Picture: Owners Laurence Wernars, right of the horse, and Harry Willson, second on the left of the horse, lead in Shangani with a big entourage of supporters. (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Kennedy’s “Meaningful Win” In Gold Cup

Warren Kennedy spoke to Turf Talk about his first win of the country’s premier staying event, the Marshalls World Of Sport Gold Cup on the Paul Peter-trained Shangani (Soft Falling Rain).

The now twice SA Champion Jockey won the race in similar fashion to S’Manga Khumalo’s Hollywoodbets Durban July ride, with the move made from the jump being the key to victory.

Warren revealed, “When I looked at everybody else’s draw there were a lot of horses inside of us who didn’t have gatespeed, so it really cancelled that draw 12 down to a draw 8 or so, it actually wasn’t a bad draw at all.”

Kennedy drove his mount from the off and when getting in line with Shango, who was just outside of a pulling Black Thorn on the rail, he was able to drop his hands and literally cruise in to a position in front of them. He reached the rail at the start of the first turn, by which time the vanguard on the outside of Salvatore Mundi, Imperial Ruby and Rex Union had already moved ahead of him. They were later joined by Crimson King, which left Shangani in the perfect position in fifth place on the rail.

Warren said, “The race went exactly to plan. We actually planned it about eight months ago with this horse. A few months ago I actually said to Laurence Wernars ‘He will win the Gold Cup’. I was confident of this. The draw was a little bit of a worry, I won’t lie about that. But I was able to get him into a spot I was very comfortable with. I wanted him to be about three lengths off, nice and relaxed. He’s a very easy horse to ride. He switches off immediately, so it was just a matter of him unwinding in the straight. The pace was genuine throughout, and there was no start-stop. So it really suited me. I was able to switch him off completely and set him alight just before turning into the home straight. He quickened nicely. It got a bit tight on the inside, but he was always lengthening and I was always confident he was going to get there.”

He reiterated about the pace, “It was not a breakneck speed and obviously in the the first 200 or 300 metres we all chase for position and it then will slow down, you have got to understand that it will do that, but it didn’t slow down drastically. They basically kept the momentum rolling, it was a nice fair pace and suited my horse down to the ground.”

He confirmed, “I was always wary of Imperial Ruby being in front. He has caught me out once before, when he skipped away at the top of the straight and we weren’t able to reel him in. So I always had him in my sights.”

He added, “Our prep coming into the race was fantastic. I was just supremely confident going into the race that he would pull it off and he did it.”

Craig Zackey rode a superb race on Imperial Ruby.

He bided his time until the back straight to ease the five-year-old Corne Spies-trained Silvano gelding into the lead, where he loves to be.

He then opened a gap on the group behind him when rounding the Drill Hall and began stretching the field out, but never went too fast. This made it a test of stamina, but also effectively took the backmarkers out of the equation.

Among the backmarkers was the favourite Nebraas, who broke on terms but was then shuffled back as they sorted themselves out going past the grandstand for the first time. When the outside vanguard moved around into the lead he suddenly found himself worryingly far back and he was never able to improve his position.

Zackey also stayed a couple of horse widths wide of the rail throughout on less trampled ground.

Imperial Ruby set sail for home and Zackey drove with the hands until the 250m mark before drawing the stick.

Kennedy had slipped through between Salvator Mundi and Crimson King, but was then being kept tight by Rex Union on his outside.

He switched inward hunting for a gap on the rail.

Fortunately, at just the right moment, Imperial Ruby shifted on to the rail himself, leaving a gap between himself and Rex Union.

Kennedy didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation.

Now with daylight in front of him, Shangani’s big stride slowly built up enough momentum to close the one length he needed to make up from the 150m mark.

He started eating into the lead in the last 75m and crossed the line 0,60 lengths clear of the gallant Imperial Ruby.

Kennedy couldn’t contain his excitement and stood up in the saddle to salute.

He said, “Laurence and Harry Willson have been very good to me, so it was a meaningful win. I know Laurence wanted to win this race for a long time. To bring it home is something special, especially when I tipped it to him four months ago!”

In the previous race Warren had finished third on Big Burn in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint and he said, “She ran to the best of her ability, everything went her way, obviously Captain’s Ransom is just a freak and we couldn’t beat her.”

He might well be leaving soon for New Zealand.

He said, “It’s on the cards, it’s not official yet. If my visas do come through I will be leaving.”

