Fourie Barometer 340

Vercingetorix colt Marauding Horde saunters to an easy win under Marco van Rensburg at Turffontein Standside on Saturday (JC Photos) 

The Mike de Kock-trained Marauding Horde proved himself a useful middle distance to staying type in the making on Saturday at Turffontein Standside, when winning the Listed Hawwaam Stakes over 2000m under Marco van Rensburg, and another interesting aspect of this horse in the make up of the syndicate who owns him.

Laurence Wernars, Drakenstein Stud, Lammerskraal Stud, Wilgerbosdrift Stud and the partnership of Ridgemont Stud and the Heffers of Hollywoodbets are some of the biggest connections in South African racing and are the joint owners.

Jehan Malherbe of Form Bloodstock was behind the purchase of Marauding Horde and said, “We noticed in Australia the last time we were there, and it also happens in America, that a number of the bigger players get together to buy. They can buy at the top end of the market without too much stress, because they are not competing against each other, and if, in in this joint effort, they do crack one that is good enough to be a stallion then they are all in the stallion already. It is working a lot in Australia and America at the moment and so we thought we would try it over here.”

The Maine Chance Farms-bred Marauding Horde was purchased for R750,000 by Form Bloodstock at the BSA National Yearling Sale.

He had looked promising from day one and improved from two second place finishes over 1200m and 1600m to win over 1800m third time out.

He is by Vercingetorix, who is known to produce more speed and precocity than his father Silvano, but he has also produced the Gold Cup winner over 3200m, Nebraas.

Furthermore, Marauding Horde’s Indigo Magic dam My Lady Bluff is a half-sister to the Gold Cup winner Major Bluff and her only win was over 2000m.

He looked to be crying out for a further step up in trip after that 1800m maiden win.

In Saturday’s 2000m race, formerly known as the Derby Trial, Marco van Rensburg replaced the suspended Kabelo Matsunyane and rode a peach of a race.

He managed to switch the horse off at the back of the eleven horse field despite him having had to jump from a wide draw with first time blinkers on.

Van Rensburg later switched Marauding Horde on to the outside train while rounding the final turn.

He switched him outward for a clear run at the 600m mark.

The colt’s long stride made good inroads on the leaders and after he was given some backhanders at the 350m mark he changed up a gear.

Then with a change of whip hand in the final stages he changed legs and sauntered home by 4,25 lengths.

He carried only 55,5kg, but was receiving only 3kg from the 93 merit rated runner up George Handel. So on that formline he ran to about 95, which is way short of the Gr 1 SA Classic winner Purple Pitcher’s merit rating of 120.

However, he has only had four runs and did what he had to do on Saturday.

This colt is improving all the time and he should relish the further step up in trip to 2450m for the Gr 1 SA Derby.

His chief rivals for that race will be the Gr 1 TAB SA Classic first and third-placed pair Purple Pitcher and William Iron Arm.

Frances Ethel wins the Listed Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial after producing a stromg late run (JC Photos)

In the Listed Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial at Turffontein Standside on Saturday, Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein made further inroads into Drakenstein Stud’s stakes winners lead as the Brett Crawford-trained Rafeef filly Frances Ethel gave them their eleventh individual stakes winner of the season.

Drakenstein Stud hold the record of 20 individual stakes winners in a season and are on 14 this season in their bid to better the record for a third successive season.

Frances Ethel was a R160,000 purchase by Grant Knowles’ Central Route Trading at the BSA KZN Yearling Sale and she is owned now by Knowles in partnership with Dylan Chinsammy.

She runs in Chinsammy’s familiar red with black epaulettes and cap colours.

Kabelo Matsunyane lost out on two Listed wins on Saturday due to suspension, including this one.

He was replaced on Frances Ethel by Athandiwe Mgudlwa.

From a good draw of three Mgudlwa managed to settle Frances Ethel in about 5th or 6th place in the 13 horse field. She stayed on resolutely without making noticeable progress until the 200m mark and then surged forward as the others began to tire.

She went on to win by a cosy 1,20 lengths from the favourite Sukhumvit, who had stayed on from near the back and looks to have scope for improvement.

Both of the first two were merit rated 88 and carried 57kg. The time was 0,79 seconds slower than Marauding Horde’s, but Frances Ethel did carry more weight.

Her task in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks will be made easier by Gimme A Nother’s defection to the Gr 1 Empress Club Stakes, but the latter’s stablemate Silver Sanctuary as well as the like of the improving Let’s Go Now, Gr 1 winner Bavarian Beauty and tihe improving Beating Wings will make the Oaks task quite tough.

However, Frances Ethel looks progressive and could be up to it.

