The Abdicator found his feet as a three-year-old and looks to have scope for further progression this season, which begins in the sixth race at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Graeme Hawkins

Cape Racing hosts a 9-race “bread-and-butter” race meeting at Hollywoodbets Durbanville tomorrow and The Abdicator (Ire) makes his comeback in the sixth race, a Class 3 Handicap over 1000m, and is reported by trainer Brett Crawford to be “working well and a good run is expected”.

The Abdicator (Ire) has a victory at the country course to his credit and he could make light of 61kgs under Richard Fourie to post his fifth career win. That said, on previous form Tough Terrain has his measure in receipt of 6,5kgs and is a must inclusion in all perms. Captain Arrow has very good course and distance form, but Candice Bass-Robinson has indicated the 4yo son of Captain Of All could just need this run. Franz Lehar receives 5kgs from the aforementioned and could be the lurker in this trappy looking contest.

The first race, a Maiden Plate (F&M) over 1250, due to start at 12:05. The race has attracted a full field, but the outcome appears to rest between Englefield Green and Beware The Bomb, both of which showed useful promise on their respective debuts. Beware The Bomb has not raced since finishing third behind Tequila Sky back in April, but trainer Justin Snaith reports that “Beware The Bomb is doing great and will be the filly to beat.”

On that basis the 3yo daughter of Lancaster Bomber gets the nod but healthy respect for Andre Nel’s Englefield Green who should progress nicely from a decent draw. Back At The George has done enough in her four starts to date to suggest she could be in the mix as far as Trifectas and Quartets are concerned.

Let It Be Said ticks all the right boxes in the second race and opening leg of the Bipot, a Maiden Plate over 1250m. Runner-up in his last two starts the Snaith-trained son of Vercingetorix should make a bold bid, but there are several very well-bred newcomers so keep an eye on the betting for a possible market springer. Bombers In The Sky returns from a lengthy spell on the sidelines and has been gelded in the interim. Watch for a much better effort here. Cliff Swallow has been expensive to follow but could have a say in the outcome.

The fourth race and opening leg of the Pick 6, a Maiden Plate over 1600m, could be fought out by Landoftherisingsun and Terminator. The latter has shown good recent improvement but will find it tough from the widest gate of all and preference is thus for the relatively unexposed Landoftherisingsun, who has placed in his last two outings. Circumbendibus and Arbitration could have scope for improvement and may be worth considering for larger perms, along with the 4yo maidens Amancio, Champonelle and Cosmic Rhythm.

Plum Pudding ran below par on a soft track last time but could bounce back in the fifth race, a Class 4 Handicap (F&M over 1800m. She has most to fear from the Snaith pair, Among The Clouds and Lickety Split, but I believe that Plum Pudding will get the run of the race from pole position and prove the one to beat.

Bass-Robinson holds a strong hand in the eighth race, a Cape C Stakes (F&M) over 1400m, with her two promising 3yo fillies Scarlet Macaw and Babelicious, both of which are well drawn. The 4yo Becky Sharp looks well handicapped here but is drawn wide and will need a little luck in running. Tokyo Princess bounced back to winning ways at long odds two weeks ago and Craig Zackey retains the ride. Lunga Gila has his string in good order and Tokyo Princess cannot be lightly dismissed.

Radicchio is ideally course and distance suited in the ninth race, a Class 4 Handicap over 1400m. Fourie has twice been victorious aboard Piet Botha’s 5yo son of Flower Alley and he should give us a good run for our money here. Das Gute is equally at home at Durbanville and his recent form is encouraging. He should go close from a decent draw this time around. Definitely Yes won well on debut and Dean Kannemeyer’s runner could be anything. Plus Four and Stated were impressive winners of their most recent outings, while We Have Touchdown has won his last two, but faces a real test with top weight to shoulder. A tough race but I harbour a slight preference for Radicchio.

