Category Archives: Gold Cup

Silvan Star back on track

Posted on by

Silvan Star could be in line for a crack at the Diana Stakes after bouncing back to form under Greg Cheyne in the All To Come Novice Plate at Durbanville on Saturday.

Glen Kotzen, who has already won the Diana four times this century, said: “The race comes up quite soon but I have nominated her and we will see how she pulls up.

“I thought she was going to be my Daisy Fillies Guineas runner but she had a dreadful Durban season with only one run in four months. She was suffering from travel sickness when she arrived and then she had foot abscess after foot abscess.”

Francia, on whom Cheyne led over a furlong out to become the first filly to take the Settlers Trophy since Let’s Be Cool in 2003, might find herself in the Gold Cup at the end of the season.

Justin Snaith said: “We were lucky to find a race like the Settlers – it was basically a 90 merit-rated Listed race – and I only stuck her in at the last minute when I saw the ratings of the entries but she is the sort of filly you could run in the Gold Cup.”

For the second Durbanville Saturday in a row Snaith won half the races but in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap it was Cheyne on 10-1 chance Union Jack who came off worst. In the closing stages Fifty Cents came off a straight line, possibly edging away from Richard Fourie’s whip, and Union Jack was squeezed like a lemon.

At least that was how it looked from the stands and on TV. The films in the boardroom showed rather more clearly how Union Jack, intimidated but not touched by the winner, bounced off the quarters of the strong finishing second-placed Icy Trail and lost his momentum.

The stipes decided there were no grounds for changing the result and Cheyne took the same view although he reported: “I was unfortunate. I was interfered with but I couldn’t win an objection because I was only third.”

The next Snaith winner, Sabine Plattner’s 22-10 favourite Twinkle Toes, also caused a stir but before the race. She dived into the parade ring gazebo and nearly decapitated rider Shadley Fortune. Her trainer then came up with the understatement of the month: “I’ve got to calm her down – she’s a bit hot.”

Fourie rode the stable’s other two winners and seemingly even he has joined the army of onlookers who openly wondered why he was so hesitant about taking his old job back earlier in the year. “It’s a thrill, and exciting how things are going at the moment,” he said.

It was also quite a day for Geoff Woodruff. At Turffontein newcomer Singapore Sling, backed from 8-1 to a still generous 3-1, lived up to the months of talk about him catching pigeons by romping home nearly six lengths clear in the manner of something special and at Durbanville the diminutive California Girl belied her lack of inches by following up her first time win, coming from last to first under Donovan Dillon.

Daughter Lucy said: “She is only 14.3 hands and she showed nothing until just before she first ran. Since then she has come on by leaps and bounds. She is a CTS Million Dollar candidate and hopefully she will be good enough to get in.”

Boyfriend Adam Marcus has taken his string from just ten when he started in 2012 to over 60 and he struck with the Grant van Niekerk-ridden Diva Fever in the opener while in the last Riaan van Reenen and Carl Burger made it three for their new partnership when Craig du Plooy sprang the shock of the season (so far at least) by making most of the running on 66-1 shot Royal Fleece.

Michael Clower

rabada its my turn

Rabada moves to Crawford

Posted on by

Rabada, winner of the Premiers Champion and Daily News for Mike Azzie, has changed stables and is now trained by Brett Crawford. The four-year-old is temporarily with Mike de Kock in Gauteng and is being prepared for the first part of the Johannesburg season.

Rabada (Nkosi Hlophe)

Rabada (Nkosi Hlophe)

Crawford said: “Rabada came to me in the middle of July and he runs first in the Joburg Spring Challenge at Turffontein on October 8. He is in the Sansui Summer Cup but his mission is the Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile on November 5.”

The Philippi trainer will run last year’s Horse Chestnut winner Captain America in the Kuda Matchem Stakes at Durbanville on October 9. The six-year-old is the highest rated horse in the 1 400m Grade 3 and was third in last season’s J & B Met after finishing fourth in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and beating Futura in the Green Point.

