Turf Talk Newsletter – 02 January, 2025

Lerena Joins Zackey On Top After Five-timer

The Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Francine (Silvano) wins the highest rated race of the day, a MR 94 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1450m, and secures a five-timer for Gavin Lerena. (JC Photos).

Gavin Lerena took advantage of Craig Zackey’s side-lined status at the Vaal Classic track today and his five-timer took him level with the national log leader on 104 wins for the season.

He has achieved the 104 wins at a strike rate of 26.80% compared to Zackey’s 17.99% and in third place is reigning champion Richard Fourie on 91 wins at 23.04%.

Muzi Yeni returned to action today, but was winless and remains in fourth place on the log on 68 wins achieved at a strike rate of 15.45% and Sean Veale on 61 wins at 14.42% is in fifth place.

Lerena ‘s 100th win of the season came in the first race on the Tony Peter-trained Vercingetorix filly Gregarious. From a good draw he managed to sit behind the favourite Dylan’s Champ, who went to the front from a wide draw. Gregarious managed to extract herself from the fence at the 400m mark and under a drive quickly got her nose in front of Dylan’s Champ. The latter fought back but Gregarious found extra to win by 0,30 lengths and thus deny Muzi Yeni a winner on his comeback ride. Yeni had been off for exactly two months following his fall off Back In Business in the Gr 2 Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile, which saw him breaking a clavicle.

Lerena was on the favourite in all of the next three races, the Robbie Sage-trained eight-year-old Capetown Noir gelding Call Me Master, the Stuart Pettigrew-trained three-year-old Red Ray colt Twelve O’ Clock High and the Robbie Sage-trained five-year-old Ideal World gelding Tamarisk Tree, and he converted on all three.

He had thus won the first four races at the meeting.

He could only manage fourth on Nuclear Force in the fifth race.

However, in the highest rated race at the meeting, the sixth, which was an MR 94 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1450m, he won easily on the smart Mike and Adam-trained four-year-old Silvano filly Francine, who waltzed in by two lengths despite carrying joint topweight.

Lerena did not have a ride in the seventh race.

Hollywoodbets now go 11/10 Richard Fourie for the championship, with Lerena at 18/10 and Zackey 23/10.

Zackey was injured in a fall on Tuesday, but returns to action tomorrow (Friday) at Fairview.

Snaith Has Three Chances To Score A Fifth L'Ormarins King's Plate

Great Plains will be out to become the third Snaith-trained three-year-old to win the prestigious L’Ormarins King’s Plate. (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Justin Snaith has a fine record in the Gr 1 weight for age L’Ormarins King’s Plate, especially with three-year-olds, and his charges Snow Pilot, Royal Aussie and Great Plains will be out to land him the big race for the fifth time.

Jonathan Snaith said about the three candidates,

“Royal Aussie is one of the most honest horses around and excels in races over a mile. He was the fastest finisher in the 2024 L’Ormarins King’s Plate and is expected to deliver another sterling effort under British Champion Jockey Oisin Murphy.

Great Plains is an aggressive three-year-old, which is why Justin decided to enter him in this Grade 1 race against older rivals. He is in superb form at home and has the potential to deliver a strong performance, even though he has a hard task at the weights with One Stripe.

Snow Pilot is currently in excellent shape and appears to be performing effortlessly. His last victory was impressive, and he seems to have improved since his last encounter with One Stripe in October, where Snow Pilot finished just a length ahead. However, in this rematch, One Stripe benefits from a six-kilogram weight advantage. Snow Pilot has the look of eagles and is match ready.”

Jonathan rates See It Again as the chief danger and said, “See It Again is widely regarded as the best weight-for-age miler in South Africa and deserves the utmost respect, despite a recent trip to Joburg that could count against him.”

Snaith’s first win of the country’s most prestigious weight for age mile was in 2012 with Gimmethegreenlight, who became the first three-year-old to win the Queen’s Plate for 39 years, the previous one to do it being the Syd Laird-trained Yataghan in 1973.

His next win in the big race was with Twice Over gelding Do It Again in 2019.

He later won it two years in succession with the Trippi colt Jet Dark in 2021 and 2022.

