Peter Talks About Jockeys, Records, The Championship, The Cape And Tomorrow’s Features
National champion trainer Paul Peter will be out to land both features, the Listed Topbet Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m and the Non-Black Type Ladies Stakes over 1200m, at Turffontein Inside tomorrow.
He will be using a number of jockeys throughout the meeting tomorrow and said he would continue to do so, at least for a while.
Asked whether he intended to put a stable jockey in place soon to replace Warren Kennedy, he replied, “No … well, not yet.”
It would appear the jockeys he will chiefly be using are Muzi Yeni, Gavin Lerena and Rachel Venniker.
Asked whether Rachel’s 1.5kg claim clinched the position, he replied, “Even besides that claim she is a very, very good rider and will get better, I ttink she will become a top jockey. She has an excellent work ethic, she has good mannerisms and is level headed. I like her a lot.”
Asked whether he would be chasing his record number of winners set last season (221), he replied, “It will be very difficult too, but we will push along without putting ourselves under pressure to get the record.”
221 winners equates to 18,5 winners per month and he is not far off that at present, having sent out 17 winners with just over a month gone so far.
Asked whether he would be concentrating on only chasing the championship this season, he said that would also be “very difficult”, considering the strength in the Cape and the new stakes increases.
He added, “We will give it our best shot.”
It hasn’t taken long for the pecking order to be sorted out this season with Peter at the top of the early season log and Justin Snaith second.
Peter said the new incentives in the Cape were “a very good thing for racing.”
However, he said he had not yet committed to a campaign down there.
Looking at tomorrow’s two features, he said a line could be drawn through Val D’Orcia’s run in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint.
He said, “He took an awkward step and Keagan felt something amiss so pulled him up. But he retuned a hundred percent sound.”
The Vercingetorix four-year-old gelding had displayed his liking for a 1200m feature around the turn in his previous run when winning the Grade 2 Post Mercvhants at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
He was handy in that race from a good draw of five and displayed a good kick and won by half-a-length.
However, he was given six points, but does face Sheela, who was a 1,60 length third, on half-a-kilogram better terms in tomorrow’s handicap event.
Peter said, “I think he has a big shout.”
Mercury Rising has won his only start for Peter, beating a good field by a cosy 1,50 lengths over 1160m.
She carries topweight of 61.5kg in tomorrow’s 1200m event and is drawn in pole.
He said, “She is very well but does have a big weight.”
New Predator Has Sold Well To Variety Of Trainers
Warwick Render of Bush Hill Stud has been pleased with the selling record of resident stallion New Predator’s first crop and is now looking forward to his first runners.
At the BSA National Yearling Sales the Australian-bred New Approach stallion had nine lots and eight were sold for an aggregate of R1,325,000 with an average of R165,625.
At the BSA KZN Yearling Sale he had ten lots and nine were sold for an aggregate of R660,000 for an everage of R73,333.
At the recent BSA August Sale he had eleven lots and ten were sold for an aggregate of R500,000 and average of R50,000.
However, Render said the most pleasing aspect was that “his progeny had been bought by a wide range of different trainers.”
This will provide him with every chance of getting off to a good start.
New Predator, trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren and owned by Laurence Wernars, won the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes as a three-year-old and won the Grade 2 Charity Mile as a four-year-old.
He had three Grade 1 third place finishes from 1200m up to 1600m and had two Grade 2 runner up finishes and a Grade 2 third.
New Predator is out of Fastnet Rock mare Head Over Heels, who was a half-sister to multiple Listed winner Presently (Unbridled’s Song).
New Predator is from the family of Grade 1 winners Set Square (Reset) and Testifiable (Testa Rossa).
Arc dream still alive for ‘blossoming’ Verry Elleegant with trial on horizon
Australian Horse Of The Year Verry Elleegant disappointed on her European debut
By Scott Burton (Racing Post France correspondent).
Francis Graffard is looking forward to getting back on track with Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant, with an appearance at Longchamp on Arc Trials day the target for the 11-time Group 1 winner.
Verry Elleegant looked in need of the run when finishing seventh in the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville last month on a track which favoured those ridden close to the pace.
Either the Prix Vermeille or the Prix Foy on September 11 will give her the chance to step up to a mile and a half on a more galloping track, with the mare’s performance likely to have a major bearing on whether she then heads to the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe over the same course and distance three weeks later.
“She has two entries, the Vermeille and the Foy, and I’m leaning towards running her in the Prix Foy,” said Graffard.
Frankie Dettori has once again declared himself available to ride Verry Elleegant, who struggled to lie up early in the Jean Romanet on her first start since the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in April.
“There will probably be fewer runners [in the Foy] but also the mare has really taken a step forward since her comeback run,” said Graffard. “She really seems to be beginning to blossom.
“I can’t wait to see her over 2,400 metres [a mile and a half] on easier ground. The Foy should be a less difficult option for her first time at Longchamp, given that it is usually run as a prep rather than an objective.”
Verry Elleegant would need to be supplemented at a cost of £120,000 for the Arc, for which her current price ranges between 25-1 and 66-1.
