Turf Talk Newsletter – 13 July 2022

Khumalo Top SA Jockey In Longines Rankings

S’Manga Khumalo has emerged as the joint sixth best jockey in the world according to a rating system by Longines.

The system is based on points gathered in Longines’ top 100 ranked races in the world.

South Africa has four races ranked in the top 100 in the world at present, the L’Ormarins Queens Plate (joint 57th), The Champions Cup (joint 67th), the Hollywoodbets Durban July (joint 67th) and the WSB Met (joint 90th).

Three of these races have been run this season so far and Khumalo has won two of them, the Queen’s Plate and the July, and finished second in the other, the Met.

The system is obviously a tad skewed because jockeys based in certain countries have a lot more opportunity than others.

Neither does it take into account, for example, that Richard Fourie has won seven Grade 1s this season!

The leader is New Zealander James McDonald who rides in Australia.

McDonald finished 3^rd in the Longines’ rankings last year with 96 points behind Ryan Moore on 112 and William Buick on 104.

However, this year he is way out in front having won five of the world’s top 100 races, the All Aged Stakes at Randwick, the Chipping Norton Stakes at Randwick, the Lightning Stakes at Flemington, the Rosehill Guineas at Rosehill and the TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick.

He thoroughly deserves to be touted as the world’s best as he rode three winners at the Royal Ascot meeting, including Nature Strip in the Group 1 Kings Stand Stakes, which is not a world top 100 race.

The full standings at present are:

Jockey	1st Place(s)	2nd Place(s)	3rd Place(s)	1st Place Points	2nd Place Points	3rd Place Points	Total Points
James McDonald	5	3	1	60	18	4	82
Jim Crowley	3	0	0	36	0	0	36
Vincent Ho	2	1	1	24	6	4	34
Flavien Prat	1	2	2	12	12	8	32
Nash Rawiller	1	2	2	12	12	8	32
Hugh Bowman	2	1	0	24	6	0	30
S’manga Khumalo	2	1	0	24	6	0	30
Irad Ortiz, Jr.	2	1	0	24	6	0	30
Ryan L. Moore	1	1	3	12	6	12	30
William T. Buick	1	2	1	12	12	4	28
Lanfranco Dettori	1	2	1	12	12	4	28
Christophe Patrice Lemaire	0	3	2	0	18	8	26
Kazuo Yokoyama	2	0	0	24	0	0	24
Yuga Kawada	1	1	1	12	6	4	22
Joao Moreira	1	1	1	12	6	4	22
Jose L. Ortiz	1	1	1	12	6	4	22
Zac Purton	1	1	1	12	6	4	22
Jamie Lee Kah	0	3	1	0	18	4	22
Joel Rosario	0	3	1	0	18	4	22
Blake Shinn	1	0	2	12	0	8	20
Yutaka Take	1	0	2	12	0	8	20
Alexis Badel	1	1	0	12	6	0	18
Gavin J. Lerena	1	1	0	12	6	0	18
Mark Zahra	0	1	3	0	6	12	18
Manuel Franco	1	0	1	12	0	4	16
Rob Hornby	1	0	1	12	0	4	16
Christophe Soumillon	1	0	1	12	0	4	16
Damian Lane	0	1	2	0	6	8	14
John Michael Allen	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Jason Richard Collett	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Shane M. Crosse	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Cristian Demuro	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
James Doyle	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Yuichi Fukunaga	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Tyler Gaffalione	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Jorge Alejandro Gonzalez	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Craig J. Grylls	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Kenichi Ikezoe	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Colin Keane	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Richard Kingscote	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Sonny Leon	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Kerrin McEvoy	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Karis Teetan	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Craig A. Williams	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Takeshi Yokoyama	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Hayato Yoshida	1	0	0	12	0	0	12
Matthew Chadwick	0	2	0	0	12	0	12
Daniel Alexander Tudhope	0	2	0	0	12	0	12
Ryuji Wada	0	2	0	0	12	0	12
William James Lee	0	1	1	0	6	4	10
David Probert	0	1	1	0	6	4	10
William Andrew Pike	0	0	2	0	0	8	8
Hector I. Berrios	0	1	0	0	6	0	6
Tim Clark	0	1	0	0	6	0	6
Martin Joseph Dwyer	0	1	0	0	6	0	6
Bernard Rene Fay d’Herbe	0	1	0	0	6	0	6
Rachel King	0	1	0	0	6	0	6
Julien R. Leparoux	0	1	0	0	6	0	6
K. C. Leung	0	1	0	0	6	0	6
Ioritz Mendizabal	0	1	0	0	6	0	6
Gavin M. Ryan	0	1	0	0	6	0	6
Rossa G. Ryan	0	1	0	0	6	0	6
Sam Ronald Frederic Weatherley	0	1	0	0	6	0	6
Junior Alvarado	0	0	1	0	0	4	4
Mickael Barzalona	0	0	1	0	0	4	4
Regan Bayliss	0	0	1	0	0	4	4
Matthew Cameron	0	0	1	0	0	4	4
Ben M. Coen	0	0	1	0	0	4	4
Pat Dobbs	0	0	1	0	0	4	4
Jay William Ford	0	0	1	0	0	4	4
Richard D. Fourie	0	0	1	0	0	4	4
Antoine Hamelin	0	0	1	0	0	4	4
Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	0	0	1	0	0	4	4
Yuji Hishida	0	0	1	0	0	4	4
Fred Kersley	0	0	1	0	0	4	4
Kohei Matsuyama	0	0	1	0	0	4	4

