Picture: Luyolo Mxothwa could not contain his joy upon winning the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas aboard the Brett Crawford-trained Hollywood-owned make It Snappy on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth (Hollywood Syndicate).

Make It Snappy Says Ciao To CFG Rivals

You can’t keep a good man down and Brett Crawford bounced back to Grade 1-winning form at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday by winning the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and in the process he gave the country’s current leading owners, Hollywood Syndicate, their first ever win at the highest level.

It was also a first Grade 1 win for jockey Luyolo Mxothwa.

Crawford had a Grade 1 blank last season for the first time since the 2010/2011 term.

It was the Dynasty colt Jackson who put him on the map after he had departed his job as private trainer to Sabine Plattner more than a decade ago.

So it was fitting on Saturday that a Dynasty filly, Make It Snappy, put him back on the Grade 1 trail.

Make It Snappy is one of a number of horses leased to Hollywood by Ridgemont Highlands.

Racing manager Anthony Delpech spoke recently of the need for Hollywood to find Grade 1 horses if they are to go one better than last season and become the country’s champion owners.

Ridgemont Highlands carefully selected the batch of horses they leased to Hollywood.

They did not spare the quality, so are also obviously keen to see Hollywood, who do a lot for horseracing, achieve their ambition.

Crawford has had the late blooming Make It Snappy for about six months.

Delpech said, “Brett has always thought highly of her.”

Make It Snappy is out the Western Winter mare Icy Winter Air, who was third in the Grade 2 SA Fillies Nursery and who is a full-sister to Grade 3 runner up Izora and a half-sister to Equus Champion Sprinter Russet Air (What A Winter) and to Grade 2 winner Icy Trail.

Make It Snappy finished a narrow third on debut before winning her maiden over 1600m at Durbanville in eyecatching style.

Delpech said it was in her next start they realised how good she could be.

In the Non-Black Type Summer Bowl over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, just her third career start, she beat the crack four-year-old fillies Marina and Chansonette by three lengths and 3,20 lengths respectively.

Anthony said, “She was receiving 11kg from both of them but it was the manner in which she did it.”

The Hollywood team went into Saturday’s race quietly confident.

Delpech said, “It was not the strongest Fillies Guineas and Ciao Bella had been beaten before by several of the runners in a couple of her races, so for me she was not a good thing on paper.”

They would have also taken into account the tendency of Dynasty’s progeny to continually improve as three-year-olds.

Make It Snappy had overcome a tricky draw to lead in the small field Summer Bowl and Luyolo Mxothwa made a good decision to take her to the front from draw eleven on Saturday in the bigger 14 horse field.

She did not expend a lot of energy finding the front with her big stride.

She was also now in the prime position to head for the outside in the straight, which the jockeys had decided was the best going on the day.

Furthermore, when she pricked her ears in front, Mxothwa knew it would take a good horse to beat her.

Ciao Bella from a good draw of three had found the rail in midfield, but that was not the ideal place to be considering they were all going to the outside in the straight.

Mxothwa bided his time under a tight hold in the straight and the field followed him as he drifted towards the outside.

A line of horses soon ranged up on his inside, including Ciao Bella.

However, when Mxothwa got to work at the 400m mark Make It Snappy quickened superbly and it was clear she was on her way to victory.

Ciao Bella fought on gallantly but Make It Snappy won by a comfortable 1,50 lengths despite Mxothwa celebrating his first Grade 1-win with a vigorous shake of the whip.

Crawford and Hollywood were due to discuss the filly’s next target late today.

Delpech said it would definitely not be against the boys in the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas.

The Grade 1 Paddock Stakes looks to be the most obvious target.

The Cape Fillies Guineas winner of 2020, Captain Ransom, touched off last season’s Cape Fillies Guineas winner Chansonette in last season’s Paddock Stakes.

Meanwhile, Hollywood have increased their lead at the top of the national owners’ log to R1,564,238 over the reigning champions Drakenstein Stud.

Their runners have accumulated R5,240,188 in stakes to Drakenstein’s 3,675,950.

Laurence Wernars, fresh from his win in the Betway Summer Cup, is in third place on 2,743,125.

In the trainers championship Brett Crawford is in third place on stakes of R4,411,225, which is R1,024,900 behind the R5,436,125 of Justin Snaith.

Johan Janse van Vuuren is in second place on R4,976,175.

Picture: Trip Of Fortune (Trippi) became the first of Drakenstein Stud’s eight stakes winners this season to win two stakes races this term. (Cape Racing).

Gaynor Rupert Stands Up For Fair Play After Green Point Success

The Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Trip Of Fortune was the value bet of the century at an astonishing 16/1 for the Grade 2 WSB Green Point Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.

He duly delivered with a fine ride under Aldo Domeyer.

it was vindication for owner and breeder Gaynor Rupert of Drakenstein Stud.