Brandon Bailey has tipped Lickety Split to follow up on his last eyecatching win. (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Race 1

3 ENGLEFIELD GREEN ran a lovely race on debut when finishing fourth in what looked to be a decent maiden juvenile plate, two winners have already come from that race, from a good draw she must have a good winning chance. 10 BEWARE THE BOMB comes back to the races from a long rest, if she does not need the run badly and can beat a tricky draw, she can easily build on a good debut performance and be right there in the finish. 8 BACK AT THE GEORGE has been rested for 95 days, she has some very good form to her name, there is no doubt that she has a good each way chance here. 6 DIAMOND BOMBER will need to improve to win a race like this, from a good draw, if she can put that disappointing last run behind her, she might have a quartet chance at best. Watch the first timers in a very tricky race.

(Brandon Bailey: 3 – 10 – 8 – 6)

Race 2

8 LET IT BE SAID was beaten by a smart horse in his last start, he undoubtedly has the best form on paper in this race and will take a power of beating. 9 CLIFF SWALLOW drops back in trip from his last start, he is very consistent and again he must have a solid place chance. 2 PINOT GRIGIO has been rested for 88 days, he was terribly green first time out when running a decent race behind Billy Cool, from a good draw here and with natural improvement, he should be the nearest danger to Let It Be Said. 1 BOMBERS IN THE SKY has been rested and gelded, from a good draw he might be able to improve and finish closer. 13 ALL ABOUT LOVE comes back to the races from a rest and gelding, he will need to improve big time to win a race like this. Watch the first timers closely.

(Brandon Bailey: 8 – 9 – 1 – 13)

Race 3

8 MASTEROFTHEDESERT ran a great race last time behind Across The Bow, he is improving and getting stronger with more racing, from a tricky draw in a race that is lacking strong form, he could go very close to winning. 5 GRAND ALLEGRO gets a decent draw in this race and gets the blinkers fitted, the form of his last race has worked out beautifully, if the race works out for him, he must have a good each way chance. 9 ARCTIC WIZARD needed his last run badly, he is far better than that performance, watch him closely, he should make sharp improvement here. 4 GREEN OKRA has been rested for 81 days, he will need to improve on his last start to win this race, if he can bring his penultimate start to the track, he could certainly sneak into the quartets at a decent price.

(Brandon Bailey: 8 – 5 – 9 – 4)

Race 4

4 LANDOFTHERISINGSUN ran a decent race last time when finishing third, the yard think highly of this colt, he is still improving and must have a huge winning chance in this field. 1 AMANCIO gets a good draw in this competitive race, there should be absolutely no excuses for him, on his best form he can certainly finish amongst the places. 11 DALMENY FACTOR will need lots of luck from a tricky draw here at Hollywoodbets Durbanville, he looks progressive and should love the step up in trip, include him into all your bets. 13 TERMINATOR unfortunately gets a terrible draw in this race, on his recent form, with some luck in running, he must have a decent place chance again.

(Brandon Bailey: 4 – 1 – 11 – 13)

Race 5

6 LICKETY SPLIT won a super race last time when quickening up smartly to win going away at the line, if she can bring that performance to the track again on Saturday, she will have a huge winning chance. 3 AMONG THE CLOUDS gets a nice pull in the weights with Lickety Split on their last run, she is very consistent and must have a good each way chance again in a very competitive race. 1 PLUM PUDDING has been rested for 88 days, she has the ability to win a race like this quite easily, from a good draw here, she must be factored into all your bet types. 8 PRINCESS OF BAYEUX never runs a bad race, she might be able to get into the quartets.

(Brandon Bailey: 6 – 3 – 1 – 8)

Race 6

4 THE ABDICATOR comes back to the track after a lengthy rest, he has done everything right in his career, he can be a tricky ride, from a decent draw in this race, he must have a good winning chance with champion jockey Richard Fourie in the saddle. 6 MOJO MAN is a speedy type that likes to be up on speed, he ran a lovely race last time in a competitive field, he must have a good each way chance again. 2 CAPTAIN ARROW might just need the run from a long rest, he has run with some of the best sprinters in South Africa and has been far from disgraced, on his best form he can win a race like this. 7 TOUGH TERRAIN will enjoy the speed on, he runs on powerfully in his races, watch him closely here at a decent price.