Real Gone Kid Can Really Go Places

PEDIGREE PROFILE -REAL GONE KID

by Sarah Whitelaw

Arrowfield Stud’s outstanding sire Snitzel has had another fine season in 2021-2022. The already four times Australian Champion Sire has, at the time of writing, been responsible for more than 150 winners in Australian this season, with his 18 individual stakes winners having captured 26 black type races this season thus far.

Snitzel’s tally of 18 stakes winners for the current season includes the G1 winners In The Congo (XXXX Golden Rose), Yearning (Schweppes 1000 Guineas), and Wild Ruler (Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes).

Snitzel, who shares his legendary sire Redoute’s Choice with current boom South African sire Rafeef, is responsible for a total of 123 stakes winners thus far, with his tally of G1 winners currently standing at 18.

Among the numerous top mares Snitzel covered last season were some well known to South African racing enthusiasts -dual Equus Champion Carry On Alice and Via Africa (dam of Snitzel’s G1 winning son In The Congo) as well as G2 Golden Slipper winner Alexandra Rose, dam of US G1 winner Oleksandra.

A former G1 Oakleigh Plate winner, Snitzel is also enjoying growing success as a sire of sires, and already has a plethora of sire sons at stud in Australasia. His Cox Plate/Australian Guineas winning son Shamus Award has enjoyed a break out year this season with Shamus Award’s flagbearers including such Australian G1 winners as Incentivise (Caulfield Cup, Turnbull Stakes, Makybe Diva Stakes), Duais (Australian Cup, Tancred Stakes), and El Patroness (Australian Oaks), and Shamus Award is set to stand for a fee of AUS$88 000.

Snitzel is also sire of Russian Revolution -currently the Leading First Season Sire in Australia for 2021-2022, while another son Menari has come up with four winners from his first nine runners.

Already represented in the South African stallion band by the Ascot Stud based G1 SA Classic winning Heavenly Blue, Snitzel is poised to extend his influence in this country with his speedy son Real Gone Kid set to stand at Ridgemont Highlands this year.

Real Gone Kid hails from one of the best families in the stud book, and his dam is a champion daughter of seven times South African champion sire Jet Master.

His dam In The Fast Lane, one of 22 G1 winners sired by Jet Master, was Equus Champion 3YO Filly of 2013-2014 and her three graded triumphs included wins in both the 2013 G1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas and 2014 G1 Woolavington 2000.

In The Fast Lane, bred on the same Jet Master/ Northern Guest cross as champion sprinter J J The Jet Plane and successful sire Pomodoro, is a half-sister to seven stakes horses, including fellow G1 winner and Equus Champion Let’s Rock’N Roll, G2 Peninsula Handicap/G3 Abu Dhabi Championship winner Light The Lights and G2 Track And Ball Oaks heroine Keep On Dancing.

In The Fast Lane’s Zimbabwe Oaks winning dam, and Zimbabwean champion, First Arrival is also the dam of Hadlow Stud’s blue blooded young sire Summa Cum Laude (a son of sensational South African stallion Vercingetorix).

Q & A With Luke Ferraris
International Racing Club
COURAGE, MATURITY, HORSEMANSHIP: Luke Ferraris has the right attributes.

Most young jockeys take years, even decades, to master the basics of their profession – dedication, acceptance of disappointments and injuries, little food and a hard-skinned attitude to setbacks. With good reason – they’re all thrown in the deep end as boys and some don’t survive the early challenge of establishing themselves in a hugely competitive, dog-eat-dog game where the ‘old boys’ rule and it takes courage, patience and self-belief to make a name for yourself.

