Peter Probably Can’t Believe He’s Joining SA Legends
David Mollett
Picture: Silvano’s Timer gave Drakenstein their 18th individual stakes winner of the season on Saturday. (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
Drakenstein Lead The Season’s Milestone Achievers
Drakenstein Stud bred what is believed to be a new record of 18 individual stakes winners this season.
The Dean Kannemeyer-trained Silvano’s Timer became their 18th individual stakes winner on Saturday, when winning the Listed Marshalls World Of Sport Darley Arabian over 1600m on the poly under Keagan de Melo.
Later, Jet Dark (Trippi) won the Grade 1 HKJC World Pool Champions Cup to give Drakenstein-breds their 25th stakes win of the season.
Another highlight for them on the day was the respective fourth place finishes of the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Golden Hostess and the Glen Kotzen-trained Hold My Hand in the Grade 2 Prosport International Debutante and the Grade 1 Thekwini respectively as both are by Drakenstein’s freshman sire Gold Standard, the first son of their stalwart stallion Trippi to be at stud.
Drakenstein will be crowned champion owners, having beaten second-placed the Hollywood Syndicate by more than R2.5 million.
However, the Hollywood Syndicate had a milestone season themselves, landing their 100th win on Saturday after an unusually long and agonising wait to get that final winner and they made it 101 winners yesterday at Kenilworth, the most of any owner this season.
Champion trainer Paul Peter’s 221 wins in the season was another of the season’s highlights, eclipsing Sean Tarry’s 215 wins in the 2016/2017 season.
Besides Champion Jockey Warren Kennedy’s 263 winners in the season and champion apprentice Rachel Venniker’s 70 wins, another fine achievement was Richard Fourie’s nine Grade 1 wins, which is only three short of the 12 Weichong Marwing rode in 1998/1999 and which is thought to be a record.
Justin Snaith also had nine Grade 1 wins, which is the equal of Mike de Kock’s nine in 1998/1999, but the archives will have to be checked to see whether this is a record or not.
Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein, breeders of July winner Sparkling Water, easily won the Breeders Championship (by more than R5.5 million) from Klawervlei Stud with Drakenstein third.
Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein’s progeny earned R26,780,663 and they had 160 individual winners of 244 races.
Silvano won his sixth Champion Sire title, beating his son Vercingetorix by just over R1,2 million. It could well be the first time a father and son have finished one-two.
Master Of My Fate had the most individual winners and the most wins, 102 and 158 respectively.
Querari was the leading sire of two-year-olds with an impressive 23 individual winners of 34 races.
Vercingetorix was leading sire of three-year-olds, beating Silvano by about R900,000. He had 43 individual three-year-old winners of 74 races, although that was not as many as Gimmethegreenlight’s 46 individual three-year-old winners (of 71 races).
Erupt was the leading freshman sire and had eight individual winners of ten races, although Canford Cliffs had 15 individual winners of 18 races but does not count as he has stood overseas before.
The Damsire Champion was once again Jet Master.
The highest earning horse of the season was Hollywodbets Durban July winner Sparkling Water, who also won the Grade 2 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers. She earned R4,030,000 and Jet Dark was second on R3,057,500.
Safe Passage, Captain’s Ransom and Kommetdieding were next best in that order and it was no surprise that the 1-2-3 in the R5 million Hollywoodbets Durban July were 1-2-3 in the earnings standings.
Picture: Captain’s Ransom, probable favourite for Horse Of The Year award (Candiese Lenferna).
Equus Awards Public Vote To Open Shortly
Isivunguvungu provided Narrow Creek Stud with another stakes winner at MWOS Gold Cup day on Saturday and gave the Hollywood Syndicate their 100th win of the season and Richard Fourie his 200th.
Narrow Creek Stud’s Fine Gold Cup Day
Big Burn Ends The Season with Ten Feature Race Cheques
Grade 2 Win For Swing Upon A Star and a Milestone Listed win for Isivunguvungu.
The Paul Peter-trained Elusive Fort three-year-old filly Big Burn will not be winning any Equus Awards, but deserves mention after a remarkable season in which every one of her ten runs was in a feature and she never missed the frame.
She was one of the highlights for her breeder Narrow Creek Stud on Marshall World Of Sport Gold Cup day, where horses from that stalwart stud also clinched a Grade 2 win and a Listed win.
Big Burn had four wins, three seconds, two thirds and a fourth in her ten runs in the season.
She is owned by the ASSM Syndicate of Arun Chadha and Warne Rippon in partnership with Ian Levitan.