Crawford said: “The programme is again the Green Point, Queen’s Plate and Met if all goes well.”

Crawford has never won the Matchem or the fillies equivalent on the same card, the Diana Stakes, but this time he also has the top-rated in that –Alexis, winner of last season’s Tibouchina. The five-year-old will start her campaign in this and then head towards the Klawervlei Majorca on Met day.

Joey Ramsden won last year’s Matchem with Act Of War and the 2011 running with Variety Club. He is responsible for all five three-year-olds among the 22 entries and his quintet includes Langerman winner Table Bay as well as the third and fourth, Newlands and Attenborough. The last-named reappears at Durbanville on Wednesday.

Ramsden also has four of the five three-year-olds entered in the Diana including Irridescence scorer Captain Gambler.

Michael Clower

gunner r

Gunning for the future

Posted on by

Ashburton-based Paul and Beth Gadsby have reason to be optimistic about the future because they have five Gimmethegreenlights in their yard and one of them, Gunner, landed the promising sire his first Gr 1 on Sunday when winning the Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville under Brandon Lerena.

Lerena has shown tremendous courage to come back from a broken vertebrae after a nasty fall in training last September and this was the fifth Gr 1 victory of his career.

Paul Gadsby said, “I have always had big faith in Gimmethegreenlight. As a racehorse he beat Variety Club fair and square twice. Any horse who can do that has to be a champion.”

Gadsby selected Gunner purely on looks at the CTS Cape Premier Yearling Sale in January last year and was subsequently impressed by the pedigree too. He said, “Gunner was very neat and reminded me of Sea Warrior.”

Gadsby, a former jockey, had broken in and spelled the Vaughan Marshall-trained Gr 1 Richelieu (Cape) Guineas winner Sea Warrior back in the 1980s.

Gunner is out of the decent Captain Al mare Play Nice, who won three times between 1200m and 1300m. Gadsby said, “Two no brainers as broodmare sires are Captain Al and Fort Wood.”

He continued, “I had tried to buy a couple of Gimmethegreenlights previously but couldn’t afford them, but I managed to get Gunner for R200,000 and have bought more Gimmethegreenlights since.”

Gunner was bred by Hassen Adams’ Nadeson Park stud farm. Adams kept a quarter share in the horse and allowed him to stay on his farm while Gadsby put an ownership syndicate together. Gadsby said, “It took me a long time to put him together and I aged five years, but perhaps this is what us KZN trainers have to do, otherwise we are not in the game.”

Gadsby was thankful to prominent KZN owner Morgan Pillay for introducing him to Neshal and Anusha Lalla. Gadsby said, “Neshal and Anusha came up to see Gunner and I told them he was a very nice horse. I told them he would come early and thank goodness I was right about that.” The couple are first-time owners.

Shakthi Banwari and Keith and Melanie Carelse were others to come to the party. Gadsby had advised the latter couple, who are good supporters of his yard, to buy into a “proper” horse.

Gunner won on debut over 1000m on April 10 and was gelded after his next start. Two runs later he was stepped up to 1400m in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m and managed to stay on strongly despite having been caught wide throughout the turn.

If only he could find cover in the Premier’s Champions Stakes, he would have to have a shout. The other questions were whether he would stay the trip and whether he would handle the testing, rain affected going.

Gadsby was also concerned by him not having eaten up to his maximum capacity in the week of the race. However, he became upbeat about an hour before the race when the Dennis Drier-trained Hack Green became Gimmethegreenlight’s first stakes winner, hacking up by three lengths in the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m.

Brandon Lerena said, “I was very grateful to be given the ride by Mr Gadsby and the owners.”

Lerena spoke of the valuable race riding lessons he had learnt from Gadsby while the latter was chief riding master at the South African Jockeys Academy and of the tremendous support Gadsby had subsequently given him upon renewing his trainer’s license.

