Turf Talk Newsletter – 31 October, 2023

Soma Excited About See It Again's Brother

Dual Prophecy (spotted cap) finishes a promising second to the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Querari gelding San Simon on debut at Turffontein Standside over 1160m on Saturday under Craig Zackey (JC Photos)

Joe Soma has an uncanny knack of always finding at least one top horse season after season and the one for this season could be Dual Prophecy, who is a Drakesnstein Stud-bred full brother to the twice Gr 1-winning superstar See It Again.

Dual Prophecy made his debut on Saturday over 1160m at Turffontein Standside and ran a promising second after being backed in from 16/1 to 8/1.

Joe said, “We think he is a very nice horse. He is a very, very promising horse. He’s still got to do it, but we are very excited with his run. Over further he will get better and better. To run like that first time out I thought was very promising.”

Dual Prophecy had a favourable high draw and showed off his rangy stride as he sat behind the eventual winner San Simon.

He was switched inward for a run and got with 0,75 lengths of the winner.

He bears a resemblance to his famous full-brother.

Being a full-brother to See It Again makes him a three-quarters brother to the legendary twice Gr 1 Durban July-winner Do It Again.

Joe still can not believe he got him for only R160,000 at the BSA National Yearling Sale.

He said, “See It Again had not run yet when we bought him. I just liked him at the sale very, very much. As he is a three-parts brother to Do It Again I was quite shocked we got him for that price. I thought he was the most super horse at the Sale and we spent I don’t know how many thousands of rand afterwards checking the horse out, x-raying and trying to find out if there was something wrong with him. We couldn’t find anything wrong with him and sometimes you’re just blessed, I don’t know how it works, it’s like a mystery at the end of the day. Today you wouldn’t be able to get the family of any of these horses for anything under a million.”

In fact a half-brother by Gimmethegreenlight went for R1.2 million at this year’s Cape Racing Sales Premier Yearling Sale.

Joe continued, “My fiance Sandy and I both went absolutely mad for Dual Prophecy at the Sale. Sandy has got a lot of her own horses and does showjumping and dressage etc so she is an experienced horsewoman and she was just saying while we were looking at him how beautiful it would be if we had a good budget to buy horses like this. We thought there was no ways we would be able to afford that horse. We actually haven’t even got a budget and we try and hope and look at the horses and sit and wait and hope that we get one or two. But as I say we did something right and we seem to be blessed because throughout my career we have been able to find one every season that will compete.”

He added. “He is a very nice horse, but there is a long way to go and we don’t push our horses. We give them a chance to mature and strengthen up. He took his race very, very well and he’s come through the race beautifully. In the next few days we will look for another race for him and will think hard whether we will put him in another 1200m or 1160m or do we go around the bend. He’ll tell us what he wants to do. But I think he could have a very exciting career ahead of him.”

Joe said about his string in general, “We have had a very quiet start to the season, but we have got quality horses and we’ve been waiting for the rains. I think the public can start following our horses with a bit of confidence going forward.”

Back In Business Was Set Back Badly By Controversial Incident

Back In Business (JC Photos)

Joe Soma was full of praise for the way the NHA handled the Back In Business case, where the promising sprinter arrived at the start having shortened to long odds-on for a race at Turffontein in mid-September, but then bolted to the start under controversial circumstances.

He said, “I was very disappointed with the way the jockey treated our horse. The NHA were very professional with the way they handled this whole story. Unfortunately, and I say unfortunately in both my and the NHA’s view, under the rule the jockey was charged he was only allowed to get a maximum R10,000 fine.”

Soma said the son of William Longsword had been “the most beautifully behaved horse” since being gelded last season.

He had already won one race as a gelding in July last year.

Soma said, “I was looking forward to racing him in a race like the Merchants on Betway Summer Cup day, but the incident set the horse back badly. He was very depressed afterwards. Last Thursday was the first day he had been like his old self back at the track. He is quite a proud horse. However, he had been walking around with his head down and not eating as well as he normally does and this was going on until about one-and-a-half months later. Let alone the horse being so depressed and hurt, it is also about how much it has cost the owner as it is two or three months before the horse runs again.”

