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.

**************

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).

Graceland’s stay and play package has a beautiful setting and top class accomodation and golf course (Picture: Emperor’s Palace) 

Choose one of the five rides below as the Emperor’s Palace Ride Of The Month and email your vote to editor@turftalk.co.za and you can win the below fantastic prize:

1 x Night stay at Graceland for 2 including breakfast
1 x round of golf for 2
1 x Dinner Voucher

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE ABOUT GRACELAND’S STAY AND PLAY GOLF PACKAGES

Nominees for Emperor’s Palace Ride Of The Month:

1. Kabelo Matsunyane on the Robyn Klaasen-trained Purple Pitcher Turffontein Standside 1400m 02/03/2024

It is tough to carve out a substantial lead and still hold on on the testing Turffontein Standside track, especially in a Gr 1 race. However, when Kabelo Matsunyane found himself in front on the Robyn Klaasen-trained New Predator colt Purple Pitcher it wasn’t part of the original plan, but he did not mind because he had won from the front on this horse over course and distance before and also knew that this horse was a galloping type characterised by his ability to find extra in the pressure of the finish. He duly kept on rolling despite strong challengers from the market leaders and recorded a first Gr 1 win for both Klaasen and owner Stincky Pooe.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH MATSUNYANE’S RIDE

2: Richard Fourie on the Vaughan Marshall-trained Sahara Cat Hollywoodbets Kenilworth 1000m 05/03/2024

The champion jockey elect had a lot riding on him in this race as the One World filly jumped at odds of 36/10. She broke well from draw three and assumed command. However, in the latter stages the Var first-timer filly Tanneron produced a strong finish and collared Sahara Cat. It looked all over for favourite backers. However, Fourie kept on working at Sahara Cat and somehow produced extra from a beaten looking horse. She had not only been overtaken, but had about a length to make up with about 75m to go. He managed to get her head down on the line to win it by the shortest of shortheads.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH FOURIE’S RIDE

3. JP van der Merwe on the Piet Botha-trained Tyrion Lannister over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on 09/03/2024

The whip can be useful, but is often detrimental and JP van der Merwe proved that on this Royal Mo colt. He started at odds of 11/2 in the six horse field Newlands Stakes and carrying just 51.5kg set the pace from draw three. He duly looked likely to be swamped by the principles at the 400m mark. However, Van der Merwe crouched low in the saddle and coaxed his mount to keep going. He only drew the stick after he had gained enough momentum to have a chance and they were just backhander reminders and included a deft change of whip hand with just over 100m to go. When the horse started hanging in the latter stages he wisely put the whip away. Just six rhythmical backhanders were used in all to get the horse to fight back and win by 0,75 lengths.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VAN DER MERWE’S RIDE

4. Marco van Rensburg on the Mike de Kock-trained Marauding Horde in the Listed TAB Hawwaam Stakes over 2000m at Turffontein Standside o n 09/03/2024.

The stoutly bred colt by Vercongetorix started at odds of 33/10 after impressing in three runs in the maidens, but the concern was he was stepping up to 2000m with first time blinkers on from a wide draw. However, Van Rensburg left him alone jumping out and managed to rein him back in to last place, where he had plenty of cover and settled well. He switched out from the rail and got on to the one wide train coming up the hill. This enabled him to get a clear run on the outside of horses in the straight. The reason De Kock had fitted the blinkers then became evident as Marauding Horde went through the gears in classy style, concentrating all the way,  and powered to an impressive 4,25 length victory. Van Rensburg had ensured a good experience with the first-time blinkers and the progression with this promising horse will surely continue.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VAN RENSBURG’S RIDE

5. Mathew Thackeray on the Mike Miller-trained Narina Trogo in the Listed King’s Cup over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on 24/03/2024.

Mathew Thackeray does not get many chances and has in fact only had six wins this whole season in South Africa (plus a few in Zimbabwe), but he took the chance given to him on the decent Narina Trogon with both hands in the King’s Cup. The Silvano gelding started at 10/1 and from draw two Thackeray managed to find the rail and settled him going at a good clip. The horses coming from wide draws had to do some work to get over in front of him. Thackeray sat with a beautiful long rein on the rail behind the vanguard. Diving for the rail as soon as he came off the false rail Narina Trogon duly found plenty. The son of a former Durban darling, Beach Beauty, sped to the front under the hands. Thackeray gave him three left-handed backhanders in the closing stages to ensure he kept his lead and he ran out an easy 2,30 length winner. The favourite Celestial City was drawn in pole and finished second, so the early move Thackeray made to secure the rail ahead of him might have been the key to victory as the latter had plenty of traffic to negotiate  in the straight.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THACKERAY’S RIDE

Golf’s double grand slam legend Gary Player (career grand slam achiever and the first to do the senior grand slam in one season (1988) ) leads in the appropriately named Double Grand Slam afer her emphatic win in the Gr 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)

Four wins in two days have shown the Cape Town raiders mean business

Mike Moon (The Citizen)

Justin Snaith has barged his way onto the stage of the KwaZulu-Natal winter season before it has even begun.

