Real Princess (Nkosi Hlophe)

Kannemeyer bullish about Princess

In form trainer Dean Kannemeyer’s Tsogo Sun Sprint contender Captain Alfredo is interestingly weighted and could be his yard’s best chance of a Gr 1 winner at Scottsville’s Festival Of Speed meeting on Saturday.

However, he is also bullish about City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint runner Real Princess and hopeful about Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion contestant Paperback Writer.

Kannemeyer’s first comment about Captain Al four-year-old gelding Captain Alfredo was, “He carries a bit of pudding.” Connections had hoped to get him into the race carrying closer to 52kg or 53kg but instead he has 56,5kg to contend with. However, on the bright side, his merit rating of 109 is almost certainly capped.

He beat line horse Ernie by a wide margin of 4,75 lengths last time out in the Listed In Full Flight Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville. He was given a maximum eight point raise in accordance with the new guidelines for a Listed handicap race winner, but without the restriction it would likely have been more.

Captain Alfredo (Nkosi Hlophe)

Captain Alfredo (Nkosi Hlophe)

He will face In Full Flight runner up Captain’s Causeway on only 0,5kg worse terms, despite a 1,75 length beating, and he will be 3,5kg worse off with Ernie. On paper he should have the beating of both of them again, although the In Full Flight was run in “very soft” going, which tends to cause fields to be more spread out.

On the other hand, Exelero is 1,5kg better off with Captain Alfredo from their last meeting in mid-April over the Tsogo Sun Sprint course and distance, despite beating the latter by 1,25 lengths.

However, Kannemeyer believed there was a possible explanation for that run and said, “It seemed faster down the outside that day (Exelero stuck to the outside), and we followed Natal down the inside.”

Kannemeyer has been pleased with Captain Alfredo at Summerveld and said, “He is a tough, solid horse and is sound-sound, so he takes his races very well.”

Jockey Anthony Delpech worked him on Tuesday morning and confirmed he was “doing well”.

Delpech has already won five Graded races this SA Champions Season and rides Captain Alfredo from draw 11.

Real Princess (Nkosi Hlophe)

Real Princess (Nkosi Hlophe)

Kannemeyer pointed out Real Princess had been squeezed at the start before running on to win the Gr 3 Poinsettia impressively over the City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint course and distance on May 1. That was despite it having been her first start since finishing a 0,8 length third to Carry On Alice in the Gr 2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m in late December.

He said, “She has got ability and has been thriving since that last run. Carry On Alice is probably the best sprinter in the country, but if Real Princess puts her best foot forward she is going to be very competitive, you could see in her last win how she turned it on.”

On the downside the four-year-old Trippi filly will be 2kg worse off with Carry On Alice from the Southern Cross Stakes and 2kg worse off with Lanner Falcon for a mere 0,25 length beating in the Poinsettia. She is drawn eight with Delpech up.

Kannemeyer said he had probably made a mistake running Paperback Writer at Scottsville on debut around the bend over 1400m, but had wanted to take advantage of a good draw. He over raced in the early stages of a messy affair and was never in it.

In his second start the well-bred Var colt, who is out of Gr 1 SA Fillies Guineas runner up Classique Story, showed pace throughout over 1400m on the Greyville poly and after opening up a big lead in the straight held on to win by a comfortable 1,75 lengths, albeit against a moderate field.

Kannemeyer said, “He will be better over 1200m at this stage as he has so much speed and I am not just running him for the sake of it.” Delpech is up from draw five.

David Thiselton

snaith site

Tough task for Victoria

This year’s top SA Champions Season trainer to date, Justin Snaith, has only one runner at Scottsville’s Festival of Speed meeting on Saturday.

He said about the Captain Al filly Victoria Lavelle, who runs in the weight for age (wfa) Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint over 1200m, “She is doing very well at home. She is a beautiful filly and is an out and out sprinter. She will be a nice horse for trifectas and quartets.”

However, he believed, especially being a three-year-old, she had a tough task at the weights.

She did beat City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint contender Real Princess by 1,1 lengths in the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes over 1100m at Kenilworth in December, but was 2kg better off than wfa on that occasion.

In her first KZN start last time out, in the Gr 3 Poinsettia Stakes over 1200m, she was beaten only 0,3 lengths by Real Princess on wfa terms and a short-head by Lanner Falcon on terms 2kg better than weight for age. However, that was her first run for four months.

Victoria Lavelle is drawn six on Saturday and Piere Strydom rides.

Meanwhile, the connections have not yet decided whether Saturday’s Snaith-trained Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 winner Bela-Bela will take her place in the Vodacom Durban July.

David Thiselton

Fourie on It’s My Turn

Richard Fourie, who won the 2014 Vodacom Durban July for Justin Snaith on Legislate, has been booked by his old boss for the plum ride on Cape Derby winner It’s My Turn.

