Justin Vermaak’s lone South American travels are paying off handsomely!
Good looker Puerto Manzano was the ‘extra horse’ on the plane
When Laurence Wernars granted a rare interview to Lyall Cooper after Saturday’s G1 Betway Summer Cup at Turffontein, he praised his bloodstock manager Justin Vermaak for finding the winner, Puerto Manzano, in Argentina, and convincing him to buy it. “Justin has changed my racing career,” said Wernars.
Vermaak, now the Head Of Racing Operations for Cape Racing, started assisting Wernars in the acquisition of his thoroughbreds in 2017 and he told Turf Talk: “We’ve had 17 stakes winners this season and I am proud of that. All five our imports from Argentina have won and they include two stakes horses of which Puerto Manzano is now a G1 winner.”
Vermaak recalled how his original interest in South American bloodstock came about. He’d been friendly with the manager of Haras La Providencia, a stud farm that owned Kanonkop (Pure Prize) the former champion two-year-old filly of Argentina. With the help of Form Bloodstock’s Jehan Malherbe, a deal was brokered with Coolmore and in 2016 Kanonkop was sold to the Irish bloodstock empire.
“I actually bought a yearling out of Kanonkop with Mike and Mathew de Kock for Griffiths De Kock Racing. He has been syndicated and Laurence and partners have taken a share,” Vermaak said.
He returned to Argentina in 2017 to investigate further buying opportunities. “People were saying that the Argentine bloodstock industry was weak and their stallions were average. But Treasure Beach was there, a son of Galileo, and also Orpen, a top sire in his own right, especially on the broodmare side.
“I did my rounds on the various stud farms, really on a wing and prayer, and I was truly impressed with what I saw. Gavin van Zyl and I went back in 2018. He was keen to put some partnerships together and . he, too, was blown away with the quality we encountered. We tried to buy a filly called Nastia at a dispersal sale, but she was sold to French trainer Andre Fabre. He won the Argentine Oaks with her and sold her on to Japan.
“In 2018 I returned again. I found Kay Tee Perry (Orpen) and Mohican (Campanologist) and we twisted Laurence’s arm to get involved. I’m so glad he did. They were both decent, Kay Tee Perry ended up earning black type and Mohican would have won more than two races had he not gone in the wind. But Laurence and Johan (Janse van Vuuren, trainer) had recognised the opportunities by then so when I went back in 2019, I had their full backing.
“We bought Kay Tee Perry’s full brother and needed an extra horse to fill up the shipping pallet. I was dead keen on Puerto Manzano, from Haras Carampanque. He was by Seek Again (Gone West), a stallion who had disappointed and wasn’t in favour, but from a mare by Orpen – and he was an absolutely magnificent specimen we could buy for the equivalent of about R550,000. Laurence agreed, and the smashing Puerto Manzano took their breath away when he stepped off the float in South Africa.”
Vermaak said there is great value still, at the top end of bloodstock auctions in Argentina. He explained: “In South Africa, the major buyers go up to between R2-million and R4-million, even higher, to secure the top colts. It’s hard to compete here. Puerto Manzano would have been in the same high bracket if he was sold in SA at the time, but in Argentina we picked him up as a relatively speaking ‘cheapie.’ And there will be more from where he comes from!”
De Kock’s 1-2-3 in exciting G2 Dingaans
Mike de Kock scored a 1-2-3 in the Grade 2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans over 1600m with Union Square, Shoemaker, and East Coast the first three over the line at Turffontein on Betway Summer Cup Day.
They were ridden by Randall Simons, Richard Fourie, and Keagan de Melo respectively.
“I’m really lucky to have these three really nice horses,” said De Kock after the race.
“It was a terrible pace, really. The first and third (Union Square and East Coast) were lucky with their draws.
Unfortunately Shoemaker had to give away a lot of start in a really slow-run race.
“The pace was so slow, that in my opinion the first 400 or 500 meters was actually quite dangerous. But anyway, it worked out well nevertheless.
“I want to thank Nic Jonsson for this sponsorship. It’s nice to see him on the Highveld and participating and supporting 4Racing.
“This is a very good race for three-year-olds and a good race to sponsor.” -4Racing News.
Charles Dickens: Is ‘freak’ the right word for unbeaten colt?
Unbeaten star, Charles Dickens, was freaky good in his 1400m Cape Guineas prep at Kenilworth on Sunday. He gave weight and trounced former Guineas winner Russian Rock, as he floated in by three lengths, whilst being eased down by Aldo Domeyer.
The flashy chestnut son of Trippi ran the last 800m in 46.6 seconds, accelerating off a fast early pace, and could have gone much quicker if needed. The Bass stable have nicknamed their potentially world class charge “goosebumps,” with Candice Bass graciously saying that “it’s a privilege but also full of pressure to work with Charles Dickens – he is a freak and such an honour to train.”
With the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas just three weeks away, the Drakenstein bred and owned son of Trippi looks to have enjoyed a flawless prep as he gears up to take on local hotshot Cousin Casey, the sponsors own Graham Beck Stakes winner Anfields Rocket, and whatever Mike de Kock decides to travel with.
