DONOVAN DILLON
The country’s top trainers and riders are in the region as Champions Season races along in full swing and the top riders, as expected, have the pick of the best rides.
However, Donovan has maintained his top racing standard and in a very competitive time managed to boot home seven winners, only two less than Anton Marcus and one less than Anthony Delpech and S’Manga Khumula. The young rider also managed to steer another 15 of his rides into the placings.
Well done Donovan.
A popular Cape trainer that has supported Champions Season for many years, Dean had his first experience of training at Summerveld instead of his customary and preferred Clairwood centre which has closed. He has adopted perfectly to the different altitude and facilities and has had a great start to his season.
During the month, from just 15 runners, he managed to send out five winners with seven of his other runners finishing in the placings – four of them finding the second place box. This was an outstanding performance and worthy of the award. He wins this award for the second month in a row.
Well done Dean.
With many top riders in this country deserving recognition for their talent and success, it was not easy making a selection this month with Anthony Delpech winning 13 races and three riders – Marcus, Sean Cormack and Keagan De Melo each scoring eight times.
However, just swinging the vote in his favour was Anton’s success at Scottsville on April 26 where he won three of the feature events -the Strelitzia Stakes, the Godolphin Barb Stakes and the Scarlet Lady – a performance worthy of this month’s award.
Well done Anton.
DEAN KANNEMEYER
Dean has been a regular visitor to the province for many years, operating out of Clairwood and making an important contribution to the success of the winter season. This year he has brought his team up from the Cape early to familiarise himself with the different conditions at Summerveld.
His foresight has been well rewarded as his runners have done exceptionally well and from just seven runners he has enjoyed five wins.
One of the most professional stables to visit during the season, local racegoers can look forward to more winners from this popular Cape trainer.
Well done Dean.
BRAAM VAN HYSSTEEN
Braam, the founder and award winning boss of the highly successful Cape-based company Tekkie Town, is an extraordinary man who has built his racing string in a similar way to how he built his business, starting small and growing quickly to be one of the biggest thoroughbred owners in the country with 130 horses in 22 stables throughout the industry.
In the relatively short time as an owner, he has had “well past” the 100 winner and had his best month in March with 20 winners – four in KwaZulu-Natal – and 15 places from 54 races. The best horse he has owned was Grey Cossack that won the Grade 2 Gold Vase while Western Movie won seven races for him.
He embarked on his racing ownership path when taking a 50% share with his horse-loving daughter Bianca in Young Caesour in 2009 and thereafter began building a very impressive string with a number of partners, taking the inevitable bad with the good, but enjoying it all.
He has a lot of fun with his racing and says the successes are very special, particularly when they are unexpected. Racing is his “down time” from work and he enjoys racing with his friends and introducing new people to the sport.
And what of his philosophy on life? “The best thing is, if you have had a bad day, tomorrow’s always a new start and you have something to look forward to all over again.”
Well done Braam.
ANTHONY DELPECH
The Gold Circle Jockey Award for the month has been bestowed on Anthony Delpech.
Anthony is one of the country’s top riders with international experience and success and during the month he had a magnificent run.
Of his 43 rides during the month he steered 16 of his mounts into the winner’s enclosure including five at one meeting. He also managed another 16 places with a winning strike rate of 37.21% and a win-place strike rate of 74.42 %. Those punters that followed him with a R1 win bet on each of his mounts would have ended the month with a R25.60 profit.
A dedicated professional, his mounts should always be given the utmost respect.
Well done Anthony
ALISTAIR GORDON
Alistair Gordon is Gold Circle’s Trainer of the Month for February.
Alistair had a winning strike rate of 25% with five of his 20 runners winning. More remarkable is that if punters had placed a R1 win bet on all his runners they would be in profit for the month. His winners were Assegai, Racing For Fun, Syringa, Sugarbuzz and Donna Amata.
Well done Alistair
ANTHONY DELPECH
Anthony Delpech is Gold Circle’s Jockey of the Month for February.
After being side-lined through injury, Anthony has come back hungry and finished well clear of his rivals in races won, 16 to be exact and eight clear of his nearest rival. He had the highest winning strike rate of 34%, also well clear of the rest of his weighing room colleagues.
Well done Anthony.