In the winner’s enclosure she spoke about Trip Of Fortune’s ill fortune when favourite for last season’s Cape Guineas.

He was nearly put over the rail when the eventual winner Double Superlative shifted outward and took up the running of two horses outside of him.

Rupert’s word summed it up perfectly.

She said she did lot lay the blame for the incident at the door of the trainer or the owner of Double Superlative, or even the jockey.

She pointed out that if jockeys were allowed to ride like that, “those things can happen”.

She lay the blame firmly at the door of the stipendiary stewards and said, “I do think it is the responsibility of the stipes to punish bad riding when it is dangerous.”

She went on to describe last year’s Cape Guineas as her worst day ever on a racecourse.

She said Aldo Domeyer could have been killed while her horse, whom she felt had a good chance, was given no chance at all to prove it.

Hopefully, Rupert’s words will have more clout than those of the numerically weak press in SA.

The latter’s attempts to point out the lack of stipendiary action when it is needed is invariably brushed aside.

If Trip Of Fortune was good value at 16/1 then Kommetdieding was poor value at 83/100.

His ultimate target is always a middle distance race and he had not won any of his lead up mile races before.

Trip Of Fortune’s only previous attempts at a mile was in last year’s Cape Guineas and he then had a wide draw to contend with in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.

He has clearly been progressive this season and a tongue tie helped on Saturday too.

He was one of only three horses in the Green Point who had had more than one run this season.

His form had been faultless coming in with two wins over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville before being a tad unlucky in third over 1200m behind Surjay and Kommetdieding last time out.

However, Domeyer felt there was still some spark missing, so Bass-Robinson freshened him up in the build up to the Green Point and a tongue tie was put on.

Domeyer had him in a one out position with cover in midfield.

He said afterwards he had never felt the horse so good and said he “was cantering” going through the 300m mark.

He did have the advantage of the outside strip of going, which appeared to be the favourable place to be on the day.

Kommetdieding, on the other hand , was brought down the extreme inside after finding himself on the rail towards the back from draw six.

Trip Of Fortune quickened well when asked the question and won by a comfortable 1,50 lengths.

The Adam Marcus-trained Universal ran a tremendous second in his second run after a layoff of close to nine months.

He just pipped Kommetdieding for second place.

It was another fine run by “The People’s Horse” in third in his build up to the big ones, the L’Ormarins King’s Plate and WSB Met.

Picture: Sovereign Grant (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Miller Yard Take First Baby Race In KZN Yet Again

One of the goals of the Mike Miller yard every season is to win the first two-year-old scurry of the season and they did it yet again on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.

Their Varsfontein Stud-bred Gimmethegreenlight filly Sovereign Grant is out of an unraced Jallad half-sister to the three-time Grade 1-winner Gypsy’s Warning and she herself is a full-sister to Listed winner Queen Forever.

The rangy filly bounced out well and looked a winner all the way such was the effortless pace she displayed under Serino Moodley.

The 2,5kg gender allowance must make a difference over that distance, so Kumaran Naidoo’s colt Teerex did well to finish a 1,50 length second.

Teerex gave the new sire New Predator a promising start to his stud career and he was also sire of fourth-placed Yadav Singh-trained Predator’s Feast.

Miller had four runners and they finished first, third, fifth and sixth.

In third place was the first runner of Mauritzfontein Stud’s exciting new Japanese-bred sire, Danon Platina, who is by Deep Impact.

Picture: Princess Calla powers into the lead (Cape Racing).

Princess Calla Proves Her Class

There is no substitute for class and that was proven by the Flower Alley mare Princess Calla, who produced a powerful finish from the back to win the Grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes over the way too sharp 1000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday in her first run for Sean Tarry.

Princess Calla has been unfortunate to be a contemporary of the like of Captain’s Ransomn and War Of Athena, otherwise she would have won many more Graded races.

However, in her last three starts she has won the Grade 3 Prix du Cap over 1400m at Kenilworth last February trained by Adam Marcus , the Grade 1 HSH Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein Standside last April trained by Ashley Fortune and now the Grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m trained by Tarry.

She is owned by Mario Ferreira.

Her first trainer for whom she had one run and one win was Dennis Bosch.

Tarry said afterward her biggest target for the Cape Summer Festival Of Racing would be the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes on WSB Met day and he thought the best springboard into that race would be provided by the Grade 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes on L’Ormarins King’s Plate day.

Tarry had a mixed day accross the country as his R7 million colt Celestial City, the full-brother to Hawwaam and half-brother to Rainbow Bridge and Golden Ducat, was beaten in his second career start at odds of 63/100.

However, the horse who beat him, Otto Luyken, was thought good enough to run in the Dingaans, so it was no disgrace and Celestial City could bounce back.