The Cape-based trainer notched up four wins at Greyville and Scottsville over the Easter weekend and banished any illusion that his KZN raiding string might not be as strong as usual.

It was a statement of the obvious when jockey Richard Fourie – who partnered three of the four Snaith Racing winners – urged the punting public “never to leave their horses out of anything” over the next few months.

“They are just going to get better and better the longer they are here,” Fourie said in Pietermaritzburg on Monday.

Though he’s no longer formally tied to the Snaith yard, Fourie is likely to play a sizeable role in the outfit’s assault on the East Coast riches – as he himself chases the 334-wins record in the national jockey championship.

The ace registered nine victories in three centres over the four-day holiday. Two of those were aboard three-year-old sons of Vercingetorix, Lightning Glow and Get Impressed, neither of whom were considered to be in the top rank of the Snaith string until their sterling performances at Scottsville.

The former was particularly impressive in powering home over a tough 1950m trip despite losing his bit on the first bend. Fourie explained that Lightning Glow had raced only on the left-hand turns of the Cape and an unexpected right-hand reins tug pulled the bridle skew. The champ-in-waiting showed his riding prowess by quickly sorting out the equipment at full gallop.

Snaith’s KZN assistant Gokhan Terzi described the incident as “a hair-raising moment” but was full of praise for the maturing gelding. Presenter Warren Lenferna underlined the sentiment, calling the youngster “a lovely individual” that punters should keep an eye on.

The KZN season only officially gets started in a month’s time – with the Drill Hall Stakes and the WSB Guineas. By then, Snaith Racing will be well ensconced.

O’Tenikwa wins comfortably on debut to give Corne Orffer and Andre Nel the first leg of a double together and Orffer the first leg of a treble (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Andrew Harrison (Gold Circle)

Astute followers of racing will have been aware that the Andre Nel yard seldom, if ever, run two-year-olds as they have the luxury of owner Sabine Plattner’s aversion to running juveniles, as she prefers her horses to strengthen up before they start their three-year-old careers.

So when the cleverly named O’Tenikwa made his debut in the first at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth yesterday, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m, the money arrived and proved to be money well spent as O’Tenikwa turned up the heat over the final furlong to win comfortably.

Callum Dixon, assistant to Andre Nel, said it had not been difficult to persuade Mrs Plattner to run the colt after she had watched him work. The stable is upbeat about his future and he is a horse to follow.

Two for the notebook could be second race winner Rama Forcesa and runner-up Eight On Eighteen, the two leaving their opposition for dead. Richard Fourie, closing relentlessly on the record number of wins for the season, had no hesitation in taking Mike Stewart’s runner to the front at a smart gallop with Eight On Eighteen dropped out to last.

Most were treading water a furlong out as Rama Forcesa kept rolling, only Eight On Eighteen making any impression. The two pulled clear of their rivals with Fourie keeping Rama Forcesa going and Eight On Eighteen closing relentlessly.

Vaughan Marshall alluded to Lion Rampart’s quirks post-race but that did not stop his supporters as he was backed in to 1-5 for the third. Given free rein from the jump he soon had all off the bit except for the debutante Kaiboy who stuck to his guns and kept the favourite honest although Lion Rampart was up to is tricks as he looked to put on the brakes when Fourie was hoping to coast to the line.

The unkindest cut of all could be on the cards.

There is a school of thought that a horse can win from any draw of good enough and while that statement is generally sound, it goes without saying that a good draw is always an advantage. Ice Rain slipped up the inside rail and kept rolling from her pole position draw to finally shed her maiden and give the Nel stable a double on the day. Pretty Precious, who has the widest draw, finished off her race well to snatch second – would the draw have made a difference?

The ‘Cape Town crawl’ was to the fore in the fifth as Sean Veale played the game on Vintage Crystal, slowing the pace to what almost resembled a canter. Lickety Split, expensive to follow and having her eleventh bite at the cherry, took advantage of the pedestrian gallop to out-sprint her rivals to get Justin Snaith on the board.

The grey Unconquerable Lady finally got it all right in a field reduced to six runners as she kept firing all the way to the line.

Similarly, Dance Variety landed his favourite tag with a bloodless victory in the Easter Sprint, leading for most of the way.

It was a day where front-running tactics paid most dividends but Fourie was denied a third win on the afternoon as Aldo Domayer got Strata to lift and chase down Palo Queen in the shadow of the post.

