The Brett Crawford-trained Futura filly Future Girl became Drakenstein Stud’s 19th individual stakes winner this season when winning the Listed WSB Stormsvlei Stakes over 1800m under Luyolo Mxothwa (Picture: Wayne Marks).
Drakenstein Set A New Stakes Winners Record
Crawford/Mxothwa Score Stakes Race Double
Drakenstein bettered the record they set last season when their homebred filly Future Girl gave them their 19th individual stakes winner of the season in the Listed WSB Stormsvlei Stakes over 1800m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
The Brett Crawford-trained three-year-old Futura filly was the joint-lowest merit rated horse in the field off an 84 but her improved last run, which came after a layoff, showed her to be a typically progressive offspring of Futura.
She was duly backed into 4/1 second favourite.
Jumping from pole position, Luyolo Mxothwa had her perfectly placed on the rail in a handy spot and she loped along in nice and relaxed style.
She showed a good turn of foot and stayed on resolutely in the testing conditions to win by 1,25 lengths from the Eric Sands-trained Broadway Girl (Master Of My Fate) with Young Love (Twice Over) next best.
The 19 individual Drakenstein Stud-bred stakes winners have won 31 stakes races between them.
This is an improvement on last season’s record in which 18 Drakenstein Stud-bred stakes winners won 25 stakes races between them.
And there is still more than a month of the season to go.
Drakenstein are bidding to win their first Breeders Championship and have a good chance of holding on to their lead of roundabout R2.8 million over the reigning champions Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein.
No fewer than seven of the 18 incumbent runners in the lucrative R5 million Hollywoodbets Durban July are bred by Drakenstein Stud and that includes the favourite See It Again, so they could well clinch the championship on Saturday.
On Saturday Crawford and Mxothwa later made it a feature race double when the Klawervlei Stud-bred four-year-old Dynasty gelding Solar Power won the Gr 3 WSB Pocket Power Stakes over 1950m by 0,40 lengths from stablemate The Futurist, a four-year-old Futura gelding. The rest were in another race with third-placed Justin Snaith-trained Dynasty gelding Top Quality beaten 4,90 lengths.
In one of the other stakes race on the day, the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm-bred October Morn won the Listed Perfect Promise Sprint for two-year-old fillies. Aldo Domeyer sat quietly in the middle of the pack before punching clear at the 300m mark. The daughter of Trippi showed a remarkable turn of foot as she sprinted away from the opposition to win by six lengths.
Earlier, the Justin Snaith-trained Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud-bred Querari colt Underworld won the Listed Somerset 1200 for two-year-olds under JP van der Merwe, beating the Crawford-trained Zoomie by 1,25 lengths with the Snaith-trained favourite Baltic Secret beaten 2,50 lengths into third.
Lucky Lad’s victory in the Gr 1 Gold Medallion was one of the most impressive performances of the season but it also landed Richard Fourie a ten day suspension (Picture: Chase Liebenberg)
Khumalo And Fourie Handed Bans But Ride In July
S’Manga Khumalo has been handed a 14 day ban for excessive use of the whip and Richard Fourie has been given a ten day ban for his ride on Lucky Lad in the Gr 1 Gold Medallion.
The NHRA said in the statements:
Khumalo
The National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa confirms that at an Inquiry held in Durban on Wednesday, 21 June 2023, Jockey S Khumalo was charged with a contravention of Rule 58.10.2, read with Guideline M on the use of the crop. The particulars being that he misused his crop by striking SILVER CLOCK more than twelve times in the entire race during Race 4 at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse on 31 May 2023.
Jockey Khumalo pleaded guilty and was found guilty of the charge.
In assessing the penalty, the Inquiry Board considered the aggravating and mitigating factors, as well as Jockey Khumalo’s record pertaining to this type of contravention and imposed a penalty of a suspension from riding in races for a period of fourteen days and a fine of R32 500 (thirty-two thousand, five hundred Rand).
Jockey Khumalo was given the Right of Appeal against the penalty imposed.
