The SA Champions Season, whose pinnacle is the Hollywoodbets Durban July, will Benefit from a R10 million injection by Hollywoodbets (Picture: Candiese Lenferna).

Hollywoodbets Inject A Further R10 Million Into KZN Racing

“The Right horses must be in the right provinces at the right times.” – Devin Heffer.

The SA Champion Season is just around the corner and what a humdinger it should be this year, especially in the three-year-old category.

Gold Circle is looking forward to welcoming the best from all over South Africa to KwaZulu-Natal and in an exciting announcement today (Thursday), Gold Circle CEO Michel Nairac revealed that in addition to the budgeted R7,4 million Rand stakes increase due on 1 March, longstanding KZN racing supporters Hollywoodbets would be topping up the KZN stakes pot with a whopping additional R10 million.

“The Board and Management of Gold Circle, together with all stakeholders, thank Hollywoodbets for stepping forward again to ensure that we can host this well-established platform to attract a wide range of the best horses from across the country, and that owners, trainers, jockeys and grooms will benefit at all levels,” said a delighted Nairac.

Chairperson of Gold Circle, Sadha Naidoo, echoed those sentiments – “We are committed to hosting a great Champions Season – we owe that to all stakeholders, but this would not have been possible without the continued, willing and enthusiastic support of Hollywoodbets. We are most grateful for this amazing partnership.”

The distribution of the R17,4 million will see minimum stakes for any races in the province during the period raised to R100 000 and will cater for an adjustment to stakes levels and Grooms benefits until 31 August 2023.

Importantly, it will also ensure that stakeholders are rewarded for quality.

Devin Heffer, Hollywoodbets’ Brand & Communications Manager, said, “This reiterates our commitment to SA racing, so we are not only contributing as a bookmaker but also as passionate racing fans. The SA Champions season was excellent last year and we have also been involved in the highly successful current Cape Summer season, so we need to ensure continuity of both, not only for the good of the stakeholders and players but also for the punters. We need to ensure that the best horses are in the right provinces at the right times.”

The news of the stakes boost was positively received, with Gr1-winning trainer Dean Kannemeyer, who has been a player in the Champions Season for over four decades, welcoming the injection and lauding Hollywoodbets for their support.

“Things really are looking up. The team are doing a terrific job down in the Cape, and the very attractive winter programme has had a makeover of serious proportions. I will certainly be supporting the KZN season. I may be leaving the Cape a little later than usual, but let’s face it, the Champions Season is the Champions Season! It is a terrific time to race, all the top horses are there, and the climate is simply wonderful,” added Kannemeyer.

As the sun sets on the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Summer Festival of racing down South with the running of the SplashOut Gr1 Cape Derby on 25 February, and the Highveld’s The Championships already underway, plans are in progress to launch the 2023 SA Champions Season at the Theatre Of Champions on 6 May with the running of the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes and the World Sports Betting Guineas and Fillies Guineas.

One of the Southern Hemisphere’s great horseracing festivals, the season features 37 stakes races including 13 at the elite level in a diverse three-month programme that captures the imagination of the racing public, like no other.

Gold Circle’s SA Champions Season is a proud and long-established tradition and reaches its pinnacle with Africa’s greatest horseracing event, the R5 million Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July, which will be run at Hollywoodbets Greyville on 1 July.

Further announcements, including the 2023 Champions Season Feature programme, will follow in due course.

Avontuur stallion Talk Of The Town, a magnificent red chestnut by Var. His career was cut short by injury just when he was literally becoming the talk of the town.

Talk Of The Town’s Going To Be “The Talk Of The Sale”

The Var Stallion Talk Of The Town’s yearlings are going to be the talk of the 2023 BSA Cape Yearling Sale, says Avontuur General Manager Pippa Mickelburgh.

The Sale takes place at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth racecourse on Sunday, 26 February,

Pippa admitted it was not going to be easy for Talk Of The Town due to him not having won a stakes race, but she added, “Racecourse performance is important and rightly so, but he was favourite for a big sales race and broke down the Thursday before. Capetonians know good he was, but it isn’t on his record.”

Otherwise Talk Of The Town “ticks all the boxes”.

The magnificent looking chestnut son of Var is the only stallion in South Africa to have ten sires within his first three dams. These include the celebrated three-times Australian champion sire Redoute’s Choice, whose progeny have done notably well in South Africa and a number of them have also stood or are standing here as stallions.

Pippa said, “I truly believe if Talk Of The Town’s yearlings were by the like of Vercingetorix or Var we would be home and hosed. They are magnificent! His yearlings are top drawer. If he had a big win under his belt, we would be smiling. We have three on the Sale and will be at the Sale’s grounds by Thursday. Buyers must please come and visit us and see for themselves.”

