Skip to main content

The Dorrie Sham-trained Pathfork gelding Bingwa is the forgotten horse of the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes to be run at Turffontein Standside on Saturday and is around 14/1 on bookmaker boards.

However, that will suit him and the connections fine as he won the Grade 2 Allied-Steelrode-Onamission Mile over the course and distance at similar odds last October and he did not just win it, he annihilated them.

Sham said the the strong hold he took last time out, before finding no extra from a handy position to be beaten three lengths in the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m, had only been because he had still been a “little fresh” in his second run after a layoff.

His work has been good at his home at The Vaal since and he should arrive on Saturday cherry ripe.

He went into the Allied Steelrode-Onamission Mile following a short layoff and two 1450m runs.

He now goes in after a short layoff and two 1400m runs.

The other aspect where history is repeating itself is that owners Colin and Lyn Stonebridge will not be able to make it to the race from their home in Tanzania and will be represented on course by their son Dale. 

Dale phoned them from the course soon after after The Mile win and there had been so much shouting and excitement in the Tanzanian household that the dogs were still barking at their animated owners.

The race panned out perfectly for the big long-striding gelding that day.

The connections had been concerned about his wide draw of 14 out of 15 but those worries were soon expelled when jockey Chase Maujean managed to slot him in to the perfect one out and one back position with cover.

Maujean had rousted him for the first few strides before relaxing him and the shuffling of the pack inside of them panned out perfectly, allowing Bingwa to claim his handy spot virtually for free. 
The pace then turned out to be relatively slow which suited him because once he had quickened past the leaders and got into that big stride of his nobody was going to catch him.

The pacemaker from the Allied Steelrode-Onamission Mile, Astrix, lines up again and has a wide draw so will likely be forced to go up to the front.

However, the pace is unlikely to be slow again with Warrior’s Rest in the field and also drawn wide. 

This big and admirable What A Winter gelding is a Grade 1-winning sprinter and when winning over further than sprints, up to this trip of 1600m, he has literally galloped the opposition into the ground by continually winding up the pace in front.

So the pace is likely to be good and this will play into the hands of Al Muthana, who is able to produce a devastating finish from off the pace if allowed to build up into it.

He proved that when winning the Hawaii and Bingwa will only be 1kg better off for the three length beating.

However. over this trip Bingwa beat Al Muthana by 4,75 lengths in the Allied Steelrode-Onamission Mile and yet is 2kg better off.

Dorrie Sham said after The Mile, “He is a big horse and has gotten much stronger. We have not got to the end of him yet. He has a huge stride. It is so big you don’t really notice him quickening because he just gets flatter and longer. He doesn’t get uptight and is very easy to train.”

Raymond Danielson has a fine Grade 1 record and this is particularly when he is coming in as a substitute rider.

He acquired the nickname “Super Sub” a few years ago so it augurs well that he is coming in as a substitute for Grant van Niekerk, who has decided not to travel.

The weather forecast is clear skies this whole week which should suit the horse.

Of  course “The People’s Horse” Kommetdieding is the one they all have to beat. This will be the first time he has run on a track of Turffontein’s nature, a tough right-handed galloping track with a long straight. He has handled everything put in front of him to date but does reserve his best for his target race and his target race considering the trip of 2000m is no doubt the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge.  

Sham trained Bingwa’s mother Marauding Lady for about a month in Port Elizabeth before her retirement and believes Bingwa inherited his big stride from both her and his father Pathfork. 

The Stonebridges are Zimbabweans and Marauding Lady won the Fillies Classic over 1600m at Borrowdale for them just over ten years ago.

Marauding Lady is by Century Stand, famous for finishing second to Clifton King in the race in which the great Horse Chestnut suffered his only defeat.

Sham also has a runner in the Grade 1 WSB SA Derby, With Pleasure, a gelding by Oratorio. Danielson is also aboard him. However, he has a tough task with the like of Zeus and Litigation, having been beaten by them over 1800m and 2000m and 1800m respectively and now being considerably worse off at the weights with both of them. Furthermore, Zeus was well beaten in the Grade 1 WSB SA Classic.  However, Sham was confident the gelding, who is out of a Daylami mare, would see out the trip and he does have a plum draw of two. He is owned by Fred Crabbia.   

Picture: Bingwa easily wins the Grade 2 Allied Steelrode-Onamission Mile (JC Photos).