Turf Talk Newsletter – 11 November, 2024

Greeting My Master fights back to win by half-a-length (JC Photos).

Greeting My Master produced an amazing fight back to retain the Gr 3 Betway Victory Moon Stakes for the Alec Laird yard at Turffontein Standside today (Moday), although the question was whether a contributing factor was the stamina capacity of the horse he came back at, Main Defender.

Laird won the 1800m event last year with Atticus Finch, who finshed well for a three length third in today’s renewal.

Both Greeting My Master and Atticus Finch are by the prominent Varsfontein Stud-based sire Master Of My Fate and Atticus Finch was bred by Varsfontein while Greeting My Master was bred by Syrilla Stud.

The 1800m event is often used by horses as a last gasp opportunity to qualify for the Betway Summer Cup, while others use it as a preparation event for the Summer Cup.

Greeting My Master might be supplemented before the final entry stage on 18 November.

However, the horses to take out of the race on the bare form are Main Defender and Purple Pitcher.

Main Defender was the half-a-length runner up despite having to give the progressive Greeting My Master 11kg and if they were to face each other in the Summer Cup Main Defender would be 6,5 kg better off.

Purple Picther, who finished fifth, was 3kg under sufferance with Main Defender on official merit ratings and was only 3,5 lengths behind the latter.

Main Defender is a 25/2 shot with Hollywoodbets for the Summer Cup and Purple Pitcher is 20/1.

Greeting My Master started 17/10 favourite and jumping from draw six was taken to the front by Chase Maujean.

Gavin Lerena, from a good draw of five, was able to get the rails position behind him on 5/2 second favourite Main Defender.

In the straight Main Defender followed Greeting My Master and was all over him until Lerena switched him out at the 400m marker and cruised into a lead of at least a length.

However, Greeting My Master, from the 200m mark onward, began making up ground on the leader. He got there cosily in the end.

Some might read it that Main Defender did not stay, but he will be having his third run after a layoff in the Summer Cup and will be carrying 3,5kg less weight than the 62kg he lugged today.

The winner of the race can not incur a merit rating raise of more than eight points and placed horses can’t go up by more than four points.

It will be interesting to see what the handicapper decides because it was Main Defender’s first attempt at the trip, while Atticus Finch is proven over this trip.

If Atticus Finch is used as the line horse then Greeting My Master might go up by six points and Main Defender might go up four points.

However, the handicapper might want to take a lenient view considering the 93-rated Thunee Player finished fourth, beaten 3,40 lengths, and was carrying the same weight as the winner.

If they do use Main Defender as line horse than Greeting My Master might just go up by a couple of points.

The former Gr 1 SA Classic winner Purple Pitcher was out at the weights and finished a four length fifth. If he is used as the line horse Greeting My Master will probably only cop a two point raise and Main Defender might be left alone on 129.

Mon Petite Cherie (far side) gets up under Richard Fourie (Picture: Wayne Marks) 

Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle)

Richard Fourie has won more Feature races than he can possibly recount but seldom are his mounts ignored in the betting market and allowed to start at 16/1. But such was the case on Saturday when he partnered the Brett Crawford-trained Mon Petit Cherie to a narrow victory over Beware The Bomb (25/1) in the R450 000 Western Cape Fillies Championship (Gr2) over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. The shock outcome, coupled with a few earlier reversals, resulted in a massive Bipot dividend of more than R53 000.

Mon Petit Cherie lagged towards the rear as the field swung for home but, weaving a passage down the inside rail, Fourie timed his effort to perfection and the Ridgemont-bred 3yo daughter of Rafeef had just enough in reserve to hold out a late dive from Beware The Bomb by a whisker, with Symphony In White and race favourite Gimmie’s Countess both within half-a-length of the winner in a blanket finish.