She holds entries for the Prix de Royallieu on the eve of the Arc as well as the Fillies & Mares Stakes on Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot.
Team Gold could prove the pick of the Magner stable trio
Trainer will bid to win Saturday’s R175,000 Topbet Spring Spree Stakes at Turffontein for the third year running
David Mollett (Business Day)
Trainer Roy Magner arrived in SA having won three championships in Zimbabwe and remains respected by many as one of the best horsemen in the country. He was chosen by the connections of Kommetdieding as the man to look after the 2021 Durban July winner during his spell on the highveld.
Magner, who saddled 45 winners last term, will bid to win Saturday’s R175,000 Topbet Spring Spree Stakes at Turffontein for the third year running. His six-year-old, Vaseem, won 12 months ago and he is back for another tilt at the prize along with stablemates Rollwiththepunches and four-year-old Team Gold.
So — with three runners all boasting useful form — punters need help from the Randjesfontein trainer. Magner had this to say about his trio of runners:
Rollwiththepunches: “The big worry about him is his wide draw. If he’d been drawn, say 2, 3 or 4 I would have been a lot more bullish about his chances.”
Vaseem: “He won this race last year but has had issues with his feet. But he’s coming along nicely and I’m sure Muzi [Yeni] will be looking forward to partnering him again after his good second at Greyville.”
Gold Team: “He is a decent horse who ran against some top juveniles in his younger days. This trip [1,200m] might be a tad sharp but he’ll be running on.”
The final question, of course, was which of the trio he would back if given R100. The answer was Team Gold, so he’s got to be the selection. He is a 10-1 chance in early betting and therefore worth an each-way punt.
Jockey Raymond Danielson has built a good rapport with Team Gold with the past three starts yielding two wins and a second. When one considers that the gelding’s form includes finishing two and a half lengths behind Sentbydestiny and three parts of a length behind Castletown, it’s easy to understand Magner’s confidence.
The Hollywood syndicate will watch with considerable interest as it purchased Team Gold’s half-brother (by Rafeef) for R325,000 at the National Yearling Sales in April.
With S’manga Khumalo reunited with Sheela, it is Mike and Adam Azzie’s filly who may pose the main threat to the Magner trio. The bookies quote the daughter of The United States at 7-1.
Paul Peter’s runner, Val D’Orcia, is a five-time winner and the jockey reported “something amiss” when the four-year-old tailed off in the Mercury Sprint.
Keagan De Melo was in the saddle that day and he switches to top-weight Prince Of Fire. He is also a five-time winner but has to shoulder 62kg. He may battle to concede 8kg to Team Gold.
The supporting feature — the R150,000 Lady’s Stakes — sees some useful females race for the first prize of R93,750 and the chief contenders may be Kayla’s Champ, Bon Vivant, Mercury Rising and the lightly weighted Time For Glory.
Fanie Bronkhorst’s mare, Kayla’s Champ, is 7.5kg better off this time with Mercury Rising and the six-year-old could turn the tables.
Bon Vivant is unbeaten at the city track and is on the shortlist of possible winners, while Winning Form’s selection, Time For Glory, has a shout as the three-year-old has never carried such a light weight.
Brett Crawford’s three-year-old I Am Giant — a son of Querari bred by Alfie Dickerson — has been priced up 2-1 favourite for the eighth race after his impressive debut win.
Kabelo Matsunyane — among the winners at HollywoodbetsGreyville on Wednesday — will know this will be no walk in the park with the three-year-old taking on older horses — notably the Argentinian-bred gelding, South Boy.
If South Boy is not found wanting in his second start after a seven-month absence we could witness a close finish between the younger and older generations.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: No Selection
2nd Race: (1) Lunar Ballade (9) Hertzoggie (10) On The Guest List (6) Camerata
3rd Race: (1) Clap Of Thunder (2) The Inkosana (5) Poets Warrior (6) Prime Example
4th Race: (4) Raratonga Rose (5) Sassy (1) Dame Colleen (6) Ballycotton
5th Race: (5) Raiseahallelujah (4) Jamaila (6) Motown Magic (1) Green Haze
6th Race: (3) Kayla’s Champ (2) Bon Vivant (1) Mercury Rising (7) Time For Glory
7th Race: (10) Team Gold (5) Sheela (7) Rollwiththepunches (6) Vaseem
8th Race: (4) South Boy (2) I Am Giant (8) Winter Pearl (9) Texas Red
9th Race: (6) Bey Suyay (7) Legislate’s Dance (4) Foreign Field (10) Blonde Act
Picture: Secretariat running in the field at Claiborne Farm (Tony Leonard/Courtesy Chris Paynter).
Park Honoring Secretariat to be Built in Paris, KY
(Unedited Press Release)
Secretariat Park News Release
A life-size bronze sculpture of Secretariat running in the field at the legendary Claiborne Farm—along with a three-story mural of him winning the 1973 Kentucky Derby—are the centerpieces of a new park planned on Main Street in downtown Paris, Kentucky to mark the 50th anniversary of the thoroughbred’s storied Triple Crown Run.
