Stop Moaning And Embrace A Met To Savour
Eight On Eighteen will be out to retain his WSB Met title in a fascinating contest that will have the purists buzzing with excitement (Picture: Race Coast)
The South African racing public have generally not reacted favourably to there only being eleven runners in next Saturday’s WSB Met, with six of them from one yard.
However, the purists of the South African racing population would not have been disappointed at all by the WSB Met field after close scrutiny.
Firstly, what would be the point of having nine more horses in the field that had no chance?
Secondly, the country needs a Gr 1 wfa race over 2000m, because the biggest races in Johannesburg and Durban are both handicaps i.e. the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup and the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Cape Town can brag they have the major race that the best horse wins, because that is not the case with the biggest race in the country, the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Last year Eight On Eighteen was beaten 0,25 lengths by The Real Prince in the July, but in fact he was the better horse because he was facing the latter on 2,5kg worse terms than weight for age.
He now gets the opportunity to prove his superiority on weight for age terms.
However, the connections of The Real Prince will point out that his L’Ormarins King’s Plate victory proves that he has blossomed and he is now at his peak. They will be confident of proving the Eight On Eighteen fans wrong.
Gladatorian’s connections will point out they have already beaten The Real Prince on wfa terms in the Gr 1 World Pool Champions Cup. They could claim he is the best wfa middle distance horse in the land.
The Sail The Sea fans might nod in acknowledgement, but they would then point out that Sail The Seas finished just 1,50 lengths behind Eight On Eighteen in the Splashout Cape Derby and therefore performed better than The Real Prince did in the July. They might thus claim that Sail The Seas is ready to assume the mantle because after all he did beat Eight On Eighteen in the Gr 2 WSB Guineas at level weights and now being more mature they are ready to take him on over 2000m with more confidence than they did last season.
The See It Again fans will point out he won the Cape Derby and the Daily News 2000 as a three-year-old and also lost the July by 0,25 lengths … but not because he was 2,5kg worse off than weight for age with the winner but in fact he was a whopping 5,5kg worse off than weight for age terms with the winner Winchester Mansion. And See It Again has now arrived in Cape Town fresher than he has ever been before. His L’Ormarins King’s Plate run proved just what form he is in at present and for the first time he looks to be in a position to produce his best in the WSB Met.
The Garrix fans would be sitting quietly on he sidelines listening to these debates and would be thinking, “They have not see the best of our boy yet.” He only just failed to land the winter triple crown and has always been spoken of as a horse who will come into his own as a four-year-old.
The Cosmic Speed fans would also be confident that their Gr 1 weight for age miler could see out the trip if switched off and he could be ready to pick up the pieces if the chief protagonists outbattle each other.
The Legal Counsel fans will have seen something not many noticed i.e. he went the same speed as the favourite Jan Van Goyen had gone in the running of the L’Ormarins King’s Plate , which was later shown in the sectional timing to be way too fast, and yet he stayed on bravely right until the end and was only beaten 4,45 lengths, finishing 4,85 lengths clear of Jan Van Goyen and just a neck behind Eight On Eighteen. He is undoubtedly the dark horse of the race, because he has won over 1800m before and how much better will he do if ridden more conservatively?
The Okavango fans would likely acknowledge he has it all to do on Daily News 2000 and July form, but his easy win in the Gr 2 Anthonij Rupert Premier Trophy might have heralded a new dawn.
The Native Ruler fans will point out he might also have it all to do on the form of the Daily News 2000 and the July, but he was a touch unlucky in the July when running a cracking sixth from the widest draw of all, and they would add a line could be drawn through his last run.
The fans of The Equator will be hoping the best has not yet been seen of him and might envisage him having a chance if he sets a relentless gallop and stays on.
It is all set to be a great race and in the media build up there should be head and shoulders pictures of he chief protagonists all lined up with a headline such as, “Who is the best in the land?”
The field could hardly be better.
The only possible horses missing from the race ability-wise would be Fire Attack and Royal Victory, but the former is under a cloud having finished last in his last two races, while Royal Victory might now be past his best.