Lerena said about Gunner, “He has the whole package, a good action and he is laid back and does what you want. If a stallion is to have a chance he has to be sent the right mares and Gimmethegreenlight looks to have had that. Gimmethegreenlight and Captain Al looks like a nice cross.”

Lerena reined Gunner back early from a tricky draw of seven. The horse responded beautifully and showed no sign of fighting. He was at the back, one wide, but, crucially, was covered up. Lerena said, “At the 450m mark he was the only horse still on the bridle.”

Lerena swung Gunner outward to the centre, but not before noticing 17/20 favourite Zodiac Ruler coming under pressure.

He patiently waited for a gap to open. Gunner then burst through and had caught the leader Africa Rising by the 150m mark. However, the big horse Zodiac Ruler had found top gear and was suddenly in front on the inside.

Gunner, despite probably being the smallest horse in the field, has an impressive stride and once again responded to the powerful and rhythmic urgings of Lerena. He found another gear and passed the favourite inside the 50m pole to win going away by half-a-length. Lerena said, “The way he quickened up was impressive.”

Gadsby was impressed by the courage Gunner had shown in going through the patchy area close to home so well. On the downside the time was 1,11 seconds slower than the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes for two-year-old fillies.

Lerena has experienced plenty of back trouble since making his comeback at the end of Novemner, two months after the fall. However, he is doing extensive excercises under the guidance of a personal trainer to strengthen the back muscles. The always talented rider is eager to be back to 100% well-being in order to chase his ambitions to full capacity.

Gunner has pulled up well and will have a holiday before likely being prepared for the CTS $US500,000 Sales race over 1600m at Turffontein next January.

David Thiselton

Green light for Drier star

Posted on by

One of the two-year-olds to follow next season is undoubtedly Sunday’s Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes winner, the Dennis Drier-trained Gimmethegreenlight colt Hack Green.

As part owner Hassen Adams remarked after the race, Hack Green had “looked the splitting image of his father” when he saw him at the Sale and he had to have him.

Gimethegreenlight throws them in all sizes and this colt is one of the bigger ones around.

Drier said in the winner’s enclosure on Sunday he had made an early prediction of Hack Green’s ability and had told the connections he felt they had “a bit of a star here”.

Hack Green (Nkosi Hlophe)

Hack Green (Nkosi Hlophe)

Jockey Veale said this “special horse” gave him “a tremendous feel” everyday in work.

Veale was confident after cantering down on Sunday and felt it would take a good one to beat the good looking Varsfontein-bred colt.

He duly rode a confident race, reining his mount back from a wide draw early on.

Hack Green quickened superbly in the straight and burst through the centre to hit the front just before the 100m mark. He went on to win by three lengths.

He is in good hands and the maestro trainer will likely be wanting to put an overall disappointing season by his high standards behind him.

Even then Drier romped home in the KZN Trainer’s championship with 81 winners to Duncan Howells’ 72.

However, the yard lacked a Gr 1 winner for the first time in many a season, and the likely backlash makes the yard’s young horses a must to follow this term.

David Thiselton

Doing it her way

Posted on by

Midlands breeder Bruce le Roux of Spring Valley Stud was thrilled when an expensive plan came together at Greyville on Sunday courtesy of the Duncan Howells-trained Var filly A Womens Way.

The filly cantered down to the start exceptionally well and returned full of running, despite jumping from a wide draw, and just got up under Ian Sturgeon.

Le Roux said, “It was only her second start and it was a Gr 2, so she has already done what she needed to do and everything from now on will be a bonus.” Le Roux owns the unbeaten Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm Stud-bred filly in partnership with Tinus Gericke.

Le Roux had travelled to last year’s CTS Cape Premier Yearling Sale in January in search of a well-bred filly by either Var or Captain Al. He said, “In my opinion A Womens Way was the nicest filly on the sale, but I didn’t think I would have the money.”

Her full sister had cost R900,000 at the previous year’s National Yearling Sale.