The Klawervlei Stud-bred gelding has won three out of four starts.

He should come into his own this season as a four-year-old as the progeny of William Longsword tend to have progressive profiles.

See It Again Looking A Million Dollars After Winning Reappearance

See It Again wins comfortably on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Greyville (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Michael Roberts was happy with See It Again’s reapearance on Saturday when cruising to a comfortable win over 1600m in wet conditions on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf.

The 131 merit-rated superstar carried 62kg in the Pinnacle Stakes event and beat the useful Cape Eagle, to whom he gave 4kg, by a cosy 1,10 lengths while the third-placed horse Queue Wing was beaten 5,20 lengths.

Michael said, “I was a bit stressed because of the conditions, but he pulled up well and ate up, he’s looking a million dollars. I never thought he would mind the heavy going. I was more concerned about him having a hard race first time back. He has run in the wet before at Scottsville. As it turned out Piere (Strydom) said he had so much left in the tank, he was just going through the motions with the horse. Piere was very complimentary. He thinks the horse has improved a lot … well I know he has improved since last season. He has filled out a helluva lot.”

He will be departing for Cape Town in a few days time.

Michael said, “I just want to give him a week or ten days to get over the race, then he will be on his way, and then hopefully we will go for the (WSB ) Green Point, the (L’Ormarins) King’s Plate and then the (WSB ) Met.”

He will once again be staying with Paddy Kruyer, whom Michael enjoys a good working relationship with.

Michael will be sending another useful horse in the yard, Sun Blushed (The United States), to run in the R500,000 WSB Grand Heritage over 1475m at the Vaal on December 9.

Meanwhile, his stable jockey Rachel Venniker has been working with the promising three-year-old Ermelo (Rabada), who has been in the yard for three weeks, and is making progress with his starting stall issues.

Michael concluded by saying it is “exciting times” for the yard.

Michael Roberts Would Keep Going If He Was Dettori

Frankie Dettori does an emotion-charged flying leap after winning the Gr 1 Champion Stakes on King Of Steel in his last ever ride at his favourite stamping ground, Ascot. It was the 289th Gr 1 win of his glittering career (The Sun).

Michael Roberts said if he had been in Frankie Dettori’s shoes he would have reneged on his retirement from British racing.

Michael said, “It is nice to go out on a high, but it is difficult when you’re winning Group 1 races to say ‘Oh well I am just walking away from it.’ He is so much above the rest it is unbelievable, he is really riding well.”

Michael said he would have carried on riding under the same circumstances, particularly with all the big yard support Frankie had been getting.

He continued, “If the body allows you to carry on and you haven’t done your nerve there is no reason to retire.”

Michael is a good friend of Frankie’s.

He said, “I have known him from before he rode his first winner. I used to give him lifts to the races when he was an apprentice with Luca Cumani. He was always a very bubbly person. I would never take any credit for advising him, but he did ask me a lot of questions. He could hardly speak Engish at the time and I remember on the way to and from the races he always used to say, ‘What do you theenk, what do you theenk Michael, what do you theenk?!'”

Cape Trainers Embrace Innovative Syndication Strategies

Glen Kotzen hopes to have a syndicate of 50 for Legislate filly Sesame (Cape Racing)

Cape Racing

Cape Racing’s bespoke horse syndication initiatives have had the desired effect, confirming the good early growth anticipated. More of the region’s trainers have come on board with customised offers on newly purchased horses designed to attract individuals from all walks of life.

A number of trainers attended the Ready To Run and Unbroken Two-Year-Old Sale at Hollywoodbets Durbanville last Sunday, with syndication as their prerogative, and bought accordingly.

Newest to the fray is Michelle Rix and Ashwin Reynolds’s ‘Kommet’ Syndicate, named in honour of the Rix/Crawford stable’s Kommetdieding, the 2021 Durban July winner and all-round, popular track star who has retired to stud. They’ve launched a professionally designed client brochure and a website to keep shareholders up to speed.