A promising three-year-old or two in the race could have been interesting, but realistically the form of this year’s crop has not stood up and it is understandable that trainers would rather target the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby and its build up race, the Gr 3 HKJC World Pool Politician Stakes.
The last three horses mentioned in the analysis, Okavango, Native Ruler and The Equator could fall under the category of “have a ticket, have a chance.”
Any more than three of such runners in the field and it starts to be a negative on the race, because in a championship events you want as few hard luck stories as possible.
At the home of racing, the UK, their biggest wfa championship race, the King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, has had a biggest field this decade of ten runners. Nobody complains about he field size, because the racing population in England have a deep knowledge and appreciation of the sport.
SA racing fans are as passionate, but tend to lack the knowledge of the finer points.
However, they will have hopefully been convinced by the time Saturday the 31st arrives that the field in this year’s WSB Met is not something to complain about at all … rather it is a race to really savour.
Below: Kommetdieding’s celebrated WSB Met victory in 2022 was in a field of eleven, the same size as this year’s field (Picture: Wayne Marks)
The Majorca Attracts A Vintage Field
Double Grand Slam, pictured narrowly failing last year, will be out to make it third time lucky in the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes (Picture: Wayne Marks)
The Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes has attracted a vintage field of 14 top class fillies and mares.
Double Grand Slam only just failed last year, having been beaten into third in 2024 as a three-year-old, and will be out to make it third time lucky.
The Gr 1 WSB Fillies Guineas winner Quickstepgal gives the race the dimension it always needs i.e. it will sort out the three-year-old versus older fillies and mares debate.
Crack three-year-olds Reet Petite, Gimme What I Want and Keukenhof are also in the line up.
Asiye Phambili is a top class sprinter, but earlier in her career she once won three-times in a row over 1600m, so she is an intriguing entry.
Minogue has come into her own this season and will be a contender too if able to overcome a wide draw.
The dependable Rainbow Lorikeet deserves to win a Gr 1.
Last year’s WSB Cape Fillies Guineas winner Fatal Flaw ran well below par in the Majorca and gets a chance to make amends, although she needs to bounce back to form.
Mia Moo is a Gr 1-winning sprinter who has only tried a mile once before and failed, but she might do well over this easy mile.
Mon Petite Cherie was not disgraced against the boys in the Gr 2 Ridgemont Green Point Stakes and looks to have come into her own physically this season, so will be an intriguing runner.
The full field of 14 can be seen below:
1st R593750, 2nd R190000, 3rd R95000, 4th R47500, 5th R23750, RCIS R50000
MAINE CHANCE FARMS MAJORCA STAKES (WFA) (Grade 1)
For Fillies and Mares at weight for age
WFA: 3yrs-5kgs 4yrs-0kgs
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
| 1 | 1 | Keukenhof | 55 | 105 | A | Craig Zackey | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 2 | 2 | Mon Petit Cherie | 60 | 120 | A | Richard Fourie | James Crawford | |
| 3 | 3 | Reet Petite | 55 | 114 | A | Gareth Wright | James Crawford | |
| 4 | 4 | Fatal Flaw | 60 | 120 | A | Gavin Lerena | James Crawford | |
| 5 | 5 | Roccapina | 60 | 111 | T A | Juan Paul v’d Merwe | Candice Bass | |
| 6 | 6 | Mia Moo | 60 | 119 | A | Calvin Habib | Sean Tarry | |
| 7 | 7 | Scarlet Macaw | 60 | 108 | A | Serino Moodley | Candice Bass | |
| 8 | 8 | Rainbow Lorikeet | 60 | 113 | A | Aldo Domeyer | Candice Bass | |
| 9 | 9 | Asiye Phambili | 60 | 119 | T A | Sean Veale | Lucinda Woodruff | |
| 10 | 10 | Double Grand Slam | 60 | 122 | A | Andrew Fortune | Justin Snaith | |
| 11 | 11 | Minogue | 60 | 112 | A | Muzi Yeni | Candice / Tammy Dawson | |
| 12 | 12 | Quickstepgal | 55 | 116 | A | Keagan de Melo | Tienie Prinsloo | |
| 13 | 13 | Gimme What I Want | 55 | 112 | A | Rene Piechulek | Justin Snaith | |
| 14 | 14 | Kinda Wonderful | 60 | 108 | A | Callan Murray | Eric Sands | |
| Same Trainer | ||||||||
| (2,3,4) (5,7,8) (10,13) | ||||||||
Barbaresco Boost To The KZN Champion Trainer
Barbaresco is a versatile horse, who should have plenty more racing in him (JC Photos)
Reigning KZN Champion Trainer Gareth van Zyl has closed within one win of Alyson Wright in this season’s race for the KZN Trainers Championship and his chances of retaining it were boosted when the useful former Highveld-based horse Barbaresco joined the yard.