Le Roux’s fears were exacerbated when he saw how good A Womens Way looked upon being walked out of her box. Therefore, he asked her to be returned to the box almost immediately.

When the bidding quickly reached R400,000 he became demoralised and was ready to throw in the towel, but his wife jabbed him in the ribs and said “if you want her you must get her”, so he plugged on and managed to land her for his maximum of R500,000.

He said, “We were lucky to get her for that price.”

A Womens Way was backed from 7/1 into 11/2 on debut over 1000m at Scottsville on May 11 and won by 0,75 lengths. The form now looks strong. The Drier-trained filly she beat, Anime, was beaten 2,5 lengths into third over 1200m next time out by subsequent Gr 1 winner Querari Falcon with subsequent KZN Yearling Million winner Lunar Rush filling the second place. Anime then won by 4,75 lengths in her third start over 1000m at Scottsville.

A Womens Way has got her “litte quirks” according to Le Roux and in her second start had to be scratched after being loaded first and then rearing and dumping the jockey.

Michael Shaw is gaining an increasing reputation as a “horse whisperer” and he put in plenty of work at the stalls with A Womens Way, which enabled her to regain her starting stall certificate. Michael was also with her at the start on Sunday, where she was perfectly well behaved. Michael hails from the famous Laird clan. He is the son of Summerveld trainer Therese Micthley, who is the daughter of Russel Laird, brother of Syd. Russel was a fine trainer in his own right.

A Womens Way jumped superbly on Sunday, as progeny of Var often do, and this enabled her to slot into a handy position. She then displayed the kick typical of Var’s progeny and was also able to stave off the determined challenge of Arissa in the closing stages.

Le Roux admitted A Womens Way had her issues but nothing a trainer of Howells class could not handle.

Howells had a fine day on Sunday from beginning to end. He also won a minor race as well as finishing second in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes with Dawn Calling, fourth in the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup with Saratoga Dancer and fourth in the Gr 2 Gold Bracelet with Patchit Up Baby.

Ashburton would have been celebrating this week because Paul Gadsby also brought home a trophy, courtesy of Gunner winning the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes.

Le Roux said Howells was of the belief A Womens Way would stay up to a mile in time, so the CTS US$500,000 Sales race to be staged at Turffontein next January over 1600m might be on the cards.

David Thiselton

marinaresco

One-point raise for Marinaresco

Posted on by

Marinaresco is officially trained by Candice Robinson now and has been accorded a 110 merit rating by the handicappers after winning the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville in impressive style on Sunday.

Durban-based handicapper Mathew Lipps said about the decision to raise the classy colt by just one point, “It was not the strongest Gr 1. In time he will probably be running to a lot higher, but for now he is running to a 110.”

It is not for a long time a horse has been seen in the country with such an exceptional turn of foot.

He made up some seventeen metres in the straight in the Vodacom Durban July and from a hopeless position was beaten just a quarter-of-a-length.

On Sunday he was stopped in his tracks at the 350m mark when two horses came together in front of him. However, despite being jostled and having his momentum affected the diminutive gelding managed to pick up quickly and then rocketed home to win easily. Commentator Craig Peters could not contain his excitement and shouted “Go you baby!!” as the fairytale everybody wanted unfolded.

It was the legendary Cape trainer Mike Bass’s last day before official retirement and he had landed the race named in his honour.

Jockey Grant van Niekerk called Marinaresco the next “Pocket Power”. The latter horse also raced in the famous blue, pink and white colours of Marsh Shirtliff.

However, as it was Marinaresco’s first Gr 1 victory, Mike is unlikely to be as quick to compare him to the great nine-times Gr 1 winner.

Meanwhile, the Gr 2 eLan Property Group Gold Cup winner, the Mike de Kock-trained Enaad, was raised the maximum ten points to 99, although Lipps added he had not raced to any higher than that merit rating.

