Craig Bantam is in cruise control on Mary Lamb (picture via facebook).

Bantam Is No Bantamweight In Skills

Craig Bantam does not get many chances on potential winners but on the occasions he does he seldom lets the side down.

A case in point was in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas last year when he nearly caused a massive upset on his chance ride, Pomp And Power, and another example was provided on Tuesday this week when he brought the Justin Snaith-trained Mary Lamb home in convincing fashion at Hollywoodbets Durbanville.

Craig rides at Phillippi training centre twice a week and landed the ride on Mary Lamb when Richard Fourie booked off sick.

The Dynasty filly had finished two recent close up thirds over 1400m and 1600m respectively and was drawn in pole for the 1400m event.

She started as joint 9/2 favourite on the books with two other horses, although she was not Tote favourite.

Craig bounced her out well and got her up in to the leading line on the rail before easing her back, without upsetting her rhythm, to allow a horse on the outer to move into the lead.

He then had her beautifully settled in the box seat.

In the straight he extracted a superb turn of foot from Mary Lamb, which saw her hitting the front just after the 400m mark.

He kept her straight riding hands and heels and with some slaps down the shoulder.

He only drew the stick close to home, but put it away quickly when seeing the race was in safekeeping.

She cruised in to win by a 1,75 length margin which flattered the opposition.

It was Craig’s third win of the season.

However, a look at his first page on formgrids.co.za tells a story.

Of his 50 rides on the page, only three of them have been in single figure odds. The only one shorter than 5/1, Mary Lamb, he arrived on.

Craig remembers the Saturday well in late 2021 when he was the only spare jockey in the weighing room and he gathered S’Manga Khumalo had been injured and was unable to ride Pomp And Power in the Cape Guineas.

A message was relayed to the Snaiths to tell them of his availability.

“I grabbed my saddle and waited for the call,” he said.

The Snaiths were glad to receive the message because they thought they had no option but to scratch. It was a particularly fitting replacement, because Craig regularly work rides for them.

Craig got the call and was then given the instruction to “ping the gates and see what happens.”

It was in that race that the name Pomp And Power entered the SA Racing lexicon … and he appears to have been the horse that prompted Greg Bortz to take his interest in racing to a new level.

Craig could not have pinged the gates any better and he then managed to drive the Vercingetorix gelding into the lead from draw 14 out of 16.

Pomp And Power bounded along in front, obviously enjoying himself and setting a good clip under soft hands.

At the 150m mark he was still going strongly and Double Superlative was taking his time to get going.

Was this going to be a 14/1 upset?

Double Superlative then responded well to the whip and moved up to deny Pomp And Power by 1,25 lengths.

Craig got a good feel from Pomp And Power that day and the skill of the ride became more and more appreciated as the season progressed. Pomp And Power went on to win the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby and was favourite for the Hollywoodbets Durban July, but he perhaps became even more famous for his headstrong behaviour.

Craig is keen to get more rides and said he would be willing to travel to the East Cape.

He is the son of a hardworking fisherman and shopping mall cleaner.

He told the Sporting Post a couple of years ago how his life had changed on one relatively ordinary day at Range High School in 2013, while he was doing Grade 11:.

“Mr Vince Curtis and Mr Terrance Welch came to do a presentation on a career as a jockey. I had dreamt – that was where it ended – about a job as a professional footballer, so the idea appealed to me – even though I didn’t know anything about horses. I was the right size and I was selected. That was literally the first day of the rest of my life, and I have never looked back – even though it hasn’t been easy!”

Having hardly uttered, or even heard, a word of English throughout his life, Craig wisely repeated Grade 11 in 2014, his first year at the SA Jockey Academy.

“I promise you that I didn’t speak for the first three months! I was excited but almost too embarrassed to try and say something in English without making a complete fool of myself.”

But the likes of Eric Ngwane – still his best friend to this day – Mpume Mjoka and Calvin Ngcobo, made him comfortable and feel welcome, and the introverted Craig slowly came out of his shell.

“My parents always taught me to listen rather than speak. So I had a good grounding and plenty of practice in coping with my own silence in those first three months! But then one makes friends and we started talking.”

Due to the closure of Clairwood at the time, and the unavailability of Hollywoodbets Scottsville, the academy moved apprentices away to centres with straight tracks to complete their qualifying rides.

Craig booted home his first winner at the Vaal on 23 February 2016. The horse was the Judpot filly S’way, trained by Wallace Tolmay.

He spent a career-shaping two years with former SA Champion Jockey Andrew Fortune at the Vaal.

