SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 1

wed-fri Thursday 18 April 2019 24-26 April TBA Complex, Germiston

FAIRVIEW poly Friday Best Roving Banker: R8-(1)Drop Kick(3/1)

greyville poly Friday Best Roving Banker: R4-(4) Red Shift (4/1)

Turffontein Saturday Best Roving Banker: R7-(1) La Bella Mia (5/1)

durbanville Saturday Best Roving Banker: R2-(10)Sanskrift(15/10)

scottsville Sunday Best Roving Banker: R1-(13) We Light The Fire (3/1)

Tuesday 16 April Kenilworth – race 8 Sporting Post Best Handicapped Our jockeys spend years absorbing every aspect of a horse’s behaviour at point blank range. Al Jalali From mucking out boxes to grooming and passing delinquent youngsters through the starting stalls.  WON 100/1 Surely our Stipendiary Stewards should be subjected to some of the same training? The men in suits with pen in hand who police the saddle and bridle, what right do you really have to be men in silks with crop in hand – always from a a Stipendiary Steward and interpret aspects related to safe distance. the thoroughbred? That includes overseeing objec- While it’s something that could be wildly imagined tions and interpreting race rides. at a stretch, it seems an anomaly that we expect The announcement by the National Horseracing Au- individuals, many of whom hardly relate to the thority earlier this week that KZN jockey Billy Jacobson quirks and behavioural traits of the thoroughbred, had been fined R20 000 for swearing at officials and for to have any real understanding of the dangers and improper behaviour has led to a public reaction - mostly risks associated with the psyche of the horse. supporting the jockey on his good character and track record. But also arguing that in the interests of fairness, Yes, horses are likely to kick if you stand behind both sides of the story should be conveyed in instances them. That’s something we all learnt as youngsters. where the NHA effectively damages the reputation of But basics aside, if you can’t ride a horse and fit a an individual with the stroke of a pen. SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 2 make them horsemen!

“There was wrongdoing on both sides in this matter. This is completely unfair and demoralising. Swearing at an individual is July - The First Entries not akin to swearing in their presence. Go to any training centre or racecourse. Like it or not, swearing is part of the vocabulary of Gary Alexander hERO'S HONOUR 107 many jockeys. It goes with the stress – the edge of working and Brett Crawford CHARLES 104 living in the territory,” says a close friend of Billy Jacobson’s who Mike de Kock haWWAAM 121 spoke to the Sporting Post. Mike de Kock BARAHIN 108 “It may look glamorous, but a jockey has a very high pressured job. Mike de Kock alyaaSAAT (AUS) 105 They put their lives at risk every single day. They are constantly Mike de Kock aTYAAB (AUS) 105 under the watchful eye of every spectator, stipe, commentator and Mike de Kock NOBLE SECRET 105 punter. They need to earn a living, keep a roof over their heads, Mike de Kock THE DAZZLER 99 feed their families, stay alive, ride under stressful and frustrating Mike de Kock PROTEA PARADISE 92 conditions, watch their weight - and by constantly having to shed Dennis Drier laDY IN BLACK 117 weight to enable them to at least get one ride they deprive their St Gray DAWN ASSAULT 106 bodies of electrolytes and nutrients,” she added. R A / S R Hill CAMPHORATUS 105 She suggested that all of this combined pressure could often put R A / S R Hill RED CHESNUT ROAD 101 the individual on a knife edge. Duncan Howells FIORELLA 100 Duncan Howells THANKSGIVING 97 “Surely anybody with compassion, basic training and simple com- mon sense would understand this?” J A Janse van Vuuren DIVINE ODYSSEY 105 J A Janse van Vuuren DOOSRA 104 Billy Jacobson was apparently initially approached by the starter in Dean Kannemeyer SILVA'S BULLET 91 a threatening and intimidating way while passing a horse through Glen Kotzen EYES WIDE OPEN 111 the stalls at Summerveld. Glen Kotzen hERODOTUS 101 “Mr B Ngcobo approached Billy in an unprofessional and threaten- Paul Lafferty DARK MOON RISING 105 ing manner. He was about to jump a highly strung horse out of the Weiho Marwing SAMURAI WARRIOR 105 starting pens and Mr Ngcobo tried to engage Billy about something Andre Nel HEAD HONCHO 122 unrelated to the job at hand. This was definitely not the time and Andre Nel RUN RED 94 place for it. If the Stipe had an issue he should have approached Joey Ramsden TWIST OF FATE 115 Billy in a professional manner at a suitable time and place with the Joey Ramsden FRESNAYE 108 correct protocols in place. Not while he sat on the back of a frac- tious animal, endangering the lives of his horse and himself – and Frank Robinson ROY HAD ENOUGH (AU 109 others. Even after Billy asked one of the Stipes’ colleagues to please Frank Robinson ROY'S RIVIERA (AUS 95 back off, Mr Ngcobo continued to provoke him.” Frank Robinson aRIANOS SHADOW 93 Frank Robinson TOP CLASSMAN 85 Our source says that there were other jockeys present who wit- Eric Sands RAINBOW BRIDGE 124 nessed what happened. Justin Snaith DO IT AGAIN 125 “In Billy’s defence, he can surely argue that he was provoked? Justin Snaith OH SUSANNA (AUS) 118 Whilst he was on his horse minding his own business and doing his Justin Snaith MADE TO CONQUER 108 job he was approached in an intimidating and threatening manner Justin Snaith MIYABI GOLD 105 by Mr B Ngcobo with no regard to the fragility of the situation or Justin Snaith DOUBLEMINT 104 consideration of the potential danger.” Justin Snaith MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 104 It is felt that if Jacobson has been charged for a contravention of Justin Snaith ELUSIVE SILVA 103 rule 72.1.25 then Mr B Ngcobo, who approached and allegedly an- Justin Snaith BUNKER HUNT 100 tagonised the jockey, needs to be charged accordingly. In fact, only Justin Snaith PLATINUM PRINCE 97 after the approach did Billy react and breach rule 72.1.18. Sean Tarry LEGAL EAGLE 118 “And the quantum of the fine is also puzzling. Billy doesn’t even Sean Tarry TILBURY FORT 110 earn that in a month – how do they ascertain the appropriate sum? Sean Tarry RETURN FLIGHT 106 If these rules are there to protect everyone then they need to see Sean Tarry ZILLZAAL 105 both sides. Rules should be there to protect everyone,” said the Sean Tarry SHENANIGANS 89 source, who confirmed that Billy Jacobson would be appealing and Sean Tarry SILVER GOD 87 that this interview was provided by a third party without prejudice. Geoff Woodruff SECRET POTION 102 We await the day when the NHA will treat matters of dealing with Geoff Woodruff BANNER HILL 99 their errant officials with the same transparent enthusiasm and Alyson Wright FLICHITY BY FARR 94 expediency that they do with jockeys and trainers.

can be purchased here SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 3 vodacom durban july weekend racing July Countdown Hedge The Sledge Past Vodacom Durban July winning trainers have a total of 29 The Sledgehammer (L) Scottsville Sunday of the 49 first entries announced on Wednesday for the R4,25 If he were still around today, the great New Zealand bred Sledge- million 2200m spectacular to be contested at Greyville on hammer would have been nearing his half century. The Fred Saturday 6 July. Rickaby star won 21 races and his memory is commemorated There are 13 Gr1 winners in the 2019 renewal! with the running of Sunday’s Scottsville feature. The past winner entry charge is led by the defending title holder Weighted on merit rating bands, the (2018 top three!) and SA Champion Justin Snaith (9), followed R150 000 Listed Sledgehammer is run on by Mike de Kock (7), Sean Tarry (6), Geoff Woodruff (2), Glen the Scottsville 1750m outside track and Kotzen (2) and Joey Ramsden (2), while multiple July winner is a traditional low-key season opener for Dean Kannemeyer has registered a single entry. some of the big guns looking to stretch Snaith, who won the race last year with Do It Again, Legislate their legs. (2014) and Dancer’s Daughter in 2008, has a powerful hand, Mike and Adam Azzie have been in a rich which includes last year’s historic Sun Met winner Oh Susanna – vein of form in Gauteng and they saddle Made To Conquer |Gold Circle whose racing future is said to be in some doubt. the SP top-rated smart Western Winter Mike de Kock, who won the July in 2002 with Ipi Tombe, in 2004 4yo Orpheus who comes in here on a hat-trick after two smart with Greys Inn, and then in consecutive years with Bold Silvano wins . He has shown ability up to 2400m and seldom runs a bad (2010) and Igugu (2011), has a power hand led by 3yo’s Haw- race. With jockey Marco van Rensburg riding the crest of a wave, waam and the dark horse, Barahin. he could be tough to peg back. A notable absentee in the De Kock arsenal is Buffalo Bill Cody, Snaith’s Platinum Prince ran a decent fourth on his AS Champions who was scratched from the Queen’s Plate and has not been Season debut in the Kings Cup and will be much fitter and ready for seen since. this race. On his best form of last season he must be classed as a KZN trainers are led by Summerveld based Frank Robinson with major runner – although the jockey engagement of Richard Fourie 4 entries, followed by Robbie Hill and Ashburton kingpin Duncan on the stablemate would suggest that one is preferred. Howells with 2 apiece, while Dennis Drier, Paul Lafferty and Paul Lafferty’s Our Coys hasn’t won a race in close on 15 months Alyson Wright have one each. and comes in under sufferance. The son of Uncle Mo will have Candice Bass-Robinson, who made history when Marinaresco fitness on his side and has run close up recently against weaker. won the July in 2017, is the only active trainer to win the big The enigmatic Eyes Wide Open carries topweight of 61,5kgs and race in the 21st century without an entry this year. has his first run back since running just over five lengths back in the Sun Met. The son of Dynasty has failed to deliver on a few occa- sions but is clearly the class act in the race. A Golden Ticket Made To Conquer has his first run in 12 weeks since an unplaced After the publication on Wednesday of the names of the effort in the Sun Met when just under 9 lengths behind Rainbow 49 first entries for the R4,25 Gr1 Vodacom Durban July, Bridge. The July has already been earmarkd as a target for the con- the big debate as to who will eventually make the cut for sistent son of Dynasty who was runner-up behind stablemate Do It the final field will be at the forefront of discussion wher- Again in the big one last year. ever passionate racing people congregate. Dean Kannemeyer’s highly regard- Twenty horses – 18 runners and 2 reserves – will be an- The Sledgehammer (L) ed Silva’s Bullet is yet to finish out nounced on 25 June. The winners in the current season of past winners of the money in seven starts and the Gr1 events listed below will qualify for golden tickets 2016 ran a fair third in the Jet Master 1 Way Of Light 58.5 ( 3) 30/1 (automatic entry) into the July. 2 It Is Written 60.0 ( 2) 4/1 Stakes at Kenilworth at his last 3 Dynastic Power 60.0 ( 7) 20/1 Gold Circle, however, reserves the right to request a public 2017 start. The 4yo could up his game to 1 Elusive Silva 57.0 ( 1) 32/10 challenge again and should not be gallop to determine the well-being / fitness in the event that 2 Helderberg Blue 61.5 (10) 72/10 any of these winners have not raced within three months of 3 Prince Of Wales 60.0 ( 9) 9/2 disregarded as the yard has turned 2018 the corner recently and are in good final declaration. Given the timing this would only possibly 1 Head Honcho 55.5 (10) 22/1 2 Pack Leader 57.0 ( 8) 31/4 form. apply to the Queen’s Plate, the Met and the Cape Derby. 3 Dark Moon Rising 55.5 ( 2) 6/1 The L’Ormarins Queens Plate – won by Do It Again Sean Tarry’s lightly raced Dynas- The Sun Met – won by Rainbow Bridge ty entire The Cape Derby – won by Atyaab START PA6/PICK SIX5/JACKPOT4 Shenanigans 4:25PM The Sledgehammer (Listed) - 1750m caught the The SA Classic – won by Hawwaam Scottsville 7 SAME TRAINER:(2-3) The SA Fillies Classic – won by Return Flight eye last time Dynasty 1 Eyes Wide Open(GS Kotzen) G Cheyne...... 3 61.5 The SA Derby – won by Samurai Warrior Dynasty 2 Made To Conquer(J Snaith) R Fourie...... 8 60.0 when only Silvano 3 Platinum Prince(J Snaith) L J Ferraris...... 5 57.0 caught late by Premier’s Champions Challenge Gimmthegreenlight 4 Gimme One Night(BJ Crawford) C Orffer...... 9 55.5 Silvano 5 Silva’s Bullet(D Kannemeyer) K De Melo..... 7 55.5 the low-flying Daily News 2000 Silvano 6 Wealthy(DR Drier) S Veale...... 2 54.0 Woolavington 2000 Dynasty 7 Shenanigans(SG Tarry) L Hewitson...... 6 54.0 Pietro Mas- Western Winter 8 ORPHEUS(MG & AA Azzie) M v Rensburg...... 4 54.0 cagni. Rising Sun Gold Challenge Read more here Uncle Mo 9 Our Coys(PV Lafferty) W Kennedy...... 1 50.0 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 4 weekend racing

It looks on the short side for the solid Gimmethegreenlight stayer Snaith’s Miyabi Gold won the Gold Bracelet last season but failed Gimme One Night who has his first run in 12 weeks since a fair ef- to fire in her two Gr1 starts during the Cape Summer Season. She fort in the Reserve Stayers race on Sun Met day. H will have races has been rested 12 weeks since her unplaced run in the Majorca like the Gold Cup on his radar. Stakes on Met day. The course and distance winner Wealthy caught the eye with a Reactive Glaze was well beaten in the Umzimkhulu Stakes where good victory in the Michael Roberts Handicap at his penultimate definitely needing the run and is difficult to assess on her five start. The son of Silvano enjoys Scottsville and seems to be a runs to date. She is a one-time winner and capable of improve- touch in-and-out. So he may be ready to put his best foot forward ment. again. Woodstock Fairy has drawn wide and looks quite a surprise SA With the fitness unknowns a factor, the race could produce a Champions Season inclusion on what she has shown so far. surprise. But Orpheus could be good enough to hold Magnificent Paul Peter’s 4yo Folk Dance was a highly promising sort last term Seven, Platinum Prince and Silva’s Bullet. and she gets a chance to once again establish her claims again. She lost a shoe in her prep run last time but is capable of proving serious value with a big run here. Second of the Snaith duo, Talitha Borealis has her first run in KZN but will need to improve on her form to feature. The classy Sabina’s Dynasty carries top weight and has her first Folk Dance Can Deliver run for the Brett Crawford yard. The daughter of Dynasty was not persevered with in the Summer Cup and will no doubt have The Scarlet Lady (L) Scottsville Sunday enjoyed her 20 week break. She is likely to need the run but can The R150 000 Listed Scarlet Lady is the fairer sex stakes feature be watched this season. at Scottsville on Easter Sunday. Like the boys’ equivalent, it is Sean Tarry’s Jamra comes off an unplaced effort in the Jacaranda something of a starting point for the visitors plotting a course Handicap. She needs to recapture her better earlier form. for the season ahead. Glen Kotzen’s Listed Jamaica Stakes third placer Expedite returns Gareth Wright and the Hill family will from a break of 15 weeks and be looking for a big run from the SP The Scarlet Lady (Listed) has her first run at Scottsville. past winners top-rated Kilmokea after their giantkilling The versatile daughter of Judpot performance at Turffontein last Satur- 2016 1 Gallica Rose 60.0 ( 1) 5/1 is improving and is bound to be day – read all about it in the ensuing 2 Deputy Ryder 59.5 (14) 8/1 competitive in the girls features pages. While she hasn’t won for a while, 3 Adorada 54.0 (11) 14/1 2017 later in the season. the grey daughter of Kldonan must be a 1 Louisiana 57.0 ( 6) 8/1 A really tricky race where Folk massive runner off her handy galloping 2 Banking April 58.5 ( 5) 9/2 3 Party Crasher 55.5 ( 4) 61/10 Dance can step up to the plate Folk Dance | JC Photos weight – although Gareth is likely to 2018 1 Parabola 55.5 ( 5) 71/10 and prove the value ahead of declare 2kgs over his carded weight. 2 Premier Dance 60.0 ( 2) 71/20 3 Leaves Of Grass 54.0 ( 7) 14/1 Kilmokea and Miss Smarty Pants. Dean Kannemeyer has done a superb job with the uber consis- tent Miss Smarty Pants – a winner of four of her last five starts. She is a versatile and fit filly who can step up to the plate as she START PA5/PICK SIX4/JACKPOT3 bids for some well - deserved black type and goes a trip. 3:50PM The Scarlet Lady (F&M)(Listed) - 1750m Scottsville 6 SAME TRAINER:(2-5)(6-8) Glen Kotzen’s Luna Child comes off an unplaced run in the Lady’s Dynasty 1 Sabina’s Dynasty(BJ Crawford) G Cheyne... 3 61.5 Pendant at Fairview at her last start. Her earlier form is fair but Silvano 2 MIYABI GOLD(J Snaith) R Fourie...... 5 60.0 Horse Chestnut 3 Miss Smarty Pants(D Kannemeyer) K De Melo.. 6 57.0 her last win was achieved in the Eastern Cape and she may have Tiger Ridge 4 Folk Dance(PA Peter) G Lerena...... 9 57.0 to do a bit more. Ideal World 5 Talitha Borealis(J Snaith) L J Ferraris...... 8 57.0 Ideal World 6 Luna Child(GS Kotzen) M Yeni...... 11 57.0 Where’s That Tiger 7 Perfect Tigress(MG & AA Azzie) M v Rensburg.... 4 55.5 The Azzies look to make a big claim in KZN this season and Perfect Judpot 8 Expedite(GS Kotzen) W Kennedy...... 7 55.5 Tigress could give them a flying start. The daughter of Where’s Trippi 9 Jamra(SG Tarry) L Hewitson...... 1 52.5 Twice Over 10 Reactive Glaze(MD Miller) KS Sakayi...... 2 50.0 That Tiger ran a cracker to beat the well-performed Chariot Of Kildonan 11 Kilmokea(RA Hill/SR Hill) G Wright...... 10 50.0 Gold last time and never really runs a bad race. Var 12 Woodstock Fairy(C Bass-Robinson) R Munger...12 50.0 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 5 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 6 weekend racing