(Brandon Bailey: 4 – 6 – 2 – 7)

Race 7

It’s a tricky race. 4 SILVER SCREEN quickened up well in her last start, her recent form has been good, she must have a good winning chance again in this field from a decent draw. 9 SHIFTING PATH won a super race last time with a big weight on his back, he was given 7 points for his last win which makes life tougher for him, if he can get some luck from a tricky draw in this contest, he would naturally have a good winning chance again. 3 WILLIAM WEST had no luck in his last start when low flying to finish third, he gets a good draw here, there is no doubt he will have the run of the race and should be super competitive. 1 WYLIE JACK showed plenty heart last time to win a good race at Hollywoodbets Durbanville, he gets a good draw, and he should put up a bold performance again.

(Brandon Bailey: 4 – 9 – 3 – 1)

Race 8

2 BABELICIOUS returns to the track after a small break, she gets a good draw and she steps back up in trip, she must have a good winning chance in a very competitive race. 3 TOKYO PRINCESS won at a massive price in her last start, she really finished well on that occasion, from a neat draw again, there is no doubt she must have a good chance. 4 LADY LOXTON needed her last run badly, she moved up to hit the front at the 300m mark before getting tired late, she would have tightened up nicely from that run and must be included into all bets. 9 FESTIVAL CHIC won a great race last time, she is still learning and there could be any amount of improvement still to come, watch her closely.

(Brandon Bailey: 2 – 3 – 4 – 9)

Race 9

8 WE HAVE TOUCHDOWN looks to be a super exciting colt in the making, he ran on well last time to win with absolute ease at the line, The step up in trip should unlock further improvement, he must have a big winning chance again. 6 DEFINITELY YES could be anything, he won impressively on debut at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, this will be his first run in the Western Cape and his first run around the turn, he looks to be progressive, watch him closely. 4 DAS GUTE loves Hollywoodbets Durbanville, his form at this track is excellent, he likes to be dropped out in his races and then come with a strong finish late, include him. 5 RADICCHIO never runs a bad race, he is gutsy and Richard Fourie knows him well, he will make the younger horses work for victory.

(Brandon Bailey: 8 – 6 – 4 – 5)

Picture: Cinderella Days (Image: dynamicsyndications.com)

Cape Breeders (written on 12/09/2024)

Brilliantly talented sprinting mare Cinderella Days, whose G1 winning dam is a half-sister to South Africa’s reigning champion sire Gimmethegreenlight, has become the new sale-topper for the Inglis Digital September (Early) Online Sale, selling today for $675,000.
Twenty-four hours of negotiations have resulted in Arrowfield Stud adding to its broodmare band by purchasing the daughter of Astern and G1-winning mare Ofcourseican.

Arrowfield’s Jon Freyer added: “We haven’t decided which of our stallions she’ll go to yet, we’ll get her back to the farm and settled in and then make a decision.

“She’s a beautiful mare with really attractive bloodlines. David has been a great breeder, he’s developed a couple of outstanding families and we’re delighted to be able to purchase this mare because I’m confident she’ll make a beautiful broodmare.

“It took some negotiating! David is a neighbour of ours and a great judge and has tremendous confidence in her in making it as a broodmare, and I have to agree with him.’’

Winner of three of ten starts, Cinderella Days showed high-class form when finishing third, beaten half a length, in the 2023 G2 TAB Light Fingers Stakes.

Cinderella Days is a half-sister to G3 VRC Bart Cummings Handicap winner Persan (by Pierro), and her dam, G1 Coolmore Classic winner Ofcourseican, is a Mossman half-sister to South Africa’s multiple champion sire Gimmethegreenlight.

The latter, who had four winners at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Tuesday, has a growing number of sons at stud headed by champions Got The Greenlight and Sandringham Summit.