David Thiselton

Trippi

Trippi champion sire

Posted on by

Drakenstein-based stallion Trippi will be crowned National Champion Sire after holding on to his lead on the final day of the season on Sunday, despite Silvano’s son Marinaresco winning a R1 million race and causing a few anxious moments for the former’s connections.

Trippi entered Sunday’s eLan Property Group Gold Cup meeting about R800,000 ahead of former national champion sire Silvano.

The gap closed slightly when the Alec Laird-trained Silvano filly Arissa earned R60,000 for finishing runner up in the Gr 2 R300,000 Debutante Stakes.

However, two races later the Duncan Howells-trained Trippi filly Dawn Calling earned R120,000 for runner spot in the Gr 1 R600,000 Thekwini Stakes.

Silvano had two chances in the Gr 2 R1,25 million eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m, but Balance Sheet finished just out of the money in 6th and Zafira was eighth.

However, the Mike Bass-trained Marinaresco gave the Maine Chance Farms-owned Stallion Silvano a sniff of a second title when earning R625,000 for his brilliant win in the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup. Trippi’s son Baritone earned R25,000 for fifth in the same race.

The next race was the Gr 2 R400,000 Gold Bracelet, where first prize was R250,000, and the Bass-trained Silvano filly Nightingale made a bold bid but could not catch the runaway winner Flying Ice. Trippi was now assured of the title.

The USA-bred stallion by End Sweep remains the most expensive thoroughbred ever imported to South Africa.

Cape Town-based stallion manager John Freeman has said a stallion of the quality of Trippi would never have been landed had it not been for the financial crisis in the USA.

As a three-year-old Trippi won the Gr 1 Vosburgh Stakes over seven furlongs at Belmont Park as well as two Gr 2s over the same course and distance. He won seven races in his career, five of them major stakes races.

In 2005 he finished eighth on the North American first-crop sires list. The following season he was third on the North American second-crop sires list and in 2007 was third on the third-crop list.

In 2008, the year he landed in South Africa, he finished 41st on the general North American Sires list and the following year improved to 34th and then 20th in 2010. He finished 23rd in 2011.

Freeman said Trippi’s progeny had initially been viewed out here as “forward” types and he consequently broke the South African record for having the highest number of two-year-old stakes winners with his first crop.

Freeman said, “That was initially his undoing, but trainers now understand not to rush them and give them the time they deserve and the rewards are coming.”

Trippi has produced four Gr 1 winners in South Africa, including five-time Gr 1 winner Inara, and he also produced the winner of the most expensive race ever run in South Africa, the CTS Million Dollar, won by his son Illuminator. A filly from his last USA crop won a Gr 1 in 2010, while a filly from his previous USA crop, Jealous Again, won the Gr 2 Queen Mary Stakes over five furlongs at the Royal Ascot meeting from pillar to post by an impressive five lengths.

David Thiselton

Enaad excites, Marinaresco thrills

Posted on by

Mike de Kock retained the eLan Gold Cup trophy at Greyville yesterday and this year it was with the Australian-bred High Chaparal gelding Enaad, who provided S’Manga Khumalo with his first win in the country’s premier staying event.

However, the show was stolen in the next race, the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup, by the magnificent three-year-old Silvano gelding Marinaresco, who was brought home by Grant Van Niekerk. Marinaresco’s win gave legendary trainer Mike Bass, after whom the race was named, a perfect end to his official training career as he now hands over the reins to his daughter Candice Robinson.

Newly crowned national champion jockey Khumalo rode a confident race in the Gold Cup in testing ground on a horse who was presented in superb condition.

From his good draw of three, Khumalo sat in the back three down the back straight. He made up ground continually under the hands on the outside as they neared the straight. Khumalo revealed later his charge still had plenty of running in him and he soon hit the front on the standside. The Bass-trained Helderberg Blue relished the step up in trip and charged at Enaad, but it was too late as the latter still had plenty in the tank and won by 1,25 lengths.

