Dave Mollett comments on the fine achievement of Puerto Manzano in doing the Grade 1 Betway Summer Cup/Grade 1 wfa WSB Premier’s Champions Challenge double but gives him no chance in the Hollywoodbets Durban July due to the unsuitable course. JC Photos took the above picture of him winning the Champions Challenge on Saturday.
Many Intriguing Questions To Be Answered In The Coming Months
With four months of the year behind us, the next eight are going to be fascinating for racing fans before they sit down for their Christmas dinners. There are intriguing questions to be answered in the sport concerning horses, trainers and jockeys.
Let’s look at the horses first.
1. EQUINOX
Just how good is the Japanese star, Equinox? The son of Kitasan Black made a mockery of his starting price of even money in the Sheema Classic at Meydan in March. Most pundits are expecting trainer Tetsuya Kimura to aim the colt at the Arc De Triomphe in Paris in October – a race Japan has never won.
There has been talk in the UK that Equinox might head for Paris via the Juddmonte International at York in August. That would be marvellous and mean this writer will have seen three champions – Frankel and Baaeed the other two – at the Knavesmire in the last 11 years.
2. CHARLES DICKENS
Just how good is Charles Dickens? The three year-old’s defeat in the King’s Plate at Kenilworth in January wasn’t on the L’Ormarins menu that day, but just proved that you can’t write the script in the sport of horseracing.
With Candice Bass-Robinson training the son of Trippi, he is in safe hands. By the time this column is on the streets, the lady who is in third place in the national trainers log will have decided on the Drill Hall Stakes or Guineas for her charge’s first KZN run. At the weekend, Sporting Post stated it was likely to be the latter.
3. COUSIN CASEY
The Glen Kotzen inmate is the ruling favourite for the Hollywoodbets Durban July and will attempt to give his trainer a second triumph in SA’s most famous race following the win of ill-fated Big City Life in 2009.
When the 60 entries for the July were announced by Gold Circle, there was no Al Muthana which means Cousin Casey will have to give weight to his fellow three year-olds.
Prior to this announcement, Turf Talk editor, David Thisleton, produced a superb piece explaining the weights structure to confused punters.
While (not for the first time!) I’m on Rascallion each-way at 20-1, this doesn’t mean Cousin Casey won’t be my July selection as surely this R375 000 buy from Riyo Stud can’t have the same bad luck which befell him during the Cape season.
Despite being critical of his riding on a couple of occasions, Glen seems likely to keep faith with Grant van Niekerk who will be hungry for his first July win.
4. PUERTO MANZANO
One had to agree with Mike De Kock’s assessment that this year’s WSB Premier’s Champion Challenge was “not a vintage renewal”, yet what Puerto Manzano has achieved is remarkable and his career earnings are nearly R4 million. Ironic that this was the horse involved in an incident at the start of his career which saw Laurence Wernars telling the media he was throwing in the towel.
It was Keagan De Melo’s never-say-die attitude that got the Argentinian import home by the width of cigarette paper on Saturday and – while nobody mentioned it – it would have been a bit embarrassing if former stablemate, Second Base, had won.
Johan van Vuuren’s five year-old is now a 16-1 chance for the Hollywoodbets Durban July, but has no chance in my book as the course doesn’t suit him. The proof is his 16th finish (beaten 17 lengths) by Sparkling Water last year.
If De Melo is going to crown a memorable season with a July win, he’s going to have to shop around for another ride.
There are a number of trainers in the spotlight in the coming months.
MIKE DE KOCK:
With a number of trips to Aussie this year, speculation is mounting that SA’s best-known trainer will be relocating “Down Under.” There are two big pluses for the move – a safer country and prize money which is on a different planet to what his horses can earn here.
The announcement that his longtime assistant, Alson Ndzilana, is taking out his own licence adds fuel to the flames.
JUSTIN SNAITH
The powerful Snaith operation has ensured Justin will be crowned champion trainer again in three months time, but a sixth Durban July triumph looks unlikely. After his good Met run, Pomp And Power is an 8-1 chance in the ante post betting but – rather like an unpredictable mother-in-law – one never knows if he will throw a tantrum.