only managed a maiden score up North. No Holiday For Madonna Alan Greeff’s improving Silvano filly Jaleika has adjusted well East Cape Oaks (L) Fairview Friday to the Eastern Cape and has won two of her last three starts Justin Snaith sends the Dynasty filly Madonna to Port Elizabeth on since shedding her maiden certificate on the polytrack. She Friday to contest the Listed East Cape Oaks. The step is part of a caught the eye at her best performance to date when beat- bigger plan to run her in the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 during the SA ing My Miracle with ease last time. She tries the 2000m for Champions Season. the first time and should get the trip with ease. Friday will be Madonna’s acid test and she will have plenty in her Geoff Woodruff raider Fly Thought only arrives in Port Eliz- favour with jockey Aldo Domeyer up from a 1 gate. While she abeth on Thursday evening after the long road trip from can’t beat the local star Just Chaos at the weights, she has her Gauteng. The daughter of Philanthropist won her maiden over seventh run and is improving all the time. She showed a decent 1800m at Turffontein at her fourth start. She has shown little turn of foot to easily defeat Duchess Of Bourbon at Kenilworth in her subsequent three starts. last time and must be a major contender for top honours. Off a rating of 57, and after three ordinary runs since winning The highest rated filly in the race, Sharon Kotzen’s Just Chaos won her maiden, Boldness looks hopelessly outclassed in this field. three on the trot at home late last year. She was considered good Just Call Me Angel is a one-time winning daughter of Judpot enough to travel to the Cape and Gauteng to contest the respective who has an enormous task at the weights with her official Fillies Guineas in those regions. That was a brave plan that failed rating of 56. She has shown nothing in her recent starts to to produce – and then she was thrown into the East Cape Guineas suggest that she will have any chance here. against the boys at her return run. If her spirit hasn’t been shat- Madonna and Just Chaos look the two to fight this out. tered, she could bounce back to her best and run this lot down. There shouldn’t be anything in it. Glen Kotzen travels from his Paarl home base with July winner Big City Life’s Oratorio half-sister Snapscan. The one-time winner should enjoy the extra test of distance. Epic Storm relocated from the Bass-Robinson yard after failing to win Cape Champ For Hong Kong a race in the Cape and won her first South African jockey Aldo Domeyer will call Sha Tin home East Cape Oaks (Listed) start here in February. She appeared with the 32-year-old signing on for the rest of the season past winners to be best at 2000m early on and with the Jockey Club. 2016 could surprise. The South China Morning Post confirms that Domeyer will go 1 Solana 60.0 ( 1) 33/10 2 Arabian Winter 60.0 ( 5) 22/10 Yvette Bremner’s My Miracle enjoys to Hong Kong looking to fill the sizeable hole left by the depar- 3 Entrechat 60.0 ( 6) 16/10 ture of Brazilian Silvestre de Sousa last month, who returned 2017 a 2kg turnaround at the weights with 1 Fortissimus 60.0 ( 7) 8/1 home to Britain to fulfil a retainer for King Power Racing. 2 Beataboutthebush 60.0 ( 5) 16/10 Jaleika who beat her 3,75 lengths last 3 Baroness Mary 60.0 ( 9) 37/10 time. While that may not be enough Since de Sousa’s departure, champion jockeys Zac Purton 2018 1 Widow’s Lamp 60.0 (12) 71/20 to turn the tables, she has won over and Joao Moreira have accounted for more than a third of all 2 Queen Forever 60.0 ( 9) 47/20 winners, saluting in 22 of the 63 races. 3 Searching 60.0 ( 3) 16/1 the 2000m and has proven a model of consistency. Domeyer comes from South Africa with a big reputation, hav- The beautifully ing secured the his first Cape Champion Jockey title last year, START PA5/PICK SIX4/JACKPOT3 bred Solemn earning him a spot in Singapore’s International Jockeys’ Chal- 3:45PM East Cape Oaks (3yo F)(L)(Turf) - 2000m lenge. He will begin his contract at Happy Valley on May 1. Fairview 7 SAME TRAINER:(5-6-7) Promise has her first run in the His current strike rate in South Africa sits around 20 per cent, Just As Well 1 Just Chaos(SB Kotzen) L Mxothwa...... 3 60.0 Dynasty 2 MADONNA(J Snaith) A Domeyer...... 1 60.0 Eastern Cape on placing him among the best in the world with 980 winners to Oratorio 3 Snapscan(GS Kotzen) B Fayd’herbe...... 4 60.0 Elusive Fort 4 My Miracle(Y Bremner) L Hewitson...... 6 60.0 transfer from his name along with three Group One wins. Silvano 5 Jaleika(AC Greeff) G Cheyne...... 7 60.0 Gauteng. The Judpot 6 Solemn Promise(AC Greeff) X Ndlovu...... 2 60.0 Hong Kong-based South African trainer Tony Millard had ear- Captain Al 7 Epic Storm(AC Greeff) T Gould...... 8 60.0 plan is obviously Philanthropist 8 Fly Thought(GV Woodruff) C Maujean...... 10 60.0 lier this month publicly called on the Jockey Club to bolster Judpot 9 Just Call Me Angel(GD Smith) M Yeni...... 9 60.0 to find her some the jockeys’ ranks because a lack of depth in top-line riders. Bold Silvano 10 Boldness(JVA Strydom) K Steyn...... 5 60.0 black after she SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 7 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 8 weekend racing Far - Even On A Friday Glenlair Trophy (L) Fairview Friday A genuine test of stamina, the 3200m R150 000 Listed Glenlair Trophy shares the Good Friday feature billing at Fairview. Jacques Strydom has a knack of prepping the stayers and he may feel he can go one better this time round with the 7yo Frikkie, who was runner-up behind Desert Wisdom in last year’s race. Frikkie is a genuine stayer who produces a strong finish off apace and he strips fit after two decent prep runs. The Mullins Bay gelding Chappaquiddick has not been at his best for some time and would need to recapture his better earlier form – the likes of chasing Plano for a hard-earned second in the PE Gold Cup last year. The Cape raider Ballad Of The Sea is stakes placed over ground in his home province and has threatened without quite delivering at his recent starts. This should give the Australian-bred 4yo an excellent chance to register a second win and the stable has done well with their raiding parties up the Garden Route. Tara Laing has won this race three times and her 2018 PE Gold Cup winner Plano must have a big shout after two fair prep runs over shorter. Evolver has relocated from Gauteng and earned at five of his 6 PE starts. The son of Gimmethegreenlight has won up to 2400m and now takes on stronger company over 800m further. Angel Of Athens has done well since relocating to Sharon Kotzen from the Cape and is another who has her first dip in marathon waters Second of the Tara Laing duo, topweight Sheet Weaver ran a gutsy third in the Gold Vase at Greyville last year and will easily get the trip here. He could be good enough to run into the place money. Sharon Kotzen’s Lakeside Handicap winner Multi Gold is a progressive 4yo in this region and a horse that looks very likely to stay the 3200m. He is 1,5kgs worse off with Evolver whom he beat a length last time. Jacques Strydom also saddles Omaha Tribe and the Ideal World filly, Onesie. Omaha Tribe has been off form for ages and has not won ina long time. Onesie is another who hasn’t shown any spark in some time and she would be a shock winner. The former Mathew trained Gauteng based Blue Sage has her first run in the Eastern Cape. The daughter of Russian Sage has not tried the distance previously and while Glenlair Trophy (Listed) she stayed fairly well up to 2000m, past winners this will be a different story. 2017 1 Kingston Mine 53.5 (2) 12/1 A tricky staying handicap where it 2 Coltrane 56.0 (9) 28/10 may be best to look to the proven 3 Arezzo 53.0 (1) 5/2 2018 trainers of the longhaulers. That 1 Desert Wisdom 54.5 (8) 9/1 2 Frikkie 53.0 (3) 16/1 would be Jacques Strydom with 3 My World 56.5 (7) 7/2 Frikkie and Tara Laing with Plano and Sheet Weaver. START PA4/PICK SIX3/JACKPOT2 Best of the 3:05PM Glenlair Trophy (Listed)(Turf) - 3200m others and the Fairview 6 SAME TRAINER:(1-3)(4-8)(5-7)(6-9-11) horse with the Ideal World 1 Sheet Weaver(T Laing) C Maujean...... 10 60.0 Teofilo 2 Ballad Of The Sea(C Bass-Robinson) L Hewitson..11 58.5 most scope Silvano 3 PLANO(T Laing) R Munger...... 9 58.5 Gimmethegreenlight 4 Evolver(GD Smith) M Yeni...... 5 57.0 looks to be Ideal World 5 Multi Gold(SB Kotzen) X Ndlovu...... 7 57.0 Multi Gold. Elusive Fort 6 Frikkie(JVA Strydom) D De Gouveia...... 4 56.5 Gitano Hernando 7 Angel Of Athens(SB Kotzen) L Mxothwa..... 1 54.5 Mullins Bay 8 Chappaquiddick(GD Smith) T Gould...... 6 52.0 Ideal World 9 Onesie(JVA Strydom) G Cheyne...... 8 52.0 Russian Sage 10 Blue Sage(GW Uren) K Minnie...... 3 52.0 Ashaawes 11 Omaha Tribe(JVA Strydom) K Steyn...... 2 52.0 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 9 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 10 news The General Idea! Justin Snaith’s smashing Frankel colt General Franco came A Strange Tuesday At Kenilworth out and annihilated his opposition on an eventful day at On a sombre note, there were two accidents at Kenilworth Kenilworth on Tuesday. on Tuesday – and thankfully in both cases the horses in- The R4 million Cape volved seem to be okay. Premier Yearling Sale However, sadly jockeys S’manga Khum- graduate was expected alo and Aldo Domeyer are believed to find the 1000m on the to have been taken to Vincent Pallotti short side. But after seem- hospital for further examination. ing to be outpaced early In the second race, the Stipes re- on he saw daylight at the ported that: 400m and stormed home. Approaching the 50m IBRA (S Khum- The winner’s dam Pale alo) took an awkward incomplete Moon Rising is Irish bred, stride for no apparent reason and S’manga Khumalo and has already produced both front legs folded underneath, a couple of winners in the General Franco | Chase Liebenberg which resulted in the filly falling and the rider was dislodged. UK – both by Galileo AYE AYE (B Fayd’Herbe), which was following took evasive “He surprised me. It’s not easy to win first time and over a action to avoid the fallen horse and rider losing all momen- distance short of what should be his best. I’d love to see him tum. CROSSCOURT (CROSS COURT) (L Mxothwa) was forced to over the mile,” quipped jockey Richard Fourie after earning switch outwards away from the fallen horse. The Veterinary his easiest commission of the month. Surgeon was requested to examine IBRA and submit a report. Racing for Jack Mitchell and his daughter Nancy Hossack, The paramedics attended to Jockey S Khumalo who was trans- General Franco could really not have been more impressive ported by ambulance to a hospital. In view of the Veterinary and may now be put on the shelf for the Cape Summer Sea- Surgeon’s report, Trainer J Ramsden will be advised that this fil- son and a possible crack at the Cape Guineas in December. ly is suspended indefinitely in terms of Rule 93.1, and until a full Veterinary report is submitted to the satisfaction of the Board. Jonathan Snaith was on duty and said that the colt had gone shin-sore prior to his planned debut in the Listed baby fea- In the sixth race, the Stipes reported that: ture on Met day. An Inquiry will be held into the reason why AFTER GLOW (A “He shows good speed at home but he is a mile to 2000m horse. Domeyer) fell and dislodged the rider at about the 150m. Jock- Well done to Klawervlei. John Freeman was adamant that this ey A Domeyer was attended to by the paramedics. was the one he wanted. Jack Mitchell had to go the extra mile to We were able to ascertain from a family member of Aldo get him. We are not really that comfortable to pay these sort of Domeyer that he is in a lot of pain and there may well be a prices with stakes as they currently are,” he added soberly. fracture in his back. But he is required to undergo further med- John Freeman, who purchased the chestnut on behalf of Jack ical tests. No further information was available. Mitchell, paid compliments to the Snaiths and Richard Fourie Tabnews reported as follows on S’manga Khumalo – “He had who looked after the youngster ‘as his owner would have slurred speech, felt drowsy, a headache and neck pain. He also wanted him to’. reported a thumb injury. He was sent to hospital for x-rays and “I cant take a helluva lot of credit for buying him – he wasn’t further examination” said Kenilworth on-course medical officer that hard to choose,” said Freeman who congratulated the Dr Godwin Carelse. breeders and said that it was exciting to watch a Frankel In a sequel to the Khumalo fall, Tellytrack formally apologised youngster win in South Africa. to the racing fraternity for their insensitive broadcasting of the Frankel took his global stakes footprint reach to seven coun- incident. tries when he produced his first South African stakes win- It has generally been the case to avoid screening these types of ner, courtesy of his Avontuur-bred chestnut daughter Miss incidents – despite the age restriction on the channel and the Frankel, who stormed to victory in the Listed KwaZulu-Natal fact that we are all aware that both rider and horse risk injury Stakes at Scottsville at end March. every time they step on to a racetrack. Miss Frankel is a daughter of Var’s Equus champion Val De Ra, who won 11 of her 13 starts, including four Gr1’s.

Clever Buyers Come Prepared The FREE Buyer’s Guide is an amazing, detailed summary of dam and siblings of sale yearlings.

Download the Buyer’s Guide from www.sportingpost.co.za SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 11 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 12 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 13 opinion

Of course, one can always change a name, but, aside from the The Game of the Name expense, a lot of people are superstitious. “John Newsome be- lieved it was bad luck to change the name of a horse,” continues Should Yearlings Be Named Or Not? John, “and with some of them, one has to wonder what people From the sublime to the ridiculous - the issue of naming horses is were thinking.” Client Jack Mitchell thumbs his nose at super- something of a hot potato, particularly when it comes to sales time. stition, regularly changing the names of his purchases. “Futura Local notables have included the likes of Spook And Diesel, Kokorot was called something else when we bought him,” recalls John. Sop and Green Tractor, with some less flattering ones including Goat, “I think it was a random Latin name and we couldn’t work out Donkey, Mule and I’m No Tortoise, along with the Raymond Deacon the name or the relevance. We asked Guy Murdoch who said owned Pistol Dawn and perennial favourite, Hoof Hearted. he didn’t mind if we changed it. Because he was out of Scrib- Mark Tarry reversed Foveros to come up with Sorevof - particularly bling the Cat, Nancy Mitchell suggested looking at typefaces. clever as the colt was out of Play Back. Snaith Racing had their hands Some were already taken, some were protected, but they let us full with President Trump, before rumblings from across the pond have Futura, which I like. It sounds like a mythical creature.” saw the name changed to Fake News and Brett Crawford conditioned “I think naming a horse is very personal – it’s like naming a child. the three-time winning De Kock (by Dynasty out of Sharp Performer), When a guy breeds a horse, he lives with it for a year and then after globe-trotting trainer, Mike. 2013 saw an extra helping of Black sells it on to someone who is presumably going to spend the rest Caviar, before the NHA insisted that the name be changed to Black of their lives with the horse and it’s their responsibility to live with Beluga. Recent favourites have included the cheekily named Takingth- the name. I believe vendors should sell horses unnamed accord- epeace and Joyphyllypist (sadly reduced to the pedestrian Jay P). ing to international practice, but to be quite honest, there are The vote seems split down the middle as to whether horses should so many things I have to look at on the page of a yearling, that I be sold named or not. We canvassed opinions and stories from promise you the name is the last thing. I really couldn’t care less. both sides of the fence. You don’t buy the name – it’s the most irrelevant thing,” he says firmly. Against Mary Slack In the ‘anti’ camp is bloodstock agent John Freeman, who recalled, “Laurie Jaffee refused to buy a horse that was named. He led the Mary Slack has continued the tradition started by her parents and campaign to insist that horses were sold unnamed. He wanted the is well known for the time and enthusiasm that goes into naming rights to name the horses he raced.” their horses. She even did it professionally for a time, running a SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 14 the game of the name naming agency with Liz Wilson. “We had a lot of fun and we did there are lots of horses that get hurt or injured and don’t get to enjoy it, but it became a bit overwhelming,” she admits. But she the course and you think, damn, I wish I hadn’t given them such a still enjoys the challenge of selecting something special. nice name because it’s a waste.” “It’s incredibly difficult and getting worse because more and more “I think I drive the Jockey Club mad, although normally you get go. You might think you have brilliant name and then someone else what you want. For example, I’d wanted to call Live Life Coldplay. has had it for some unknown reason. It used to be 15 years before I tried everything to get permission to use the name, but didn’t you could reuse a name, but I think it’s less now,” she muses. get any feedback and the Jockey Club said no because it was the “The Jockey Club have a name database online and that’s the first name of a famous band. And then they allowed it for another port of call. Then you can put in a name and think you’ve got it, horse. I think the Jockey Club gets a lot of flak, particularly if but you still might not. They’ll look again and not allow it - some- someone has wanted a name and been told no and then some- times as much as six months later, which is incredibly annoying.” one else gets it, but their rules change.” “There are even more complications if you get an imported horse “Recently, we named a foal out of River Jetez Watershed, which is – then you’ve got to clear it here AND wherever it came from – like also a band. We wrote them a letter to ask permission and they the English Jockey Club – and that takes forever and eventually you wrote back and said with pleasure. In fact, the only one who ever give up because it’s just hopeless. It’s just difficult, is all I can say.” said no was Pirelli, the tyre people. The Joburg office said yes, but “We try and do something clever, not just putting the names of that they’d need to speak to the head office in Italy. They did and the sire and dam together, if you follow me, so we look at the came back with a sweet reply that they were happy for us to use stallion and the dam and try and come up with something that is it, but we would need to guarantee that it would be a good horse, clever and has connections to both names.” so we said no. But I generally work very hard to get permission.” She recalls a National Assembly colt out of Seeking The Wind as a Any names she regrets? “One year we named a colt who broke a leg standout. “I gave it a political name which I thought was com- at around 16 months. He hadn’t race, so we asked the Jockey Club pletely genius – Hot Air. That’s an example of what we try and to release the name as the mare produced another colt the follow- look for. Dynasty was out of Blakes Affair and named for Blake ing year. They said fine and we re-used the name and that one died from the soap opera. He also had a sister named Clandestine.” at 8 months, so we’ll never use that name again,” she says decisively. “There have been lots of good ones,” continues Mary, “The mare Sorrento who produced Asylum Seeker was called Running North, so we Another farm that goes to great lengths in naming their foals is Sor- had Asylum Seeker and a few things like Gap Year and Traveller’s rento and Annabel Andrews shared the story of their mare Aretha. Cheque – those were all nice, but you can never tell.” “We went for musical names, so Aretha’s first foal was Noctur- “Hot Air was a brilliant name that was completely wasted as nal Affair (after the band). Then there was Armatrading and he died before reaching the track (although Seeking The Wind Ladysingstheblues, but James Blunt was the best,” she says. “I’m redeemed herself by producing Met winner Martial Eagle a few absolutely crazy about James Blunt. He used to ride in the army years later). “Dynasty was obviously a good name that came and a friend’s sister is married to James’ best friend. One day we right. Europa Point was another good name because she’s by were all in the pool and we thought why don’t we just ask James? Rock of Gibraltar and Europa Point is a cape nearby. I never sell He said fine, as long as it’s not a Shetland Pony!” anything without a name. I have such fun trying to do it.” “The late Peter Mills used to have a foal party once a year. He Pippa Mickleburgh had lunch at his house in Somerset West and would give you all The Avontuur doyenne takes a pragmatic approach. “There’s the breeding and which sites you could check and then we’d all sit always the decision whether to name or not to name. The way and vote and we got some fantastic names.” I look at it is that it’s for me to keep track of where these horses Mick Goss / Summerhill go and who is running where and what. They’re much easier to “Over the years we’ve had a couple of different themes and at follow if I’ve named them.” one time we became known (notorious!) for adopting Zulu names “A lot of people think the owner has the right to name the horse. (Igugu, Nhlavini) in order to give our horses a place-specific brand. I think I have the right until I sell it and when I sell it, they have While that was especially useful when it came to reserving names as the right to name it. If someone really hates the name, then I there were few Zulu precedents at the Jockey Club, we had a couple don’t mind. Well, I do, but it’s their horse, but in all the years I’ve of illiterate presenters and commentators who completely lost their been naming horses, I only truthfully know of 3 that have ever way with the pronunciations, particularly when there was a tight had their name changed, which is amazing, so we’re obviously finish between two of them (for example, Imbongi and Umngazi choosing the right ones!” who fought out a tight finish for the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run “We start as soon as the first foals start arriving – we don’t name Cup). Otherwise we’ve lived by the belief that a good horse usually foals until they are born - and we reserve names as we go along. has a good name, and if we can find something connected with the Often it’s the names of good books or movies that might be a genealogy from the reservoir of intellectuals we have around us (re- bit oblique for the man in the street, but 99% of the time it’s got member, the KZN Midlands is home to some of the nation’s leading something to do with mom and dad.” private and public schools, our staff etc) we’ll use it.” Has she has any favourites over the years? “There are lots one “That said, the one thing I do insist on is having a role of approv- can think of. We used to name a lot of horses after soccer play- al myself with the horses carrying the Summerhill brand: South ers, like Cantona (Model Man – Avon Rouge) and Escobar (Do- Africa is one of the few countries in the world where breeders get minion Royale – Hot Grass). I also liked Attenborough by Western to name their horses, and I’ve always felt there’s an intimacy and Winter out of In Camera, but you try with all of them. Of course responsibility in that.” SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 15 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 16 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 17

