Sandringham Summit being led in by, left to right, trainer David Nieuwenhuizen, groom Daniel Cuiane and owner representative Zeyn Kirsten after winning the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes (Picture: Candiese Lenferna).
Sandringham Eyes Dingaans/Triple Crown Route
David Nieuwenhuizen arrived home from a holiday in England today and was looking forward to seeing his horses, including his first ever Gr 1 winner Sandringham Summit.
He was due to have discussions about Sandringham Summit’s future with owner Rakesh Singh on Wednesday.
He himself felt the Dingaans over 1600m at Turffontein Standside on Gauteng Summer Cup day, November 25, would be a good option because it was a level weights race.
He believed a good springboard into that race would be another level weights event, the BSA Yearling Sales Race 4 over 1400m on October 7.
He said the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m on October 28 might be avoided because the Gimmethegreenlight colt would have to give weight all around there.
He felt after the Dingaans, the WSB SA Triple Crown would be the next target. The first two legs, the WSB Gauteng Guineas and WSB SA Classic over 1800m would be suitable events and there would thereafter have to be a choice between the WSB SA Derby and the Gr 1 Daily News 2000.
David said a Cape Town campaign was not on the agenda at this stage.
He said an overseas campaign would definitely be an option if direct travel from SA became a reality and like others he is eager to hear more good news after a recent breakthrough in the equine export saga.
David was thrilled Sandringham Summit’s win in the Gr 1 HKJC World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes had been chosen as the World Pool Moment Of The Day, meaning groom Daniel Cuiane landed a R100,000 award.
He said his labour brokers were working on a business plan to help Daniel invest the money wisely.
Daniel has been with the yard for about five years and looks after a number of horses, but Sandringham Summit is his most prized and he made sure he was raceday groom for him on World Pool Gold Cup day.
Meanwhile, there have been some suggestions about offers for the Varsfontein Stud-bred colt, but David said he was not for sale at this stage and added, “It is hard to replace a horse like this, so the offer would have to be exceptional to be contemplated.”
Sandringham is favourite to land the Equus Two-year-old Male champion. He finished behind Lucky Lad on the points table, but beat him in the Champion Stakes. Lucky Lad was unlucky in that race, but his last place finish will likely swing the votes Sandringham Summit’s way.
David has been having a well earned break in England and paid a visit to Salisbury racecourse, which he found an eye opener with the big attendance, although at the exchange rate tough on the wallet with a 25 pound entrance fee.
He will continue to be supported by owners and business partners Rakesh Singh and Zane Kirsten and it should be onward and upward for his yard from here.
Isivunguvungu’s win in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint proved he is effective over 1200m (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
Princess Calla, Isivunguvungu Also Covet Overseas Campaigns
The interest in the export protocols situation is turning into a clamour as more and more connections reveal overseas pretensions.
Two award winners spoke of overseas aspirations, provided direct travel becomes a reality, at the KZN Racing Awards on Friday evening.
The Hollywood Syndicate-owned KZN Champions Sprinter Isivunguvungu has been having a deserved holiday on the farm and will be back in training tomorrow (Tuesday).
Trainer Peter Muscutt said the ultimate target for the dual Grade 1-winning What A Winter gelding would be the Hong Kong Sprint, a Gr 1 weight for age event with prize money this December of HK$26 million (R63,2 million).
Muscutt is thus eagerly awaiting further good news about equine exports from South Africa after a recent breakthrough in which the EU audit done on African Horse Sickness (AHS) control last year received a positive report.
However, such is the historical slowness with which changes become effective in this realm, it seems unlikely he will be able to make it to this year’s Hong Kong Sprint, which takes place every December over 1200m at Sha Tin.
The next big Hong Kong target for him might be the HK$22 million Gr 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize in April and even being able to get there through direct travel is not a certainty.
“Direct travel” will require a quarantine period at the Kenilworth Quarantine station followed by direct travel to Europe and being treated like a European horse upon arrival. This will cut travel time to a place like Hong Kong by months and will be kinder to the horses.
Isivunguvungu gave Hollywood Syndicate a fine ending to the season when adding the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint to his Gr 1 Computaform Sprint. The Mercury Sprint victory proved the once headstrong horse had learnt to settle and he is now effective over 1200m.
