Magic Verse has been selected to win the 7th race (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Gold Circle

Formguides for Hollywoodbets Kenilworth meeting on Saturday

Race 1: Competitive work riders maiden plate to open the meeting but stable companions 8 KAAPSE HOOP and 6 THREE COINS look to be the primary contenders. Slight preference is for Kaapse Hoop who brings racing fitness to the race whereas Three Coins might just need this run after 119 days since her last race. 1 CASINO ACE is very speedy and just faded in the closing stages in her last race. 4 CAPTAIN COOL should be involved in the money (Devon Pretorius: 8-6-1-4)

Race 2: Two of the nine runners bring one race to the table to work some sort of form off of as the rest are making their debuts. 1 IKO IKO moved up well enough on debut to suggest there is more to come from that run. 2 IMPACT INVESTOR as well as 9 LEAD THE CHARGE catch the eye on pedigree but one does need to watch the betting market for any support for the newcomers. 3 EXPEDITION SOUTH should improve from her debut run. (Devon Pretorius: 1-2-9-3)

Race 3: 11 BABELICIOUS ran a great race on debut behind Sahara Cat who looks to be one of the smarter juveniles in the Cape. She found betting support on that day as well and if she shows any amount of improvement from that run, she should be hard to beat. She holds 6 GIMMEFABULOUS as well as 1 BLOWIN IN THE WIND from that run and there shouldn’t be a lot of reason for that form to change. 3 IN THE GREEN ZONE ran a a great race on debut when finishing third and in a smaller field she should be given more of a chance. 10 CHAKPORI is improving well enough to suggest she’ll give a good account of herself (Devon Pretorius: 11-6-1-3)

Race 4: 13 PRETTY PRECIOUS showed good improvement to finish second in her latest start and just missed out. With more improvement expected, she should be a big runner. 5 KYALAMI GIRL returns to the track after a lengthy break but if she brings her juvenile form to the table. 10 CAPTAIN’S DESTINY is in a good run of form but is held by no. 13 based on her last start. 4 FIRST MASTERPIECE is the highest rated in the race and should fight out the finish with the mentioned runners in quite a competitive opening leg of the pick 6 (Devon Pretorius: 13-5-10-4)

Race 5: 3 ENGLISH MISTRESS brings the best form to date and should be hard to beat here. However, watch out for stable companion 7 SAINT BRIGID who ran well on debut before stepping up to the mile in just her second start. She was quite far back and midway through the turn clipped heels with the horse in front of her and completely ruined her momentum and still managed to finish just 3,9 lengths back. 4 TICKING BOMB conceded weight in an open maiden and is now back to level weights which should see her bounce back. 5 DEVILISHLYGORGEOUS has improved with every start and now second start over this trip, she should continue that trend. (Devon Pretorius: 3-7-4-5)

Race 6: 1 GENTLEMAN JOE based on his last start in a G2 must be a huge runner and is a confident first selection. He was well under sufferance and ran well above his merit rating. He should be hard to beat. 4 TAMARISK TREE has been improving in the Cape and is well weighted on collateral formlines with a few of his rivals. 2 NIGHT RULER loves the 2000m trip and is capable of bouncing back at a good e/w price. 3 GAINSFORD has a tough task with 60,5kgs to shoulder but he has shown improvement in his last three starts. (Devon Pretorius: 1-4-2-3)

Race 7: 3 MAGIC VERSE is looking for a hat-trick of wins after winning his first run out of the maidens in quite a competitive field carrying 58kgs. He’s clearly a horse with some ability and it would be no surprise to see him win again here. 7 MARSHALL FIELD was very unlucky not to have finished closer if not have won the race last start behind 5 WEATHER KING and is 4,5kgs better off than the latter which could turn the form around. 10 HOLDING THUMBS won well at just the second time of asking but this is his first run out the maidens and is a tough task with 57,5kgs (Devon Pretorius: 3-7-5-10)

Race 8: 9 LUNCH MONEY has raced against much tougher than he faces here and despite the 61,5kgs to carry, he should go close to winning if he repeats a similar effort to his last start. Stable companions 2 ESCARPMENT as well as 4 SWIFT ACTION shouldn’t be far off but there is a preference for the former, who is relatively unexposed and drops back to a sprint. 5 WYLIE JACK can run on into the back end of quartets (Devon Pretorius: 9-2-4-5)