NATIONAL YEARLING SALE Ready For First Season Sires Some Serious At Nationals This is the dream game - and the major- ity of buyers in the game surely dream Stargazing? of being on the right side of the next successful sire. The 43rd renewal of South Africa’s best We have provided the background and established complete yearling sale most have already been introduced. will be held at the TBA Sales Complex There can be rich rewards if you are are in Germiston over three days, starts willing to back your judgement and gut Wednesday 24 April. feel in the hope of striking oil. The role of honour of this star-studded Meet the newbies with their first crops at platform of champions includes a host of Nationals. SA Horse Of The Year title holders - from Read more here recently deceased outstanding stallion Dynasty, to his champion sons Futura and Legislate, as well as magic miler Legal Eagle and Equus Champion Do It Again. Palace National Yearling Sale has been Your Guide To Gold The latter, a bright star on our racing apportioned into a first and second ses- landscape, is set to defend his 2018 Gr1 sion over the three days of trading: Vodacom Durban July and 2019 Gr1 L’Or- marins Queen’s Plate titles. Lot 1- 240 are subject to a minimum bid of R100 000 And then there’s the exciting 3yo’s of the ilk of Mike de Kock’s R1 million graduate, Lot 241 – 565 are subject to a minimum the newsmaking future star Hawwaam, bid of R50 000 and the Eastern Cape giantkiller National Day 1 will cover lots 1-185, Day 2 con- Park – a peach of a buy at R240 000. tinues with lots 186-400, while Day 3 They all have one thing in common. They winds up the action and takes buyers The FREE Buyer’s Guide is an amazing, withstood the glare of the bright lights in through to the curtain call on lot 565. detailed summary of dam and siblings the adrenaline charged National Yearling Long hours. Lots of headscratching. But of 2019 National Yearling Sale yearlings. all worth it. Sale arena - and there are a further 565 It gives insight to what to expect of year- hand-picked youngsters waiting for that We have done some of the groundwork lings in terms of class, stamina, sale price. for prospective buyers. Now it’s your shrewd lifechanging bid. It’s simple – our No serious buyer should be without it! future stars are all in the book! call. Be informed and read more As was the case in 2018, the Emperors Read more here Who Will Top Charts? Varsfontein Stud have enjoyed success Willy - And Other Wizards at the National Yearling Sale with the Summerhill Sales will be offering an 11 strong draft at the Nationals. Every champion farm responsible for the sales yearling in the draft was sired by a GR1 winner! topping yearling in both 2017 and 2018. Summerhill Stud’s well performed Dubawi horse Willow Magic dominates this After setting a new 40 year sales record of draft, with the former Gr1 AS Nursery winner the sire of seven of the Summerhill R5 million in 2017 with the Var filly Goddess Sales’ yearlings. Willow Magic’s first crop of yearlings on offer include Hot Poppi Var (now named Ghaalla) who was sold to (Lot 248), a filly whose seven time winning dam is a ¾ sister to champion sprint- UK based Shadwell Racing, the Varsfontein er Mythical Flight, Look Of Eagles (Lor 341) – a colt from the family of Australian team saw their handsome Dynasty colt champion Faint Perfume, and Willow’s Wish (Lot 356). The latter is a colt out of Track Attack – a half-brother to champion the Kahal sired Fillies Guineas winner Fisani, from the same female line as Epsom Yorker – set a new high of R5,2 million to a Derby winners Sir Percy and Teenoso. bid by Form Bloodstock on the second day of the National Yearling Sale last year. Willow Magic is also responsible for Willy The Wizard (Lot 374), a colt whose dam is a winning half-sister to the above mentioned Fisani, a half-brother (Lot 383) to four The long time leading vendors will once winners including Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes runner up Lala, a half-brother (Lot 426) to again be looking to top proceedings when the very smart performer Euphoria, and a filly (Lot 461) from the immediate family of they consign more than 30 high quality Kentucky Derby winner Go For Gin. Read more here yearlings - five as agent - at the 2019 renewal next week. SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 18 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 19 opinion

Ratings, the stallion statistic which rates sires using their offspring’s AR, Making Sense: going back in time. Power Of Ratings can be found on the main page of our website, as Ability Rating (AR) Adjustment well as on individual stallion pages on the website, and in the yearly Sires publication. Some good housekeeping & getting in line with UK ratings The universal adjustment gives an opportunity, too, to align our AR with Ability Ratings (AR) in our publications have been universally international ratings, notably the RPR of Racing Post/Raceform in UK adjusted this week, to allow comparisons between crops over (the level of which runs slightly below Timeform’s TFR). an extended period of years. The adjustment also provides an To that end we calculated the overall level of the RPR (by sex) and use opportunity to bring Ability Ratings (AR) in line with English that as a base to adjust our AR to the same level, crop by crop. rating of Raceform/Racing Post (RPR). So now an English horse Each crop, between 1996 to 2015, consists of some 1400 rated horses rated (for example) RPR 99 will be more or less the same as of each sex to be adjusted individually. one of our horses rated AR 99. This is done by making the median lifetime-best AR of all horses with a Ability Ratings (AR) show how good a horse is, or isn’t. The rating (ie AR > 0) the same from year to year. ratings follow a Normal distribution, graphically represented in a bell curve for a population of horses of the same sex. AR shows A fun side benefit turned out to be the ability to put a number on what by how much a horse’s AR differs from that of the average horse it takes to earn black type. of the same sex in that population. For winners of black type races in the period between 1996 and now AR is expressed in a number representing weight (pounds in our we calculated mean and median AR for males and females – somewhat case, as well as in UK). surprisingly mean and medium turned out to be exactly the same. The daily calculations of AR are based on results of races, in For males the average AR to win Gr1 is 108, Gr2 104, Gr3 100 and terms of weight carried in the race and beaten lengths at the Listed 97. finish. For females the average AR is 102 (Gr1), 99 (Gr2), 96 (Gr3), 92 (L). In addition, there is a weight-for-age (WFA) component, to com- The difference in AR between the sexes of about 5lbs is the same as for pensate for immaturity of younger horses. all AR ratings in the total population. It seems a 5 pound sex allowance WFA is expressed in a number representing a weight allowance makes sense! (pounds), depending on the age of a horse, the distance of a race, and the time of year. WFA is not a real number, but an approximation of how the aver- age horse matures over time. Merit Ratings - Don’t Be Blinded This is shown in the WFA table. Different racing bodies use varia- tions of this table. The result of Saturday’s running of the Empress Club Stakes has again induced some ridicule aimed at the much-maligned Merit WFA has an influence on the overall level of ratings in a Rating (MR) system. population. The winner of the race went off at an SP of 66/1 and paid R51.20 on The most widely used WFA table (internationally) causes an auto- the tote, implying that everyone thought the winner had less than a matic rise in the overall level of ratings over time. two percent chance of winning the race. We experimented with WFA during the Nineties over an extend- Jay August writes in the Sporting Post Mailbag that the winner was ed period of time. MR ranked 11th of the 13 horses in the race and horses so ranked By adjusting the numbers, we found it was possible to slow the generally win no more than 4.6% of all races they enter. increase and even reverse it. That equates to odds of around 20/1 and so the long odds available Our final (adjusted) WFA table, for our own use only, was close to for the winner were therefore not surprising, and perhaps even pro- our objective of keeping the ratings at the same level from year vided compelling value. to year. Is the MR system really that bad and is this result evidence of that? It had an effect of reducing AR by about half a pound per year, If the MR system is indeed poor at rating (handicapping) horses, es- which on predicting outcome of races had little effect in the pecially in fixed weight or weight-for-age races, then one should see short term. that, on average, the MR rankings provide no help to punters when However, half a pound per year translates into 5lb in a decade, deciding on the winner. and 10lb in two decades, from the Nineties to today. The facts are quite the opposite though and show just how far from This explains why the overall level of our yearly ratings shows a reality any negative perception of Merit Ratings is. As I’ll show the marked drop compared to the Nineties. MR system has a good ability to predict results. Because little of the influence of the drop was felt in the short A table published on www.sportingpost.co.za shows all races run this term, we did not make corrections over the 20 year period of season from August 1, 2018, and up to April 11, 2019. time - but there is reason to want to do so now. Shown are the winning stats for all MR Ranked horses from MR rank The adjustment is important in the calculation of our Power Of 1-13, thirteen being the field size of Saturday’s race.Read more here

Missed recent results? Click here for a quick link to the Sporting Post website SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 20 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 21 news

Bize – MR Appeal Dismissed An independent panel consisting of Messrs R S Napier, K Nicol and J Ver- maak convened on 16 April 2019 by teleconference to hear an MR Appeal lodged by Mr Colin Gordon on behalf of BIZE’s adjusted merit racing of 97 from her rating of 79 following her 4th place finish in the Grade 2 Wilgerbos- drift S A Oaks over 2450m at Turffon- tein Racecourse on 30 March 2019. The Appeal panel was of the opinion that BIZE’S adjusted and published Merit Rating was correct and con- sequently dismissed the appeal and refunded the deposit. The Appeal Panel strongly recommend- ed that the Handicappers elaborate as to how the Guidelines are applied so that the public/interested parties gain more clarity. Hewitson’s Week Off The National Horseracing Authority con- firms that at an Inquiry held in Durban on 15 April 2019, Jockey Lyle Hewitson was charged with a contravention of Rule 62.2.7.

George Can Do It! Richard Fahey is hoping that George Bowen can provide him with a fourth Lyle Hewitson victory in the £150,000 Betway All-Weather Sprint Championship on £1-million All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Good Friday at Lingfield Park This arose in that as the rider of ELNORA, he failed to ensure that he did not cause The Malton-based trainer boasts a remarkable record in the six-furlong Polytrack interference to other runners when shifting contest, having sent out the winner or had placed horses in all five runnings, including outwards in the closing stages of Race 1 at three victories courtesy of dual champion Alben Star (2014 & 2016) and Kimberella the Greyville Racecourse on 7 April 2019. (2017). Jockey Hewitson pleaded guilty and was George Bowen heads into Good Friday following three appearances this All-Weather found guilty of the charge. Championships season and the 107-rated seven-year-old gained an easy success on his The Inquiry Board after considering the ev- latest outing in a six-furlong Polytrack handicap at Kempton Park on March 30. idence, imposed a penalty of a suspension The son of Dark Angel is a 10/1 chance with race sponsor Betway, which makes star of 7 days. Jockey Hewitson has the Right of sprinter Kachy the 4/6 favourite to follow up an impressive victory in the Listed Bet- Appeal against the severity of the penalty way Cleves Stakes at Lingfield Park on February 2, when he broke the course record. imposed. SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 22 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 23 news

sprinter who will get a three-year-old Snaith’s Champion Plans allowance in the Poinsettia and this Justin Snaith has confirmed that Do It Again’s SA Champi- will be a very nice race for her. If all ons Season priority would be the defence of his Vodacom goes well there she will go for the SA Durban July crown. Fillies Sprint.” July first entries closed on Wednesday. He said, “Snowdance will also go for the SA Fillies Sprint. The Queen’s Do It Again was magnificent as a three-year-old and has de- Plate took a lot out of her so I rested veloped into a monster of a horse this season. The Twice Over her after the Majorca and now have gelding is likely to have a titanic clash with his arch rival Rainbow her the best I have had her since her Bridge in the July and the outcome will almost certainly decide Do It Again | Chase Liebenberg three-year-old season. She has been this season’s Horse Of The Year title. Rainbow Bridge’s chief unlucky and is not done yet.” Champions Season target became a forgone conclusion when purchased in training by owning and breeding doyen Mike Snaith then spoke about his three-year-olds, “Bunker Hunt will only Rattray, whose lifelong dream has been to win South Africa’s come into his own over 2000m, so he will need the outing in the KRA greatest race.Snaith’s only uncertainty at present is whether Guineas and then be ready for the Daily News where he could be Do It Again will have a pipe opening run in the Drill Hall Stakes competitive. on Champions Season opening night, Friday May 4. His defi- Madonna will run in the East Cape Oaks and if she runs well she will nite targets are the Grade 1 wfa Rising Sun Gold Challenge and go for the Woolavington 2000. the July. Silvano’s Pride ran a good race in the Umzimkhulu as she is not a There will also be an Equus Award-deciding clash of the titans 1400m horse. She had it all to do and was on the wrong leg the in the Rising Sun between Do It Again and Soqrat. whole way in her first try at a right hand track so under the circum- Do It Again is in pole position to be named Equus Champion stances it was a good effort to finish a close third. She can’t carry Miler, being the winner of the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s on doing it the hard way from the front though, so I want to try and Plate and the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes. However, Soqrat teach her to settle.” was a narrow runner up in the Queen’s Plate and has won two Snaith said he had his best ever two-year-old crop and had brought Grade 1 miles, the Cape Guineas and the wfa HF Oppenheimer some of them to KZN. He said the best of them would avoid the Horse Chestnut Stakes. Their Rising Sun clash on June 8 will Scottsville Festival Of Speed meeting and go for the big Greyville two- likely decide the Miler award. year-old features. - www.goldcircle.co.za Snaith said Do It again had been doing very well since arriving at Summerveld. He also has high hopes for his other two July candidates, Doublemint and Magnificent Seven, and was par- ticularly bullish about the latter. Champions Season Countdown He said, “They are both well weighted and I intend keeping Some of the country’s top horses, including Sun Met win- them well weighted. Doublemint is doing well and will likely ner Rainbow Bridge and Vodacom Durban July and L’Or- run in the WSB 1900. Magnificent Seven has an 80% chance marins Queen’s Plate winner Do It Again, could celebrate of going in that race but I might try and find something a bit the opening meeting of SA Champions Season 2019 at further, as he is better over more ground. He is an all rounder Greyville in Durban on Friday, May 3. and is doing really well. He has taken to Durban like a duck The two equine stars are among the 25 entries for the to water. They are two dark horses, but won’t be dark horses R500 000, Gr2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes come race time. Magnificent Seven’s current July price is par- which, together with the R600 000, Gr2 KRA Guineas and ticularly ridiculous.” R500 000, Gr2 KRA Fillies Guineas, raise the curtain on the Magnificent Seven won the Grade 2 New Turf Carriers Stayers three-month festival of racing operated by Gold Circle from over 2850m on Sun Met day. However, Snaith said the winner May to July that incorporates the world-acknowledged of this race was always severely punished, so he was viewing R4.25-million, Gr1 Vodacom Durban July. the Gold Cup as a bonus race to be considered later. Magnifi- Rainbow Bridge, from the stable of Eric Sands and the Justin cent Seven received eight points for that win and went to 104, Snaith-trained Do It Again will be making their first track the same rating as Doublemint. appearances since filling the first two places in the Sun Met Snaith said a stayer to watch out for though would be Strath- and are both aimed at the country’s premier race on the first don, “He is going to be a big runner in the Champions Season Saturday in July. If confirming their participation, they could staying races.” be joined by the fourth-placed Sun Met finisher Undercover Kasimir will start fast work next week at Summerveld and Agent as well as Gauteng Guineas winner National Park and Snaith might look for a warm up race before running him in Cirillo, the runner-up to the star Mike de Kock winner of the the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint on July 27. Horse Chestnut Stakes, Soqrat. The Pomodoro colt Cirillo He said Silver Maple was nicely handicapped. He said if he ran from the Sean Tarry stable has also been nominated for the well in his opening race the Tsogo Sun Sprint would then be KRA Guineas. targeted. He said, “I saved him for the Durban season.” See the entries on www.sportingpost.co.za He continued, “Juniper Spring is a very nice three-year-old SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 24 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 25 news