Jonathan Snaith said: “Piere Strydom was originally booked but he is unable to ride anywhere close to the weight of 53kg. Justin is very excited to have Richard up.”

The Daily News runner-up will be Fourie’s sixth July ride. He had his first in 2007 and, bar Legislate, all his mounts so far have finished unplaced.

Michael Clower

Grade 1 Jackpot of sprints

Sprinting stars from around the country will thrill the crowds at the annual festival of speed, the Tsogo Sun Sprint day at Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday that boasts the only official Grade 1 Jackpot in the country.

The R1-million, Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint tops the bill supported by the R600 000, Grade 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint and the two R600 000, Grade 1 clashes for juveniles, the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion and the Allan Robertson Championship – all four races over the testing 1 200m trip.

Fields for the races have been confined to 14 runners and with the inside rail being brought in some four metres to eliminate the alleged better going down the inside, racing is expected to be fairer for all runners on the day.

While the flying filly Carry On Alice will be seen by many as the banker of the day when she bids to complete the race double in the City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint having beaten Alboran Sea in the race last year, very competitive fields have been received for the three other events and racing should be hard, fast and exciting.

Carry On Alice won the Computaform Sprint at the end of April and under the weight-for-age conditions of Saturday’s race the Sean Tarry superstar looks very hard to beat.

Things are different, however, in the Tsogo Sun Sprint where the Computaform Sprint runner-up Talktothestars and third-placed Barbosa will lock horns again with the Dennis Drier-trained Barbosa being 4kg better off with Coenie de Beer’s charge for a four lengths beating recently at Turffontein. However Barbosa now has the “home town” advantage, things could be very close between them.

Adding to the interest in the race will be the return of former Tsogo Sun Sprint winner Red Ray from the Joey Ramsden stable that makes his re-appearance in this country after a two-year break during which he campaigned overseas.

In the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion, Drier will be out to secure his seventh win in the juvenile race and his fifth on the trot. He races the Horse Chestnut colt Horse Guards that won impressively by five lengths on debut on the polytrack at Greyville. He meets some smart young horses including the Var colt Rivarine from the Mike Azzie stable that was beaten into second place in the SA Nursery at Turffontein by the exciting Tarry-trained filly Cloth Of Cloud.

Also likely to produce a strong challenge is the Mike Azzie trained Oomph. The Tiger Ridge colt has demolished his opposition by more than three lengths in each of his races to date.

In the Allan Robertson Championship, Cloth Of Cloud is likely to be all the rage on her beating of the male opposition in the SA Nursery. She will be up against the winner of the SA Fillies Nursery winner Fursa from the Mike de Kock stable as well as the Tarry-trained Captain Al filly Myfunnyvalentine that ran second with the top young filly from the Cape, the Vaughan Marshall trained daughter of Captain Al, The Secret Is Out, a talented addition to the mix. The Secret Is Out has cruised home in both her races including the Strelitzia Stakes at Scottsville last time out and is expected to be a major player in this race.

The stage is set and the star cast is ready for what should be a fabulous day of Grade 1 racing on Tsogo Sun Sprint Raceday at Scottsville on Saturday, a meeting not to be missed.

Silver Mountain (Kenilworth Racing)

Tibouchina next for Silver Mountain

Silver Mountain will take her chance in the Tibouchina Stakes at Greyville on Saturday week and her performance there will determine how long she stays in KZN.

The Mike Bass-trained Cape Fillies Guineas winner was originally to have run in last Saturday’s Woolavington but Candice Robinson said: “We are not 100% sure that she gets 2 000m and, had we run her, we might not have learned anything.

“She hasn’t been thriving in Durban and we will bring her back home to Cape Town if she doesn’t run well in the Tibouchina.”

Silver Mountain, fourth in the Cape Guineas, only managed sixth behind Bela-Bela when odds-on for the Daisy Fillies Guineas earlier this month. That was her first start since beating all except Illuminator in the CTS Million Dollar in January.

Michael Clower

Blarney Bay all the way

The galloping Blarney Bay makes considerable each way appeal at 12-1 in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap at Kenilworth today.

The Mike Robinson seven-year-old is at his best over 1 400m, when his searching pace will often last to the line, but the short straight here suits his game.

“He would have won last time had the race been on the winter course,” says his trainer. “He has come on a lot since and the short run-in will help.”

The top weight is an exciting horse to watch – and to bet on – as he always gives his all and, win or lose, he always looks as if he is going to come home in front. Indeed he was four lengths clear coming to the furlong marker last time. He was eventually beaten less than two lengths into fifth, not bad considering it was his first race for four months.

Heavalon Van Der Hoven (Liesl King)

Heavalon Van Der Hoven (Liesl King)

Heavelon van der Hoven, who won on him last October, again takes 2.5kg off his back and he meets Star Chestnut (second) and Spirit Of Hamilton (third) on the same terms. Star Chestnut had to be switched inside the final furlong so it is understandable that World Sports Betting has him favourite at 7-2.