Mon Petit Cherie is raced in partnership by Ridgemont and Hollywood’s Brand and Communications Manager, Devin Heffer, and Craig Kieswetter was on hand to greet their Grade 2 winner, whose dam by Galileo has already produced the dual Listed Stakes winner Capitana, former winner of the Laisserfaire Stakes which coincidentally was also featured on Saturday’s card. No doubt the Mon Petit Cherie team will be looking forward to the 1600m World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas (Gr1) on 7 December with great anticipation and excitement.

Beware The Bomb, a big strong well put-together daughter of Lancaster Bomber, was the standout in the preliminaries and her narrow defeat did not do her prospects of being a major force in the Guineas any harm. On the other hand, Symphony In White, who was beaten with every chance, appeared to have come to the end of her run inside the last 50m and the jury is out as to whether the Guineas trip will be within her compass.

As for Gimmie’s Countess, she was dropped out to the back of the field from her wide draw and turned for home with a mountain to climb. Whereas Fourie elected to go inwards on Mon Petit Cherie, Craig Zackey gave Gimmie’s Countess a clear path on the outside and the regally bred daughter of Gimmethegreenlight was closing hand-over-fist inside the final 200m, only to run out of real estate. Dean Kannemeyer will naturally be hoping for a kinder barrier position in the Guineas and the longer home stretch on the Summer course should also be in her favour.

Natural light-weight jockey, Josh Solomons, was seen to good advantage, getting his pace-setting fractions absolutely right and leading from pillar to post on the Justin Snaith-trained Daimyo (11/2) in the R225 000 Woolavington Stakes (Listed) over 2500m. Using his low mass of 50kgs to best advantage, Daimyo kept going resolutely in the home straight and was never in danger of defeat. Love Is A Rose and Holding Thumbs came out the chasing pack to fill the Exacta and Trifecta positions, with Call To Unite a rather one-paced fourth. The favourite and top weight Future Swing, conceding as much as 10kgs to the winner, was staying on from the back of the field without ever posing a threat. However, Future Swing remains on target for a crack at the R500 000 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers (Gr3) over 2800m at the end of January, when the highly-rated 5yo son of Futura will be much better treated by the conditions of the race.

Miss Marguerite (16/1) had not won for 506 days but she made full use of a light weight to take out the R225 000 Laisserfaire Stakes (Listed) over 1100m following a protracted battle with Asiye Phambili (25/1) over the final 300m. Well handled by Ashton Arries and trained by Piet Steyn for a partnership which includes himself and Marsh Shirtliffe, Miss Marguerite was in receipt of a massive 10,5kgs from Asiye Phambili, but the latter gamely refused to go down without a fight and was only beaten a head at the post. Summer Lily, stepping back in trip and sporting blinkers for the first time, ran on strongly to finish a close third with both Nordic Quest and Southern Skies soundly beaten.

The Fabian Habib-trained William Longsword filly Ice Star wins the Listed Betway National Colour Stakes and is the third leg of a four-timer for Piere Strydom (JC Photos)

Evergreen Piere Strydom is as good as ever and proved it at Turffontein Standside today when riding a four-timer, including winning the Listed Betway National Colour Stakes on the Fabian Habib-trained William Longsword filly Ice Star.

Strydom’s 31 wins this season have come at a phenomenal strike rate of 30.39%.

He is limited to rides of 58kg and above, unless he rides overweight.

However, all of his winners today are potential feature race candidates so he might be able to keep the rides on them.

His wins were on the Sean Tarry-trained One World filly One More Star, a half-sister to Malmoos and she got out of the maidens in promising style; the top class Lucky Houdalakis-trained sprinter Dyce (William Longsword); the hard-knocking Mike de Kock-trained White Pearl (Danon Platina) and Ice Star.

Marco van Rensburg is the most in from jockey in the country at present with eleven wins this month at a strike rate of 29.73%.

However, Gavin Lerena looks likely to be the one who will be the biggest competition to the odds-on favourite to retain his title, Richard Fourie.

Van Rensburg has ridden in seven meetings this month and his wins include a treble and three doubles.