Talk Of The Town raced five times. He finishing second in his first two starts over 1200m and then rattled off a hattrick of wins, two over 1400m and one over 1600m. He won that last start in January 2018 over 1600m at Kenilworth in easy and impressive fashion and was installed as favourite for the US$500,000 CTS 1600.

Unfortunately, he had to be scratched after injuring himself two days before.

Trainer Joey Ramsden explained at the time, “He put a hole in his tendon sheath just above his near-fore fetlock joint.”

He was destined to never race again.

Another sign of his prowess on the racecourse was that Avontuur, together with Ken Truter, purchased him in training before his last start.

There are not many stud farms who will be buying colts after just two ordinary wins.

Nevertheless, Pippa recognises it is not going to be easy for Talk Of The Town to make it.

She concluded, “A stallion needs numbers in the first crop and obviously because of his curtailed racing career he did not get many, but they are on the ground selling and I think his yearlings are going to be the talk of this Sale.”

Pictured Below are two of Avontuur’s Talk Of The Town yearlings on offer:

Lot 30: Sound Of The Sea. This bay Talk Of The Town colt is a half-brother to the ten time-winning Chantyman, who was runner up in the Grade 2 Post Merchants.

Lot 148: Talking Point. This Talk Of The Town filly is out of the mare who produced Var Grade 1 winner Normanz, which makes her a three-parts sister to Normanz.

Hekkie Strydom (Picture: Jacques Strydom Racing Team)

Hekkie Strydom Calls It A Day

One of the characters in South African racing, Hekkie Strydom, has handed in his trainers licence, writes Henk Steenkamp.

Strydom has been involved with racing for many years as a jockey (qualified in 1964), trainer and owner in the Eastern Cape.

He has been struggling with his health lately and decided it is time to take a bit of a rest.

His sons, Piere and Jacques, are still involved in racing.

The legendary Piere is nearing retirement as a jockey and Jacques is a trainer

at Fairview in Gqeberha.

Jacques’s son, Kyle, is an apprentice jockey, at the moment

recovering from a broken wrist.

It is no wonder Hekkie rates himself as a great stallion.

Fairview will be much quieter without Hekkie to liven up the place with his quirks.

Enjoy your retirement Hekkie.

Justin Vermaak taking part in the panel discussion for the Plenary session entitled “The Owner”, having earlier made a presentation at the 2023 Asian Racing Conference in Melbourne (picture via facebook).

Vermaak “Nails It” At The Asian Racing Conference

Today’s Plenary Session 4, which was from 09H00 until 10H30 in Melbourne this morning (Thursday) dealt with “The Owner”.

It was chaired by South Africa’s NHA CEO Vee Moodley and among the speakers was Cape Racing’s Racing and Bloodstock executive, Justin Vermaak.

There are no videos online available of the presentations and panel discussion, but Cape Racing’s Executive Chairman Greg Bortz commented on facebook, “He (Justin) nailed it today. Was absolutely superb. No surprises there – he is always the line horse! Consistent!”

The preview of the session stated:

This session will focus on the central role of the owner to the success of racing and breeding, and highlight the critical importance of enhancing the ownership experience. We will take a deep dive into what is driving ownership across different regions – key trends and factors which influence the decision to become (and continue as) an owner, as well as strategies and new initiatives to broaden ownership bases.

We will consider how different operators – including trainers, syndicators and sales companies – are working to make horse ownership more accessible and attractive, and how barriers to entry are being removed by innovative approaches such as syndication and micro-ownership.

The session will commence with a feature interview with champion trainer, Chris Waller. A diverse range of speakers will then deliver short presentations and participate in a panel discussion on how horse ownership is changing, and what that will mean for the industry in the future.

Vermaak would have had some good material to share following the emphatically successful current Cape Summer Festival Of Racing, in which numerous incentives and stakes boosts, not to mention top quality racing, renovation to facilities and sideshow entertainment, brought smiles to owners’ faces.

Lisa Humby And George Nagel Win De Grendel Concerts Tickets

Congratulations to Lisa Humby and George Nagel who were the winners of the De Grendel Concerts competition.

They each win five tickets to watch Watershed and Tarryn Lamb on Sunday February 19 at De Grendel Wine Estate!

To book tickets for the concert at R300 go to https://degrendelconcerts.co.za/

Luke Ferraris produces a superb ride on the SA-bred Smiling Time (Hkjc.com).

SA-Bred Takes Ferraris To 10th Position On Hong Kong Log

Luke Ferraris rode a second winner this month at Happy Valley on Wednesday to make it 15 for the season and it put him in lone tenth place on the Hong Kong jockeys log.

He was successful aboard the Jimmy Ting-trained SA-bred Smiling Time, a Gold Star Stud-bred six-year-old Oratorio gelding out of Jet Master mare Little Jet.

It was a ride out of the top drawer.

He relaxed the horse from the off in the 1650m event and allowed him to drop out before moving up into a one wide position, with cover, in fourth last place of the 12 horse field.