Rix bought Lot 70 (Canford Cliffs filly – R375,000), Lot 94 (Gimmethegreenlight filly, R500,000) and Lot 97 (One World filly, R160,000) for syndication and said: “Ashwin’s always wanted to honour the legacy of Kommetdieding and this was a good opportunity. He was a true people’s horse, and this syndicate is for the people. When Kommetdieding was still in training, his exploits drew much attention from fans, and many of them spoke to Ashwin about getting involved in racing. We’re giving them a chance now; we’ll start marketing shortly and hope to get the offer out there to all his fans so they can join us.”

Due to Rix’s other good results over the last few years and Reynold’s efforts in maintaining the momentum created by Kommetdieding, the stable has already grown to 40 horses. They have moved to new stables at Milnerton, and Rix said: “We’re aiming at offering a mix of colts and fillies for our syndicate to suit all pockets.”

Ricky Maingard, who is doing well with his re-established Cape string, has formed the Wolf Power Syndicate, named after his legendary 1980s superstar, still in the hearts and minds of racing enthusiasts almost 40 years later.

Maingard, with growing momentum, has shaped a unique six-horse package for the Wolf Power Syndicate, and he explained: “Our aim is to be a boutique-style stable, training quality rather than quantity. The syndicate will be developed along those lines. We will have a maximum of 25 owners (or 25 x 4% shares), where each share includes an equal part in all six horses.

“Having six horses as a new owner is not attainable to most, but as our syndicate motto says, ‘When people come together, they can often achieve more than they could individually’. For an initial one-off fee, payable when subscribing, this represents an ideal opportunity to enjoy six horses perform on the track. The fee will include stabling and training fees until the six horses turn four years of age, at which time the syndicate members will decide which ones to keep in training as four-year-olds.”

Maingard’s 2023 Ready To Run buys, Klein Karoo (Lot 32, Canford Cliffs R275,000) and American Ultra (Lot 61, The United Stakes, R300,000) will be included in the Wolf Power ‘six pack’ along with a Cape Premier Sale purchase, also three from the National Sale and other Cape auctions. As physically attractive specimens who put up smart gallops, the R2R prospects enjoyed a good share of the bidder’s attention on Sunday.

Piet and Nicole Botha launched their Dare 2 Dream syndicate with a winner in Tyrion Lannister at Hollywoodbets Durbanville last week. They came close to following up on Tuesday with Sansa Stark. This is another up-and-coming stable that has made life more competitive for the log-leading trainers the last few seasons, and Piet Botha said: “Our early success with the Dare 2 Dream Syndicate came at just the right time. We are now syndicating our Ready To Run buy, Girl About Town (Lot 47), a beautifully balanced daughter of Talk Of The Town who put up an eye-catching gallop on Sunday morning.

“I fell in love with this filly when I saw her on viewing day last Friday, so I almost wished her gallop wasn’t as good so buyers could look elsewhere. I was hoping to get her for around R150,000, but she was outstanding, and my budget was R200,000. My patron, André Louw, secured her for that amount, and we are very chuffed.

“André will possibly be retaining a share of Girl About Town. We’ll syndicate at least 60% of her, perhaps more. We’ll discuss it and announce our offer on social media. This is an exciting opportunity with a potentially smart filly. She’s by a new stallion, but the progeny I’ve seen so far are impressive. They look the part!”

The Gulf Racing Syndicate, active in South Africa, Dubai, and Australia, acquired Lot 76, Cumbre Vieja, a scopey colt by Erupt, out of a mare by Gimmethegreenlight. Named after a volcano in La Palma, Spain, he is a half-brother to up-and-coming Ampersand, with depth in his pedigree.

Syndicator Kurt Felix commented: “We’ve already had some interest, and the shares will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. We are preparing an all-inclusive syndication offer. Cumbre Vieja is a typical Erupt offspring. He will grow and fill out over the next few months; he is going to be an exciting prospect. Adam Azzie will train him.”