Magic Control is strongly fancied to win Sha Tin’s 9th (HKJC)

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

KRANJI: TWO GOOD BETS SO BE SURE TO MAKE AN EARLY START

There are two good bets on the 10-race card. Trainer Jason Ong’s New Zealand-bred four-year-old October bids for four wins in a row in Race 6 over 1400m. Ong has kept him at a peak since July, evidenced by his barnstorming success from a wide draw just 10 days ago. Jerome Tan’s six-year-old Energy Baby had to settle for second behind Pacific Vampire in a 1200m race last time, but clocked the best sectionals that day and looks the part in Race 10 over his favourite 1400m distance. The grey posted a good Class 4 Handicap win in February and looks back to that level of form. The meeting starts at 06:30.

HOLLYWOODBETS DURBANVILLE: TOUGH TERRAIN HAS RIGHT WEIGHT

Tough Terrain has not been the most reliable of runners, but he’s weighted with a big chance in Race 6 over 1000m in which six other useful sprinters will face the starter. In his two previous encounters with ante-post favourite The Abdicator, Tough Terrain was narrowly beaten over this course and distance last November but turned the tables at Kenilworth in March. He is 5.5kg better off for the November defeat and 3.5kg to the good for beating The Abdicator. Races are not won on paper, but if he delivers his best there is every reason to expect Tough Terrain to come out tops.

TURFFONTEIN: WE ARE THE LOGANS LOOKS PRIMED FOR VICTORY

Four-year-old We Are The Logans, whose merit rating has dropped from a high of 108 to a current 85, looks hard to oppose in Race 8 over 1450m and has the makings of a Pick 6 banker. Grade 1 placed at two, We Are The Logans lost his way at three, but has made steady progress following gelding and a change of environment. Trainer Tony Peter’s unusual booking of in-form Piere Strydom and support in the ante-post betting market shows that the stable means business, and a handy draw is good reason for more confidence.

Top sprinters Dyce and William Robertson make their seasonal debuts in Race 6 over 1000m, but Grade 1 classic winner Anfields Rocket, three times successful over this distance as a younger horse and heavily backed when beaten a neck in his last start, is the one to keep an eye on.

SUGGESTED PICK 6 (R360):

Leg 1 Race 3 @ 13:30

Leg 1: 1

Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6

Leg 3: 2, 5, 6, 7

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

Leg 5: 5, 7, 9

Leg 6: 1

DONCASTER UK: O’BRIEN HOLDS THE ACES IN THE ST LEGER

Trainer Aiden O’Brien will saddle three of the seven runners and holds the aces in the Group 1 Betfred St Leger Stakes over 2900m, a race he has won seven times. His charge Jan Breughel is unbeaten in three starts and was impressive when fighting off Bellum Justum to win a Group 3 contest over 2400m at Goodwood last month. And stablemate Grosvenor Square landed a Group 3 by 20 lengths in his latest start. However, Galileo colt Illinois is the firm favourite in the ante-post market and looks the pick of the O’Brien trio. A Group 2 winner at Royal Ascot in June, he is improving with racing and was beaten a neck by Los Angeles in his preparatory run, the Group 2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.

LEOPARDSTOWN IRELAND: ECONOMICS CAN SEE OFF O’BRIEN FOUR

O’Brien’s talented but erratic four-year-old Auguste Rodin has a race on his hands in the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes over 2000m (Race 5). He squares up to trainer William Haggas’ free-striding Economics, who comes into the race fresh off an easy Group 2 win at Deauville and will be out to make it four in a row under Tom Marquand. O’Brien will also saddle well-performed Los Angeles, Luxembourg and Hans Anderson in what promises to be an exciting race. TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Swinger and Trifecta bets on all races at the meeting will be commingled into Hong Kong’s mega World Pool tote so you can have a full go with denting the payout!

