Picture: Trainer Darryl Moore and owner Preggie Somasundram and loved ones celebrate their win with Canadian Summer in the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes on Saturday (Candiese Lenferna).

Darryl Moore – Like Grandfather Like Grandson

Summerveld trainer Darryl Moore landed his first Grade 1 on Saturday with Canadian Summer just over eleven years after his grandfather and mentor Ivan Moore won the Grade 1 Golden Horseshoe with Fighting Warrior on July day in 2011.

It was a fairytale result because it was also a first Grade 1 win for both jockey Jason Gates and owner Preggie Somasundram.

Darryl has had many fine mentors as a trainer.

He was with former national champion trainer Charles Laird for seven years in which time he was associated with such good horses as Our Giant, Contador, Merlene De Lago and many others.

“I learnt how to train a Group 1 winner from Mr Laird, that’s for sure,” he said.

He continued, “I joined up with my grandfather in 2014 and we’ve been working together since then. He’s a great horseman and has forgotten what we are still learning!”

The yard is still under the name of Ivan and Darryl, but the former is in the background these days and Darryl does all the hands on work.

Darryl said about Canadian Summer, “After her first start we thought she was a good filly (second over 1000m on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf at 20/1 odds). Then when she won the Listed race (her second career win in just her third start) I thought, here we go, we have a serious horse on our hands. I really thought after that race she would have a good chance in a Group 1.”

There was not much stress during the preparation and Darry recounted, “We had her well the whole time and her races were all on top of each other, so we haven’t had to do much in between. She is such a laid back filly, she takes everything in her stride. Even before the Thekwini she was falling asleep when we were putting the saddle on. She’s got a big race temperament.”

Darryl confirmed that some of the big jockeys had phoned to try and get the ride and he added, “Preggie has taken a lot of time with Jason. He has taken a lot of interest in his career. We put him on first time out and we stuck with him. He’s rewarded us for having faith in him. It is a proud moment for Preggie.”

Preggie describes himself as Jason’s coach and said, “I think he is a lad full of promise and we are just grooming him to be a better jockey. But he is a very good jockey we are just working on improving his style.”

Jason did have a few temperament issues early on and Preggie admiited he had been very hard on him.

He added, “But it is for his own benefit. He has matured and well done to him and also well done to Della (Jason’s wife).

Preggie Somasundram does his own buying and picked up the Oldlands Stud-bred Canadian Summer for just R80,000 at the BSA August two-year-old sale last year.

He said about his buying process, “It is firstly on conformation and looks and thereafter breeding.”

He then takes a more detailed look at the horse and if it passes he will then bid.

He said about the Oratorio filly, “She looked compact, she looked racey, she looked very strong. She looked like she could run.”

Oratorio is also one of those good sires who is not very fashionable, so some bargains can be landed.

The son of Danehill has produced nine individual Grade 1 winners.

Preggie also liked the female line.

Canadian Summer is a half-sister to six time-winner Path To Glory (Pathfork) and also to four time-winner Senescence. It was in fact the latter who caught his eye as that Sean Tarry-trained filly possesses a fine turn of foot and has probably never quite fulfilled her potential.

Preggie has been in the game for a long time and has learnt the sales selecting and buying ropes along the way. He has had some good mentors among his trainers over the years.

His career in horseracing began when he was invited to a box by a friend and soon thereafter he got his first share in a horse.

His first horse was with Tony Rivalland more than twenty years ago and he has also had horses with the like of Geoff Woodruff and Vaughan Marshall.

He added, “That is not to forget all of the other trainers who I have learnt a lot from including Old Man Moore (Ivan).”

Darryl received Canadian Summer at the beginning of this year after she had been spelled on Adam Kethro’s farm.

He said, “I told Preggie let’s just be a bit patient with her. We started cantering her and built her up. She showed us promise from the start. Obviosuly being a small yard we could not test her out to see just how good she was. But in her racing she soon showed us how good she is.”

Preggie is not a punter so did not take advantage of some of the high value odds Canadian Summer has been available at on occasion, including opening at odds of 20/1 for the Thekwini, jumping at 10/1, and yet starting Tote favourite.

“People forgot she came in as a Listed winner,” said Darryl.

She had won the Listed Hollywoodbets Super League Devon Air Stakes over 1400m on June 11 and then finished second on Hollywoodbets Durban July day in the BSA Sales Cup for fillies over 1300m behind the exciting prospect Feather Boa (Flower Alley).

She looks to be favourite to be named Equus Two-year-old Champion filly and hopefully she will train on and help attract more owners to the yard of Darryl, a third generation stalwart horseman (Ivan was a many-times Zimbabwean champion jockey and Darryl’s father Robert, also a former jockey, is now the chief riding master at the South African Jockeys Academy).