Gimme A Nother will be out to make it seven wins from seven starts and a second Gr 1 win (JC Photos)

Mike de Kock won’t be at Champions Day as he is attending a Sale in Australia, but he ws interviewed by Johnny Geroudis about his Champions Day runners on Saturday, where he has plenty of chances of Graded race victory.

Race 1, Maiden Plate 1160m:

Ingqwele (Fire Away first-timer): “He is quite a nice horse, but in my opinion he is going to lack experience. It’s a fairly competitive field and I think he will be better off for the run.”

R4 Gr 2 TAB Hawaii Stakes 1400m

Mujbar (British-bred six-year-old entire by Muhaarer): I quite like this horse. At the ratings he has a lot to do. It is his second run and he was problematic in the U.K. He’s been okay here but we haven’t really been too tough on him. I think he is still a run short of his best, but it would not shock me to see him flash home into a place.

White Pearl (3yo Danon Platina filly): She has just been the most unlucky filly ever. She really deserves a good stakes race. I think 1400m is her best trip and she is drawn well. I like where she is weighted … if one just goes on ratings she is just two pounds (1kg) out with Sandringham Summit, whom I presume will start favourite. I would leave her out of nothing, I think she is a huge runner. This filly is really, really well and she is over her best trip.

R5 Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks 2450m

Silver Sanctuary (3yo Silvano filly): She is unlucky to have been born in the same year as Gimme A Nother and has had to be bridesmaid to her twice. But that doesn’t detract from her her ability … she was also only just beaten in the Cape Fillies Guineas. She has been on the go for a long while, but she is quite a tough filly. On ratings there is not much between herself, My Soul Mate and Let’s Go Now. There is only two pounds (1kg) in it and I believe that those three will really dominate as there are a lot of lowly rated horses down at the bottom end. She is actually a full sister to Safe Passage, so I don’t believe the trip is any problem with her and the way she kicks late one has to be confident of her staying.

R6 (Gr 1 Empress Club Stakes 1600m)

Gimme A Nother (unbeaten 3yo Gimmethegreenlight filly): If you put a Gr 1 on the same day as the Oaks and she is suited to the Gr 1 then it doesn’t become a decision in my opinion. It is all about Gr 1 racing. I know the Triple Tiara us tempting, but the stud has won two Triple Tiaras and I have won one and that does make the decision easier to go for the Gr 1. If owners Jessica and Stephen had wanted to go for the Oaks I wouldn’t have minded, but I just find that so many of them go through this Triple Tiara … a lot of them get that mile-and-a-half in the end but a lot of them get it with difficulty and it seems to whack them. It knocks them back and I would like to give Gimme A Nother two months going in to Durban, there are a couple of really nice races there and I would like to really have her nice and fresh. Anyway, those are all theories, but the filly is fit and well. She has been fit for a long time and is really going to be overdue a rest after this.

Asked how she rates among the best fillies he’s trained, Mike said, “It’s  a question that has been asked of me a  umber of times and I keep trying to compare her to some of the greats and I can’t put my finger on her really, because it’s hard to assess the form around her. She’s beaten the best Jo’Burg has to offer, but she hasn’t beaten anything out of this province and nothing’s come here to take her on. She’s got to go to Durban and has to beat the best Durban and Cape Town have to offer. The thing with her is I keep seeing she’s getting better and better, there is always a step up. You squeeze her a little more and there’s another step up. She is quite straight forward, so I haven’t got to the bottom of her so it’s going to be unfair now to make any comparisons to the superstar fillies I’ve had, because I think she is on the way there, but I would still like to see her beat a bit more than she is at the moment.

Humdinger (5yo What A Winter mare) – you couldn’t really get a more solid, sound filly in training than this. She is always thereabouts. I like the way Piere rides her. She has obviously got a bit to find on Gimme A Nother, but if Gimme A Nother fluffs her lines this filly will be all over them , she is really, really well. At the ratings she looks second best, but she is really tough. A mile is not her best trip, but if she gets to the front and gets a soft lead she gets a mile … just.

R7  Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint 1160m

Iphiko (5yo Trippi mare) – You’ve got Thunderstruck and Dyce and they have the most favourable draws too (high draws). (Iphiko is drawn quite well in 8) She is very quick and if the ground is on top she is going to rattle and their are very few who will go with her early – it is whether she can maintain that all the way to the line. She is a filly who cannot be left out of anything and a must for quartets and trifectas etc. If it does rain the outside draws become even more important.