Race 9: 4 NORDIC QUEST was drawn wide in her last start and had a tough run in transit. The drop back to 1200m should suit and she should be one of the leading lights. 8 PINEAPPLEMINTGREEN is another runner who will appreciate the drop in distance. She is better than her recent form and she could be at a good e/w price. 11 GIRL LIKE US has always been held in high regard and won well on debut before racing in the Ready To Run Sales race. She was supposed to race last month and was heavily backed before being scratched on raceday. 9 TICKET TO VEGAS takes a big drop in class and should improve drastically from her recent form (Devon Pretorius: 4-8-11-9)

Picture: Lot 30 is by Ideal World and is from the family of Champion Miler and now sire, Capetown Noir  

It’s been nearly ten years since Pieter Graaff bought Lammerskraal Stud, situated in the bountiful Ceres Valley, and he continues to invest in well-performed mares to buttress the broodmare band. The farm will showcase five yearlings at CPYS 2024: two by Ideal World and one each by Querari (this colt, Lot 124, is out of the Galileo mare, Cantabella), Futura and What a Winter.

Lot 124

Lot 30 (pictured above the headline to the article), a bay filly called Into Dancing and sired by Ideal World, comes from a renowned Lammerskraal female line. 2nd dam Akinfeet had great success put to Western Winter, throwing Champion Miler in SA in 2013/14, Capetown Noir and 11 x winner, Across the Ice. 11 of her 12 foals to compete won multiple races. Into Dancing is the first foal of In the Dance, who won thrice as a sprinter and was runner-up in the Tibouchina Gr2 and Ipi Tombe Gr2.

Lot 18 is by What a Winter out of the Stakes winning Jet Master mare, Gathering Fame, a winner of four races between 1600m and 2000m. Old-time racegoers will fondly remember the exploits of 16 x winning G1 sprinting star Cordocelli, who pops up in this filly’s pedigree under the third dam, Saucy Elly.

Lot 18

Lot 8 Keyboard is stoutly bred, being by stamina influence, Futura out of stakes winner and half-sister to Jay Peg, Epona. The second dam, Laptop Lady, was a legend – all ten of her progeny won, including Jay Peg, Champion Three-year-old colt in SA in 2006/7 and remembered for his saddle-slipping G1 heroics in Dubai and Singapore. Patrons can view this bay colt, Lot 8, in stable C5.

Lot 8

Lot 79 is Sidonie’s eagerly anticipated first foal by Ideal World. Close followers of Lammerskraal will recognise many luminaries on the female side through the second dam Bardot – Viva Maria, Sovereign Spirit, Warriors Rest, Bichette, Pilou and Blizzard Belle.

Lot 79

Lindi Garlicki is the contact person for enquiries. Use cell number – 084 527 1257 or email – lindi@lammerskraalstud.co.za

ENDS 

For racing queries and sales queries, contact Justin Vermaak at justin@caperacing.co.za or Janine van Blerk at janine@caperacing.co.za  

Cape Racing Sales Social Media: 

Facebook: @caperacingsales

Instagram: @caperacingsales

Twitter: @CapeRacingSales

Website: www.caperacingsales.co.za

Cape Racing Social Media:  

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Mark van Deventer (Cape Racing)

The World Pool concept was created by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) in collaboration with at least 25 operators around the globe, enabling bettors from all over the world to bet into a single pool on marquee days.

The result of these World Pools is enormous liquidity, and a multi-million-rand betting experience. It is proving popular with racing fans and is generating a significant financial return for racing.

Through national commingling, horseplayers across six continents, from countries such as Australia, France, America, Britain (& Hong Kong) will all effectively bet into the same pool for selected races on World Sports Betting Cape Town Met Day at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday 27th January 2024.

By having horseplayers from different countries betting into the same overall pool, it means racing fans can pit their wits against bettors from all around the globe.

There will be more liquidity and stability in the pools, with big stakes bettors having less of an impact on dividends. The deepest pools on the planet can lead to overlay opportunities for alert punters.

These robust World Pools brings bigger financial returns to South African racing through increased media rights payments to racecourse operators, and greater revenue generated through commissions earned via pool betting.

This business funding model enables racing operations to become sustainable at the local level and helps maintain, even boost stakes, for winning connections.

On World Sports Betting Cape Town Met day, which features full fields (165 entries across 11 races) TOTE Win, Place, Exacta, Swinger and Quinella (first two horses across the line in any order) pools will be commingled into the Hong Kong Jockey Club tote, which operates the biggest tote pools in the world.