However, just as they reached the final bend Ferraris drove his mount forward three wide and made up several places.

This allowed him to turn for home with only about two lengths to make up on the leaders.

It turned out to be masterful judgement because his mount got up by a short-head to convert Tote odds of HK$8.80.

CLICK HERE to watch the replay.

Smiling Time was known as Viva Rio in SA.

He won four races in SA for Glen Kotzen and was runner up in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas to Kilindini in December 2019.

Ferraris ended last season with 20 wins for 14th place, so is on track for an improved performance in the notoriously competitive arena.

The speed graph of the race in question (Totalperformancedata.com)

Cape Crawl Has Nothing On This Wolverhampton Crawl!

Totalperformancedata.com

It is not often a Flat race is run over 10 seconds slower than Standard and over 13 Seconds slower than the track record, but that is exactly what happened on Tuesday Feb 7^th in the 18.30 at Wolverhampton run over 2m 120yards. When you consider that 1 Second equates to approximately 5 Lengths in a Flat race, to be over 50 Lengths slower than Standard takes some doing! Though the track may been riding slow on the night, what other factors contributed to make it happen?

TPD’s sectional timing data can reveal that the Bective Stud Owned, 83 Rated, Fleurman was the beneficiary of an extremely slow pace before getting up to win on the line in a race that attracted a TPD ‘Race Finish %’ of 114.27% (The highest of the week), an indicator that this race was not a race but a routine canter for the first Mile, until the pace quickened in the second half of the race. This was indeed a ‘race of two halves’ with the 14 second furlongs in the first Mile replaced by 13s, 12s and even 11s to set up a sprint finish for these Stayers. However, though the slow early pace undoubtedly suited Fleurman on the night, when we delve deeper into TPD’s data we can see that two other significant aspects of Fleurman’s trip helped secure victory.

Fleurman looked to be the largest of those in the Race, but the TPD data also reveals he had the longest Stride in the Race at (7.31 Metres) with the lowest Stride Frequency (2.06 Strides Per Second). This long Stride helped him cover the ground with out having to exert too much energy which he was able to conserve for the sprint finish. Also crucial to Fleurman’s victory on the night was the fact he travelled the least distance of all the runners. Fleurman hugged the rail in the 2 Mile event for the entire race and travelled a total distance of 2m 95yards compared to the runner up Blazon Five who covered 2m 117yards. Quite a significant difference when you consider the winning margin was only ½ a Length!

On the basis that this race was won by what looked like the biggest horse in the race with the longest stride, maybe a Good Big’Un did beat Good Little’Uns on this occasion, but TPD can reveal he did take the shortest path to victory so well done Trainer Olly Murphy and Jockey Kevin Stott!

Spears wins for owners DC Redden, AM Smith and D Alexander (picture via twitter).

Gary And Dean Alexander Reach Double Figures

Gary and Dean Alexander had their tenth winner in Australia yesterday (Thursday).

Fellow South African Barend Vorster won the Valentines Day Handicap over 1400m at Strathalbyn for them on the six-year-old mare Spears (Squamosa).

It was always going to be a long road for the Alexander brothers in Australia, because they had to build their string virtually from scratch.

In all they have only had 84 runners for ten wins (12%) and 17 places (32%).

They had one win in four starts in 2021, seven wins in 65 starts in 2022 and two wins in 15 starts this year.

They are based in Gawler, South Australia, at Murray Bridge training centre and the main racecourse in that region is Morphettville.

Jamaico (Sporthorse-data.com)

Today’s Question

What are two remarkable Durban July claims to fame of the sire Jamaico?

Turffontein Standside Fields, Thursday, CLICK HERE

NB Please wait a few seconds for fields to appear.

The Ralph Rixon-trained five-year-old Jamaico entire Jamaican Music was one of the most popular July winners in history when successful in 1976. Jockey Bert Abercrombie is one of the few to both ride and train a July winner.

ANSWER TO TODAY’S QUESTION:

Jamaico sired three July winners, Jamaican Music (1976), Jamaican Rumba (1982) and Gondolier (1985).

However, his two claims to fame are he is the only stallion to ever sire two grey July winners and the only sire in the last 50 years to sire two July winners who hailed from small yard trainers.

Only five greys have ever won the Hollywoodbets Durban July, the other three besides Jamaican Music and Jamaican Rumba being Silver Phantom in 1942, Right Prerogative in 1989 and Dancer’s Daughter, who won in 2008 in a dead-heat with Pock Power.

Jamaican Rumba was trained by Gael Thompson and Gondolier was trained by Pat Antelme.

They and Dr Louis Naude, Bert Abercrombie and Harold Crawford/Michelle Rix, who respectively trained July winners Big Charles (1981), Bush Telegraph (1987) and Kommetdieding (2021), are the only small yard trainers to win the July in the last 50 years.

Turf Talk Newsletter – 16 February 2023