Category Archives: BW1900

Betting World 1900 to be the decider

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Joey Ramsden has an intriguing hand in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 and how his four runners, The Conglomerate, King Of Pain, St Tropez and Disco Al, do will likely decide their routes through the remainder of the SA Champions Season.

The Conglomerate (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Conglomerate (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Conglomerate ran in the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m last time and stayed on quite well from a handy position over a trip short of his best to finish a 5,65 length sixth, which was not a bad effort considering it was his first run since January 9 and he was caught wide early from a tricky draw of nine.

Anton Marcus said, “It was a fair run.”

He should have benefitted from the run, but Marcus added, “He doesn’t give much away at work.”

This Australian-bred son of Lonhro won last season’s KRA Guineas, where he relished the strong pace. He then had no excuses when finishing a decent third in the Daily News 2000. Then in the Vodacom Durban July he had nowhere to go on the outside rail and the jockey understandably switched him inward, although in retrospect he would have got a lot closer than five lengths had he remained patient.

The Conglomerate ran unplaced in all three of his runs in the Cape summer. His merit rating has duly dropped from a high of 108 down to 101, but unfortunately his rating is near the bottom of the 100 to 104 band pertaining to the conditions of Friday’s race, so he is officially 1kg under sufferance with the best weighted horses.

He should relish the course and distance and Marcus has retained the ride, despite facing another tricky draw of 14.

Assistant trainer Alson Ndzilana is happy with The Conglomerate, but said all three of the other runners would need their runs.

However, all of them stay further so they can’t be written off.

King Of Pain (Nkosi Hlophe)

King Of Pain (Nkosi Hlophe)

King Of Pain beat a top class field in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge two years ago, but is not an easy horse to train and his only win since was last time out in the Gr 3 CTS Chairman’s Cup over 3200m in February. That win has opened up new doors, as he could now be an eLan Property Group Gold Cup contender, especially coming from a yard who has an excellent record with stayers. However, his Gold Challenge win followed a similar layoff to the one he is coming off now so he could be a contender on Friday night off a reasonable merit rating of 106, which means he is only 0,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted horses in the race. He also has a tricky draw of 12 and Brandon Lerena rides.

St Tropez is one of the joint best weighted horses in the race having to carry 56kg off his 99 merit rating and being by Silvano should now be coming into his own as a four-year-old. He hasn’t run since his disappointing effort in the Sansui Summer Cup. However, he is yet to fulfill his considerable potential and his fine turn of foot makes him suited to the tight Greyville track. He won the East Cape Derby impressively last season so the staying option is open to him too. He is a dark horse on Friday from a good draw of six and the astute Keagan de Melo should suit him perfectly as a rider who usually times it right when coming from off the pace.

Six-year-old Disco Al was beaten a length by St. Tropez in October over 1800m and faces him on identical terms if the weight for age scale is taken into account. In this class he would probably prefer further but is an honest sort and won’t be far back. He is drawn nicely in seven and stable jockey Donovan Dillon is aboard.

By David Thiselton

Gold Onyx (Nkosi Hlophe)

Tarry’s 1900 trio

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Sean Tarry has three runners engaged in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 to be run at Greyville this Friday.

He said, “Serissa is an honest horse and will ensure a decent pace so the horses won’t pull.”

A horse who will always benefit from such a pace is the evergreen Gold Onyx, especially when he is drawn as wide as he will be on Friday. Gold Onyx is known for his short but potentially devastating run in, which makes him suited to the tight Greyville track, and Tarry said, “A line can be drawn through his Drill Hall run as he was forced into a handy position over a distance short of his best. A big improvement can be expected.”

He continued, “Halve The Deficit’s last run was fair and he is not in a bad place.”

This seven-year-old was unlucky in last year’s July when running off a 109 merit rating, so will be dangerous off a current 103 merit rating if reproducing his best.

By David Thiselton

St Tropez (Nkosi Hlophe)

Betting World 1900 Final Field

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The competitive battle for a place in the final field for the R4.25-million, Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July goes into its next round at Greyville Racecourse next Friday, 20 May 2016, where 12 of the 17 runners carded for the R400 000, Grade 2 Betting World 1900 are entries for Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event taking place on Saturday, July 2.