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SHA TIN HONG KONG: AUSTRALIAN IMPORT CAN GET OFF THE MARK

Magic Control is a strong fancy in Race 9 over 1000m, one of three minor feature races on the card. The four-year-old had just one run late last season but arrived with solid credentials, having performed successfully at Group level in Australia. Formerly known as Archo Nacho, the son of Sioux Nation won three of his five starts pre-import, including the Group 3 Red Anchor Stakes over 1200m at Moonee Valley and the Listed Poseidon Stakes over 1100m at Flemington. Now in Cody Mo’s stable, his trial success over last week’s impressive winner Ka Ying Rising suggests he’s ready to make a winning return.

SELANGOR MALAYSIA : YOU THINK SO SET FOR ANOTHER GOOD EFFORT

Five-year-old galloper You Think So is expected to continue his consistent spell of form when he lines up in Race 8, a Class 4 contest over 1020m on Track Two at Kuala Lumpur. He was winless in Singapore before being relocated, but has established a good local record and has found the money in every run at this track, including successive victories in April and May.

HOLLYWOODBETS SCOTTSVILLE: NARINA TROGAN MAY HAVE MORE TO COME

Followers of Narina Trogon might view his half-sister Beach Bomb’s recent second-place finish in a Listed race in the USA as a positive sign leading up to Race 7 over 1500m. With a strong record, including three Listed victories since moving to KZN from Cape Town in March, Narina Trogon’s form supports any superstitious optimism. He could still be ahead of the handicapper after going up only six merit-rating points from his last three runs and looks to have more wins in the tank.

THE CURRAGH IRELAND: FOUR GROUP 1 CONTESTS AND MEGA POOLS

Four Group 1 clashes on the card including the Irish St Leger, in which O’Brien is set to saddle four of the runners. TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Swinger and Trifecta bets on races 3 to 6 at the meeting will be commingled into Hong Kong’s World Pool tote.

FRACTIONAL QUARTET BETS ON UK RACES ARE BACK!

Local Quartet pools with fractional betting on selected UK race meetings are back following a mixed reception from customers to the introduction of commingled Quartet pools on all UK and Irish race meetings last month. Such commingled Quartet pools have been welcomed in some quarters, but many TAB customers have complained that this has resulted in them being unable to play fractional Quartet bets on UK races. TAB has taken note of the complaints and customers can now enjoy the best of both worlds. Local Quartet pools with fractional betting are offered on two UK meetings most days with commingled Quartet pools on all other UK and Irish meetings.

Unfortunately for several reasons, including vast differences in exchange rates, it is not technically possible to offer fractional bets on pools commingled internationally. The minimum unit for commingled bets is R1 (more in the case of countries like the USA) and this is itself a fractional bet in international tote pools.

As an example, the unit of a UK Tote Quartet is one Pound and a customer playing a R1-unit Quartet with TAB on a UK race is buying about 1/24^th of the bet, depending on the exchange rate on the day. And if that bet is the only winning ticket, the customer will get 1/24^th of the pool and the remainder will be carried over. To get the full UK Tote payout on a commingled Quartet requires playing the bet to a R24 unit. That aside, the introduction of commingled Quartet bets has given TAB customers many more opportunities to play Quartets on UK and Irish races, and access to bigger pools and payouts.

Few successes achieved in the moneyed milieu of the St Leger meeting this week will mean as much to connections as her two winners at Perth on Monday meant to Jess Bedi. Having enjoyed great success at point-to-pointing, she is in early stages of her licensed training career, when each individual victory is savoured – this was her first double, achieved at odds of 155-1.

“It was amazing,” she enthuses. “Definitely a surprise!”

Which is to say that one of her runners had been something of an enigma, though the other has always been popular at Bedi’s yard in the north-east, near Yarm.

“Pateen, he’s a legend, he’s been placed there numerous times and he’s been very unlucky not to win one there. He’s been a brilliant horse for me, he was my first winner as a licensed trainer. We’re always hopeful with Pateen.