His eleven wins have taken him to 32 wins for the season at a strike rate of 11.68%.

Van Rensburg has also enjoyed big race success as he won the Gr 2 Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile on the Brett Crawford-trained Winchester Mansion (Trippi) and on the same day was successful on the Roy Magner-trained Olivia’s Way (Pathfork) in the Gr 3 Allied Steelrode Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m.

Both of those feature wins were notable because Winchester Mansion was coming off a tailed off last place finish, while the up and coming three-year-old filly Olivia’s Way was actually 5,5kg under sufferance according to official merit ratings (she was duly given a 13 point raise for her cosy two length win).

Meanwhile, Gavin Lerena’s treble on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Greyville and double yesterday saw him go to 66 wins for the season at an excellent strike rate of 27.05%. That puts him just two wins behind the log leader Muzi Yeni, who is sidelined after fracturing a clavicle in a nasty fall in the Charity Mile.

Winchester Mansion was ultimately blamed for Yeni’s fall after an inquiry, but no blame was apportioned to Van Rensbur’s riding.

A report by The Sporting Post said, “The Stipes said that the racing manners of Winchester Mansion was the major contributing factor, and several less substantial contributions resulted in Back In Business clipping the heels of Meridius and Jockey Muzi Yeni being dislodged.

They suggested that the seriousness of any incident like this one where a horse/s suffers interference and a Rider falls in a race cannot be underestimated, but at the same time to level a charge against a Rider/s there needs to be sufficient carelessness and/or recklessness to the required degree to sustain a competent charge.

The Stipes determined that due to the complexity of this incident and the role played by several horses and riders, that a charge could not be sustained against riders and have decided to close the matter.”

Richard Fourie is on 57 wins for the season at a strike rate of 23.85%.

He is on the same number of wins as Craig Zackey, who has done it at 14.62%.

Fourie is generally only riding in two centres, which is the same as Lerena who is riding on the Highveld and in KZN.

However, Fourie’s association with the prolific Alan Greeff yard makes him the favourite for the title.

At this stage last season Fourie had 84 wins, which gives an inkling of his down-pedalling this season, and so the 3/1 odds of Lerena for the title with Hollywoodbets could be temnpting for some compared to the 7/10 odds of Fourie.

Zackey is riding in all four centres, so he is an interesting proposition for the title at 4/1, but he would need to up his strike rate.

Yeni has now drifted to 7/1, after the unfortunate incident which came at a time when he looked to have a good chance of realising his long held dream of winning the championship. He had been riding on the Highveld, the Eastern Cape and KZN and his 68 wins had come at a strike rate of 15.53%. He is not out of it, but will need to ride his socks out in his comeback and will need to keep up his usual taxing schedule.

The Gareth van Zyl-trained Natyam (Noble Tune) is the middle leg of a treble for Gavin Lerena (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Andrew Harrison (Gold Circle)

Cape Eagle looked to be an absolute blinder in the Remax Address Pinnacle Stakes that headed the card in a rain-soaked Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday, but the gallant warrior was undone by a horse that took off like Usain Bolt in an Olympic sprint at the top of the straight.

Racing in first time pacifiers, a pedestrian early pace played into the hands of the Gareth van Zyl-trained Natyam who finished like an express train to out-gun hot favourite Cape Eagle who was caught for finishing speed.

“They went a good pace early on but at the nine hundred they slowed it down to a walk,” said winning rider Gavin Lerena.

It was a smart win considering that Natyam was 3.5kg out at the weights with Cape Eagle on their last meeting but hindsight is always an exact science and the pace was certainly the undoing of Cape Eagle.

Rachel Venniker took no prisoners in the card opener as the Darryl Moore-trained Happy Fortune fought off favourite Woza Nawe in a close duel to the line. Gavin Lerena pushed forward on Woza Nawe from her 13 draw and was up alongside pacemaker Zena Rose as they hit the turn with Venniker in a watching brief behind the favourite.

