SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 1

Thursday 13 April 2017 Look Here

FAIRVIEW poly Friday Best Roving Banker: r6 - (6) Bollemakiesie (7/1)

GREYVILLE poly Friday Best Roving Banker: r2 – (2) Roy’s Roll’s Royce (4/1)

kenilworth Saturday Best Roving Banker: r6 – (2) Viking Voyage (2/1)

turffontein Saturday Best Roving Banker: r2 – (9) Warrior’s Rest (7/10)

SCOTTSVILLE Sunday Best Roving Banker: r1 – (12) Vanity Fair (2/1) Find Your Egg

Saturday 8 April Turffontein - race 3 Sporting Post The weights in this event are framed on merit rat- Best Handicapped ing ranges and Peach Delight gets a useful 3kg sex Savage Wind The Hunt Is On allowance, which brings her strongly into conten- WON 14/1  tion. She scored a well-deserved first local win last E-Cape Poly Challenge Fairview time against her own sex, and was not disgraced The second leg of the East Cape Poly Challenge when mixing it with the boys and running a length gives recently returned globetrotting jockey Ber- off Ochoncar over the course and distance in No- nard Fayd’herbe an excellent opportunity to get vember. She is a half kilo better off with that runner back to winning ways. Fayd’herbe, who has been here – which on paper suggests she could be held living out of a suitcase for 9 months on the road, again. But that was her first run in this province and with stints in Mauritius and Dubai, partners the she is now more settled – and a lot fitter. high-quality Jet Master gelding Jet Explorer for Sir Duke has won ten races, and is always therea- Justin Snaith. The Gr2 winner comes out marginally bouts – irrespective of surface and distance. While ahead of the mare Peach Delight in the SP ratings well beaten by Juan Two Three in the first leg of this and looks ready to win again – if he turns up sound. series, he was running on steadily. He was reported not striding out when slightly Blarney Bay has his fourth run here. He received below par on the turf at his last run. a kilo when beating Jet Explorer on the turf and the SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 2

EC POLY CHALLENGE two meet at level weights here. Thirtytwo Squadron has his first run in PE. His recent form is not inspiring and Course and distance winner Ochoncar has drawn he would ideally be looking for slightly further. wide and may have found the 1200m of the first Rebel House caught the eye at his last run when beating Kingvoldt on the turf leg on the short side when finishing seven lengths 1400m in a quality line-up. off Juan Two Three. He looks held by Sir Duke on Shine Like A Star has failed to build on his early promise. that run. The potentially awkwardly named For Luck Sake is moderate and even with a Kiss Me Hardy appears to have lost interest in paperweight of 48kg looks hard-pressed to assert himself in this company. racing since beating Sir Duke on this surface over Class and reliability suggest that Jet Explorer, Peach Delight and the gutsy Sir 100m shorter six months ago. Duke are the three to side with. His career peak MR of 113 (versus his present mark of 82) looks a lifetime away right now. Dorrie Sham’s NottingH ill drops in distance after finding his feet over some ground. He is effective Lotsa Lolly On The Poly The Alan Greeff trained Juan Two Three won the first leg, a 1200m sprint, on the surface – as he showed when beating Mas- of the second edition of the R600.000 Eastern Cape Poly Challenge but he ter James on the poly mile at his penultimate start. does not run in Friday’s second leg. Thus the Poly ‘Triple Crown’ bonus of R250 000 will not be paid this year. A consolation bonus of R50.000 is still START PA5/PICK SIX4/JACKPOT3 up for grabs though and points will be allocated over the three legs. Sir 3:40PM EC Poly Challenge (NBt)(Poly) - 1400m Fairview 7 SAME TRAINER:(2-10)(5-6) Duke, who runs on Friday, finished second to Juan Two Three in the first leg, and leads the table in the twelve horse field. A condition for considera- Jet Master 1 Jet Explorer(J Snaith) B Fayd’herbe...... 9 62.0 Trippi 2 SIR DUKE(T Laing) C Murray...... 8 62.0 tion to qualify to win the consolation bonus is that horses must participate Nysaean 3 Blarney Bay(SB Kotzen) L Mxothwa...... 7 62.0 in all 3 legs and win at least one of them. Captain Al 4 Ochoncar(AC Greeff) G Cheyne...... 12 61.0 Lecture 5 Cruzcampo(Y Bremner) K Zechner...... 1 58.0 The Poly Challenge provides a great opportunity for horses suited to Greys Inn 6 Peach Delight(Y Bremner) L Hewitson...... 5 56.5 South Africa’s most newly introduced racing surface and it also provides Horse Chestnut 7 Notting Hill(DA Sham) R Danielson...... 10 56.5 Captain Al 8 Kiss Me Hardy(C Spies) C Zackey...... 6 56.5 a more distinct platform for horses vying to be named The Eastern Cape’s A P Arrow 9 Thirtytwo Squadron(JVA Strydom) C Maujean.11 56.5 Polytrack Horse Of The Year. Rebel King 10 Rebel House(T Laing) M Thackeray...... 3 55.0 Miesque’s Approval 11 Shine Like A Star(GD Smith) JP vd Merwe. 2 52.0 The third leg of the challenge is the R100.000 WSB East Cape Poly Chal- Sail From Seattle 12 For Luck Sake(JH Strydom) L Tarentaal...... 4 52.0 lenge 1600 (Non-Black Type) run over 1600m at Fairview on Friday 12 May. SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 3 SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 4

Felix Coetzee visits Silent Witness 2005 Champions Mile, would be one of their worst as they got beaten on the line by stable mate Bullish Luck and jockey Gerald Sometimes one needs a bit of a break from the harsh Mosse. In an interview with the SCMP’s Michael Cox, Mosse reality of life and it’s always good to have a few feel-good recalled: "You don't usually notice the crowd while you are riding, stories handy in a pinch. but that day it was very loud, all the way down the straight, but in It’s been a tough week on the political front with our presi- the final strides something very strange happened - when it was dent shuffling his cabinet and while the Grand National can clear I would win, the crowd just stopped. All of a sudden, it was usually be relied on to throw up some kind of ruckus or high like somebody switched off the volume." drama on the racing pages, this week the bad news came In all, Silent Witness raced 29 times for 18 wins and 5 places and from the Southern Hemisphere. Felix Coetzee partnered him throughout his career. Silent Witness Luckily there was also some good news and for me, that retired to Living Legends after his last start on 4 February 2007. came in the form of photographs of Felix Coetzee dropping in to visit Silent Witness at Australia’s Living Legends last week. Special visit As a happiness shared is a happiness doubled, I thought I’d Felix is currently contracted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club to do just that. work as part of their apprentice development programme. En route to New Zealand last week, he stopped off in Australia to Silent Witness catapulted onto the racing stage with his in- consult with a local equine sports psychologist and on his way credible 17 race unbroken win streak back in the early 2000’s. It back to the airport, he stopped in to check in on Silent Witness. is difficult to comprehend the magnitude of his importance to “Living Legends is about 6 minutes from Melbourne airport, the Hong Kong racing public, but arriving as he did in the mid- so it was really convenient to pop in on my way before I left,” he dle of their SARS crisis his performances were seized on by the explains. The first time Felix visited was about a year after Silent local community as a beacon of hope during some very dark Witness retired. “That time I went specifically from HK. When I times. His achievements were so significant that Murray Bell went through customs in Australia they asked ‘what’s the reason wrote a book dedicated to Silent Witness titled ‘The Spirit of for your visit?’ and I said I’ve come to visit a horse. They said, ‘Go Hong Kong’ and in 2009 the Hong Kong Jockey Club erected a life- and stand in that queue please’ and gave me a thorough grilling size commemorative sculpture of Silent Witness on the Sha Tin because I was flying out the same day and not staying over. It Racecourse public forecourt. took about ¾ of an hour to get through customs. After my visit, I went back to the airport and the guys recognized me and said Legendary partnership ‘You were here this morning – why are you back?’ I felt that they As Felix Coetzee partnered him in all his starts, his own star they’d already given me a hard time coming in, so I thought I’d be rose along with the great horse. Perhaps the very pinnacle of cheeky and said I came to visit a horse’ and we went through the their achievements was their 17th victory, an incredible sec- same process all over again. They drug tested me and all those ond consecutive Hong Kong International Sprint in 2004. Felix things!” he laughs. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished! remembers, “Everyone was waving flags and up in the grand- Fortunately this time things were a lot less eventful. “I spe- stand someone had a massive banner with his colours. Seeing cifically got there early so that I could spend some time with the whole of Hong Kong behind him – you get caught up in that him. Unfortunately, when I arrived they had just unloaded the kind of emotion. There were horses from all over the world feed van, so he was eating. He’s in a paddock with that people had been talking up, but I looked at those Good Baba and not interested in me all that crowds and thought, ‘How can anything beat us?’ It’s much. All he wanted to do was eat! He is in something I would never normally do, but I put my terrific condition. He carries a lot fist in the air and the whole grandstand erupted. of weight now and is in one of It gave me goosebumps. It’s their bigger paddocks to allow hard to describe, but it was him to do a bit more exercise.” just one of those moments “I had time, so I just hung that really means something. around. He totally ignored me It gives you a power and in the beginning. Once he’d a confidence that you’re eaten enough, I tried to get his unbeatable. It’s once in a attention, but he wasn’t having lifetime that you get a horse much of it,” laughed Felix. “He like Silent Witness.” walked, picked at some grass Where the Sprint was one and eventually decided he of the highlights of Felix would give me a bit of time and Silent Witness’ career, – that’s when the pictures so their very next start, the happened.” SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 5