Des Gonsalves, racing manager for owner Mario Ferreira, also spoke of overseas ambitions for KZN Princess Calla if direct travel became a reality.
Charles Dickens’ trainer Candice Bass-Robinson is another who has spoken of overseas ambitions and so has David Nieuwenhuizen, trainer of Sandringham Summit.
A beaming Wendy Whitehead receives the KZN Racing Personality Of The Year trophy (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
Wendy Whitehead Is The KZN Racing Personality Of The Year
Wendy Whitehead was deservedly named KZN Racing Personality Of The Year at the KZN Racing Awards on Friday evening.
Somebody recently said to Wendy, who is coming off her best ever season, “Your horses run for you because you love them. Have you noticed how they look at you?”
Since then Wendy has noticed how the horses come back after their workouts and stop and look at her and she said, “I then give them a pat or give them some grass or something, but it is almost like they want to please you.”
Such is Wendy’s love of animals her yard is like a mini farmyard. Two cats and three dogs accompany her to work everyday and the yard chickens gather around the couch in the barn for their lunch.
The bug bit when as a seven-year-old in Amamzimtoti she managed to persuade her father to send her for riding lessons for her birthday. She had her first pony within three months and a year later moved to the Hillcrest area where she was taught by Gail Page out of Sybil Plummer’s riding school. She had a few ponies but her big breakthrough came when she acquired a polo pony, whose name ironically was Wendy. Wendy and Wendy won may prizes and championships together. Wendy then moved on to horses, including thoroughbreds, and competed in the top grades in “juniors”.
She had her mind set on a career with horses and opted for racing because she knew she would be able to make a living in that environment.
Her first job was at Craig Ramsay’s Golden Acres farm where she learnt pre-training, breaking-in and breeding. She worked there for two years and then moved to Summerveld, which she found a much more exciting environment. She started working with Alan “Snowy” Reid and also rode in some ladies amateur races.
She learnt a lot from “Snowy”, for whom she worked for two years, and she called him “a fine trainer”.
Wendy used to admire the top Tony Furness yard and although “petrified of him because he was a hard taskman” she plucked up the courage one day to ask him for a job.
His reply was, “I don’t want a woman working for me.”
However, he approached her the following week and put her on one month’s probation. She passed and stayed there for eleven years.
Tony trained for the Oppenheimers and a range of the most elite owners in racing, including Robin Hamiltion, Tony Stiebel, The McElligots, The Grindrods, Dr Nick Labuschagne etc. He traveled a lot and Wendy would often be running the yard at Summerveld while he had, for example, a string in Cape Town. Tony trained many top horses but one day out of the blue announced he would be retiring in a month’s time.
He felt it was a “man’s world” but agreed it would be fine for Wendy to at least try and go on her own.
Owners Robin Hamilton, The McElligots and Dr Labuschagne agreed to give her a chance.
She started with 17 horses in 2001.
Her first winner came at Scottsville with a horse called Big Bay, fittingly owned by Tony and Margot Furness.
Her partner Duncan McKenzie joined her a year-and-a-half after she started and they ran a successful satellite yard up in Johannesburg for six years on top of the Summerveld operation.
Their first top horse was Chant De Nuit (Caesour), who won the Listed Sycamore Sprint and followed up by winning the Gr 2 Camellia Stakes before finishing a close fourth in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint.
They bought her for a mere R22,000 and raced her in partnership with Charlie Koster and Ian Longmore.
She earned over R550,000 and they then sold her for R500,000.
“She built my house and in our bar we have her saddle cloth hanging!” said Wendy.
“I’ve been lucky to have lovely clients to train for and I still train for some of my first owners, Sanjeev Ramsewak and Dr Labuschagne. Lord Wylie has won six races for Dr Labuschagne. We have also been supported by Sandy Arundel, Geoff Perkins, Ian Howard and many others.”
Wendy does not buy expensively and takes great pride in nurturing them along.
She said, “I have been very lucky to get the best out of the horses even if they don’t have the most perfect legs. I have always done a lot of TLC and managed to get them to finish their racing careers. I love to see a horse who has come from nothing to be great like Chant De Nuit.”
Her probable best horse at present is Beechamwood Boy whose part-owner Ian Gibson is, like Dr Labuschagne, a nonagenarian.
