Perfect Witness Can Show She’s On Course For The Summer Cup
Trainer Candice Dawson is hoping for a good run on the filly’s return from a break
9th Race: (2) High Roller (3) Bird In Space (5) Twice As Wild (9) Gilda Gray
Does Breeding Knowledge Give Punters An Edge?
Top SA Racing Writer Mike Moon Looks Into Breeding As A Punter’s Form Tool
Study The Blood, But Beware Of The Nick Geek
Mike Moon (The Citizen)
Race form will always be the primary tool of the punter’s trade, but a working knowledge of the breed can give an edge.
Any serious racehorse player needs to know a little bit about thoroughbred bloodlines. Race form will always be the primary tool of the punter’s trade, but a working knowledge of the breed can give an edge. The key thing is not to get confused or intimidated by pedigree jargon.
Stallion Pecking Order Quickly Sorted Out
The top five active stallions from last season, Vercingetorix, Gimmethegreenlight, Master Of My Fate, What A Winter and Querari, already make up the top five on the national log this season.
The late champion stallion Silvano will have his last two-year-old runners this season, so he will also still be a contender for the title, although his number of runners are already noticeably lower than the leading active stallions’.
Silvano is in eighth place on the current national log and is the only deceased stallion in the top ten.
His son Vercingetorix must be the favourite for the title, considering he was only ousted last year by Silvano’s R5 million Hollywoodbets Durban July success with winner Sparkling Water and third-placed Safe Passage.
What A Winter currently leads the log, having already produced 28 individual winners, Gimmethegreenlight is second and Vercingetorix third.
However, Vercingetorix has the highest percentage winners to runners on the first page of the log, except for the stalwart Drakenstein Stud stallion Trippi, who is way out in front on that statistic so far this season.
The first page of the log is shown below:
Arun Chadha And Warne Rippon’s Allied Steelrode Sponsor Charity Mile Again
List Of Beneficiary Charities Announced
4Racing is delighted to confirm that leading global steel manufacturer Allied Steelrode On A Mission will again sponsor the annual Charity Mile at Johannesburg’s Turffontein Racecourse on Saturday 29 October.
An important Grade 2 event, the Allied Steelrode On A Mission Charity Mile will be run over 1600 metres and in addition to seeing Allied Steelrode again bolstering stakes, it will also benefit 16 Johannesburg charities this year.
The Allied Steelrode sponsorship ensures stakes of R800 000 for this prestigious race – with Allied Steelrode contributing R250 000 to the stakes in addition to 4Racing’s R550 000 contribution.
As part of its generous sponsorship Allied Steelrode will also make a further R500 000 available to be shared in a pool by 16 deserving Johannesburg charities. The charities will once again draw a horse in the race and depending on the finishing position they will receive a cash donation.
This will range all the way from R200,000 for the charity whose horse wins the Allied Steelrode On A Mission Charity Mile and a minimum of no less than R20,000 for the charity whose horse finishes in last position.
“We are extremely grateful to Allied Steelrode and to its Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Arun Chadha, for agreeing to again sponsor this very important race. Mr Chadha and Mr Warne Rippon are major supporters of South African horseracing and – like Allied Steelrode – 4Racing too is on a mission to sustain and support the horseracing industry and to do good in our community. This event gives us the fantastic opportunity to both support our industry and even more importantly to contribute to incredible Johannesburg charities who really need and value the support. We are delighted therefore to again be able to stage this special event and really look forward to the Allied Steelrode On A Mission Charity Mile this year,” said Fundi Sithebe, 4Racing Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Arun Chadha said Allied Steelrode On A Mission was pleased to be associated with this very special and meaningful race on the Johannesburg horseracing calendar.
“The Charity concept resonated strongly with Allied Steelrode On A Mission and we look forward to an exciting day of racing on 29 October, but especially look forward to the opportunity to give back to the deserving charities in our communities,” said Chadha.
The Allied Steelrode On a Mission Charity Mile has a rich racing tradition, having previously been known as the November Handicap, but it also has a strong association with charity after it transformed into the Charity Mile and 4Racing is proud to continue this tradition with the valued support of Allied Steelrode On A Mission.
A highly competitive race card in the lead up to the Summer Cup will be headed by the Allied Steelrode On A Mission Charity Mile and a number of other feature races on the day.
The sponsorship of this popular Spring feature event is extremely good news for owners, trainers, jockeys and grooms alike and is a positive boost for everybody in the sport.
It is also very good news for many charities in need in Johannesburg, among them the Highveld Horse Care Unit, The Hamlet School, Angels Baby Sanctuary, Soweto Equestrian Centre and many charities doing extremely important work supporting vulnerable women and children in the community.