The three-year-olds have already shown they could feature strongly in the final 18-horse field for the country’s premier event after some top performances in the Canon Guineas and Daisy Fillies Guineas and with the Daily News 2000 and Woolavington 2000 still to come at the end of the month their influence could become even greater.

St Tropez (Nkosi Hlophe)

St Tropez (Nkosi Hlophe)

The legendary Betting World 1900 that will be run for the 90th time on May 20 and will also mark the final TGIF regular night racemeeting at Greyville for the current season to return on a regular basis on September 23.

The race will be one of the last chances for the older horses to impress the July selection panel with only the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and Cup Trial to come and runners like Master’s Eye, Solid Speed, Dynastic Power and The Conglomerate, that are currently on the outside looking in on the Log, will need solid performances if they are to enhance their chances.

The Betting World 1900 has always been seen as one of the major pointers to the Vodacom Durban July and has produced nine horses that have gone on to win the coveted event in the same year. With a lot at stake one could see a much improved run from the Joey Ramsden-trained gelding The Conglomerate and a few others. The four-year-old displayed top-level ability as a three-year-old but he lost his way in the latter part of last year.

With this being his second run after being gelded, he could show considerable improvement on his less than spirited performance in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes and this would certainly have the July selection panel sitting up and taking greater interest in his potential as a big race participant.

Another Ramsden runner, St Tropez, has had two races since running second to Ultimate Dollar in the tabGOLD 2200 last year but will have his first outing since running unplaced from a wide draw in the Summer Cup in November. His major bid for a Vodacom Durban July berth could be aimed at the Rising Sun Gold Challenge with this race being a “pipe-opener” after such a long break but top stables know how to get horses ready and even if needing the outing he could be very competitive.

On the other hand, Solid Speed and It Is Written from the Dean Kannemeyer stable are both in good form and could be major players in this race and make an impression for the big race. This could apply also to runners like the Justin Snaith-trained Dynastic Power that finished third in the recent Sledgehammer and Master Switch from the Geoff Woodruff yard that was third in the Drumstar in April and won a pinnacle stakes race comfortably over 2 000 at Turffontein in his last outing.

Ends

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Final field and draws: BettingWorld 1900

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Final Field for the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 to be run over 1900m at Greyville racecourse on Friday May 20: 

SC# DR HORSE               WGT  M/R     JOCKEY             TRAINER

1  16 GOLD ONYX (NZ)     60.0 107 T A  ……………   Sean Tarry

2  12 KING OF PAIN       60.0 106   A  ……………   Joey Ramsden

3  11 HALVE THE DEFICIT  58.0 103   A  M Yeni            Sean Tarry

4   5 MASTER’S EYE       58.0 103  BA  R Fourie          Justin Snaith

5  10 SOLID SPEED        58.0 103  BA  A Delpech         Dean Kannemeyer

6   1 IT IS WRITTEN      58.0 102   A  S Randolph        Dean Kannemeyer

7   7 DISCO AL           58.0 101   A  ……………   Joey Ramsden

8  17 DYNASTIC POWER     58.0 101   A  M Byleveld        Vaughan Marsh

9  14 THE CONGLOMERATE ( 58.0 101   A  ……………   Joey Ramsden

10   6 ST TROPEZ          56.0  99   A  ……………   Joey Ramsden

11  15 DYNAMIC            56.0  98   A  G van Niekerk     Justin Snaith

12   4 MASTER SWITCH      56.0  98 T A *C Murray          Geoff Woodruff

13   8 SERISSA            56.0  98   A  K de Melo         Sean Tarry

14  13 SILVER SPRING      54.0  92   A  K Zechner         Gavin van Zyl

15   3 GREEK LEGEND       54.0  91  BA  J P v’d Merwe     Mike Azzie

16   9 NIGHT SHADOW       54.0  86  CA  W Kennedy         Gavin van Zyl

Reserve Runners

17   2 DEPUTY JUD         56.0  95   A  Reserve 1         Mike Azzie

Abashiri (Nkosi Hlophe)

Will Abashiri run?

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Public hero Abashiri is “getting better everyday” in the aftermath of his ultra tough SA Derby run, which saw him hard driven to win narrowly, thus becoming the third horse in history to land the SA Triple Crown.