Later, In the Listed TAB Aquanaut Handicap over 2400m Brett Crawford scored a Listed double when the useful Dynasty six-year-old gelding Crimson King got up to beat Red Maple and Rule Book by half-a-length and 1,60 lengths respectively, despite carrying 59,5kg. This horse had been fancied for the Gold Cup last season after an easy win in the Gr 3 Splashout 2200 on Hollywoodbets Durban July day. However, he was scratched after going lame on his near fore. He proved he is up to another crack at that big staying race.

Later the Mike de Kock-trained Shoemaker, who had gone off the boil as a three-year-old after looking most promising in his first few efforts, burst into the Hollywoodbets Durban July picture with an impressive performance in a Pinnacle event over 1800m under Ryan Munger. He only carried 54 kg, but settled well in midfield and finished full of running for a 1,25 length victory over the hard-knocking Meridius.

The Sean Tarry-trained Swing Upon A Star won a strongly contested Pinnacle event over 1160m under Serino Moodley, beating the promising I Am Giant narrowly at level weights and could pick up another feature to add to his Gr 2 Epol Umkhomazi Stakes win over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville as a two-year-old.

His well-bred Tarry-trained Gimmethegreenlight stablemate To The Rescue won the first race over 1800m well in his first run as a gelding under Strydom and this ever improving sort could go on to bigger things.

Esther is fancied to win race 6 (Pauline Herman Photography)

Jack Milner (Tab4Racing)

Esther is one of those runners who is equally at home on both turf and Polytrack which will stand her in good stead at Fairview on Tuesday.

After three consecutive runs on the turf, in which she finished runner-up in all three, the daughter of Querari will return to the Polytrack in Race 6, a MR 82 Handicap over 1000m.

But overall, her best performances have come on the Polytrack as three of her four wins have been on that surface.

This speedy filly, trained by Alan Greeff, was beaten in some low-grade handicaps earlier in her career but has worked her way up in the ratings and after her four wins and recent runner-up performances she sits on a merit rating of 84.

Her last run was particularly impressive as she took hot favourite Three Rocks to the wire in the Listed Lady’s Pendant over 1200m on the turf. That was a weight-for-age event and she had to give 3kg to the winner.

However, in terms of the rules, the runner-up cannot be penalised for that effort and Esther remains on 84. Three Rocks runs to a rating of 109 which means based on that performance, Esther should be rated some 20 points higher.

That puts her in a powerful position when she reverts to a handicap this time and she comes into the event particularly well weighted, even though she will be taking on the colts.

The return to 1000m on the Polytrack is also in her favour as her record over the course and distance reads two wins and a fourth place from four starts, and she will have stable jockey Richard Fourie aboard her.

The one certain thing about racing in the Eastern Cape is that when Greeff sends out a favourite, rival trainer Gavin Smith will be doing his best to beat him and he has some geldings ready to take on that filly.

Vegas Gold is proven over the course and distance and Pompei Warning does look a promising sprinter in the making.

Smith and Greeff could also fight out Race 7, a MR 86 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1300m, where Greeff and Fourie partner up on Summer Odyssey, while Smith and Louie Mxothwa are likely to provide a tough challenge with three-year-old Idita.

This filly has ability but did not show it in her last start which was on the turf but Idita was an impressive winner when last seen on the Polytrack.

Summer Odyssey is much improved of late but has finished behind Idita. However, the weights now favour Greeff’s charge, but not by much.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 1 Justcantgetenough, 3 William’s Legacy, 2 King Of Queen, 9 Outer Dimension