The list of beneficiary charities for the Allied Steelrode On A Mission Charity Mile is as follows:
Angels Baby Sanctuary – La Rochelle
Cotlands – Marshalltown
Door of Hope – Glenvista
Ekukhanyeni Early Childhood Development Centre – Ennerdale (Lenasia)
Epworth Children’s home – Germiston
Highveld Horse Care Unit
Joburg Child Welfare – Mofolo South
Little Rose Centre – Eldorado Park
San Michele Home – Home for the intellectually challenged
SARDA – SA Riding for the Disabled Association
Soweto Equestrian Centre
St Francis Care Centre – Boksburg
TAG foundation
Tembisa Child Welfare
The Hamlet School
Thusanani Children’s Foundation – Braamfontein
For hospitality packages please contact: Khanya Langa at KhanyaL@4Racing.com
Space will be limited, first come first served.
Formguides And Selections For Tomorrow’s Turffontein Inside Meeting
www.attheraces.com
R1 12H05 – ICI Fire Safety Specialists Maiden Plate
Today’s Question
Signorinetta is one of three fillies to win both the Epsom Oaks and Epsom Derby.
What was remarkable about her breeding?
Picture credit: Signorinetta wins the Derby at odds of 100/1 (michaelchurchracingbooks.com)
Turffontein Inside Fields
Hollywoodbets Greyville Turf Fields
Today’s Question Answer
www.michaelchurchracingbooks.com
THE story of Signorinetta is one of true romance. In 1908 she won the Derby at 100-1, two days later she added the Oaks – and then never won again. She was bred, owned and trained by Cavaliere Odoardo Ginistrelli (1833-1920), an eccentric Italian Senator, known as ‘the Chevalier’.
Signorinetta’s dam Signorina was also bred by Ginistrelli, but after winning 11 races and finishing second in the Oaks she was 10 years at stud before producing her first live foal. Two further barren years followed until, Ginistrelli decided to take into consideration what he called “the boundless laws of sympathy and love”.
Every day the Cesarewitch winner Chaleureux had to pass Signorina’s paddock and every day they greeted each other with a neigh. On a sentimental impulse, Ginistrelli paid the nine-guinea fee for Chaleureux’s services, and the result was Signorinetta.
After five unplaced runs as a two-year old, Signorinetta finally got of the mark by winning the Criterion Nursery Handicap carrying 6st 3lb.
The following year, she ran unplaced in the One Thousand Guineas and the Newmarket Stakes before arriving at Epsom as a 100-1outsider, preferred to only one of the 18 runners in the Derby betting.
The race appeared an open affair, with the American bred Two Thousand Guineas winner, Norman and the unbeaten Mountain Apple sharing favouritism at 11-2. The French horse, Sea Sick, who had crossed the channel after dead-heating for the Prix du Jockey-Club the previous Sunday, was well supported at 7-1. This year an interval of 55 minutes preceded the Derby, during which the jockeys weighed out and the horses preparation was scrutinised by an ever growing audience. In retrospect, it was noted that Signorinetta appeared to be the coolest and calmest of them all.
However, down at the start an element of chaos took over – the tapes were broken many times and a few runners charged off after ducking under the tapes. Eventually after a 21-minute delay, the field got under way and on settling down were led by Mercutio, setting a strong pace from Orphah, Norman and further back, Sea Sick, Moet and White Eagle. At the top of the hill, Mountain Apple surged through to take up the running, leading into the straight from Sir Archibald and White Eagle. Approaching the two-furlong pole, Signorinetta, having made steady progress, came to challenge and with Billy Bullock aboard, ran on to win by two lengths from Primer and Llangwm.
After the weigh-in, King Edward VII sent for Ginistrelli, who still wearing his battered Panama hat, was taken by the King and presented to the cheering crowd. It was a memorable occasion for all present and one that inevitably added to the romance of the Derby.
Signorinetta wins from Premier and Llangwm
Two days later, Signorinetta, returned for the Oaks, now 3-1 second favourite behind the 6-4 Rhodora, winner of the One Thousand Guineas. Ten others completed the field.
During the race an incident near the mile post caused French Partridge to fall and Rhodora, trying to jump over her also fell. From there, Signorinetta, handily placed to avoid the carnage, went on to win by three-quarters of a length.
Signorinetta contested three more races, including the St Leger, but failed to reach a place in any and was retired to stud at the end of the year. In all she had seven live foals, the best being The Winter King, winner of the Lowther Stakes and sire of the Grand Prix de Paris winner Barnveldt. She had no produce after 1921 and died in 1928.
Billy Bullock (1885-1963), who won both the Derby and Oaks on Signorinetta, was born in Morpeth in Northumberland. Both his brother and his grandfather were trainers and his uncle, Ralph Bullock, rode Kettledrum to victory in the 1861 Derby. Memorably for Bullock, after his Classic double for Ginistrelli, he received only the basic riding fee, accompanied by a cigar and a glass of wine. After the First World War, Bullock rode in Denmark, where he was Champion Jockey from 1924 to 1927. In 1933, he rode Leonard, off 7st 9lb, to win the Northumberland Plate for Captain Elsey and continued to ride work for him to the age of 74.