With both his kids closely involved, Woodhill Racing’s Glen Kotzen counts himself fortunate to have access to their friends and other youthful individuals interested in thoroughbred racing. Kotzen bought Lot 55, Sesame, a filly by the high-strike stallion Legislate, out of Silvano’s G1-placed daughter, Tahini, for R170,000. He plans to syndicate Sesame to 50 shareholders and will be drawing on his young contacts.

Kotzen said: “Our galloper Han Solo, who won an exciting race on King’s Plate Day and again on Met Day, is trained for a group of family and friends. Some of the youngsters who came to see him win were university students who now have qualified degrees and are starting their careers. It is great. Some who came to love and enjoy racing through Han Solo now ask for more involvement. Sesame is a lovely filly from the Tatler family and an ideal runner to start this venture. Becoming a part of the Woodhill Syndicate will be like joining our family.”

James Doyle To Quit Godolphin And Ride For Emir Of Qatar

James Doyle won last year’s 2,000 Guineas on Coroebus Credit: Edward Whitaker

James Doyle, who is no relation of Hollie Doyle, joins growing concern

Peter Scargill (Racing Post)

James Doyle will quit Godolphin to ride for the Emir of Qatar’s fast-growing Wathnan Racing operation in 2024, a move the jockey described on Monday as an “amazing opportunity”.

Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim, whose brother Sheikh Joaan operates Al Shaqab Racing and cousin Sheikh Fahad acts as principal for Qatar Racing, has rapidly expanded his racing interests this year, and celebrated a Royal Ascot double courtesy of Courage Mon Ami in the Gold Cup and Gregory in the Queen’s Vase.

Doyle, 35, partnered the Sheikh Tamim-owned Ballymount Boy to victory in the Listed Prospect Stakes at Doncaster on Saturday, and will be seen more regularly in the owner’s blue, beige and red silks next year.

He said: “It is a tremendous honour for me to sign for Wathnan. It’s an amazing opportunity for me going forward with His Highness Sheikh Tamim’s Wathnan Racing and I’m greatly looking forward to working with Olly Tait, Richard Brown and the rest of the team.”

Doyle will leave Godolphin at the end of 2023 after spending nine years retained by Sheikh Mohammed’s organisation having previously ridden as number one jockey for Khalid Abdullah.

Initially, Doyle was signed to ride as number one to Saeed bin Suroor with William Buick holding the same role with Charlie Appleby. However, Doyle lost his position with Bin Suroor in 2016 and was absorbed into Appleby’s team at Moulton Paddocks, where he predominantly rode as second jockey to Buick.

Doyle said: “I want to thank His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, Charlie Appleby and everyone at Godolphin for the unstinting support they’ve given me over the last nine years.

“It’s been a wonderful time and I have enjoyed literally every moment, but this is an incredible new venture and I can’t wait to get started in January.”

Olly Tait, who formerly worked for Sheikh Mohammed’s breeding operation, Darley, before joining Wathnan Racing as an adviser last year, labelled Doyle as an “incredible addition” to the burgeoning power.

“Wathnan is delighted to have retained the services of James Doyle,” Tait said. “He’s a fantastic rider and an incredible addition to the team. We’re all looking forward to working closely with James in the coming years.”

Doyle secured numerous top-level successes for Godolphin, including last year’s 2,000 Guineas on Coroebus and the King’s Stand Stakes – Diamond Jubilee double on Blue Point in 2019. He also guided the likes of Barney Roy, Ribchester, Wild Illusion and Jungle Cat to Group 1 wins in the famous blue silks.

Appleby provided Doyle with many of his biggest Godolphin wins, and said: “James has been a key member of our team for his whole time with us and, while we will miss him greatly, he’s leaving very much with our blessing and we wish him all the very best with this exciting new chapter in his riding career.

“James and I enjoyed many big days together on the racecourse, not the least of which was Coroebus winning the 2,000 Guineas last year, but he also rode a number of other stable stars like Blue Point and Naval Crown. We will continue to use James whenever his new commitments permit because he’s a world-class jockey.”