Jet Dark became the first three-year-old to win it since Gimmethegreenlight.

All three of Snaith’s King’s Plate/Queen’s Plate winners have achieved fame for various reasons.

Gimmethegreenlight has become a record-breaking stallion. He has been national champion stallion three times and in 2022/2023 was not only leading sire but also the leading sire of two-year-olds and of three-year-olds (the championships are decided on stakes earnings). He was the first to achieve that treble since at least 1953 and he might possibly have been the first in history to have done it. He then repeated the treble last season.

Do It Again became the most succssfull runner in the history of the country’s most famous race, the Hollywoodbets Durban July. He is the only horse to ever run in the July six times and he won it twice and finished in the frame on every one of the other four occasions.

Jet Dark became the first three-year-old for at least fifty years to win two open Gr 1 races as a three-year-old when landing the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and the Champions Cup in 2021.

Jet Dark is predicted to do big things at stud too.

2024 Will Go Down As A Watershed Year For SA Racing

Hobday Equine Enterprises put together the first direct export from South Africa to Europe in just under 14 years on 17 August 2024 and the horses pictured loading above at Cape Town International Airport later landed at Liège Airport in Belgium. (Picture supplied).

Last year, 2024, will go down as a watershed year in South African racing.

On the track the biggest news item was undoubtedly Richard Fourie’s record-breaking 378 wins in a season feat, but even this highlight might have been usurped as news item of the year by two off the track happenings.

In March 2024 it was announced that direct flights for horses to the EU would be allowed for the first time since 2011 and then at the end of July it was announced that Hollywoodbets, through Hollywood Racing Enterprise (Hollywood), had received the green light from the Competition Tribunal to take over the running of horse racing in KwaZulu-Natal from the troubled operator Gold Circle.

Over the last decade SA industryman had become used to optimistic messages about the reopening of direct flights and these were eventually treated as just another false dawn, so when Adrian Todd of SAEHP released the news in March it was an unbelievable moment.

“SAEHP, in conjunction with the South African Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), advises that DALRRD has received official notification that the reinstatement of direct exports of registered equines from South Africa to the European Union (EU) has been approved,” said the statement.

The announcement was made on March 25 and the impact was seen at the BSA National Yearling Sale the following month.

The aggregate of the Sale rose from R154.05 million in 2023 to a staggering R200.19 million in 2024.

Remarkably, the average price jumped from R442 672 to R581 948.

The median price also rose notably, rising from R300 000 to R400 000, while the R6 000 000 spent on the top lot at the 2024 National Sale is almost double that of the R3 200 000 spent on the top lot purchased in 2023.

The sale also saw a remarkable 93% clearance rate on day one, a tribute to the strength of the buying market and to the quality of thoroughbred offered by vendors across the board.

Three lots made R5 000 000 or more at the National Sale in 2024, and no fewer than 14 yearlings fetched R2 000 000 or more.

The first direct export from Cape Town to Europe in just under 14 years was successfully dispatched on 17 August 2024, from Cape Town International Airport to Liège Airport in Belgium, and among the 32 on the flight were three thoroughbred racehorses.

A later fligtht included the superstar unbeaten champion Gimme A Nother, who was on his way via Europe to be trained by Graham Motion in the USA.

The good performances at the Breeders Cup by Isivunguvungu and Beach Bomb proved that SA-breds belong on the international stage and provided a further bolster to the prospects of breeders and owners in SA.

The knock on effects of the export situation will surely see an upward trend for the entire industry.

In July the announcement by the competition tribunal meant the biggest obstacle to Hollywoodbets rescuing the operator had been overcome.

A press release at the time explained the implications:

Subject to the fulfillment of other outstanding conditions precedent, the deal will unlock a R500 million rescue injection from Hollywoodbets, and a takeover of racing in the holiday province.

Now that Competition Tribunal approval has been received, the most significant outstanding step is the required approval of the KZN Economic Regulatory Authority (KZNERA), which process could take some time.
Hollywoodbets spokesman Basil Thomas told the Sporting Post that news of the approval by the Competition Tribunal was very pleasing, and that the process would continue its course.