Racing guru Charless Faull has described the emergence of Charles Dickens as “Sea Cottage Stuff” and, along with a growing legion of his fans, can’t wait for Guineas Day! – sagehorseracing.com and Sporting Post.
National Two-Year-Old Sale yields encouraging results
There was a positive outcome to the single session November 2yo Sale at the TBA Sales Complex in Johannesburg. A total of 158 of the 196 lots were sold on Sunday for an aggregate R25 200 000 (2021 – R18 825 000), at an average of R159 494 (2021 – R139 444) and a median of R105 000 (2021- R100 000).
Sterling Miller of Pound Bloodstock signed the R1,2 million ticket for lot 172, a magnificent Gimmethegreenlight filly consigned by Sandown Stud as agent for Shadwell SA. Miller will race her with veteran owner, Tony Jelinski.
The bay is out of VAR’s daughter Ghaalla, who was the top-priced yearling sold in the very same ring at the 2017 National Yearling Sale, when purchased for R5 million. She was trained by Mike de Kock and went on to win the 2018 Gr3 Fillies Mile. She was bred by Varsfontein and hails from the family of Master Of My Fate, Malmoos, Erik The Red and the well-performed current 3yo, Karangetang.
Top vendor was Mauritzfontein, whose 11 lots sold for R3 280 000 at an average of R298 182.
Leading buyer was JASM Solutions, whose 11 lots grossed R2 635 000 at an average of R329 375.
Sparkling Water is perfectly sound after Summer Cup
Mike de Kock reported on Monday that Sparkling Water was ‘sounds as a bell’ after her disappointing run in Saturday’s G1 Betway Summer Cup.
The popular 2022 Durban July winner was strongly fancied for a major-race double, but she turned in an effort considered several lengths below her best, finishing 5.75-lengths off the winner, Puerto Manzano.
“I have zero explanation for Sparklingh Water’s run and I won’t try to analyse it,” De Kock said. “She was eating up on Sunday, she scoped clean and fully sound. We’ll put this run behind us and look foward to her next runs.”
Sparkling Water will be leaving for Cape Town on Tuesday.
Zackey’s on fire in Kiwiland
INTERNATIONAL RACING
Craig Zackey is the talk of the racing industry in his newly adopted New Zealand.
Hall-Of-Famer Desormeaux is back in the saddle
INTERNATIONAL RACING
One week into his return to the races and Kent Desormeaux says he couldn’t feel better. The Hall of Fame jockey has ridden in nine races during Del Mar’s fall meet and has yet to win, but he has a second and a third and knows the wins will come.
“I didn’t forget how to do that,” Desormeaux said about winning. “I’ve done that 62-hundred times. I don’t care that anybody calls me ‘oh fer’ right now. I’m pretty sure with the confidence of an owner and trainer we’ll get the job done.”
To be exact, Deormeaux has 6,116 victories over his 36-year career. But he finds himself once again coming back from a suspension directly connected to his alcoholism and having to prove himself all over again.
“I was oddly enthused,” Desormeaux said about his first week back. “My first rides were not stellar, but I was still very excited. I was glad to be back in the saddle and it was fun to be out there.
“The appreciation was there,” he continued. “I was grateful to Del Mar for allowing me to pilot the ponies.”
Desormeaux was suspended from racing back in January due to an altercation in the Del Mar RV park last fall. It was the third time in two years he had been suspended for alcohol-related issues.
Now he’s been sober for 90 days. He’s gone through rehab and believes this time will be different because he’s taking the initiative versus being told he has to do it.
“This time I’m doing it,” Desormeaux said. “I want to. No court orders. I want to be sober and any alcoholic will understand exactly what that means. I’m not being told where to be. I want to be there.”
He says rock bottom for him was needing permission to ride and the fact that his situation up at Santa Anita is ‘to be determined’ bothers him greatly.
“I’m very excited to return to my backyard at Santa Anita,” Desormeaux said. “I feel remorseful that there is a delay because of my off-track character.”
That aside, Desormeaux is finding plenty of support from the people in the industry.
“So many well wishes and encouraging comments,” Desormeaux said. “That’s humbling to be missed. People get used to seeing me so now that I was away for a while they have someone that they know, who’s been in the business, to pull for again.”
Desormeaux has won three Kentucky Derbys, six Breeders’ Cups, three Eclipse Awards, and he’s in the Hall of Fame. Which raises the question: What does a guy with so many achievements have to prove at this stage of his career?
“Mostly my desire to be sober and clean,” Desormeaux said, “and make each and every person proud of the legend that I’m supposed to be. I think with a chance, even after hitting rock bottom, I want prove that I can do it. I want to show that it can be done.
“It’s a great motivator,” he said. “It certainly helps me to wake up in the morning.” – Paulick Report.
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Today’s Question
Who were the two individuals involved in the ‘Ringer’ scandal at the Vaal on 29 September 1987?
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