Summerveld Incident – Jockey Fined The National Horseracing Authority confirms that at an inquiry held in Durban on 15 April 2019, Jockey Billy Jacobson was charged with a contravention of Rule 72.1.18. This arose in that as a licensed jockey, whilst at the Summerveld Training Centre on 28 March 2019, he swore at licensed officials, namely Messrs B Ngcobo, R Jeewanlall, D Anderson and T Nhlapo. In addition, Jockey Jacobson was charged with a contravention of Rule 72.1.25 in that he behaved in an improper manner by walking towards Mr B Ngcobo, the Starter, in an aggressive manner. Jockey Jacobson pleaded guilty to the contraven- tion of Rule 72.1.18 and pleaded not guilty to the contravention of Rule 72.1.25. The Inquiry Board having considered the particu- lars of these incidents as well as mitigating factors presented, felt that an appropriate penalty is that Jockey Jacobson be fined the sum of R20 000, R10 000 of which is suspended for a period of 2 years on condition that he is not found guilty of a contravention of any of the conduct related Rules during this period. Jockey Jacobson has the Right of Appeal against the finding and the penalty in respect of the Rule 72.1.25 finding and against the severity of the penalty in respect of the Rule 72.1.18 finding. Please also see cover story

Interference – Lerena Gets Holiday The National Horseracing Authority confirms that at various inquiries held in March and April Jockey Gavin Lerena was charged with three contraven- tions of Rule 62.2.7. On 5 April 2019, Jockey Lerena was charged with a contravention of Rule 62.2.7, in that whilst riding HAWWAAM, he failed to ensure that he did not cause interference to APPROACH CONTROL, at the 200m in Race 9 run at Turffontein Racecourse on 2 March 2019. The Inquiry Board, in Mr Lerena’s absence, entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf, but found Jockey Ler- ena guilty of the charge and imposed a penalty of a suspension from riding in races for a period of 7 days. He has the Right of Appeal against both the finding and penalty imposed. Read about his other two inquiries here SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 26 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 27 news obituary Tune In Here Gold Circle and Inanda FM 88.4 have joined forces to provide live radio coverage of all the Jackpot races from Greyville and Scottsville Erupt Half-Brother Is Tops in KwaZulu Natal. The service, which is already on air, also includes A strong Niarchos pedigree! a preview of the day’s racing at 08:30 and a wrap of all the racing action approximately 20 minutes after the running of the last race. A son of Invincible Spirit was the star turn on the second day of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale “Gold Circle and Inanda FM 88.4 have signed an initial 5-month agree- when selling for 575,000 guineas, as the two day sale ment, incorporating Champions Season 2019, following which further saw 85 lots sell for 10,343,000 guineas, at an average negotiations will take place,” said Gold Circle’s Racing Executive Raf Sheik. of 121,682 guineas and a median of 85,000 guineas. Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm enjoyed another profitable day when selling their INVINCIBLE SPIRIT colt Newsflash Jockey Injury Update out of the Group 3 winner and Group 1 Prix Vermeille Both S’Manga Khumalo and Aldo Domeyer came out of their third MARE NOSTRUM for 575,000 guineas. heavy falls at Kenilworth on Tuesday without serious injury. The half-brother to the Group 1 winner ERUPT was pur- Tabnews report that Hong Kong bound Domeyer said: chased by Godolphin with Justin Casse the underbidder. “I’ve chipped a bone in my ring finger, and strained some back muscles. The colt did a great breeze – all the more meritorious And my knee is very sore at the moment but there’s no major damage. as his rein snapped through the piece of work meaning “Thankfully there’s no sign of concussion, and I feel fortunate in that the gallop could not be completed successfully. A new it could have been a lot worse.” rein was found and the colt breezed for a second time, Attempts to contact S’Manga Khumalo were unsuccessful. putting in a strong time and a good performance. But MJ Byleveld had liaised with him on Tuesday evening in his capac- “He showed a remarkable temperament to essentially ity as Chairman of the Coastal Jockeys Association. breeze twice and did a good breeze the second time,” said bloodstock agent Anthony Stroud. “He looks a love- “S’Manga had x-rays which didn’t show any major problems. He ly colt, is from a strong Niarchos pedigree and Norman appeared to be relatively fine, and went back to Gauteng on Tuesday does a great job producing these horses.” night.”Cape Head Stipe Ernie Rodriguez was a relieved man. Williamson, who purchased him as a yearling for “When these incidents happened I feared the worst, but I’m thrilled 90,000 euros said: “He proved that he is a good sound that both jockeys and horses have all somehow escaped without colt, he did a fantastic breeze, he is a lovely horse. I major consequences.” have been lucky with the breeder before I sold War Of Will last year.” A son of WAR FRONT, WAR OF WILL was a Grade 1 runner-up last September, finished fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and was successful at Grade 2 level in February. He is trained in the US by Mark Casse, having been purchased by his brother Jus- tin – and today’s underbidder – last spring. Late in the evening US-based bloodstock agent Sam Wright went to 340,000 guineas to secure the Grove Stud consigned SHAMARDAL colt out of PATRONISING on behalf of Hong Kong based clients. Read more here

SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 28 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 29 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 30 Short Heads

Awkward is the euphemism that sprang to mind when watching No Thanks some of the post-race interviews at Turffontein on Saturday. The Mike’s Mambo Money doesn’t always attempt to create a Royal Ascot in the South of Johannesburg At the end of a tough season, talk. The New Zea- wasn’t assisted by some of the ungainly attempts to wear top hats Majestic Mambo was beaten a neck land based owners of and bowler hats. Just like a beret in the Army, it must be worn with in an exciting finish to last Friday six-time Gr1 winner appropriate ‘houding’ - as opposed to looking like a seven single or evening’s Nad Al Sheba Classic Melody Belle have upside down bucket on one’s head. over 2000m at Meydan in Dubai. turned down an offer In his third UAE start, the 2018 of NZ$3.25 million – Durban July-placed gelding was over R30 million - by an slow into stride, but made steady undisclosed Australian progress through the field to get breeder. The Fortuna into a challenging position and ran Races syndicate had an on strongly under Adrie de Vries. overwhelming response Mike de Kock said: “We are happy from their 34 sharehold- with the run considering the little ers, all of whom wanted time we’ve had in preparing him. to continue with the Going through the 400m mark it Jamie Richards-trained looked as if Majestic Mambo would four-year-old. The Com- get there and win, but the winner mands mare has won 11 was a horse in top form, he won by of her 20 starts, includ- almost 5 lengths last week and just ing six-from-eight in the held on, ran to his rating and so did 2018-19 season and a we. Majestic Mambo will be a nice hat-trick of Gr1’s at her Golden horse for next year’s Carnival.” past three outings. Frankel Flyer Justin Snaith’s R4 million Cape Yearling Sale graduate General Bridge Franco spreadeagled his field on Sun Met winner Rainbow Captain Of Wealth debut at Kenilworth on Tuesday Bridge will reportedly work Vaughan Marshall looks to have found to win his 1000m heat by many at Greyville at an, as yet, another cracking captain! Captain Of lengths in facile fashion. The son unspecified time, next Stealth won his second start in a of Frankel was expected to find week. The Eric Sands gal- canter over 1400m at Durbanville the trip on the sharp side but loper, who now races under on Saturday and looks like the gave Richard Fourie an armchair the new ownership of Mike ‘real deal’ at this early stage. Out ride. The handsome chestnut and Norma Rattray, has of the unraced Jet Master mare was bred by Klawervlei from the settled well at Summerveld, The Jet Girl, the lovely colt was a Kingmambo mare, Pale Moon according to reports. He R500 000 Cape Premier Yearling Rising. will have his first start in the Sale buy. The Marshall team Drill Hall Stakes on 3 May. are not travelling to KZN and his next start is likely to be the Langerman. Drakenstein Stud’s bang in-form stallion Duke Of Marmalade had a day to remember on Saturday, when his 2yo daughter True To Life maintained her unbeaten record when scoring at Turffontein, and Dream Dubois his uber game and talented son Scarlet Dream, whose dam is the Count Dubois sired Equus Marmelo won the Gr3 Dubai Duty Champion Asylum Seeker, made a big impression on Saturday Free Finest Surprise Stakes (John when finishing second in the Gr1 Heineken Oaks over 2000m Porter Stakes) at Newbury. Now a at Randwick. The 3yo Sebring filly powered home to take the winner of six of his 18 outings, runner up spot, beaten just 1.75 lengths by the winner Verry El- the Hughie Morrison trained leegant. Trained by Mark Newnham, Scarlet Dream has won or Marmelo, who has banked placed in six of her seven starts, with the Count Dubois grand- over £1 000 000 in prize daughter having also finished third in the recent Gr3 Carlton money, holds big race Draught Kembla Grange Classic over 1600 metres. An A$95 000 entries in both the Gr1 buy from the 2017 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Scarlet Investec Coronation Dream is one of 3 winners produced by South African Gr1 Cup and Gr2 Matchbook winner and champion Asylum Seeker, whose Zoustar filly made Yorkshire Cup. A$190 000 at this year’s Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale. SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 31 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 32

Personality

Gareth Wright the Cape horse would be very tough to beat. But when you are KZN-based rider Gareth Wright celebrates his 29th birthday on bullish about a top three finish, then you have to believe you can Easter Monday. The former Maritzburg College student says his actually win it. And things went our way,” he added modestly. victory on the 50-1 Camphoratus in the HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco Gr1 Empress Club Stakes could not have come at a Was there an all night party in Joburg on Saturday evening after better time. races? "I suppose any time really is a good time for a jockey to ride his first “Oh, no ways! I was riding at Scottsville on Sunday – there were Gr1 winner. But I have waited a very long time for this moment and some horses that we had to get runs under the belt. So I was very it’s the cherry on the top of my bid to keep lifting my game and aware of making sure I had an early night and didn’t let anybody climbing the ladder. But, boy – Saturday sure hasn’t down by not turning up. My girlfriend Kerrin-lee Bodill was on sunk in yet!” course so we went out for a relaxed early supper with Keanan Steyn and a few friends.” Gareth stunned the racing world on Saturday and trampled the formbook into the lush Turf- Gareth is on retainer with the Andre Nel Sabine Plattner Racing fontein turf in the process with a terrific ride team satellite yard run by Byron Foster in KZN. We asked how on the Robbie and Shannon Hill trained filly, he had managed to get rides from the Hills. Camphoratus, who stormed through from “I’m very lucky to have the job with Mrs Plattner and they midfield to grab a last stride win from local have no issues with me riding for other yards where they bridesmaid, Running Brave – surely one of have no runners. It’s worked out well as Mr Hill pulls the unluckiest fillies in racing. out before 5am so I can get to their string and take a “I thought I had a chance at the 300m. few – and then go to Byron.” She was full of running and going well. “I think the turning point with the Hill Racing Team When I switched her in, she seemed to was when I rode Pearl Of Asia click – and then gave me a nice to victory on debut at Scottsville kick. It was only at the 50m on 27 February. He is a lovely colt marker where I thought I had and I have been getting more rides a serious chance of getting from them. The more you ride, the past Running Brave. Camph- better you ride - and the more your con- oratus really put her heart and fidence picks up.” soul into it and gave me her all. I Gareth has been back in Durban for was stunned, elated, thrilled – all about two years now. He says he left packaged into one!” Cape Town at a low point, as he just Trainer Robbie Hill quipped in the wasn’t getting the rides and the oppor- post-race interview that he had given tunities. his owners the confidence that Cam- “I have always been a shy, quiet kind of phoratus would finish in the top three person. In fact when I worked for Justin – bold talk about a 50-1 shot who Snaith he sent me to a sports psycholo- was quite some distance out at the gist to work on my confidence. I think weights! We asked Gareth if he felt that helped me a lot. But when you the same confidence. aren’t riding winners and grappling with “I have ridden her twice in Johannes- issues like confidence and self belief, burg and she improved at both those you quickly realise that jockeyship is not runs – the latest when second in the a team sport and racing can be a pretty lonely Jacaranda Handicap. We discussed it at game. It’s not something the Academy prepares length. Mr Hill was a top jockey and he you for. I’m lucky I have the support of my Mom, and Shannon run a very professional yard. my Gran, my Girlfriend and my Sister. Their encour- This was a plan come together. I thought agement and support is so important.” SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 33 gareth wright

Gareth adds that his introverted and retiring personality didn’t Boland to Umkomaas on the South Coast, where she manages a help him much in the early days either. restaurant, said that the family watch every one of Gareth’s races. “I would ride what I felt wasn’t a particularly good race and would “He’s our champion. We are so proud of him. His Granny is his never let myself get over it or put it behind me. It would stay greatest supporter. He really is so committed and he deserves the with me. I have managed to get over that and am not as hard on success,” she said when asking us if we possibly had a pic of her myself anymore. That positivity in itself induces confidence and son with Princess Charlene. one starts riding better. I think maturity and being content in my Gareth says he is now ready to ride his next big race. domestic life, with great family support, has made all the differ- “I am very fortunate. Unlike certain jockeys, I can ride comforta- ence too. I’m loving riding in Durban and am also enjoying the bly at 53kgs and don’t have to diet and watch what I eat. I spend support of a variety of trainers.” some time in the gym doing strengthening exercises. Myself and Gareth’s father passed away when he and his sister were very young. Kerrin-lee have a nice place in Hillcrest. Life is good and I am feel- He attended Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg and left in ing strong about coming out on top.” grade 10 to join the SA Jockey Academy. He was sixteen years old We pointed out to him a quote he made about the important when he walked through the SAJA doors to commence his new lessons he had learnt about racing in an interview when he had career on 11 January 2007. With him were the likes of now Hong- just turned 20. Kong based Grant van Niekerk, Singapore rider JP van der Merwe, ‘Be persistent. Put yourself out there and keep working. Don’t Tshwaro Appie and Athandiwe Mgudlwa. let racing get you down and keep a positive and level head,’ was Gareth says Des Egdes gave him plenty of early support but his what he told us all those years back. first winner came courtesy of Lowan Denysschen – on a tempera- “It’s amazing how that encapsulates all the basic tenets of building mental filly with a big heart, called Flying Day. a career. It sums up all that I have been trying to do over the past “What a thrill! It was at Scottsville racecourse over 1600m. I nine years. I have no excuses now to go on and show what I’m really remember it so well,” he adds. made of. Thanks for the chat. And I appreciate the chance to thank Gareth’s Mum Karen, who relocated two years ago from the all the people who have supported me. They know who they are.” SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 34 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 35 international

Winx Words Elude Us! Murray’s Singapore Win The Melbourne Cup may be the race that stops the nation, but South African jockey Callan Murray combined with trainer on a sunny Saturday afternoon it was Winx who drew every Michael Clements to spring a major upset with outsider eyeball in Australia. Raheeb in a $75,000 novice race over 1200m at Kranji on A silence fell over the sellout crowd while around the country Sunday. people stopped what they were doing to tune in and watch or The former South African champion apprentice has not listen to the final race. been jumping on many leading chances since he began his The mighty mare saluted one final time past the post in front of a 10-month Singapore stint on March 1. raucous Royal Randwick crowd. The 23-year-old had notched up only one winner, another Jockey Hugh Bowman settled the champion midfield, one off the longshot, Ganassi, two days after his Kranji debut. fence and waited for the perfect time to strike. Murray did not make Raheeb a good thing to end the lean It came at around the 800m post and once they straightened spell, but, having sat once on the Ocean Park four-year-old Bowman gave a little nudge and into the lead Winx went and the in a barrier trial, he had a gut-feel he would not be out of his rest, as they say, is history. ground either. The sellout crowd erupted as the champion roared past the ‘’It’s good to be back aboard a winner. It’s been a long time finished line one last time and social media couldn’t believe the between beers,” said Murray. “That horse trialled very ease with which she recorded the victory. good the other day, but we thought he might still need the run. I was able to tackle the frontrunner 500m out, and he Trainer Chris Waller sat surrounded by an ever expanding entou- showed he had plenty of ability with the way he quickened rage and thanked everyone around the world for getting behind away.” the mighty mare. “It sure has. I hadn’t thought about winning a race like today ever in my lifetime. And it is such a special moment to share it with not only my beautiful wife and my beautiful children, but the beautiful people who have been right behind Winx,” Waller said. Vorster On Fire “Whether they are here at Randwick today, but all around Australia, Another South African jockey is setting the world New Zealand and the world. Thank you very much. I can’t describe alight abroad. her in words. But thanks for appreciating her for what she is. Barend Vorster continued his excellent run of success “What can you say it is an amazing experience it is great for our with trainer Tony McEvoy with a double at Morphett- sport and great for Australia. It is part of life. It is what racing ville last Saturday, including a feature race victory. brings to so many ages of people. So many religions, so many countries. It brings the world together as one. It is the best sport While the meeting was overshadowed by the Winx in the world.” dominated news, Vorster’s excellent form has vindicat- ed his decision to move to Australia from Singapore. Straight after finishing Bowman was left in disbelief at the luck he had for being the man who was on the saddle throughout Winx’s Racing.com reports that Vorster guided Classic Weiwei career. to a long neck win in the A$100,000 Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m), a lead-up race towards next month’s “This horse has captured the hearts of a lot of people around the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m). The son of globe. There is really nothing more for me to say. I mean, she just Shamus Award is unbeaten from three starts this cam- showed you what she is capable of doing,” Bowman said. paign and has three wins from four starts overall. “I dare say if she had something else to give, she had more to Vorster’s other winner came aboard Scottish Rogue in a give. Maybe we will never know how good she really is. Benchmark 82 handicap over 1200m. “This has just been complete luck that a horse like this has come This means that Vorster has won 13 races from 38 rides into my life. To be able to deal with it, with the emotions, the way in Australia, exclusively for McEvoy, since relocating that I have, makes me very proud. from Singapore. “It is a common question “How do you handle it?” Well, I just do Read about his decision to leave Singapore – visit what I do. I don’t try to complicate it. She certainly gives one a www.sportingpost.co.za lot of confidence. I am just so proud of her, I really am. There is nothing more to say.” Read more on page 39 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 36 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 37 international