However, trainer Mike Azzie said it was still too early to say whether the Go Deputy gelding would participate in the Vodacom Durban July.

He added, “If he gets topweight I don’t think he will run.”

A condition of the July is three-year-old males being limited at the publications of the weights to carry a maximum of 57kg.

However, if the current highest rated horse among the entries, Legal Eagle, is scratched after the publications of the weights, the weights will then be dragged upward.

In that case French Navy would be dragged up from 57,5kg to 60kg and Abashiri would go from 56,5kg up to 59kg, which would be the highest weight a three-year-old has ever been asked to carry in the July.

Azzie has a good back up horse in Gr 1-winner Rabada.

He felt this Brave Tin Soldier colt was unlucky in Friday night’s Gr 2 Canon Guineas. He pointed out Rabada had to be used up to find a handy position from a wide draw and the pace up front had then been a blistering one. He added Black Arthur had consequently had the run of the race coming from a good draw. Black Arthur was soon relaxed at the back on the rail and was able to stride out throughout, due to the fast pace. In fact he had to be scrubbed along by Anthony Delpech to keep up.

Azzie said, “He only beat us by half-a-length, but I think it could be a different story in the Daily News, provided we get a good draw.”

Azzie has a high regard for the four-year-old Black Minnaloushe gelding Greek Legend, who won a good race over 1600m at Turffontein in his second run after a layoff for a suspensory injury, prevailing over the previously unbeaten Chepardo. He added Greek Legend had been doing “very, very well” at Summerveld. He has drawn well in seven among the long list of Gr 2 Betting World 1900 nominations, although off just a 91 merit rating it remains to be seen whether he will get into the race or not.

Azzie will aim former SA Derby runner up and Supreme Cup winner Deputy Jud at the Gr 3 Track And Ball Derby at Scottsville on June 19. He said his last run could have a line drawn through it, because this horse needed cover to be affective.

He reckoned his sprinter Splendid Garden, who finished a fine fifth in the Gr 1 WSB Computafirm Sprint considering he jumped from an unfavourable low draw, would be in the “shake up” in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville on June 4 and added he would appreciate the step up to 1200m.

Azzie also has three nice two-year-old campaigners in colts Rivarine and Aussie Austin and filly Announcing Rain.

Meanwhile, Shatoosh, who finished 7,25 lengths back in the Gr 2 Daisy Guineas on Friday night will be put away until next season as Azzie believes time given for her to mature will be beneficial.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Abashiri (Nkosi Hlophe)

Dynastic Power (Nkosi Hlophe)

Elley deals a double knockout blow

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Cape trainer Stan Elley dealt many Vodacom Durban July hopefuls a double knockout blow at Greyville on Friday evening when his two rank outsider runners, Dynastic Power and Punta Arenas, filled two of the first three place in the R350 000, Grade 2 Betting World 1900.

Victory or a bold showing was necessary for many of the runners to impress the July selection panel but for most of the more fancied contenders there must be little hope left of making the final 18 in Africa’ Greatest Horseracing Evening on the first Saturday in July.

The race was won by the four-year-old Dynasty gelding Dynastic Power under a perfect ride by Greg Cheyne at odd in the region of 50-1 with “veteran” July campaigner Punta Arenas, starting at similar odds, filling third place behind a fast-finishing Power King from the Dean Kannemeyer stable. A Victory for Power King would have given the popular Cape trainer a hat-trick of wins on the night his having won the two previous races with Dynastic and Master James.

For Dynastic Power, with a gutsy fourth place in the J&B Stayers as his most impressive credential, there will be a glimmer of hope for a place in the Vodacom Durban July with Punta Arenas throwing his hat into the ring for serious consideration.

For the more fancied runners in the race, horses like Jet Explorer, Bold Inspiration, Jayyed, Double Clutch, De Kock and Solar Star, the future appears less bright when considering the current contenders on the July Log and even Helderberg Blue may find his 17th position on the log under threat.

Power King, who was listed just outside the top 20, will have improved his chances of a run particularly as he gained his second place finish with a flying run from the back of the field and could be considered unlucky not to have won.

The Mike de Kock-trained three-year-old Jayyed could still have a chance of making the big-race field if he can up his game and win the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 for which he has been nominated while some of those beaten runners could make a final bid if competing in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge or the Cup Trial.