The yard also has the campaigns of King Pelles, Imposing, Sanali Kahle and the like of Wild Justice to look forward too.
The Laurence Wernars and Rikesh Sewgoolam-owned grey gelding by Gimmethegreenlight, Barbaresco, is a versatile sort.
He has class, but also plenty of speed.
Van Zyl will have plenty of options with him.
Gareth said, “It is an exciting prospect to train him.”
Barbaresco is out of the useful Fort Wood mare Negroamaro, who won the Gr 3 Fillies Mile and she was second in both the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic and Gr 1 Woolavington 2000, among other stakes places.
Barbaresco himself has followed in her footsteps to some extent under the guidance of the same trainer, Johan Janse van Vuuren. Like her he has earned many cheques in stakes races, although unlike her he is yet to win a black type race.
Interestingly, Gavin Lerena reckoned he would have gone close to winning his penultimate start over 1160m in the Gr 3 New Turf Carriers Merchants had he not been taken out just as he was beginning his run.
Lerena was not able to make amends over the same course and distance next time out, because Keagan de Melo has now become the retained rider for Laurence Wernars.
De Melo acually rode Barbaresco in his first two starts, both over the Turffontein 1160m course and distance, finishing second in both, and his last start was the first time he had ridden him since, a gap of two years and eight months.
Barbaresco was disappointing and unplaced last time, but Van Zyl and De Melo are likely to get the best out of him in his new KZN career.
Barbaresco’s best performances have been third in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000, tie second in the Gr 2 Betway Jo’Burg Spring Challenge over 1450m and third in the Gr 2 Allied-Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile.
Subsequent to his Daily News run he came in for a ton of support for the 2024 Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July and actually started third favourite at 8/1. However, the distance seemed to stretch him and he finished a 3,50 length eighth. However, he was only a three-year-old at the time and now as a five-year-old he might get the 2200m distance. It will be interesting to see whether the lure of the R10 million stake, together with the longer handicap, will prompt Van Zyl, Wernars and Sewgoolam to have another tilt at the country’s biggest race.
Van Zyl does not know what Barbaresco’s program will be yet, but he did speak about the July and was in favour of the longer handicap, which will see topweight being upped to 62kg and bottom weight lowered to 52kg.
He said, “It opens it up as it will make it harder for the good horses and will give the less proven horses a chance, it will be an exciting race to be part of. The thing about the July has always been the speculation … in the build up every horse seems to start having a chance even though it’s not the best horse in the race and now it’s going to be even more like that.”
A new environment can sometimes bring out the best in a horse and this can not be better illustrated than by the six-year-old Visionaire gelding Imposing, who has won five out of his six starts since joining the Van Zyl yard.
He arrived there at the beginning of this season as an 82-rated horse and he is now rated 107 after four victories over 1400m and one over 1600m, with all of them being on the turf except for one on the poly.
Imposing shows no signs of stopping either as he won his last start on poly the going way by 3,20 lengths under Van Zyl’s stable jockey S’Manga Khumalo.
Gareth said, “We will start asking bigger questions of him and step him up in company and see how he does.”
Imposing was obviously well regarded from day one as he was aimed high from day one by his first trainer.
He has at last started coming into his own as a six-year-old and shown his true potential, so there is exciting times ahead with him too.
Meanwhile, the yard have drawn a line through the Betway Summer Cup run of the stable star, the Equus Champion Stayer King Pelles.