OLD FRIENDS

“It was very very nice. He gave me about 10 minutes like about him. Like a horse in the wild, he would always notice things that. When I say ‘he gave me 10 minutes’, I talk about him like in the distance – he was sharp with things like that. If you look at that because that’s just him. He’s got this massive presence, this the pictures you can see how soft his eyes can be and also how ego. They tell me he’s the boss there. They’ve put a few horses alert he can be, because I managed to get pictures of both. When in with him and he just dominates them. Good Baba he gets on he’s got his ears pricked, you see a different kind of eye. I’m glad with and it’s a good relationship, but when it was feed time, he that I got a few of those softer moments with him where he gave decided which side he was going to eat from. You can see he’s in me his attention, but it took me, oh boy, a good 45 minutes till he control there!” would do that. And I only got it for about 10 minutes and then that was it and he went off and did his own stuff again. I actu- On his terms ally struggled to get a picture of him with his head up – he just Did Silent Witness remember him? “It was very much a riding eats! If his head is not in his haynet, then he’s eating grass.” kind of relationship that I had with him in Hong Kong. It is very Silent Witness’ old foe Bullish Luck occupies the paddock next different to what I have with horses now – breaking in and all that door and although Felix rode Bullish Luck to victory in the 2004 sort of thing. It’s quite a different feeling. But I’ve always been Hong Kong Gold Cup, the pain of the 2005 Champions Mile defeat aware of his persona, his attitude, his character and he just, he still runs deep. Felix says, “Think what you like, I don’t care, I didn’t has always known that he’s great. He’s like a supreme athlete. say hello to him and couldn’t find a reason why I should. I did win I don’t know why, but Carl Lewis always jumps to mind when I the Hong Kong Gold Cup on him but that was enough for me.” want to compare him to a person’s character. I always remember thinking Carl Lewis has this air of supremacy about him and that’s Saying goodbye what Silent has got. And he showed me that again last week. It “I was making ready to leave and thinking to myself, I don’t was like ‘Oh OK, now I will give you some attention.’ It was a know when I’m going to be here again. You sort of want to say funny thing – one of the first things he did was to put his head ‘cheerio, old chap’, but he’s not interested. I was the lucky one to above mine, as though he was saying, “Let’s get the pecking order come and see him.” right!” he laughs. Back in their Hong Kong days, the pair reportedly had a ritual greeting that they would go through. “What he would do was take my cap and fiddle with it with his mouth and then move it around, Backworth Sale Attracts Interest so that it sat facing the back of my head. When I visited, I particu- The Backworth Stud Dispersal Sale was hosted by Blood- larly took my cap with me. I put it on and he grabbed hold of the stock SA and held at the KZN farm last Monday 10 April. peak and started pulling it, so I moved my head and he pulled the Long established as one of KwaZulu Natal’s truly boutique cap off and dropped it. I picked it up again and he did it again. It stud farms, Backworth have always bred for class and per- was nice to have that again,” he reminisces. “I’ve got two big slob- formance over the years and there was plenty of interest in ber marks on my cap, which I probably won’t wash off.” the sale, which also included lots from Janet Baker Proper- Doing well ties, Spring Valley Stud and Summerhill Stud. Silent Witness is 17 years old now, but still looking great. Felix Highest price was the R650 000 paid for #6, Cupid’s reports, “One of the girls there tells me she’s been looking after Daughter – dam of impressive recent winner Cuvara and him for 6 years and that he’s never a problem – his feet are good, in foal to the high-class Oratorio. She is a half-sister to his coat is good, he’s healthy. The only problem is keeping his Australian Gr3 winner Generalife who ran third in the Gr1 weight down! It was lovely to see him looking so good. I can’t Doomben 10 000. even say he’s an old man or anything like that. For me, when Form Bloodstock went to R500 000 for the well-related I’m standing with him and so on, he’s still got his character, his Street Cry mare (#32), Street Wise, who is in foal to Var. aura about him, everything is there. He’s something else. He just The sale grossed R4 658 000 with a total of 82 lots sold at knows he’s great.” an average of R56 804. “One thing I always said was that he’s got these wild instincts The full price list SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 6 Short Heads

It seems a move Starcraft, sire of Paul Peter’s of the race date Turffontein Saturday winner by a week to Seventh Of June, has moved accommodate from Arrowfield to Rosemont royalty has not Stud and breeders have been impacted unduly given a unique chance to on interest in the R1 million HSH breed to him for free. Mare Princess Charlene Of Monaco owners who book swiftly get Gr1 Empress Club Stakes to be Maintaining the great run the chance to ‘toss the boss’ run on 22 April. 19 entries were in Mauritius by AS jockeys, and nominate whether they received – with Mike de Kock KZN rider Brandon Lerena would prefer to breed a colt or a filly. "Basically we are saying and Sean Tarry dominating num- rode four winners for the you will only pay for what you want. If you nominate you want bers with a total of 8 possibles Gilbert Rousset yard at the a colt and get a colt you will pay the service fee. But if you get between them. Justin Snaith is Champ de Mars on Saturday. a filly, you don't pay a cent," said Rosemont's Anthony Mithen. the only But their fourth victory on The service fee is $8800. “We all only want to pay for what we out-of-prov- Scotsnog in the T-Printers want, rather than what you get," he added. ince entrant 25th Anniversary Cup almost with Star never happened when the Express. former Mike de Kock-trained Leading South African own- Declarations gelding stumbled badly at the er-breeder Mary Slack enjoyed her are due on start. How Lerena stayed in biggest win in the UK to date when 18 April. the saddle is a mystery! her Fastnet Rock filly Diamond Fields powered home to win the €60000 Gr3 Gladness Stakes at Naas in Ireland on Sunday. Purchased Cot Campbell seemingly for €55 000 by Cape Town-based remains the real deal de- Form Bloodstock at the 2014 Goffs spite managing only sixth Yearling Sale, the 4yo was ridden in of nine when odds-on for his debut at Kenilworth on Saturday. the 1400m turf race by jockey Chris Hayes for trainer Fozzy Chris Snaith warned Gold Circle writer Michael Clower that the Stack,who has his eye on Royal Ascot. R3.3 million colt would need the run. Clower writes - he ambled out of the pens with about as much urgency as a pensioner going to the post office. In no time he was six lengths last and, although he made up the leeway, he was a spent force by the time he met with interference almost on the line. “You can put a line through that,” said Jonathan Snaith. “This is a horse to follow Do sponsors get bang for their buck? Sometimes the planets and you can expect major improvement next time.” align to ensure that happens! Take top SA bookmakers Holly- woodbets, who sponsored the main race at Greyville last Friday evening. The race was won by Mr Roy, ridden by Winning Form sponsored – Muzi Yeni and trained by Kevin & Alyson Wright – Hollywoodbets sponsored trainers, and conditioners of the Hollywood horses in KZN. Mr Roy was their only runner on the night. And to add to the package, the 7-1 winner was tipped by The 150 year old $2 million Gr1 Magic Tips in Winning Form as their Value Bet for the day. The Sydney Cup at Randwick on Satur- cherry on top was that Hollywood day was labelled a farce by some of supremo Owen Heffer’s son Devin Australia’s leading jockeys after a held his bulls party at Greyville on horse broke down in the early stag- the evening. He gets married on es of the race. Racing NSW stew- 13 May. ards made the call to abandon the race at around the 1600m mark as the Sydney Cup field swung into the back straight, almost a minute after Almoonqith was injured. Stipes Stating A Precedent radioed the starter to scream at the riders. There are no sirens at A topically sensitive subject for many of us right now and Randwick. Godolphin’s European duo Polarisation and Penglai Pavil- maybe a pointer to a potentially shrewd buy at next week’s CTS ion, who had been shipped from the northern hemisphere just for Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale? AfterA frica Rising’s smart this race, were ridden out to the finish. The race has been resched- win in the Gr3 Byerley Turk on Sunday, the Lammerskraal stallion uled for Saturday 22 April. Visionaire has a son out of the Forestry mare Nkandla, catalogued as #4. His called Our Leader – a clever name in trying times! SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 7

PERSONALITY Happy to be Here Alistair Cohen I first met Alistair Cohen when he was working as a bid he announced on social media, ‘’Today I got the worst news of spotter at the National Yearling Sales. my life. Was diagnosed with cancer. I will be on the long list of While other folk with a regular TV slot who no longer survivors at the end of this.” need to state their last name for people to know who He maintained this relentlessly positive and determined they are may have considered the job too junior, like attitude throughout and checking how he was doing in March I most professionals dedicated to their job, Alistair was just got the reply, “7 more days of chemo. Monday. Full week 20-24 happy to be there, learning the ropes, chatting to people March. Last day 27 March. Recovery for a few weeks. Back. on his breaks and generally soaking up the atmosphere. Boom. Easy.” It is hard not to admire that level of conviction, but I liked him immediately. then Alistair knows there are no rewards without a bit of chutpah In late December 2016, the popular young commentator was and a lot of hard work. After all, it’s what made him enter (and diagnosed with cancer. He finished chemotherapy last Monday win) a commentating competition at the age of 12 and spend the and was back at work just 3 days later. We caught up with him to next seven years making his mother drive him to various race- chat about the ups and downs of the last few months. courses (and likely driving her crazy in return) to practice until he was good enough to take on the real thing. Diagnosis “I’ve really got to thank my folks for the way they coped through- “It all started in early December,” explains Alistair. “I was hav- out the process. I heard from my mom and dad every day while ing bad lower back pain - it wasn’t muscular or anything like that, I was indisposed. They really pushed me and motivated me and it was almost some kind of knocking noise, like someone in there checked that everything was OK. Anything they could do for me was trying to get out. I didn’t think much of it, thinking it was they did. I think it was also pretty special that my mom was here probably some kind of kidney or bladder infection.” The next sign with me when it all started and my dad was up with me for the last that all was not well came after a regular Thursday game of ac- day of chemo and will be staying for a few weeks. I’m a lucky kid.” tion cricket. “I woke up the following morning with a sore groin While the disease doesn’t discriminate, twenty-six seems par- and a bit of a lump and thought I’d pulled a muscle. I mentioned ticularly young. Alistair says, “In November I was looking at my it to my mom who was visiting at the time and she said I should Medical Aid bills and wondering what I was paying all this money go to the doctor, which I’d been avoiding. After examining me, for every month. Well, now I’m glad I did.” the doctor said it was either a hernia or bad news. He referred me to a surgeon, but being so close to Christmas, the surgeon Treatment was away and said I could either see another surgeon or wait till Chemotherapy started on 9 January 2017. “The Tellytrack he got back.” Alistair chose to wait. However, on the morning bosses were understanding when I had to take a sabbatical,” says of 20 December he couldn’t get out of bed. “My mom sent me Alistair. “Rob Scott, Dieter Wohlberg and Wesley Lloyd supported to hospital. I showed them the lump in my groin, they did an me and offered me whatever I needed.” ultrasound and told me I had cancer. Surgery was scheduled for Alistair received four cycles of treatment consisting of 5 days of the next day.” chemotherapy from Monday to Friday, a rest What was going through his mind at that stage? “Not a helluva over the weekend, a session the following lot, if I’m honest. It took a long time to process. I wasn’t fully Monday with a week off and anoth- aware what I was in for. The only time it hit me was when friends er session the following Monday. and the racing fraternity started showing support and said ‘what “Overall it went pretty well, you’re about to go through is pretty serious’. Everyone told me other than one small set-back. I it would be worse. Obviously there were dark days, but I’m at was meant to start my second the end of the tunnel.” session on 3 February, just after Being an only child, the news was particularly hard on his the Met, but I had to postpone parents. “I was expecting them to handle the news terribly. because my bloods were low. Obviously my mom stayed up here a lot longer than initially That’s fairly normal and turned planned. For the first few days, she just bawled her eyes out. out to be a blessing because it When she got back to Durban, a lot of my friends’ parents meant I could go to the went to see her and she put on a brave face. golf day. My father’s always been a soldier.” The surgery results showed that Alistair had Stage 3 Testicular cancer. There is no easy way to hear news like that, neither is there an easy way to tell others, but in charac- teristic fashion, Alistair tackled it head on. With his usual single-minded determination, SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 8