I’m sure Kabelo Matsunyane (his Met partner) will be keen to ride him again, but Richard Fourie will probably give the gelding a miss.
WILLIAM HAGGAS
Can the popular UK trainer, who trains for a number of SA owners, mount a challenge to Charlie Appleby for the British championship? One has to admire William’s “we’ll go anywhere” approach which has resulted in his charges landing big prizes in Australia.
On Sunday, he ran Dubai Honour in the QE Cup in Hong Kong with his globetrotter finishing third.
We are blessed with a handful of seriously good jockeys and they’ll also be very much in the spotlight.
RICHARD FOURIE
The keen fisherman netted three feature races at Turffontein last Saturday but also had to settle for minor placings on two heavily-backed runners, Rain In Holland and Kiss Me Captain. With two Gavin Lerena mounts, Princess Calla and Billy Bowlegs (6-1 to 28-10) failing to win, it probably wasn’t a memorable meeting for many punters.
Fourie has no chance of catching Keagan De Melo in this year’s title race, but many will be keen to back him for the 2023/24 season.
KEAGAN DE MELO
The Alberton-born rider has pretty much been walking on water this term and one simply has to applaud the dedication to his profession. In post-race interviews, he likes to divert the attention to the trainer and owners when – as was the case with Puerto Manzano on Saturday – it is his expertise that wins the day.
We will know at the end of May whether Keagan has a chance of beating Anthony Delpech’s record of 334 wins in a season.
It proved a bridge too far for Warren Kennedy last year, but Keagan has two big factors in his favour – top trainers will be keen to secure his services in KZN over the next three months and he’s rarely in trouble with the authorities.
FRANKIE DETTORI
Frankie is simply the best-known jockey on the planet, a media darling with his big race record a testimony to his talent.
He is due to hang up his saddle after the Breeders Cup meeting at Santa Anita in November, but could bow out in the Melbourne Cup if finding a mount with a winning chance.
His fans will always remember Frankie riding the card at Ascot – bookies were crying for weeks – and my trip to Mala Mala with the champagne-loving Italian in 2008 remains a highlight for this writer.
PIERE STRYDOM
“Striker” is expected to retire before Frankie Dettori but don’t bet on it. Pundits are predicting he could sign off by winning the July on Michael Roberts’ three year-old, See It Again. His Cape Derby victory – at odds of 50-1 – put his hat in the ring but I’d be inclined to hold fire on a bet to see how Nic Jonnsson’s colt fares in his build-up races.
Admiralty Arch’s win at the Vaal last November provided Piere with his 5 500th winner – a remarkable total. According to the Guiness World Records, Brazilian Jorge Antonio Ricardo has amassed the biggest total with 13044 wins.
After reaching the milestone, Piere said in an interview “Gary Player is one of my heroes. I have always liked the way he was able to succeed in everything he set out to do. It would be an honour to be compared to him.”
No worries Piere – you will always be a hero to South African racing fans.
The photo finish of the WSB Premier’s Champions Challenge, which illustrates the length of Puerto Manzano and how his outstretched neck enabled him to prevail over his former stablemate Second Base.
Puerto Manzano Does It Again
Puerto Manzano is the third horse to do the Summer Cup/Champions Challenge double after the Mike de Kock-trained Candy Stripes mare Ilha da Vitoria (2005/2006) and the Geoff Woodruff-trained Jet Master gelding Yorker (2013/2014).
4Racing wrote the below report on the day’s racing:
Puerto Manzano pulled off a Grade 1 double when he won the World Sports Betting Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein on Saturday.
Victory in this R2-million race backed up his triumph last November in the Betway Summer Cup, also over 2000m at Turffontein.
But it was a hard-fought success as it took the judge to separate the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained runner from one of his former inmates, Second Base, who is now trained by Robyn Klaasen.
Just another 0.90 lengths back came Rain In Holland with Billy Bowlegs, who went off favourite at 28-10, just 0.15 lengths further back in fourth.
Puerto Manzano went off at 6-1 and gave jockey Keagan de Melo yet another Grade 1 victory this season.
A race earlier KwaZulu-Natal raider Isivunguvungu gave jockey Richard Fourie his third successive winner of the day as he romped to a two-length victory in the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear ComputaForm Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein on Saturday.