He is being targeted at the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Gareth said, “He’s doing very well and we are excited to get him going again. We would like to go for the July, he will just need to do well over one of the shorter distance races to get his confidence back, but the July is the race we would like to go for.”
He added, “”The Hollywoodbets horse Sanali Kahle looks to have a bright future too.”
The Master Of My Fate colt has has three starts and won his last two, both over 1800m at Hollywoodbets Greyville, one on turf and one on the poly, by 6,30 and 4,20 lengths respectively.
Gareth also mentioned the Vercingetorix colt Wild Justice, whose four starts, all over 1200m, have yielded three wins.
WSB Met Gallops At HWB Kenilworth On Thursday Morning 08H00
Eight On Eighteen pictured doing his compulsory Hollywoodbets Durban July gallop. He is the only Met runner who will be partaking in the voluntary Met Gallops on Thursday morning, but the gallops are open to all runners on the day so there will be plenty to watch (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Eight On Eighteen will be the only member of the powerful Snaith Racing WSB Cape Town Met sextet to gallop at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Thursday.
Race Coast will be hosting Breakfast Gallops at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth from 08h00 with declared horses running on the big day.
All horses brought to Hollywoodbets Kenilworth will be there on a voluntary basis.
Jonathan Snaith has provided a list of 15 of their big raceday candidates who will turn out on Thursday.
Richard Fourie is down to partner WSB Cape Town Met defending champion Eight On Eighteen over 1400m, while Andrew Fortune won’t be looking at the breakfast in the 1881 Lounge, but will be partnering a number of his rides, including Lucky Fish Cape Derby prospect Happy Verse, who runs in the final leg, the HKJC World Pool Gr3 Politician Stakes, of the projected R7 million Pick 6 pool (R1 million carryover) on the day.
That is also the opening leg of the R500 000 carryover Jackpot 3 on the day, which pool is estimated to reach R2 million.
Watch the gallops live here:
“We will be serving mimosa’s, coffee and breakfast from the 1881 Lounge and all are welcome. The veranda is the perfect place to view the gallops from! There is also going to be a live stream,” confirmed Race Coast Racing: Marketing & Commercial Manager, Kirsti Lyall.
RSVP for catering purposes – justine@racecoast.co.za / whatsapp 071 012 0486.
Brett Crawford Lands A Double Helped By Hewitson
Lyle Hewitson wins the second race on the Brett Crawford-trained Celestial Harmony (Picture: HKJC)
Brett Crawford went close to a quick treble at Sha Tin on Wednesday in an all weather track meeting as he scored a second place finish in the first race and then won the next two races.
Lyle Hewitson and Karis Teetan respectively brought the two Crawford winners home.
Read below for a full report on the whole meeting:
Danny Shum reaches 900 wins as a trainer, Andrea Atzeni slots treble
By Leo Schlink (HKJC)
Preparing to chase HK$13 million G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) glory with champion Romantic Warrior on Sunday (25 January), Danny Shum clocked up his 900th Hong Kong win as a trainer at Sha Tin’s all-dirt meeting on Wednesday night (21 January).
Shum, 65, is the seventh most prolific trainer in Hong Kong racing history behind John Moore (1,735), John Size (1,632), Tony Cruz (1,583) Caspar Fownes (1,196), Ricky Yiu (1,083) and Francis Lui (1,003) after combining with Zac Purton for victories on Hong Kong International Sale graduate Forever Folks (124lb) in the Class 4 Po Shek Wu Handicap (1800m) and Blazing Wind (124lb) in the Class 3 Shui Chuen O Handicap (1200m).
“I always say, the first 10 years of my training, I was not that good, but the last 10 years I’m doing much better because I’m more concentrated on my job,” said Shum, the mastermind behind Romantic Warrior’s record-breaking career.
“You can see the last 10 years, my results tell you a lot and I’ve had a lot of good horses to help, too.”
The winner of 11 Group 1s and a world record HK$240,105,697 in prizemoney, Romantic Warrior will clash with Voyage Bubble and My Wish in the Stewards’ Cup, the first leg of the Triple Crown.