Nanna’s Rock has been backed from 5-1 to 33-10 favourite for the opening juvenile fillies after her debut third against older horses and she could well prove to be the one. However the Snaith pair Harakiri (4-1) and Laikipia (a huge price at 25-1) have both shown enough to suggest they can at least go close against Paddy Kruyer’s filly.

Lord Balmoral stands out in the Place Your Bets Maiden Juvenile and MJ Byleveld’s mount has already been nibbled at from evens to 9-10. He made his debut against older horses and was only beaten three-quarters of a length by fellow newcomer Our Mate Art who ran so well in Saturday’s Cape Nursery. William The Brave (10-1) was over five lengths behind Lord Balmoral.

So often in Kenilworth maidens there are a number of possibles who could upset the applecart but not this time and 35 minutes later 18-10 shot Hero Quest also looks a good thing. Corne Orffer’s mount has a length to find with Gyre (already backed from 4-1 to 5-2) on last time’s run but it was only his second start and he ran as green as grass, having to be ridden much of the way and turning for home almost last.

Mega Secret (7-2) will again have his supporters but he is costing them a fortune and there is a line of form that puts him behind Hero Quest.

The All To Come Maiden (race four) is far more complicated but Celtic Charm appeals at 11-2. She finished in front of Baqueira two races back and again ran well last time even though the stipes report says she was hanging in. “She got checked and had to switch in,” explains Mike Stewart, adding: “She will run a good race.”

La Flambee (4-1) is an obvious danger even though she has been off for nearly three months. “She has benefitted from her break and she worked better than I expected on Saturday,” reports Adam Marcus. “She runs well fresh and has definitely got to be in with a place chance.”

Prudence Prevails has a bad draw and Sabrina Fair has not raced since January while two-year-old Arctic Green meets the three-year-olds on terms 5kg worse than weight-for-age and that is worth about four and a half lengths. All three are quoted at 9-2.

Michael Clower

vdj crowd

Vodacom Durban July log (May 30)

Inara and Silver Mountain were amongst the scratchings at the second declaration stage for the 2016 Vodacom Durban July whilst the Tyrone Zackey trained Judicial was the only supplementary entry at 11:00 today.

Solid Speed and St Tropez who finished second and third in the recent Betting World 1900 have moved up the log into contention for a place amongst the final field of 18 runners for this year’s Vodacom Durban July but Legal Eagle retains his position at the top of the Log issued this afternoon by Gold Circle.

Top 25 are as follows:

No. Horse Mass MR B  A  T Trainer
1 LEGAL EAGLE 0 120 A  T Sean Tarry
2 ABASHIRI 0 117 A Mike Azzie
3 FRENCH NAVY 0 115 A Sean Tarry
4 RABADA 0 106 A Mike Azzie
5 BELA-BELA 0 107 A Justin Snaith
6 IT’S MY TURN 0 101 A Justin Snaith
7 MASTER SABINA 0 108 A  T Geoff Woodruff
8 BLACK ARTHUR 0 106 A Justin Snaith
9 SOLID SPEED 0 103 B  A Dean Kannemeyer
10 NEGROAMARO 0 102 A Johan Janse van Vuuren
11 MAMBO MIME 0 100 A Dean Kannemeyer
12 ROCKETBALL 0 105 A  T Gavin van Zyl
13 SAMURAI BLADE 0 108 A  T Sean Tarry
14 PATERFAMILIAS 0 110 B  A Mike Bass
15 DEO JUVENTE 0 106 A Geoff Woodruff
16 MAC DE LAGO 0 107 A  T Weiho Marwing
17 ST TROPEZ 0 99 A Joey Ramsden
18 MARINARESCO 0 97 B  A Mike Bass
19 TEN GUN SALUTE 0 101 A  T Duncan Howells
20 OLMA 0 107 A  T Frank Robinson
21 TROPHY WIFE 0 101 A Sean Tarry
22 DYNAMIC 0 98 A Justin Snaith
23 THE CONGLOMERATE 0 101 A Joey Ramsden
24 BALANCE SHEET 0 98 A Dean Kannemeyer
25 ROMANY PRINCE 0 102 A Ormond Ferraris

Ante-post betting for the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July to be run on Saturday, 2 July 2016, courtesy of www.trackandball.co.za