Fourie
The National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa confirms that at an Inquiry held in Durban on 21 June 2023, Jockey R Fourie was charged with a contravention of Rule 62.2.7. The particulars being that whilst riding LUCKY LAD, he failed to ensure that he did not cause interference to EGYPTIAN MAU (C Zackey) and THE AFRICA HOUSE (S Khumalo) in Race 6, GOLD MEDALLION (Grade 1) at Hollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse on 3 June 2023.
Jockey Fourie pleaded guilty and was found guilty of the charge.
The Inquiry Board, after considering the evidence presented, ruled that Jockey Fourie be suspended from riding in races for a period of ten days.
Jockey Fourie was given the Right of Appeal against the penalty imposed.
See It Again, with Piere Strydom up and trainer Michael Roberts watching on, is led in by owner Nick Jonsson after winning the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)
If Frankie Can Do It So Can Striker
Durban July gallops help us trim down our short list of fancies.
Frankie Dettori celebrates aboard Courage Mon Ami after winning the Gold Cup on day three of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse. Picture: John Walton/PA Images/Getty Images
As July approaches, people start looking for signs. Portents, premonitions, harbingers and adumbrations, too.
They throw bones, ponder dreams, read tea leaves and try to unscramble numerology. All this is in search of the winner of Africa’s greatest horse race, which takes place on the first Saturday in July.
Nerdy, boring people go for the “trend extrapolation” method of fortune telling – that’s studying horses’ form, to you and I.
If you reckon things can be written in the stars, this week threw up a twinkling omen.
World-famous jockey Frankie Dettori, who is retiring soon, overcame a disappointing start to his final Royal Ascot when he won the meeting centrepiece, the Gold Cup, on Courage Mon Ami – giving him his ninth victory in the race and perfectly capping a fixture and a racecourse he’s become synonymous with.
Another legend of the saddle, Piere Strydom, will be having his swansong in Durban next weekend – riding hot favourite See It Again in the 127th running of the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July. If Frankie can do it again, so can Striker, surely?
All of which brings us to Thursday morning, when 10 of the 18 July runners turned out for the traditional public gallops, with coffee and buns – which cannot be anything other than sticky.
Trend extrapolation of the past reveals that the winner of the July 10 days later has almost always impressed at the gallops.
On Thursday, the pundits were raving about a three-year-old called Dave The King, trained by Mike de Kock. And one must admit the big galoot (at odds of 16-1) was mighty impressive as he easily outstripped his year-older stable companion Safe Passage (6-1 at the time).
Craig Zackey, Dave The King’s big-race pilot, hopped off after the 1400m blowout and declared the colt hadn’t shown anything like his full ability in Durban’s early-morning air.
Safe Passage, for whom international superstar jockey Christophe Soumillon is being specially flown out, was murmured to be a sluggish exercise worker.
Strydom’s mount See It Again certainly caught the eye, as did Without Question, Rascallion, Pacaya, Pomp And Power and Trip Of Fortune. In a video from Randjesfontein on the Highveld, raider Winchester Mansion looked full of beans.
But to certain aged eyes, the morning’s standout was Do It Again – composed and regal as he thundered down his favourite strip of turf. The old boy’s rider, Gavin Lerena, barely moved in the irons as the son of Twice Over accelerated alone down the sward to the joint-fastest final-400m time.
The other candidate to clock the nippy 21.91 seconds was Rascallion, who had a pacing companion.
Muzi Yeni Feels Son Of Raj Has A “Massive” Chance
Generally the further the race the better Weiho Marwing-trained horses do, so the 14/1 odds of Son Of Raj might not be as cramped as they first appear.
The Duke Of Marmalade gelding impressed when kicking away from the field from a handy position off a slow pace to win the Gr 1 WSB Derby over 2450m by a comfortable 2,25 lengths from Billy Bowlegs.
That followed a three length romp in the Listed 4Racing Derby Trial over 2000m.
However, he only carried 55,5kg in the Derby Trial and the SA Derby field’s merit ratings ranged from 78 up to 114, so was hardly a vintage renewal.
Son Of Raj himself was only rated 81 when lining up for the Derby.
So it seemed he had been put in his place when running a 6,55 length eighth in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000, in which there were four runners rated in the 120’s.