Stan Elley said in the post-race interview that the win by Dynastic Power had been a “super, super moment” and he hoped that Punta Arenas could be given another chance in the Vodacom Durban July.

Picture: Dynastic Power (Nkosi Hlophe)

Dynastic Power 1900

Elley rules in 1900

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Cape trainer Stan Elley arrived in KZN for the Champions Season with a string of just four horses and achieved the remarkable feat of running first and third in Friday night’s Gr 2 Betting World 1900 at Greyville with the pair of 66-1 outsiders Dynastic Power and Punta Arenas, who were split by the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Power King.

This race is traditionally viewed as a Vodacom Durban July qualifier for borderline horses  and the result is unlikely to cause much of a shake up to the July betting.

Greg Cheyne was aboard Dynastic Power and felt he was fortunate to be caught wide early which meant his mount avoided the scrimmaging which happened on the first turn. Dynastic Power was able to stride freely throughout and, despite running three wide of the rail, had cover all the way until the 800m mark. Cheyne was travelling so well that he was not concerned when the cover disappeared and instead he stole a couple of lengths as they rounded the turn into the straight. The four-year-old Dynasty gelding took the lead at the 200m mark and stayed on strongly all the way to the line. Meanwhile his stablemate Punta Arenas had unwound a telling finishing effort on the outside from second last in the running and looked a possible winner. Power King was making up ground from last on the opposite side of the track and flew up late to finish within a neck of the winner. Punta Arena’s gallant effort took its toll and he tired late but still held on for third, 1,4 lengths behind the winner. Dynamic and Mountain Master stayed on well for fourth and fifth. All of the first five finishers came from double figure draws.

Local horse Bold Inspiration started favourite at 5/1, somewhat surprisingly, as the Cape horses have tended to dominate handicaps in the last couple of months in KZN.

Power King, De Kock and Jayyed started joint 6/1 second favourites. De Kock was keen on the way to the start and was handy early, but after finding little extra in the straight he was eased out of the race. Jayyed made little impression in the straight, finishing 3,9 lengths back in  ninth, and he was the latest to let down the current three-year-old males, who not being viewed as a vintage crop. Bold Inspiration was handy in the running but faded in the straight to finish 6,5 lengths back in 14th.

Solar Star and Double Clutch were prominent in the betting before drifting to 15/2 and 10/1 respectively. Solar Star was making some good late progress but now has a mountain to climb to book his place in the July as does Double Clutch, who was unable to get the easy lead he had enjoyed in his previous three starts, and finished 4,15 lengths back in 12th after turning for home in second place.

Elley said that the yard had never been able to get Dynastic Power “quite right” for the Cape Summer of Champions Season and they had been unable to put a finger on why. However, he had still managed to run some good races, so the connections were bullish of him having a good Champions Season. He has clearly thrived at Summerveld and at last followed up on the promise he had shown when winning the Gr 3 Winter Derby at the end of last June, a race in which he also got the better of Power King in a dual for the line.

Betting World 1900 winners are usually given a place in the July field, but Dynastic Power’s chances of Gr 1 glory might be greater in the eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m at the end of the Champions Season. Power King and Punta Arenas both had to give the winner 4kg and enhanced their chances of being included in the July field.

Part-owner John Kinsley flew in from Cape Town and was thrilled to land his first ever Gr 2 win. Elley also owns a share and other part-owners are Braam van Huyssteen, Okkie Schoeman and Butch Watson-Smith. Dynastic Power was bred by Highlands Farms Stud.

Kannemeyer can do little wrong this season and besides finishing runner up in the night’s big race, he also landed a double on the turf with two promising three-year-olds, the Dynasty colt Dynastic and the Jet Master colt Master James, who were both ridden by Anthony Delpech.

By David Thiselton 

Picture: Dynastic Power (right) wins the Gr2 Betting World 1900 at Greyville (Nkosi Hlophe)

whiteline fever

Azzie & Tarry confident about their runners

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Mike Azzie runs the consistent Brooks-Club in the Betting World 1900 at Greyville on Friday night and another Gauteng-based horse in the field is the Sean Tarry-trained Whiteline Fever.

