Category Archives: Camp 2200

Punta has more to offer

Posted on by
Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Dennis Drier was thrilled with the win of the “old man” Punta Arenas under Keagan de Melo in Saturday’s Gr 3 Delta Airlines 2200 at the Vodacom Durban July meeting on Saturday and will enter him for both the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup and the Gr 2 eLan Property Group Gold Cup.

Drier said the way the seven-year-old Silvano gelding switched off in the running, he should stay the 3200m Gold Cup trip.

Drier said Sail, who ran a fine third in the Gr 2 Gold Circle Golden Slipper on Saturday, was on track for the Gr 1 Thekwini.

Drier’s two-year-old Mauritzfontein-owned Var filly La Revere was impressive over the Scottsville 1000m under Sean Veale two weeks ago.

Drier said he had not discussed her future with Jessica Slack of Mauritzfontein yet, but was eyeing the Gr 2 Debutante over 1200m on Gold Cup day for her.

The Drier-trained Count Dubois filly Anime might also become a candidate for that race considering the good impression she created over 1000m at Scottsville yesterday when wining a maiden by 4,75 lengths. Her owners Mike Fullard and James Drew also own Punta Arenas.

David Thiselton

 

The Conglomerate comes up trumps

Posted on by

Few saw it coming. Even trainer Joey Ramsden was sceptical beforehand, even more so after The Conglomerate drew the extreme outside gate. But under a superb tactical ride from Piere Strydom the 20-1 shot pulled off a memorable win in yesterday’s Gr1 Vodacom Durban July.

The Conglomerate (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Conglomerate (Nkosi Hlophe)

Always handy Strydom moved his mount through smoothly under hands and heels to hit the front 200m out and had the race in the bag in a matter of strides. The diminutive Marinaresco came from the rear of the field to finish a neck second.  There was a scramble for the minor placings with Mac De Lago getting up late for third to deny It’s My Turn with rank outsider Saratoga Dancer also running on well in fifth.

Favourite, the grey filly Bela-Bela, was finishing off her race but never threatened. With the tote paying six places she did just enough to save place punters.

It was a belated birthday present for an emotional Strydom who turned 50 last month. It was also a fourth win for Strydom in the country’s richest race and his second from the widest draw after getting home narrowly aboard Pomodoro in 2012.

Ever the professional Strydom was offered the ride on Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner Mac De Lago who looked a better proposition, but he had already committed to ride for the Jooste’s and their racing manager Derek Brugman even though retained rider Anton Marcus had the pick of the rides.

Joey Ramsden (Nkosi Hlophe)

Joey Ramsden (Nkosi Hlophe)

“It was an exceptional ride,” said Ramsden, “Although he should thank his compardres in the weighing room. They let him in so easily.”

“This is always a great day. I have been coming here for 18 years and it’s always great racing.”

He had a consoling word for the owners of second-placed Marinaresco. They must be sad an heartsore. Marsh (Shirtliff) and Bryn (Ressell) are good friends of mine and great owners.”

A win for Marinaresco would have signed off on a memorable career for trainer Mike Bass who retires at the end of the month.

There are no immediate plans for the winner with the eLan Gold Cup and the Mike and Carol Bass Champion Stakes coming up at month’s end. “There’s no reason why he shouldn’t stay (the Gold Cup trip) but he will be at the top of the handicap. It’s up to Derek to decide.”

Dubai is an unlikely option. “I’m not quite sure he’s good enough,” Ramsden said.

Marinaresco must now rate as the best three-year-old in the country as he came from last at the top of the straight. He showed a tremendous turn of foot and ran past all but The Conglomerate with ease although Ramsden was never worried. “I think Piere knew he had it in the bag.”

Weiho Marwing gave Mac De Lago the thumbs up. “He ran a great race.” Brother Weichong said French Navy had every chance even though he missed the break but was not suited to the slow pace.