However, a look at the replay shows him dropping out to the back from a wide draw, whereas his best runs have come from handy positions.
He also did make some late progress.
It was his first run on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf.
His official HDJ gallop was not overly eyecatching, but Yeni said, “He’s a nice, strong, sound horse. He was a little bit reluctant to gallop. He races with blinkers and today he didn’t have his normal headgear on. So, with the grandstand and all those boards, he was doing a lot of looking around. But that’s why we bring them here as well … to make sure they know what’s going on.”
Asked whether he felt he might lead, he replied, “It depends on the pace. You can’t say you are going to lead when you have horses like Dave The King who was going as hard as he did last time (in the Daily News 2000). You can’t be cutting throats.”
Muzi said he would “use his experience” after they had jumped.
By that he meant a few early split second decisions would be made on the racing instinct he had gained from more than 21,500 career rides.
Asked whether he was happy with the draw of nine, he replied, “Yes, I’m happy with the draw. Sometime you’re drawn too well and sometimes you’re drawn too wide. Smack down the middle I can assess the race, see what’s going on on my inside and can see who is coming across from the outside, so I will be able to judge it more easily from that draw.”
Asked whether he thought he had a chance, he said, “I think he must have a massive chance with a light weight and he stays very well. Obviously healthy respect for the favourites, horses like See It Again, Without Question and Safe Passage.”
Weiho Marwing learnt the ropes from the masterful Ormond Ferraris and will likely have Son Of Raj as fit as a fiddle and at his absolute peak.
The Marwing-trained Wylie Hall was first across the line in 2014, but was controversially demoted after an upheld objection.
Wylie Hall came into the July off an identical preparation to Son Of Raj, winning both the Derby Trial and SA Derby before running in the Daily News. The only difference was he ran a close 0,25 length fourth (to Vercingetorix) in the Daily News.
There will be a massive Durban celebration if Son Of Raj wins as he will become the first Indian-owned winner of the July.
He is owned and was bred by Steven Chetty.
MK Is The Pride Of KZN
Andrew Harrison (Gold Circle)
MK’S Pride looked to be the right horse in the right race but it was a lot closer than the weights suggested. MK’S Pride has had his issues but Robbie Sage, a veteran of the sport, knows what it takes to get a horse back on track and pick the right race and he got it spot on as Muzi Yeni got the best out of the Willow Magic entire to win the KZN Breeders Mile at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.
Yeni, who rides regularly for the Sage stable, always had his mount in contention and in spite of admitting that he had pulled the trigger a little early in the straight, MK’S Pride responded gamely to hold off the challenge of the fast improving Noble City.
MK’S Pride started his career in winning form but hit a slump when suspended for bleeding. Owner Koos Nkale kept faith, a trait not prevalent in many owners, as he explained in his post-race interview that it had been over a year since MK’S Pride’s last win and when you have been used to regular visits to the winner’s enclosure, one starts to doubt.
MK’S Pride notched his 10th win and Peter Muscutt will be holding his breath to see how the handicappers access Noble City’s effort. He was way out at the handicap yet pressed MK’S Pride to the line.
If you were watching and taken an in-running bet that the favourite would not make it to the winner’s box in the first – you will have done your money!
Hot favourite Platina Princess looked dead-and-buried two furlongs out and Si Veloce a certain winner as she went clear under Philasande Mxoli. But Craig Zackey kept the favourite hard to her task as she gradually made up the leeway, joined in her run for the line by She Can.
The three crossed the line as one but the photo finished showed Princess Platina a nose in front of She Can with Si Veloce a further nose back in third.
Although it was close at the death, Mike de Kock was of the opinion that the Michael Destombes home-bred is already looking for a mile and further and suggested that punters keep a close eye on her progress.
It was more of the same in the second but this time the pacemaker stayed in front with two short-heads separating the first three home.
Gavin Lerena, answering the call from Michelle Rix for the ride, took Strawberry Stinger to the front and the colt held on gamely to keep Vibe SA and Mount Pilatus at bay. It was a three-way battle for the last furlong but the Blue Sky Thoroughbreds colt never gave up and is off to a well-earned rest.