Alistair Cohen

That was the day that made me realise track, guys that I can sometimes be critical Lessons racing people are incredible people. The of, but really are my friends. All the guys Has the experience changed his perspec- support was unbelievable.” from action cricket would ask every time tive on things? “It sounds clichéd, but you The chemotherapy ‘experience’ is there was a game, when I was coming really appreciate every breath you take. To different for each individual, but Alistair back. It was all those things that made it be told if I’d done nothing for 3 months, says, “I got really lucky. Everyone was quite easy for me.” there’s every chance I wouldn’t be here so supportive. Whether it was the back “Like Paul Lafferty said to me after the now makes you realise we’re not going to room staff at Tellytrack, Neil Andrews, news broke, ‘you’ll realise a lot more people be here forever and that you’ve got to em- Nico Kritsiotis or Darryl Maree, everyone like you than you think’. And he’s another brace every day. I guess you learn who you pitched in to take me to chemo. If there that’s always answered messages and calls are when staring in the face of adversity.” was no-one available, school mates came when I needed to ask something.” To lighten the mood, I ask whether his up, stayed over and dealt with me and all Alistair surprised everyone by being hair will be back. “It should start coming the shenanigans. I had it easy – all the back at work at the Vaal on Thursday, 6 back. I miss my hair!” he laughs. We other patients in chemo with me couldn’t April. Why so soon? “It’s actually an inter- discuss the fact that one’s hair often grows believe the support I’ve had. They were esting story. Alston Naidoo was supposed back differently after chemo and that pretty envious.” to do it, but when the schedule came out, he might be in for a surprise and Alistair With Alistair’s diagnosis, the ability to my name was down. I was so desperate answers, “I like surprises now, there are no have children is an obvious concern. It’s to get back, I asked the guys not to change more bad surprises.” not an easy question to ask, but he answers it. I was so proud, driving to the Vaal on cheerfully. “Chances are it will be fine. Thursday, it felt like going to a Gr1 race Where to now? There is an outside chance things won’t day. It was probably the furthest thing There is an 8 week wait while before work, but Lance Armstrong was able to from a Gr1 day, but I was so excited. It he’ll know whether the meds have done have two children naturally, so I have hope.” was maybe a bit of a blessing that the last their job and whether he is in remis- 3 races got cancelled, I was getting a little sion, but what is he focussing on for the Support weary after the 5th, but I was really happy immediate future? “Obviously overseas “There are a helluva lot of people to to be back. I haven’t done on course is a place I want to end up, wherever thank, but a few that really deserve a men- presenting since September, so I may have ‘overseas’ may be - I think it’s a natural tion are Neil Andrews and Dominic Zaki been a bit green, but I thoroughly enjoyed progression. But I’ve not thought a lot – they opened their houses to me when it. In fact, I was sitting at home the next about it since the turn of last year, I’ve had times were tough. Their families looked day thinking I could probably commentate a lot of other things on my mind,” he says after me for weeks at a time, comforted PE from the studio!” carefully. “For now, I just want to focus on me and nursed me when they had to. I “I took a break after the Met for about getting back into the game, doing as well also have to mention Justin Vermaak and a month. I followed the results, but didn’t as I can, getting back to full health and Anthony Destombes for the golf day and watch it on TV. Last month I was straight making punters and the racing fraternity Gary Lentin and Shuffle Up Poker for the back into it and taking a few bets. I was happy. I’m just happy to be here.” poker evening on Monday. Phil Georgiou really missing it and looking forward to In a recent interview with Game On and his gang came up from Durban, I had getting back, so that was inevitable.” Magazine, Alistair was described as ‘a role breakfast with Vee Moodley and calls from Alistair particularly enjoys calling on model and an inspiration.’ I’d second that. Clyde Basel, but the phone calls, messag- Champions Day and he confirmed that es, lunches and support from so many he will be calling again this year. “Nico people have really meant a lot.” is calling Mauritius, so I’ll be doing all 12 Phumelela Shareprice “One thing that really hit hard was races and I can’t wait. I am expecting Sean date close high low volume when my school mates decided to shave Tarry to have a number of winners. He is 12Apr 2110 2110 2110 2,651 their heads. I said it wasn’t necessary, but our champion trainer, so it would not be 11Apr 2125 2125 2125 0 when they did it, I thought it was really out of turn. Mike de Kock sent out a first 10Apr 2125 2125 2125 5,000 cool. When the Cape Town jockeys rallied timer called Mustaaqeem a few weeks 7Apr 2125 2130 2011 1,489 together and did it, I realised it’s not just ago that won by a steeplechase margin on 6Apr 2130 2150 2002 8,907 the racing hierarchy that support me, but debut and I’m looking forward to seeing 5Apr 2027 2194 1996 33,711 the guys that make things happen on the him again.” 4Apr 2000 2089 195 15,900 3Apr 2137 2140 2059 9,082 SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 9 SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 10

mini baptism of fire of sorts,” he laughed. And how has the racing community received the comeback kid? Great Comebacks Of “The trainers and owners that I have spoken to have been very encouraging. Some guys naturally think I’m crazy. They may think Jannie Bekker is crazy too! A lot of my generation in the riding The 21st Century ranks locally have moved on, so I don’t know many guys in the Two retired jockeys in their forties add excitement to the jockey room. But hell, I am looking so forward to Saturday.” Easter Saturday fare at Kenilworth when they make an entirely coincidental joint comeback from relative obscurity. The SP Digest spent ten minutes chatting to Piet Botha and Jannie Bekker and found their individual tales mirror each other in many ways. Bekker’s ‘Never Been Better’ While his family have threatened to turn up with banners and Botha’s Back! supporters club in tow at Kenilworth on Saturday, the 45 year An inspired moment at Christmas old Jannie Bekker is a little more pragmatic about his first ride lunch last year with his family led to in nine years. 40 year old retired Cape jockey Piet “It’s probably not often that two old ‘toppies’ make a comeback Botha launching a comeback to the on the same afternoon but Easter weekend is as good a time as saddle which reaches a climax at any I suppose,” joked the former Gauteng based Bekker, who Piet Botha Kenilworth on Saturday. moved with his wife of many years and three children to the Cape The culinary delights of turkey, four years ago. roast potatoes and malva pudding at Christmas is probably not The amiable former top jock- a run-of-the-mill kind of moment for a jockey who hadn’t been ey, who achieved great success in the saddle for six years to ponder a comeback – but close to outside of South Africa on the tight four months down the line, the dream has become reality for the Champ de Mars circuit in Mauri- softly spoken Botha. tius, Dubai and then in Zimbabwe, He has two rides for Glen Puller at Kenilworth on Saturday. He was referring to the simultaneous says both will keep him on his toes – the 2yo debutante Love To return to action of his colleague, Fly presents the unknown, while Jay Rock runs over 1800m – Piet Botha. that’s a long way after a long time! Agonising body pain from his Jannie Bekker An injury while riding work at Summerveld in 2010 ended with muscles and skeletal structure led him throwing in the towel at the end of 2013 and becoming a suit to the talented former Mike de Kock apprentice hanging up his in the corporate world of coffee. boots in 2008. At the time Botha said that it had taken him some time to get “I think many jockeys put off the inevitable and break through over the depression and anger that followed the end of his riding the pain threshold. But eventually mine became unbearable and I career had no choice,” he said of the difficult decision to give up race-rid- “I am fortunate to have a well-established business today of my ing in his late thirties. own but I have missed the atmosphere and buzz of horseracing Graduating in the AS Jockey Academy class of 1992, that terribly. The corporate world has its own challenges and thrills but included the likes of Deon Sampson, Andre Hoffman and present nothing beats horseracing,” says the Kempton Park High School day Joey Ramsden assistant trainer, Ricardo ‘Avo’ Sobotker aka pupil who graduated from the SA Jockey Academy in the class of ‘The Colonel, the athletic and sporting Jannie Bekker made quick 1998, with the likes of Barend Vorster, Brandon Morgenrood and strides Derryl Daniels. Citing the professional grounding he enjoyed as an apprentice Piet completed his apprenticeship with Glen Puller and he says to future champion trainer Mike de Kock as the cornerstone of he has gone full circle in many respects as he makes a second his career, Jannie reminisced about some of the great horses he start with the same Milnerton yard. rode. “I started riding work on 27 December 2016 and Glen has been “I won the Starling Stakes on Ilha Da Vitoria – she was the best I amazingly supportive and encouraging. We work well together rode. National Icon was top-class too. I was fortunate to ride good – it’s a relationship built on trust and understanding,” says the horses for top stables.” happily married father of two boys. No stranger to the Cape, Jannie rode here for a stint in his The combination enjoyed phenomenal success with the likes of prime, booting home some good winners for Piet Steyn. top horses like Sevillano, Great Rhythm and What A Playboy. After retiring from the saddle, he opened up Computer retail We asked if it was tough ‘bashing down doors’ to get his licence outlets with some success. back. “My doctor gave me the green light and I approached Vee “The Matrix brand has proven a success. Good businesses don’t Moodley to find out what the process was. Things happened rap- run themselves, but I have time to commit myself to putting it all idly thereafter. I am pretty fit but race riding is the answer to real in. Coupled with the fact that I have been pain free for over five fitness. I ride a 2yo and have an 1800m ride on Saturday. So it’s a years now, I was itching to get back to riding winners.” SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 11