NZ Racing – In Serious State Of Decline A Bit Of A Risk New Zealand racing minister Winston Peters says the Govern- Once renowned as one of the 'wild men' of the jockeys' ment will introduce two new pieces of legislation this year to changing room, Sean Quinlan found himself in court after revitalise the domestic racing industry. a pub fight, but no one ever doubted his talents. Cabinet this week considered its response to the ‘Messara Review With the support of friends, agent Richard Hale, and his own ef- of the Racing Industry’ as well as advice from the Ministerial Advi- forts, he's worked his way into a position where he's something sory Committee (MAC) on Racing. of a go-to rider on Scottish jump racing's 'northern' circuit. “The New Zealand racing industry is in a state of serious decline,” And his handling of Takingrisks win in the Scottish Grand Peters said. “The Coalition Government supports the overall National by three lengths at Ayr at odds of 25-1 on Saturday intent of the Messara Report and is committed to reforms. We was top drawer stuff. know we have the grass, the race animals, and the people to help Takingrisks is trained by Nicky Richards, whose father Gor- the industry achieve its potential. don won the race in 1969 and again in 1990. “As a result, Cabinet has agreed to a stepped approach with the "At the first, he got banged into, and I thought all chances introduction of two bills to amend the Racing Act 2003.” had gone," Quinlan told BBC Sport. The first bill, due to be enacted by July 1, will put into immediate "It was just fear keeping me on - I was hanging out of the effect a transitional governance arrangement. This bill proposes back door and praying to God that he'd keep me on. He the New Zealand Racing Board (NZRB) be reconstituted as the travelled superbly - he's just jumped and travelled - he's very Racing Industry Transitional Authority (RITA) to drive the transi- tough, especially for a veteran. tion of the industry. Read more here SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 38 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 39 here & elsewhere - Sarah WHitelaw

Winx A Last Dance The racing world saluted a true champion this weekend, when Winx made her farewell to the track in the Gr1 Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on Saturday. Chris Waller’s mighty mare made 33 wins on the bounce by Winx landing Saturday’s 2000m contest for a third time, while taking her tally of Gr1 wins to 25. The list of Winx’s achievements is Fashing too long to mention but they include equalling Phar Lap’s record His daughter Fashing was South Africa’s Broodmare Of The Year of 37 wins, a never before achieved tally of four Cox Plate wins, 2003, with that matron producing a trio of stakes winners notably and she went a remarkable 1463 days without losing a race. Horse Of The Year and five time G1 winner Yard-Arm. Fashing is For all the debate surrounding the quality of horse that she has also ancestress of recent black type performers Current Event (a ¾ beaten, there can be no denying that the Australian Street Cry brother to Abashiri), Simona, Just Chaos and Green Haze, and with a champion is a truly remarkable thoroughbred. Her record is that number of daughters and granddaughters still at stud, Fashing could of a truly durable, consistent and high class champion, who has still feature in the pedigree of future graded stakes winners. dominated her rivals without fail and there will no doubt contin- Fashing’s Gr3 winning daughter Donya also went on to also make ue to be debate whether she or US champion Zenyatta were the her mark at stud, as the dam of Triple Crown winner Abashiri and better of the two Street Cry sired superstars. Dubai stakes winner Drift Ice. One of the less heralded aspects of the mighty Winx’s pedigree Another Dancing Champ daughter named Broodmare Of The Year is that her Gr1 Bayer Classic winning broodmare sire Al Akbar is was Meretricious (in 2006) the dam of the remarkable own sisters a son of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Success Express. Irridescence and Perfect Promise, Gr1 winners in South Africa who Dancing Champ went on to capture the major international races, the Gr1 QE II Cup The latter, a son of Hold Your Peace, was one of three major in Hong Kong and Gr1 C F Orr Stakes in Australia respectively. winners produced by the superb broodmare Au Printemps – Both Irridescence and Perfect Promise were sired by Caesour, with whose sire Dancing Champ enjoyed a long and fruitful stud Perfect Promise having gone on to achieve some success at stud, career in South Africa, where he proved particularly successful with her progeny including the Parramatta Cup winner More Energy as a broodmare sire. Au Printemps is also dam of Canadian (Fastnet Rock), KZN sire Redoute’s Promise (Redoute’s Choice) and Champion Charlie Barley and G1 Champagne Stakes winner Gr3 Zeditave Stakes runner up Hard Promise (Hard Spun). Greenwood Lake. Daughters of Dancing Champ achieved notable success when mated A Nijinsky II half-brother to Kentucky Oaks winner Sweet Alliance to both Al Mufti and Western Winter. When mated to Al Mufti, Danc- - the dam of Irish Derby winner Shareef Dancer- Dancing Champ ing Champ mares came up with the likes of UAE Derby winner and ironically enough hailed from the same family as another excep- Gr1 sire Victory Moon, Gr2 Gold Vase winner Al’s Dancer, champion tional daughter of Street Cry in the once beaten US champion Almah (subsequently dam of Gr3 Three Troikas Stakes winner Sensi- Zenyatta. ble Lover) and Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Gilded Minaret. The well bred bay, whose wins included the prestigious Gr2 Dancing Champ is also broodmare sire of Pagan Princess, whose ‘Mass Cap’ –a race also won by champions Seabiscuit, Whirl- two Gr1 winners include the Cape Guineas winning sire William away, Cigar, and Skip Away, retired to stud in Canada originally Longsword - who was sired by Al Mufti’s champion son Captain Al. before moving to South Africa in 1984. However, it was with Western Winter that Dancing Champ mares Dancing Champ left behind ten crops in South Africa, with his enjoyed a tremendous strike rate. From a relatively small number of 30 odd stakes winners including the champions Olympic Duel, runners, the Western Winter/Dancing Champ cross produced not Son Of A Champ, Golden Taipan, Dancing Duel, Space Walk and only Yard-Arm but also November Handicap hero Swartland, Golden Prairie Oyster and fellow Gr1 winners Cool Success, and Castle Horseshoe winner Weston Blaze, and Gold Cup king Reveille Boy. Walk. Other top class performers produced by daughters of Dancing His progeny proved versatile, with Dancing Champ coming up Champ included champion Consensual - dam of another Equus with Gr1 winners over distances ranging from 1200 to 3200 Champion in Just Sensual - Cape Derby hero Ultrasound and Gr1 metres. His progeny won the July two years running, with Danc- Daily News 2000 hero Flying Duel - out Dancing Champ’s greatest ing Duel’s triumph in 1993 being followed Space Walk being racemare Olympic Duel. promoted to first place in the July a year later. The Nijinsky II son is also found in the pedigrees of current South However it is as a broodmare sire that Dancing Champ truly African stallions Gold Standard, Redoute’s Promise and William made his mark in South Africa. Longsword. SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 40 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 41 breeding Digest Diary

Kenya Derby Win Features To Come One Fri 19 April (L) East Cape Oaks (3yoF) For Cape Sire 2000m Fairview (T) Varsfontein Stud’s resident stallion For The (L) Glenlair Trophy Master Of My Fate has made an 3200m Fairview (T) impressive start to his stud career, Sun 21 April (L) The Sledgehammer and the high class son of Jet Mas- Notebook 1750m Scottsville ter enjoyed a first crop Derby win (L) The Scarlet Lady (F&M) on Sunday, when his talented son 1750m Scottsville Silverstone Air romped home to Brilliant racemare Treve gave birth to Fri 26 April (L) East Cape Nursery (2yo’s) an effortless, eight length win in her third foal at midday on Saturday. the Silverstone Air Kenya Derby at 1200m Fairview (T) The new arrival is a filly by Haras de Ngong. Bonneval stallion Siyouni, source Sat 27 April Gr3 Winter Guineas (3yo’s) Silverstone Air, who had previously of 27 stakes scorers including the 1600m Kenilworth won the Britam Kenya Guineas, is Classic-winning fillies Ervedya and (L) Sweet Chestnut S. (3yoF) clearly the top 3yo of his generation Laurens. 1400m Kenilworth in Kenya and another fine advert for She is bred on a similar cross to Prix his promising young sire. Sun 28 April Gr3 Poinsettia S. (F&M) Thomas Bryon winner Sacred Life, 1200m Scottsville Master Of My Fate, a winner of who is by Siyouni out of a mare by six of his eight starts, also enjoyed Montjeu, the sire of Treve's father Gr3 Godolphin Barb S. (2yo’s) 1100m Scottsville more success in South Africa this Motivator. weekend, when his daughter Mag- Treve's previous two offspring Gr3 Strelitzia S. (2yoF) ic’s First scored a courageous win produced for her owner Al Shaqab 1100m Scottsville at Turffontein on Saturday. The pro- Racing are an unnamed two-year- gressive 3yo Magic’s First made it (L) In Full Flight Hcp old colt by Dubawi in training with two wins from her last three starts 1100m Scottsville Andre Fabre and a yearling filly by when holding off Emily Hobhouse home stallion Shalaa already named to win by a head. Now unbeaten in Paris. two starts over 2400m, the Tinus Gericke bred Magic’s First was a Al Shaqab announced at the end of R75 000 buy from the 2017 Nation- last year that Treve would visit her Phumelela Shareprice al Yearling Sale. fellow Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe win- ner Sea The Stars at Gilltown Stud date close high low volume Interestingly, both Silverstone Air 17Apr 760 760 680 62,816 after delivering her 2019 foal. and Magic’s First are both out of 16Apr 685 685 685 11 daughters of Fort Wood, with Sil- Treve was trained by Criquette Head 15Apr 690 690 660 13,449 verstone Air out of Lady Magic and originally for her family's Haras du 12Apr 660 660 550 30,840 Magic’s First out of Magic Smoke. Quesnay, who bred her out of the 11Apr 650 660 580 3,710 winning Anabaa mare Trevise. 10Apr 670 690 655 9,201 South Africa’s Leading First Crop 09Apr 700 700 665 41,685 Sire (by winners) in 2017-2018, -Racing Post 08Apr 695 710 605 39,300 Master Of My Fate has made a top class start with his first crop includ- ing not only Silverstone Air, but also millionaire Twist Of Fate, Derby Trial winner Gift For The Gap and Master Of My Fate, whose 2yos this season include Ruffian Stakes winner Basadi Faith, has 26 lots on offer at the 2019 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale including yearlings out of the stakes win- ning mares Aquila Rapax, Blushing Fairy, My Kazzie, Sovereign Beat, Townsend and Valor Red. SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 42 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 43

Leading breeders by Stakes season 2018/2019 • 1 August - 14 April 2019 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 17,806,297 Klawervlei Stud 389 45,775 1805 122 151 31% 3 4 2% 470 26% 5 One World 2,909,375 16% 17,621,532 Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein 204 86,380 1029 98 143 48% 3 6 3% 327 32% 9 Rainbow Bridge 3,270,000 19% 12,429,809 Summerhill Stud 255 48,744 1479 86 120 34% 3 3 3% 398 27% 6 Running Brave 497,887 4% 9,473,761 Drakenstein Stud 110 86,125 521 46 67 42% 8 12 17% 167 32% 7 Clouds Unfold 1,225,000 13% 9,227,647 Highlands 139 66,386 693 59 84 42% 5 5 8% 210 30% 6 Front And Centre 895,625 10% 6,369,547 Varsfontein Stud 100 63,695 468 47 67 47% 3 3 6% 161 34% 6 Doosra 252,850 4% 6,066,913 Riverton Stud 34 178,439 182 16 26 47% 1 2 6% 51 28% 1 Cirillo 4,100,000 68% 5,985,374 Favour Stud 81 73,894 461 32 54 40% 3 4 9% 147 32% 1 Twist Of Fate 1,552,500 26% 5,954,161 Hemel ‘n Aarde Stud 112 53,162 517 35 46 31% 1 1 3% 145 28% 4 Samurai Warrior 1,341,525 23% 5,706,510 Scott Bros 135 42,270 676 41 57 30% 1 1 2% 184 27% 4 The Dazzler 396,837 7% 5,588,398 Maine Chance 126 44,352 578 47 61 37% 2 2 4% 134 23% 4 Santa Clara 202,750 4% 5,276,300 Ascot Stud 83 63,570 415 33 47 40% 2 2 6% 128 31% 6 Coral Fever 725,000 14% #kznbred 5,173,550 La Plaisance Stud 80 64,669 321 31 47 39% 3 3 10% 119 37% 5 Head Honcho 813,750 16% 4,484,485 Moutonshoek 123 36,459 585 35 41 28% 1 1 3% 152 26% 4 Undercover Agent 442,500 10% 4,481,472 Lammerskraal Stud 67 66,888 349 33 43 49% 2 2 6% 114 33% 4 Pilou 303,675 7%

Leading SIREs by Stakes season 2018/2019 • 1 August - 14 April 2019 Camphoratus and 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 Running Brave, the KZN- 13,534,816 *Captain Al 145 93,344 670 63 83 43% 6 8 10% 237 35% 10 One World 2,909,375 21% bred top two finishers 12,119,748 Silvano 187 64,811 829 70 96 37% 6 8 9% 266 32% 12 Hawwaam 1,978,125 16% 10,392,486 Var 171 60,775 859 79 99 46% 4 4 5% 284 33% 9 Vardy 939,700 9% in last Saturday’s Gr1 9,897,273 Gimmethegreenlight 145 68,257 719 61 85 42% 4 7 7% 235 33% 11 National Park 1,119,775 11% Empress Club Stakes cost 9,611,675 Ideal World 95 101,176 534 42 63 44% 3 4 7% 145 27% 4 Rainbow Bridge 3,270,000 34% 9,337,409 Dynasty 132 70,738 644 54 78 41% 3 3 6% 191 30% 10 Front And Centre 895,625 10% a combined R80 000 7,421,249 What A Winter 127 58,435 627 52 77 41% 2 4 4% 183 29% 3 Clouds Unfold 1,225,000 17% 7,410,586 Pomodoro 51 145,306 206 17 24 33% 1 2 6% 61 30% 2 Cirillo 4,100,000 55% at BSA sales, and have 7,265,349 Trippi 113 64,295 547 51 75 45% 4 4 8% 177 32% 5 Chimichuri Run 351,250 5% earned their owners over 7,015,088 Querari 130 53,962 566 46 65 35% 4 4 9% 155 27% 6 Head Honcho 813,750 12% 6,682,149 Twice Over 107 62,450 547 41 51 38% 3 3 7% 152 28% 1 Do It Again 1,977,500 30% R1,7-million in combined 6,515,086 Oratorio 121 53,844 581 51 68 42% 3 4 6% 181 31% 0 Mardi Gras 543,787 8% 5,915,433 *Sail From Seattle 114 51,890 633 45 67 39% 1 1 2% 182 29% 3 Zouaves 420,500 7% stakes. 5,817,358 Pathfork 97 59,973 485 40 53 41% 1 1 3% 161 33% 6 Skye Lane 621,275 11% 5,713,862 Master Of My Fate 82 69,681 381 35 47 43% 3 4 9% 116 30% 2 Twist Of Fate 1,552,500 27% It was a great result for the KZN breeding com- Leading SIREs of 3yo’s by Stakes season 2018/2019 • 1 August - 14 April 2019 munity who only breed Stakes Sire rnrs AEPR runs wnrs wns wnr/ SW SW SW/ plcs plc/ SP top earner with stakes 15% of South Africa’s rnr% wnrs wns wnr% rns% & % of total stakes racing stock. 7,129,961 Pomodoro 43 165,813 192 14 21 33% 1 2 7% 56 29% 2 Cirillo 4,100,000 58% 7,021,156 *Captain Al 56 125,378 277 30 42 54% 3 3 10% 106 38% 3 One World 2,909,375 41% 5,206,786 Silvano 58 89,772 220 20 28 34% 1 3 5% 68 31% 4 Hawwaam 1,978,125 38% The Pickering bred Cam- 5,131,937 Master Of My Fate 69 74,376 357 29 39 42% 2 3 7% 112 31% 2 Twist Of Fate 1,552,500 30% phoratus is out of a Horse 4,875,062 Gimmethegreenlight 56 87,055 276 26 35 46% 2 3 8% 93 34% 4 National Park 1,119,775 23% 4,838,462 Var 68 71,154 360 36 46 53% 1 1 3% 113 31% 2 Vardy 939,700 19% Chestnut mare Wild 4,760,049 What A Winter 61 78,034 346 30 47 49% 2 4 7% 101 29% 1 Clouds Unfold 1,225,000 26% 4,586,248 Dynasty 50 91,725 240 26 37 52% 2 2 8% 64 27% 4 Front And Centre 895,625 20% Camphor and sold for just 3,479,035 Elusive Fort 54 64,427 298 18 23 33% 0 0 0% 78 26% 2 Elusive Trader 1,235,500 36% R50 000 off the 2016 KZN 3,297,213 Ideal World 47 70,153 258 19 24 40% 1 1 5% 62 24% 1 Samurai Warrior 1,341,525 41% Yearling Sale and won Leading SIREs of 2yo’s by Stakes season 2018/2019 • 1 August - 14 April 2019 the Gr3 Flamboyant on Stakes Sire rnrs AEPR runs wnrs wns wnr/ SW SW SW/ plcs plc/ SP top earner with stakes Boxing Day. Summerhill rnr% wnrs wns wnr% rns% & % of total stakes Stud’s Running Brave 756,150 What A Winter 23 32,876 49 7 8 30% 0 0 0% 22 45% 0 Sarah 150,500 20% 712,325 Gimmethegreenlight 17 41,901 32 7 8 41% 0 0 0% 15 47% 4 Got The Greenlight 163,625 23% flew up for second place 604,500 *Captain Al 16 37,781 24 5 7 31% 0 0 0% 8 33% 0 Victoria Paige 156,250 26% 581,925 Master Of My Fate 13 44,763 24 6 8 46% 1 1 17% 4 17% 0 Basadi Faith 225,000 39% for trainer Paul Matchett 537,775 Captain Of All 21 25,608 48 3 3 14% 1 2 33% 22 46% 0 What You Are 117,750 22% and came very close to 483,250 Var 12 40,271 26 6 6 50% 0 0 0% 13 50% 0 Cavivar 79,375 16% 448,325 Vercingetorix 13 34,487 22 6 7 46% 0 0 0% 7 32% 0 Viking Moon 93,750 21% becoming the 4th Gr1 win 438,000 Pathfork 12 36,500 24 4 5 33% 1 1 25% 8 33% 1 Miss Honey 152,050 35% 419,625 Soft Falling Rain 11 38,148 21 3 3 27% 0 0 0% 15 71% 1 Gin Fizz 138,750 33% for The Fort Stud’s Brave Tin Soldier. Leading SIREs by Stakes on Polytrack season 2018/2019 • 1 August - 14 April 2019 KZN have 70 horses 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 headed to the National 1,678,350 Gimmethegreenlight 56 29,971 160 17 20 30% 0 0 0% 50 31% 0 O’ Keeffe 186,200 11% Yearling Sale next week – 1,630,475 Oratorio 46 35,445 147 16 21 35% 0 0 0% 50 34% 0 Euphoric 156,625 10% 1,411,250 Var 48 29,401 154 16 18 33% 0 0 0% 40 26% 0 Vase 116,875 8% they will be easy to spot 1,364,225 *Sail From Seattle 58 23,521 170 15 18 26% 0 0 0% 46 27% 0 Seattle Oak 111,550 8% with #kznbred signs on 1,354,650 Crusade 41 33,040 125 15 16 37% 0 0 0% 47 38% 0 Kilvington 117,225 9% 1,350,125 Pathfork 43 31,398 115 11 16 26% 0 0 0% 39 34% 0 Gorgeous Guest 249,150 18% their doors. 1,329,113 Querari 49 27,125 126 13 15 27% 0 0 0% 43 34% 0 Playlist 152,625 11% 1,307,450 *Captain Al 35 37,356 111 14 16 40% 0 0 0% 42 38% 0 Flight Captain 137,900 11% 1,232,438 Ideal World 33 37,347 99 14 17 42% 0 0 0% 31 31% 0 Mangrove 143,675 12% See the sale preview here