Siphesihle Hlengwa rode his fiftieth winner at Hollywoodbets Greyville last Wednesday which saw him lose his claim, but he was quickly off the mark as he steered Russian Doll to a convincing victory in the third. Aunty Lizzy took off as if she had a fire under her tail chased by Get In The Q with the balance of the field well back, including Russian Doll who only had 52kg to shoulder.
The two up front compounded in the straight as Hlengwa asked for maximum. The early pace played into the hands of the bottom weight as she quickened through her field to win unchallenged for Michael Roberts, the filly racing in the colours of his wife Verna who also bred the filly.
Sean Tarry is a staunch supporter of KZN-bred horses and by definition seldom leaves KZN Breeders Day without a winner or three. The Bush Hill Stud-bred Magic Tattoo is a son of the Tarry-trained Willow Magic and he kept the Tarry record intact.
Richard Fourie rode a forward race on the gelding who barreled out of the gate and he was not for the catching, comfortably holding off the chasing pack with narrow favourite African Skyline touching off a late charging Beechamwood Boy who came from the tail of the field.
Such are the vagaries of racing. Tarry was unsure whether to leave the blinkers off of The Kop. “He was getting stale so I took the blinkers off to mix it up. This is his third run after a lay-off and I have left them off. I hope I’ve done the right thing,” he said.
Unfortunately for Tarry supporters it was possibly the wrong call as The Kop was under pressure even before the field hit the turn as Derryl Daniels, hunting a first win since returning to the saddle, dictated the pace on the filly Capetown Beauty. It almost paid off; he was the winner two jumps from the line but was collard late by a charging Pirate Prince as Ashton Arries unleashed a late burst on the Bush Hill-bred gelding, The Kop running on too late for third.
Strawberry Bear did it all wrong but still won the sixth going a mile that he was not sure to stay. The striking grey doesn’t lack in substance and knows it as he powered to the front and had Tristan Godden on a tight rein rather than the other way around. But with Pewter Sky eventually taking it up, Godden and Strawberry Bear got a brief breather before they set sail for home and lasting just long enough to hold off a late-charging Prince Of Taranto.
It was an excellent effort from a horse that looks to be more of a seven furlong specialist but if Mike Miller and his team can get the gelding to relax early, enthusiastic owners Tony Jelinski and Sterling Miller should see the inside of the winner’s box a few more times.
Tarry was not to be denied a second win on the day as Summerhill-bred Magical Flight responded to a driving ride from S’ Manga Khumalo to get up close home and get the better of Malcolm’s Dream.
Winchester Mansion easily wins the Gr 3 Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
Brett Crawford – “It Is All About Preparation.”
Brett Crawford is happy with draws three and four for his Hollywoodbets Durban July charges Time Flies and Winchester Mansion who are being prepared out of Randjesfontein on the Highveld.
In the nine renewals of the July on the narrowed track only three winners have had single figure draws and the lowest of those was six.
Responding to this question Crawford said, “I suppose a lot just depends on horses’ running styles, but for me it is always important to be drawn well.”
The four-year-old Dynasty filly Times Flies has a progressive profile.
She was raised from a 96 merit rating to a 117 after finishing a 1,30 length second to the heroine Rain In Holland in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 last time out.
Crawford said, “She stepped up last time, first time in Gr 1 company, very good run. She’s got a good galloping weight (55kg), although it is not an easy galloping weight for her. I can’t fault what she’s done and how she’s progressed in the last six months. I’m happy with her and she seems to love HWB Greyville and with a good draw, a good galloping weight and, so far, a good preparation, we’re happy. She’s a bit of an unknown quantity. If you take her form with Silver Darling and Rain In Holland it puts her right in the mix, they are all horses you would have to think have chances.”
Time Flies is 1,5kg better off with Rain In Holland for that 1,30 length beating so that makes her a bit of a dark horse … and a runner with each-way value considering Rain In Holland is 14/1 with the sponsor and Time Flies is 40/1.
Time Flies is leased from Ridgemont by the Hollywood Syndicate and gives the latter their first July runner in their second year of sponsoring the race, which they immediately injected with a stake increase to R5 million.