The four-year-old son of What A Winter was always up with the pace and once he got to the front there was no stopping him, crossing the line in a quick 56.11 seconds.
In doing so, he gave Peter Muscutt his first Grade 1 winner as a trainer.
William Robertson, ridden by Piere Strydom, ran on well to get up for second, touching off 9-4 favourite Princess Calla by a short head.
Late money saw Billy Bowlegs top the boards for the WSB Premier’s Champions Challenge while Puerto Manzano drifted out from 4-1 to 6-1.
We once had a university lecturer who when asked to go slower would respond, “If I go any slower I will stop”. That comment could aptly describe the pedestrian pace of the race as they crawled along in the opening stages. That saw MK’s Pride go off to the front from Rain In Holland who pulled hard in the early stages.
Aragosta sat third ahead of Puerto Manzano on the rail with Billy Bowlegs and Second Base behind that. With 300m to go MK’s Pride held a narrow lead from Rain In Holland with Puerto Manzano creeping through on the inside while Second Base and Billy Bowlegs started to run at them towards the outside.
With the naked eye it appeared as if Second Base, who was paying over R50 for a win on TAB, may have pulled off the upset but the photofinish revealed Puerto Manzano had got the verdict, much to the relief of most punters.
“I can’t thank the horse enough,” said De Melo. “He pulled it out of the fire when he needed to.
“We went at a crawl, so for him to quicken up that way is a true testament to his ability.”
Just to demonstrate how slowly the race was run, the time was 127.13 seconds. Two races later, the Grade 2 WSB Gerald Rosenberg Stakes for fillies and mares over the same distance, run after an hour’s delay due to soaking rain, was completed in 125.13 seconds.
The Jonsson Workwear ComputaForm Sprint proved a triumph for trainer Peter Muscutt as he claimed his first Grade 1 victory since taking out his own licence. “It’s quite an auspicious moment, a long time in coming but he (Isivunguvungu) won well today.
“He’s taken a long time to grow up. He was a bit of a tearaway as a youngster but as he’s gone long, he’s settled much better in himself.”
The World Sports Betting Championships Finale proved a real triumph for horseracing on the Highveld.
“The World Sports Betting Championships are a celebration of the champions of horseracing and the sheer joy and thrill of the sport. A huge thank you to Warren Tannous and the World Sports Betting team for working tirelessly with us at 4Racing to make this season a huge success. I’m thrilled with the results on what was a fantastic WSB Championships Finale and we look forward to taking the WSB Championships season to even greater heights,” said Fundi Sithebe, CEO of 4Racing.
The live 4Racing TV broadcast of the WSB Championships Finale saw the implementation of three new features, jockey interviews at the start, the addition of augmented reality imagery to display the real-time live jockey line up in their racing silks and the launch of the new Stars initiative with their QR codes.
The 4Racing TV Broadcast team continues to strive for technological improvements and industry firsts to enhance the horseracing viewing experience.
The excitement continued off the track as adrenaline met entertainment with a stellar line-up of artists, including Lee Cole, Marco da Costa, Ebb & Mayo, and Austin Cassim.
Doug and Di Campbell after a milestone moment at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday (Candiese Lenferna).
Doug Campbell’s 1000th Career Winner Sparks Reminiscences
Doug Campbell had the 1000th winner of his career at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday and reminisced about some of his best moments in the sport.
His first winner was Pedlars Pie at Scottsville in April 1979.
He recalled, “You had to have two horses to have a professional license. I went for about a year without having a winner having started in 1978. Dennis Drier felt sorry for me and suggested to one of his clients Vi Armstrong to send me one of the horses in his yard, Pedlars Pie. She won first time out for me at Scottsville. And she beat a Drier-trained horse! However, I did not have the pleasure of leading in my first winner because the commentator had called the other one the winner and the owners confidently led that one in. When the numbers came up it was too late for me to do a lead in! Brian Strydom was the rider. He rode for me a lot and used to gallop our horses when we took them to Scottsville. It was quite funny because they put on a day for him at Clairwood when he retired and in his last ever ride he won on a horse of ours … but it did look as if the other jockeys let him win because he had an easy lead from start to finish!”