In 2022, with punters from around the world participating, a hefty R650-million was wagered with the Hong Kong Jockey Club tote on eight of the 12 races at the WSB Cape Town Met race meeting. This will surely be surpassed in 2024.

The World Sports Betting Cape Town Met achieved the highest turnover of the eight races in 2022 with a total of R97.8-million wagered into the World Pools on that specific race.

The Quinella and Swinger (Quinella Place) were the most popular bet-types. Quinella pools on Met Day averaged R20.5-million and Swingers R19.4-million. Because of the substantial size of these international pools, TOTE customers can bet big amounts without significantly diminishing pay outs.

Follow World Pool –

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES –

X – @WorldPool
Facebook – @worldpool
Instagram- @Worldpool.racing
Website – https://worldpool.hkjc.com/

#wsbcptmet
#wsbcptmet2024
#wsbmet
#caperacing
#destinationcaperacing

Picture: Lot 16 is an Oldands colt by Vercingetorix out of a Captain Al mare who is from the family of the like of Lucky Find, Shoot The Booze, Cat And The Moon and Gimme A Shot  

Nestling in the beautiful Hemel n Aarde Valley near the Hermanus coast is biodynamically run Oldlands Stud, which has been around for half a century, abiding by its motto of “quality of life for horses.”

Oldlands were chosen as outstanding breeders of South Africa and the Western Cape in 2020/21 and have indeed bred high-class thoroughbreds over the years, including two who competed in the Dubai World Cup – Lucky Find and Sanshaawes, who finished fifth.

The Sanne family offer four yearlings at CPYS 2024. Pritti United – Lot 64 looks enticing – a chestnut colt by The United States out of Pritti, who has produced Eastern Cape sprint star Phedra, a nine-time winner. The second dam, Paramo, is a half-sister to G1 victor Paraca and thus from the same family as Durban July 2nd, Punta Arena and G1 Cape Derby winner, Pomp and Power.

Lot 64

Lot 16 (see picture above the headline), Mille Melia, is by the prolific sire of stakes winners, Vercingetorix, out of the Captain Al mare, Full Regalia, who has produced multiple winning sprinters, Hugs Accepted and Scottadito. Mille Melia is from the female line of Shoot the Booze, Gimme a Shot, Cat and the Moon, and Lucky Find.

Heavenly Blue is a new stallion on the SA scene. His oldest progeny are three-year-olds, with six of the 12 to race already winners, including a brilliant filly, Three Rocks. He sired Lot 49 – a first foal out of Noble Princess – the second dam Arabian Secret, has plenty of Black Type.

Lot 49

Barbara and Ian Sanne’s fourth offering is Lot 128, an Oratorio colt ex Cat’s Game (by Black Minnaloushe). Half Moon Island, which is well-grown and muscular, can be inspected in stable C14. He is from the same female line as the filly, Canadian Summer, who was South African Champion two-year-old filly in 2021/22 and Champion three-year-old filly in KZN in 2022.

Lot 128

Email oldlandsfarm@gmail.com or call Barbara on 082 566 3450 for more details on these budding champions.

——————–

Their neighbour up the valley is David Hepburn Brown’s Hemel n Aarde Stud. His What a Winter colt ex-Aussie mare, Dance City Queen, will start the sale with a bang at 14h30 on Thursday afternoon. The dam, a half-sister to Royalsecuritybaby, has thrown 8 x winners, And We Danced is her only runner to date.

Son of Galileo, The United States has an unnamed chestnut colt out of the Western Winter mare, Snow and Ice, listed as Lot 83. The second dam, Soft Landing, won the G1 Garden Province Stakes. Half-brother Weather King is turning into a promising stayer, and half-sister Grue of Ice won three over extended sprints.

Lot 83

David Hepburn Brown is contactable on 082 898 1231; alternatively, despatch emails to accounts@hnastud.co.za

ENDS

For racing queries and sales queries, contact Justin Vermaak at justin@caperacing.co.za or Janine van Blerk at janine@caperacing.co.za

Cape Racing Sales Social Media:

Facebook: @caperacingsales

Instagram: @caperacingsales

Twitter: @CapeRacingSales

Website: www.caperacingsales.co.za

Cape Racing Social Media:

Facebook: @CapeRacing1

Instagram: @cape_racing

Twitter: @caperacing1

YouTube: @CAPERACING

Website: www.caperacing.co.za

Picture: Barend Botes is preparing to relocate to Summerveld (Image: JC Photos)

Off The Record with Charl Pretorius

At the start of 2024, we have news of regional moves and temporary time off for four trainers, also two retirements among racing officials and a recovery update for an injured jockey.