New Forest (120lb) continued an impressive rise with a clinical victory in the HK$3.12 million Class 2 Tin Chak Handicap (1650m) as Mark Newnham extended his lead in the 2025/26 Hong Kong trainers’ championship and Andrea Atzeni posted a treble.
The Justify gelding led all the way for Atzeni to defeat Gorgeous Win (131lb) by a length and a half in 1m 38.25s with Talents Ambition (124lb) a further neck away in third placing.
Sent straight to the front by Atzeni, New Forest slotted his third win of the campaign – his fourth course and distance success – as Newnham slotted his 33rd victory of the season to lead Fownes (30), David Hayes (27), Shum (27), Manfred Man (21) and Size (20).
“In a small field, he got control of the pace and he’s always hard to beat when he does that,” Newnham said. “He had a very easy time of it, which made it harder for Talents Ambition, but it helped New Forest.”
Newnham confirmed Talents Ambition would not travel to Dubai and instead be aimed at local targets.
“We can build on this season with both of them – there will be other races for them. Talents Ambition has been running consistently well but he needs a pace on as he gets back,” Newnham said.
Atzeni said: “He’s (New Forest) a very uncomplicated horse, who likes to go forward. In the small field, with the light weight, he was a nice ride to pick up. It was a nice win.”
Atzeni twice teamed with 13-time Hong Kong champion trainer Size, scoring with Noble Deluxe and Sight Dreamer, to have 19 wins for the campaign.
“I came here tonight with good rides, they all had chances,” Atzeni said. “So, it’s not really a surprise (to ride three winners), but it’s never easy to ride a treble. Looking at my rides that I had for the night, it’s not a big surprise.”
Size continued his surge in the 2025/26 trainers’ championship when Noble Deluxe (122lb) triumphed in the Class 5 Kam Shan Handicap (1200m) before the master horseman struck again with Sight Dreamer (125lb) in the Class 4 Diamond Hill Handicap (1650m).
Referring to Noble Deluxe, Size said: “There’s a race for every horse in Hong Kong and that might be his,” said Size. “He did win like a horse that would win again and I’d be hopeful he will in time. He got in a nice position and the class of the race helped a bit too.
“He’s a healthy and sound horse – he’s always in good shape but sometimes his commitment isn’t quite what it should be. Hopefully he can kick on from here.”
Brett Crawford celebrated a double with Celestial Harmony (128lb) under Lyle Hewitson in the Class 5 Silvermine Handicap (1650m) and Speedy Smartie (121lb), who thrashed his rivals in the first section of the Class 4 Marble Handicap (1200m) for Karis Teetan.
Me Tsui struck with Vulcanus (135lb) under Maxime Guyon in the second section of the Class 4 Marble Handicap (1200m) before Dylan Browne McMonagle drove Dragon Air Force (130lb) to victory for Yiu in the Class 3 Green Island Handicap (1650m).
Hong Kong racing continues this Sunday (25 January) at Sha Tin with the running of the HK$13 million G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), as the first leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series, and the HK$13 million G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) as the first leg of the Triple Crown.
Fortune Clinches Double For Half-Sister To Gr 1 Winner
Declarationofpeace filly Wyze Declaration, a Wilgerbosdrift Stud-owned half-sister to Gr 1 winner Bohica, wins the last race and gives both Andew Fortune and Candice Bass individual doubles. Wyze Declaration is progressive and that was her second win in succession having taken five starts to break her maiden. Fortune has suggested she be “chucked out” on to the farm for six weeks or so to strengthen her up and believes she could then have feature potential (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Craig Zackey scored a double at Hollywoodbets Durbanville today (Wednesday) to go further clear in the championship race and there were also individual doubles for Andrew Fortune, Candice Bass and Justin Snaith.
Zackey is now on 132 wins achieved at a strike rate of 17.39% and he is now 26 wins clear of Richard Fourie.
Zackey has shortened to 0.72 in the decimal odds with Hollywoodbets for the championship, while Fourie is now on 1.25.
Fortune is now on 32 wins for the season at 18.82%.
Bass is on 38 wins at 11.55%.