The FULL Statistics ONLINE http://www.sportingpost.co.za/horse-racing-statistics/ *Stallion dead or Retired **Stallion Not Standing in RSA **Breeding operations not based in RSA - Statistics for Breeders & Sires reflect all earnings, incl. restricted races & handicap races SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 44

Leading TRAINERS by STAKES season 2018/2019 • 1 August - 14 April 2019 trainer runs wins win fav fav wfav 2nd 2nd 1st 1st stakes stks/ % % % % four four% runs First Win SG Tarry 948 121 13% 167 18% 34% 102 11% 423 45% 21,042,228 22,196 Third year SA Jockey Academy J Snaith 751 107 14% 157 21% 34% 84 11% 350 47% 14,453,538 19,246 apprentice Thabiso Gumede made MF de Kock 475 74 16% 122 26% 29% 77 16% 250 53% 14,341,806 30,193 BJ Crawford 575 90 16% 119 21% 34% 63 11% 292 51% 9,042,175 15,726 it a day to remember at Greyville on AC Greeff 789 120 15% 176 22% 32% 103 13% 379 48% 8,350,638 10,584 PA Peter 491 71 14% 104 21% 36% 66 13% 232 47% 7,531,745 15,340 Wednesday when he booted his first C Bass-Robinson 575 53 9% 57 10% 32% 66 11% 240 42% 7,293,550 12,684 winner home at just his ninth ride. Y Bremner 577 80 14% 87 15% 32% 80 14% 277 48% 6,987,963 12,111 A Nel 387 61 16% 59 15% 31% 56 14% 206 53% 6,371,275 16,463 He only had his first race ride on 2 VH Marshall 351 37 11% 42 12% 33% 39 11% 152 43% 6,022,400 17,158 GD Smith 849 64 8% 60 7% 20% 71 8% 312 37% 5,244,275 6,177 September 2018 at Scottsville when JAJ v Vuuren 330 45 14% 68 21% 38% 48 15% 154 47% 5,149,795 15,605 Thabiso Gumede has bro- he piloted Kirav’s Tune for Kom Nai- DR Drier 317 52 16% 66 21% 36% 34 11% 160 50% 5,008,400 15,799 ken the ice in good style GS Kotzen 545 47 9% 58 11% 24% 64 12% 201 37% 4,816,675 8,838 doo. On Wednesday he won on the J Ramsden 288 32 11% 19 7% 26% 25 9% 112 39% 4,665,812 16,201 GV Woodruff 303 34 11% 56 18% 34% 36 12% 136 45% 4,507,086 14,875 longshot Fleek for Ashburton trainer, Louis Goosen. The 4kg claimer grew up close to Summerveld Leading jockeys by WINS season 2018/2019 • 1 August - 14 April 2019 and the SA Jockey Academy at Shongweni and credits his jockey rides wins win fav fav wfav 2nd 2nd 1st 1st stakes stks/ Uncle, a former SAJA Security Guard, with having introduced % % % % four four% rides him to racing. M Yeni 1240 149 12% 179 14% 27% 156 13% 583 47% 13,678,019 11,031 L Hewitson 964 147 15% 187 19% 28% 147 15% 519 54% 17,067,785 17,705 A Marcus 475 144 30% 294 62% 37% 83 17% 333 70% 23,152,237 48,742 G Lerena 478 125 26% 229 48% 36% 71 15% 299 63% 14,189,827 29,686 R Munger 1061 104 10% 92 9% 29% 116 11% 447 42% 9,685,496 9,129 Lucky Four G Cheyne 605 102 17% 177 29% 32% 97 16% 346 57% 8,337,700 13,781 R Fourie 447 96 21% 161 36% 34% 66 15% 280 63% 13,775,037 30,817 Formerly associated with the famous W Kennedy 843 95 11% 93 11% 39% 101 12% 401 48% 11,623,386 13,788 Herman Brown snr family, the 52 A Domeyer 372 74 20% 97 26% 37% 58 16% 227 61% 7,756,000 20,849 K De Melo 619 66 11% 63 10% 21% 77 12% 289 47% 7,858,151 12,695 year old Summerveld trainer Frank L J Ferraris 628 65 10% 63 10% 29% 56 9% 235 37% 6,886,311 10,965 C Zackey 755 56 7% 54 7% 20% 75 10% 275 36% 7,306,136 9,677 Robinson leads the KZN trainer con- M v Rensburg 473 53 11% 42 9% 26% 41 9% 188 40% 5,343,449 11,297 tingent with 4 horses in the Vodacom S Veale 445 53 12% 63 14% 35% 35 8% 191 43% 5,505,650 12,372 M Khan 440 49 11% 35 8% 29% 46 10% 182 41% 5,317,762 12,086 Durban July first entries. A supersti- C Maujean 719 46 6% 41 6% 27% 58 8% 248 34% 4,976,947 6,922 Frank Robinson – aiming tious person, Frank doesn’t talk to Leading trainers/jockeys by wins % four at the July this year certain people on a raceday in case season 2018/2019 • 1 August - 14 April 2019 they put a ‘mocker’on him. He appar- trainer/ runs wins win fav fav wfav 2nd 2nd stakes stks/ ently believes in associating himself with ‘lucky’ people. He jockey % % % % runs JAJ v Vuuren/A Marcus 31 17 55% 23 74% 65% 4 13% 1,214,412 39,175 says the win that gave him the most satisfaction of his career PA Peter/C T Ndlovu 23 10 43% 14 61% 64% 4 17% 718,750 31,250 was that of Orbison in the 2010 Champions Cup. MF de Kock/G Lerena 62 23 37% 33 53% 39% 11 18% 4,339,460 69,991 PA Peter/G Lerena 31 11 35% 21 68% 48% 8 26% 1,429,386 46,109 GB Puller/A Marcus 29 10 34% 21 72% 33% 5 17% 770,050 26,553 BJ Crawford/A Marcus 100 32 32% 50 50% 44% 19 19% 3,202,300 32,023 MG & AA Azzie/G Lerena 34 11 32% 17 50% 47% 1 3% 862,548 25,369 A Nel/A Domeyer 47 13 28% 17 36% 53% 9 19% 1,032,275 21,963 GV Woodruff/G Lerena 86 22 26% 48 56% 35% 18 21% 2,251,087 26,175 Al Who? J Snaith/R Fourie 341 81 24% 136 40% 35% 54 16% 11,540,025 33,842 AC Greeff/G Cheyne 295 70 24% 147 50% 31% 62 21% 4,774,325 16,184 Trainer Paul Reeves and Jockey MG & AA Azzie/M v Rensburg 47 11 23% 1 2% 0% 4 9% 1,144,161 24,344 S von W Smit/D R Lerena 60 13 22% 8 13% 63% 8 13% 634,875 10,581 Anthony Andrews were the villains of Gareth Van Zyl/W Kennedy 81 17 21% 13 16% 69% 11 14% 1,452,475 17,932 PA Peter/W Kennedy 63 13 21% 12 19% 58% 4 6% 1,043,025 16,556 the peace at Kenilworth on Tuesday Y Bremner/L Hewitson 206 39 19% 46 22% 30% 40 19% 3,044,013 14,777 as they blew the final few Pick 6 tickets out of the water as the Horse Chestnut gelding Al Jalali hung on by a nose to win the Racing To Win Paul Reeves and Anthony Andrews final event. Starting were not the most at 100-1 and paying popular duo at Kenil- a nice R73-40 a win worth on Tuesday on the tote, the Nutfield Stud bred galloper had not earned a cheque in six previous starts but may have appreciated the step up in trip to the 1800m.

Follow US SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 45 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 46

Mon 1 Apr 2019 - Wed 17 Apr 2019

Global adjustments bring AR in line with RPR ratings of Raceform/Racing Post

Males (up to 1600m) ar horse age sire breeder date fin class distance course aptitude 114 Trip To Heaven 7 Trippi Highlands 6Apr 1 Cnd 1000 Turffontein 123/114/-/-/-/ 110 Sniper Shot 4 Judpot Birch Bros 7Apr 4 MR104 1100 greyville 110/106/-/-/-/ 110 Attenborough 5 Western Winter PLV Mickleburgh 6Apr 2 Cnd 1000 Turffontein 112/97/-/-/-/ 108 Speedpoint 4 var Drakenstein Stud 6Apr 5 Cnd 1000 Turffontein 113/89/-/-/-/ 108 vardy 3 var Tawny Syndicate 3Apr 1 MR95 1400 Kenilworth 83/108/-/-/-/ 105 Rebel’s Champ 4 Rebel King Nine Bridges Association 6Apr 7 Cnd 1000 Turffontein 113/-/-/-/-/ 100 Percival 6 var La Plaisance Stud 13Apr 1 MR92 1250 durbanville 107/99/-/-/-/ 100 valbonne 4 var Varsfontein Stud 6Apr 3 Cnd 1000 Turffontein 105/-/-/-/-/ 99 hard To Play 4 Curved Ball IR Heyns 7Apr 5 MR104 1100 greyville 106/102/-/-/-/ 99 Captain Of Tortuga 3 Captain Al drakenstein Stud & Team Valor Int 14Apr 2 Cnd 1500 Scottsville 89/99/-/-/-/

Females (up to 1600m) ar horse age sire breeder date fin class distance course aptitude 104 Schippers 4 var G van Lear 6Apr 2 MR99f 1160 Turffontein 104/74/-/-/-/ 103 Temple Grafin 3 duke Of Marmalade MF Cowe 7Apr 1 Cnd3f 1400 greyville 98/103/-/-/-/ 99 San Fermin 4 Charge Forward bred in Australia 6Apr 1 MR99f 1160 Turffontein 100/94/-/-/-/ 99 Santa Clara 3 duke Of Marmalade Maine Chance 7Apr 2 Cnd3f 1400 greyville 90/102/-/89/-/ 98 Celestial Storm 3 What A Winter Favour Stud 13Apr 1 MR80f 1000 durbanville 98/58/-/-/-/ 97 True To Life 2 duke Of Marmalade Northfields Stud 13Apr 1 Cnd2f 1160 Turffontein 97/-/-/-/-/ 97 Silvano’s Pride 3 Silvano AC Peter 7Apr 3 Cnd3f 1400 greyville 65/99/-/-/-/ 95 desert Rhythm 4 Mambo In Seattle Nutfield Stud 6Apr 4 MR99f 1160 Turffontein 96/97/-/-/-/ 95 Che Bella 3 Sail From Seattle Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein 4Apr 1 MR84f 1200 vaal 95/68/-/-/-/ 94 dancing Queen 3 Mambo In Seattle Boland Stud 6Apr 3 MR99f 1160 Turffontein 101/-/-/-/-/

Males (1600m and more) ar horse age sire breeder date fin class distance course aptitude 106 divine Odyssey 4 Oratorio LMF Wernars 6Apr 1 Cnd 2000 Turffontein 23/94/101/106/-/ 100 The Dazzler 4 Mogok Scott Bros 6Apr 2 Cnd 2000 Turffontein 91/93/100/100/-/ 98 Morning Catch 4 Await The Dawn v & A Singh 9Apr 1 MR84 1600 vaal 88/98/89/-/-/ 97 Cedar Man 3 Pomodoro hemel ‘n Aarde Stud 13Apr 2 MR86 2000 durbanville 76/81/83/97/96/ 97 Cash Time 4 gimmethegreenlight hemel ‘n Aarde Stud 6Apr 4 Cnd 2000 Turffontein 33/87/102/105/97/ 96 liege 6 dynasty Maine Chance 6Apr 5 Cnd 2000 Turffontein 59/100/105/105/90/ 96 dawn Assault 5 Call To Combat graystone Stud 6Apr 3 Cnd 2000 Turffontein 59/92/106/106/90/ 94 Master Magic 3 Mogok Scott Bros 13Apr 1 Cnd 2000 Turffontein -/91/90/94/88/ 92 Phil’s Power 4 Philanthropist vendel Civils 8Apr 1 Cnd 1600 Flamingo Park 77/92/-/-/-/ 92 holy Land 3 Ideal World Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein 7Apr 3 MR72 1900 greyville 75/85/92/-/86/

Females (1600m and more) ar horse age sire breeder date fin class distance course aptitude 96 Return Flight 3 Pomodoro M Sharkey 30Mar 1 Cnd3f 2450 Turffontein -/97/95/-/96/ 93 Blossom 3 Silvano Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein 30Mar 2 Cnd3f 2450 Turffontein -/83/93/-/93/ 93 Cascapedia 5 high Chaparral bred in Ireland 30Mar 5 WFA 1600 Turffontein -/102/99/102/-/ 92 Al Danza 5 Captain Al Klawervlei Stud 30Mar 6 WFA 1600 Turffontein 86/101/96/84/-/ 92 Miss Smarty Pants 4 horse Chestnut IW Longmore 27Mar 1 MR86f 1600 greyville 75/92/-/-/-/ 92 Seville Orange 3 duke Of Marmalade drakenstein Stud 30Mar 3 Cnd3f 2450 Turffontein 69/77/-/88/92/ 91 Flying Fable 4 dynasty Highlands 26Mar 1 MR84f 1600 vaal 80/91/-/-/-/ 90 Bize 3 Mambo In Seattle Moutonshoek 30Mar 4 Cnd3f 2450 Turffontein -/65/-/74/90/ 90 Cashel Palace 4 Fort Wood Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein 30Mar 3 MR102 1600 Turffontein -/90/86/-/70/ 90 Camphoratus 4 Byword R & Mrs Pickering 30Mar 2 MR100 1800 Turffontein 71/83/90/-/-/

3yo males (any distance) ar horse age sire breeder date fin class distance course aptitude 108 vardy 3 var Tawny Syndicate 3Apr 1 MR95 1400 Kenilworth 83/108/-/-/-/ 99 Captain Of Tortuga 3 Captain Al drakenstein Stud & Team Valor Int 14Apr 2 Cnd 1500 Scottsville 89/99/-/-/-/ 98 Basilius 3 Potala Palace Pecan Hill Stud Farm 13Apr 1 Cnd 1160 Turffontein 99/66/-/-/-/ 98 Russet Air 3 What A Winter lammerskraal Stud 3Apr 2 MR95 1400 Kenilworth 98/98/-/-/-/ 98 Arabian Air 3 Silvano Maine Chance 3Apr 4 MR95 1400 Kenilworth 98/98/-/-/-/ 98 Tristful 3 Trippi Gary Player Stud 7Apr 1 Cnd-3 1400 greyville 79/98/-/-/-/ 97 American Hustle 3 Sail From Seattle Riyo Stud 4Apr 1 Cnd 1000 vaal 101/-/-/-/-/ 97 Cedar Man 3 Pomodoro hemel ‘n Aarde Stud 13Apr 2 MR86 2000 durbanville 76/81/83/97/96/ 96 Winter Storm 3 What A Winter SR Rosseau 4Apr 1 MR84 1000 vaal 96/69/-/-/-/ 96 Trip To The Sky 3 Trippi M De Broglio 3Apr 3 MR95 1400 Kenilworth 92/96/-/-/-/

3yo females (any distance) ar horse age sire breeder date fin class distance course aptitude 103 Temple Grafin 3 duke Of Marmalade MF Cowe 7Apr 1 Cnd3f 1400 greyville 98/103/-/-/-/ 102 Running Brave 3 Brave Tin Soldier Summerhill Stud 13Apr 2 WFAfm 1600 Turffontein 95/102/96/-/-/ 100 Nafaayes 3 exceed And Excel bred in Australia 13Apr 3 WFAfm 1600 Turffontein 87/106/101/-/-/ 99 Santa Clara 3 duke Of Marmalade Maine Chance 7Apr 2 Cnd3f 1400 greyville 90/102/-/89/-/ 98 Celestial Storm 3 What A Winter Favour Stud 13Apr 1 MR80f 1000 durbanville 98/58/-/-/-/ 97 Silvano’s Pride 3 Silvano AC Peter 7Apr 3 Cnd3f 1400 greyville 65/99/-/-/-/ 95 Che Bella 3 Sail From Seattle Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein 4Apr 1 MR84f 1200 vaal 95/68/-/-/-/ 94 Parental Control 3 Judpot Daytona Stud 7Apr 4 Cnd3f 1400 greyville 83/96/-/-/-/ 94 Celtic Sea 3 Captain Al Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein 13Apr 5 WFAfm 1600 Turffontein 103/104/-/-/-/ 94 dancing Queen 3 Mambo In Seattle Boland Stud 6Apr 3 MR99f 1160 Turffontein 101/-/-/-/-/ SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 47 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 48