He added that whilst the outstanding approval of the KZNERA is critical to the transaction and will be the final step in transferring ownership, the Competition Tribunal approval now allows Hollywoodbets and its appointed Chairman Designate of Gold Circle, Greg Bortz to be involved in management and strategic decisions during the interim period. Most importantly, Hollywoodbets will appropriately invest funds at its own risk to ensure the continuity of horse racing in KZN and the survival of Gold Circle.

“We remain determined to secure the future of the horseracing industry in KwaZulu-Natal and our original plans and intentions remain on track. Naturally, we are hopeful that the KZNERA will recognise the importance of this transaction and will give the acquisition its approval on acceptable terms and conditions. But for now, today’s news is a huge step forward,” concluded Thomas.

Bortz spoke in layman’s terms, at the time of the anouncement, about the hurdles that still needed to be crossed, saying, “We got through a very important one, which is the Competitions Commission, so that’s now through, we’re through the Tribunal. So now we just need Gambling Board consent and then some landlord consent to take over some leases and then we’re there. So, we’re in the final furlong now.”

The new era in KZN officially began on New Year’s Day (see next article).

New Era In KZN Racing Gets Off To A Flyer

Tristan Godden gets Abaddon up in the final stride to pip Gavin Lerena and Gorgeous Bomb (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)

Sporting Post

A superbly timed ride by Sporting Post-sponsored Tristan Godden for trainer Mike Miller got the South African racing year underway at Hollywoodbets Greyville on 1 January 2025 as KZN Racing launched its ‘New Dawn’.

A new era of increased stakes, RaceCoast incentives, improved and simplified race programming, and operational and information add-ons, including weighing of horses and branded saddle-cloths in work, has commenced, thanks to the proposed acquisition of Gold Circle by the Hollywood Sportsbook Holdings group.

The ultimate goal is an upliftment of the racing product through boosted field sizes arising from better support via increased ownership, with improved betting turnovers.

The first race of 2025 was a R110 000 Mixed Maiden Class G over 1000m. There was plenty of talk about Alyson Wright’s first-time Gorgeous Bomb, and the daughter of Lancaster Bomber duly showed plenty of speed.

But with Gavin Lerena just three wins short of his century, it wasn’t to be as Tristan Godden timed the effort of the 9-4 tote favourite to perfection, the 4yo chestnut son of Flying The Flag returning from a 66 week break to shed his maiden by a nose in a time of 59,55 secs for the 1000m.

Catavar (7-2) was best of the rest, a further 1,30 lengths back in third.

Delighted co-owner Tony Jelinski explained that Abaddon had clearly benefitted from his break at Mike Stewart’s piece of paradise, The Dunes, down at Noordhoek in the Cape.

“Erica Beck deserves plenty of credit. She had Abaddon in and out of the Atlantic and he came back here delivering above expectations. Well done to the whole Miller team here at Summerveld too and this is a great start to 2025,” he added.

The winner had run second on debut and then a close up fifth, whereafter he was suspended following a nosebleed.

A son of Galileo sire Flying The Flag, he was bred by Bush Hill Stud from the twice winning Mogok mare, African Angel.

A R60 000 November 2yo Sale graduate, Abaddon took his stakes tally to R87 813.

In the second race, Gavin Lerena found his 98th winner of the term when Flying Hafla kept on powerfully.

The new era includes the process of barrier draws after declarations – and the victory of Ice Rain from the 11 gate in the third race over a mile was a lesson that if they are good enough, they can win from anywhere.

A great start!

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE CHANGES IMPLEMENTED FOR THE NEW ERA

Rachel And "Super Sub" Land Spare LKP Rides

Rachel Venniker knows See It Again better than anybody as she does most of the work on him. (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Rachel Venniker will replace injured Piere Strydom on See It Again in Saturday’s prestigious L’Ormarins King’s Plate.

Raymond “Super Sub” Danielson will replace injured Calvin Habib on the Betway Summer Cup winner Atticus Finch.

Venniker has ridden the Twice Over gelding See It Again six times for three wins, including a Listed victory, and knows the five-year-old better than anybody else as she does the work riding on him when he is at home in KZN.

However, her ride on him in a Pinnacle event over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on November 3, his penultimate start, which he won, was actually her first race ride on him since WSB Met day on January 28, 2023.