Details of the project were announced today by a group of Bourbon County citizens and the Hancock family of Claiborne Farm. The project is a long-time dream for the community where Secretariat lived most of his life and where he is buried.
The park is an homage to Secretariat’s career as the most famous thoroughbred in history. The project will be completed on November 11, 2023—exactly 50 years after Secretariat arrived at Claiborne Farm for his breeding career.
“Secretariat will forever have a lasting influence on Claiborne Farm for many reasons,” said Walker Hancock, president of Claiborne. “It is wonderful that people from all around the globe can visit our town with this initiative being a great way to further memorialize a sports legend.”
The project is privately funded by local citizens and businesses, with Claiborne Farm as the presenting sponsor.
“Secretariat is the most famous racehorse of all time—and, for many people, the only thoroughbred whose name is known worldwide,” said photographer Bobby Shiflet, owner of Frames on Main Gallery in Paris and a member of the committee planning the project. “We are creating this park to honor this hometown legend—and to have a place on Main Street for people to learn about Secretariat for generations to come.”
Blue Grass Federal, based in Paris, has announced a community challenge grant for the project. Blue Grass will donate $25,000 to the project and will match other donors, dollar for dollar, up to an additional $25,000. People who wish to donate and have their dollars doubled may send donations to The Secretariat Park Foundation, PO Box 8, Paris, Ky. 40362.
“Blue Grass Federal is so proud to make this commitment to our Paris-Bourbon County community,” said Blue Grass Federal President & CEO Shanda Smith. “As the local downtown bank, we’re excited about the opportunity to help our community thrive by supporting this important legacy project that will draw additional visitors and attention to our special hometown.”
“We hope everyone will consider making a donation of any size,” Smith added. “Working together, we can further revitalize downtown Paris.”
Secretariat Park, at 525 Main Street, will be transformed into a green garden with lush landscaping, benches and accent lighting. The centerpiece is a life-sized bronze of Secretariat romping in the field.
The artist is Jocelyn Russell of Washington state, who also sculpted the bronze of Secretariat in Lexington, Ky. The Paris sculpture will be different from other Secretariat sculptures because it depicts him at Claiborne, where he lived from 1973 to his death in 1989, rather than racing. Russell’s inspiration for the bronze is a photo taken by the celebrated thoroughbred photographer Tony Leonard.
The park also includes a three-story mural of Secretariat winning the Derby by celebrated Kentucky equine artist Jaime Corum.
It will be painted on the side of the former 1933 Baldwin Hotel, which has been historically renovated.
Work on the mural begins in October. The redesigned park and the bronze will be completed late next year, on Nov. 11, 2023—exactly 50 years to the day Secretariat arrived at Claiborne for his breeding career.
The project is part of a broader effort to redevelop downtown Paris, the entirety of which is on the National Register of Historic Places. In recent years, numerous Main Street buildings have been renovated and new businesses have opened.
All individuals or businesses who contribute $100 or more will be recognized at the park.
The Secretariat Park Foundation is a non-profit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible.
People can follow the park’s progress on Facebook and Instagram (@SecretariatParkInc)
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.
Dylan Cunha’s Selfie On The Famous Warren Hill
Trainer Dylan Cunha spoke of the privilege of being at Warren Hill every morning in Newmarket.
The great Frankel was among those who regularly worked up this hill.
Baaeed will be cantering up this hill in front of the public on September 18 for the annual Henry Cecil Open Weekend.
Fourie/Greeff Treble, Smith, McKenzie, Munger Doubles
Richard Fourie and Alan Greeff combined for a treble on the Fairview turf today.
Gavin Smith, Duncan McKenzie and Ryan Munger all scored doubles on the day.
Fourie made a late start to the new season and has ridden six winners at a 27.27% strike rate, which leaves him 14 off the early pace of Kabelo Matsunyane.
Greeff has made a fine start to the season and in stakes is third oin the national log, but he leads the log on winners at 18, at a strike rate of 18.95%.
Smith has had nine winners at 6.62%.
McKenzie has had three winners at 21.43%.
Munger has had 14 winners at 12.07%.
Today’s Question
Australia’s racing awards for the 2021/2022 season will be held tomorrow.
The now international sprint superstar Nature Strip and Melbourne Cup hero Verry Elleegant will both be going for a second Australian Horse Of The Year title, Nature Strip having won it for the 2019/2020 season and Verry Elleegant having done it in 2021/2022.
Which horses have won the Australian Horse Of The Year title three times or more?
Picture: Nature Strip (Bronwen Healy)
Turffontein Inside Fields
Hollywoodbets Scottsville Fields
Today’s Question Answer
Sunline (NZ) (Desert Sun) won Australian Horse Of The Year three times in succession starting from the 1999/2000 season.
Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) won it three years in succession starting from 2010/2011.
Winx (Street Cry) won it four times in succession starting from 2015/2016.
Picture: Jockey Hugh Bowman salutes the adoring crowd who turned out in their thousands to watch Winx’s final run at The Championships at Royal Randwick in April. She was an easy winner of the prestigious G1 Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which she was taking for the third year in succession. Photo: Sharon Lee Chapman