She won the Grade 2 Jo’burg Spring Fillies And Mares Challenge over 1450m, the Grade 3 Sycamore Sprint over 1160m, the Non-Black Type BSA Sales Cup for fillies over 1400m, the Non-Black Type Lady’s Stakes over 1200m;
She finished second in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint, she was a touch unlucky in the Grade 3 WSB Magnolia Handicap over 1160m but an objection against the winner Sound Of Warning, to whom she gave 1,5kg and who beat her by a quarter-of-a-length, was over-ruled, and she finished second in the Listed Swallow Stakes over 1160m, giving the 0,30 length winner, her stablemate Freed From Desire, 3kg.
She finished third in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m and third in the Grade 3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes over 1400m.
She finished fourth in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint over 1200m, 1,60 lengths behind Captain’s Ransom, who beat her by 1,30 lengths in the Mercury Sprint on Saturday.
She was ridden in every one of her starts this season by Warren Kennedy and it added to her record as a two-year-old of an easy maiden win and a second place finish in the BSA Sales Cup for fillies on Durban July day from a wide draw.
Narrow Creek also produced Saturday’s Grade 2 Epol Umkhomazi Stakes with the Paul Peter-trained Elusive Fort colt Swing Upon A Star, who was ridden by Warren Kennedy. He is a half-brother to Flying Bull (Soft Falling Rain), who has won up to 2400m, but Peter said in the Gold Cup day panel discussion that Swing Upon A Star just has too much “gas”, so they decided to drop him in trip and it proved to be an inspired decision.
In the last race of the day, the Listed Umngeni Handicap over 1000m, the powerfully built Peter Muscutt-trained Narrow Creek Stud-bred What A Winter three-year-old Isivunguvungu was one of the most impressive winners of the day. He burst through a gap in the straight and won easing up by 3,20 lengths to give the Hollywood Syndicate their 100th win of the season in the nick of time, although Hollywood did add another winner on the last day of the season yesterday at Kenilworth. Isivunguvungu always looked likely to relish the return to 1000m and he gave Richard Forurie his 200th win of the season. He is out of the four time-winning Tiger Ridge mare Miss Tweedy.
Big Burn is out of the Argonaut mare Ignition Lady, who won once over 1200m and who placed three times in nine career starts.
Ignition Lady has also produced the Grade 2 Dingaans and Grade 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes winner and multiple Grade 1-placed Catch Twentytwo, her full brother, as well as the three time-winning speedster Fly Away (What A Winter).
She also has an unraced Quasillo colt on the ground called head banger, woned by the same connections, and an unraced Rafeef colt called Bad To The Bone, who bought for R400,000 at this year’s National Yearling Sales by the Mike and Adam Azzie yard.
Picture: Gavin Lerena, Mark Khan and Muzi Yeni are the three captains of the teams who will be competing for around R3.5 million in stakes and the Championship Trophy in the GTH Live Series Championship.
Big Names Lead New Series’ Teams
GTH Connections Saddle Up For Debut Team Racing Live
Top Women Trainers Take The Manager Reins
Team riders include Champion jockeys and Grade 1 winners
Growing list of event sponsors
THIRTY local jockeys and three winning SA trainers have signed up for the Global Team Horse Racing series (GTH), running in front of a new family-friendly crowd at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse on consecutive Friday nights from August 5 until September 2.
GTH is a team-based event. Meetings have been condensed into two and a half hours of exhilarating thoroughbred racing under floodlights. There will also be plenty of track-side entertainment for families.
GTH jockeys represent three teams, the Cape Stingers, the KwaZulu Royals and the Gauteng Gijimaz, competing for around R3.5-million in stakes and the Championship trophy.
Meet the Jockeys
Riding for the Cape Stingers are: Mark Khan (captain); Craig Zackey; Sean Veale; Rachel Venniker; Robert Khathi; Gareth Wright; Gabriell Pieterse; Khanya Sakayi; and Donald Gheerthsen.
The KwaZulu Royals are: Muzi Yeni (captain); Kabelo Matsunyane; Raymond Danielson; Jeffrey Syster; Ashton Arries; Thabiso Gumede; Athandiwe Mgudlwa; Jabu Jacobs; and Nicholas Patel.
Gauteng Gijimaz teammates include: Gavin Lerena (captain); Diego De Gouveia; Calvin Habib; Francois Herholdt; Tristan Godden; Cole Dicken; Jason Gates; Hennie Greyling; and Brian Nyawo.
Three reserve jockeys are on stand-by: Mpumi Mjoka; Sphe Hlengwa; and Mfanelo Zuma.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LINE-UP ON THE WEBSITE
GTH Team Managers
Experienced SA trainers will serve as team managers. Michelle Rix will lead the Cape Stingers, while Candice Dawson and Wendy Whitehead have control of the reins belonging to the Gauteng Gijimaz and KwaZulu Royals respectively.