Snaith is on 69 wins at 13.42% and although he comfortably leads the championship, which is decided on stakes earnings, he has had two less wins in the season than the East Cape champion Alan Greeff.
A full report on the meeting can be read below:
Warren Lenferna (Race Coast)
The vibe, mood, and atmosphere at Hollywoodbets Durbanville were good yesterday for their eight-race programme, with all looking forward to the approaching World Sports Betting Met race day. There were some tight finishes and great rides on display at the country course on a brilliant summer Cape Town day.
Raffish Trend won the first race under Craig Zackey for trainer Adam Marcus, and this filly clearly relished the reduction in racing distance. She won a tad cozily, but still showed signs of immaturity and greenness. Her trainer mentioned in the post-race interview that there could certainly be a few more wins in the tank for this daughter of Rafeef.
Race two saw the well-backed son of The United States, Prairie Dawn, win well under a typical Andrew Fortune ride. They looked cozy from the 400m marker, and this flamboyant rider had time to pat his mount and pose for the photographers close to home. He won from the deepest draw, giving owner Nic Jonsson his first winner of the day.
The regally bred Amayah was allowed to drift slightly in the market but still asserted her authority when winning the third race for Candice Bass and Aldo Domeyer. She is by champion Vercingetorix out of the very good mare River Jetez. She was also drawn wide, but that clearly had zero effect on her. It was a good race for trainer Candice Bass, as her other horse, Beautiful One, filled the exacta position.
The fourth race was where owner Nic Jonsson recorded his second winner of the afternoon with Waloyo Yamoni, who was also a drifter in the marketplace. This handsome son of Trippi got into an argument with the well-backed Phantom Man in a very tight finish, but the visiting German rider denied the extremely in-form Fortune another victory. Justin Snaith was the trainer responsible for the winner’s well-being and was hugely complimentary of both the ride and the rider.
Race five was won by Midway from the barn of James Crawford, with stable jockey Luyolo Mxothwa doing the steering. This gelding showed guts and determination up the inside to post a solid win.
There was a nail-biting finish to the sixth race between Lovers Lane (Craig Zackey for Paul Reeves) and Act Of Grace (Chad Little for Glen Kotzen). It was an outstanding call from race caller Alistair Cohen, as it was extremely tight. He committed with confidence and went the way of Lovers Lane, who denied Act Of Grace victory. This was the first of the Social Squad-owned winners.
These colourful silks recorded a race-to-race winning double as Gravity, under a great strong ride from Richard Fourie, won the seventh for trainer Piet Botha, who had been experiencing a drought in the winners’ department. Now that he has broken the ice, the winners should flow. The Social Squad syndicate is a remarkable and cost-effective way of experiencing racehorse ownership.
The last race saw yet another tight finish, but the eventual winner was Wyze Declaration from Eisteddfod. Wyze Declaration was the second winner for the “Candyman” on the afternoon, giving Candice Bass another success on the day.
Classy Pressonregardless Can Go In Again
Pressonregardless has been tipped to follow up on his Listed Wolf Power 1600 victory by winning the 7th race (JC Photos)
Vaal Classic Thursday Formguides And Selections
Race 1
3 BLOOD OF EDEN 2 REECE’S WISH 1 KORTVANDRAAD 5 MASTER’S ROSE
Preview: 3 BLOOD OF EDEN is knocking hard and can get it right here over an ideal trip. 2 REECE’S WISH has been second in all three starts and is a big runner again. 1 KORTVANDRAAD has been thereabouts in last three and is capable of earning. 5 MASTER’S ROSE can earn if repeating last start. (David Thiselton 3-2-1-5)
Race 2
9 GIMMETHESPOTLIGHT 11 KNOWMORE 3 UNDERDOG 1 PALACE GUARD