Picture: Greg Bortz with Pomp And Power after winning the Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby at Kenilworth. (Wayne Marks).

How Greg Bortz Plans To Fix Cape Racing

“The patient wasn’t critical. The patient was dead!” says Bortz of the state of the game beneath Table Mountain.

Mike Moon (The Citizen)

Cynics on social media accused Greg Bortz of having got himself a “sweetheart deal” when he and partner Hollywoodbets acquired Kenilworth Racing. He responded by posting his cellphone number and inviting all and sundry to join him in the business – “so they can share in this sweetheart deal”.

There were no takers, which says everything about what a tough job horse owner Bortz and Hollywoodbets boss Owen Heffer have taken on – no less a task than saving Cape Town horse racing from extinction.

“Without intervention, Cape racing would have fallen over,” says Bortz in a recent interview with Cape Racing, which deserves a far wider audience than it has had.

“The patient wasn’t critical. The patient was dead!” he says of the state of the game beneath Table Mountain.

“It’s no sweetheart deal, it’s a rescue package. If all goes well and to plan, some time in the future we may get back some, or even all, our money. But making lots of money on our money is not going to happen!” he declares.

Why bother, then? “Owen and I are doing it for the best of reasons. We are both just sick for horse racing.”

Increased stakes

On 5 July, the Thoroughbred Horseracing Trust and Kenilworth Racing (KR) announced a deal was being done to sell KR to Bortz’s GMB Investments and Durban-based international bookmaking firm Hollywoodbets. The complex deal is worth R330-million, with much of the cash injection going to pay off debt and save KR from financial collapse.

Bortz is now executive chairman of KR, which manages racing in Western Cape, while well-known former bloodstock agent Justin Vermaak has been appointed director of racing operations.

In the Cape Racing interview, Bortz says his priority is to take all steps possible to grow the local horse population. From this, other improvements will flow.

The first of these steps will be to raise the prize money on offer.

“Hollywoodbets and I are dipping into our pockets to increase stakes – not just a little bit, but materially. We want to make it attractive for owners around the country to come and race their horses in the Cape,” he explains.

A next step will be to “get a lot smarter with our programme”. Bortz agrees with the long-held view of trainers that there are not enough opportunities for horses of all calibres in Western Cape. “We are going to be holding lots more races for lower-rated horses, widening the appeal, adding to the programme – without taking anything away from our offering for the best horses.”

‘Festivalising’ the calendar

Bortz says the horse population in the Cape has fallen significantly in recent years and this has had negative knock-on effects. Fewer fixtures and smaller field sizes means smaller betting turnover, which in turn means less money available for stakes, less for owners and trainers and so on.

In a separate interview last week, Vermaak said he had planned a package of incentives to “weaponise” Cape trainers to draw in more owners and grow the size of their yards.

Apart from improved stakes, part of this weapons package is dramatically improving the racing “experience” for owners. This will involve “festivalising” the racing calendar, among other things.

Bortz says rescuing a failing business requires two things: cutting costs and growing revenue.

On the cost-cutting front, he says KR has “too many properties and facilities” and he is currently working with the likes of property companies on a smarter arrangement of assets.

In addition to selling off some properties, the company will be spending money on improving others – including the “tired old lady” Kenilworth Racecourse.

Bortz addressed a packed meeting of Cape Town trainers (a couple of weeks ago), outlining his vision, and the response was universally positive and enthusiastic.

But the man who fell in love with racing while growing up in Durban – before making his fortune in private equity investment in the US –is well aware of the challenges that lie ahead.

“Talk is cheap. But Hollywood and my commitment is significant. Failing is something we cannot and will not contemplate.”

Picture: Richard Fourie smiles for the camera as Jet Dark powers to his fourth career weight for age Grade 1 victory and his second of the season (Candiese Lenferna).

Jet Dark Edges Past Captain’s Ransom in Horse of The Year Table

Public voting will open on August 8

Jet Dark and Captain’s Ransom both won their final Grade 1 starts for the season, but it is the former who finishes on top in the final points table for the season on 152 points.

Jet Dark’s second Super Grade 1 win in the HKJC World Pool Champion Cup ensured that he passed Captain’s Ransom on 148 points after her first win in open WFA company in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint.

In addition to topping the Horse of The Year table, Jet Dark also ends the season on top of the Champion Middle Distance and Champion Older Male tables, and third on the Champion Miler table.