4-1 Black Arthur; 13-2 Bela-Bela; 7-1 Marinaresco; 8-1 Its My Turn; 10-1 Abashiri; 11-1 Legal Eagle; 12-1 Solid Speed, Rabada, St Tropez; 13-1 French Navy; 15-1 Mac De Lago, Deo Juvente, The Conglomerate; 28-1 Mambo Mime; 30-1 Rocketball; 33-1 Paterfamilias, Negroamaro, Ten Gun Salute, Dynamic; 40-1 Master Sabina; 45-1 Samurai Blade, New Predator, Judicial; 50-1 Trophy Wife, Balance Sheet; 66-1 Prospect Strike; 80-1 The Centenary; 125-1 Punta Arenas; 150-1 Olma, Saratoga Dancer, Bankable Teddy, Romany Prince, Master Switch; 200/1 upwards the others

 

 

Abashiri – July ‘here we come’

Owner Adriaan van Vuuren was on course at Greyville on Saturday and said his beloved  Lammerskraal Stud-bred Mike Azzie-trained SA Triple Crown-winning hero Abashiri had recovered well from his grueling SA Derby victory and if things continued to go well he would definitely line up for the Vodacom Durban July.

Van Vuuren has won many fans due to both his passion for the Sport Of Kings and an obvious love of horses and he is already embracing the July with the same enthusiasm he brought to Turffontein for the Triple Crown bid.

In fact on Saturday he delivered a gift bag to the manager of Lammerskraal Stud, Sally Jourdan, which contained, all in his bright orange colours, an Abashiri theme scarf, cap, bottle of champagne, flash drive with all of his wins on it, a ‘King Abashiri’ saddle cloth, and a personalised T-Shirt for Jourdan with the words “Abashiri, Vodacom Durban July 2016 here we come” and on the back “Go Abba go.”

David Thiselton

Faith in Sergeant paying off

Sergeant Hardy, a R450 000 sales disaster, could yet justify breeder Veronica Foulkes’s faith by becoming a decent sprinter on the evidence of Saturday’s Cape Of Good Hope Nursery when Francois Herholdt’s mount made most of the running to spring an 11-1 surprise.

The Normandy stud owner’s son Oscar related: “Sergeant Hardy failed the scope when we sold him at the CTS Premier Sale as he proved to have a paralysed right vocal cord. We put him in the Ready To Run in November but we knew he would fail again and we bought him back for R70 000.”

There was no fluke about Saturday’s Kenilworth win – the gelding had already won the Listed race on Met day – but the surprise was that his much more fancied stable companion Bishop’s Bounty was beaten into fourth.

Chris Snaith said: “That did surprise me but this is a sprinter and they let him go two lengths clear. Also he had a 3kg penalty in the Somerset last time and weight stops trains. Bishop’s Bounty wants further but Western Winters don’t normally like the wet and if it rains I would rather duck the Langerman (June 25) with him.”

Attenborough, who started favourite and was beaten a length and a half, was found to have mucus in his lungs when Joey Ramsden had him checked out but Aldo Domeyer came in convinced that third-placed Our Mate Art has a big future, saying: “He was the best horse in the race – watch the re-run, he was all over the place and he will want ten furlongs.”

Snaith Racing also took the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery with the outsider of their two runners when Robert Khathi saved 45-1 shot Nordic Breeze (again bred and part-owned by Mrs Foulkes) for the final 100m and held odds-on The Merry Widow by half a length.

Snaith snr said: “They are two beautiful fillies and I wouldn’t like to try and split them. The winner is a difficult filly with a temperament but she has loads of talent and she ran into a lot of trouble last time. She could go for the Irridescence (June 25).”

Gypsy Beauty, who finished last, made an abnormal respiratory noise and will now have an operation. Greg Ennion, who thinks highly of her, said she has a deformed palate and the op will be done by a specialist from Pretoria.

Mike Bass is only five short of his sixth successive century after Sublime Lady, yet another Normandy-bred and backed from 6-1 to 5-2 favourite, got up two strides from the post under Khathi in the mile handicap to make amends for last time’s flop in the Sweet Chestnut when she was found to be suffering from a stacked leg virus.

Francois Herholdt (Zimracing)

Francois Herholdt (Zimracing)

Francois Herholdt is beginning to catch the eye of the top Cape Town trainers and he initiated a long-priced double when Brett Crawford newcomer Argo Solo made a winning debut at 55-1 in impressive style in the maiden juvenile.

The talented lightweight, whose big race wins include the 1994 Daily News on Imperial Despatch for Mike Azzie, said: “I can ride at 52kg and Jo’burg has been tough for me recently with a lot of appies doing well – and I thought there was a big gap down here after Karl Neisius and Glen Hatt retired plus Greg Cheyne being out of action.”

Tribal Fusion, who made all under Richard Fourie in the Third Leg Maiden, is a tough customer as Shane Humby explained: “He bashed his head against the gates last year and broke several bones in his head. There was nothing to be done except rest him and allow the bones to heal.”

On a day of surprises the distinction – if that is the right word – for producing the biggest shock of the lot went to Billy Prestage whose Red Peril made much of the running under Craig du Plooy to win the last at 66-1.

Michael Clower