“Mr Fortune taught me horsemanship and to think tactically – and to sit properly. He was a champion and a natural. I learnt a lot of things from him.”

Craig lives a healthy lifestyle and can ride at 52kgs with ease.

He watches what he eats and loves playing indoor soccer.

He had 34 wins as an apprentice and has had 24 as a jockey.

He is a good sportsman and deserves more chances.

At present he is relying on the few rides he does get and he is paid a fee to workride at Sabine Plattner’s private Rondeberg training centre, where Andre Nel is the trainer.

Justin Snaith is giving him most of his rides at present.

Craig said it was particularly tough for him during the Cape Summer season, but it is now picking up and he has three rides at next week’s Hollywoodbets Durbanville meeting, one for Lucinda Woodruff and two for Glen Puller.

All three will be outsiders, but hopefully he will be able to kickstart his career during the first winter of racing with the stalwart Cape Racing as organisers.

A senior jockey once told him that good horses made good jockeys.

He would love to ride a few more of those!

The Gauteng Guineas, the SA Classics, and the SA Derby and SA Oaks will all be run at Turffontein. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi

It’s Time To Rethink The Triple Crown

Mike Moon seldom minces his words

By Mike Moon

The Citizen

Not having winners this year – and not even a candidate going into a third leg on Derby day – is welcome respite for racing writers.

The Joburg ‘sideshow’ diminishes a good marketing concept.

There will be no winners of the Triple Crown or Triple Tiara in 2023. It’s contrarian, but that might be a good thing – for a few reasons.

It is accepted wisdom that glory and champions are good for sport – an overload of cheering, screaming, tears of happiness and “lost for words” speeches is much to be desired, say the marketing people.

But pause and consider the Triple situation. The linked series are currently made up of the (male and female) Gauteng Guineas, the SA Classics, and the SA Derby and SA Oaks – all races run at Turffontein over 1600m, 1800m and 2450m respectively.

Not having winners this year – and not even a candidate going into a third leg on Derby day – is welcome respite for racing writers who won’t have to write out all the lengthy race titles, series conditions, multiple prize lists and gushing praise of previous winners.

Too frequent

That’s a joke. Yet there is a disconcerting sense that the Triples were being won a little too frequently to justify the oft-coined epithet of the ultimate test of a three-year-old racehorse.

The original Triple Crown was in the UK, comprising the 2000 Guineas (1609m), the Derby (2423m) and the St Leger (2937m) – at Newmarket, Epsom and Doncaster.

The last time it was won was in 1970 by Nijinsky. Few attempts have been made at completing the third leg in recent years – the most recent by Camelot in 2012.

The UK Fillies Triple Crown was last won in 1985 by Oh So Sharp, and before that in 1935 by Meld.

So, not a routine thing.

In the US, the Triple Crown is the Kentucky Derby (2000m), the Preakness (1900m) and the Belmont (2400m) – again, all at different venues. After the earliest editions, in the 1930s and ’40s, there was no coronation for 55 years until the great Secretariat broke the hoodoo in 1973.

Seattle Slew did the job in 1977 and Affirmed in 1978, before another long drought – of 37 years until American Pharoah in 2015.

Again, not run-of-the-mill.

Triple Tiara triumph

In South Africa, after Igugu’s inaugural Triple Tiara triumph in 2011, we’ve had Cherry On The Top (2013), Summer Pudding (2020), War Of Athena (2021) and Rain In Holland (2022). The Crown has been worn by Horse Chestnut (1999), Louis The King (2014), Abashiri (2016) and Malmoos (2021).

This “relative frequency” feeds a suspicion that the quality of the annual three-year-old thoroughbred crop is not particularly high and that these horses might not have been exceptional, just the best of a moderate bunch.

Also, importantly, the whole thing happens on one track on the Highveld and most runners are locally stabled, drawing inevitable criticism that it’s a bit of a regional sideshow. Indeed, several winners down the years have failed to frank a reputation as the top colt or filly of a national generation.

From time to time, it is suggested that the concept gets a shake-up and an upgrade. This is such a time.

Prominent trainer Mike de Kock has in the past advocated use of all three main racing centres, with the Cape Guineas in Kenilworth, the SA Classic in Joburg and the Daily News in Durban being the testing grounds. Others would prefer the Cape Guineas, the Daily News (on a changed date) and the SA Derby.

As is always the case in South Africa, travel logistics, health and altitude issues, and costs, make flitting about the country with horses a challenge for connections. It has been very successfully done by great trainers of past and present, but it is very tough. Of course, hefty financial reward would smooth the way and rub out some reticence.