In winning the Mercury Sprint, Captain’s Ransom ensured that she headed the Champion Sprinter table which she adds to her table-topping performance in the Champion Older Female category, a table she has dominated throughout the season.

The final table for the season sees Jet Dark ahead on 152 points, followed by Captain’s Ransom on 148 points, Kommetdieding (108), and Sparkling Water (107).

Champion Three-Year-Old Colt

The sole noteworthy performance by a three-year-old in the final weeks of the season came from William Robertson when finishing second to Captain’s Ransom in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint. This however was not enough for him to enter the Champion Three-Year-Old points table and the table remains at season end with Safe Passage on top with 90 points, followed by Pomp and Power (84) and Aragosta (52).

Champion Three-Year-Old Filly

Big Burn added to her points tally with a third place in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint but was unable to make inroads into the lead of Rain In Holland who ends the season as the table leader on 86 points. Chansonette (72) and Big Burn (64) complete the 2021/22 table.

Champion Older Male

Jet Dark with two Super Grade 1 victories in the season dominates the Champion Older Male table on 152 points with closest rival Kommetdieding (108 points) in second place. The Paul Peter pair, MK’s Pride (83) and Astrix (80), finish third and fourth.

Champion Older Female

While Sparkling Water (107 points) was not seen again after her fine Super Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July win, Captain’s Ransom’s (148 points) win in the Mercury ensured she pulled well clear in the Champion Older Female category. These two in turn finished well clear of Princess Calla on 52 points.

Champion Sprinter

With neither Alesian Chief nor Master Archie firing in the final Grade 1 sprint event for 2021/22, the Mercury Sprint, Captain’s Ransom grabbed top honours and vaulted from fifth position on the Champion Sprinter log to end the season on top with 72 points. Consistent Big Burn, third in the same race, jumped above the two colts and finishes in second place on 46 points. She also completed the most top four finishes in graded and feature races for the season – nine. Alesian Chief (45), Master Archie (40) and Bohica (40) make up the table.

Champion Miler

No miler was able to win two open Grade 1 mile events in the season, and with no mile events in the final weeks of the season the table remains static with ever-consistent MK’s Pride on top with 83 points. Al Muthana (68) and Jet Dark (60) make up the final table.

Champion Middle Distance

Jet Dark’s win in the Grade 1 Champions Cup sees him jump above Sparkling Water to top the middle-distance category. This adds to his two seconds in the Super Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Met and the Super Grade 1 Hollywood Durban July. He tops the table on 92 points, followed by Sparkling Water (79), Kommetdieding (72) and Astrix (66).

Champion Stayer

With none of the prior table-topping stayers adding to their points tallies in the Marshall World of Sport Gold Cup, Black Thorn, fourth in that race, stays on top of the Champion Stayer log with 21 points. He ends the season marginally ahead of Sparkling Water and Nebraas (both on 20 points), while Shangani (18 points) re-enters the log after his victory in the Gold Cup and finishes in fourth position.

Champion Two-Year-Old Colt

Cousin Casey (48 points) dominates the Champion Two-Year-Old Colt table with a rare double, completing wins in both the Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe and Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes. His closest rival Thunderstruck, not seen again after his Grade 1 Gold Medallion win, finishes second on the table with 32 points.

Champion Two-Year-Old Filly

Keen competition amongst the two-year-old fillies saw no dominant filly emerge from the 2021/22 season and the table is headed by two fillies, Grade 1 winners Canadian Summer and Sweet Pepper on 32 points each. Ameena finishes third on the table with 24 points.

Note: Points log will determine one-third of the final award in each category, with an expert panel and a public vote each accounting for another third of the final vote. Only horses included in the final points log will be voted on by the expert panel and public. The final awards in each category will be announced on 24 August 2022.

The final nominations for voting by the expert panel and the public are reduced from the hitherto shown five in each age-group and distance category, to horses which have finished in the top two or three on the points table in each category, except where a fourth or fifth candidate is close in points to the top three so selected.

Public voting on https://equusawards.co.za/public-vote/ will open on the August 8, 2022, and close at midday on 12 August 2022

The Glen Kotzen-trained Cousin Casey (Vercingetorix) looks to be a clear cut winner of the Equus Two-year-old male award.

Equus Points Tables And Awards Nominees

Public Voting Will Open On August 8

Please note that the points tables in each category have been reduced to the nominees only in each category – for the purpose of both the judging panel and public voting.