Doug only had one Grade 1 winner, but it was one of the most amazing races in South African history and many older fans still recall it.
Doug took the grey filly by Northern Guest, Mystery Guest, up to Gosforth Park to run in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Guineas.
Kevin Shea recalled, “She ducked just as she was going into the stalls and dropped me. She wasn’t a dilly filly at all and she thought she had better go back where she had come from so she cantered back to the parade ring.”
As if to illustrate her relaxed demeanour Doug, upon rushing down to the parade ring through the maze of passages at Gosforth Park, found her nibbling on a bush.
He recalled, “The Campbells and the McDonalds have never got on well and the vet that day called McDonald wanted to scratch my horse! I said ‘No way we have come all the way from Richmond’ and I just walked the horse straight past him on to the course. They were complaining because it was a televised race and she was now subjecting it to this long delay.”
Doug did not care about the television viewers having to wait and he took Mystery Guest all the way got back to the start.
Many thousands of viewers of that race on television and on the packed grandstands were surprised the filly was then allowed to start, having run the distance of the race already.
However, in astonishing fashion, she then not only ran but she won, and she not only won but she did it in course record time!
However, the best horse Doug trained was Dawson Trail, a gelding by the many-times champion sire Jungle Cove and a half-brother to July winner Spanish Galliard (Gay Fandango).
He won the Grade 3 Natal Guineas and three Listed races and also finished second in both the Grade 1 Cape Derby and Grade 1 SA 2000 (Daily News 2000).
Doug said, “Despite those Grade 1 seconds they did not include him in the July. He did run in the July as a five-year-old and a six-year-old but he was at his best as a three-year-old and actually beat the July winner Right Prerogative in both the Cape Derby and the SA 2000.”
In this day and age Dawson Trail would most definitely have got in ahead of Right Prerogative, who subsequent to the aforementioned races was a comfortable winner of the Grade 2 Natal Derby.
Dawson Trail became a miracle horse later and his story was testament to the skills of the legendary veterinarian Brian Baker.
He suffered a chipped knee in training while down in Cape Town preparing for the Met and due to a complication in the subsequent operation he contracted a serious bout of colic. However, due to its weight, the intestines subsequently twice began bursting through the stitched area. Dawson Trail was then moved from Cape Town to Natal and Dr Baker stitched a nylon mesh into his stomach.
“He did a fine job,” recalled Doug, “The mesh was not visible.” Dawson Trail, now something of a bionic horse, returned to racing after an 18 month break and incredibly enough won his first start upon return over 1600m at Clairwood, beating his half-brother, Spanish Galliard, who went on to win the Durban July just over a year later.
Kevin Shea started riding for Doug after returning from a three month suspension and the loyal rider returned the favour by being stable jockey for a number of years. They remain good friends and Kevin recalled there being many good horses at Sugar Hill, not to mention the fine breakfasts after traveling up to Richmond to ride work on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
One of the fairytale horses was the 1977-born Jeremy Mask by Red Mask. This homebred won on debut and the owners then moved him to the yard of a top trainer because they did not believe this new trainer Doug Campbell was good enough. The horse then suffered a tendon injury and Doug bought him back for R500. He went on to win five races in all, including the Listed Squadron Rum 1200 at Bloemfontein under Paul Gadsby, who also rode a lot for Doug. The win helped towards building more stables on Doug’s Sugar Hill Racing Stables training establishment in Richmond.
Gadsby also rode the Campbell-trained eight-time winning stayer Escapist (Hostage) to victory in the Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m.
Doug has also had success breeding off his private training establishment. A Sugar Hill Stud homebred who did well was the King Of Kings colt King’s Bay. He won six out of eight for Doug and became the first South African horse to be sold to the China Horse Club in 2013. Doug was reluctant to part with this beloved horse who did not attract a single bid at a private farm sale because “he was nothing to look at”. However, he turned out to have a high cruising speed and an explosive turn of foot when racing for Doug, Micky Moodley and Dave Hawkins. They received an offer from the China Horse Club they could not turn down.