Great Comebacks

In the course of patting a police horse in The average ended at $355,875 (a the parking area outside his business while 26% year-on-year increase) with the chatting to Cape jockey Richard Fourie just median at $260,000 (a 30% year-on- under 2 years ago, Jannie realised that he year increase) and clearance rate at an was missing the thrill of riding. extremely healthy 85%. How horses performed in South Africa’s “Richard said I should come and ride black type races, expressed in points In a stunning three days which saw a based on the kind of races and how far work. He made it sound so bloody easy! buying bench gather from all corners of behind the winner they finished. But I defied myself and the sceptics and the globe, records were set across the A of the point system took the plunge. It’s been a long road and board including: full explanation my one ride on Saturday is a big moment,” and the complete list of point earners is Arrowfield Stud’s $20,040,000 gross is on the Sporting Post website he said. the highest ever for a vendor at an Aus- Joey Ramsden has thrown Jannie some- tralian Yearling Sale, beating the previous thing of a bone with a serious bit of meat Top earners for 2016/2017 record set in 2008 (to 9 April 2017) on it. There have been 22 yearlings sell in horse age sex points races He rides the exciting Dynasty filly Rose In Australasia in 2017 for $1 million or Legal Eagle 5 c 285 4 Bloom, who won her second start well in Whisky Baron 4 c 150 2 more, of which 18 have come at Inglis Carry On Alice 5 f 118 3 the silks of Brian and Kathy Finch. and 17 at this Easter Sale alone Master Sabina 7 c 100 1 “She’s a really smart filly and as Joey 17 Yearlings selling for $1 million or Trip To Heaven 5 c 97 2 (Ramsden) and Brian (Finch) have been Safe Harbour 3 f 96 3 more in one sale is the third highest, so supportive and instrumental in me New Predator 4 c 84 4 behind 2008 Easter (28 Lots) and 2007 Captain America 6 c 84 3 succeeding in getting my licence back, I’d Easter (23) Nightingale 4 f 84 2 like to win it. Let’s say there is nothing like Kangaroo Jack 4 c 82 3 Record prices have been set for the Gold Standard 3 c 82 3 a bit of pressure to keep us focussed,” he progeny of Medaglia d’Oro ($2.4m), I Edict Of Nantes 3 c 81 2 laughed. Heavenly Blue 3 c 74 2 Am Invincible ($1.6m), Sebring ($1.4m), Bela-Bela 4 f 70 1 Not A Single Doubt ($1.25m), Exceed William Longsword 3 c 70 1 And Excel ($1.2m), Written Tycoon ($1m) Orchid Island 3 f 70 1 Inglis Easter Sale Just Sensual 3 f 70 1 and Zoustar ($1m). The sale average of Jo's Bond 4 f 68 2 $356,755 is second-highest Easter average Brazuca 4 c 50 1 Rafeef 4 c 50 1 Some Big Numbers ever. Search Party 4 c 50 1 Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell, top buyers Vendors were again the big winners, Icy Trail 4 c 50 1 with almost half enjoying a 100% clear- Bezanova 6 c 50 1 on aggregate, purchased four yearlings Champagne Haze 4 c 50 1 for Mike de Kock at the Inglis Australia ance rate. Record-setters Arrowfield Marinaresco 4 c 48 3 Easter Yearling Sale which ended last topped the Gross figures by more than Red Ray 6 c 46 1 $11 million, while Segenhoe Stud were Star Express 4 f 42 2 week as the second greatest in the sales The Conglomerate 5 c 37 1 company’s 150 year history. leaders by average, selling 10 Lots at an Master Switch 5 c 34 1 average of $650,000. Silver Mountain 4 f 34 2 De Kock may not have left with large Tevez 7 c 31 1 Arrowfield sold seven Lots in total for numbers, but there is plenty of quality in Smiling Blue Eyes 3 f 30 1 $1 million or more from their 34 sales Bi Pot 3 f 30 1 his quartet. over the three days, ending with a 92% Mella Maria 4 f 30 1 On day one he got Lot 20, a filly by All Wrecking Ball 3 f 30 2 clearance rate. Too Hard from the Redoute’s Choice mare, Singapore Sling 3 c 30 1 On the $2.5 million sale-topper, Arrow- Ektifaa 3 f 30 1 Zingaling (A$200,00), Lot 74, a Redoute’s field’s John Messara wasn’t surprised the Janoobi 3 c 30 1 Choice colt from Catshaan (by Catrail), Intergalactic 4 f 30 1 a half-sister to Kinshasha No Kiseki, colt attracted significant attention from Live Life 3 f 30 1 the buying bench. Oriental Oak 3 f 28 1 Japan’s Champion Sprinter of 2012, for Goodtime Gal 4 f 28 1 A$550,000; and Lot 101, a filly by Exceed “I was expecting a big price but I didn’t Belle Rose 3 f 28 1 and Excel ($350,000). know what that price would be,’’ he said. Bold Rex 3 c 28 2 “It’s fitting that Redoute’s should top French Navy 5 c 26 1 His final acquisition later in the sale Royal Badge 4 c 25 1 could be the pick of the bunch – Lot 369, the sale too because he’s been leading Bulleting Home 5 c 25 1 a smashing Snitzel colt (A$ 700 000) out sire here for so long now.’’ Rivarine 3 c 25 1 Nother Russia 4 f 25 1 of the Volksraad Leading buyer by Lots purchased was Banner Hill 4 c 25 1 mare Star Satire, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott with 14 Seattle Singer 3 f 25 1 who was the Lots, while by aggregate was Shadwell Nebula 4 c 25 1 Rikitikitana 4 c 25 1 Champion 3yo filly Stud with $5,755,000. Captain's Flame 4 f 25 1 of her year, and The leading sire by aggregate was Snit- Fortissima 4 f 25 1 zel ($20,425,000) with a remarkable 38 Romany Prince 4 c 25 1 winner of the Gr1 Ilitshe 6 c 25 1 Otaki WFA Stakes of his 39 progeny offered selling, while Green Pepper 3 f 25 1 and four other by average was Not A Single Doubt at Silicone Valley 6 c 24 2 Krambambuli 5 c 22 1 races. Mike de Kock $750,000 from three sales. SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 12 SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 13 breeding A Case Of Rags To Riches While much of the world’s attention This is the same family as July winning on exciting young stallions revolves champion, Devon Air (Sparkler) and Gr1 around unbeaten superstar, Frankel Mercury Sprint winner, August Rush (Var). (Galileo), he is by no means the only Union Rags was one of three Gr1 win- young sire whose first crop have set ners sired by short lived stallion, Dixie Un- the tracks alight. ion, who, like Union Rags and his own sire The Lane’s End Farm based Union Rags Dixieland Band, stood at Lane’s End Farm. (Dixie Union) was represented by his third Dixie Union, who hailed from the same Lane’s End Farm based Union Rags individual first crop Gr1 winner (Frankel family as champion South African sire/ broodmare sire, Fort Wood, was a success- West’s son, Zafonic, is, himself, broodmare has one to date one – Soul Stirring), when sire of successful sire Showcasing (Oasis daughter, Paradise Woods, romped to a ful stallion, despite only sporting three Gr1 winners. His nearly 50 odd stakes winners Dream) and Gr1 sire Domesday (Red 11.75 win in Saturday’s Gr1 Santa Anita Ransom). Oaks. Paradise Woods, who will now be made up 6% of his foal crop, above the 4% which is what an average stallion these Union Rags is, however, but one of a pointed towards the classic Gr1 Kentucky growing group of promising young sires to Oaks, has won two of three starts and days achieves. Not only was the Malibu Stakes winner a more than solid sire, have emerged from the US of late. Of the looks to be among the leaders of North 13 top sires on the second crop list this America’s 3yo filly crop. Dixie Union has also became a top class broodmare sire, with his daughters having year, 12 have been represented by at least Union Rags, whose four first crop graded one stakes winner in 2017 already, and stakes winners are all female, was previ- already bred the Gr1 winners New Year’s Day (Street Cry), Klimt (Quality Road), Besi- this tally looks sure to increase substantial- ously represented by Union Strike (Del ly in the coming months. Mar Debutante) and Dancing Rags (the tos (Cima De Triomphe), Idalino (Pleasant- ly Perfect) and Mor Spirit (Eskendereya), Another sign of a potentially exciting Gr1 winning Alcibiades Stakes winning crop of sires emerging from US can be half-sister to popular young Cape sire, as well as graded/group winners, Mohay- men (Tapit), Besharah (Kodiac), Unified seen in the potential line up for the 2017 Coup De Grace). Kentucky Derby. Likely starters, Gunne- Another daughter of Union Rags, Te- (Candy Ride), and recent Gulfstream Park Oaks winner, Salty (Quality Road). vera (Dialed In), Always Dreaming (Bo- quilita (who shares her second dam with demeister), Malagacy (Shackleford), and local sire, Rock Of Rochelle), won the Gr2 His son, Union Rags, looks most likely to continue to enhance this branch of the State Of Honor (To Honor And Serve) are Forward Gal Stakes. all by stallions whose first crop are now It is interesting, however, that in 2017 all-conquering Northern Dancer line, al- though it is worth noting, as stated above, three. And four of the current leading US Union Rags (whose fee was increased to second crop sires have sired at least one $50 000 for 2017) has had just eight win- that his best runners thus far have all been female. Union Rags, who, due to injury, Gr1 winner to date –Bodemeister, Union ners from 50 runners this year thus far, but Rags, The Factor and Gemologist). this strike rate should still improve. never ran again after winning the Belmont He is currently North America’s third Stakes, continues the success at stud Leading Second Crop Sire by stakes, enjoyed by Belmont Stakes winners, with behind only Shackleford (Forestry), the likes of champion sires Seattle Slew Features To Come Bodemeister (Empire Maker) and Dialed (Bold Reasoning), A P Indy (Seattle Slew), In (Mineshaft) –interestingly the great and Thunder Gulch (Gulch) as well as Fri 21 Apr (L) East Cape Oaks (3yoF) Storm Cat can be found in all three of increasingly influential, Empire Maker (Un- 2000m Fairview (Turf) the pedigrees of those sires, as paternal bridled), other prominent stallions to have Sun 23 Apr (L) The Sledgehammer grandsire of Gr1 Preakness Stakes winner won the final leg of the US Triple Crown. 1750m Greyville (Turf) Shackleford and broodmare sire of both The 2012 Gr1 Belmont Stakes winner is (L) The Scarlet Lady (F&M) Bodemeister and Dialed In). out of a mare by Gone West, previously 1750m Greyville (Turf) Union Rags, a dual Gr1 winning sire somewhat dismissed as a broodmare sire, (he won both the Champagne Stakes and but a stallion whose influence has steadily Sat 29 Apr Gr3 Winter Guineas (3yo’s) Belmont Stakes), also has ties to South grown as a maternal grandsire of stakes 1600m Kenilworth winners. To date, Gone West (arguably African bloodstock. Gr2 SA Oaks winner, (L) Sweet Chestnut S (3yoF) Idle Fancy (Badger Land), like Union Rags, better known as a sire of sires rather than 1400m Kenilworth is a descendant of 1000 Guineas winner, broodmare sire) is broodmare sire of at Sun 30 Apr (F&M) Glad Rags II (High Hat). This female line, least 110 stakes winners including Euro- Gr3 Poinsettia Stakes 1200m Scottsville also responsible for major international pean classic winners, Motivator (sire of Gr1 winners, Sheikhzayedroad (Dubawi), dual Arc winner, Treve) and Leading Light Gr3 Godolphin Barb S (2yo’s) Colonial Affair (Pleasant Colony) and (Montjeu), US champion 2yo, Awesome 1100m Scottsville Feather (Awesome Of Course) and the Gr1 Declaration Of War (his dam is a half-sister (2yoF) winners, African Story (Pivotal), Healthy Gr3 Strelitzia S to Union Rags), has also produced the 1100m Scottsville smart South African gallopers, Dreamfields Addiction (Boston Harbor), Giant Treasure (Northfields), Jamaican Dream (Lizard (Mizzen Mast), Order Of St George (Gali- (L) In Full Flight Handicap Island), and Runaway Man (Goldkeeper). leo) and Violence (Medagalia D’Oro). Gone 1100m Scottsville SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 14