At 20, Luke Ferraris has already gone beyond the tough-as-nails basics and he is able to focus on his professional race-riding. He joined the band of Hong Kong jockeys riding in arguably the world’s most competitive jurisdiction last year and has a mid-log 17 winners and over 70 places to show in his first full season.

The son of former trainer David Ferraris, Luke, at 19, was the youngest jockey in the group when he started out last year, but he’d already proven himself to be an elite talent, being named champion apprentice in South Africa twice while winning six Group Ones, and including the South African Triple crown on Malmoos.

Luke grew up in Hong Kong after his father relocated to Sha Tin for the start of the 2003/04 season, spending the majority of his childhood at the famous circuit shadowing his father at trackwork, also while undertaking horse riding lessons as a youth and spending time around some of the individuals he competes with today.

He transferred back to South Africa as a 15-year-old in 2017 to join the well-regarded South African Jockey Academy and rode his first winner on 24 April, 2018 as part of a double at the Vaal in partnership with his grandfather, Ormond, the former master trainer and also dual SA champion.

His list of top-level successes as an apprentice is more impressive than the majority of his rivals can show in a lifetime and includes the Cape Town Met (2021 Rainbow Bridge), South African Derby (2021 Malmoos), South African Classic (2021 Malmoos), Gold Medallion (2021 Ambiorix), Gold Challenge (2021 Rainbow Bridge), Allan Robertson Championship (2019 Miss Florida), G2 Gauteng Guineas (2021 Malmoos), G2 Concorde Cup (2020 Malmoos), G2 Hawaii Stakes (2020 Cirillo) and the G3 Graham Beck Stakes (2020 Malmoos).

Last Sunday he won the $2,4-million Chow Silver Plate at Sha-Tin on Circuit Stellar for trainer Tony Cruz, one of the legends and great champions of Hong Kong who is helping to shape young Luke for a career that is bound to go from strength to strength and going one way – to the top!

Here is our snap Q&A with Luke Ferraris:

1. Full name? Luke Joseph Ferraris

2. Date of Birth? 27/12/2001

3. Steak or sushi? Sushi

4. Superstitions? A few

5. Fav Holiday Destination? Maldives / Philippines

6. Which: BMW or Merc? Merc

7. Who inspires you the most? Family

8. Big night out or quiet night in? Big night out once a while but usually its a quiet night in

9. Left-handed or right-handed? Left-handed

10. Number of winners and number of Gr1 wins? 6x G1’s

11. What annoys you the most? Short head 2nds

12. Race you’d most like to win? HK Derby / The Durban July

13. Funniest person you have ever met? Diego de Gouveia

14. Toughest rival jockey to race against? Joao Moreira & Zac Purton

15. Strict whip rules or no whip at all? There should be some regulations

16. What is your biggest phobia? Having regrets

17. Colts or fillies? Colts

18. Best dresser in weighing room? Alexis Badel

19. Proudest Achievement? SA Triple Crown (Malmoos) & Cape Met (Rainbow Bridge)

20. Favourite course? Sha Tin / Happy valley

21. One thing to make racing better for everyone? Consistency

22. Economy or business class? Business

23. Your star sign? Capricorn

24. Single or taken? Single

25. Bath or shower? Shower

26. Read or Netflix? Netflix

27. Would you rather ask for permission or ask for forgiveness? Ask for forgiveness

28. Nominate someone for our Q&A next? David Ferraris

Purton/Moreira Championship Cliffhanger – 132 Winners Each With One Meeting Left

Zac Purton went into the final Happy Valley meeting of this Hong Kong racing season with a slim two winner lead over Joao Moreira but Moreira scored a double to level the standings.

There is just one meeting of the season left, at Sha Tin on Sunday, and it the nail-biting race for the jockey’s title will be the chief interest.

Purton broke the 13 season streak of Douglas Whyte in the 2013/2014 season when establishing a new Hong record of 112 winners.

However, then along came the sensational Brazilian Joao Moreira to win the championship for the next three seasons in record-smashing style, riding 145, 168 and 171 winners respectively.

However, Purton has fought back and has won the last three championships with 136, 168 and 147 winners respectively.

Purton had no fewer than three second place finishes today and Moreira had two.

There will be a thrilling finale on Sunday.

The two South African HK-based jockeys, Luke Ferraris and Lyle Hewitson, each had a winner today.