There were some hard luck stories. Solid Speed returned with a nosebleed while both Triple Crown hero Abashiri and St Tropez, stable companion to the winner, returned lame.

Inara (Nkosi Hlophe)

Inara (Nkosi Hlophe)

Star filly Inara finally broke her KZN hoodoo and landed her fifth Gr1 with victory in the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes.

Unplaced last year behind Same Jurisdiction, she put the record straight as she ground out a win from off a strong pace to keep Strydom at bay and a Gr1 double as Olma finished with a rattle but too late to make a difference to the result. Pacemaker Bichette stayed on for third.

“Things didn’t go right for her last year,” said Candice Robinson assistant to her father Mike Bass who hands over the reins his daughter come the end of the month.  This could well be Bass’s final Gr1 of his career and winning rider Grant van Niekerk was profuse in his praise as it was Bass who recognised his talent and gave a raw jockey, just recently out of his apprenticeship, the plum job of stable jockey.

What made the win more special is that Inara has now won in three different centres, having won the Laurie Jaffee Empress Club Stakes at Turffontein back in April and three others in her home town.

Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Second in the Vodacom Durban July last year when trained by now retired Stan Elley, Punta Arenas did not make this year’s final field but made up for it by winning the “July” consolation, the DELTA Air Lines 2200m. Now with Dennis Drier, Punta Arenas kept finding extra to deny the Mike de Kock pair of The Centenary and Alghadeer, the latter failing to reach his reserve when offered for auction last week.

Second and third in the DELTA Airlines, De Kock trumped that with a 1-2-3-4 in the SABC Gold Vase over 3000m.

Kingston Mines was sent out as the hare and opened a good few lengths on his rivals coming up the hill at the 800 m mark. He kept finding in the straight but was challenged by Smart Mart. These two looked to have the race to themselves before Enaad finished with a wet sail, running them both down in the shadow of the post with Kinaan finishing the best of the others to snatch fourth.

Leading all the way, Final Judgement pulled of a 25-1 surprise in the Gold Circle Golden Slipper, rallying under a strong ride from Stuart Randolph to narrowly hold off the attentions of Dawn Calling and Sail. Odds-on favourite Maleficent, prominent throughout surrendering tamely to finish unplaced.

Zodiac Ruler (Nkosi Hlophe)

Zodiac Ruler (Nkosi Hlophe)

Jumping from pole position, Randloph had no hesitation taking Final Judgement to the lead with Muzi Yeni slotting Dawn Calling perfectly into position behind the favourite.

Once in the straight Maleficent left Dawn Calling in the clear and she was left to chase home Final Judgement.

Two-year-old male form has been muddling but Zodiac Ruler put up his hand with a superb victory in the Durban Golden Horseshoe.  The imposing Justin Snaith-trained colt was again slow out of the gate and found himself at the tail end of the field.  “They went very fast. That suited me,” said rider Richard Fourie.

Duncan Howells was super confident of the chances of his filly Lunar Rush in the KZN Yearling Sale Million and so it proved. Anthony Delpech took the race by the scruff from the start and the result was never in doubt. This was the second win in the race for Howells who also scored with crack filly Same Jurisdiction two years back.

 

 

Desert Fighter (Nkosi Hlophe)

Right race for Desert Fighter

Posted on by

Dennis Drier and Alistair Gordon could have winners at Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July meeting with Desert Fighter and Royal Line respectively.

Both trainers have a number of other chances at the meeting.

Desert Fighter runs in the second, the Middle Stakes over 1400m on the poly, and jumps from a plum draw of two with stable jockey Sean Veale aboard. He was a bit slow away over 1600m on the poly last time so had a lot to do in the straight and ran on well for a close second. His two wins have been over 1200m, so this trip should be ideal. The yard described this Toreador three-year-old gelding as a progressive sort and added,  “This looks to be the right race for him.”