Leading breeders by Stakes season 2016/2017 • 1 August - 9 April 2017 Stakes Breeder rnrs AEPR runs wnrs wns wnr/ SW SW SW/ plcs plc/ SP top earner with stakes rnr% wnrs wns wnr% rns% & % of total stakes 22,345,276 Klawervlei Stud 363 61,557 1786 129 177 36% 9 12 7% 489 27% 10 William Longsword 4,065,000 18% 14,471,225 Summerhill Stud 325 44,527 1882 99 148 30% 6 7 6% 480 26% 1 Africa Rising 825,750 6% 10,358,538 Maine Chance 170 60,933 809 67 95 39% 4 5 6% 267 33% 9 Janoobi 1,416,250 14% 8,649,588 Avontuur Farm 57 151,747 266 18 27 32% 5 7 28% 78 29% 2 Live Life 3,676,875 43% 8,294,025 Varsfontein Stud 102 81,314 521 50 70 49% 6 7 12% 153 29% 11 Captain America 996,250 12% 7,654,075 Highlands 152 50,356 749 55 78 36% 2 5 4% 199 27% 8 Trip To Heaven 809,375 11% 6,539,950 Ascot Stud 94 69,574 499 47 67 50% 3 4 6% 158 32% 6 Bold Respect 690,000 11% 6,161,775 Drakenstein Stud 94 65,551 443 41 53 44% 2 2 5% 161 36% 6 Singapore Sling 1,383,750 22% 5,218,225 Scott Bros 153 34,106 861 45 53 29% 1 2 2% 209 24% 6 Front Rank 285,100 5%

Leading SIREs by Stakes season 2016/2017 • 1 August - 9 April 2017 Stakes Sire rnrs AEPR runs wnrs wns wnr/ SW SW SW/ plcs plc/ SP top earner with stakes rnr% wnrs wns wnr% rns% & % of total stakes 17,485,863 Captain Al 172 101,662 802 80 111 47% 9 10 11% 245 31% 13 William Longsword 4,065,000 23% 15,795,375 Silvano 196 80,589 968 93 140 47% 7 10 8% 335 35% 16 Janoobi 1,416,250 9% 13,032,875 Trippi 162 80,450 792 69 93 43% 4 6 6% 266 34% 10 Live Life 3,676,875 28% 8,623,188 Dynasty 131 65,826 606 57 83 44% 7 11 12% 170 28% 9 Just Sensual 876,250 10% 8,080,863 *Kahal 140 57,720 843 62 100 44% 3 4 5% 237 28% 3 Champagne Haze 382,500 5% 7,155,738 Var 183 39,102 847 62 79 34% 3 4 5% 255 30% 5 Exquisite Touch 253,750 4% 6,453,013 Elusive Fort 77 83,805 486 35 50 45% 1 1 3% 148 30% 5 Safe Harbour 2,176,000 34% 6,203,825 Gimmethegreenlight 87 71,308 435 42 60 48% 5 8 12% 143 33% 4 Green Pepper 648,125 10% 6,197,563 *Western Winter 111 55,834 532 47 65 42% 1 1 2% 138 26% 3 Attenborough 1,068,275 17% Winstar Farms’ Gone West stallion Speights- Leading SIREs of 3yo’s by Stakes season 2016/2017 • 1 August - 9 April 2017 town (USA) is the only Stakes Sire rnrs AEPR runs wnrs wns wnr/ SW SW SW/ plcs plc/ SP top earner with stakes internationally based rnr% wnrs wns wnr% rns% & % of total stakes 9,781,613 Captain Al 50 195,632 269 34 48 68% 2 2 6% 74 28% 4 William Longsword 4,065,000 42% sire with 2 lots on next 7,179,075 Trippi 52 138,059 250 30 44 58% 2 3 7% 71 28% 2 Live Life 3,676,875 51% Friday’s CTS Emperors Pal- 6,868,175 Silvano 77 89,197 319 37 52 48% 3 6 8% 119 37% 7 Janoobi 1,416,250 21% 5,585,950 Gimmethegreenlight 67 83,372 402 35 52 52% 4 7 11% 132 33% 3 Green Pepper 648,125 12% ace Select Yearling Sale. 4,041,975 Dynasty 51 79,254 225 27 41 53% 3 6 11% 63 28% 1 Just Sensual 876,250 22% 3,820,750 Elusive Fort 43 88,855 270 18 20 42% 0 0 0% 64 24% 2 Safe Harbour 2,176,000 57% A champion speed 3,484,463 Var 79 44,107 371 29 40 37% 2 3 7% 117 32% 2 Exquisite Touch 253,750 7% horse and Millionaire 3,455,000 Philanthropist 57 60,614 269 18 24 32% 2 2 11% 76 28% 3 Singapore Sling 1,383,750 40% 3,293,475 *Western Winter 46 71,597 227 21 27 46% 0 0 0% 64 28% 2 Attenborough 1,068,275 32% Eclipse Champion, he won 10 from 16 starts, includ- Leading SIREs of 2yo’s by Stakes season 2016/2017 • 1 August - 9 April 2017 ing the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Stakes Sire rnrs AEPR runs wnrs wns wnr/ SW SW SW/ plcs plc/ SP top earner with stakes Sprint. rnr% wnrs wns wnr% rns% & % of total stakes 913,175 Bold Silvano 11 83,016 25 4 5 36% 0 0 0% 8 32% 1 Bold Respect 690,000 76% Speightstown is out of 834,463 *Sail From Seattle 29 28,775 60 11 13 38% 0 0 0% 22 37% 3 Autumn In Seattle 138,813 17% a mare by a champion 644,725 Var 25 25,789 50 7 8 28% 0 0 0% 20 40% 0 Varallo 109,375 17% 617,875 Gimmethegreenlight 20 30,894 33 7 8 35% 1 1 14% 11 33% 1 Green Plains 202,250 33% and Breeders’s Cup Sprint 580,150 Antonius Pius 26 22,313 66 6 7 23% 0 0 0% 15 23% 1 Kissable 121,875 21% 493,775 Querari 15 32,918 28 2 2 13% 0 0 0% 16 57% 0 Wonderwall 215,000 44% winner in Storm Cat. 493,475 Captain Al 25 19,739 39 5 5 20% 1 1 20% 18 46% 1 Call To Account 101,250 21% A top echelon sire in 389,950 What A Winter 17 22,938 34 4 4 24% 1 1 25% 13 38% 1 Fort Winter 110,400 28% the US, Speightstown has produced 14 Gr1 winners, Leading SIREs by Stakes on Polytrack season 2016/2017 • 1 August - 9 April 2017 including the 2016 Breed- Stakes Sire rnrs AEPR runs wnrs wns wnr/ SW SW SW/ plcs plc/ SP top earner with stakes rnr% wnrs wns wnr% rns% & % of total stakes ers’ Cup Mile winner. His 1,915,350 Silvano 61 31,399 165 23 28 38% 0 0 0% 49 30% 0 Scent 165,600 9% sons Lord Shanakill and 1,650,425 *Western Winter 46 35,879 135 20 26 43% 1 1 5% 29 21% 0 Icy Spirit 174,100 11% 1,626,725 Captain Al 56 29,049 151 19 24 34% 1 1 5% 38 25% 0 My Pal Al 157,500 10% Munnings have both sired 1,430,025 Miesque’s Approval 59 24,238 242 14 16 24% 0 0 0% 69 29% 0 Emperor Niarchos 122,725 9% 1,322,138 *Kahal 59 22,409 185 13 18 22% 0 0 0% 50 27% 1 Top Form 198,650 15% Gr1 winners. 1,307,350 Dynasty 41 31,887 119 15 20 37% 0 0 0% 34 29% 0 Inviting Lily 146,675 11% Speightstown stands for 1,210,100 Var 69 17,538 197 11 14 16% 0 0 0% 53 27% 0 Juan Two Three 127,500 11% 1,143,550 Visionaire 40 28,589 119 14 18 35% 0 0 0% 29 24% 0 Missibaba 122,825 11% a fee of $100 000, with his 2016 yearlings averag- Leading SIREs by Stakes on Sand season 2016/2017 • 1 August - 9 April 2017 ing at $304 000. Stakes Sire rnrs AEPR runs wnrs wns wnr/ SW SW SW/ plcs plc/ SP top earner with stakes On Friday look out for rnr% wnrs wns wnr% rns% & % of total stakes #9, a half-brother to 3 1,041,550 *Kahal 19 54,818 140 11 21 58% 0 0 0% 43 31% 0 Red Special 317,175 30% 437,600 Seventh Rock 14 31,257 57 7 12 50% 0 0 0% 11 19% 0 Rock A Bye Baby 150,300 34% overseas winners and 434,475 Ashaawes 9 48,275 58 5 9 56% 0 0 0% 19 33% 0 Ford Country 119,400 27% 354,000 A P Arrow 12 29,500 76 4 5 33% 0 0 0% 27 36% 0 Sunset Boulevard 74,275 21% #34, a filly bred on the 308,475 *Tiger Ridge 7 44,068 38 3 4 43% 0 0 0% 13 34% 0 One Cool Cat 147,925 48% same cross as superfast 292,600 Mambo In Seattle 13 22,508 64 3 4 23% 0 0 0% 25 39% 0 Pigeon Flyer 100,025 34% 284,075 *Mullins Bay 8 35,509 47 2 4 25% 0 0 0% 14 30% 0 Caribbean Bay 207,025 73% stakes winner and suc- 252,225 Strategic News 1 252,225 15 1 5 100% 0 0 0% 9 60% 0 Groovy News 252,225 100% cessful Coolmore Ashford The FULL Statistics ONLINE http://www.sportingpost.co.za/horse-racing-statistics/ *Stallion dead or Retired **Stallion Not Standing in RSA sire, Munnings. **Breeding operations not based in RSA - Statistics for Breeders & Sires reflect all earnings, incl. restricted races & handicap races SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 15