One-third of the GTH all-female management team, Dawson started CK Racing with her sister, Tammi, and business partner Kathryn Ralphs. During her career, she has been linked to champion horses, including Jet Master, El Picha, Eventuail and Promisefrommyheart (source: SAHRacing (https://www.sahracing.com/index/contents/news/29895) ).
Another passionate horsewoman, Wendy Whitehead is a horse owner and trainer at Summerveld where she has worked for more than 32 years. Whitehead was instrumental in providing GTH with support during the many trials implemented during 2021.
Rix works alongside her father, Harold Crawford, out of the family’s yard in Milnerton, Cape Town. The duo’s top stars include 2021’s Vodacom Durban July winner, Kommetdieding.
Rix said she hoped to squeeze one more victory out of the current racing season and was looking forward to a different type of excitement on GTH race evenings.
Rix said: “Where GTH is going to benefit racing is by bringing in a younger type of crowd, a more social crowd and one that normally wouldn’t come to racing on a Friday night in Durban. Instead of indoor cricket, they’ll say: ‘Let’s go to the racecourse!’”
The Line-Up
Spectators can choose a team to support throughout the series and follow the action either at the live races, or by tuning in to the live broadcasts by SuperSport on DSTV’s Action channel (210) from 18h00.
The KwaZulu Royals and the Gauteng Gijimaz teams will race first at a meeting on Friday August 5. The following week, on Friday August 12, the KwaZulu Royals will meet the Cape Stingers. On the 19th, it will be the Cape against Gauteng. Teams will accumulate points for each race over the three weeks. Then, the teams with the most points will ride in the finals on Friday, September 2, 2022.
Teams can apply their own strategy to their spot in the final, see how the scoring works here (https://www.gthracing.co.za/gth-scoring/) .
A Winning Format
Rix said that three provinces competing against each other added to the excitement. “Horse racing is usually a singular sport, but this is a team sport. It will relate to so many more people outside of racing. That’s what racing really needs now.”
The trainer was confident that interest from the racing community would continue to grow. “Once this (GTH) is off the ground and everybody sees what a drawcard it is, they’ll be having a bit of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out),” Rix said.
She wagered: “If this runs well, we can look at attracting bigger sponsors and getting more people involved. There is no reason why this shouldn’t work.”
While still deciding which horses the Cape Stinger jockeys would ride, Rix concluded: “There has to be some fun! Racing is not anybody’s job, it is a way of life. Things don’t always go to plan. But, as tough an industry as it is, you’ve got to have fun.”
Meanwhile, GTH Marketing Director, Angus Campbell, was thrilled about the level of talent the series had managed to attract.
GTH has also partnered with the Riverside Hotel to add an accommodation special for visitors. “They are giving us reduced room rates, and we will be running GTH VIP giveaways together with East Coast Radio – another of our official event media partners – so stay tuned,” Campbell said.
GTH has invited South African social media influencers to apply to serve as event ambassadors through a GTH Social Pioneer programme, adding to the event build-up.
20 chosen Social Pioneers will be incentivised for every follower they bring to the races and have been challenged to come up with fun ways to show their support for their chosen team on race days.
GTH Social Pioneer/Influencer Manager, Avela Khuluse, said: “GTH is a new format of racing that requires an audience build. It’s a new concept that needs to be brought to the masses. We will work with Social Pioneers to help spread awareness about the event. We will also give away some awesome prizes, including cash prizes for Best Dressed and R5 000 for the best event theme designed around their chosen team.”
Tickets for the GTH series are already on sale at TIXSA (https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/global-team-horse-racing) . Prices start at R100 for general access. Children under 14 years old go free. Gates open at 17h00 each Friday and the action starts at 18h00, finishing by 20h30.
For more information, visit https://www.gthracing.co.za.
Press Kit (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Zzv9Z4PAQmPx379bx0zEezKuyqJApBXQ?usp=sharing)
Gates open at 17h00 each Friday and the action starts at 18h00, finishing by 20h30. GTH is broadcast live by SuperSport on DSTV’s Action channel (210) from 18h00.
Global Team Horse Racing (GTH) is a fast paced, thrilling spectator sport, specifically aimed at a new generation of fans. GTH is a gamechanger, the definitive team horse racing product, that merges live and digital elements into an exciting entertainment product that is broadcast across multiple platforms, attracting, and engaging a younger, more diverse, and globally connected fan base.