Picture: Cousin Casey Cruises to victory on Saturday (Candiese Lenferna).

Cousin Casey Has July Winner Written All Over Him

The Glen Kotzen-trained Cousin Casey’s win of the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes under Grant van Niekerk rolled back the years to some of KZN’s big race days and both his class and pedigree make him an ideal Hollywoodbets Durban July candidate.

Cousin Casey is out of a full-sister to the Kotzen-trained 2009 Durban July winner Big City Life.

He was bred by stalwart horse woman from the East Cape, Gill Thompson of Riyo Stud.

Gill owned the 2010 Durban July winner Bold Silvano.

She sold a share in Bold Silvano to Sheik Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum during the Champions Season of that year and he won the big race in the Sheik’s colours.

Fittingly, Bold Silvano’s breeder Ashley Parker of Ascot Stud represented Gill on Saturday when receiving the breeder’s trophy.

Cousin Casey has a fascinating pedigree and has July winner written all over him.

He is by the new boom sire Vercingetorix, the son of the now six times national champion sire, Silvano.

Silvano was the only sire to have produced four July winners, Bold Silvano, Heavy Metal, Power King and Marinaresco, going into this year’s Hollywoodbets sponsored event and he made it five with Sparkling Water. His son Safe Passage finished third too, which did not match his feat of 2015 when he sired the first three past the post.

Cousin Casey, as mentioned, is out of a full sister to July winner Big City Life.

However, the July credentials of the female line do not end there.

Cousin Casey’s third dam is the Argentinian-bred Gran Moza, a full sister to Grade 1 winner Hard Up, who was exported to stand as a stallion in South Africa. He had fine success as a stallion too, including producing dual Grade 1 winner Drum Star and Grade 1 winner Young Harvest, among 22 individual stakes winners of 38 races.

One of his stakes performers was the Grade 1 Allan Robertson runner up Tight Drums, who was the full sister to Drum Star.

Tight Drums was the granddam of Silvano’s second July winner, Heavy Metal.

So it is not just the relatives of July winners in Cousin Casey’s pedigree that makes him such a cast-in-iron July candidate, but he also has the right cross-breeding.

Cousin Casey oozes class and was in the opinion of many pundits the most impressive winner on Saturday.

Van Niekerk managed to slot him into a midfield position with cover after jumping from a trciky draw of nine.

He travelled comfortably and then showed an exhilarating turn of foot in the straight to win going away by 2,10 lengths.

Glen’s brother Nathan saddled the runner up Royal Victory (Pathfork), who had also finished second to Cousin Casey in the Grade 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m.

Cousin Casey runs in the colours of Ravi Naidoo, who is fortunate to have acquired a Vercingetorix before his price range went through the roof.

Glen Kotzen bought him for R375,000 at the BSA National Yearling Sales.

Cousin Casey’s stallion value must be high already and the offers are sure to be forthcoming.

Picture: The Johan Janse van Vuuren-trauned Gobsmacked winning in the colours of Laurence Wernars under Keagan de Melo on Saturday. (Candiese Lenferna).

Gobsmacked Stuns ‘Em

PEDIGREE PROFILE -GOBSMACKED

Sarah Whitelaw

Daughters of Darley’s late, top sire Shamardal made their presence felt in South Africa during the past racing season.

Not only is Shamardal’s daughter Shauntrel the dam of 2022 Listed Syringa Handicap winner Ululate, another daughter, Bold Nimph, is responsible for Saturday’s impressive G2 Prosport International Debutante presented by Gagasi FM winner Gobsmacked.

A once beaten, dual classic winner in France, Shamardal went onto become an outstanding stallion, despite his latter years being unable to cover large books of mares. To date, Shamardal has been responsible for over 160 stakes winners, with his progeny winning at the highest level in all of Australia, Britain, Canada Dubai, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy and North America.

He is arguably best known as the sire of dual French classic winning, and leading sire, Lope De Vega, outstanding sprinter Blue Point, Hong Kong superstar Able Friend, and champion Pinatubo, with other notable performers sired by Shamardal including French 2000 Guineas winner Victor Ludorum, Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Tarnawa, and Coral-Eclipse winner Mukhadram.

Shamardal has also proved an outstanding broodmare sire with his daughters already responsible for such notable G1 winners as Althiqa, Awtaad, Converge Hello Youmzain, Latrobe, and Pretty Pollyanna.

