Charles Dickens Heads Cape Classic Entries
The Grade 3 Cape Classic run over 1400m on October 22 is a traditional pointer to the Grade 1 Cape Guineas, which is now sponsored by Hollywoodbets and carries a stake of R2 million.
The unbeaten Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Charles Dickens heads an entry list of 15.
Soqrat Receives a Timely Boost
The Mike de Kock-trained four-year-old gelding Alfaatik put his disappointing 1400m debut behind him on Saturday at Turffontein Inside. Returning in a maiden over 2000m more than 14 months later, he made short work of the opposition to win by 5,50 lengths under Randall Simons at odds of 6/1.
Munger Produces The Ride Of The Weekend
White Fang tired right at the end and Arlington Action was only just able to catch him, having run on resolutely.
On Saturday White Fang did not have it as easy as last time with the pace being set by Arlington Action’s stablemate Indian War Dance.
White Fang was forced to go around the latter coming into the straight and appeared to do a bit too much coming up the hill.
Once again Munger, who had found himself a handy position from pole position, remained patient.
He was not lured into action until the 400m mark, despite the sight of the big White Fang and his huge stride stretching into a significant lead.
Munger must have been inwardly confident of victory this time.
He would have noticed White Fang’s energy sapping manouevre coming up the hill, as opposed to the easy lead he had had in their previous encounter, and he might also have been aware of the half-a-kilogram in his favour.
Arlington Action once again overtook the tiring White Fang in the last stride, but this time won by a quarter of a length and always looked likely to get there, unlike last time.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH MUNGER’S FINE RIDE
Overseas William Buick also produced a masterful ride on Saturday at Newmarket on the favourite Desert Order in the Too Darn Hot Nursery Handicap over seven furlongs.
Cieran Fallion, the son of the genius rider Kieren Fallon, who was never far from controversy, took race-riding to the limit in this race.
He took up Buick’s running on the nearside rail not far into the race, a move which could have raised a few eyebrows, and it left Desert Order boxed in.
At the business end a gap opened and Buick started moving through, only for Fallon’s mount to promptly close it.
In a breathtakingly skillful manouevre Buick managed to ease his mount back and switch him almost simultaneously before powering home to just get up.
Fallon reported his mount had hung in under pressure.
That might have helped him escape any punishment.
However, Buick did at least have the last laugh.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A BUICK MASTER CLASS
Buick’s 156 winners this season is more than 60 clear of nearest title challenger Hollie Doyle and higher than the winning total in six of the seven years since the championship was shortened to its Guineas-Champions Day timeframe in 2015.
Volmoed’s first pair at Ready To Run
Volmoed Stud’s Inel Bekker says that she can’t wait to see the stud’s two Captain Of All fillies go to the racetrack. They’re Lot 74 and Lot 80 at this year’s Ready To Run and 2-y-o Unbroken Sale to be held at Kenilworth on Saturday, 29 October.
Volmoed Stud is a relatively new venture launched in partnership with businessman Willem Grobbelaar. The farm is situated in Klein Drakenstein, Paarl. The fillies in question are from the first draft of foals off the farm since it was established in 2020 and Inel said: “We are pleased to be a part of the sale and looking forward to the experience.”
Lot 74, Anam Cara, is by Captain Of All from Eternal Sunshine, by National Emblem. She’s a full-sister to five time winner and Listed-placed colt Emblem of Hope and Inel said: “Anam Cara is a beautifully topped filly with nice hindquarters and she walks well.”
Lot 80 is Rifqa, born from Captain of All’s mating with Kindavar, by VAR. “She’s a neat and correct first foal out of Kindavar who is a daughter of eight-time winner Without Malice. Rifqa is bred speed on speed and conformed like a sprinter, so we expert her to come to the track with pace, she’s very nice.”
Hewitson And Ferraris Chasing Purton’s Shadow
Lyle Hewitson and Luke Ferraris have the lofty-sounding position of joint third-place on the current Hong Kong Jockeys log, but in reality the signs are there that in Joao Moreira’s absence Zak Purton might be in line for a record-breaking season.
Purton’s seven-timer at Sha Tin yesterday took him twelve clear of second-placed CY Ho and 15 clear of Heitson and Ferraris, who have each ridden six winners so far.
A number of riders have ridden eight winners in a day.
Winx Gives Birth To First Foal
The legendary 25 times Group 1 winner Winx lost her first just weeks out from the expected birth in 2020, when she was in foal to champion sire I Am Invincible, so her owners were understandably elated by the news she had successfully foaled down a couple of days ago.
ABC.net.au reported:
Champion race mare Winx’s owners say they are “ecstatic” to welcome a “healthy” filly foal overnight.
Winx, 11, was named World’s Best Racehorse in 2018 and retired a year later, after 33 consecutive wins, including 25 Group 1 wins, and a record four Cox Plates, returning to stud to begin her broodmare career.
The foal, sired by Coolmore’s Pierro, was born overnight to the delight of its owners.
“The Tighe, Kepitis, and Treweeke families are ecstatic to announce that the future champion we’ve all been waiting for has arrived!” they said in a statement.
Pierro (Lonhro) ran 14 times for eleven wins, including five Group 1 victories.
He has had three runners in South Africa.
The Frank Robinson-trained Roy Had Enough woon six races, including two Listed events and the Grade 3 Track And Ball Derby and he finished a decent 2,75 length seventh in the 2019 Durban July.
The Andre Nel-trained filly French Declaration has won three times and has reached a merit rating of 83.
Don Pierro won one race for Gary Rich and one race for Dennis Bosch.
De Melo, Matsunyane And Muscutt Score Doubles
Keagan de Melo increased his lead over Muzi Yeni in the National Jockeys Championship to 14 after riding a double on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly.
He is now on 62 winners at a strike rate of 23.13%.
Kabelo Matsunyane also rode a double to maintain his fourth on the log position.
He has had 37 wins this season at a strike rate of 15.23%.
Third-placed S’Manga Khumalo is on 38 wins but is serving a suspension that started on October 2 and ends on October 15.
Peter Muscutt scored a double to go to 12 winners for the season at a strike rate of 16.22%.
Today’s Question
Which filly foaled in 1982 was the last to win the English Fillies Triple Crown (1000 Guineas, Epsom Oaks, St. Leger)?
Picture: The subject is in Sheik Mohammed’s famous maroon and white silks and is seen winning the 1000 Guineas. (The Owner Breeder).
Fairview Poly Fields
Today’s Question Answer
Oh So Sharp (1982–2001) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the English Fillies’ Triple Crown in 1985.
In a racing career which lasted from August 1984 until September 1985, this Kris filly won seven of her nine races, starting favourite on each occasion and never at odds of more than 2/1.
The Henry Cecil-trained stalwart was one of the leading two-year-old fillies of 1984 when she was unbeaten in three races, including the Fillies’ Mile.
In the following year Oh So Sharp won the 1000 Guineas in record time and then took the Oaks by six lengths before being narrowly beaten in her next two starts in major weight-for-age races (the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup at York).
The filly completed the Triple Crown in the St Leger Stakes, beating five colts by three-quarters of a length.
She became the first to do the Fillies Triple Crown since Meld in 1955.
She was retired at the end of the season and became a successful broodmare.
She was dam of two stakes winners and three additional stakes placed horses from nine foals to race.
Among her stakes winners was Shaima (Shareef Dancer), who won the Group 2 Long Island Handicap before going on to produce the St. Leger winner Shantou (Alleged).