Wendy scored 51 wins last season, 19 better than her previous best, and did it with just 29 horses to race.
So she has a number of good earning horses and has started this season well. She is targeting 60 wins this season.
Wendy puts her success down to the teamwork between herself and 23 staff members.
She made special mention of the head groom since Tony Furness’s day, Mandla Nkosi “Vuma” Mtsheli, her assistant trainer and right hand man Isaac Mzila, and her other head groom Gilbert Mvuyelwa Ndzla.
Wendy’s yard works on mutual respect and she puts it down to her having stamped her authority from day one.
She recalled her early days, “When I first arrived at Summerveld a lot of the grooms would tease you and call you names (because there were not many women in the sport) and I will never forget the one guy walked up to me and said ‘Hey squeeza.’ I replied, ‘I’m not your squeeza, who do you think you are?’ From that day on they have called me ‘Umama KaDamoni’ (mother of Damon) or they just call me ‘Mam” or “Mother!”
Wendy is known for her friendly demeanour and approachability and her owners are able to enjoy their racing from many angles.
A thoroughly deserving winner of the Personality Award, whose announcement on Friday night did take her completely by surprise.
Groom of Sandringham Summit Daniel Cuiane recieved a cheque for R100,000 at the KZN Racing Awards on Friday evening at Hollywoodbets Greyville as his horse was chosen as the winner of the HKJC World Pool Moment Of The Day (Candiese Lenferna Photograhy).
KZN Racing Awards Confusion Explained
The horse award winners at the KZN Racing Awards ceremony held in the Classic Room at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Friday evening were the Glen Kotzen-trained Rascova (Champion Two-year-old Filly), the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Outlaw King (Champion Two-year-old Male), the Darryl Moore-trained Canadian Summer (Champion Three-year-old filly), the Michael Roberts-trained See It Again (Champion Three-year-old male and Champion Middle Distance Horse), the Peter Muscutt-trained Isivunguvungu (Champion Sprinter), the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Runaway Song (Champion Stayer) and the Sean Tarry-trained Princess Calla (Champion Horse Of The Season).
This caused some confusion because most consider Kotzen and Kannemeyer to be out of province trainers and there were arguably horses from other out of province yards who had performed better than Rascova, Outlaw King and Runaway Song the SA Champions Season.
In actual fact the Capetonian pair Kotzen and Kannemeyer count as KZN trainers for the awards because they have had satellite yards in KZN for many years.
However, in order to qualify for an award, any of their horses has to have had at least three runs in KZN during the season.
All Of Rascova, Outlaw King and Runaway Song had three or more runs in KZN last term.
The closest fought human award was the KZN Owners Championship and the MC for the night, Graeme Hawkins, revealed it had gone right down to the wire.
Isivunguvungu’s win in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint saw the Hollywood edge ahead of Drakenstein Stud in what, unbeknown to anybody except the two protagonists, was a thrilling duel for the KZN Champion Owners title.
However, Drakenstein fought back through a fifth place finish in the Gr 1 HKJC World Pool Champions Cup and they then clinched it in the penultimate race of the season when Distant Winter finished third in the Gr 1 Douglas Whyte Stakes.
Drakenstein finished a mere R90,000 ahead of Hollywood in the owners’ standings.
The other human awards at the KZN Racing Awards went to Garth Puller (Champion trainer), Keagan de Melo (Champion Jockey), Rachel Venniker (Champion Apprentice) and Jo Lungile (groom of the Horse Of The Season Princess Calla).
The annual Anita Akal Award went to the long serving Gold Circle CEO Michel Nairac.
The KZN Racing Personality Of The Year award went to Summerveld trainer Wendy Whitehead.
In one of the most emotion charged moments of the evening Daniel Cuiane, groom of the David Nieuwenhuizen-trained Sandringham Summit, received a R100,000 cheque because his horse’s win in the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes was chosen as the HKJC World Pool moment of the day.
Daniel described it as a “life-changing” happening.
Jockey Patrick Husbands celebrates after he had guided Paramount Prince to victory in the 164th running of the $1,000,000 King’s Plate. Paramount Prince is owned by Gary Barber and Mike Langlois and trained by Mark Casse. Photo: Michael Burns
Paramount Prince Reigns in Woodbine’s The King’s Plate
Patrick Husbands, Gary Barber and Mark Casse each won their third Plates.