GTH transforms the racing format without losing the essence of the grand traditions of the sport, resulting in a revolutionary and colourful spectator event, where team captains apply innovative strategies to achieve competitive advantage.
Picture: The Gatekeeper wins yesterday at Champ de Mars. (People’s Turf PLC).
The Gatekeeper Is The Mauritius Four-Year-Old Champion
7. Var’s Elusion – 0 points
Equus Media Awards Are Open To All
Equus Commitee
On behalf of the Equus Awards Committee, it gives us great pleasure to invite you to participate in the 2022 Equus Horseracing Media Awards.
Equus Awards Criteria for Horseracing Media for the 2021/2022 Season
1. This award is open to all journalists and photographers within the print, television and electronic media industry.
2. Entry is not restricted to journalists from or within the horseracing media, all journalists are welcome and encouraged to submit work.
3. The three categories that will be judged are:
• Written material (print/electronic)
• Broadcast (includes television and internet)
• Photographic (still)
4. All entrants will be required to submit up to 2 pieces of their work that has been published
(print/electronic) or broadcast (television/internet) during the South African horseracing season, that is from 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022.
5. The photographic category can submit 3 images of any aspect relating to the horseracing industry, they do not need to be race specific.
6. No late entries will be accepted and only work published or broadcast during the stipulated time period is eligible. Receipt of your entry will be confirmed by email from Penny Morsner.
7. The Racehorse Owners Association together with the following media experts will form the judging panel.
Alison MacKenzie grew up with a passion for horses and riding. As a young show jumper she represented her country, Zambia, and rode in amateur races there and in neighbouring Zimbabwe. After coming to South Africa, she became a National Judge for showing and breed classes. For decades Alison led out the field on race days, and took care of the famous retired thoroughbreds given this job at Turffontein Racecourse.
Alison was Editor of The South African Racehorse during which time she wrote a racing column for the Financial Mail. When The South African Racehorse was taken over by Prime Media, she joined the Thoroughbred Horse Racing Trust as its manager. With transformation as the central goal, she helped set up the Grooms’ Work Riders’ Programme and the introduction of work riders’ races.
She is a devoted lover of the noble thoroughbred horse and racing.
Neil Morrice – Former Fleet Street reporter having had 43 years experience – Press Association, Racing Post, Tellytrack, Hollywoodbets – news reporting, broadcasting, blogging and tipping
Howard Wright has been a horseracing journalist since June 1964. He joined the British daily trade newspaper the Racing Post on its launch in April 1986. Since retiring as the Post’s industry editor in July 2012, he has continued to write for the paper, as well as other international media, including Thoroughbred Owner Breeder, the UAE’s Al Adiyat and the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Aside from media work, he has been a trustee of the UK’s stable-staff training centre the National Horseracing College since 1990, and vice-chairman since 2004, and was a member of Britain’s Flat Pattern Committee from 1986-2009.
The ROA will be a non-voting Chair on the Media Awards Panel.
8. All entries received will be judged on research, accuracy and presentation.
9. Work submitted must be well written or narrated, pertinent and of value to the sport of South African Horseracing.
10. All submissions must be published (or translated) in English.
11. Loyal support and positive contribution or coverage of the sport during the South African horseracing season is essential.
12. The judging panels’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
13. The Racehorse Owners Association reserves the right to cancel the awards if there are not sufficient entries received.
All entries must be submitted to the Racehorse Owners Association:
CLOSING DATE: Friday 5 August 2022 at 12noon
SUBMIT TO: Penny Morsner
penny@racingassociation.co.za
Telephone: (011) 683 3220
By Hand: The Racehorse Owners Association, 14 Turf Club Street, Turffontein Racecourse, Johannesburg
Natalie Turner
Equus Committee
Horseracing Show On Mainstream TV Daily
Media release on 01/08/2022 by 4Racing.
4Racing and SABC Sport have partnered on a new daily lifestyle magazine show, Racing Today, which will bring the dynamic world of horseracing to a whole new audience.
Racing Today is centred around the beauty, power, elegance and speed of the sport’s thoroughbred horses – and the passion that is at the heart of the horseracing industry.
The half-hour show, to be hosted by popular broadcaster Luthando ‘LootLove’ Shosha and presenter Benni Langa, will launch on Monday 1 August 2022 and will be broadcast daily from Monday to Friday at 17h00 on SABC Sport.
The vibey, youthful and energetic show is aimed at providing horseracing edu-tainment for those punters already familiar with the sport of horseracing and to introduce brand new audiences to the history, culture, traditions and characters of the sport.
Racing Today will be broadcast on SABC Sport’s 24 hour Sports Channel on the SABC’s Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Channel 4, on the Openview set-top-box where it has become one of the most watched channels on Openview 124, as well as on the TelkomONE mobile streaming platform.