Race 2: 1 Venetian Moonlight, 8 Kyoka, 3 Seaside Trip, 7 Nairobi

Race 3: 7 Elusive Justice, 2 Meetatthewindsor, 3 Pedro, 5 The Charioteer

Race 4: 9 Legal Thriller, 5 Raising Quinn, 12 Gunsmoke, 1 Jaspero

Race 5: 6 Painite, 2 Central City, 11 Juan Carlos, 14 Alado’s Pride

Race 6: 2 Esther, 10 Pompei Warning, 3 Vegas Gold, 8 Great Melody

Race 7: 6 Summer Odyssey, 2 Idita, 7 Passchendaele, 4 Easy Living

Race 8: 11 You Win Again, 1 Iqembulabesifazane, 3 Angelsea, 9 Global Goddess

BEST BET

Race 6 No 2 Esther

VALUE BET

Race 3 No 7 Elusive Justice

BEST SWINGER

Race 6 2×10

BIPOT

R144

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3

Leg 2: 1, 3, 8

Leg 3: 2, 3, 5, 7

Leg 4: 5, 9

Leg 5: 2, 6

Leg 6: 2

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 1, 3, 8

Leg 2: 2, 3, 7

Leg 3: 5, 9

Leg 4: 2, 6

Leg 5: 2

Leg 6: 2, 6

Leg 7: 1, 3, 11

PICK 6

R1440

Leg 1: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9

Leg 2: 1, 3, 5, 9, 12

Leg 3: 2, 6, 11, 14

Leg 4: 2

Leg 5: 2, 6, 7

Leg 6: 1, 3, 9, 11

JACKPOT 1

R60

Leg 1: 1, 3, 5, 9, 12

Leg 2: 2, 6, 11, 14

Leg 3: 2

Leg 4: 2, 6, 7

JACKPOT 2

R48

Leg 1: 2, 6, 11, 14

Leg 2: 2

Leg 3: 2, 6, 7

Leg 4: 1, 3, 9, 11

Tyrion Lannister wins in courageous fashion on Saturday (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle)

Tyrion Lannister (11/2) made light of 51,5 kgs, leading from pillar to post under JP van der Merwe, to take out the R200 000 Newlands Stakes for 3yo’s over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. Trained by Piet Botha for the Dare 2 Dream Syndicate, Tyrion Lannister kept up a resolute gallop all the way to the line to hold off the late challenge of Fibonacci (10/1) by nearly length.

Favourite Lindbergh (5/4) was very disappointing. Given every chance by Louis Mxothwa, Lindbergh closed the gap on Tyrion Lannister approaching the final 300m, but the son of Lancaster Bomb failed to go through with his effort and was beaten out of the frame. His stable companion, Zil Moris, stayed on to finish third with War Chariot rounding out the quartet.

World Of Pleasure (5/10) opened proceedings with a dominant victory in the Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1400m. By leading freshman sire, One World, and ridden by Bernard Fayd’herbe for the Vaughan Marshall stable, World Of Pleasure was in control from the jump and stretched clear over the final 400m to score by more than three lengths.

Rama Forcesa (16/10) topped the betting boards for the second race, a Juvenile Plate over 1000m, but after setting a blistering pace, he succumbed late to African Prince (3/1) who made up the best part of five lengths over the final 200m. Turbo Twenty made late gains to finish third and is one for the notebook.

Tequila Sky (9/4) has been knocking loudly at the door for a while now and was sent out favourite to win the opening leg of the Pick 6. But once again the daughter of William Longsword had to settle for second best as the equally consistent Love Shack (3/1) proved superior on the day. Under a confident ride by Aldo Domeyer, Love Shack was always to the fore and had enough in reserve to ward off Tequila Sky by half-a-length.

Craig Zackey and Dean Kannemeyer combined to win the fifth race, a modest Maiden Plate over 1800m, with Continental Express (13/2) who stormed through late from off the pace to beat Etoilefillant (10/1) by the best part of a length. Favourite Kwite A King (9/4) stayed on for third but was comfortably beaten at the line.

Hoodia (16/10) was all the rage to win the sixth race, a Maiden Plate over 1400m, and he duly obliged with a hard-fought victory over Richard Fourie’s mount, Mont Loisir. From a wide draw, Fourie elected to take up the running shortly after the start. Mont Loisir (9/4) tried bravely to keep the favourite’s challenge at bay, but Hoodia was too strong over the final 100m and drew ahead to score narrowly.

Fourie got on the board when scoring on recent maiden winner, Qhawekazi, for the Hollywood Syndicate in the seventh race and then took a further step closer to Anthony Delpech’s record of 334 wins in a single season, when driving the well-backed Meu Capitano (33/10) home in the final event, a Class 3 Handicap over 1200m, to round off the day with a double. Market rival, Axl (7/2, looked to have done enough to secure victory approaching the final 100m but Fourie pushed and shoved for all his worth to get Meu Capitano home in the final few strides.

After scoring on Continental Express earlier, Craig Zackey secured his double when booting home Pomodoro’s Jet (9/4) to a popular victory in the eighth race, a Class 3 Handicap over 1600m. Racing much handier this time from a wide draw, Pomodoro’s Jet remains unbeaten over the Kenilworth mile, and he appears to have a few more victories left in the tank.

The picture gives a clue to the answer (Andrew Redington/Getty) 

Which trainer has won the most Gr 1 Arkle Challenge Trophies at the CHheltenham Festival?

Nicky Henderson (pictured with his celebrated chaser Sprinter Sacre) has won the Gr 1 Arkle Challenge Trohy seven times with Remittance Man (1991), Travado (1993), Tiutchev (2000), Sprinter Sacre (2012), Simonsig (2013), Altior (2017), Shishkin (2021).