 2022 of 280 627.
Nevertheless, Irish trainer, Gavin Cromwell, who might be housing the Grand National winner in Vanillier, was surely right when stating “Cheltenham is the Olympics of jump racing, if you have a good one, you hate to miss it.”
When it comes to consistent big crowds, it’s impossible to beat Hong Kong. A total of 61 000 attended the recent BMW Hong Kong Derby won by Massive Sovereign.
The big news from 4Racing is that they will host World Pool races for the first time at Turffontein.
This allows punters from 28 countries worldwide to participate in a single, massive pool.
“4Racing is committed to ensuring that South Africa remains a key player in the world of horseracing. We look forward to a spectacular day of racing on Champions day and the four Gr 1 World Pool races,” said 4Racing CEO, Fundi Sithebe.
Hopefully, Turffontein will see a good attendance on April 6 and the menu is certainly tantalising:.
*The Premier Champion Stakes: the betting from World Sports Betting tells the story that this is a real puzzle for pundits and punters with Cousin Casey (“not again” says my bank manager) heading the market at 11/2 followed by Royal Victory and Dave The King at 6/1 and Puerto Manzano and Winchester Mansion at 7/1.
* The Empress Club Stakes: Surely a lap of honour for Gimme A Nother priced at 1-5.
* The SA Derby: Much more competitive with Purple Pitcher the favourite at 5-2 followed by Marauding Horde at 7/2 and Pure Predator at 5-1.
* The Computaform Sprint: The betting suggests a match race between Thunderstruck (5-2) and Dyce (3-1). Interesting to see the time of the winner.
While Cheltenham received plenty of criticism for changing the Wednesday to “Style Wednesday” instread of “Ladies Day”, you can be sure there’ll be some jazzy outfits at the city track. Definitely, not a meeting to be missed.
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The hard work of Adrian Todd and the financial injection from Chris Van Niekerk has resulted in the lifting of the ban on SA horses travelling abroad.
“I think it could be a massive gamechanger in all spheres of the equine athlete and its people,” commented John Koster of Klawervlei Stud, kind sponsors of this column.
“We will now be able to compete internationally on a more level playing field. This should lead to an expansion in our ownership and breeding programmes which, in turn, will lead to far greater job creation this country so desperately needs,” he added.
With the National Yearling Sale scheduled for 18 and 19 April, this was the perfect opportunity to ask John if he thought I was on the right track in thinking that Klawervlei might provide the top lot in Captain’s Ransom’s half-brother by Vercingetorix.
“He has the pedigree and looks – the ring will dictate how popular he might be,” was John’s reply.
Klawervlei (as agent) will send a draft of 20 yearlings to Gosforth Park and they include a half-brother (by Gimmethegreenlight) to Silver Operator, the second produce (by Vercingetorix) of the Gr 1 winner The Secret Is Out and a full-brother to Linebacker.
Vaughan Marshall is sure to run his expert eye over this youngster.
Mauritzfontein and Wilgerbosdrift send impressive drafts to the sale and their yearlings include half-brothers to Desert Miracle, Sparkling Water, and Haawaam as well as half-sisters to Summer Pudding and None Other.
As usual, Varsfontein win the prize for the best-named yearling. Their Erik The Red colt on the second day is called Leif Erikson, who is thought to be the first European to set foot on continental America (Leif was the son of the Norse explorer Erik Thorvaldsson, who was known as Erik the Red).