Broadcast in studio and on location around the country, Racing Today will give SABC Sport viewers a front row seat into the world of horseracing and encourage a love of the sport with a new generation of racegoers.
It will feature studio interviews and live discussions with industry experts, as well as lifestyle shoots on location with owners, trainers, jockeys and punters at the racecourses to give greater insight into the industry’s key role players.
“We are very excited about partnering with the SABC on the launch of Racing Today, which gives us a platform to educate and entertain a new audience and stimulate fresh interest in the wonderful sport of horseracing.
The show will provide content that will engage and connect with existing punters, while also introducing the beauty and thrill of the sport to new SABC viewers and we’re excited about Racing Today’s potential to reach large new markets and contribute to the growth of the horseracing industry,” said 4Racing Chief Executive
Officer, Fundi Sithebe.
SABC Head of Sport, Gary Rathbone, was very excited about the launch of Racing Today, saying it would complement the partnership with 4Racing to broadcast ten premier South African race days on SABC, which has seen the long overdue return of South African horseracing to the public broadcaster’s screens.
“It has been great to see South African horse racing getting back up to speed again after the sport saw a dramatic downturn during the Covid lockdown years. And it’s great to once again see it back on the SABC and that we are now able to follow up our live Saturday afternoon coverage of some of SA’s premier races on SABC 3 with a great new daily horseracing show, Racing Today.
“Once again, SABC Sport has shown that it can and will cater for a wide range of South African sporting interests and we know that fans of the ‘sport of kings’ will enjoy the access and insight we will deliver with Racing Today,” said Rathbone.
The show will also tap into the knowledge and experience of horseracing veterans like Nico Kritsiotis, James Goodman and Andrew Bon to give insight into what makes the sport tick and sets the pulses racing.
Racing Today will feature games and quizzes geared at enhancing knowledge of the sport and encouraging attendance at the country’s race days and creating a loyal following through sparking an interest in the sport and piquing the curiosity of viewers.
For more information about Racing Today follow @4RacingZA and @SABC-Sport
Entry Form For CTS Ready To Run
& Unbroken Two Year Old Sale 2022
29 October 2022
Entry Form Closing Date 30 July 2022
CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY FORM: CTS RTR SALE 2022.pdf
The CTS RTR SALE 2022 will be held at Kenilworth Racecourse.
Please complete the above form IN FULL and return to: entries@cthbs.com
Contact And EFT Details are listed on the Entry form.
Picture: S;Manga Khumalo and Allan Greeff had a fine day together on 6he Fairview poly on the opening day of the season today. (Pauline Herman Photography).
Greeff/Khumalo Four-timer Together In Season’s Opener
DREAM START FOR ALAN & BLING (Nelson Mandela Bay Racing)
Today’s Question
Which horse made the frame 13 times in South African feature races in the 1971/1972 season?
Picture: The picture gives a clue
Kenilworth Tuesday August 02 Fields
Today’s Question Answer
In the 1971/1972 season the Joe Joseph-trained Sentinel, who was bred by the Ellis family’s Hartford Stud, had a three-year-old season that went like this (all Graded status’s were retrospectively rated):
- Second n the Grade 3 Summerveld Free Handicap (1400m);
- Won the Grade 3 Natal Guineas (1600m).
- Won a B Division handicap (1400m)
- Third in the Grade 2 Bull Brand Jockey’s International (1600m).
- Won the Listed Clairwood Christmas Handicap (1600m).
- Second in the Swazi Spa Holiday Inn Stakes (1400m)
- Won (dead-heat) the Grade 1 Cape Guineas.
- Second in the Grade 1 Queen’s Plate (1600m).
- Second in the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes (1400m).
- Won the Grade 3 Rupert Ellis Brown Plate (1200m).
- Won the Grade 1 SA Guineas
- Won the Grade 1 Clairwood Champion Stakes (1600m)
- Fourth in the Grade 2 Dick King Stakes (2000m).
- Second in the Grade 1 Woolavington Cup (1400m).
Thirteen of the fourteen starts were in features and he was in the top four every time.
His arch rival, the great David Payne-trained In Full Flight, ran 12 times that season for eleven victories including the July, his only defeat being to Sentinel in the SA Guineas, although they did also dead-heat in the Cape Guineas.
The pair met seven times that season and In Full Flight won five of them and there was one dead-heat.
The pair of greats met eleven times over their careers and In Full Flight won eight of them outright and was defeated twice.
However, Sentinel went on to win 29 races , including his dead-heat.
In Full Flight passed away tragically in early 1973.