Leading TRAINERS by STAKES season 2016/2017 • 1 August - 9 April 2017 Justin Time! trainer runs wins win fav fav wfav 2nd 2nd 1st 1st stakes stks/ Justin Snaith enjoyed his % % % % four four% runs SG Tarry 954 152 16% 191 20% 36% 118 12% 448 47% 22,511,300 23,597 greatest season in 2013/14 when J Snaith 919 118 13% 197 21% 25% 113 12% 420 46% 13,687,000 14,893 crowned SA champion trainer but BJ Crawford 518 74 14% 73 14% 44% 62 12% 244 47% 11,434,038 22,073 MF de Kock 479 68 14% 120 25% 26% 63 13% 250 52% 10,898,300 22,752 he may have resigned himself to C Bass-Robinson 593 58 10% 79 13% 23% 65 11% 253 43% 10,854,038 18,304 a possible runner-up berth in the VH Marshall 428 44 10% 49 11% 37% 28 7% 147 34% 8,816,663 20,600 GV Woodruff 324 54 17% 72 22% 36% 34 10% 162 50% 7,424,738 22,916 title race again this term behind AC Greeff 741 107 14% 125 17% 28% 71 10% 325 44% 6,750,850 9,110 J Ramsden 325 45 14% 60 18% 38% 43 13% 173 53% 6,380,250 19,632 Justin Snaith is a man to the rampant Sean Tarry – who M Houdalakis 415 53 13% 41 10% 32% 43 10% 180 43% 5,809,700 13,999 follow in KZN over the beat him by over R5 million last JJ v Vuuren 242 41 17% 48 20% 46% 18 7% 104 43% 5,416,150 22,381 next few months GS Kotzen 501 58 12% 60 12% 40% 47 9% 208 42% 5,375,050 10,729 year. With just over 3 months left, DC Howells 476 45 9% 81 17% 37% 45 9% 192 40% 4,768,988 10,019 GM Alexander 354 44 12% 40 11% 25% 36 10% 144 41% 4,757,700 13,440 Tarry leads by R9 million. Snaith will be very pleased the DR Drier 364 54 15% 80 22% 36% 30 8% 152 42% 4,614,900 12,678 way his KZN season has started though – Gimme Six’s win G v Zyl 482 42 9% 47 10% 15% 54 11% 218 45% 4,428,875 9,189 in Sunday’s Gr3 Umzimkhulu Stakes following on Jo’s Bond’s Leading jockeys by WINS sizzler in the Listed KZN Stakes a week earlier. season 2016/2017 • 1 August - 9 April 2017 jockey rides wins win fav fav wfav 2nd 2nd 1st 1st stakes stks/ % % % % four four% rides G Lerena 559 119 21% 191 34% 34% 84 15% 341 61% 14,258,163 25,507 From The Textbook G Cheyne 637 113 18% 148 23% 30% 88 14% 374 59% 11,227,875 17,626 Anthony Delpech, who rode the A Delpech 527 107 20% 223 42% 27% 88 17% 314 60% 13,707,300 26,010 A Marcus 392 104 27% 213 54% 34% 57 15% 272 69% 16,914,400 43,149 Gr3 Umzimkhulu Stakes winner A Fortune 633 100 16% 149 24% 26% 75 12% 324 51% 7,852,676 12,405 M Yeni 1022 99 10% 105 10% 29% 124 12% 429 42% 8,370,450 8,190 Gimme Six for Snaith, told us the R Fourie 459 97 21% 134 29% 37% 77 17% 268 58% 8,370,875 18,237 daughter of Gimmethegreenlight C Zackey 937 97 10% 71 8% 27% 81 9% 348 37% 8,373,238 8,936 L Hewitson 926 96 10% 93 10% 18% 83 9% 358 39% 8,525,939 9,207 has a Gr1 win in her. Delpech S Khumalo 571 93 16% 131 23% 35% 73 13% 268 47% 10,635,625 18,626 JP vd Merwe 744 72 10% 49 7% 29% 59 8% 274 37% 5,866,038 7,884 also received an accolade from P Strydom 372 70 19% 102 27% 27% 59 16% 213 57% 9,584,225 25,764 the trainer – suggesting his ride M v Rensburg 690 67 10% 43 6% 33% 66 10% 264 38% 5,777,838 8,374 Mauritzfontein- A Domeyer 365 64 18% 71 19% 41% 53 15% 197 54% 5,767,113 15,800 Wilgerbosdrift retained was textbook stuff of how to K De Melo 506 62 12% 73 14% 34% 50 10% 231 46% 5,222,488 10,321 Anthony Delpech is R Simons 623 61 10% 80 13% 30% 52 8% 216 35% 5,508,750 8,842 overcome a bad draw. The 48yo breathing down their won the SA championship for the necks in the title race Leading trainers/jockeys by wins % first time in 1998/9, setting a win season 2016/2017 • 1 August - 9 April 2017 record of 334, which still stands. He is in 3rd spot on the log trainer/ runs wins win fav fav wfav 2nd 2nd stakes stks/ jockey % % % % runs currently with a 20% win strike rate and 107 winners. He A Nel/A Domeyer 78 25 32% 31 40% 58% 13 17% 1,634,150 20,951 has been runner-up three times in the last 6 years in the BJ Crawford/G Cheyne 65 20 31% 19 29% 63% 5 8% 4,224,900 64,998 JJ v Vuuren/G Lerena 47 14 30% 15 32% 60% 5 11% 2,686,075 57,151 title race – and looks overdue to lift the trophy again. PA Peter/G Lerena 46 14 30% 12 26% 25% 7 15% 1,141,200 24,809 GS Kotzen/R Fourie 100 28 28% 33 33% 48% 17 17% 2,654,950 26,550 GV Woodruff/G Lerena 47 13 28% 26 55% 42% 5 11% 2,114,050 44,980 M Robinson/R Fourie 40 11 28% 14 35% 43% 7 18% 848,200 21,205 The Gee-Gees AC Greeff/A Fortune 55 15 27% 17 31% 29% 4 7% 818,750 14,886 D Kannemeyer/A Delpech 117 31 26% 55 47% 35% 27 23% 2,384,675 20,382 The reigning ‘Summer Cup’ CS Laird/A Marcus 100 26 26% 37 37% 43% 8 8% 1,897,650 18,977 SG Tarry/P Strydom 51 12 24% 19 37% 37% 7 14% 1,047,300 20,535 champion combination of trainer M Houdalakis/M v Rensburg 75 17 23% 5 7% 60% 8 11% 1,343,650 17,915 Geoff Woodruff and jockey Gavin MF de Kock/A Delpech 71 16 23% 27 38% 30% 9 13% 1,986,300 27,976 AC Greeff/G Cheyne 265 59 22% 83 31% 29% 34 13% 3,503,500 13,221 Lerena boast a healthy strike rate of SG Tarry/S Khumalo 323 66 20% 96 30% 38% 45 14% 8,379,025 25,941 J Snaith/R Fourie 181 37 20% 61 34% 31% 37 20% 2,912,800 16,093 28% and the pair teamed up with a good winning double at Turffontein on Saturday. Coincidentally both Racing To Win winners - Al Danza and the former Paddy Kruyer-trained Mission Control - are progeny of the outstanding Captain Al. Mission Control previously raced out of Milnerton in a partnership of Woodruff’s legendary father-in-law Terrance Millard and his partner Nola Rathbone. The gelding is now owned by Carol Woodruff and together with Al Danza, looks to have good scope in Gauteng.

Follow US SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 16

HENNENMAN DISASTER

owned the aircraft was insolvent. Remembering Hennenman This was the same plane that was used in the movie “The Wild Lest We Forget Geese” in 1941.” The date of 12 April will forever cast a long shadow over the Near Miss South African racing community. It is the date of the Hennen- We spoke to former champion man air disaster in which a United Airlines flight went down jockey Basil Marcus, who narrowly outside the small Free State town of Hennenman. escaped being on the same plane. A race meeting scheduled for Bloemfontein a week earlier had Basil remembers, “It is only by the been postponed due to rain and rescheduled for 12 April 1988. grace of God that I was not on The racing contingent were originally booked to travel on an AAS that plane. I used to ride for Cliffie flight, but as the airline could not accommodate the booking Miller a lot in Bloem in those days, change, a United Airlines flight was chartered to take them on in fact I loved riding there. We the short journey from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein and back always had so much fun doing again. those things. Travelling to Bloem, The day’s racing results reflect a double for Danny Lombard, as PE and Zim was just what we did, well as wins for Johannes ‘Rooies’ Fourie, Warren Baillie, Law- you know?” rence Riley, Greg Holme and Bennie de Wet. The Racing Calen- “I had been away, riding work dar for the meeting contains the entry “No stipes report for this in Santa Anita in America. I had meeting due to tragic circumstances.” just got home and as I walked in On the return leg from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg, a fuel the door, the phone rang and it leak started a fire in the starboard engine, which spread to the was Cliffie, asking me to come fuselage and the plane went down just outside the small Free Henneman Memorial for that meeting. Under normal State town of Hennenman. It is thought that passengers and circumstances I would definitely crew probably lost consciousness in the smoke-filled cabin before have said yes in which case I would been on that plane, but I had the crash, which claimed the lives of everyone on board. promised my wife that when I came back from America I wouldn’t The passenger log included 13 of South Africa’s leading riding travel as much, so I turned Cliffie down.” lights including Keith Basel, Lawrence Riley, Johannes "Rooies" “As it happened, I actually did go up to Joburg that week. The Fourie, Warren Baillie, Bennie de Wet, Greg Holme, Douglas National Yearling Sales were happening at the same time and Roper, Danny Lombard, John McMurtry, Mark Nel, Michael Coet- we had horses running there on the Saturday (I was riding for zee, Simon Rahilly and Gordon Sterley. The five racing officials Herman snr), so I went up early. My family still thought knowing included Graham Kent, Dave Bullock, Henry Havergall, Ginger me I might still take some rides and work my way to Bloem. They Masterton and Johannes van der Linden. Also on board were two phoned me later that night at my hotel and were relieved that I owners, Jacobus Viljoen and Neville Blignaut, trainer Hennie van answered. I was honestly exceptionally blessed not to have been Wyk, and air crew Jacob Kalt, Harold Whitehead and Jacqueline on that plane.” Henderson. Intriguingly, there is a further racing connection to that plane. Basil continues, “If I remember correctly, and I think this is cor- Aftermath rect, that is the very same plane I flew down when I won the Met Later, the logbook of the aged United Airways Dakota revealed on Model Man. We made a stable for Model Man in that plane that the aircraft had not been properly serviced and maintained, and my wife, Pat Lunn and everybody flew down together on the but the subsequent inquiry failed to apportion blame on anyone Thursday before the Met. And then Model Man flew back again as United Airways had gone into liquidation in the interim. in the same plane. Just talking about it now really gives me shiv- In an interview with the Sporting Post, Clyde Basel stated, “When ers. I’ve got a lot of strong connections to that disaster. getting to the bottom of what caused the crash, it seemed to be “It was a very sad day and the same as all disasters when they due to negligence. Despite a judge ruling that this was an act of happen, you lose a lot of very good people along the way.” God, none of the families could accept this. In fact it was rather obvious that this plane should never have been allowed to fly. “I used to ride with those guys a lot and was very close to all “It was discovered that the right fuel pump was withered away, of them. I went to the first memorial, but then went overseas which resulted in a fuel leakage that may have instigated the in 1990. Whenever the anniversary comes around every year, crash. The log book also showed that the aircraft was well over- you remember the guys so clearly. It’s easy to forget and that’s due a service (it wasn’t serviced for thousands of flying hours), why I’m so happy that they have the memorial race day – it just and it also became apparent that the company, United Air, who reminds everybody of the talent that did go down in that plane.” SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 17