(Ryan Munger’s mount Silent Miracle was handy but faded to finish second last and might prefer a touch shorter)
By Byron King (Bloodhorse.com)
The first telephone call Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse regularly receives each Christmas morning comes from jockey and longtime friend Patrick Husbands, sometimes at an hour earlier than he would prefer.
That same strike-early spirit also carries over to the racetrack for Husbands, who provided a gift for Casse with an aggressive ride in The King’s Plate Aug. 20 at Woodbine aboard Michael Langlois and Gary Barber’s Paramount Prince . The chestnut 3-year-old Society’s Chairman gelding led from start to finish in the 1 1/4-mile race on Tapeta, outlasting stablemate Elysian Field , Casse’s other starter and a filly Barber owns with Team Valor International.
The oldest continuously run stakes race in North America, Sunday’s CA$1,004,500 contest was renamed from The Queen’s Plate to The King’s Plate this year in honor of the current British monarch. Not since 1951 has it been run as The King’s Plate owing to the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II, who died this past September.
But some things rarely change in the race, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown—specifically these connections proving to be a regular force and periodic winners. Barber and Casse won their third Plates, having previously teamed with the fillies Lexie Lou (2014) and Wonder Gadot (2018).
“It’s beautiful,” Barber said as he walked to the winner’s circle. “This is my third time, now with a gelding—first time in The King’s Plate. … Now we got a hat trick.”
Casse and Husbands also savored capturing yet another race in combination.
“I don’t know how many races we’ve won together, 1,600?” Casse said to Husbands in a post-race interview.
“I think we got 19 (hundred), Mark,” Husbands quipped.
Jockey Patrick Husbands celebrates after he and Paramount Prince win the King’s Plate at Woodbine
Embellishment or not, whatever the official tally many of them have been accomplished in the frontrunning fashion in which Paramount Prince was successful Sunday.
Benefitting from a couple of rivals breaking poorly, including favored Kalik , Paramount Prince spurted to a clear lead, and after relatively moderate fractions of :23.28, :47.41, 1:11.81, and 1:36.47, he hit the finish line a length and a half in front of Woodbine Oaks winner Elysian Field . The margin might have been more if Husbands had not spent the closing yards of the race celebrating.
Casse was equally proud of Elysian Field, who closed from eighth, saying “She’s something—she is,” and adding the 1-2 finish was “a dream come true.”
The Mike DePaulo-trained Stanley House rallied for third, a length and a half behind Elysian Field. United States invader Kalik settled for 13th in the 17-horse field.
Drain The Clock
Paramount Prince won his second consecutive stakes race Sunday after a gate-to-wire score in the Plate Trial last month by five lengths. He crossed the wire Sunday in 2:01.93, not far off Moira ‘s track-record time of 2:01.48 in winning the race last year. Paramount Prince paid $18 to win.
He improved to 3-for-6 with his triumph in The King’s Plate. Barber bought an interest in Paramount Prince after a nine-length maiden win in his debut last fall for Langlois and previous trainer Jamie Attard.
Langlois bought the Ericka Nadine Rusnak-bred Paramount Prince for the equivalent of $16,647 in 2021 from the Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency consignment to the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division) Canadian-Bred Yearling Sale. Paramount Prince is the first stakes winner produced from eight foals out of the stakes-placed Eddington mare Platinum Queen .
After a third in the Claredon Stakes for Attard Dec. 9, Paramount Prince joined Casse’s stable and began racing for the trainer this year.
Casse was hesitant to immediately commit either of his two Plate starters to the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the CA$400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes Sept. 12 at 1 3/16 miles on dirt at Fort Erie.
Husbands did his part to encourage him. “A good horse will run on anything,” the jockey announced, keen for a follow-up mount.
Casse mentioned D. J. Stables’ Stayhonor Goodside as a horse he kept out of the Plate to await that Prince of Wales.
The historic series for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds concludes with the Oct. 1 Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine at 1 1/2 miles on turf. Wando was the last horse to sweep the series.
Woodbine reported record handle of over CA$18.1 million on Sunday.
Editor’s Note: BloodHorse’s on-track coverage of King’s Plate Weekend is partially funded with travel provided by Woodbine.