There were no plans to appoint a replacement for Doyle as number two rider at Godolphin, according to their UK and Dubai managing director Hugh Anderson, who added: “James has been a fantastic jockey for Godolphin over nine years – Blue Point’s fabulous sprint double at Royal Ascot and Coreobus’s 2,000 Guineas rank high among many other triumphs in the blue silks.

“He’s a top professional and it has been a pleasure having him on the team and we thank him for his service to Godolphin. We all wish him every success with his new operation.”

Zahra picks Without A Fight for Melbourne Cup

Mark Zahra has announced he will ride Caulfield Cup winner Without A Fight in the Melbourne Cup. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

Shayne Hope (AAP)

Top jockey Mark Zahra has chosen Without A Fight as his Melbourne Cup mount instead of attempting to defend his title with Gold Trip.

Zahra rode Gold Trip to victory in the race that stops a nation last year and fifth behind Romantic Warrior in Saturday’s Cox Plate.

But he has elected to board Without A Fight on the first Tuesday in November, after leading the gelding to victory in last week’s Caulfield Cup.

Zahra’s decision opened the door for back-to-back Cox Plate-winning jockey James McDonald to pick up the Melbourne Cup ride on Gold Trip.

Third-favourite Without A Fight will carry 56.5kg in the 3200m handicap test, while second-favourite Gold Trip will carry 58.5kg.

Zahra has been in hot form, adding four winners at Moonee Valley on Saturday to his Caulfield Cup triumph a week earlier.

Saturday’s victories included Bold Bastille (Inglis Banner), Prowess (Crystal Mile), Apulia (Moonee Valley Vase) and Archo Nacho (Red Anchor Stakes).

“It is up there (as a highlight),” Zahra said after the last race of the day.

“I’ve ridden maybe one or two winners on Cox Plate Day but I would have liked it more if I’d won the Cox Plate.

“But to ride four is a big achievement.”

Zahra has a strong connection and history with Gold Trip after last year’s Melbourne Cup win.

He had chosen to ride Without A Fight in the Caulfield Cup before Gold Trip, who finished third under Ben Melham, was accepted for the race.

It had been an agonising decision for Zahra, who was understandably pleased with his call after winning the 2400m handicap.

At the time, he urged trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman to send Without A Fight back to Flemington, where the gelding finished a disappointing 13th in last year’s Melbourne Cup.

“You’ve got to have a crack,” Zahra said.

“That (Caulfield Cup win) was second-up from a spell.

“A great training performance from the Freedmans to get him right, so you think there’s got to be a little bit of improvement.

“The way he switched off this prep, in Brisbane (during the winter) I thought he won’t run past 2000m, so I said send him to the Cox Plate.

“He just came back so much more relaxed so you’ve got to have a crack.”

Today’s Question

The winner in question is pictured above (Patrick McGrath/VRC 150)

Who holds the record time for the Melbourne Cup?

Midweek FIELDS

Hollywoodbets Greyville Poly Fields, Wednesday

Today’s Question Answer

punters.co.au

The Fastest: Kingston Rule, 1990

In all the Melbourne Cups through all the years, no horse has run the Flemington track faster than Kingston Rule in 1990.

Equal favourite Kingston Rule started awkwardly … but he got into a good position on the rail and tried to keep out of trouble.

At the 800m mark Kingston Rule was in eighth spot on the fence and starting to push forward, but he still had a fair bit of work to do.

Savage Toss and Our Magic Man came clear at the top of the straight, and looked briefly like they had the race between them.

But jockey Darren Beadman pushed Kingston Rule through along the rail, and then got out at the 300m to have a proper crack at the leaders.

He hit the front with momentum, and although the other equal favourite The Phantom loomed as a late challenger, Kingston Rule held on to win in a record time of 3 minutes 16.3 seconds — giving Bart Cummings his eighth Cup win.

As a sign of how good a run it was, only three horses in the subsequent 26 runnings — Might and Power (3:18.3 in 1997), Media Puzzle (3:16.9 in 2002) and Protectionist (3:17.7 in 2014) — have come within two seconds of his winning time.