Category Archives: Gold Cup

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Media Release: Champions Cup

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Legislate and Futura, two of the highest-rated horses in the country, are set to clash at level weights in the R1-million Champions Cup over 1 800m at Greyville on Super Saturday.

The stable companions from the Justin Snaith yard could settle the debate once and for all as to which is the better of the two and, as they are drawn alongside one another in the 12-horse field, it eliminates the draw factor as an excuse.

On their ratings, they should be the two to fight out the finish but the six-year-old Vodacom Durban July runner-up, Punta Arenas from the Stan Elley stable, is in such cracking form the Silvano gelding cannot be ignored as a potential winner.

Legislate might be considered a doubtful starter for the Champions Cup if reports quoting Snaith are correct. The colt is set to race in the Mercury Sprint on Saturday and, according to the reported statements by Snaith, if coming through that race without problems, he will run the following week.

Futura finished fourth in the Vodacom Durban July under top weight and he meets Punta Arenas on 3.5kg better weight terms for a 2.25 lengths beating and this will put the champion in a much better chance in this smaller field to turn the tables.

Also down to race twice in eight days is the Sean Tarry-trained Willow Magic. He is in the field for the Mercury Sprint after placing in the Post Merchants and before that the Rising Sun Gold Challenge where he finished less than a length second to Legislate. He meets Legislate on 3kg better terms in the Champions Cup making him a major contender for honours as well.

Helderberg Blue from the Mike Bass stable is another runner that comes into the picture based on his 2.5 lengths beating by Punta Arenas in the Cup Trial. He meets Punta Arenas on 2.5kg better terms and becomes a live contender for a share of the stake.

Picture: Legislate left Futura right (John Lewis)

Solid Speed (Nkosi Hlophe)

Solid draws for Cup favourites

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Dean Kannemeyer and Stuart Randolph will be looking for a big race double when they team up with Solid Speed in the R1,25 million Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup to be run over 3200m at Greyville on Saturday, July 25.

The pair were successful with Power King in the Vodacom Durban July and Solid Speed’s Gold Cup chances were further enhanced when he drew gate 2 at last night’s draw for barrier positions.

Solid Speed suffered his first defeat in four starts at Greyville when going down less than a length to Heart Of A Lion in the SABC Gold Vase over 3000m on July day lumbering top weight of 60kg. He carries a handy 53kg in the Cup and is 1kg better off with Heart Of A Lion.

Kannemeyer also saddles last year’s top weight Hot Ticket and the lightly weighted Balance Sheet who drew 13 and 10 respectively.

Hot Ticket found traffic in the recent Vodacom Durban July but will much prefer this longer trip. Prior to the July he was just beaten a nostril by Disco Al in the Track & Ball Derby. Hot Ticket finished fourth under top weight in last year’s Gold Cup behind Wavin’s Flag.

Second last year was Mike de Kock’s runner Wild One and his name was first out of the draw. He has only had two outings since last year’s Cup and should be primed come next Saturday from gate 5. He came from near last to finish second to Punta Arenas in the Cup Trial over 1800m and followed up with a smart second behind Bezanova in the KZN Breeders’ Million Mile. He will much prefer this extended trip and will be one of the fancied runners.

Joey Ramsden has two smart stayers in Disco Al and Coltrane. The former has been in good form and got up in a blanket finish to touch off Hot Ticket in the Track & Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville with other Gold Cup entries Savage Wind and Kingston Mines less than a length behind. Disco Al drew 11.

Coltrane has been disappointing since arriving for Champions Season but he had some smart staying form in the Western Cape where he won the Chairman’s Cup over 3000 m and prior to that was just run out of it by Kingston Mines in the J&B Urban Honey Stakes over 2800m. His recent form has been over 2400m and the step up in trip could see him come into his own from draw 3.

Ash Cloud managed her first win of the season in the Gold Circle Oaks, this year run at Scottsville. She finished three lengths off Wavin’ Flag last year under 52kg but this year has a steadier of 57kg but has a plum draw at 8.