Doug trained horses for gymkhana races in the amateur ranks for some years before acquiring his professional license. Richmond was one of the best venues.
It was somewhat ironic Stuart Ferrie had his first black type success in his fledgling training career on the same day as Doug’s 1000th winner, because one of the first amateur horses Doug trained was Silver Sovereign who was part-owned by Stuart’s father Scotch. Stuart’s first days on a racecourse would have been at the Richmond gymkhana meetings.
Doug also trained and rode in hurdles races and recalls meeting Chris Snaith and Ralph Rixon when travelling a horse down to run in a race in Port Elizabeth.
Doug is starting to concentrate more on the spelling and pre-training side these days.
He said, “I can’t blame owners for wanting to send horses to younger trainers because I am nearly 80, but we have 35 empty stables.”
However, Ermelo certainly looks to be a promising horse.
Doug used to train for the father of Ermelo’s owner and breeder Tommy Crowe. Out of the blue he got a phone call from Tommy one day saying he had bred this son of Rabada and would he like to train him.
Ermelo went to the front under Dennis Schwarz on Sunday and the big gelding used his big stride to stretch the field. He never looked like stopping in the straight and won easing up from the promising Sean Tarry-trained The Africa House.
The milestone moment caused excitement from Campbell family members all over the world. Doug’s son Stuart got up at 10 to 6 in the morning in the USA to watch the race.
He said Ermelo had been a big brute of an early two-year-old and was difficult, so he was grateful Tommy had allowed him to be gelded.
He looks like a Grade 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe candidate over 1400m on Hollywoodbets Durban July day and on pedigree should also get the trip of the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Challenge on
Doug has mixed hard work with fun and his annual party at Sugar Hill stables became legendary and only came to a halt with Covid-19. A big marquee used to be erected for the party in the days when finances allowed, not to mention sumptuous fare. The jockeys who attended used to do frog racing with a bookmaker in attendance taking bets.
Doug reserved the last word for his wife Di and said, “By far the best horse in my yard has been Di, she has been terrific in every way through all these years and her attention to detail is quite phenomenal.”
Picture: Lucky Lad was an impressive winner of the Grade 2 WSB SA Nursery (JC Photos).
Sean Tarry Has Another Halcyon Day And Reveals His best Horses’ Targets
Sean Tarry spoke about the targets of his best runners after another halcyon day at Turffontein on Saturday in which he did the Grade 2 WSB SA Fillies Nursery and Grade 2 WSB Nursery double together with stalwart jockey Richard Fourie.
His SA Nursery winner, the Gimmethegreenlight colt Lucky Lad, was possibly the most impressive winner of the entire day as he won effortlessly after a tardy start.
Tarry said the slow start had not really worried him because everything had fallen into place after a furlong.
Lucky Lad looked a class act when he drew clear and he won by 2,75 lengths.
He is unbeaten in three and Tarry understated, “He is coming along the right way.”
He will now head for the Grade 1 Gold Medallion over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville and he will take it from there.
Lucky Lad has certainly struck as one who has the class to go further and his pedigree suggests he will too as he is out of Caesour mare Imperial State, whose two wins were over 1600m and she went close in a Grade 3 over 1800m as well.
Tarry said Richard Fourie had done well to get his Vercingetorix filly Mrs Geriatrix up late by a neck in the Fillies Nursery.
She is also unbeaten in three. She also looks to have class and should stay further on pedigree.
The Grade 1 Allan Robertson at Hollywoodbets Scottsville will be her next step.
Tarry was disappointed with the run of American Graffiti in the SA Fillies Nursery and said she had travelled far too well and was fighting when being eased back. It had not panned out well and she did not get a smooth passage. She is better than that run.
Tarry was also clearly disappointed with Rain In Holland’s third place finish in the big one, the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge.
He said, “MK’s Pride was not the horse she wanted to be behind because he kept easing it up.”
She was then hampered late in the race by the hanging second-placed Second Base.
Tarry said, “It was a complete mess of a race and if they ran it again tomorrow she could go very close.”
She is going for the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 as her final run before the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
He said it was hard for fifth-placed Nebraas to run on off a slow pace and felt if they had gone faster he might have finished on top of them. The July and Gold Cup will be his missions.