A son of Giant’s Causeway (whose son Not This Time is responsible for Saturday’s G2 Jim Dandy Stakes winner Epicenter), Shamardal’s dam Helsinki’s dam was a full-sister to G1 Dubai World Cup winner and outstanding sire Street Cry. The latter also made his mark as a broodmare sire in South Africa last season, with Street Cry’s dual G3 winning daughter Hollywoodboulevard dam of 2022 G3 Western Province Nomads Champagne Stakes winner Walk Of Fame.

Shamardal’s locally based daughter Bold Nimph has proved a worthy representative of her prolific sire, with Gobsmacked being the second graded stakes winner produced by her dam.

A half-sister to Listed The Betting World Somerset 1200 winner Sky Link (by Hussonet) and G3 Starling Stakes runner up Bluroute (by Dubai Destination), Bold Nimph is also dam of the very talented Mighty High (by Pathfork),whose five career wins included triumphs in the 2018 G1 Allan Robertson Championship and 2020 G2 Senor Santa Stakes.

The unbeaten Gobsmacked, who has won her three starts by an aggregate of over seven lengths, is also a credit in the cap of her sire Querari. The latter was South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs, by both stakes and individual winners, for the 2021-2022 season, with Querari having also headed that list in 2018-2019.

Incidentally, Querari’s sire Oasis Dream sired G1 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Pretty Pollyanna out of Shamardal’s daughter Unex Mona Lisa.

The teams for Friday’s night’s opening Global Team Horse Racing Meeting.

Global Team Horse Racing All Geared Up

Friday Night’s Hollywoodbets Greyville Turf Meeting Will Get The Ball Rolling In The Exciting, Innovative Series

CLICK HERE TO READ ALL ABOUT IT

Picture (left to right): Kyle, Jacques and Piere with Hekkie (grandfather and father).

Piere Vs Kyle At Fairview On Friday

Nelson Mandela Bay Racing

FRIDAY’S Fairview meeting will be the first where both Piere and Kyle Strydom will both be riding in the same meeting at the city where it all started for them.

The legendary jockey Piere Strydom (56) and his nephew apprentice Kyle Strydom (21) will be in action at the turf track meeting.

In recent times Kyle has regularly ridden at Fairview but Pieré hasn’t been seen at the Gqeberha-track for quite some time.

Kyle has a full set of rides while Piere will only skip races two and three.

Both will have one ride each for the stable of trainer Jacques Strydom, Kyle’s Dad and Pieré’s younger brother – Kyle in race 1 and Piere in race 5.

There should be interesting clashes between the two riders throughout the day but the family rivalry will be particularly interesting in the very first race of the day.

Kyle will then be on the favourite (trained by Jacques) Spring Fever and Pieré is riding the second favourite Dream Scape for Cliffie Miller.

Don’t miss that first race to see which Strydom will come out on top – the Welcome To Nelson Mandela Bay Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1000m is off at 11:40.

CAPE RACING LAUNCHES NEW INCENTIVE SCHEME – RACECAPE POWERED BY HOLLYWOODBETS

CLICK HERE TO WATCH JUSTIN VERMAAK EXPLAINING THE INCENTIVE

Cape Racing together with Hollywoodbets, is excited to announce a new incentive structure to be known as RaceCape. RaceCape is an innovative programme designed to boost and incentivise increased racehorse ownership in the Western Cape. The obvious benefits include enhanced field sizes, boosted betting turnovers, further opportunities for the Cape’s outstanding community of racehorse trainers, increased employment prospects for grooms and work riders, as well as all related and ancillary horse racing services.

Cape Racing is delighted and privileged that Hollywoodbets has come on board as the headline sponsor of the RaceCape initiative.

Devin Heffer, Hollywoodbets Brand and Communications Manager, said of Hollywood’s backing of RaceCape, “We are proud to be associated with such a progressive initiative, that will not only go a long way to reinvigorating racing in the Cape but will also result in enhanced job security and job opportunities for those in the region. Furthermore, the “out-of-the-box” thinking deployed by Cape Racing in developing this programme is consistent with the innovation that we at Hollywoodbets regard as a core part of our DNA.” RaceCape will launch with effect from 1 September 2022. The core aspects of the RaceCape incentive scheme include, amongst others:

Providing owners and trainers with a set appearance fee of R2 500 per runner in the Western Cape.

Rewarding visiting “Raiding” trainers and owners with subsidised transport and attractive bonuses for competing in the Western Cape season.

The key highlights of the RaceCape incentive scheme are laid out in the table below:

Head of Racing Operations for Cape Racing, Justin Vermaak explained, “This has been top of the agenda since day one of taking on the role and it is a testament to the team at Cape Racing that we have managed to confirm the roll out of this programme in just two weeks. The RaceCape incentive scheme should have an immediate effect on field sizes and will encourage more regular running of horses. More importantly, however, is the longer-term effect on the general horse population. This, combined with planned increased stakes levels, will positively impact the economics of ownership in the Western Cape. Furthermore, this programme will provide meaningful cash flow benefits to our trainers.