By Andrew Harrison

Picture: Solid Speed (Nkosi Hlophe)

Willow Magic (Nkosi Hlophe)

Media Releases: Nine Supplementary Entries for Super Saturday

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There were nine supplementary entries among the four Grade 1 races at Greyville on Super Saturday, 25 July 2015, including three from the Mike de Kock stable in the R600 000 Premier’s Champion Stakes for Juveniles.

Having won a good race over 3 000m in a pinnacle stakes event at Turffontein recently, trainer Dominic Zaki has entered Storm Warning for the R1.25-million eLan Property Group Gold Cup adding additional spice to a very competitive field potential for the marathon race over 3 200m.

The R1-million Champion’s Cup over 1 800m has attracted two additional entries with Sean Tarry nominating his versatile performer Willow Magic that finished second in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and followed it up with a gutsy third in the Post Merchants.

Mike Azzie, who has always had a high record for Deputy Jud and was rewarded when he ran a good second in the SA Derby, believes his charge can do a lot better than his unplaced runs in the Daily News 2000 and the Vodacom Durban July and is looking for a run in this final Grade 1 event of the season.

Alec Laird has scratched Bezanova from the race.

Among the three colts entered by De Kock for the Premier’s Champion Stakes are two that are unraced. Astral Promise is a son of Silvano and Kinaan is the progeny of internationally-famed stallion Galileo. His third supplementary entry is the Silvano colt Kahaylaan that finished unplaced in his only start.

Sean Tarry has supplemented his Captain Al colt Captain’s Causeway into the Premier’s Champion stakes. The colt was an easy winner of his only start on the sand at the Vaal. He has also supplemented his Trippi filly Old Em into the Thekwini Stakes. She has run three times winning second time out and finishing third by less than half a length behind Shivering Sea in her last outing.

Bernard Fayd'Herbe (Nkosi Hlophe)

Fayd’Herbe gets Snaith job

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Bernard Fayd’Herbe will take over as stable jockey to Justin Snaith when Richard Fourie moves to Hong Kong next month and in the meantime Fayd’Herbe will regain the ride on Futura in Saturday week’s Champions Cup.

Fayd’Herbe, 33, has had a long association with Snaith and has won five of the trainer’s 22 Grade 1s. He also won this season’s L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and J & B Met on Futura when the horse was trained by Brett Crawford.

He said yesterday: “I am very happy to be back on Futura and to ride for Justin again. Riding for Joey Ramsden has been a pleasure but it was a no-brainer when I got the opportunity to join Snaith Racing. I have been a bit restricted in the big races because Joey’s main owner is Markus Jooste who has his own jockey.”

Fayd’Herbe was replaced by Sean Cormack on Futura in the KZN season because he was committed to the Ramsden-trained King Of Pain and even under the new arrangement Wayne Kieswetter’s Ridgemont Stud operation will have first call on him.

Snaith, who paid tribute to both Fourie and Cormack, said: “Bernard has always had close ties to the stable and, although he has big shoes to fill, I am certain he will add enormous value to our stable. I was extremely pleased with Futura’s run in the July with top weight and he has come through it particularly well.”

Legislate (Fourie) will race over 1 200m for the first time since his debut two years ago on Saturday and a week later he is pencilled in for a further showdown with Futura.

Jonathan Snaith said: “Legislate runs in the Mercury Sprint and if he pulls up well he will then run in the 1 800m race.”

At Kenilworth this Saturday Fayd’Herbe partners last year’s winner Jet Supreme in the stable’s bid to win this Grade 3 for the third successive year. Snaith will also run Cat And The Moon.

King Of Pain, winner of last year’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge, was scratched from the Vodacom Durban July a few weeks before the race and has not raced since. “There is nothing wrong with him. He is just having a holiday,” said Ramsden.