Black type results

Turffontein (stand side) Prince of Wales Stakes ever to stand at stud in South Africa. Saturday, 13 April Rich Maidens – Gr1 Empress Club Stakes (F&M) 1600m Course Variant: 2.26s slow (bend) Following 24.9mm of rain in the week leading up to this Winner Camphoratus was slow into stride; Rocky Results meeting the penetrometer read 26 and the going was raced 9th; was three lengths behind the posted as Good to Soft. However, after the running of eventual runner-up at 400m; ran on strongly, The richly endowed HSH Princess Charlene the first race the official going was changed to Soft. hard ridden, to lead close home. There was an 11km/h westerly head wind, and the false of Monaco Maiden Plates produced upset rail was out from 4m in the back straight to 8m on the Runner-up Running Brave raced 2nd; led results of varying proportions at Turffon- bend, with an 8m spur at the 700m mark. 420m; pipped late Third Nafaayes was drawn wide; raced tein on Saturday. third; held every chance; Gr1 Empress Club S. (F&M) R1,000,000 The HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco Time: Run at a good pace throughout, this Maiden Plate For all Maidens and the HSH was comparatively the fastest of the eight A Royal Shock races around the turn. We gave the third (prev Princess Charlene of Monaco Maiden The fillies and mares weight-for-age con- best 83/95/105/100/100) 100 which makes Plate For Fillies and Mares were both run test looked a walk in the park on paper for the winner (prev 81/87/88/89/96) 104 and the over 1400m and boasted a stakes pot of runner up (prev 93/94/93/100/95) 102. SA Horse Of The Year Oh Susanna, who R250 000 – an amount that should ideally 104 1 0.00 Camphoratus (4) 60.0 G Wright 66/1 was running fresh off an 11 week break 4 ch f Byword - Wild Camphor(USA) (Horse Chestnut) be the norm and an every day occurrence. 102 2 0.20 Running Brave (6) 57.5 D L Habib 22/1 post her unplaced Sun Met effort. 3 b f Brave Tin Soldier - Movingandgrooving (Jet Master) 100 3 1.20 Nafaayes (11) 57.5 W Kennedy 17/2 With a first cheque of R156 250 up for Given a perfect ride by regular pilot Richard 3 b f Exceed And Excel - Decelerator(USA) (Dehere) 100 4 2.20 Oh Susanna (1) 60.0 R Fourie 21/10 grabs, both races were hotly contested. Fourie, the daughter of Street Cry came 94 5 4.25 Celtic Sea (5) 57.5 L Hewitson 7/2 91 6 6.25 Fiorella (7) 60.0 C Zackey 40/1 Sean Tarry produced the magic and defied under pressure 300m out as Running Brave 90 7 6.50 Fresnaye (9) 60.0 S Khumalo 14/1 85 8 8.00 Ghaalla (12) 57.5 R Simons 15/1 the weight-for-age odds, sending out the and Nafaayes threw their hats into the ring. 87 9 8.10 Flying Fable (8) 60.0 M v Rensburg 66/1 86 10 8.20 Cashel Palace (13) 60.0 R Danielson 40/1 only 2yo in the line-up for the fairer sex After having tracked pacesetter Redberry 86 11 8.30 Cascapedia (2) 60.0 G Lerena 19/4 80 12 11.00 Al Danza (3) 60.0 C Maujean 33/1 contest. Lane all the way round, Running Brave dug 63 13 19.00 Redberry Lane (10) 60.0 P Strydom 18/1 Time: 98.49s (61.56s avg/1000m, or 58km/h) SP Total %: 116% deep and clung to the lead under Devin 1st T:RA Hill/SR Hill O:Messrs L J Muir, S Manicom, G R Sadleir & Mr The Ascot Stud bred Victoria Paige was & Mrs Rob Pickering T/A Middlefield StudB: R & Mrs Pickering Habib as Oh Susanna became squeezed easy to back at 8-1 and bounded home between the leaders late. with an impressive late run under Luke With Running Brave looking to finally get Ferraris to beat the 4yo Take My Word in lucky after narrow second placed finishes a time of 87,41 secs. in the Three Troikas and Gauteng Fillies Sporting Post The 18-10 favourite Eskimo Kisses had Guineas, Gareth Wright unleashed the 66-1 ratings (AR) every opportunity under Gavin Lerena, Flamboyant Stakes winner Camphoratus ability puts every horse in its place but was one-paced late and finished a from midfield. Winding her way towards well-beaten 3,75 length fourth. She is the inside rail, the chestnut with the white proving expensive to follow. blaze finished with a sustained burst to grab the luckless Running Brave two Camphoratus The winner, a R600 000 Cape Premier strides from the line to register a shock Yearling Sale graduate, is a daughter of win by a head in a time of 98,49 secs. Captain Al out of a well-related unraced Gauteng Fillies Guineas winner Nafaayes Goes To 105 Mark Of Esteem mare. This was a really stayed on nicely a length back with the Following the running of the Gr1 Em- smart effort. press Club Stakes at Turffontein on Sat- favourite Oh Susanna a length further back The Sporting Post’s personality of the urday, the handicappers have published in fourth. week, Calvin Habib produced a Pick their report for information purposes. She was bred by Rob and Michele Picker- 6 knockout courtesy of the Redoute’s ing, who sourced and originally stood her After some discussion between Handi- Promise gelding Chipofftheoldblock, who sire Byword (Peintre Celebre) before he cappers, CAMPHORATUS had her rating returned fighting fresh after a 21 week was sold and relocated to Mauritzfontein. increased from 95 to 105 following her last- break. Camphoratus was purchased for R50 000 stride win in the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes The Bush Hill Stud bred galloper im- by Hill Racing off the 2016 KZN Sibaya over 1600m at Turffontein (standside) on proved on his first seven outings to win Yearling Sale and is out of an unraced US Saturday 13 April. There is no reason to the popular exotic opener at 50-1 and bred Horse Chestnut mare Wild Camphor. doubt CAMPHORATUS’ performance as beat the favourite Stockbridge by 0,80 Camphoratus has won 5 races with 6 plac- she did win the Grade 3 Flamboyant Stakes lengths in a time of 87,43 secs. es from 18 starts for stakes of R1 100 575. at Greyville in December and she has now Byword is one of 12 Gr1 winners sired won in her first attempt at Gr1 level. The winner is trained by Johan Janse van by French champion Peintre Celebre (by Vuuren and enjoyed a top ride by the In assessing the race, it was agreed that Nureyev), and is out of former Broodmare promising Habib who is developing into a the right key horse to use was third Of The Year Binche, dam of four time Gr1 decent rider. winner Proviso. This is the same family as placed NAFAAYES to the 103 she actually 2015 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint winner achieved when she won the Gr2 Gauteng Peniaphobia and US champion racemare Fillies Guineas (over the same course-and- Wandesta. distance as the Empress Club Stakes) and Byword was champion older horse in again when she finished second in the To Advertise France, the highest rated grass horse in the Gr1 SA Fillies Classic. NAFAAYES has been contact Kiki 082 878 2231 world in 2010 with a Timeform rating of highly consistent and seems to be a logical [email protected] 126 and he is the only winner of the Gr1 choice of line horse. Read more here SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 49 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 50

Black type results

VAAL beel) out of the twice winning Fort Wood Thursday, 11 April mare, Wood Manor and was purchased Despite 67mm of rain falling in the seven days leading for R15k off the 2016 Klawervlei Farm up this meeting, the penetrometer still only read 22, Sale. The Avontuur sponsored SA cham- and the going was posted as Good. The rail in the back straight and on the bend was out 2,5m, with a 2,5m pion jockey Lyle Hewitson conceded that spur at the 600m mark The false rail was in 10m from there was no pace on and his mount had the 1300m to the pull up area. There was a moderate 13km/h north westerly crosswind. taken her time to unwind. How horses performed in South Africa’s “She showed tenacity and they made it black type races, expressed in points based on the kind of races and how far behind Spook Express Hcp (F&M)(L) R150,000 tight down the inside. But she showed heart and ability,” he said. the winner they finished. Spook Express Handicap (F&M) (L) 2400m A full explanation of the point system and Tarry Express Winner Forest Express raced at the back of the complete list of point earners is on the Sean Tarry’s consistent Klawervlei Farm the five; led 150m Sporting Post website. Sale graduate Forest Express registered Runner-up Gottalottaluv set the pace; out- some well-deserved black type when she run latter stages Third Bated Breath carried 0.9kg over- Top Scorers for 2018/2019 beat four opponents home to win the (to 14 April 2019) R150 000 Listed Spook Express Handicap. weight; raced 3rd; ran on; shifted in away from the crop 300m; vet reported abnormal horse age sex points races Taking her time to get going, Forest respiratory noise Soqrat 3 c 252 5 Express slipped through down the inside Time: The pace was a very steady one Kasimir 4 c 200 3 rail to nab Gottalottaluv and win by a half throughout and with just 2.5 lengths cover- Rainbow Bridge 4 c 168 4 length in a time of 156,44 secs. ing all at the 400m marker, this slowly run Do It Again 4 c 166 3 Tilbury Fort 5 c 142 3 Bated Breath threatened late and grabbed race developed into a sprint. We gave the winner (prev 76/67/67/70/73) Clouds Unfold 3 f 142 4 third, with Silver Thursday weakening late 72 which makes the runner-up (prev Cascapedia 5 f 111 4 to run fourth. 56/71/71/83/65) 76 and the third (prev Nafaayes 3 f 110 4 Owned by Chris Van Niekerk, and bred 32/56/67/69/52) 77 Hawwaam 3 c 100 2 72 1 0.00 Forest Express (5) 55.0 L Hewitson 9/10 Return Flight 3 f 100 2 by Klawervlei, Forest Express has earned 4 b f Oracy - Wood Manor (Fort Wood) R363 799 and took her win tally to 4 with 76 2 0.50 Gottalottaluv (1) 57.0 D De Gouveia 57/20 Head Honcho 5 c 90 2 4 b f Var - Olympic Dam (Model Man) Coral Fever 6 c 88 2 5 places from 13 runs. She has won 3 of 77 3 1.20 Bated Breath (3) 52.0 D L Habib 36/1 3 b f Brave Tin Soldier - Ransom (Rambo Dancer) Atyaab 3 c 88 2 82 4 1.70 Silver Thursday (2) 60.5 R Simons 113/20 her last 4 starts from 2400m-2600m. She 61 5 2.10 Bondiblu (4) 52.0 M Yeni 31/4 Front And Centre 3 f 88 2 Time: 156.44s (65.18s avg/1000m, or 55km/h) SP Total %: 108% is a daughter of sprinter-miler Oracy (Za- 1st T:SG Tarry O:Mr C J H Van Niekerk B:Klawervlei Stud Legal Eagle 7 c 87 3 Oh Susanna 4 f 83 2 Samurai Warrior 3 c 70 1 Camphoratus 4 f 70 1 Doing The Splits Dawn Assault 5 c 69 2 Captain Aldo 8 c 62 2 Undercover Agent 4 c 62 3 Turffontein, 13 April Divine Odyssey 4 c 50 1 Lady In Black 4 f 50 2 1st 400 fin avg/ 1st call 400 Doublemint 4 c 50 1 call 1000 /400 /fin Mardi Gras 4 c 50 1 1400m Gimme One Night 5 c 50 2 Maiden Plate (f&m) 8.28 63.23 87.62 (62.6) 54.95 24.39 Zouaves 5 c 50 1 Maiden Plate 8.12 63.12 87.57 (62.6) 55.00 24.45 Magnificent Seven 4 c 50 1 MR94 Hcp 8.04 61.36 86.33 (61.7) 53.32 24.97 Chimichuri Run 3 c 50 3 1600m One World 3 c 48 2 Arctica 6 c 48 2 Assessment Plate 20.66 77.48 101.76 (63.6) 56.82 24.28 Running Brave 3 f 48 2 Gr1 Empress Club 19.67 73.94 99.11 (61.9) 54.27 25.17 Cirillo 3 c 42 1 MR72 Hcp 20.84 77.99 102.33 (64.0) 57.15 24.34 Bold Respect 4 c 34 2 2000m Charles 3 c 33 1 Assessment Plate 46.06 104.12 128.66 (64.3) 58.06 24.54 Princess Rebel 4 f 30 1 National Park 3 c 30 1 2400m Search Party 6 c 28 1 MR66 (f&m) Hcp 74.14 134.18 159.57 (66.5) 60.04 25.39 Trip To Heaven 7 c 26 1 Run at a useful pace throughout, the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes was the second fastest Pacific Trader 4 c 26 1 of the eight races around the turn. Zillzaal 3 c 25 1 Down To Zero 4 c 25 1 The two other 1600m events were false run races: notably slow on the bend, developing Takingthepeace 4 f 25 1 into a sprint. Sunshine Silk 4 f 25 1 Blossom 3 f 25 1 Sylvan On Fire 5 f 25 1 Rebel's Champ 4 c 25 1 Speedpoint 4 c 24 1 50% of all Gr1 winning males have ability ratings (AR) of 108 and more Alyaasaat 3 c 24 1 50% of all female Gr1 winners have ability ratings (AR) of 102 and more Kampala Campari 5 c 23 1 Marchingontogether 3 c 23 1 Doosra 5 c 22 1 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 51 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 52 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 53

KINGSBARNS (Galileo) Sir Michael 2c (Archerfield by Arch) 1st & 2nd season sires – 2yo’s Durbanville 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1250m (20/04) CAPETOWN NOIR (Western Winter) LINNGARI (Indian Ridge) Capetown Affair 2c (Romantic Drama by Model Man) Lamberti 2c (Spider Spider by Danske) Turffontein 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1000m (20/04) Scottsville 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1200m (21/04) Kamadeva 2c (Particular Passion by Rambo Dancer) Durbanville 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1250m (20/04) MASTER OF MY FATE (Jet Master) Cape Doctor 2g (Chenook by Fort Wood) Lucio 2g (Laura’s Gift by Manshood) Scottsville 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1200m (21/04) Fairview 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Turf) 1200m (19/04) Straight Shooter 2g (Bindella by Jallad) Promiseofamaster 2c (Zloty by Goldmark) Scottsville 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1200m (21/04) Turffontein 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1000m (20/04) Declaration Of War 2g (Hlabelela by Muhtafal) Shades Of Blu 2c (Winter’s Eve by Western Winter) Scottsville 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1200m (21/04) Durbanville 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1250m (20/04) CAPTAIN OF ALL (Captain Al) Master OfThe House 2f (The Light House by Bernardini) Allmyloving 2f (Julia’s World by Sportsworld) Durbanville 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1250m (20/04) Turffontein 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1000m (20/04) Sea Scape 2c (Sea Of Calm by Quiet American) Captain Yolo 2c (Encora de Lago by Encosta de Lago) Scottsville 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1200m (21/04) Durbanville 4 Maiden Plate 1000m (20/04) Talia Al Ghul 2f (Royal Yacht by Caesour) Cartel Captain 2c (Ruby Cartel by Mogok) Scottsville 3 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1000m (21/04) Scottsville 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1200m (21/04) NOBLE TUNE (Unbridled’s Song) Simply Russian 2f (Russian Foxtrot by National Emblem) Buzz Word 2g (Polonaise by Centenary) Scottsville 3 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1000m (21/04) Fairview 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Turf) 1200m (19/04) DUKE OF MARMALADE (Danehill) Sigma Alpha 2f (Sorority by Dominion Royale) Hertog 2c (Castelnova by Judpot) Durbanville 5 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1400m (20/04) Turffontein 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1000m (20/04) POMODORO (Jet Master) Duke Of Abercorn 2c (Galaxy Gal by Encosta de Lago) Senor Don 2g (Senorita Al by Captain Al) Turffontein 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1000m (20/04) Durbanville 6 Maiden Plate 1400m (20/04) Sanskrift 2f (Shina by Lomitas) Forbach 2c (Ami Amor by Elusive Quality) Durbanville 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1250m (20/04) Durbanville 6 Maiden Plate 1400m (20/04) True Jewel 2f (Arabian Design by Al Mufti) Turffontein 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1000m (20/04) SOFT FALLING RAIN (National Assembly) Honey Pie 2f (Hugger-Mugger by Fort Wood) Falling For You 2c (Me ‘n You by Captain Al) Durbanville 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1250m (20/04) Fairview 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Turf) 1200m (19/04) FLOWER ALLEY (Distorted Humor) TIME THIEF (Redoute’s Choice) Rose Dancer 2f (Magnificent Maggie by Joshua Dancer) Tom Bombadil 2c (Aqua Star by Saumarez) Scottsville 3 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1000m (21/04) Scottsville 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1200m (21/04) JACKSON (Dynasty) WHERE’S THAT TIGER (Storm Cat) Adalgiso 2g (Sermonize by Strike Smartly) Tiger Roll 2f (Sioux She by Ashaawes) Fairview 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Turf) 1200m (19/04) Durbanville 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1250m (20/04) Miss Jacksonville 2f (Lunar Lady by Victory Moon) Durbanville 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) 1250m (20/04) WYLIE HALL (Redoute’s Choice) Jaco’s bubbles 2f (Gibraltar Express by Rock of Gibraltar) El Patron 2g (Elusive Vintage by Elusive Quality) Durbanville 3 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1000m (20/04) Turffontein 1 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1000m (20/04) Winter Jack 2c (Winter Reserve by Western Winter) Pay Pay 2f (Jolly Along by Silvano) Durbanville 4 Maiden Plate 1000m (20/04) Durbanville 5 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1400m (20/04) Leicester Square 2g (Epic Style by Spectrum) Poinciana 2c (Kiss From A Rose by Eyeofthetiger) Scottsville 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1200m (21/04) Scottsville 2 Maiden Juvenile Plate 1200m (21/04) SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 54 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 55