Total Surrender has been selected to win race 7 by the At The Races tipster (Picture: JC Photos).
Vaal Straight Course Formguides And Selections
www.atheraces.com
1 11:45 AM – 4Racing Welcomes You Maiden Plate
KINSHIN SHA improved with the benefit of an outing to finish 2nd over track and trip last time and he will be hard to beat if making further progress. MOOLA MAN, who reappears having been gelded, and CALLABURN have shown enough to be competitive and their experience ought to stand them in good stead. Before any betting clues, newcomers CAPTAIN JIM, LIGHTNING FLASH, MENTALITY MONSTER as well as the filly MONTE CINTO, with the benefit of a sex allowance and an apprentice claim, are worth keeping an eye on – especially if attracting market support.
Top Tip: KINSHIN SHA (8)
Watch out for: SOUTHERN STYLE (14)
2 12:15 PM – 4Racing Thanks And Appreciates Luchelle Kruger Mr 65 Handicap
Four of these runners could meet in a prior engagement which may put their participation here in doubt. Among that quartet are stablemates AUNT PITTYPAT and LIVERPOOL LEGEND, both of whom are capable of playing a leading role over this trip if taking their places. NUCLEAR FORCE has no stamina doubts so could also fight for victory. IDEAL FUTURE is stoutly bred and has scope to improve so is dangerous to dismiss on her reappearance. SUMMERLAND and CORAPI have claims too.
Top Tip: AUNT PITTYPAT (2)
Watch out for: LIVERPOOL LEGEND (4)
3 12:45 PM – www.tab4racing.com Maiden Plate (F & M)
FLYING PUMA finished an encouraging 2nd on debut and with any improvement could go one better. Both WAR QUEEN and JUMPING ANALIA are likely to improve with the benefit of experience so ought to be competitive. MIA BARCA, ARCTIC COMMANDER, reverting to this trip with the tongue-tie fitted, and BEST INTENTIONS have all shown enough to make their presence felt too. Watch the betting on the newcomers.
Watch out for: FLYING PUMA (5)
4 1:15 PM – Book For Spring Spree 2 September Maiden Plate (F & M)
SUNSHINE DAY is an interesting runner in her first start for a new stable having shown enough ability in the Western Cape to be competitive in her peak outing and Highveld debut. Both SHINY SILVA and TEN SPINS are likely to build on the improvement of their most recent outings so are not discounted, although a stronger case can be made for BEES AND HONEY who caught the eye with a fast-finishing 2nd over 1200m last time and should, on that evidence, have more to offer over this trip. Newcomers ON THE HORIZON and ANGEL OF MY HEART are worth taking note of given their jockey bookings.
Top Tip: BEES AND HONEY (9)
Watch out for: SHE’S A KLAWER (2)
5 1:55 PM – Open A Tab Account Get 10% Bonus Maiden Plate
WAZZUP and ROYAL EDITION are closely matched on form, having met over 1200m on debut, with the latter confirming the promise of his introduction by subsequently finishing 3rd. Both ought to enjoy the step up in trip and are likely to fight out the finish, though preference is for the former who was heavily backed on debut. Of the others with experience, LT ALEXANDER makes the most appeal. MO TOWN MO, FALCON STRIKE and CREPUSCOLO are worth a market check on debut.
Top Tip: WAZZUP (12)
Watch out for: ROYAL EDITION (11)
6 2:30 PM – Book For Charity Mile 28 October Graduation Handicap
Open. NOW I GOT YOU concedes weight to all over an extended distance but is effective over this trip, and should remain competitive in spite of his equipment being tinkered with. Both CAPTAIN OF GRIT and HOUSTON, who runs well fresh, have maintained their form and consistency, so ought to make their presence felt too. Newly turned FRENCH IMPACT could be leniently treated on his 3yo/handicap debut and looks an attractive betting proposition under just 53kg on his seasonal reappearance.