Act Of War, the surprise packet among the Mercury Sprint entries, will not be declared this morning – Ramsden had some unprintable comments to make about the horse’s widest-of-all draw – but the Cape Guineas winner just might run in the Champions Cup.

Ramsden said: “It’s a possibility. We will see how we go.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Bernard Fayd’Herbe

 

Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Elley happy with Punta Arenas

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Vodacom Durban July runner-up Punta Arenas in the Champions Cup looks like being Stan Elley’s final big race runner.

Elley, who relinquishes his licence in the week after the race, said yesterday: “We will probably make a final decision by the end of this week but at this stage I am pretty happy with the way he has come out of last Saturday’s run.  He had a little bit of heat in one joint on Sunday morning but now that is just about gone.”

Elley, who has been training for 41 years and had two thirds in the July with Red Badge in 2003 and 2004, was delighted with Punta Arenas’ performance and said: “He did everything right except win the race.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Media Release: eLan Property Group Gold Cup Raceday Entries

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A galaxy of South African thoroughbred stars will gather at the Theatre Of Champions in Durban on Saturday, July 25, for the final performances of Champions Season’s racing magic.

Super Saturday at Greyville is what brings the curtain down on the three-month feast of top graded racing and just over 180 horses have been nominated for the seven feature events on the card headed by the pinnacle challenge for the country’s stayers, the R1.25-million, Grade 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3 200m.

There is hardly a name among horses that qualify for the carded events that is not among the entries, promising racegoers a tasty platter of mouth-watering excitement.

The eLan Property Group Gold Cup, like the Vodacom Durban July, is one of the iconic events in South African racing and the quality of runners nominated for the event confirms its status as the premier marathon race on the African continent.

Among the 19 entries for the 3 200m marathon are the first four horses past the post in the SABC Gold Vase at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day, Heart Of A Lion, Wild Ash, Solid Speed and J’s Outsider, the runner-up in the Gold Cup last year Wild One as well as the first four home in the Track & Ball Derby at Scottsville, Disco Al, Hot Ticket and the dead-heaters for third place, Savage Wind and Kingston Mines.

The fillies are ready to take on the colts with Ash Cloud, Gallica Rose and Vino Veritas, the first three past the post in the Gold Circle Oaks, among the entries.

The R1-million, Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1 800m has attracted the cream of South Africa’s thoroughbreds among its 16 nominations including the pair that fought out the finish to the Vodacom Durban July, Power King and Punta Arenas, along with last year’s July winner and the winner of the Rising Sun Gold Challenge Legislate.

Futura, winner of the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, the J&B Met and the Champions Cup last year, is also among the entries having finished fourth under top weight in the July.

The two Grade 1 juvenile races over 1 600m, the Premier’s Champion Stakes and the Thekwini Stakes, have been strongly supported with the Premier’s Champion Stakes receiving 27 entries including the exciting unbeaten winner of the Gatecrasher Stakes Rabada while the Grade 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper winner Chestnuts n Pearls heads the list of 23 fillies nominated for the Thekwini Stakes.

Picture: Heart Of A Lion (Nkosi Hlophe)

Legislate (Liesl King)

Decisions to be made for Legislate

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Last year’s Vodacom Durban July hero Legislate will gallop this morning and how he goes will have a big bearing on whether he drops back to 1 200m for the Mercury Sprint at Greyville on Saturday July 18.

Justin Snaith said yesterday: “We are not desperate to run – we have the whole summer ahead of us – but if we think he is in a good place, that everything is spot on and that he would have a chance of running into the money then he will run.

“We are also waiting on the nominations for the Champions Cup with him. At this stage it looks like Futura will run in that race.”

The nominations for the Champions Cup (July 25) were due to close last Friday but will not now be known until 11.00am today.