Few raiders

There were few raiders from the coast at Turffontein on Saturday as the Triple hopes of Guineas winner Eye Of The Prophet and Fillies Guineas winner Lady Of Power were snuffed out in the Classics.

Paul Matchett-trained, Rachel Venniker-ridden Eye Of The Prophet ran an honest race to finish fourth, but had no answer for the finishing speed of Anfields Rocket – who looks to have plenty more to come in the months ahead.

Lady Of Power, who changed stables after her first leg triumph, was third this time – unable to join the ding-dong duel upfront between Bless My Stars and Feather Boa.

Two strikes and they are out!

Anfields Rocket has been raised to 118 (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)

Handicapping Ratings Update

WSB SA Classic (Grade 1)

ANFIELDS ROCKET has had his merit rating elevated from 107 to 118 following his success in the Grade 1 WSB SA Classic for three-year-olds over 1800m on the Turffontein standside track on Saturday 4 March. The Handicappers were of the unanimous view that 4th placed EYE OF THE PROPHET made for the best line horse here, which leaves him unchanged on a mark of 113. In rating the race this way. 5th finisher ROYAL VICTORY runs to his mark of 112, which therefore remains unchanged and which effectively makes him a line horse as well.

Runner-up JIMMY DON was raised from 105 to 116, while 3rd finisher BILLY BOWLEGS goes up from 106 to 114. There were also increases for STAR COIN, who is up from 98 to 109, and for RULE BY FORCE, who is up to 108 from 102.

The only ratings drop was for MONEY HEIST, who is down from 108 to 106.

Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (Grade 1)

BLESS MY STARS has had her rating raised from 103 to 109 after capturing the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic for three-year-old fillies over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday. Here it was the consistent runner-up FEATHER BOA who was deemed to make for the best line horse, which leaves her unchanged on a rating of 108.

3rd placed NONE OTHER has been raised from 101 to 104. Significantly, NONE OTHER had achieved a rating of 104 when finishing 2nd in the Grade 3 Sea Cottage Stakes at her most recent start, but the specific conditions of that race did not allow for any ratings increases beyond the winner and as such NONE OTHER remained on a mark of 101. As no such restrictions apply in the Fillies Classic, she has now been raised to the 104 she effectively should have already been going into the race.

There were also increases for 4th finisher SILVER HILLS, who is up from 93 to 100, and for GIMMEALIGHT, who goes from 87 to 93.

There were no ratings drops for any runner in this race.

WSB Hawaii Stakes (Grade 2)

UNDER YOUR SPELL remains unchanged on a rating of 114 after she landed the Grade 2 WSB Hawaii Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein on Saturday. Here it was runner-up RED SAXON who was used as the line horse, which leaves him unchanged on a mark of 116. In assessing the race this way UNDER YOUR SPELL only runs to a mark of 112, hence her unaltered rating.

3rd placed HUMDINGER goes up from 103 to 107, 4th finisher FOREVER MINE is up from 107 to 109, while the only other increase was for 6th finisher TEAM GOLD, who goes up from 102 to 106 to ensure that he would face the 102-rated 8th placed IRISH TRACTOR on the correct terms were they to meet in a handicap race.

Two horses were given a rating’s drop. MK’S PRIDE is down from 122 to 120, while CAPTAIN PEG drops to 104 from 106.

Europa Point Drum Star Handicap (Listed)

INFINITE WONDER has had his rating raised from 95 to 103 after winning the Europa Point Drum Star Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday. It was runner-up LITIGATION who was used as the line horse here, leaving him unchanged on a rating of 113. The winner was 5 pounds or 2.5 kgs under sufferance at the weights, which is largely the reason behind his substantial rating increase.

Similarly, 3rd placed FLASHY APACHE was 6 pounds or 3 kgs under sufferance at the weights, and accordingly has had his rating adjusted from 94 to 98.

There were no other rating increases, but four horses were given a drop. PLATINUM SKY is down from 100 to 99, SECOND BASE is down to 106 from 109, CRIMSON KING drops to 99 from 102, and lastly DUKE OF SUSSEX was dropped from 100 to 99.

Breeders Guineas (Listed)

EKORIA remains unchanged on a mark of 108 after winning the Listed Breeders Guineas for three-year-old fillies over 1600m on the turf course at Fairview on Friday 3 March. The Handicappers took the view that 5th placed DOUBLE DESTINY made for the best line horse here, which leaves her unchanged on a rating of 87. In rating the race this way EKORIA only runs to a mark of 94, hence her unchanged rating.

2nd placed RIMAAH was raised from 85 to 91, while 3rd placed HAZY CRAZY NIGHT goes up from 76 to 91. There were also ratings increases for 4th finisher EASY LIVING, who is up from 78 to 87, and for STRAWBERRY LIGHT, who goes from 77 to 81.