Equus Awards 2022 – Points Tables to 31 July 2022

Horse of the Year	Age	Sex	Pts
JET DARK (SAF)	4	C	152
CAPTAIN’S RANSOM (SAF)	4	F	148
KOMMETDIEDING (SAF)	4	C	108
SPARKLING WATER (SAF)	4	F	107

Champion Three-Year-Old Male	Age	Sex	Pts
SAFE PASSAGE (SAF)	3	G	90
POMP AND POWER (SAF)	3	G	84
ARAGOSTA (SAF)	3	G	52

Champion Three-Year-Old Female	Age	Sex	Pts
RAIN IN HOLLAND (SAF)	3	F	86
CHANSONETTE (SAF)	3	F	72
BIG BURN (SAF)	3	F	64

Champion Older Male	Age	Sex	Pts
JET DARK (SAF)	4	C	152
KOMMETDIEDING (SAF)	4	C	108
MK’S PRIDE (SAF)	4	C	83
ASTRIX (SAF)	5	G	80

Champion Older Female	Age	Sex	Pts
CAPTAIN’S RANSOM (SAF)	4	F	148
SPARKLING WATER (SAF)	4	F	107
PRINCESS CALLA (SAF)	4	F	52

Champion Sprinter	Age	Sex	Pts
CAPTAIN’S RANSOM (SAF)	4	F	72
BIG BURN (SAF)	3	F	46
ALESIAN CHIEF (SAF)	3	C	45
MASTER ARCHIE (SAF)	3	C	40
BOHICA (SAF)	5	G	40

Champion Miler	Age	Sex	Pts
MK’S PRIDE (SAF)	4	C	83
AL MUTHANA (AUS)	4	G	68
JET DARK (SAF)	4	C	60

Champion Middle Distance	Age	Sex	Pts
JET DARK (SAF)	4	C	92
SPARKLING WATER (SAF)	4	F	79
KOMMETDIEDING (SAF)	4	C	72
ASTRIX (SAF)	5	G	66

Champion Stayer	Age	Sex	Pts
BLACK THORN (SAF)	4	G	21
SPARKLING WATER (SAF)	4	F	20
NEBRAAS (SAF)	5	G	20
SHANGANI (SAF)	4	G	18

Champion Two-Year-Old Male	Age	Sex	Pts
COUSIN CASEY (SAF)	2	C	48
THUNDERSTRUCK (SAF)	2	C	32

Champion Two-Year-Old Female	Age	Sex	Pts
CANADIAN SUMMER (SAF)	2	F	32
SWEET PEPPER (SAF)	2	F	32
AMEENA (SAF)	2	F	24

Public voting on https://equusawards.co.za/public-vote/ will open on August 8, 2022, and close at midday on 12 August 2022.

Picture: Greg Cheyne was seen off at the airport yesterday by MJ Byleveld and Luyolo Mxothwa. He and his wife Claire have accepted positions at the Willie Haggas yard in Newmarket UK.READ ARTICLE HERE

Picture: The Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes victory sash being fitted to the rightful horse, Canadian Summer (Oratorio), with a beaming Jason Gates aboard, having initially been put on the runner up Rock The Fox (Candiese Lenferna).

Q & A With Jason Gates

International Racing Club

Jason Gates’ career started in 2014 when John The Butcher, from South Africa’s West Rand, noted out of the blue that a youngster standing in front of him looked like he’d make a good jockey.

Jason recalls: “I didn’t know a single thing about horseracing when John, the butcher from Goldman Street in Florida, saw me in his shop one day, dressed in my school uniform. John is not a punter, his interest was not about betting. I was just a small kid who happened to walk into his business. I was quite fit, maybe I looked a sporty type, so I struck him as someone who should be a jockey. My parents also had no knowledge and in fact no interest in racing but they helped me to apply.”

Eight years and some rocky roads later, Jason is a fully fledged and promising, natural light weight jockey who rode his first G1 winner, Canadian Summer, on Gold Cup Day last Saturday. He still gets messages of support from Butcher John, and also counts the IRC’s Joao Da Mata and racehorse owner Preggie Somasandrum as friends and mentors.

Recently married, Jason joked in the winner’s box that his wife may have gone into labour after the nail-biting finish. He is growing as an individual, aligning his temperament with his obvious talent and making good progress because he is also a fighter, he doesn’t give up and has absorbed some of life’s punches and gone on with his career and his ambition to get right up there with the log-leaders. He also gets help and support from Richard Fourie, one of the best in the business, and we can expect to see more winners, more often. This is what Jason Gates is working ever so hard for, and deserves!