Black type results

Fairview (turf) Greyville (turf) Gr3 Byerley Turk R250,000 Friday, 7 April Sunday, 9 April Course Variant: 0,80s fast Course Variant: 3,11s slow African Hope Off a penetrometer reading of 21 the going was The going was posted as Good to Soft off a posted as good in Port Elizabeth on Friday. A 16km/h penetrometer reading of 24 on Sunday. There was a Africa Rising finished too strongly for his south easterly crosswind was forecast, but the flags 20-25km/h head wind, and the false rail was out 4m. eleven opponents to win the R250 000 positioned at the winning post suggested that this Although these factors will have had a dramatic effect was more of a tail wind. This would account for the on the course variant, the times were particularly Gr3 Byerley Turk, although the withdrawal course running fast, even though rain fell after the slow. This suggests that the ground in the main may of the boom local hope Red Chesnut Road running of race five. Interestingly, the fastest race of well have been softer than the penetrometer reading the day comparatively, was the final event, a MR 76 would suggest. In some of the races the runners all took a bit of lustre off the race for which (F&M) handicap over 1000m ran wide from the running rail. Copper Force went off as 16/10 favourite. Africa Rising had only arrived from Gaut- East Cape Nursery (L) R150,000 Gr3 Umzimkhulu S. R250,000 eng the previous evening. My Pal Al led for most of the way, while Winter Wonderland Six Of The Best Africa Rising (22/10) stalked Copper Force Fort Winter showed his nine opponents Anthony Delpech had Gimme Six settled (16/10) the whole way round into the a clean pair of heels when he skated home in midfield as La Gitanila led Karatage and straight. Copper Force kicked at the 350m to win the R150 000 (L) EC Nursery over Final Judgement for home. Richard Fourie and it looked tight for Africa Rising, who 1200m on turf. With all but one (Desert brought Final Judgement around her field was directly behind him. A gap opened Chief) having won over 1200m, the race as she and Sail hit the front at the 350m on the rail at about the 200m, allowing had an open look to it – with local cham- to do battle. With the leaders appearing Africa Rising to finish powerfully and hold pion Alan Greeff suggesting it would sort to hamper each other, Delpech brought Copper Force to three-quarters. Buffalo ‘the wheat from the chaff’ in the current Gimme Six with a sustained run along Soldier came from some way back on the East Cape 2yo crop. Yvette Bremner had the inside rail, running on well to win by wide outside to finish well in third. three in the race, with the maiden Fort three-quarters from Final Judgement. Sail, Bred by Summerhill Stud, Africa Rising Winter looking to have a uphill task. Callan who had run just behind Final Judgement is by Visionaire out of the once-winning Murray always had Fort Winter (12/1) in in the Majorca at the pair’s previous start, Braashee mare Sucha Looka. He was the vanguard, as Desert Chief and Seat- was half a length away in third. bought by Chris van Niekerk’s Rainbow tle Flame showed some keen toe, with Gimme Six is the sixth first-crop stakes Beach Trading for R625-000 at the CTS Sacred Oration also poised to attack. Into winner for second-season sire Gimme- Johannesburg Ready To Run Sale. Gr1 the 300m, Murray sent his mount for thegreenlight, out of the twice winning placed as a 2yo, Africa Rising has now won home, going on strongly to hold the late Mujadil mare District Six, a winner in challenge of formerly unbeaten Sacred 3 races, with 3 places from 8 starts, for Ireland and SA. A R500.000 Cape Premier stakes of R905.750. Oration by three-quarters. The 19-10 Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate, Gimme Six favourite Seattle Flame was less than a has now won 3 races with 4 places from 8 Gr3 Byerley Turk (3yo’s) 1400m Winner Africa Rising (3rd best handi- length further back in third. Bred by John starts, for stakes of R322.100. Everett’s Eenfontein Stud, Fort Winter is by capped) raced 6th; tracked runner up for the majority of the trip; positioned 4th com- leading freshman sire What A Winter, out Gr3 Umzimkhulu Stakes (3yoF) 1400m Winner Gimme Six (jt 2nd best handi- ing off the bend; led 100m; won well. of the three-time winning Fort Wood mare capped) raced 8th in midfield; ran on best Runner-up Copper Force (2nd best hand- Fort Fox. A R325.000 National Yearling Sale of all to lead at 100m; won going away. icapped) raced 3rd; led 300m; outpaced purchase by Kerry Jack Bloodstock, he rac- Runner-up Final Judgement (jt 2nd best latter stages by winner. es for a partnership of Mark Dixon, Bryn handicapped) raced 4th; led 400m; shifted Third Buffalo Soldier had to be checked Ressell, Hedley McGrath, Ian Levitan and and made contact with Sail 300m out; when Scarrabeast shifted in around the outpaced latter stages by winner. 1200m mark, racing 8th of the eleven; was Mark Wright. He has one win and 2 places Third Sail (best handicapped) raced 3rd; just over a length behind the winner round- from three outings, for stakes of R110.400. challenged strongly 300m; reported cough- ing the turn; ran on, but well beaten. East Cape Nursery (2yo’s)(Listed) 1200m ing by the veterinary surgeon post-race. Time: Although this was the faster of Winner Fort Winter (12/1) raced up with Time: This was the slower of the two Gr3 the two Gr3 events for 3yo’s, they were the pace throughout, while less than two events for 3yo’s and comparisons on the very tightly bunched early on and there lengths covered the first seven at the day show that it was not a fast run race. was plenty of scrimmaging. Compari- halfway mark; ran on strongly. Runner-up We gave the winner (prev 85/85/71/87/90) sons on the day show that this was not Sacred Oration (best handicapped) raced 90 which makes the runner up (prev a fast run race. We gave the third (prev up with the pace; hanging outwards in the 85/93/90/95/93) 93 and the third (prev 84/86/84/85/78) 86 which makes the winner closing stages. Third Seattle Flame raced 92/96/92/93/90) 92. (prev 91/96/91/88/89) 95 and the runner up 7th but less than 2 lengths off the pace. (prev 71/77/79/84/99) 92. The runner-up’s 90 1 0.00 Gimme Six (9) 55.0 A Delpech 37/10 Time: Albeit marginally, this was the slowest 3 b f Gimmethegreenlight - District Six(IRE) (Mujadil) rating of 99 was recorded in the very false of the four 1200m races. We gave the runner 93 2 0.75 Final Judgement (4) 57.0 R Fourie 22/10 3 ch f Judpot - Final Claim (Proclaim) run sale-race on Met-day, won by William up (prev 71/84) 82 which makes the winner 91 3 1.25 Sail (2) 57.0 S Veale 3/1 Longsword, and seems to have been too 3 b f Philanthropist - Cutty Sark (Fort Wood) (prev 71/77) 84 and the third (prev 76) 80. 82 4 2.75 Dawn Calling (10) 55.0 K De Melo 17/2 high. 84 5 3.50 A Womens Way (11) 57.0 C Murray 25/1 84 1 0.00 Fort Winter (5) 60.0 C Murray 12/1 88 6 3.75 The High Life (7) 59.0 I Sturgeon 30/1 95 1 0.00 Africa Rising (1) 56.0 L Hewitson 22/10 2 b g What A Winter - Fort Fox (Fort Wood) 76 7 4.75 Trippi’s Girl (6) 55.0 C Zackey 12/1 3 ch c Visionaire - Sucha Looka (Braashee) 82 2 0.75 Sacred Oration (1) 60.0 L Mxothwa 32/10 87 8 4.80 The Secret Is Out (1) 60.0 M Byleveld 17/2 92 2 0.75 Copper Force (2) 56.0 A Delpech 16/10 2 b c Oratorio - Scarlet Causeway(AUS) (Giant’s Causeway) 64 9 8.80 La Gitanila (5) 55.0 A Arries 30/1 3 b g Royal Air Force - Eastern Copper (Al Mufti) 59 10 11.80 Tanami (3) 57.0 T Godden 44/1 1.50 Seattle Flame 86 3 2.75 Buffalo Soldier (3) 56.0 W Kennedy 12/1 80 3 (9) 60.0 G Cheyne 19/10 42 11 16.05 Karatage (8) 55.0 A Forbes 66/1 2 b c Sail From Seattle - Forsythia (Strike Smartly) 3 b g Warm White Night - Only In Philly(USA) (Polish Numbers) Time: 87.45s (62.46s avg/1000m, or 58km/h) 4.00 Kenny Trix 69 4 5.75 Bright Flame (7) 60.0 R Danielson 25/1 83 4 (5) 56.0 M Byleveld 30/1 SP Total %: 120% 82 5 4.05 Boldly Respectable (6) 56.0 C Orffer 14/1 6.00 Gone Not Forgotten 68 5 (2) 60.0 X Ndlovu 14/1 1st T:J Snaith O:Messrs H Adams & K P Truter & Mrs Jane Truter 83 6 6.05 Gunner (9) 59.0 I Sturgeon 16/1 67 6 6.25 Golden Shamrock (10) 60.0 S Khathi 66/1 B:Hemel ‘n Aarde Stud & K P Truter & Nadeson Park 75 7 6.55 Amazon King (10) 56.0 C Zackey 16/1 61 7 8.50 Desert Chief (3) 60.0 K Zechner 59/10 68 8 8.80 Scarrabeast (4) 56.0 ES Ngwane 44/1 53 8 11.50 Highland Captain (8) 60.0 M Thackeray 66/1 61 9 11.05 Marshall That (8) 56.0 C Murray 36/1 36 9 15.75 Miss Aphrodite (6) 57.5 J Penny 44/1 57 10 14.05 My Pal Al (11) 58.0 S Veale 10/1 36 10 17.50 Itsgonnarain (4) 60.0 L Hewitson 41/10 40 11 18.05 Bling Swing (7) 56.0 A Arries 20/1 Time: 68.42s (57.02s avg/1000m, or 63km/h) Time: 87.05s (62.18s avg/1000m, or 58km/h) SP Total %: 116% SP Total %: 118% 1st T:Y Bremner O:Messrs M N Dixon, Bryn Ressell, F H McGrath, I 1st T:SG Tarry O:Mr C J H van Niekerk & Portapa (Pty) Ltd T/A Levitan & M C Wright B:Eenfontein Stud Supabets (Nom: Mr P Anastassopolous) B:Summerhill Stud SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 18