The only drop was for CHERE FOR ME, who is down from 87 to 85.

Echoes In Rain (Picture – Twitter: At The Races)

The Kieswetters Have a Triple Hand At Cheltenham Next Week

By Timeform

Former cricket star Craig Kieswetter believes Echoes In Rain has a great chance of causing a small upset when she lines up in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Kieswetter played 71 times for England in white-ball internationals before injury led to him retiring at the tender age of 27.

Since then he has gone about building up his family’s Barnane Stud empire alongside brother Ross and stud manager Patrick Wynn-Jones, and Echoes In Rain is one of the on-track stars of their burgeoning jumps string.

The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old heads to Prestbury Park on the back of a commanding victory at Naas in January and is a best-priced 7-1 for what could be a red-hot renewal of the mares’ only Grade One with possible runners including two-time Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle and Seven Barrows pair, Marie’s Rock and Epatante.

However, South African-born Kieswetter is more than happy with how the race is taking shape and is encouraged by the positive noises coming out of Closutton.

He told the PA news agency: “If the ground is right and the pace of the race is right, we are really expecting her to explode out and give a really good account in the latter stage of the race.

“There will be less pressure on her and I don’t want to say she’s flying under the radar, but there will be a lot more horses in the race who are better fancied – and if I’m honest, I’d prefer the position of being under the radar, under cover somewhat and coming through and causing a bit of a surprise.

“I’m quite happy with the position we are in and it is really encouraging to hear Ruby (Walsh) and others within the yard talk encouragingly about her. It sounds a bit cliched but we just want her to come home safe to the paddock, whatever the result may be.”

Kieswetter first became involved in National Hunt racing in his time playing for Somerset, when losing a game of table tennis with nearby Martin Pipe led to him taking on a horse called Citrus trained at Pond House.

Although Citrus did enter winner’s enclosure when landing a Plumpton novice hurdle, it is the eight-time hurdles scorer Echoes In Rain that has taken him to the upper echelons of jumps racing.

He continued: “We’ve had some amazing days with her already and unfortunately she has had to come up against Honeysuckle quite a few times, but the fact we have been able to pick up plenty of graded races and have a lot of fun with her makes this race even more enjoyable.

“I remember early on in her career, Willie and Ruby and everyone in Willie’s yard found it really hard to settle her and worked extremely hard to get her to settle as she has a really nice turn of foot.

“She’s a really hardy mare and she runs to the fullest every time she steps onto the track – she never leaves anything in the tank.

“I suppose as an owner that is all you can ask – for a horse that gives her all every single time.

“Potentially, if all goes to plan, we might see her at Royal Ascot later this year and that will definitely throw a conundrum into the ballpark of what we are going to do breeding wise.

“She’s very diverse, very sturdy. She’s pretty much your old-school type of mare who has a lot of attitude about her and is very protective of her own space. Those mares tend to be the ones who produce the best progeny, so all in all we have a nice little crop there, along with our partners and friends, to look forward to in the future.”

Kieswetter’s Barnane Stud will also be represented at the Festival by Il Etait Temps and Gust Of Wind, who are both owned in partnership with the Heffer family’s Hollywood Syndicate.

The former is flying high in the betting for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle having capitalised on the misfiring Facile Vega to land Grade One glory at the Dublin Racing Festival and throw his hat into the ring for the Festival opener.

“There will obviously be huge talk about Facile Vega and rightly so because he looks a terrific horse,” said Kieswetter when analysing the five-year-old’s Festival claims.

“But the manner in which Il Etait Temps ran and won at Leopardstown – when he kept up with the hot pace and was able to accelerate – if the speed of the race is run right for him and the ground is right for him, I don’t see any reason why he can’t run another great race and walk away respectfully.

“There is no doubt he is a lovely horse and as Willie has said, if he jumps well he will be right there and thereabouts.

“It is exciting to go to Cheltenham off the back of a Grade One win and it gives us some confidence, but we’re definitely not taking things for granted.”

Lyle Hewitson rode a fine front-running race to score in Hong Kong today (Wednesday) (hkjc.com).

Hewitson – Five Wins In Three Meetings And Records New PB

Lyle Hewitson rode a winner today to add to his doubles last Wednesday and on Sunday and he has now reached 28 wins for the season in Hong Kong.

He is in 6th place on the island’s log, but is just one win behind the pair in front of him, Hugh Bowman and Karis Teetan.

