The Uncertainty Over the Vaal Track in Recent Weeks
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SPORTING POST DIGEST • Thursday 27 septembER 2018 1 Thursday 27 September 2018 FAIRVIEW poly Friday Best Roving Banker: R3-(2)National Park(3/1) GREYVILLE poly Friday Best Roving Banker: R1-(8)Leanna(1/1) TURFFONTEIN Saturday Best Roving Banker: R9-(5)Favourite Model(15/10) DURBANVILLE Saturday Best Roving Banker: R1-(12)Vascostreettractor(1/1) GREYVILLE turf Sunday Best Roving Banker: R1-(1)Awayinthewoods(16/10) The uncertainty over the Vaal track in recent weeks has meant a spluttering start to the Highveld Spring Season festivities and been a less than welcoming baptism into office for Friday 21 September Fairview - race 6 new Phumelela CEO, John Stuart. Sporting Post Best Handicapped but opportunity can often lurk under the guise of Stuart’s inspections revealed that there was ex- adversity. cessive wear and tear in several sections of the Vaal Raven Girl Just three days after he cleared Rian Du Plessis’ Classic course, particularly on the turn. half of the Vaal WON 11/2 office drawers and hung his own pictures on the walls track was scarified over a month ago and that part of – his predecessor had been there for a decade – mr the track had responded well treatment. The second Stuart was on the long road to the Vaal early last half of the track, the front straight, was partially scari- Friday morning. fied more recently on 5 September and this area was a recent meeting at the Vereeniging track had the current cause of concern. been disrupted as a result of jockey concerns about besides quietly praying for warmer weather - the the surface and some trainers had pulled horses out. rapid grass growth normally triggered by the arrival That kind of, surely avoidable, trauma has serious rep- of spring has been stunted at the Vaal by cold snaps utational impact – something Phumelela are said to coupled with a severe frost – Stuart was keen to be keen to pack away - and also wounds the lifeblood make an early impression and his Cyril Ramaphosa of betting turnover and rattles customer confidence. type walkabout, besides dirtying his shoes, made an and racing cannot move forward if the public keep immediate impression. believing that nobody cares or actually knows - or “I’m a bit of a cynic. but I like this man already and ever thinks about - what they are doing. I have only just shaken his hand and met him for the SPORTING POST DIGEST • Thursday 27 septembER 2018 2 NEW BROOMS WEEKEND RACING first time. The fact that he has taken the time and trouble to come here and see what is going on first hand is bloody refreshing. and Uncle Bill Seeing Red? he speaks my language. There’s hope!” joked local trainer ashley Settlers Trophy Durbanville Fortune’s charismatic husband andrew, who would no doubt have Milnerton trainer Bill Prestage is one of the respected older added his own very educated and unabridged opinion on the state generation of veteran trainers who continue to hold their own of play to the fledgeling CEO’s notes. and tick over the winners with a small string at his disposal. Time will tell whether Stuart’s action was a new broom political He saddles the Western Winter 8yo Red Peril in a bid to play, or simply a genuine effort to take control, show some pro- register the double in the R150 000 Listed Settlers Trophy at activity and send a friendlier message to stakeholders than has Durbanville on Saturday. generally been the case in the past decade. It looks to have already ignited more transparency in the ranks. a dour out-and-out stayer, the Dayto- his operational lieutenants may well be waking up a half hour na-bred Red Peril was the subject of a earlier in the morning. They were certainly quick to action to con- particularly innovative ride at the unof- tain the Vaal turnout and there was a show of planning and consul- ficial opening of the ‘new Durbanville' tation, with gallops being held under senior jockeys and broadcast track at the corresponding meeting last live on Tellytrack. year, when, after a sluggish start, he went round his field and caught them napping an assertive – popular for some and less so for others - decision was Red Peril| Michael Price made to postpone the Grand heritage and the Consolation feature to register a 5,25 length win. to Saturday 13 October. That’s not ideal, as horses are prepped for Red Peril needs a true test of stamina and he relished the a target date. but it’s