Brooks-Club is only 1kg under sufferance with the two best weighted horses by official merit ratings, Jet Explorer and Killua Castle, and is well drawn in barrier four. He has been at Azzie’s Summerveld Champions Season yard since Sunday.

The six-year-old Strike Smartly gelding should have no problem staying the trip having finished third in the Gr 1 SA Derby over 2450m as a three-year-old, beaten just a length by dead-heaters Pomodoro and Royal Bencher. On the downside, despite being a consistent place getter, he has only won five times in a career of 40 starts and none of these victories have been in feature races. Azzie said, “He is a hard knocker and I expect him to be right there.”

Whiteline Fever is also a six-year-old gelding who has had exactly 40 starts. He has won seven times, including the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m twice. There is a perennial debate about his stamina capacity, as none of his wins have been beyond 1600m, although he was a touch unlucky when staying on strongly in the 2012 Vodacom Durban July. Whiteline Fever is also 1kg under sufferance with the best in and Tarry said, “He has prepped well and I am confident he will stay the distance, especially at that course.” The Right Approach gelding was due to travel down to KZN today (Thursday). Tarry would like to see Whiteline Fever being placed within striking range of the lead considering the race appears to lack pace. He was confident that Piere Strydom would be able to place him well despite a draw of nine in the sixteen horse field.

Meanwhile, Tarry’s Summerveld assistant trainer Deshone Steyn rated the yard’s three-year-old Trippi filly, In Other Words, “hard to beat” in race 8, a 1400m fillies and mares maiden on the polytrack. It will be her first time on the poly but Trippi’s progeny are known to love the surface and she has worked on the Summerveld polytrack. However, Dennis Drier rates Queen Of Thrones in this race as one of his two best runners on the night, the other being Firewood in race 4, a MR 80 Handicap over 1600m on turf.

By Dave Thiselton

Picture: Whiteline Fever (Nkosi Hlophe)

killua castle left and louis the king summer cup jc photos

Killua Castle on track for 1900

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The Geoff Woodruff yard have operated on Louis The King in an attempt to not only resolve his racing issues but also to preserve his stud career.

Meanwhile, they are also happy with their Gr 2 Betting World 1900 candidate Killua Castle.

It is believed that Louis The King’s below par recent form was due to him pulling a testicle upward, which caused a lot of pain, so this testicle has now been removed.

Killua Castle will be fit from his recent runs and this big-hearted handicapper will travel down to KZN today (Thursday). He is the joint best-weighted horse in the 1900 according to official merit ratings and is drawn well in six over a suitable distance with Donavan Mansour up.

He has finished second last in both of his previous two outings at the tight Greyville circuit. However, in January he easily won the Gr 3 London News Handicap over 1800m on the tight Turffontein Inside course and that dispelled the notion that he only ever ran to his best on the galloping Turffontein Standside course. He also appears better on fast ground, so could well do better on Frday night than in his two most recent runs, which were both in soft going at Turffontein.

By Dave Thiselton

Photo: Killua Castle (JC Photo)

dynamic sean cormack lk

Dynamic the one, but has to beat the draw

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National Champion trainer Justin Snaith faces an important weekend at Greyville as he has two runners, Dynamic and Jet Explorer, in the Betting World 1900 on Friday night and his ruling Vodacom Durban July favourite Futura then has his Champions Season pipe opener on Sunday.Snaith believes he has now done “the groundwork” with most of his Champions Season string as they largely needed their first outings having been given breaks after the Cape Summer Of Champions Season.

He said about his two 1900 contenders, “They are both in the best form they can be and have come on plenty from their last runs. I just wish Dynamic had a better draw because I would otherwise be thinking he would win it. I think he should be in the July but this could cost him his place as this is a tight track and the draw plays a big part.”

He said Futura had been doing very well, but added, “This will be a prep run and his record shows that he always seems to need his first run.”Snaith mentioned two other weekend runners, Bianzino (Friday) and Ash Cloud (Sunday), that he thought would “run well.” His other Friday night runner, Seize The Throne, was looking a picture of health in his box and this well regarded sort should be a big runner in race 3, a MR 80 Handicap over 1600m, as he is capable of rising above his current 86 merit rating.

By Dave Thiselton

Picture: Dynamic (Liesl King)