Vaal trainer Barend Botes (54) is preparing to relocate to the Summerveld Training Centre in KwaZulu-Natal. Botes said that he had met with fellow-trainer and Summerveld manager, Tony Rivalland, to discuss his move and that stables will be allocated to accommodate the 20 horses in his care.

The former jockey, who started his training career in 1994, said that his decision carried the backing of his patrons, who include stable stalwarts Willie Coates and Gerald Kalil, also KZN-based Yaseen Ebrahim. Botes believes he will be more competitive in KZN and noted: “The thoroughbred population has decreased significantly in recent years and it’s become even harder for small stables to have a say against the big guns. There are fewer horses of good calibre and they invariably end up with the top stables in the training ranks.

“The race programme in KZN includes more low merit rated handicaps, which will suit my horses. There are not enough of these races on the Highveld. They also have the polytrack at Hollywoodbets Greyville, which gives moderate horses a few more opportunities to run, and therefore more earning potential.

Botes said that his pending move was also influenced by personal considerations. “I am getting older and I’d like to be as happy as I can in this next phase of my career. My few remaining family members are all in KZN, and I will be competing against some friends from my riding days, including MJ Odendaal, Garth Puller and Robbie Hill. Then I have a young nephew, JC Botes, who lives in the province and hopes to join the South African Jockey Academy soon. I look forward to helping him.”

Botes, who has been dabbling with pedigrees and his own mating software for several years, said that his future will also include part-time breeding as a feeding ground for his stable. “The Western Cape is getting stronger as a centre and it’s no longer easy to buy weaker horses from trainers in that centre. In the past I could pick up cheapies for racing on the Highveld, but even for outgoing Maidens, the Cape trainers start around R100,000 these days.

“Many of our remaining breeding operations have become spelling farms for owners who are breeding with their own mares, racing their horses and being competitive. For small trainers and owners, it is near impossible to find a decent horse at the big sales. They get snapped up by the major buyers and only the crumbs are left.”

Botes is influenced by pedigree analyst Byron Rogers. He said that his software for hypothetical matings is the ‘Silver Bullet’ for good nicks, and that it was developed in conjunction with a programmer. In his view, his own is better than Tesio, G1 Goldmine and other programmes used by stallion managers and pedigree gurus.

He explained: “I am not joking or overblowing things. Through years of research into sire and sires of broodmares I have fine-tuned a terrific mating method. The few breeders I have showed it to, share my excitement. I plan to go into foal-sharing and other deals with my own and other mares, using my software, and for this to become a solid foundation from which I can retrieve racing stock.”

Botes is approaching 600 career winners. His top career runners include England Swings, G1 Golden Horseshoe winner Port Of London, Thaba’Nnchu Sun winner, Broken Lullaby, Gr3 Sycamore Sprint winner Tzigane and more recently Captain Dizzy, Ivy League and 2021 Summer Cup-placed Golden Pheasant.

Youthful Lunga Gila’s ambition has prompted his move this month from Fairview to the Western Cape, where he has been allocated stables at Phillipi in the company of Justin Snaith and Brett Crawford.

Gila, who cut his teeth under Glen Kotzen, Mitch Wiese and the late Nic Claassen, has saddled 15 winners and 22 places from just 150 runners. This was done with an active string of only 18 horses, and in his first season as a licensed trainer. He has made a solid impression with his no nonsense approach and beautifully presented runners.

Gila commented: “I believe I have the horsemanship and skills to compete at a higher level and my move to Cape Town is made in the hope of attracting new owners. There is fresh interest among people in the region and I am in a position to take on patrons who may need a change, and others. I have had wonderful support from the management of Cape Racing. They have allowed my existing staff to join me from Gqeberga, a big plus because they are meticulous professionals who know the way I work. I promise good results and I can’t wait to get going.”

Gila will start with only five thoroughbreds, but aims to build his string to a more competitive 20 inmates as soon as he has settled down. “I’ve sent most of my Fairview horses on to other trainers and riding schools. I have three very promising, unraced young horses going to Cape Town alongside two older racers, Baubles And Beads and Tried And True.”