Top Tip: NOW I GOT YOU (1)
Watch out for: ARIVIDICIO (3)
7 3:10 PM – 4racing.tv Mr 80 Handicap
Good race. Progressive TOTAL SURRENDER won a similar contest at this level over track and trip last time, and he’s likely to remain competitive despite a resultant penalty. OVER TWO YOU had previously beaten that rival and is weighted to confirm that form, though does have less scope for improvement than his younger rivals, including GREENLIGHT MAGIC who renews rivalry too. Both PEWTER SKY and LITTLE PRINCE are consistent so cannot be discounted either. SILVANO’S SONG, however, is closely matched on form and looks well in under these conditions given his rider’s 2.5kg allowance.
Top Tip: TOTAL SURRENDER (2)
Watch out for: GREENLIGHT MAGIC (1)
8 3:45 PM – Racing240 For Racing. For You Fm 90 Handicap (F & M)
Open. WHAT A HONEY acquitted herself well over 1400m last time but will appreciate a return to this trip, having won her previous outing over the course and distance, and another 4-point penalty is not likely to halt her progress. Familiar foe BERENGARIA re-opposes and ought to make her presence felt on these terms. KAYLA’S CHAMP is versatile and could also get into the picture. ON CUE, rewarded for her consistency last time, should remain competitive and fight for a leading position, with THERE SHE GOES not out of the picture either.
Top Tip: ON CUE (4)
Watch out for: WHAT A HONEY (2)
9 4:20 PM – Next Vaal Race Meeting Thursday 24 August Fm 74 Handicap (F & M)
Open. ICE STAR held her own in two Polytrack handicaps as a 2yo and reverting to the turf over this distance could well bring about a return to winning ways, with her rider taking a useful 2.5kg off the back. ALABAMA ANNA and MEET THE CAPTAIN are hard-knocking mares with solid credentials to play a leading role in this grade/company. RAINING RUBIES has rediscovered her form of late and ought to be competitive if maintaining that level. DANCING DORA, FEATHER THE NEST and several others, including BLINDEDBYTHELIGHTS and PRAYUPONASTAR, are also capable of getting involved. Quartet bet on?
Top Tip: ICE STAR (1)
Watch out for: MEET THE CAPTAIN (11)
Paddington wins at Royal Ascot (Photo: Hattie Austin / focusonracing.com)
Dave Mollett Reports From York Ahead Of Ebor Festival Meeting
David Mollett (Business Day)
YORK – Can anything derail the Paddington express whose next stop is the famous city of York on Wednesday for the Gr 1 Juddmonte International which has been won by equine greats such as Frankel and Baaeed?
Aidan O’Brien’s three year-old – 4-5 favourite to maintain his unbeaten record – has made station stops at four different racecourses this year recording Gr 1 wins in the Irish 2000 Guineas, St James Palace Stakes, Coral-Eclipse and Sussex Stakes.
O’Brien is full of praise for his unbeaten colt. He told reporters: “He is a much quicker horse than Giant’s Causeway (half-brother) ever was. He’s thriving unbelievably through races which is very unusual really. Everyone is happy with him and he’s come out of the Sussex Stakes just fine.”
If the ante post betting is correct, only two horses, Mostahdef (7-2) and Desert Crown (5-1), had a chance of upsetting the favourite. However, Desert Crown has been scratched after injuring himself in training.
Mostahdef is in the care of outstanding trainer John Gosden.
A point in Mostahdef’s favour is that the Prince Of Wales winner has had a quieter year than Paddington.
John Gosden’s son, Thady, commented: “Mostahdef won in Saudi at the start of the year over a mile and a quarter and won a very solid Prince Of Wales at Ascot. He won well and has had a nice break in between the two.”
“He has a low, good action so he enjoys a faster racing surface. The Juddmonte is always a competitive field but he’s in good order,” he added.
With Jim Crowley serving a 20-day ban for excessive use of the whip in the King George, the Gosden team have turned to Frankie Dettori to partner Mostahdef. The famous jockey equalled Lester Piggott’s record of five wins in the Juddmonte when successful on Authorized in 2007.
Dettori said: “I rode him for the first time this week and it was good. He doesn’t overdo himself in the mornings but he felt good.”
If he runs, the “joker in the pack” could be 14-1 chance, Alflaila. His latest win over the course and distance was impressive and he hails from the in-form stable of Owen Burrows.
If Paddington maintains his 100% record, his current price of 10-1 for the Arc De Triomphe in Paris in October will be slashed
immediately. At present, the French horse, Ace Impact, is favourite for this top European event with Jean-Claude Rouget’s colt quoted at 9-2.
