Big test for Red Chesnut

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Brendan Pather

The exciting Robbie Hill-trained two-year-old colt Red Chesnut Road faces his first big test in the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville on Sunday.

The Pathfork colt faced a number of talked about first-timers on debut over 1200m at Scottsville but after showing good early pace he kicked clear effortlessly and destroyed them by 7,75 lengths under Brandon Lerena.

The only detracting point was the winning time of the following race contested by two-year-old fillies which was only 0,5 seconds slower and the winner, Princess Analia, then finished only fifth in a polytrack handicap against older horses next time out off a merit rating of 82.

However, on visual impressions the blinkered Red Chesnut Road looked something special.

Shannon Hill said the impressively built chestnut has improved a lot since then and looks likely to get better and better. He wears blinkers simply due to his naughtiness.

The horse which makes most appeal as the danger is the shrewd Corne Spies-trained entry Timedtoperfection. As a maiden filly this daughter of Judpot will receive 4,5kg from Red Chesnut Road. Furthermore, she is a full-sister to the useful sprinter Aurum Pot and caught the eye on debut over 1000m at the Vaal when running on strongly from some way off the pace and only just failing to get there.

The inside rail will remain 5 metres out on Sunday, which is good news as this appears to have given horses a fair chance no matter where they have been drawn.

David Thiselton
Picture: Nkosi Hlophe

Champions Season ready for takeoff

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Nikita

South Africa’s Champion Season blasts off at Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday, 1 May 2016, where four feature races top the programme which includes the first Grade 3 juvenile events in the three-month bonanza of high class thoroughbred racing.

In all, 58 feature events will be staged with close to R46-million in stakes on offer during the season which is headed by the R4.25-million Vodacom Durban July.

Sunday’s meeting will see the two-year-olds competing over 1 100m in the Strelitzia Stakes and the Godolphin Barb Stakes while the fillies and mares will compete in the Grade 3 Poinsettia Stakes over 1 200m. The Listed In Full Flight Handicap over 1 100m will get the feature programme for the day underway.

Fly BY Night (Liesl King)

The In Full Flight Handicap has drawn an exciting field headed by the Brett Crawford-trained winner of the Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Flying Championship at Kenilworth at the end of January, Gulf Storm, that will have to shoulder the big weight of 65kg. Among his opponents is fellow Capetonian Ernie, winner of the Sophomore Sprint where he beat subsequent surprise winner of the CTS Million Dollar event, Illuminator.

Also taking him on are Dean Kannemeyer’s Captain Alfredo and two other sons of Captain Al, Captain Swarovski from the Justin Snaith yard and the Sean Tarry-trained Captain’s Causeway.

Some exciting two-year-olds will be in action in both juvenile races with seven of the runners in the Strelitzia Stakes unbeaten. The Mike de Kock-trained Al Hawraa and Wake Up Maggie from the Mike Bass yard have won both the races they have contested.

In the Godolphin Barb Stakes the small field of nine runners includes the Judpot filly Timedtoperfection from the Corne Spies stable that ran a close second to Pinot Var in her only race to date. She takes on three unbeaten colts and the Argonaut colt Rob’s Jewel from the Mike Miller stable that has won two of his three races including the Sentinel Stakes.

Rob’s Jewel will meet the Lezeanne Forbes-trained gelding Skid The Red that he beat by 1.75 lengths last time out on 2kg worse weight terms which should bring them closer together.

The Poinsettia Stakes could produce an exciting finish with some well-performed fillies and mares in the line-up. Runners like stable companions Lanner Falcon and Fly By Night, winner and second in the Diadem Stakes, Princess Royal and Cosmic Light that were winner and runner-up in the Sceptre Stakes are in the field and the pace should be hot from the start.