I’m Free 3g (Free Parking by Silvano) 2nd season sires – 3yo’s Scottsville 4 MR 80 Handicap (F&M) 1200m (21/04) ATO (Royal Academy) Paths Of Victory 3g (Victory Garden by Solskjaer) At The Office 3g (All About Style by Hawk Wing) Scottsville 5 Highland Night Cup (Non-Blacktype) 2400m (21/04) Durbanville 6 Maiden Plate 1400m (20/04) POMODORO (Jet Master) DUKE OF MARMALADE (Danehill) Dogliotti 3g (Justylish by Model Man) Duc d’Orange 3g (Blouberg Beach by Dynasty) Turffontein 4 Maiden Plate 1600m (20/04) Greyville 3 MR 80 Handicap (Polytrack) 2000m (19/04) Latin Opus 3g (Roman Eagle by Caesour) Viti Levu 3g (Valdovino by Al Mufti) Turffontein 4 Maiden Plate 1600m (20/04) Greyville 6 MR 62 Handicap (F&M)(Polytrack) 1600m (19/04) Responsible 3g (Ceret by Silvano) Duke Of Swing 3g (Candy Singer by Singspiel) Turffontein 4 Maiden Plate 1600m (20/04) Turffontein 4 Maiden Plate 1600m (20/04) Sparkling Gold 3g (Clear Gold by Royal Academy) Vijeta 3g (Candelabra by Goldkeeper) Turffontein 5 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1600m (20/04) Turffontein 5 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1600m (20/04) Just My Luck 3g (Winter Touch by Western Winter) Marauding 3g (Western Roll by Western Winter) Turffontein 5 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1600m (20/04) Durbanville 6 Maiden Plate 1400m (20/04) Epic 3g (Turtle Dove by Caesour) Durbanville 6 Maiden Plate 1400m (20/04) JACKSON (Dynasty) Tasty Jack’s 3g (Full Flavor by Smart Strike) POTALA PALACE (Singspiel) Turffontein 4 Maiden Plate 1600m (20/04) Crystal’s World 3g (Noble World by Noble Thatch) Mio Vito 3g (Castle Queen by Captain Al) Turffontein 5 Maiden Plate (F&M) 1600m (20/04) Durbanville 6 Maiden Plate 1400m (20/04) Copenhagen 3g (Sealed By Love by Spectrum) Spirit Of Song 3g (Gardener’s Delight by Giant’s Causeway) Scottsville 8 MR 72 Handicap 1200m (21/04) Scottsville 8 MR 72 Handicap 1200m (21/04) THE APACHE (Mogok) MASTER OF MY FATE (Jet Master) Cape Leopard 3g (Darley Rose by Fusaichi Pegasus) Mastagambit 3g (Keyra by Western Winter) Fairview 8 Derby Plate (3yo’s)(Turf) 2000m (19/04) Greyville 4 MR 82 Handicap (Polytrack) 1400m (19/04) THE ASSAYER (Galileo) The Litigator 3g (Fairs Fair by Dynasty) Miss Falconetti 3g (Dancing Falcon by Fighting Falcon) Turffontein 3 Maiden Plate 2600m (20/04) Greyville 1 Maiden Plate (F&M)(Polytrack) 1200m (19/04) Gift For The Gap 3g (Idler by Fort Wood) WHERE’S THAT TIGER (Storm Cat) Turffontein 6 MR 90 Handicap 2000m (20/04) Blackburn Roc 3g (Royal Prognosis by Jet Master) In The Stars 3g (Al Nibari by Al Mufti) Greyville 4 MR 82 Handicap (Polytrack) 1400m (19/04) Scottsville 4 MR 80 Handicap (F&M) 1200m (21/04) Peking Tyson 3g (Victory Hill by Danehill Dancer) NOBLE TUNE (Unbridled’s Song) Fairview 8 Derby Plate (3yo’s)(Turf) 2000m (19/04) Brevin 3g (Borrego Honey by Borrego) See You Tyger 3g (Sioux She by Ashaawes) Fairview 2 Maiden Plate (Turf) 1200m (19/04) Turffontein 7 MR 90 Handicap (F&M) 1000m (20/04) Abelie 3g (Bayard Crown by Strike Smartly) Perfect Tigress 3g (Tree Of Perfection by Toreador) Turffontein 8 MR 81 Handicap (F&M) 1600m (20/04) Scottsville 6 The Scarlet Lady (F&M)(Listed) 1750m (21/04) SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 56 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 57 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 58

Sports and Betting Notable Maiden Winners English Premier League CAPTAIN AL Man City vs Tottenham | Sat 20 April | Etihad Stadium | 13:30 Rated AR 89 Victoria Paige (2f Miss Respect by Mark Of Esteem) Manchester City Maiden Plate (f&m) Turffontein (stand side) (1400m) (13/4) will be looking to Racing in open company, Sean Tarry’s newcomer couldn’t have been move a step closer to more impressive. At the back of the fifteen some 12 lengths off the clinching the Premier pace turning for home, Victoria Paige ran on best of all at the busi- League title with ness end of the race, and won going away by two and a half. victory over a Harry Kane-less Tottenham CAPTAIN AL at the Etihad Stadi- Rated AR 85 Somewhere In Time (2f Ekaterina by Dupont) um on Saturday. Juvenile Plate (fillies) Scottsville (1200m) (14/4) The Citizens are second in the Premier League table, two points behind Liverpool with a game in hand, leaving the destiny of A facile winner on her only previous racecourse appearance, Justin the title in their hands. Snaith’s charge was sent off deep in the red here. Soon up handy, Pep Guardiola’s side are overwhelming favourites to claim she put her head in front shortly after passing halfway. The early three points, but can Spurs defy the odds and cause an upset? pacemaker Wishful Linn tried hard to make a race of it over the fi- Find out what our Editor thinks. nal 300m, but despite finishing some 5 lengths clear of the remain- *Please note that this article was written prior to these der, the winner did have her well held by a length and a half. sides’ second leg UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash on Wednesday 17 April. FRANKEL Rated AR 97 General Franco (2c Pale Moon Rising by Kingmambo) To catch up with Chad Nagel previews click here Maiden Juvenile Plate Kenilworth (1000m) (16/4) To win Making his debut here, this son of Frankel couldn’t have been Man City 7/20 more impressive. Positioned in midfield during the early part of Draw 9/2 the race, the R4m purchase only had to be pushed out in order Tottenham 7/1 to take up the running 250m from home, and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by three and a half. Manchester City Guardiola’s side will be aiming to become the first team to win VISIONAIRE back-to-back Premier League titles since Manchester United in Rated AR 82 Fiorano (3g Home Tree by Fort Wood) 2008/09. If the Citizens win their remaining five fixtures, they Maiden Plate Scottsville (1200m) (14/4) will retain their title. Backed into odds-on at the track, Tony Rivalland’s charge was However, their fate could be decided in their next two fixtures against Tottenham (home) and Manchester United (away). soon positioned close to the pace in second. She quickened well Spurs beat City 1-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions when asked for her effort and cruised clear to score by five and League quarter-final last week, while Manchester United are a quarter after striking the front 180m from home. yet to lose a league game at Old Trafford under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Horses To Follow The Citizens are priced at 7/20 to beat Spurs on Saturday. The odds are extremely short but the bookmakers aren’t taking any CAPTAIN AL chances by giving City value. The defending Premier League Rated AR 96 Captain Of Stealth (2c The Jet Girl by Jet Master) champions have been at their scintillating best at the Etihad Juvenile Plate Durbanville (1400m) (13/4) Stadium. An easy 5.5 lengths winner of his only previous outing over 1400m at Kenilworth, Vaughan Marshall’s charge repeated the Tottenham dose in no uncertain terms here. A length and a quarter clear for Tottenham face a daunting trip to the Etihad Stadium in most of the journey, Captain Of Stealth drew clear easily when desperate need of maximum points to boost their top four given rein and despite being eased down late, he cruised in by six. hopes. Mauricio Pochettino’s side are third in the Premier League table, a point ahead of fourth-placed Arsenal and fifth- placed Chelsea – who have played a game more – and three Is Your Horse One To Follow? clear of Manchester United. This will be the sixth time that Pochettino and Guardiola face each other in the Premier League. Their first encounter came Check the Notable Maiden Winners in October 2016 when Pochettino watched his side clinch a 2-0 & Horses for the Notebook on this page victory at White Hart Lane, now revamped into the ‘Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’. Since then, however, Guardiola’s side have - see how promising the Sporting Post dominated, drawing once before three straight victories. ability ratings (AR) say they are. Prediction: Aguero to Score First & Man City to win (TBA) SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 59 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 60

Clockwatching with Steve Furnish

Last Week’s Top Rated Speed Ratings winners incl. won 33/10 ...... Straight Down Mr Fitz . won 57/20 Twice As Smart ...... won 11/4 True To Life ...... won 47/20 Bella Summer ...... won 47/20 Celestial Storm ...... won 47/20 The Middle Lasair...... won 19/20 ...... A review of the week's best speedratings Fiorano won 1/3 Captain Of Stealth ...... Happy Hunting Ground in the faster of the two 1200m events, a MR77 Handicap. Soon positioned close to Greyville 7 April the speed, Yvette Bremner’s charge took The Gr3 Umzimkhulu Stakes for 3yo up the running coming off the bend and Top speed ratings fillies jointly topped the bill on Sunday cruised clear over the final 400m to score for this weekend and in what proved to be the fastest of by four and a quarter. (Ratings shown have already been adjusted to the three 1400m events, we saw a smart It was a similar story in the fastest of allocated weights) performance from last season’s Gr3 the three 1300m events, a MR62 Hand- Debutante winner TEMPLE GRAFIN. Easy icap where CLIFTON BEACH registered Fairview (fri) to back at 7/1 on the off, the Duke Of her second career victory. Freely available Race 1: No Qualifiers Marmalade filly was drawn wide and raced Race 2: (3) Day’s Of Thunder 10 at 18/1 on the off, the daughter of Sail Race 3: (4) Bold Viking 67 in midfield early on. She ran on strongly in From Seattle also took up the running at Race 4: (6) Making Miracles 73 the short home straight and under a well- the top of the straight after racing handy, Race 5: (2) Sir Frenchie 80 judged ride from Anton Marcus she got Race 6: (4) Evolver 55 and won going away by three and three Race 7: (2) Madonna 46 up late to beat the Western Cape raider quarters. Race 8: (5) Country Rock 43 SANTA CLARA going away. Race three on the card was a MR72 Race 9: (2) Make It Raine 61 Run 32/100th of a second slower than Handicap over 1900m and here the Greyville (fri) Race 1: (9) Liquid Irish 16 that of the Umzimkhulu Stakes was the former Gauteng campaigner ARANJUEZ Race 2: (5) Cassius Colt 14 Gr3 Byerley Turk for 3yo’s over 1400m completed a smart hat-trick. In the rear Race 3: (8) Duc D’orange 58 and here the rapidly improving TRISTFUL when the ten runners swung for home, Race 4: (4) Red Shift 62 Race 5: (9) Bequia 33 (EW) gained his third career victory from just Tara Laing’s charge finished best of all Race 6: (10) Such A Rush 47 five starts. On leaving the stalls it was SOL- and won going away by a length and a Race 7: (1) Chantyman 71 ID GOLD who elected to make the running, half. Race 8: (1) Flamenco Dancer 30 Turffontein (sat) whilst the Trippi gelding sat sixth. Solid SHEPARD’S DELIGHT and AFLEET Titbits Race 1: (7) El Patron 11 Gold kept on surprisingly strongly at the FLYER both ran on well from the rear when 1st Race 2: (1) Allmyloving 3 business end of the race and did have the & 2nd respectively in the MR72 Handicap over Race 3: (4) Humour Me 9 rest well beaten. Tristful steadily wore him 1000m. Race 4: (1) Gimme The Fire 15 Race 5: (10) Eightfolds Lass 6 (nb) down over the final 300m though, and got Race 6: (5) Gift For The Gap 72 up late to win going away. Growing In Stature Race 7: (1) La Bella Mia 68 NAP*) The only other distance to stage more Turffontein 13 April Race 8: (2) Bullsade 50 than one race on the card was 1000m Race 9: (14) No Mans Land 40 They raced on the old stand side where by far the faster of the two events Durbanville (sat) track on Saturday where a major upset Race 1: (6) Kamadeva 12 was the MR74 Handicap won by FIVES was to be had in the Gr1 Empress Club Race 2: (10) Sanskrift 14 WILD. In the rear early on, Kom Naidoo’s Race 3: (5) Louisa May 26 Stakes over 1600m when one of the rank charge quickened nicely coming off the Race 4: (8) Rio Querari 20 outsiders of the thirteen horse party Race 5: (1) Lip Service 17 bend, and got the verdict by a half over CAMPHORATUS landed the spoils. Freely Race 6: (1) Marauding 11 the luckless favourite BUCKLEBERRY (also Race 7: (6) Top Of The Class 61 available at 66/1 on the off, the rapidly raced in the rear – baulked 400-300m. Race 8: (1) Anneline 57 improving daughter of Byword raced Scottsville (sun) Titbits The 4yo ISHNANA showed considera- ninth for most of the journey. RUNNING Race 1: (13) We Light The Fire 15 ble improvement when running on from the back Race 2: (9) Pinkerton 1 to win the MR104 Handicap over 1100m going BRAVE was the first to make a move and Race 3: (2) Clear Horizons 12 away. looked to have the race won after taking Race 4: (5) Rocking Ruby 50 up the running 420m out. Finishing best Race 5: (8) The Sultans Bazaar 74 of all though, Camphoratus steadily wore Race 6: (12) Woodstock Fairy 79 Easy Victories Race 7: (8) Orpheus 88 her down below the distance and in what Race 8: (1) Cabo Da Cruz 48 Fairview 12 April by far proved to be the quickest of the There were a number of very easy three 1600m events she got up in the Nap bets victories on Friday’s poly track card and * Fancied ** Strongly fancied dying strides. *** Very strongly fancied none more so than that of VALENTINIK They also staged three races over SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 61

Clockwatching cont.

1400m and in the quickest of these, a after striking the front 250m from home. GIRL LINN 300m out and with the rest MR94 Handicap, the Stuart Pettigrew Three of the afternoon’s eight races some 6,70 lengths adrift, she went on to trained SOLDIER ON gained his fifth career took place over 1250m and surprisingly score comfortably by a length and a half. victory from just 13 starts. More often the fastest of these was the maiden plate Titbits Backed into odds on at the track, than not one to run on stoutly from off for the girls won by BELLA SUMMER. FIORANO won the boy’s division of the 1200m the pace, the son of Brave Tin Soldier was Originally priced up as a 2/1 joint favour- maiden plate going away by five and a quarter. always handy here. He put his head in ite (sent off 23/10), the daughter of Trippi front 300m out and won comfortably by was always handy. She was ridden to lead a length from the always handy SHUKA- shortly after passing the 300m marker and MISA. with the rest a further three lengths adrift, The only two sprinting events on the she beat the always handy LIP SERVICE by (Number of races run in each category shown in brackets) * Times taken by Clockwatcher card both took place over 1160m. The three quarters. Greyville (turf) 7 April Assessment Plate was marginally the Titbits At the back of the five when the race be- Penetrometer 26 – Going G/Soft quickest of these and here victory went gan in earnest, NASTERGAL was hampered 100m Course Variant: 1,62s slow to the ultra-consistent second favourite out when running on strongly to fill the runner’s up 1000m (2) Fives Wild 59,90 berth in the MR80 Handicap over 1000m. 1100m (1) Ishnana 65,50 BASILIUS. Soon positioned close to the 1200m (1) Corazon 73,96 speed, Toby Spies’ charge took the helm 1400m (3) Temple Grafin 84,87 350m out and kept on strongly late to Somewhere Down The 1900m (1) O’reilly 119,03 beat the running on NAAFER by two and a Fairview (poly) 12 April Road Going Standard quarter. 1000m (1) Shepard’s Delight Scottsville 14 April Titbits Racing in open company, the 2yo new- 1200m (2) Valentinik 72,18 comer VICTORIA PAIGE couldn’t have been more As is often the case in Pietermaritzburg 1300m (3) Clifton Beach 77,85 impressive when making up around 12 lengths the 1200m distance took the lion’s share 1400m (1) Lets Play Ball 85,19 from the back to win the prestigious R250000 1600m (1) Chief Black Horse 101,03 maiden plate for the girls. of the races. The fastest of the three was 1900m (1) Aranjuez 121,16 the MR82 Handicap won by CUMULUS. Turffontein (old) 13 April Soon at the head of affairs, the Toreador Penetrometer 26 – Going G/Soft Cautiously Optimistic Course Variant: gelding kept up a healthy gallop through- 1160m (2) Basilius 68,95 Durbanville 13 April out. The favourite TRIPPI’S EXPRESS threw 1400m (3) Soldier On 86,21 A Juvenile Plate over 1400m got pro- down a determined challenge below the 1600m (3) Camphoratus 98,49 2000m (1) Mister Magic 128,80 ceedings underway at the country course distance, but try as he might he couldn’t 2400m (1) Magic’s First 159,63 on Saturday and here we saw another get closer than a quarter at the wire. Durbanville 13 April impressive performance from CAPTAIN The MR80 Handicap was not surprising- Penetrometer 22 – Going Good OF STEALTH. A very easy five and a half- ly the faster of the two 1200m events and 1000m (2) Celestial Storm 58,32 1250m (3) Bella Summer 75,18 length winner of his only previous race- here victory went to the lightly raced 3yo 1400m (1) Captain Of Stealth 83,96 course appearance, the son of Captain Al MR FITZ. Now a winner of two from three, 1600m (1) Jailhouse Rock 97,26 made all. He led by a length and a quarter Shane Humby’s charge wasn’t the quick- 2000m (1) Aldato 123,26 for most of the journey, before quicken- est into stride and raced sixth of the ten. Scottsville 14 April Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft ing clear, and then being eased down, to He commenced battle with the fancied Course Variant: score by six. DYNO MAN 200m out and finishing best 1200m (3) Cumulus 68,46 Another to win with authority on this of all he got the upper hand late. 1400m (1) Forthelastime 84,69 1500m (1) Twice As Smart 92,33 card was JAILHOUSE ROCK in the MR80 A juvenile plate for the girls over 1200m 1600m (2) Mr Fitz 96,69 Handicap over 1600m. The lessor fancied had opened up the meeting and here we 1950m (1) High Altar 123,63 of Justin Snaith’s two runners, the 4yo son saw a smart performance from the Justin of Dynasty raced in the rear for most of Snaith trained SOMEWHERE IN TIME. Horses worth following Always deep in the red, the Anton Marcus the race. Once in the long home straight at their next few starts... ridden daughter of Captain Al was soon though he quickened best of all and com- Captain Of Stealth (V Marshall, W-Cape) fortably accounted for the well-supported positioned close to the speed. She moved Temple Grafin (G Kotzen, KZN) favourite NEXUS (his stable companion) up to tackle the front running WISHFUL Victoria Paige (S Tarry, Gauteng) SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 62 SPORTING POST DIGEST • thursday 18 april 2019 63

Doing The Splits Splits for Greyville 29 July