S'manga Khumalo leaping dismount from Enaad (Nkosi Hlophe)

S’manga Khumalo leaping dismount from Enaad (Nkosi Hlophe)

Enaad’s stablemate Kinaan was third, despite being officially 4,5kg under sufferance, Ovidio was next best and Master Sabina repeated his fifth place finish of two years ago.

It was De Kock’s fourth Gold Cup victory. Enaad is owned by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s Al Adiyaat South Africa (Pty) Ltd and was also bred by him.

In the Champions Cup over 1800m Marinaresco looked to be in trouble when a gap closed on him on the outside, after being brought from well off the pace. He had to be snatched up and it was testimony to his class that he was still able to pick up again and rocket through to win by 1,25 lengths from Judicial with No Worries, Saratoga Dancer and Baritone next best. Marinaresco fittingly raced in the colours Marsh Shirliff, the Bass ýard’s most prominent owner in recent times. Shirtliff owns Mauritzfontein Stud-bred Marinaresco in partnership with Bass himself as well as F Green and Bryn Ressell.

Mike and Carol spoke of being humbled to have had the race named after them and Shirtliff paid tribute to them and their highly professional staff.

Earlier, Mike Azzie had gone one better than last year in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m courtesy of Querari Falcon, who was given a patient ride by Anthony Delpech. Querari Falcon gave Maine Chance Farms’ sire Querari his first Gr 1 winner. Delpech, jumping from a tricky draw of eight, was content to sit about five lengths off the lead where he was covered up and beautifully relaxed. The long-striding horse found plenty in the straight to win by a length from the favourite Dawn Calling , who had been handy from the off. Sail was a neck back in third from Safe Harbour and Fortissimus. Querari Falcon was bred by the late BH Botha, Arne J Botha and ME Botha and is owned by Adriaan and Rika van Vuuren.

Hack Green (Nkosi Hlophe)

Hack Green (Nkosi Hlophe)

In the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes the stallion Gimmethegreenlight landed his first Gr 1 victory with the Paul Gadsby-trained gelding Gunner, who was given a fine ride by Brandon Lerena. It was former jockey Gadsby’s first Gr 1 winner as a trainer since San Carlos won the Star Sprint in 1991. Lerena from a tricky draw of seven was in the last three in the running together with the hot favourite Zodiac Ruler. Gunner had been caught wide in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m last time out when beaten 1,75 lengths by Zodiac Ruler. This time, with cover throughout, he moved through smoothly and was able to fight off Zodiac Ruler to win by 0,5 lengths. Misty Birnam also came from well back in the testing conditions for third, just pipping Africa Rising with Lotus Elan fifth.

Duncan Howells won the first race and made it a double on the card when the Avontuur-bred Var filly A Womens Way ran on well to win the Gr 2 Debutante over 1200m on the turf under Ian Sturgeon, just getting up to deny Arissa. La Revere pipped the favourite, The Merry Widow, who was giving 4kg to the field, for third.

Dennis Drier landed the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m with the big Varsfontein Stud-bred Gimmethegreenlight colt Hack Green,(pictured)  who jumped from a draw of seven and hacked up by three lengths, under a confident ride from Sean Veale, running on strongly from behind. The previously unbeaten Wrecking Ball was second and Hack Green’s stablemate Rocky Valley clinched third ahead of the fading favourite Seattle Singer. This was Gimmethegreenlight’s first stakes winner.

Neil Bruss once again showed his class as a trainer when Flying Ice won the Gr 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m under a fine ride by Anthony Delpech. The race was switched to the polytrack after a jockey’s protest. The Lammerskraal-bred Go Deputy four-year-old filly loved her first outing on this surface, bursting through from a handy position to beat a running on Nightingale by 2,75 lengths with the Bruss-trained Deputy Ryder third. The hot favourite Olma over-raced and faded tamely in the straight. Flying Ice is owned by M Paterson. Bruss now departs for another stint training in Saudi Arabia.