a more positive result than blindly holding the tough gallop that he set that day. he hasn’t won since but has meeting this Saturday on ‘shaky’ ground and peeving stakeholders earned at three placed efforts and is an honest sort who doesn’t and punters, while wasting time and money and abandoning halfway. have a lot of race options on the programme. The Grand heritage slot was the traditional Emerald Cup day on Red Peril isn’t getting any younger and it is the Snaith’s pro- the now defunct sand track and it may even be time to reconsid- gressive 4yo magnificent Seven who could have his measure as er the programming to another date, to avoid our unpredictable he goes for a hat-trick of wins and his fifth win in six starts. The mother Nature wielding more havoc in the years ahead. son of horse Chestnut tries the 2400m for the first time but Word on the ground is that December may be under considera- should have no difficulty in seeing it out on the manner of his tion as a better month to run the big race. recent 2000m victories. his unraced dam is a full-sister to model It makes plenty of sense. There won’t be a clash factor with the man Gr1 performer Pratique and he relaxes smartly and can Cape Summer Season or the local feature programme, as it is a turn it on when required. relatively well-endowed race intended to cater for a range of hand- The Cape Winter Derby third placer ballad Of The Sea, one of icappers, who are generally not looking for Gr1 contests. a trio of runners from the Candice bass-Robinson yard, returns It’s good to see somebody is thinking. There’s hope yet - as after an 11 week break and goes straight in boxing, without the Fortune suggests. benefit of a pipe-opener. The son of Teofilo is lightly raced and has shown ability at 2500m, although only a maiden winner. he can assert at his first start as a 4yo but may lack for genuine race fitness and may have bigger fish to fry. SouthHere africa’s leadingComes bookmakers The hollywoodbets Summer have opened his stablemate benjan was beaten 1,25 lengths by magnif- their ante-post betting for the R2 million G-bETS Gr1 Gauteng Sum- icent Seven last time and now meets the Snaith galloper on mer Cup, which will take place at Turffontein on 1 December 2018. 1,5kgs better terms over the an initial entry of 56 horses from all corners of the country Settlers Trophy (L) extra 400m. The son of Fort were received at first entry stage on Tuesday. Last year’s winner past winners Wood has not won in ages but 2015 Liege is amongst the possible runners. 1 Arezzo 52.0 ( 3) 4/1 did finish third in this event last 2 A Time To Kill 52.5 ( 9) 10/1 year behind Red Peril and is a Click here to see the hollywoodbets ante-post prices 3 Friendly Tibbs 58.0 ( 5) 14/1 Equus Sa Champion stayer It’s my Turn, who finished his aS 2016 nominal half kilo better off this 1 Francia 58.0 ( 7) 4/1 time round. Champions Season campaign with a flourish last term, has been 2 Captain Splendid 59.5 (10) 22/10 priced up favourite for the ‘people’s race’ ahead of mike de Kock’s 3 My World 60.0 ( 6) 6/1 The one-time winner Wood- 2017 highly regarded Noble Secret and trojan Gr1 winner Coral Fever. 1 Red Peril 55.0 ( 6) 14/1 land’s Forest from the burg- 2 Our Emperor 53.5 ( 4) 41/10 Declarations close by 11h00 on Tuesday 20 November on 3 Benjan 52.0 ( 8) 30/1 er-Van Reenen training combi- which day the final field will be announced. nation has lacked punch at the See the entries here business START PA5/PICK SIX4/JACKPOT3 end of 4:30PM SEttLERS TROPHY (LISTED) - 2400M DURBANVILLE SAME TRAINER:(1-3)(4-5-7) matters 6 and looks Jet Master 1 Master’s EYE(J Snaith) R Khathi .................. 9 65.0 Do You Fit The Bill? Western Winter 2 RED PERIL(WG Prestage) C Orffer ................... 4 56.0 limited at The National horseracing authority has confirmed that at a Horse Chestnut 3 MAGNIFICENT SEVEN(J Snaith) R Fourie ...... 1 55.5 Horse Chestnut 4 PACIFIC CHESTNUT(C Bass-Robinson) F Herholdt ... 8 53.5 best. board meeting held yesterday to discuss the vacant position of Fort Wood 5 BENJAN(C Bass-Robinson) G Cheyne ............... 7 52.5 Pacific Chief Executive, the National board Directors agreed that the post Elusive Fort 6 WOODLand’s FOREST(Burger/van Reenen) M Winnaar . 6 52.5 Teofilo 7 BALLAD OF THE SEA(C Bass-Robinson) A Mgudlwa . 5 52.0 Chestnut would be advertised. Silvano 8 THE SILVA FOX(VH Marshall) S Mbhele ........... 3 52.0 Silvano 9 SISTER SOOZIE(A Nel) A Andrews .................