Strydom then took over and at odds of 50/1 won the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby in his first ride on him.

He thus kept the ride and added the Gr 1 Daily News 20000, the Gr 2 WSB Green Point Stakes and one other win together with a plethora of Gr 1 places, including three Gr 1 seconds.

It will be a hard act for Veniker to follow, but the big horse has a fine chance on Saturday as it will be his third run after gelding and unlike last year, when finishing second, he will not be facing any miler as good as Charles Dickens. See It Again was in fact thought by the connections to have performed below par in last season’s King’s Plate, so he could well be the one to beat if producing his best.

On the downside, he travelled up to Johannesburg for the Betway Summer Cup and then down to Cape Town and long journeys do often take a bit out of a horse.

Raymond Danielson earned the name “Super Sub” when often winning on chance big race rides or on yard second strings.

Atticus Finch is 5kg under sufferance with the best weighted See It Again, but has drawn well in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate and is on the up. He is a relatively lightly raced five-year-old with just 18 starts and the Master Of My Fate gelding could be the dark horse.

In other jockey news Anthony Andrews has explained why he will not be aboard Red Palace in the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes. He is out for four months after requiring a plate and six screws to be inserted into his heel on Saturday morning after a freak accident. Craig Zackey will be riding Red Palace, who has his first start for Dean Kannemeyer after a dispersal sale dissolving a partnership saw Anthony’s parents Terry and Annabel Andrew retaining their shares together with Mr H G & Mrs N S C Breydenbach.

Vaal Tuesday - Chaotic Gallop Out Of The Old Year

All race meetings require an ambulance to be on duty, sometimes also a horse ambulance, such as this one at a meeting in Hong Kong. Picture: Lo Chun Kit /Getty Images

First aid comes last at the Vaal – and overgrown lawn is also in holiday mode.

Mike Moon (The Citizen)

Racing in South Africa has rightly been celebrating a good year in 2024, with green shoots of the game’s rebirth obvious everywhere. But a misstep reminds us that recovery is a delicate balance.

A sobering moment came, ironically, on a festive New Year’s Eve with a calamitous race meeting at the Vaal racecourse.

Most people have their brains in “park” gear at this time and goofing off is a natural instinct. And that’s why a few watchful people need to be on sentry duty. Devilish forces could materialise – and did on the sleepy Free State banks of the Vaal River on Tuesday.

An ambulance on duty is crucial
The start of the meeting had to be postponed as there was no ambulance on the scene. There’s a chestnut about jockeys having the only job that has an ambulance following them in their daily work. So, no ambulance, no racing.

A medical doctor and a nurse were there – but not the wheels to convey the casualties.

Operator 4Racing has a contracted service provider supplying ambulances and paramedic staff at all its Highveld fixtures, at Turffontein and the Vaal.

In a press release, 4Racing explained: “The service provider was furnished with the full fixture list for the current race season. Additionally, 4Racing communicated race times for this meeting once declarations were completed.

“The above is standard operating procedure … to ensure all race day logistics are thoroughly planned and executed smoothly.”

Medical staff must sign in with a duty officer an hour before the start of racing. That’s when Tuesday’s officer sounded the alarm. A phone call established that a key assignment had slipped someone’s mind.
Horses were at the start for Race 1 at 12:50 when hapless officials were forced to postpone until 14:15.

Failure to meet contractual obligations
“This delay is solely attributable to the service providers’ failure to meet their contractual obligations, and it is extremely frustrating for 4Racing, our teams, and our loyal supporters,” said the release, adding “…we will be addressing this matter with service provider and further communication will follow.”

If anyone has an ambulance lying idle, it’s a good time to put in a bid.

Just as sleepy normality seemed to settle on the riverside, jockeys complained that the Vaal’s track grass hadn’t been cut short enough for their liking.

Races 6 and 7 were abandoned due to jockeys refusing to continue racing, citing safety concerns over long grass in the pull-up area.

Officials measured the grass and said its 105mm green shoots (the sort of growth that’s cheered us up in 2024) were consistent with the rest of the track. The jocks were not moved, however, so everyone packed up and went home to get dolled up for their New Year’s Eve bashes.