Preview: 9 GIMMETHESPOTLIGHT made a good debut and will go close with expected improvement. 11 KNOWMORE improved second time out and can progress again. 3 UNDERDOG went close last Thursday and is getting the hang of it. 1 PALACE GUARD has shown some signs of ability and can earn here (David Thiselton 9-11-3-1)
Race 3
12 ASIAH’S TIARA 5 KAVOMOLKA 7 EMERALD CITY 11 VIXENINTHEVINEYARD
Preview: 12 ASIAH’S TIARA has been knocking on the door and gets a fine chance from a good draw here. 5 KAVOMOLKA has been right there in his last two starts and should enjoy the slight step up in trip. 7 EMERALD CITY will enjoy the step back up in trip and can earn here. 11 VIXENINTHEVINEYARD improved when stepped up to 1600m and is interesting stepped up in trip again. (12-5-7-11)
Race 4
3 FUTURE DATE 7 BOOM BOOM 9 BACK FROM WAR 8 AZALEAS FOR ALL
Preview: 3 FUTURE DATE has to handle a two point raise for a second last time but is progressive and will enjoy this trip from a fair draw. 7 BOOM BOOM has been coming into her own and will enjoy this trip. 9 BACK FROM WAR has a better draw than last time and can reverse for with Azaleas For All. 8 AZALEAS FOR ALL beat Back From War by 1,3 lengths over 1800m last time but now has a wider draw. (David Thiselton 3-7-9-8)
Race 5
7 HUBERTUS HUNT 4 GRACE’S KISS 1 LADY BLUNT 5 LITTLEMISSSPLENDID
Preview: 7 HUBERTUS HUNT won well last time out over 1800m and this progressive sort should enjoy the step up trip and is off a reasonable mark. 4 GRACE’S KISS has had two good runs outside the maidens and has a chance here. 1 LADY BLUNT has a chance of staying this trip on pedigree and should be in the shake up from pole position. 5 LITTLEMISSSPLENDID went close over this trip last week but does have a tough draw. (David Thiselton 7-4-1-5)
Race 6
2 MAX THE MAGICIAN 4 SECRET CHORD 5 ESQUEVELLE
Preview: 2 MAX THE MAGICIAN has been in fine form over further but should take well to a sprint trip from a good draw. 4 SECRET CHORD is talented and deserves to be a 95 merit rating but does have a tricky draw and his highest mark for a win has been 86. 5 ESQUEVELLE has been in good form and can earn again with a 4kg claimer up. (David Thiselton 2-4-5)
Race 7
3 PRESSONREGARDLESS 2 TIN PAN ALLEY 1 GREATERIX 7 BOB’S YOUR UNCLE
Preview: 3 PRESSONREGARDLESS is a classy sort who won a Listed feature over 1600m in fine style last time and his big action could help him follow up. 2 TIN PAN ALLEY has proven class and should go close over an ideal trip, although the wide draw is a concern. 1 GREATERIX looks ideally distance suited but he needs to bounce back to his classy self and a wide draw does not help. 7 BOB’S YOUR UNCLE could earn from a good draw over a suitable trip. (David Thiselton 3-2-1-7)
Race 8
7 LAST CAR TO PASS 11 ARASHI 3 CEUTA
Preview: 7 LAST CAR TO PASS has been reliable lately and can earn again over an ideal trip from a good draw. 11 ARASHI is distance suited and well drawn and could be in the shake up. 3 CEUTA bounced back with a fine run to a good sort last time and Craig Zackey is an eye-catching booking. (David Thiselton 7-11-3)
Race 9
2 PLAY WITH THE WIND 7 FAIR PROPOSAL 1 BRIGHT AND BRAZEN
Preview: 2 PLAY WITH THE WIND looks to have plenty of scope and should start progressing. 7 FAIR PROPOSAL ran a cracker last time over course and distance and Zackey should help overcome the tricky draw. 1 BRIGHT AND BRAZEN disappointed last time but on some of her earlier form she could earn, although she has a tough draw. (David Thiselton 2-7-1)
Today's Question
Who played cricket for Western Province while still a schooolboy, before starting riding and studying horsemanship overseas, then opening a riding school and finally becoming a trainer, who went on to have great success and had landed his 1000th win by 1974.
The picture is of the subject
FIELDS, Thursday, 22 January
Today’s Question Answer
Theo de Klerk
Theo de Klerk was born on 26th November 1906 in the Karoo town of Pearston in the Eastern Cape. De Klerk was a great athlete, obtaining full school colours for cricket, athletics, rugby and soccer and went on to play cricket for Western Province.