Hewitson is now on 26 winners for the season and Ferraris on 18.

‘I was dreading it but it’s common sense’ – Willie Carson on the new whip rules

By James Stevens (Racing Post)

Willie Carson, who forged a glittering career in the saddle using his whip only in the backhand position, has praised the recommendations in Tuesday’s whip review.

Carson, who won the Derby at Epsom four times and was champion jockey on five occasions in a career spanning more than 30 years, said his own riding style placed more emphasis on using the force of his body and the reins to encourage the horse, rather than the whip.

His comments come following Tuesday’s news that the Whip Consultation Steering Group had recommended a ban on whip use in the forehand position. This is likely to be introduced in the autumn.

“I wouldn’t have to change my riding style at all,” said Carson. “I rode 30 years ago and I would’ve been in the parameters of this ruling.

“It was a natural progression from realising the stick wasn’t the way to get the best out of them. I always used it in the backhand position and I’d use it to make their stride go longer. It was used as a coercion thing to make that horse go faster.

Willie Carson, using his whip in the backhand position, aboard the great sprinter Dayjur in the 1990 King’s Stand Stakes Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

“I used my riding style rather than the whip. I was trying to get a hold of their head, using my whole body and everything I could to get the horse to stretch, go forward and get lower to the ground.

“I would never have used that stick to hit horses a lot, many a time I would never hit them at all, that’s why I’d still be in the parameters today.”

A number of other recommendations were made in the whip review including disqualification as a penalty for the first time. The likes of Sean Levey and Mick Fitzgerald warned riders would require time to adapt to the change to new rulings but, like Carson, agreed the steps taken were a positive.

The review determined the backhand position is less likely to lead to a whip being used with “excessive force”, while it is also less noticeable for those watching a race.

Disqualification will come if a rider goes over the permitted number of strikes – seven on the Flat, eight over jumps – by four or more. Carson also felt this was a good decision.

Willie Carson (left): won the 1977 Oaks with the Queen’s Dunfermline, pictured after the line with his whip in the backhand position Gerry Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

The man whose most famous mounts include Nashwan, Dunfermline and Dayjur, added: “Jockeys are under pressure but you’ve got to have some deterrent. Hopefully they’ve got the calculator in their head that can go from one to seven or eight, that’s all it is.”

“I basically agree with what’s happened – I was dreading it at one point but to me it’s common sense. The new rules are in parameters that jockeys should be able to handle but we don’t want to be going much further down the line as it is.”

Legendary jockey Kieren Fallon issued concerns regarding how the stewards could differentiate whether a hit of the whip in the forehand position was for safety or encouragement.

Jockeys will face a minimum suspension of seven days if deemed to use the whip in the forehand, even for one use, but the report also stresses a forehand can be used for “safety purposes”, meaning it could be complicated to police.

The rider, who won 16 Classics, said: “Some jockeys will have to change their style with this new backhand rule and it’s likely to be awkward and take a bit of getting used to early on.

“It’s for the good in some ways as nobody likes to see horses getting hit, but at the end of the day it will still boil down to interpretation between safety and encouragement. That’s going to be a difficult one to determine whether it’s for safety use or not.”

Kieren Fallon with son Cieren: “When jockeys go over the count currently and keep the race it can leave a sour taste” Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

However, Fallon believes disqualification rules are far more simple to understand and, like Carson, was pleased with its introduction to the sport.

“That’s a good move and everyone will know where they stand,” said Fallon, who rode more than 2,200 winners. “When jockeys go over the count and keep the race it can leave a sour taste.”

“Jockeys won’t do it now as they know if they go four or more over they will lose the race. That’s the way you want the rules – simple and black and white.”

Welsh Rugby Supporters Club Enjoyed Kenilworth Meeting Today

The Welsh Rugby Supporters Club are in Cape Town to watch the series-deciding third test between the Springboks and Wales at Newlands on Saturday.

The sports fans attended the Kenilworth races today as a curtain raiser.

They clearly enjoyed themselves and late in the day treated others racegoers to some singing, which is the other pastime they are famous for besides rugby.

Picture: Welsh rugby fans at Kenilworth today (Wayne Marks)

Three Late Entries In CTS Horses In Training Sale (Turffontein 16 July)
Irfaan’s Boy (Lot 11) Won Yesterday
Click Below To View The 14 Lot Catalogue

CTS 2022_HORSES IN TRAINING SALE

Captain Lannister, the consistent and lightly raced classic performer, is one of 14 lots to be sold at a Horses In Training Sale after the race meeting at Turffontein on Saturday, 16 July, which will be conducted under the auspices of Cape Thoroughbred Sales (CTS).