Luyolo Mxothwa is Crawford’s first choice rider in Cape Town and he retains the ride on Time Flies, whilst Kabelo Matsunyane retains the ride on the four-year-old Trippi gelding Winchester Mansion.
The latter has always had promise and fulfilled it when running out a facile 3,10 length winner of the Gr 3 Hollywoodbest Dolphins Cup Trial over 1800m at Hollwyoodbets Greyville in his last start.
Crawford said about the sponsor’s 6/1 second favourite, “He’s always been a nice horse. He won the Winter Derby (Gr 3 WSB Pocket Power Stakes over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth for three-year-olds). At the beginning of his four-year-old career he was crying to be gelded, but we were in the middle of a season so we couldn’t do anything. Subsequent to that his two runs have been fantastic. The second (in the WSB 1900) and the win were both in Group company (and both at HWB Greyville) and his last win I thought was very impressive. So for me a four-year-old with 53kg with a good draw, he’s had a great prep, those for me are going to be the horses with a say. There is not much between him and Pacaya, so I think he’s definitely got to have a big chance.”
Commenting on Winchester Mansion’s apparent good turn of foot, he said, “He quickens well, he has always done that. If you go back and just look at his debut win, he came from stone last at HWB Durbanville from a bad draw. So he is a horse who has the ability to quicken well and like I say he has had a fantastic preparation. He’s nice sound horse, touch wood, so we are very happy with him.”
Winchester Mansion would give superstar Drakenstein Stud-based stallion Trippi a deserved first winner of the July.
Brett elaborated, “Winchester Mansion’s brother was a very good sprinter, Sand And Sea, but as a winner of the Winter Derby he’s got the attributes for the July. There are no stamina limitations.”
Winchester Mansion is something of a miracle horse having broken a vertebrae in his neck as a youngster when running into a pole in the paddock.
He was a model patient who remained calm in his box for three-and-a-half months and that allowed him to recover.
He had been set for the Sales until the accident, so Drakenstein ended up racing him themselves.
Crawford said, “He’s got his own story, so it would be nice if he can put his name in big lights.”
Asked what it would mean for he himself to win the July, Crawford said, “I’ve had a lot of runners who have been placed before. It is obviously always on a trainer’s bucket list to be a July winner so it would mean a lot and I think we have done well to get two horses in this year and I think they are two horses with chances. We need a bit of luck in running now.”
Crawford finished second with Angus in 2002, fourth with Reveille Boy in 2005, third with Futura in 2014 and third with Edict Of Nantes in 2017.
Commenting on whether experience in training July runners counted for a lot, he replied, “It’s like anything … experience, you need the right horse, you need luck in running. It’s not easy to win races like this. You need a lot of things to go right for you.”
He concluded, “But for me it is all about preparation.”
The At The Races Tipster has selected Aussenkehr to win the 7th (JC Photos).
Vaal Straight Course Tuesday 27 June Formguides And Selections
www.attheraces.com
1 12:15 PM – 4Racing Welcomes You Juvenile Plate (Fillies)
Watch out for: GREGOR MACGREGOR (2)
Stage Play (Twice Over) wins the first in what turned out to be the first leg of a treble for Marco van Rensburg and Alan Greeff (Pauline Herman Photography).
Greeff Wrests Lead From Smith, Van Rensburg/Miller Treble
Alen Greeff scored a treble on the Fairview poly to move to 112 wins for the season, one ahead of Gavin Smith.
Two of his winners were ridden by Richard Fourie.
Cliffy Miller and Marco van Rensburg combined for a treble.
Greef’s 112 wins have come at a strike rate of 13.13%.
Fourie goes to 230 wins at 22.27% and he is 34 wins behind the national championship leader Keagan de Melo.
Van Rensburg reached the 50 mark for the season today and by the end of the meeting was on 52 wins at a strike rate of 10.38%.
Miller has had 23 wins at 9.06%.
The famous horse in question at stud (wikipedia)
Today’s Question
Which great female racehorse failed to get in foal 130 years ago and won the Ascot Gold Cup this month 129 years ago.
La Fleche (wikipedia).