He said it had been the wrong race in which to try a new hold up tactic with Litigation and the slow pace had scuppered his chances. He will go for the WSB 1900 at Hollywoodbets Greyville as his next step towards the July.
Bless My Stars will also be going for the Woolavington. He said she had gone for home a bit too early in the Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes over 2000m after going hard up in front but he feels she would have had no chance with the winner Gilded Butterfly on the day anyway. The latter ran a time exactly two seconds quicker than the Champions Challenge.
He said the 1000m had proven too sharp for Princess Calla in the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint but he said he had had no choice but to run her because it would be a springboard into the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint at Hollywoodbets Scottsville. He was disappointed she had not held on for second place but was happy with the run.
Big Burn ran a good fifth in the Computaform considering the weights and he felt the Grade 2 Post Merchants would be a more suitable race for her than the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint.
He felt Full Velocity had not fired up the way he had expected her too in the Grade 2 Camellia Stakes but was not unhappy with her fifth place finish and felt the run might bring her on further. She would likely go the same route as Big Burn.
He was disappointed with Sweet Pepper’s run in the Camellia.
However, he was thrilled with the victory of Marigold Hotel in the Grade 3 Dennis Drier Poinsettia Stakes over 1200m, although he pointed out she had been well weighted.
Marigold Hotel will go for the Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m.
He said The Africa House, who ran a good second in a Juvenile Plate at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday, might be aimed at the Grade 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on July day.
Meanwhile, Thunderstruck is on target for the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, where he won the Gold Medallion last year.
Without Question won the Grade 3 WSB Variety Club Mile well despite the race not having panned out well. (Picture: Wayne Marks).
Without Question Proves Himself Worthy Of 119 Rating
Review Of The First Leg Of The World Sports Betting Western Cape Winter Series
Cape Racing
It’s been all of two years since Rio Querari last won a race – the G1 Computaform Sprint. Beset by an arthritic joint, the gelding needed persistent care from the Snaith Racing team, and lots of time off including a rejuvenating spell at Mike Stewart’s Noordhoek beach stables before gradually regaining soundness.
The big race he ran in the Cape Flying Championship when just edged out by high class foe, Gimmie a Prince, suggested the six-year-old had some life in him yet, so Monday’s G3 Champagne Stakes victory under on-fire Richard Fourie was well-deserved.
In an exciting blanket finish, Fourie (who won Saturday’s Computaform Sprint on Isivunguvungu, plus two G2 Nurseries and a bunch of G3’s) drove top-weight, Rio Querari through a narrow split to fend off We’re Jamming, Bereave and Speed Machine.
All the beaten horses emerged with credit. We’re Jamming is mighty dangerous down the straight 6 at Kenilworth; Diadem Stakes winner, Bereave maintained ultra consistent, top-class form and winter specialist, Speed Machine picked up on his preferred soft ground to finish fourth.
Snaith and Fourie, who win at close to a 20% clip, also teamed up in the G3 WSB Variety Club Mile with Without Question. The United States three-year-old was coming in off an improved third place in the G1 Cape Derby and continued that eye-catching progression by zooming past rivals in deep stretch. He will now head up to Durban to contest the G1 Daily News where he will be a major player.
The WSB Variety Club Mile is part of the revamped Winter Series. Instead of being restricted to three-year-olds it’s now a cross generational challenge. Three-year-olds still fared well, whilst the overall strength of the fields received a major boost compared to previous years.
Stalwart, Hoedspruit made a late dash down the inside rail to fill the exacta slot with pace making 3 year old, It’srainingwilliam holding third, as a triumphant Snaith saddled the first three past the post.
Earlier, Brett Crawford trained 3 year old filly, Happy Chance won the listed WSB Sweet Chestnut Stakes, only just sneaking by Kwinta’s Light close to the finish, after that one had skipped far ahead in mid-stretch. Happy Chance is a talented Dynasty filly that was adroitly piloted by Luyolu Mxothwa.
We look forward to the second leg of the series on 20 May 2023.