Both Hukum and Feed The Flame are on offer at 7-1 with Westover a 10-1 chance.
A bumper crowd is expected for this clash to savour on the Knavesmire and Wednesday’s crowd is certain to beat last month’s total of 35 849 spectators who attended the John Smith Cup.
One horse who could reward backers at York this year is Andrew Balding’s filly, Flora Of Bermuda, who runs in Thursday’s Gr 2 Lowther Stakes.
Trainer William Haggas always sends a strong team to his home county and his filly, Relief Rally, heads the market at 2-1 with his runner boasting three wins from four starts.
However, Flora Of Bermuda, whose price has been clipped from 6-1 to 4-1, romped home by four lengths at Goodwood and should go well in the hands of Oisin Murphy.
Vaal Fields – Tuesday
The subject of the question pictured by Guy Carpenter.
Today’s Question
At which now defunct racecourse does the world’s oldest stone-built public grandstand in the world stand?
Question answer at the bottom of the newsletter
Efforts to preserve the world’s oldest surviving rural racecourse grandstand have taken a step forward after an application to de-register the buildings as common ground was approved.
The application to de-register three listed buildings on Richmond Racecourse from the national registry of common land was submitted by the Richmond Burgage Pastures Committee, which owns the land.
It is hoped that by de-registering the site, it will make it easier to protect the unique piece of British horseracing heritage.
A report by eminent historian Professor Mike Huggins, which was commissioned by the committee highlighted that while the Georgian grandstand was of “major architectural importance” it was of even more significance historically and culturally in the history of horseracing.
After the King’s Plate was run at Hambleton, above Sutton Bank, for the last time in 1775, George III decided it should be staged at York and Richmond alternately, with a new grandstand being completed in 1777 for its first hosting of the high status race.
Prof Huggins report states: “It provided a place for the local landed elite and those socially ambitious local middling groups, corporation families, merchants and attorneys, who could afford entry, allowing some limited social mixing and enabling them to see and be seen.
“Folk there were separated from the rest of the crowd, literally and metaphorically looking down on everyone else, while visibly demonstrating their presence and superiority.”
In a statement, the Earl of Ronaldshay, who is chair of the burgage committee, said in a rush to register common land in 1968, the local council had made an error over the buildings on Low Moor, the site of Richmond Racecourse from 1765.
He said once the “miscarriage of justice” dating back to 1968 had been rectified their capacity to address the “serious decay” of the grandstand, which was on English Heritage’s at risk register, the judges’ box and stewards’ stand, would improve.
In the statement he said the grandstand was by celebrated architect John Carr, but “due to negligence has fallen into a terrible state of disrepair”.
He said: “Whilst the buildings are still classed as part of a common, practical solutions for renovations are all but impossible to conceive, given the regulatory protections afforded to commons.”
However, the meeting heard life peer Baroness Harris of Richmond had stated the move to also deregister common land surrounding the buildings appeared unjustified.
She said the application had not indicated how removing it as common land would improve the management of the common or better protect it.
She added: “Nor does it indicate how it would better secure the conservation of the heritage structures themselves which could presumably be stabilised, whether or not they are identified as being within common land.”
The baroness said the removal of areas surrounding the buildings “would diminish the extent of the common land and could lead to fencing and subsequent obstruction of areas of land which currently enjoy a right of public access”.
Also objecting, her husband, the longest serving Richmond Town councillor, John Harris, said “it made complete sense” for the common land to include the grandstand.
Planning papers stated talks had been held between the earl and the objectors “on an entirely amicable basis”, but the dispute over the area surrounding the buildings was not resolved.
The meeting was told as the buildings had been disused for decades, examining their historic use was vital in determining the extent of the curtilage surrounding them.
Prof Roberts had concluded the 18th century curtilage “probably took a line similar to that of the modern circular pathway around the stand, so “spectators could promenade, socialise and talk to others outside the enclosed space between races”.
Ahead of the deregistering application being approved, the committee’s chair, Councillor Peter Sowray said: “It is reasonable to expect that there should be a curtilage around buildings and 15 yards, or five yards around the Judges Box is not a massive distance.”
- The Racecourse is now a conservation area. Options for the conservation of the structures are being explored.