With Zena Rose angling out for a run, Happy Fortune looked to be in a little trouble as Woza Nawe shifted out and the two coming together for a few strides. From here on it was nip-and-tuck but Happy Fortune was resolute and kept finding to hold off Woza Nawe with Zena Rose staying on for third.

Only six runners stepped out for the second with Sun In My Pocket and Lady Of Vix the two market rivals. Sun In My Pocket was never certain to make it out of the pens on terms given her previous antics, but she got it all right and bounded out of the gate with Lady Of Vix keeping station, the two pulling clear of their rivals.

It was a case of who would blink first in the run for the line with both rides not resorting to the stick, but eventually Lady Of Vix asserted her authority and a couple of backhanders from Mathew Thackeray saw her home comfortably for Tony Rivalland with the balance of the field well beaten.

Lerena, in prime position to challenge current champion Richard Fourie for the National Jockey title with current log leader Muzi Yeni out for at least another six weeks, added to his fast-growing total with a patient ride on Blowin’ In The Wind. who whistles through her field to build on her recent maiden win.

The fourth was left open with the scratching of Mocha Blend and the well-bred Queen Of The Air was sent out favourite. But in a race run at a pedestrian gallop, she was never in the hunt and was reported to have choked up in the running as Flying Hafla made most of the running but not able to hold off a determined challenge from Pull A Fast One who enjoyed the slow pace and first time over the extended trip.

One Stripe is among the nine entries (Picture: Wayne Marks) 

A small but classy field have been entered for the Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup and it includes the country’s most exciting three-year-old, the Vaughan Marshall-trained One Stripe.

The Gr 3 Langerman one-two Eight On Eighteen and All Out For Six are also among the entries, which are shown below.

The meeting is the first of Cape Racing’s Summer Festival of Racing series.

City Of Troy will be one of the favourites for Cartier Horse Of The Year (Candiese Lenferna Photography) 

Horse racing fans are invited to choose their champions of 2024 with the public voting for the 34th Cartier Racing Awards and there is only one day left to do it before deadline of noon on Tuesday 12 November.

Members of the public play a crucial role in deciding the winners of European racing’s premier awards, with their votes making up 35% of the final total for each horse.

Votes are combined with points earned in Pattern races (30%) and the opinions of a panel of racing journalists/handicappers (35%) to determine the recipients for each of the eight equine awards.

Members of the public can cast their votes via www.cartierracingawards.co.uk until noon on Tuesday, 12 November. All participants will be entered into a draw to win a special prize from Cartier.

Established in 1991 to reward excellence in horseracing, the 34th Cartier Racing Awards will be presented at the Dorchester Hotel in London on the evening of Wednesday, November 20.

Horses eligible for voting in the 2024 Cartier Racing Awards:

Cartier Horse of the Year

Anmaat

Bluestocking

Charyn

City Of Troy

Economics

Goliath

Kyprios

Notable Speech

Rebel’s Romance

Rosallion

 

Cartier Older Horse

Anmaat

Audience

Auguste Rodin

Bluestocking

Charyn

Facteur Cheval

Goliath

Mqse de Sevigne

Rebel’s Romance

White Birch

 

Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt

Calandagan

City Of Troy

Economics

Jan Brueghel

Look de Vega

Los Angeles

Metropolitan

Notable Speech

Rosallion

Sosie

 

Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly

Aventure

Elmalka

Ezeliya

Friendly Soul

Kalpana

Opera Singer

Porta Fortuna

Ramatuelle

Sparkling Plenty

Tamfana

 

Cartier Sprinter

Asfoora

Bradsell

Inisherin

Khaadem

Kind Of Blue

Lazzat

Makarova

Mill Stream

Montassib

Starlust

Cartier Stayer

Double Major

Giavellotto

Illinois

Jan Brueghel

Kyprios

Sevenna’s Knight

Sweet William

Tower Of London

Trawlerman

Vauban

Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt

Camille Pissarro

Henri Matisse

Hotazhell

Magnum Force

New Century

Rashabar

Scorthy Champ

Shadow Of Light

Twain

Whistlejacket

Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly

Babouche

Daylight

Desert Flower

Exactly

Fairy Godmother

Lake Victoria

Simmering

Sky Majesty

Vertical Blue

Zarigana

The picture gives an obscure clue to the answer.