Trainer Garth Puller dedicated the win of Ashaawes gelding Asstar in the Listed Umgeni Handicap over 1000m on the poly to his recently late nephew and talented jockey Christoper Puller. Asstar was ridden by Alec Forbes.

David Thiselton

marinaresco

Marinaresco marvelous

Posted on by

Marinaresco overcame a wide draw and a troubled passage to land the Gr1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup at Greyville yesterday. It was a fitting send off for Bass to sign off on a race named in his honour as he retired after yesterday’s race meeting.

There were a few anxious moments for the supporters of the 11-10 favourite as he became the meat in the sandwich at around the 400m mark. However, there was no stopping the diminutive son of champion stallion Silvano as he powered through the tight gap, going on to win comfortably from Judicial, No Worries and Saratoga Dancer.

Bass1

Carol and Mike Bass (Nkosi Hlophe)

The early fractions were more suited to a funeral procession than a horserace and it allowed Grant van Niekerk to track wide on the home turn without much effort. Approaching the final two furlongs it was a cavalry charge and there were a number of hard luck stories, most notably Saratoga Dancer who only found daylight when the race was over.

Van Niekerk was lavish in his praise for Bass who recognised a precocious talent and plucked the young jockey out of obscurity, and also for his mount Marinaresco. “You always get nervous before a big race but when you sit on him he does it all for you.”

S’Manga Khumalo, Champion Jockey elect, rounded off a memorable season with a perfectly timed run aboard the Australian-bred Enaad (5-1) to give Mike de Kock back-to-back wins in the Gr2 eLan Gold Cup. He was chased home by Helderberg Blue and Kinaan with Ovidio filling fourth place.

Tucked in towards the back of the field for most of the race as stable companion Kingston Mines set the gallop, Khumalo gradually moved Enaad into contention up the hill and was within striking distance of the lead as the field came off the false rail at the top of the straight.

Along with stable companion Kinaan the pair hit the front with Enaad staying on the better. Helderberg Blue hit a flat spot in the straight but then picked it up smartly and finished strongly for second.

Enaad Gold Cup1

Enaad (Nkosi Hlophe)

“This was one of my goals,” said Khumalo, already a winner of the Vodacom Durban July aboard Heavy Metal in 2013, “and I’m glad to have achieved it.”

“This horse had so much running in him. At the 800m mark I thought to myself that my horse was full of running and I didn’t want to break his stride.”

However, it is anxious times for Khumalo who faces charges of injudicious riding in a race in Port Elizabeth last month.

De Kock said, “He was a horse that was progressing nicely and he had to win the Gold Vase to get in the race. When he won the Vase I was a bit concerned because they don’t often do the double.”

“I wasn’t worried about the penalty because he was so low in the weights I didn’t think it would make any difference.”

“There is still more to come. I don’t think he’s reached his handicap mark as yet,” concluded the trainer.

Querari Falcon and Gunner gave the Equus Award judges a double headache when rounding off the season with victories in the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes and the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes respectively. Judging for the awards took place immediately after the running of the Gr1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup.

With two-year-old Gr1’s at a premium, all have produced different results. Dawn Calling was in warm order for the Thekwini Stakes but after battling her way through traffic she was unable to match the finishing burst of Querari Falcon and Anthony Delpech who finished with a wet sail on the favourite’s outside.

It was also a red letter day for Champion freshman sire Gimmethegreenlight who rounded off his first season at stud with a Gr2 winner in Umkhomazi Stakes victor Hack Green and two races later Gunner caused a 25-1 upset in the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes for Paul Gadsby with Brandon Lerena aboard.

Ashburton-based Gadsby said he had bought Gunner at the CTS January sale. “I liked the Gimmethegreenlights and this is the one I wanted. Hassen (Adams) was kind enough to let me leave him on the farm for two months. It took me ages to put him together and Hassen kept a quarter. I have a few more Gimmethegreenlights back home so hopefully I’m in the right camp.”