Lot 4, Captain Lannister, is a son of Captain Of All from Ashley Fortune’s yard, who showed his talent early with a fourth in the 2021 G1 Gold Medallion over 1200m, won from 1000m – 1450m, and then proved his scope and versatility with an excellent and close–up third to Red Saxon and Safe Passage in the G1 SA Classic over 1800m.

Also from Fortune Racing is Lot 1, Winter Smoke, a fast and classy, multiple–Graded winner by What A Winter, with bold black type and a good female line, and has good paddock value.

While two-year-old Gimme The Flame (Lot 2) has not won a race in six starts, she has good form to show against high class sorts Prophet and Time Fo Orchids (both G2 placed on July Day), and her first taste of success is not far off. As a daughter of Gimmethegreenlight out of a Captain Al mare, she already has future broodmare potential.

Lot 3 is Galla Vanting, the smart unbeaten daughter of Querari, and winner of the G3 Pretty Polly Stakes; all class, and set for a top career.

Lot 5 is Rosy Lemon, an unraced filly by Ideal World from a mare by Strike Smartly, bred for ground from the family of Meranti, and related to eight-time winner Amazing Strike.

Lot 6, Lidl Miss Sunshine, is a beautifully bred daughter of Silvano and a mare by Fastnet Rock. She has shown ability with an early 1400m win from just six starts, and promises more.

Lot 7, Funky Music (Capetown Noir), has won three races, with 14 places to his credit. His most recent win came at the Vaal late in May. He has not raced since, but is a perennial bread-and-butter handicapper, with more in his tank at four years of age.

Lot 8, Edward Longshanks is a perfect fun horse, with a win and six places from 15 starts, a consistent low handicap form, and who will win more races. He is by William Longsword out of a mare by leading broodmare sire, Var.

Lot 9 is the five-year-old mare Before The Dawn, whose record shows 7 wins and, still, an apparent zest for racing. She is a quality sprinter by Oratorio out of a mare by Var, with a good stud value, and she may well win again before she departs to a broodmare barn.

CTS MD Grant Knowles said: “This is a small sale of horses in training in which quality and much promise is reflected in the race records and pedigrees. With two weeks to go, we will keep the entries open, as this sale will attract a good share of buyers.”

Picture: Irfaans Boy (Lot 11) won at The Vaal yesterday (Tuesday) (JC Photos).

Entry Form For CTS Ready To Run
& Unbroken Two Year Old Sale 2022
29 October 2022
Entry Form Closing Date 30 July 2022

CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY FORM: CTS RTR SALE 2022.pdf

The CTS RTR SALE 2022 will be held at Kenilworth Racecourse.

Please complete the above form IN FULL and return to: entries@cthbs.com

Contact And EFT Details are listed on the Entry form.

Marshall Treble In Testing Conditions At Kenilworth

Vaughan Marshall scored a treble at today’s Kenilworth meeting where the penetrometer reading was officially 27.

Greg Cheyne’s face after the last race gives a clue about the conditions (Wayne Marks).

Two of Marshall’s winners were ridden by S’Manga Khumalo and both of those winners, Colloidal Gold (Gold Standard) and Scalini (Pomodoro), are owned by Ken and Jane Truter.

Marshall goes to 49 winners for the season at a strike rate of 9.35% and Khumalo goes to 168 winners for the season at a strike rate of 15.04%.

Today’s Question

Whose maxim for educating horses is “Slow is Fast And Fast Is Slow”.

See Answer At The End Of Newsletter

Picture: The Horse-Lovers Encyclopedia

Turffontein Standside Thursday July 14 Fields

Today’s Question Answer

The legendary “horse whisperer” Monty Roberts said there is no greater maxim when educating horses than “Slow is fast and fast is slow.”

Roberts’ Join-up method uses no force or coercion.

During a question and answer session at one of his demonstrations he was asked, “Mr. Roberts, we’ve been watching you and you’re so patient. We can’t muster that kind of patience. How do you do it?”

He replied, “Who is being patient?”

He explained his reply.

“Traditionally it takes four to six weeks to cause a horse to accept it’s first saddle and rider. If I can complete the task in just thirty minutes, then I believe I have the right to ask, ‘Who has patience, the traditional horsemen or myself?’”

Picture: Monty Roberts (Afonso Westphal)