Who has watched the most consecutive Julys?

Picture: 50/1 shot Agrippa won the July in a mudbath in 1931 , the year Durban Turf Club member David Caro had his wedding reception at the race he was so passionate about (Picture: southafricanracehorse.wordpress.com)

Durban Turf Club member and owner amd punter David Caro was said to have watched 70 consecutive Julys, the first being as a ten-year-old when snuck onto the course under the knee rug of his parents, who entered the course on a horse drawn carriage (there was an age restriction back then).

He never missed a July thereafter.

His wedding did not stop him watching the July as he held his wedding reception at Greyville on July day  in 1931.

There might have been racegoers who have watched more Julys, but not consecutively.

Doyen of racing jornalism Jack Ramsay revealed he was watching his 69th July in 2011, but he had to miss a few during the war years.

He  passed away just before the 2016 July and is likely to have attended the Julys between 2011 and then so could well have racked up more than 70.

He was 90 in 2011 and his analysis of the race was unbelievably accurate.

The below is an article about him in 2011:

JACK Ramsay, a doyen of racing journalism through much of the 20th century, will be watching his 69th Vodacom Durban July on Saturday and fancies the favourite Igugu very strongly.

Ramsay will turn 90 about a week after Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event event and racing has been in his blood for his whole life.

He said, “Next to Dynasty (the 2003 winner) Igugu has the best characteristics I’ve seen to win the July. I think she is something special. She has a magnificent stride and just wants to win. She has that ‘come and get me’ presence about her. I felt as confident before Dynasty’s win. People tried to find fault with him even though, like Igugu, he had done everything. What did they want him and what do they want her to do –  sit up and sing?!”

Ramsay views The Apache and Run For It as Igugu’s main dangers.

He said, “Seldom does a bad horse win the Dingaans and The Apache won it very easily. Then, considering he had come back from a long break, his win in the Daily News was excellent. Run For It’s J&B Met run (third place) was very good. He has done nothing wrong and I think he is only now coming to his peak.”

Regarding the pace, Ramsay said, “I don’t think the pace will affect Igugu. She has the speed to be up there and has the stamina to stay all day. She also has a very good jockey (Anthony Delpech).”

Ramsay said that two July’s stood out as his most memorable.

“Sea Cottage’s dead-heat with Jollify in 1967 and when Mowgli beat Radlington in 1952 were the best,” he said.

He was working for the Rand Daily Mail in 1952 and The Mercury in 1967 and tipped both of those great horses to win.

Ramsay’s parents both owned horses and as a fifteen-year-old he worked on the racecourse counting money.

“I also used to punt illegally at that age,” he laughed. “I grew up with racing and loved it. I rode work and have been racing all around the world. I saw Secretariat winning the Belmont by 31 lengths. He was the greatest horse I’ve seen. I also saw Brigadier Gerard, Mill Reef, Nijinsky and Blue Peter. I rode in amateur races at Scottsville and in England.”

Ramsay was a racing journalist for 52 years and said, “My work has been my life and I’ve loved it. I have met very nice people all over the world and have made lots of friends.”

He reckoned the July was a “great race.”

“It is one of those races that has something about it and it hasn’t lost anything over the years,” he said.

Ramsay belies his age very noticeably.

He rides his bicycle everyday for about two hours along the beach front and follows this by swimming 10 lengths at the local baths.

Ramsay is likely the longest standing member of Gold Circle, having joined the Durban Turf club in 1946.

He has earned the respect of many generations with his immense racing knowledge and his July views are sure to be taken note of.