Andrew Harrison

No Worries (Nkosi Hlophe)

Van Zyl yard bullish

Posted on by

Gavin van Zyl said his smart three-year-old Judpot gelding Rocketball had “come out of the July bouncing” and he hoped the blinkers would do the trick in the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Stakes over 1800m at the eLan Gold Cup meeting at Greyville on Sunday. Meanwhile, his son and assistant Gareth is bullish about the chances of No Worries in the same race.

The yard also have a number of other runners with chances on the day. Rocketball, who has a giant of a stride, disappointed in the Vodacom Durban July when turning for home too far out of his ground and then failing to quicken.

Gavin said, “I hope the blinkers help this time. He has a good draw so will hopefully be ridden just off the pace and will hopefully follow through.” Champion jockey Gavin Lerena rides and is a boost to his chances.

No Worries bounced back to form this season over staying trips. However, he then proved the turnaround had little to do with his stamina capacity when winning the KZN Breeders Million Mile off the back of a slow pace, displaying a fine turn of foot.

The 1800m trip should be perfect. The draw of nine is tricky, but didn’t stop him in the KZN Million Mile, where he jumped from draw ten. Warren Kennedy gets on well with the six-year-old Kahal gelding and remains aboard. Gareth said, “He is 100%, we couldn’t have hoped for a better preparation. I am confident he will do his best.”

Gavin has an interesting runner in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m, the eye-catching Gimmethegreenlight gelding Without A Doubt. He is still a maiden but has impressed with his strong finishes against some good horses over shorter.

Gavin said, “He has good form and I don’t think he ran to his best on the poly last time (2,8 length third to Qeyaadah), I think he is better on the turf. He is bred to go the ground and further and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ran into the money.”

In the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m, Gavin runs Mogok filly Costa Da Sol. He said, “She has good form but is yet to come up against this sort of opposition and she has a wide draw too. But the two-year-old form is still establishing itself at this time of the year so we are taking our chances and hope she runs into the money.”

Poster Girl (Nkosi Hlophe)

Poster Girl (Nkosi Hlophe)

Gareth runs Poster Girl in the Thekwini and said, “Anton Marcus suggested we run her in this race and her work has been very good. The race will tell whether she stays the mile or not. All things considered, she could be the dark horse.”

Gavin’s sprinter Isca won well on Vodacom Durban July day and now runs over the same polytrack 1000m course and distance in the Listed Umgeni Handicap. However, he now has an eleven draw to overcome, as opposed to two, and was also given a maximum eight point raise for that last win. Gavin said, “I am just as happy with him as I was before that last run and he will run a good race.”

Gavin runs King Of Kings gelding Prince Ariano in the second race, a Juvenile Plate over 1900m on the turf. He said, “We have put the blinkers on and he is looking for the extra ground. He has got a chance and I expect him to run into the money.”

Gareth runs the talented Mygirldownunder in the Gr 2 Debutante over 1200m, but he was cautious about her chances.

He said, “She is very fast and only time will tell whether she sees out 1200m, so it not ideal trying that trip for the first time after a little rest and from a wide draw. She will likely come on from the run but is above average and it is a Gr 2 so we decided to take our chances. She certainly won’t disgrace herself.”

Gareth runs Night Shadow in the last race of the season, a MR 78 Handicap over 1900m on the poly, where he has an inexperienced 4kg claimer up in order to alleviate his 63,5kg weight. Gareth is not sure what to expect from this horse, whom he believes to probably be “bi-polar”. He said, “He is temperamental and has gone off the boil, but it seems it’s mental because one day he wants to work, the next day he doesn’t. If the right Night Shadow arrives he will probably win, so we hope he bounces back to form. He is fit and sound.”

Gavin completed his grass work with his charges last week and has been using the Summerveld polytrack this week.

Gareth has been using the Summerveld poly and the grass bend this week. None of the yard’s runners have missed any work.

David Thiselton