“It is top of our priority list to stop the loss of lower rated horses from the province, and we believe that these two mechanisms will be a major positive in that battle. Focus on growth of our smaller stables is paramount to our plans going forward and I believe that this will be a major lift for them. The owners’ part of the appearance fee will be paid directly to the trainer, who will in turn credit the owners’ account in the form of a rebate. This will materially improve cash flow for the smaller yards. The industry, particularly in the Cape has seen the departure of too many smaller trainers. This trend needs to be arrested. The generous bonuses and subsidies on offer for raiding trainers are designed to entice more visitors to the Western Cape, which will have a resultant impact on field sizes.

“I would like to thank Hollywoodbets for their sponsorship of this programme. They are securing the future of the sport with their backing of the industry on so many levels and it is a privilege to have their name associated with this initiative.”

-ends-

For more information on the programme contact:

Justin Vermaak: justin@caperacing.co.za or 072 623 7994

Media Queries:

Kirsti Lyall: kirsti@caperacing.co.za or 083 450 6665

Picture: Lorenzo Kariem and apprentice Gabriel Pieterse clinched a double together when Bend The Rules (Noble Tune) won the seventh. Their other winner was Green Sleeves (Gimmethegreenlight) (pictured above). Both winners were bred by Rathmor Stud and owned by Mario Ferreira (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Doubles For Puller, Gates, Kariem/Pieterse – Kyle Strydom’s 100th Winner

Garth Puller and Jason Gates both had doubles on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly today and Lorenzo Kariem and apprentice Gabriel Pieterse combined for a double.

Kyle Strydom rode the 100th winner of his career at the meeting.

Today’s Question

Which Hall Of Fame Horse in Australia, who won 26 times including six Group 1s, was famous for the massive leads he used ti build up in his races?

Picture: Who is he?

Vaal Classic Fields

Today’s Question Answer

Steve Hart was on deck to snap Vo Rogue with connections and officials after the great horse had led all the way to win the George Main Stakes at Randwick 23/9/89 – his only Sydney win in eight attempts.

Look at the alertness of the great horse as he gazes at something in the distance. On the horse’s right is trainer Vic Rail and behind Vic is part owner Jeff Perry. On the horse’s left is jockey Cyril Small and on Cyril’s left is Peter Capelin QC, a member of the AJC Committee at the time, later to become Chairman.

Nobody can tell you why Vo Rogue wasn’t as good in Sydney. It obviously wasn’t the clockwise way of going, because he was effective on tracks like Eagle Farm and Doomben. He was a totally different horse in Melbourne, where he won sixteen races including two Australian Cups.

He won the C.F.Orr Stakes three times, the Turnbull Stakes twice and a William Reid Stakes on one occasion. Two Australian Cups (2000 metres), and a William Reid (1200) are testimony to his amazing versatility.

Vo Rogue won only six Group 1 races, but under today’s rankings that figure would be much greater. The C.F. Orr Stakes and the Turnbull Stakes are now Group 1 events.

Vo Rogue’s freewheeling, tear away style of racing thrilled race fans around Australia. He would sometimes establish leads of 20-25 lengths and would look vulnerable when the challenges came. More often than not he would get a second wind and stave them off.

His unique racing technique was emulated in later years by Might And Power and Sunline.

Vo Rogue spent his latter years on the Gold Coast property of his jockey Cyril Small and was lovingly cared for by the Small family. The great horse died in 2012, at the good age of 28, leaving behind many memories for his army of fans.

“Vo” raced for almost five years, finishing his career with a record of 83 starts for 26 wins and 23 placings. His prize money tally thirty years ago was $3.1 million dollars.

Cyril, who rode the champ in 22 of his 26 wins is still riding in races. He bobs up occasionally on the Gold Coast or at meetings in northern NSW.

The entire Vo Rogue story was unique. The eccentric, battling trainer who brought the best out of the plainly bred gelding. The Queensland jockey who had an indefinable affinity with his “once in a lifetime horse”. The intensely loyal owners who shunned approaches from other jockeys and trainers.

As a final tribute to a remarkable racehorse I’m going to borrow the words of one of my literary heroes, the gifted writer and racing devotee Les Carlyon.

Of Vo Rogue, Les once said “he had steel in his legs and iron in his soul” – John Tapp Racing

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VO ROGUE IN ACTION

Turf Talk Newsletter – 03 August 2022