PHILANTHROPIST (Kris S) 1st & 2nd season sires – 2yo’s Stream Of Kindness 2f (Cool River by Western Winter) AWAIT THE DAWN (Giant's Causeway) Kenilworth 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1200m (15/04) Big Bear 2c (Gamalakhe by Northern Guest) TWICE OVER (Observatory) Turffontein 3 Maiden Plate 1400m (15/04) Twice As Smart 2f (Smart Empress by Strike Smartly) Scottsville 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1000m (16/04) BOLD SILVANO (Silvano) WHAT A WINTER (Western Winter) Captain Alex 2c (Steffies Joy by Langfuhr) Warrior's Rest 2c (Bardot by Badger Land) Fairview 1 Maiden Plate (Polytrack) 1000m (14/04) Turffontein 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1400m (15/04) BYWORD (Peintre Celebre) Dutch Philip 2c (Upity Ann by Dominion Royale) Take My Word 2f (Cantorist by Kashani) Kenilworth 2 Juvenile Plate 1000m (15/04) Turffontein 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1160m (15/04) Winter Model 2f (Sports Model by Sportsworld) True Words 2c (Kalami by Daylami) Scottsville 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1000m (16/04) Kenilworth 3 Maiden Plate 1400m (15/04) Forehand 2f (Centre Court by Sportsworld) Scottsville 2 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1000m (16/04) CRUSADE (Johannesburg) Miss Millionaire 2f (Really Rich by Only a Pound) Greyville 8 MR 60 Handicap (F&M)(Polytrack) 1000m (14/04) 2nd season sires – 3yo’s Cantata Mundi 2f (Onda Punk by Punk) BOLD SILVANO (Silvano) Turffontein 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1160m (15/04) Bold Reign 3c (Coastal Reign by Fort Wood) Christendom 2f (National Seeker by National Assembly) Scottsville 8 MR 73 Handicap (Inside) 1600m (16/04) Scottsville 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1000m (16/04) National Crusade 2f (National Display by National Assembly) CURVED BALL (Fastnet Rock) Scottsville 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1000m (16/04) Je Suis Silver 3f (Share The Silver by Announce) Greyville 7 MR 74 Handicap (F&M)(Polytrack) 1000m (14/04) EIGHTFOLD PATH (Giant's Causeway) Eight Summers 2c (Cool Summer by Shaamit) DAN DE LAGO (Encosta de Lago) Scottsville 3 Maiden Plate 1200m (16/04) Miss Stake 3f (Festival Fire by Magic Albert) Kenilworth 8 MR 68 Handicap (F&M) 1400m (15/04) GIMMETHEGREENLIGHT (More Than Ready) Fours A Crowd 2f (In Like Flynn by National Assembly) GIMMETHEGREENLIGHT (More Than Ready) Kenilworth 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1200m (15/04) Blind Spot 3c (Time Truth by Model Man) Love Of My Life 2f (Love On The Run by Elliodor) Kenilworth 4 Maiden Plate 1800m (15/04) Kenilworth 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1200m (15/04) Light Chaser 3f (Comet Chaser by Jet Master) Rose In Bloom 2f (Raise The Bar by Goldkeeper) Kenilworth 5 MR 85 Handicap (F&M) 1000m (15/04) Kenilworth 2 Juvenile Plate 1000m (15/04) Whispering Light 3f (Fading Light by Bel Byou) Kenilworth 8 MR 68 Handicap (F&M) 1400m (15/04) MARCHFIELD (A P Indy) Stopthinkingofme 3f (Sky Capers by Jet Master) Blazing Boy 2c (Jellisa by Jet Master) Kenilworth 8 MR 68 Handicap (F&M) 1400m (15/04) Turffontein 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1400m (15/04) Purple Tractor 3c (Fortify by Fort Wood) Scottsville 4 MR 94 Handicap 1200m (16/04) ORATORIO (Danehill) Hack Green 3c (Secret Mission by Fort Wood) Arabian Passion 2c (National Arabian by National Assembly) Scottsville 6 Pinnacle Stakes 1100m (16/04) Kenilworth 2 Juvenile Plate 1000m (15/04) GITANO HERNANDO (Hernando) Storm Hero 3c (Stormher by Jallad) PATHFORK (Distorted Humor) Greyville 1 Qualified Maiden Plate (Polytrack) 1800m (14/04) Queen Of Alamo 2f (Fiesta Queen by Parade Leader) Phabeni 3f (Kruger Park by Al Mufti) Kenilworth 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1200m (15/04) Turffontein 4 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1600m (15/04) Twelve Oaks 2f (Land Of Wilkes by Diesis) Prada Princess 3f (Pinnaquin by Count Dubois) Turffontein 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1160m (15/04) Turffontein 5 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1800m (15/04) So Long Spring 2c (Dancing Summer by Mr Greeley) September Bloom 3f (April Showers by Western Winter) Turffontein 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1400m (15/04) Turffontein 9 MR 62 Handicap (F&M) 1600m (15/04) SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 19 Winners Bred Abroad

GOLDEN SWORD (High Chaparral) Leaves Of Grass (AUS) 3f Poet’s Voice - Promotional (AUS) Ratso Rizzo 3c (Careless Mirth by Rambo Dancer) (Al Maher) Kenilworth 2000m (04/04) Greyville 1 Qualified Maiden Plate (Polytrack) 1800m (14/04) Oasis Queen 3f (Golden Song by National Assembly) Professor Brian (AUS) 4g Encosta de Lago - Eskaw (NZ) Fairview 2 MR 66 Handicap (F&M)(Polytrack) 1600m (14/04) (Chief Bearhart) Kenilworth 1200m (04/04) Swordofthespirit 3c (Empress Of Asia by Piccolo) Sheema (ARG) 3f Archipenko - Sarkha (AUS) Fairview 3 Maiden Plate (Polytrack) 1600m (14/04) (Danehill) Vaal 1600m (06/04) Flipflash 3f (Cwebe Cwebe by Muhtafal) Turffontein 4 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1600m (15/04) Seventh Of June (AUS) 3g Starcraft - Fernande(AUS) (Galileo) Mystical Sword 3f (Dare To Dream by Shalford) Turffontein 1450m (08/04) Turffontein 4 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1600m (15/04) Island Legend 3f (Shoe Dance by Shoe Danzig) Turffontein 5 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1800m (15/04) Sports and Betting Dazzling Token 3f (Relative Value by Jallad) Turffontein 5 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1800m (15/04) English Premier League MAIN AIM (Oasis Dream) Man United v Chelsea | Sun 16 April | Old Trafford | 17:00 Young Eagle 3c (Rachel's Princess by Sapieha) It may be one of the shortest Turffontein 3 Maiden Plate 1400m (15/04) coaching rivalries, but Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte’s rivalry is proving PATHFORK (Distorted Humor) to be one of the most ferocious in Fellow Traveller 3c (Arch Mistress by Arch) world football. The rivalry comes after Mourinho was critical of Conte’s Greyville 2 MR 62 Handicap (Polytrack) 1600m (14/04) celebrations following Chelsea’s 4-0 win over Manchester United Stanley's Last 3f (Ladora by Jallad) in the Premier League back in October, calling it a lack of respect. Fairview 4 Maiden Plate (F&M)(Polytrack) 1600m (14/04) Mourinho snubbed Conte for a handshake when the Blues beat Red Berry Candle 3f (Light My Candle by Silvano) United 1-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals last month. During that Fairview 4 Maiden Plate (F&M)(Polytrack) 1600m (14/04) game, Chelsea fans, who once idolized the self-proclaimed Special Mungo Cherry 3f (Colchium by Elnadim) One, taunted their former boss with chants of “Judas” and “You’re Greyville 8 MR 60 Handicap (F&M)(Polytrack) 1000m (14/04) not special anymore”. In his post-match interview, Mourinho declared “Judas is number one” until another Chelsea manager St Joseph 3c (Arabian Lily by Al Mufti) wins more than his three Premier League titles with the club. Turffontein 3 Maiden Plate 1400m (15/04) The Right Road 3c (Elda Ribetti by Jallad) To catch up with Chadley Nagel’s previews click here Kenilworth 3 Maiden Plate 1400m (15/04) Gorgeous Guest 3f (Guest Among Men by Among Men) Scottsville 2 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1000m (16/04) Manchester United Fifth-placed Man U find themselves in a similar predicament to when they faced Chelsea in the FA Cup last Gunpowder Plot 3c (Love Affair by Jallad) month. They have a crucial Europa League clash with Belgian side Scottsville 5 MR 77 Handicap 1200m (16/04) Anderlecht in between this tie and they’ve got to put all their eggs PHILANTHROPIST (Kris S) in that basket. United are the strongest team left in the competi- The Slade 3c (Aquatint by Peintre Celebre) tion and have a better chance of winning it than finishing fourth. Greyville 3 MR 86 Handicap (Polytrack) 1400m (14/04) But Mourinho is not the type to throw in the towel so he’ll proba- Miss Malbec 3f (Miami Blues by Western Winter) bly be prioritising a top four finish in exactly the same way. Greyville 7 MR 74 Handicap (F&M)(Polytrack) 1000m (14/04) Chelsea Antonio Conte became the first-ever manager to do Synergy 3c (Synchronize by Al Mufti) the league double over Pep Guardiola and he will hope to do the Turffontein 3 Maiden Plate 1400m (15/04) same against Mourinho. The Premier League leaders will look to Weston 3f (Fort Belvedere by Fort Wood) continue their impressive record against United and get the better Kenilworth 8 MR 68 Handicap (F&M) 1400m (15/04) of their former boss for the third time this season. The Blues ran out comfortable 4-0 winners in the reverse fixture at Stamford Flash Fire 3f (La Rosita by Fasliyev) Bridge thanks to goals from Pedro, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and Kenilworth 8 MR 68 Handicap (F&M) 1400m (15/04) Kante. The teams also met in a feisty FA Cup quarter-final clash last Good To Give 3c (Scented Samantha by National Assembly) month - which was settled by Kante’s strike. Despite the tight score- Scottsville 5 MR 77 Handicap 1200m (16/04) line, the Premier League leaders coasted to the win after Ander Herrera was dismissed for two yellow cards. TRAFFIC GUARD (More Than Ready) Probable line-ups: Zeal And Zest 3c (Zodwa by Windrush) Man United: 4-1-4-1 De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Rojo, Blind; Carrick; Herrera, Pogba, Turffontein 8 MR 66 Handicap 1400m (15/04) Mkhitaryan, Rashford; Ibrahimovic. Chelsea: 3-4-3 Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro, Costa, Hazard. To Advertise Prediction: contact Kiki 082 878 2231 - [email protected] Hazard to Score Anytime & Chelsea to Win (38/10) To win: Man United 31/20 Draw 21/10 Chelsea 18/10 SPORTING POST • Thursday 13 APRIL 2017 20