Picture: Teahupoo ridden by Jack Kennedy (right) on their way to winning the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle with Klassical Dream ridden by jockey Paul Townend second and Honeysuckle ridden by jockey Rachael Blackmore (left) at Fairyhouse. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Champion Hurdler Honeysuckle Loses Her Unbeaten Record

Sam Turner (Daily Mail)

Honeysuckle’s incredible 16-race unbeaten run comes to an end as Teahupoo causes a shock in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse

An unbeaten run stretching an incredible 16 races was shattered at Fairyhouse on Sunday when Honeysuckle suffered a shock defeat by Teahupoo in the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle.

The dual Champion Hurdle winner, successful in her seven previous starts at Fairyhouse including in the last three renewals of this Grade One race, looked set for another victory when she moved to the front for rider Rachael Blackmore jumping the second last.

However, runner-up Klassical Dream and Teahupoo swamped Henry de Bromhead’s mare in a matter of strides moments later before fighting out a titanic tussle after the final hurdle which concluded with Gordon Elliott’s five-year-old prevailing by a neck under a strong Jack Kennedy drive.

Honeysuckle’s owner Kenny Alexander told Racing TV: ‘They all get beat in the end and she’s been beaten. She ran her heart out. It doesn’t take anything away from what she’s achieved, she’s taken me to places and won races that I’d never have dreamed of.’

De Bromhead said: ‘It’s a horserace and she got beaten and that’s it. We’ve had some run with her for so long, she’s been incredible and fair play to the winner.’

Elliott had a fabulous four-timer which included further Grade One success in the Drinmore Novice Chase courtesy of the impressive Mighty Potter.

Picture: Charles Dickens has been priced up as 9/20 favourite with the sponsor for the Grade 1 R2 million Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas. (Wayne Marks).

Charles And Cousin Both Draw Wide In Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas

Charles Dickens heads a sixteen-strong entry for the R2 million Hollywoodbets Gr1 Cape Guineas to be run at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on 17 December.

Charles Dickens has drawn a tricky 12 and his chief market rival Cousin Casey has drawn even worse in 15.

Mike de Kock brings the Dingaans one-two Union Square and Shoemaker and they have drawn well in five and eight respectively.

The two other out of province entries are the Grant Maroun-trained Anfields Rocket, who is owned by the sponsor, and the Gareth van Zyl-trained Money Heist.

The Cape Guiineas is probably the best sire producing classic in the country and boasts an honour’s roll that reads like a who’s who of SA greats.

Supplementary entries close at 11h00 on Friday 9 December.

Declarations are due by 11h00 on Monday 12 December.

R2 000 000 1600m (Turf)
CAPE GUINEAS (Grade 1)

14	Anfields Rocket	Grant Maroun	102
1	At My Command	Brett Crawford	109
3	Canford Lights	Candice Bass-Robinson	80
12	Charles Dickens	Candice Bass-Robinson	121
15	Cousin Casey	Glen Kotzen	115
13	Dave The King	Vaughan Marshall	105
9	Famous And Rich	Glen Kotzen	96
16	Le Morne	Brett Crawford	105
4	Light Speed	Justin Snaith	108
10	Lord William	Vaughan Marshall	100
11	Money Heist	Gareth van Zyl	103
2	Port Louis	Brett Crawford	105
7	Royal Aussie	Justin Snaith	98
8	Shoemaker	Mike de Kock	114
6	Street Outlaw	Ricky Maingard	99
5	Union Square	Mike de Kock	116
(16)

Picture: Rachel Venniker clinches her treble on the Candice Dawson-trained Warship (Candiese Lenferna).

50-Up Venniker Treble, Hlengwa, Naidoo and Wright Doubles

Rachel Venniker rode a treble on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly today and it took her past 50 wins for the season.

2,5kg claimer Siphesihle Hlengwa rode a double.

Both Kumaran Naidoo and Alyson Wright saddled doubles.

Venniker goes to 51 wins for the season and has done it at a strike rate of 13.25%.

Hlengwa is on 15 wins for the season at 11.63%.

Naidoo is on 26 wins at 9.22%.

Wright is on 23 wins at 17.42%.

Garth Puller leads the KZN Trainers Championship on 33 wins and second place on 23 wins if shared by all of Kumaran Naidoo, Alyson Wright and Wendy Whitehead, with Peter Muscutt one behind them on 22.

Picture: Horse Chestnut, Met winner 1999 – who was the previous three-year-old to win Cape Town’s biggest race?

Today’s Question

The last two three-year-old males to win the Met were Horse Chestnut in 1999 and Badger’s Coast in 2000, both trained by Mike de Kock.

Who was the previous three-year-old male to have won the Met?

Turffontein Standside Fields, Tuesday

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Picture: Brothers Stanley (left) and Cookie Amos both rode for Syd Garrett.

ANSWER TO TODAY’S QUESTION:

The Syd Garrett-trained Feltos was the last three-year-old before Horse Chestnut to win the Met.

He won it in October 1945 carrying the equivalent of 48kg under Stanley Amos.

Turf Talk Newsletter – 5 December 2022