Hong Kong star Golden Sixty breaks Winx’s all time money record by winning the Champions Mile at Sha Tin. Picture: HKJC
Golden Sixty Is Now History’s Highest Ever Earner
‘He’s easy to train’: Hong Kong freak Golden Sixty surpasses legendary Winx as all-time greatest money earner
The Hong Kong hero collected his ninth Group 1 en route to the record, also beating home the Annabel Neasham-trained My Oberon which finished sixth.
Trenton Akers (adelaidenow.co.au)
Hong Kong hero Golden Sixty has raced into the history books, surpassing the great Winx as the world’s all-time top money earner following his win in the Champions Mile at Sha Tin on Sunday.
The Australian-bred freak sailed past the magical $30m mark on Sunday, after collecting $3.85m for his ninth Group 1 win, where he knocked off a fast finishing Hugh Bowman aboard Beauty Joy and Zac Purton on California Spangle.
The all-conquering Winx collected $26.45m in her glittering career, however Golden Sixty was able to mow her down in just his 29th start.
“We have to give him a bit more time in between his races now,” trainer Francis Lui said.
“This horse is easy to train, there aren’t many problems with him when it comes to training.”
Australian trainer Annabel Neasham could only watch on in awe, with her runner My Oberon struggling to let down on the firm surface, eventually finishing sixth.
“It was a bit disappointing, Joao (Moreira) said he struggled to travel, they tend to go quick, then off in the middle stages then go again,” Neasham said.
“He struggled in the fast tempo and I wonder if he is just a wet tracker now because he has never really performed on a good track, the two times he has run really well have been on really wet tracks.
“We have had a bloody good time here but, I just added up the numbers and we got $80,000 AUD for running sixth.
“It was great to witness Golden Sixty break the record, we will keep trying to come back.”
Austin Racegoer Explains Why He Fancies Pomp And Power For the July
Austin Racegoer (IRC) wrote this piece before Pomp And Power’s unplaced effort in the Grade 3 WSB Variety Club Mile, but he said the result of the latter race was not going to alter his opinion anyway.
Austin Racegoer (IRC)
The tune I’ve been singing for a while now, regarding the Durban July, is that this is the weakest race since the 2018 edition.
Recently, I wrote, on this platform, regarding the fact that I believe Pomp And Power will be a major player in the Durban July, and that got me into some unpleasant conversations. I’ll stand my ground, and I’ll tell you why.
The way I see it at this point, is quite simple: Pomp And Power wins, or anyone wins.
Had a horse like Jet Dark been in the HDJ line-up, he would be a banker for many and rightfully so.
My reasoning for putting the ball in the court of Pomp And Power is based on: His reputation prior to the July last year, and his run in the Met this year.
You see, it’s different if the horse wasn’t rated to deliver that sort of run: Coming from last to run 3rd. We’ve always been led in the direction that he’s that sort of horse. When he’s at his best, the only direction he’ll be moving in is forwards.
I will be putting a line through every run of his from the Durban July 2022 right until the Met 2023. Call me biased, call me foolish. Some have their beliefs, I have mine.
In one of my previous writings, I mentioned his prep race, which unfortunately didn’t go through due to the downpours in the Cape. His prep now kicks off today, but the result won’t change any opinions on my end.
I expect him to be in the July field and be at his best, fitness-wise. If that is where he ends up being, how can he not be the main focus in the field? I know we hear it all the time: This horse only gets beaten by himself. I think it’s an obstacle that he can overcome, as he has done so before.
If he settles, keeps that head relaxed and mouth closed: The race is over.
Justin’s string in the July this year won’t rate as highly as some of those in the last few years, but I don’t think he’ll go into the race with a lack of confidence.
I think the 8/1 Antepost value at Pomp And Power is the standout figure on the market.
This weekend sees some of the stars come out at Hollywoodbets Greyville to get the Champions Season swinging, and we’ll certainly be doing a preview on that this Friday, so be on the lookout as we face the KZN Champions Season once again!
Do It Again won two years in a row so features in the answer to the question below. (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Today’s Question
This century which colours have been carried across the line first in two successive renewals of the July?
Answer at bottom of the newsletter.
Heavy Metal’s win in the July ten years ago ensured the Chris van Niekerk colours were carried to victory in two successive years. (Picture: Gold Circle).