Horses only appeared on his radar after he met his future wife, Lavinia, who was an accomplished horsewoman and the daughter of Captain Charles Struben, Master of the Cape Hunt. He then started riding and went abroad to further his horsemanship skills.
Following his demobilization from the armed forces in 1945, he settled in Somerset West where he started farming. He also ran a riding school from which he successfully trained show horses, jumpers, hurdlers and point-to-pointers.
He was an excellent horseman and rider, although he struggled to maintain racing weight. He produced a great horse which he sold to his girlfriend Lavinia and he reportedly had to marry her to get the horse back again!
Willie Langerman, who was chairman of the Milnerton Turf Club at the time, suggested that he turn professional and with the encouragement from men such as Garrett, Dunkling, ‘Baby’ Killa and Leon Fernandez, he built stables at Durbanville and started training in 1948.
He was one of the first trainers to court foreign patrons and the likes of Sir Foster Robinson, Lord Willingdon and Nicholas Monserrat used to take the Union Castle travel to South Africa to take a holiday and come and see their horses. In 1952 de Klerk relocated to Muizenberg, which was more accessible for his patrons and had the added advantage of being able to train his horses on the beach.
It proved an inspired move. By the 1954/55 season he had risen to the top ten in the trainers’ rankings and would go on to win some 1200 races including a Metropolitan Handicap with Force Ten (1972), two Queen’s Plates (1962 and 1963), three Derbies, the Cape Guineas, the Clairwood Winter Handicap, and countless top division handicaps. Fans of the era will remember horses like Force Ten, Warrior Gay and Boland Pride.
Mr de Klerk cut a distinctive figure. He always wore a suit with a button hole, he walked with a cane and always wore a hat that he doffed to acknowledge people.
He trained his thousandth winner in 1974 (and threw a party for 200 guests at the Alphen Hotel to celebrate), but according to Jean Jaffee’s “They Raced To Win” the day he remembers best is Saturday, 21st June 1975, when he trained six winners on the eight race card. The winners were Tracy Ann, Double Joy, Farsi, Persian War, The Kajar and Mithra. Even more remarkably, five of the six were by Persian Wonder and all were brought home by a young apprentice called Basil Marcus.
Basil remembers it fondly. “Mr de Klerk was the most amazing man. When I heard that I was being apprenticed to Theo de Klerk I was a bit upset, because people said he never really gave apprentices a chance, but he was absolutely brilliant.
“He was a tough boss, but he did everything that he could for me. Of his own accord he sent me for lessons in Constantia every weekend, after my first year, he gave me all of his rides and in my 4th and 5th years, I was champion apprentice in Cape Town.”
“When I joined Mr de Klerk occupied the first 5 barns at the Philippi training centre and it was known as Beverley Stables. Apprentices had to work hard. You didn’t just ride work and go – we were dropped at Philippi in the morning and collected again at night.
“You did all the work in the yard with the assistant and head lads – feeding, checking leavings, hosing legs, etc. Yards were smaller back then, people didn’t have huge strings – 30-40 horses was considered a big string and the maximum was 60, so you were more focussed and knew the horses that much more intimately. I can still see the horses in front of me now.
“Although we weren’t expecting to win 6, Mr de Klerk was champion Cape trainer at the time and the string was pretty strong. They were all decent horses. It was at Milnerton before the new stand was put up and we still had those beautiful quaint old buildings. The winner’s box was in front of the weighing room and everyone used to crowd around it. In those days a lot of people came to races.
The handicapping system allowed horses to win 3, 4, 5 in a row. The multiple wins it made it exciting and made people follow racing. Now horses are handicapped out of it so fast.
“The real good ones do stand out, but it makes it hard. That day the crowd were just building up and building up. Mithra was the final winner that day and it seemed like everybody was around the winner’s box. It was the most amazing scene.
“Another real stand out day was when I rode my 100th winner of the season as an apprentice. I think that’s still a record, certainly in Cape Town if not nationally. It felt like hundreds of people were crowded around the box. But we did have big crowds.”