Legislate returned to his best to make all the running in last month’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge after a virus caused him to disappoint in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and miss the J & B Met. He then had to be scratched from the Drill Hall after hurting himself in the pens.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Legislate (Liesl King)

All about the race

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DATE: Saturday, 25 July 2015

AGE/CONDITION: Open MR Handicap over 1000m

ENTRIES: 11:00 Friday, 3 July 2015 Fee: R342

SUPP ENTRIES: 11:00 Friday, 10 July 2015 Fee: R1368

WEIGHTS: Friday, 3 July 2015

DECLARATIONS: Thursday, 16 July 2015 Fee: R1368

 

2014 Umngeni Handicap

Horse: Schiffer

Jockey: Sean Cormack

Trainer: Dennis Drier

Owners: Mesdames G A Rupert, L White and Leigh Taberer

Breeder: Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm

 

ROLL OF HONOUR:

2014

No Horse Jockey Trainer Al/Bl Kg Dr Fin Dist Time OP SP
5 SCHIFFER Sean Cormack D R Drier A 57.0 2 1 0.00 57.60 7/2 7/2F
1 MR WHATEVER Keagan De Melo P L Lunn A 60.0 1 2 2.00 57.95 8/1 9/1
2 INSEARCHOFTHESUN Keagan Latham S Janse van Rensburg A B 57.5 6 3 2.75 58.09 25/1 45/1
6 VARIKATE Grant Van Niekerk S J Snaith A 57.0 3 4 2.85 58.10 7/2 5/1

All about the race

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DATE: Saturday, 25 July 2015, Day and Night

AGE/ CONDITION: 2 Year Old Fillies at Level Weights over 1600m

ENTRIES: 11:00am Friday, 3 July 2015 – Fee: R 1368

SUPP ENTRIES: 11:00am Friday, 10 July 2015 – Fee R 5472

WEIGHTS: Friday, 3 July 2015 Weights to be carried: 60kg

DECLARATIONS: 11:00am Thursday, 16 July 2015 – Fee R 5 472

 

2014 Thekwini Stakes

Horse: SAME JURISDICTION

Jockey: Kevin Shea

Trainer: Duncan Howells

Owners: Drakenstein Stud (Nom : Mrs G A Rupert), Messrs D C Howells, L C Vermaak, Dr R H Katzwinkel & Mrs M A M Powell

Breeder: Klawervlei Stud

 

ABOUT: Thekwini Stakes Gr 1

 

ROLL OF HONOUR:

2014

The Duncan Howells trained, Same Jurisdiction was always perfectly placed in third place on the rail as Banbury set a modest early pace. Once she was asked for an effort by Kevin Shea, the daughter of Mambo In Seatle proved to the crowed on course that she was a star in the making.

*After winning the Thekwini, prominent breeder Mrs. Rupert bought into the glamourous filly for an undisclosed amount.

All about the race

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DATE: Saturday, 25 July 2015

AGE/CONDITION: Open MR Handicap over 1600m

ENTRIES: 11:00 Friday, 3 July 2015 Fee: R342

SUPP ENTRIES: 11:00 Friday, 10 July 2015 Fee: R1368

WEIGHTS: Friday, 3 July 2015

DECLARATIONS: Thursday, 16 July 2015 Fee: R1368


2014 The Darley Arabian

Horse: Night Trip

Jockey: Anton Marcus

Trainer: Mike Bass

Owners: Messrs N M Shirtliff, M J Jooste, Bryn Ressell and Mrs I Jooste.

Breeder: Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert)

 

ABOUT: The Darley Arabian

 

ROLL OF HONOUR:

2014

No Horse Jockey Trainer Al/Bl Kg Dr Fin Dist Time OP SP
5 NIGHT TRIP Anton Marcus M W Bass A B 55.5 5 1 0.00 94.10 9/2 3/1
11 EXELERO M J Byleveld V H Marshall A 52.0 3 2 3.00 94.64 33/10 7/2
4 DISCO AL Sean Cormack J Ramsden A 56.0 9 3 3.05 94.65 16/1 20/1
2 LAKE ARTHUR Donovan Dillon (0.0) Y Govender A B 59.0 8 4 5.30 95.06 6/1 12/1