Two riders, Craig Zackey and Calvin Habib had taken bad falls in the pull up area, while Piere Strydom had taken a bad fall just after the start of the fifth race, so the jockeys concerns were understandable.

Racing media are often called out for being negative about the state of the game, but unless gross incompetence is highlighted it’ll continue.

Indeed, 2024 has been a wonderful year – the rescue of Gold Circle, the opening up of equine export, the heroics of jockey Richard Fourie, the improvement in employer-groom relations and the emergence of new stars like Quid Pro Quo being glittering highlights – but the Vaal shenanigans show how fragile a propped-up edifice remains.

Joy And Peace Can Get Back To Winning Ways

Joy And Peace will be out to score an 8th career win. (Pauline Herman Photography)

Fairview Turf Friday Formguides And Selections (Gold Circle)

R1 Watch betting on first timers. (6) SILVA CITY made a smart debut and will take a power of beating here. (4) ROYAL MISSY is the only other raced runner in the field and will make improvement so is expected to be in the money. ( Devonne Govender 6-4)

R2 (1) JOY AND PEACE is very classy and is holding top overall form. She will be tough to beat. (5) GIDEON’S DAUGHTER is capable on getting into the placings with a light mass. (2) MEDLERS TART is much better than that last run so that’s best ignored. She will be in the mix. (6) WOMAN’S WORLD was disqualified in her last start, her form was good prior to that and she will be there. ( Devonne Govender 1-5-2-6)

R3 (15) DANCING IN WINTER is holding consistent form and keeps improving, she is the firm first choice. (1) CROWNED HORNBILL drops back to the minimum trip on his provincial debut, he hasn’t been far in the Cape over the shorter distances and will have to be respected. (13) WINTER IN PARIS is never far back on form, she makes her provincial debut and will be a huge contender. (3) BROOKSIDER is very capable of winning this, he hasn’t been far in the last two start and warrants respect. (Devonne Govender 15-1-13-3)

R4 (4) RUN THE WORLD represents Cape form which generally stands up strong here. He should have a massive winning chance in this field respectfully. 9) GENTEEL is clearly better than that last start and deserves another chance to redeem herself. (1) AGAMEMNON has run well on the surface hence he will be in the firing line on best form. (7) AMERICAN MATADOR is unreliable but can get into the quartet. ( Devonne Govender 4-9-1-7)

R5 (1) JUAN CARLOS is in great form and is the horse to beat. He ran a good race in the last start and will have a big say here. (7) JACK IN THE GREEN won a gutsy race in the last start, the step up in distance should suit him well hence he must be included. (8) PRIME VENTURE comes from the powerful Snaith yard, he has decent form and is a huge runner here. (4) PAINITE has always been rated by the yard and isn’t out of this contest, his last run was good enough so he will have to go in. ( Devonne Govender 1-7-8-4)

R6 (1) HAROLD THE DUKE has a powerful finish on his day, he has been in decent form recently hence he is the first choice in this open looking race. (5) PUERTO PLATA has caught the eye on a number of his runs recently and will be a big runner with Richard Fourie on board. (3) KAROO GOLD has run some good races here, he will appreciate this trip and looks set to run a big race. (10) CARAMEL FUDGE is never far back and can pop up on best form. ( Devonne Govender 1-5-3-10).

R7 (1) MASKED VIGILANTE is holding form well and will be a lively contender here. He seems to perform well over slightly shorter but if timing it right he can win. (2) SON OF ZEUS is very capable on his day, his last run in the Cape was good and he is in with a huge winning chance. (8) GUNSMOKE ran a cracker in the last start, from a top draw he will be a factor. (6) GOLDEN PAVILION won a gutsy race in the last start and must be included in all bets with the inform rider Craig Zackey aboard. ( Devonne Govender 1-2-8-6)

R8 (10) GLOBAL SCENE is still a maiden and runs in open company, although she has been thrown in the deep end, she has a light mass and consistent form so will be a factor. (6) PROJECT RUNWAY ran a cracker in the last start and another big run is expected. (5) DAFNES DAUGHTER is capable of much better and that last run is best ignored. (2) ARTICUNO is never far back and will be in the firing line. ( Devonne Govender 10-6-5-2)