“Shantou Lucky was a bigger surprise for us. He’s been really difficult to train in the year and a half that we’ve had him. We’ve tried different things with him. For this race, it was first time back in the headgear, Aaron [Anderson] gave him a really positive ride and I think that suited him.”

Perhaps what got Shantou Lucky focused on the job in hand was a bit of drama. His victory came in a race in which the early leader fell in front of the stands, causing two others to unseat and hampering several, including the eventual winner. A circuit later, one of the loose horses threatened to carry Shantou Lucky off the track but he gave no sign of being deterred or intimidated, cleared the last and scored by ten lengths.

It was an exciting way to win any race, never mind your first double. “He showed himself to be game when that loose horse tried to run him out through the wing,” Bedi says. “We’re thrilled with him, really.”

Bedi was hailed as Britain’s youngest trainer when she got her licence, aged 23. Four years later, she thinks she might still hold that honour: “There wouldn’t be much in it between me and Danny Brooke.”

Through her early seasons in point-to-pointing, when she rode most of her runners, her strike-rate was a remarkable 37 per cent. Racing under rules has not bowed to her quite so quickly but progress is being made.

“It comes with its difficulties, but I suppose everybody will say that,” Bedi reflects. “We’re just trying to find our feet and hopefully results like the other day will help get a few more people involved in our yard.

“We’ve got 13 boxes but we only have eight horses in at the moment. We’d love to have some new faces involved, so I feel like we need to put ourselves out there more.

“I love my jumpers and we’ve got some nice ones in for the winter. We’ve got some lovely Flat horses as well.

“It’s good to be able to bring them up from a young age, teach them everything they know – and we give them such a nice, fresh lifestyle that we can teach them exactly what we want. So when we do take them to the track, we haven’t got false expectations of them.

“We’ve got acres of land, they can go around the land in the morning, they’ll go to the gallops, we like to do a lot of hacking with them and we’re only 20 minutes from Redcar beach, so they’ll often go to the beach to have a leg-stretch and clear their minds up there.”

Bedi’s yard is based on the family farm (mostly arable, some sheep). “We’re just slowly building it into everything that we need. We’ve got our own gallop, our own schooling facilities and stalls, plenty of outside space for the horses.”

Anderson, her partner, rides most of the jumpers. Among the Flat jockeys Bedi likes to use is Paula Muir. We agree that she seems underused. “She gets a really good tune out of the difficult horses.”

This summer, a Muir-ridden winner for the yard was demoted, the stewards feeling that Prince Hector had intimidated his rival in the closing stages. Showing her competitive spirit and all-round competence, Bedi presented her own case at the appeal and persuaded racing’s judicial panel she was in the right.

“It was … something else. We had a lot of help from the Professional Jockeys Association, who rang Paula and talked her through the process. We just got our heads down and did it ourselves. It was quite hard but you’d do it for any of your owners.”

With only a handful of horses, it’s never easy to know when Bedi will next have a potential winner. Her memorably named Somebodycomegether (by Outstrip out of Absent Amy) is entered at Redcar on Tuesday for what could be the four-year-old’s handicap debut, but Bedi is wary of potentially quick ground.

“She’s been a lovely horse, ran well at Wetherby. She’s exciting but we’ve got to look after her.”

The trainer also mentions “a lovely mare”, as yet unnamed, who will tackle bumpers this jumps season and could be worth looking out for. She’s by Passing Glance.

Jorrocks, the record holder for wins in one season in Australia (30 wins from 31 starts in 1846 (wikipedia))

What is the world record number of wins for one horse in one racing season?

Lenoxbar won 46 races in 1940 in Puerto Rico. He broke the record of Condado who also raced in Puerto Rico and won 38 races in 1937, 35 races in 1940, 30 races in 1938, 27 races in 1939 and 15 races in 1941. Condado’s 152 wins in total was a record until beaten by another Puerto Rican horse called Chorisbar who won 197 times in the 1940s and all this would seem to suggest that racing in Puerto Rico is not too competitive.