R9 Gr 1 TAB SA Derby 2450m

Marauding Horde (3yo Vercingetorix colt) – He’s another one who we’re getting to the bottom of and he keeps rising with every race. I was in two minds whether to run him or not given the fact that he’s ony rated 96 and we are up against horses that are 120 (Purple Pitcher) and 116 (Pure Predator and Hotarubi). The genuine Gr 1 horse here is Purple Pitcher and I think it is Purple Pitcher’s race to lose, the rest are a bunch of handicappers … there are horses right at the bottom rated 78 who are at level weights with a 120. Pure Predator the way he was finishing last time must also be a huge runner. Marauding Horde has only won handicaps but he’s won them well. This is another huge step, but I think he is a horse who is stepping up quite well. Whether it’s too soon we will only know on the day, but he goes in to the race very fit. He’s had two runs two weeks apart, he’s hard fit for the race. There’s no doubt he will stay the trip. The fact he has this amount of speed and is able to win over shorter and accelerate the way he does is a very good sign because there are mile-and-half, two mile horses … a lot of stamina … in his female line. In theory we should be at our best trip here at a mile-and-a-half.

R9 Gr 1 World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge 2000m

Dave The King (Global View 4yo gelding): He is a tough, hard-knocking horse. He got the 2000m at Greyville only just, just got run out of it. I think he could be a little stretched here, but I think Piere rides him well and I also like the fact that since he’s been gelded he is not an aggressive front-runner. He’s now a bit more relaxed up front. If something else wants to go quicker than him good luck to them, but he certainly is a horse who if he gets to the front with no pressure he’s now relaxed which he didn’t used to be so there is a good chance he will now get the 2000m at Turffontein, although I think Piere is going to cuddle him until the last little bit to get home. That is the big question mark but I love the fact that he is drawn one, so you’ve got a lot of options. I couldn’t want his preparation any better.

Aragosta (5yo Rafeef gelding): Last year he had a similar prep and ran third. He came off a campaign in Cape Town, so needed a bit of freshening up. Drawn two is a big advantage for him, he’s not under any pressure. A horse who must be included  in everything … on his day he is not bad, he’s quite tough and he’s quite consistent … he might just lack that little bit of class at the end, but you are dealing with a horse who is a hard knocker.

Safe Passage (5yo Silvano gelding): If you back to his three-year-old form there is a lot of class here, but he picked up a fracture in the foot quite srangely in Cape Town and we have struggled with him since then, not in terms of soundness hut just in terms of consistency. That is his biggest problem at the moment is his consistency. He can run you a cracker, he ran a great second in the Summer Cup … on weight for age terms in theory he could be all over them if the Safe Passage of old arrives. Certainly you couldn’t leave a horse like this out … he is capable any day of the week of winning a race like this.

R10 Listed 4Racing Caradoc Gold Cup 2850m

Black Thorn (6yo Pomodoro gelding): He’s got one or two niggles we’ve got to keep working with, but I don’t think we will be far off. .I think he’s improved with his last run, but this is a really open race, I would say you have to load up here.

Mid Winter Wind wins the Gr 3 Byerley Turk with minimum fuss. (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)

The Sean Tarry-trained Mid Winter Wind was scratched from an ordinary Middle Stakes event on Saturday at Turffontein Inside in favour of taking his place in the Gr 3 Byerley Turk over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday and it proved to be an astute decision.

The relatively unexposed Drakenstein Stud homebred gelding by What A Winter opened up at double figure odds, but a flood of money saw him shortening in to 5/2 joint favourite together with Gimmeanotherchance and Underworld.

Off his 96 rating he was officially 7.5kg under sufferance with the  best weighted Gimmeanotherchance.

However, he made light of that under S’manga Khumalo and ran out a convincing 1,50 length winner.

He became Drakenstein’s 16th individual stakes winner this season from a breeding perspective and this leaves the country’s ruling champion breeding farm just five short of breaking their own SA record of 20 individual stakes winners set last season.

Mid Winter Wind is out of the former Dennis Drier-trained Dynasty mare Lady In Black, who won the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes as well as the fillies equaivalent of the Byerley Turk, the Gr 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes.

The Adam Marcus-trained Var gelding Dance Variety clinched a treble on the day for jockey Corne Orffer (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Corne Orffer rode a treble at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth today, two of them for Andre Nel.

Richard Fourie and Candice Bass-Robinson had individual doubles.

Orffer is now on 29 wins for the season achieved at a strike rate of 12.83%.

Fourie is on 240 wins at 22.39%. HIs projected number of wins for the season if going at the same rate is now 257.

Nel is on 42 wins at 15.56%.

Bass-Robinson is on 64 wins at 13.33%.

The question’s subject is pictured above (Picture: Eclipse Sportswire) 

Who was the inaugural winner of the Dubai World Cup and when?

Americasbestracing.net

History in the Making: Cigar Wins the Inaugural Dubai World Cup