Here is our snap Q&A with Jason Gates:

1. Full name? Jason Gates.

2. Date of Birth? 2000/05/10.

3. Steak or sushi? Steak.

4. Superstitions? Speaking things into the universe comes true.

5. Fav Holiday Destination? Kosi Bay.

6. Which: BMW or Merc? BMW.

7. Who inspires you the most? Mr Garth Puller.

8. Big night out or quiet night in? Quiet night in.

9. Left-handed or right-handed? Right.

10. Biggest ambition for the future? To do better in my racing career.

11. What annoys you the most? Not getting enough or good enough rides on scratchings day.

12. Best advice for aspiring young jockeys? Just keep working and eventually you’ll get lucky somewhere.

13. Funniest person you have ever met? My father-in-law.

14. The Cape Met, Summer Cup or Durban July? Durban July.

15. Strict whip rules or no whip at all? Strict.

16. What is your biggest phobia? Spiders.

17. Most embarrassing moment? Forgetting my wallet on a first date!

18. Colts or fillies? Fillies.

19. Best dresser in weighing room? Calvin Habib.

20. Proudest Achievement? Winning my first Group 1 (for now).

21. Favourite course? Greyville (Turf).

22. One thing to make racing better for everyone? More effective advertising and marketing in the industry.

23. Economy or business class? Business.

24. Your star sign? Taurus

25. Hardest rival jockey to ride against? Richard Fourie.

26. Bath or shower? Bath.

27. Read or Netflix? Netflix.

28. Would you rather ask for permission or ask for forgiveness? Forgiveness.

29. Nominate someone for our Q&A next? Darryl Moore.

Nominate two horses to follow for the rest of this season?

Famous and Rich and Canadian Summer.

Chosen charity for readers to donate to: Child Welfare. – IRC.

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: Hollywood Syndicate score their first winner of the new season with the Brett Crawford-trained Metar (Soft Falling Rain) ridden by Luyolo Mxothwa (Chase Liebenberg).

Brett Crawford, Mxothwa and Snaith Doubles

Brett Crawford, Luyolo Mxothwa and Justin Snaith all had doubles at Kenilworth today at the Western cape’s opening meeting of the new season.

Today’s Question

Who is the only owner to have owned two English Triple Crown winners.

Picture: The above hotel, Grosvenor House Hotel (86-90 Park Lane, Mayfair, London) was built on the grounds of the question subject’s former family home.

Hollywoodbets Greyville Poly Wednesday August 03 Fields

Today’s Question Answer

Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke Of Westminster, owned the great unbeaten Triple Crown winner Ormonde (Bend Or) (1886), who is considered one of the best, if not the best, horses of the 19th century.

He also owned the Triple Crown winner Flying Fox (Orme) (1899), who was by Ormonde’s son, Orme.

They were both trained by the best trainer of the Victorian era, John Porter, who also trained Common (Isonomy) to Triple Crown glory in 1891.

In 1875 Grosvenor established a racing stable at Eaton, eventually employing 30 grooms and boys, with two or three stallions and about 20 breeding mares. He regarded this not so much as an extravagance, but rather as an aristocratic duty. He never gambled or placed a bet on any of his horses.

In 1880, one of his horses, Bend Or (Doncaster), ridden by Fred Archer, won the Derby, and he had more Derby successes in 1882 (Shotover (Hermit), 1886 (Ormonde), and 1899 (Flying Fox).

All four of his Derby winners were bred by his Eaton Stud.

With his successes and sale of horses, it is considered possible that this enterprise was self-financing.

Eaton Stud also has its place in infamy, because of poorly kept records and no foaling records.

This led to a protest after Bend Or had won the Derby by the connections of the runner up, who claimed the winner was actually a horse called Tadcaster.

The controversy about who Bend Or’s dam actually was, Rouge Rose (his registered dam) or Clemence (whom an Eaton Stud groom claimed was the mother) still rages on.

Rouge Rose remains the dam in the stud book, despite a Cambridge University research team (retrieving mtDNA from the bones of Bend Or and comparing it to his descendants) concluding Clemence was in fact his dam.

Picture: Flying Fox, Grosvenor’s second Triple Crown winner (Pininterest).

Turf Talk Newsletter – 02 August 2022