Two of his five wins in the last week have been for another ex-pat South African in Douglas Whyte, including the one today on the Australian-bred five-year-old gelding King Of The Court (Al Maher).

Hewitson jumped from draw 14 of 14 today in the 1650m class 4 event and he managed to get his mount into the lead rounding the first turn.

From there he was able to dictate at a slowish tempo and the gelding found more in the straight to win by half-a-length from Kung Fu Tea, who was ridden by Luke Ferraris.

It was a milestone moment for Hewitson as he surpassed the 27 wins he rode on the island last season and there are still over four months to go this season.

Prowess will contest the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2050m) at Pukekohe on Saturday. (Photo: Kirstin Ledington)

Warren Kennedy’s Star Ride Prowess Aimed At Aus Group 1

Another Star Proisir Filly Aiming Up at Australia

breednet.com.au

Leading filly Prowess will book her passage to Australia with a performance to match expectations against older opposition at Pukekohe on Saturday.

The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-prepared representative has the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2050m) on an alternative program following her trainers’ late move to sidestep the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).

This weekend’s weight-for-age feature became the three-year-old’s target after they decided starting Prowess over the Classic distance at Te Rapa wasn’t in the filly’s best interests.

“As long as I’m happy with her work in the morning (Tuesday), she will run on Saturday,” James said earlier this week.

“Since we changed tack I couldn’t be happier with her, she’s done very well.”

Prowess will be chasing her fourth win on the bounce after reeling off victories in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1600m), Listed Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) and the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m).

Should she again satisfy connections on Saturday, the daughter of Proisir will head to Sydney for the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) on March 25.

She is currently the $5 second favourite for the Rosehill contest behind another daughter of the Rich Hill Stud stallion in Legarto at $4.50.

However, trainers Ken and Bev Kelso have indicated their Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) heroine will be returning home following her spectacular Flemington victory.

Australia is also very much in the mix for Prowess’ promising stablemate Mark Twain, who finished in behind the major players in Saturday’s Derby.

The OTI Racing-owned son of Shocking ran fourth at just his fifth appearance and left James rueing the run the gelding received from gate six.

“When the draws came out I wished he had drawn 10, 11 or 12 or something like that and able to be one off,” he said.

“He got locked away on the fence and that was his undoing really.”

James has yet to decide which path will be taken with Mark Twain, who had won at New Plymouth and Hastings prior to last Saturday.

“I will have a talk with the owners and hatch a plan from there, I don’t know if he would even get in the ATC Derby (Gr.1, 2400m),” he said.

“There are a few options for him and he appears to have come through the race very well.”

Meanwhile, the Cambridge Stud-bred and raced Pinarello will kick off his autumn campaign at Pukekohe on Saturday.

“He will run in the 1400m sprint and he is in grand order. We will make a plan for him after that,” James said.

The Tavistock four-year-old won last season’s Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) before a three-start spring campaign in Sydney where his best effort was a fifth placing in the Gr.3 Craven Plate (1800m) at Randwick. – NZ Racing Desk.

Noble Storm is out on her own in the seventh race at today’s Wednesday Hollywoodbets Greyille poly meeting and the win clinches a quick treble together for Rachel Venniker and Michael Roberts (Candiese Lenferna).

Quick Treble For Flying Combination Venniker And Roberts

The Rachel Venniker/Michael Roberts combination has been in fine form recently and they won three legs of today’s Jackpot on the Hollywoodbets Greyville Poly.

In the fifth race over 1000m the Rafeef filly Our Emily made it a hattrick of wins when Venniker got her up by a neck.

In the next race over 1200m the hard-knocking Global View gelding Bless Me Fred scored a desrved victory by 1,40 lengths in the MR65 Handicap, having finished second in his last two starts.

In the seventh race over the Noble Tune filly Noble Storm clinched the jockey/trainer combination their quick treble with a comfortable 2,40 length win in the MR 68 Handicap for fillies and mares.

Venniker and Roberts have scored six wins together in the last three KZN meetings.

Roberts goes to 35 wins for the season at a strike rate of 13.41%.

Venniker is now on 78 wins for the season at 13.15%.

A clue to the answer (picture: wikipedia)

Today’s Question

Which horse holds the record for consecutive Leading Sire in North America titles?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

Hollywoodbets Greyville Polytrack Fields, Wednesday, CLICK HERE

This is one of the only known photographs of Lexington (wikipedia).

ANSWER TO TODAY’S QUESTION:

Lexington (Boston) was the leading sire in North America from 1861 to 1874 consecutively, 14 titles in a row, and he also won the title in 1876 and 1878. HIs 16 overall titles is also a record.

Turf Talk Newsletter – 8 March 2023