Meanwhile trainers Stephen Moffatt (Vaal) and Glen Puller (Milnerton) have terminated their licences, but both stressed that they have not retired and that comebacks are a possibility.

Moffatt (52) said: “My stable has hit a low patch with not much to compete with and a lack of support in these tough times. My wife and I decided to give things a temporary break. We have spent Christmas and New Year on our farm in Moorivier to rest and relax, get some fresh perspectives and go back to the drawing board. I have kept my Vaal stables, I am still renting them and hope to return to racing sooner rather than later.” Moffat started in the mid 1990s and trained many multiple winners including the popular mare Rouge Allure (15 wins), Polo, Clever Guy, Afraad, Opera Glass, Roman Carnival and Rio’s Winter.

Puller (62) has lived by the motto, “It’s not about how many winners you have; it’s how long you last in racing!” He followed his career as a jockey by becoming a trainer in 1989 and among his successful stable inmates were names like Flashy Star, Great Rhythm, Exclusive Art, Making Mischief, Party Lover, Rabattache, Harlem Shake and Sevillano. Puller made history when his horse Illuminator won the first-ever Million Dollar race in Africa – The CTS Million Dollar in January 2016 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

Now, Puller said, it is time for reflection and he’s taking an extended break on his Philadelphia, Western Cape farm. “Due to unforeseen circumstances, I have had to close the stable. I am in ‘no man’s land’ at present but well occupied on the farm. We’ll see what the future holds. I haven’t officially retired.”

Among the jockeys, Billy Jacobson has immigrated to New Zealand where he has ridden five winners in his first month in Kiwiland. Marco van Rensburg is riding on a contract in Dubai. He has a winner and four places to show from 24 rides.

Anton Marcus, the former champion jockey and Grade 1 ace, quietly retired over a year ago and has been appointed as an ambassador for Betway. The popular Marcus was seen mingling with clients and rubbing shoulders with fans at the recent Betway Summer Cup. Jockey Randall Simons has not been that fortunate. He incurred a shoulder injury, some 10 months ago, and will be sidelined for another several weeks.

Two prominent racing officials retired at the end of 2023. Karin Le Roux, Promotions Manager for East Cape Racing for the last 28 years, said she’ll be enjoying her memories of “wonderful people, challenging personalities, champions, and some truly colourful characters”, while settling down in a seaside village near Port Alfred.

Cecil van As, who started as an apprentice jockey to the late JF Coetzee in 1978 and won a provincial jockeys title in his heyday before joining the then Jockey Club in the late 1990s, has also called it a day. Van As worked first as a starter, later as a Stipendiary Steward for Cape Racing. He will be spending the first few weeks of his retirement on a course covering the ways in which to use his smart phone.

https://www.tab4racing.com/tabs/news?type=off_the_record

The Sean Tarry-trained Drakenstein homebred Silvano filly Silver Hills (far side) is a horse who clearly needs to be left alone in the early stages and switched off in the running to get the best out of her. Serino Moodley had the ride in the Listed Wolf Power 1600 at the Big T last weekend, in which she was the only filly and she was coming off a way below par run in the Mike de Kock Ipi Tombe Challenge. She also had a wide draw, but he rode her to perfection and she stormed home to earn bold black type.    

Readers, please start sending in your Emperor’s Palace Ride Of The Month suggestions

There are prizes to be won in this competition sponsored by Turf Talk’s official hotel partner, Emperor’s Palace.

Serino Moodley’s ride described above is an example of one that can be nominated for the Emperor’s Palace Ride Of The Month.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH SERINO MOODLEY’S GREAT RIDE ON SILVER HILLS

CLICK HERE FOR THE DETAILS ABOUT EMPEROR’S PALACE RIDE OF THE MONTH COMPO

Pictures:The Gavin Smith-trained Golden Pacific (Gold Standard) sneaked through on the rail (far side) in the fifth race over 1000m to deny the Alan Greeff-trained Esther (Querari)  (Pauline Herman Photography)

Gavin Smith and Alan Greeff both had trebles on the Fairview Turf today.

Their respective first call riders S’Manga Khumalo and Richard Fourie both rode respective doubles for them.

Fourie is now on 144 wins achieved at a strike rate of 20.03%.

Khumalo is on 68 wins at 16.66%.

Smith is on 64 wins at 11.85%.

Greeff is on 58 wins at 14.25%.

Lester Piggott said, “A good jockey doesn’t need orders and a bad jockey couldn’t carry them out anyway; so it’s best not to give them any.”