Desert Fighter (Nkosi Hlophe)

Desert Fighter (Nkosi Hlophe)

Royal Life runs in the last, the Listed Business Solutions Handicap over 1600m on the turf. He has S’Manga Khumalo up from a good draw of six. He over raced in his penultimate start over 1400m, but still won easily and impressively. He over raced again over the Greyville turf 1600m last time, yet still ran on well and was pipped by a whisker. Gordon has now tried a new bit with him and he has consequently settled much better in his work. If he does the same in the race on Saturday, he will be a big runner as Gordon is happy with his well-being and with the draw and jockey.

The Drier yard are hoping Sail will be more settled on course than she was last time, when bouncing around a bit yet still managing to win a Juvenile Plate over 1400m. If she is this talented Philanthropist filly could be the chief threat to Maleficent in the Gr 2 Gold Circle Golden Slipper over the same course and distance from a plum draw of four.

The yard run last year’s July runner up Punta Arenas in the Gr 3 Delta Air Lines 2200 and said he was fit and well. He looked well in his workout on Tuesday morning.

Gr 1-winning sprinter Guiness has “been going through the motions” so blinkers will be fitted and he has been working well in them, although he has a tough draw in the Compendium MR 103 Handicap over 1000m.

The yard are hoping blinkers will have the same affect on Eventual Angel, a talented sort capable of surprising from a plum draw in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workeear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m.

Gordon could not separate Royal Life and Bunker Bill as his best runner on the day. Talented three-year-old Bunker Bill loved the step back to 1200m last time and won easily. He goes on the poly for the first time over 1200m in the tabGold Sprint and has Piere Strydom up from draw six, albeit off a merit rating which has been raised six points.

Gordon said Velvet Wind was well, but might find the 1400m of the first a touch short, although he expected her to be running on. He expected Sublime Code to be suited to a step up to 1400m in the second and said he was also fit and well.

David Thiselton

Abashiri (Nkosi Hlophe)

Abashiri ‘a special horse’

Posted on by

Mike Azzie said if Triple Crown hero Abashiri was not at his peak on Saturday for the Vodacom Durban July he would be pretty close to it. He is also expecting a good run from Oomph in an earlier feature.

Azzie said he had to put out of his head everybody saying Abashiri had too much weight to carry in the July, “because this is not a normal horse, this is a special horse.”

Abashiri (Nkosi Hlophe)

Abashiri (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Go Deputy gelding with the giant stride carries 59kg, the biggest weight ever allotted to a three-year-old in the big race.

He has not run since winning the SA Derby on April 30, where he had to dig down deep.  However, Azzie said the big horse’s work had been very good. He said big race jockey Karl Zechner was confident.

Abashiri certainly caught the eye at the July gallops and the exceptional turn of foot he has shown in his last two races should make him suited to Greyville.

Oomph has the second run for the yard in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m.

The Tiger Ridge colt was the talk of the town in Port Elizabeth after three facile wins over 1200m and he was then purchased by Azzie’s chief clients Adriaan and Rika van Vuuren.

However, Azzie said the colt had been well in need of his run in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion, as they had backed off him in PE before he had arrived at Summerveld. He said the horse had tightened up and improved since the Medallion.

Azzie’s runner in the first over 1400m on the poly on Saturday, Peep Show, runs off an 83 merit rating compared to her 97 sand rating. However, she hasn’t run since January.

Deputy Jud (Nkosi Hlophe)

Deputy Jud (Nkosi Hlophe)

Azzie said he had seen Peep Show brighter than she currently was, and he would have liked her to be a little more crisp, but he was hoping she wouldn’t need it. He said if the four-year-old Ideal World filly reproduced her best on the sand she would be a tough nut to crack as she was capable of galloping flat out for a mile.

Azzie has July reserve runner Deputy Jud in the Gr 3 Delta Air Lines 2200m where he jumps from draw nine. His recent runner up finish in the Track And Ball Derby proved he was in a good space and his merit rating is unchanged, so he must have a shout.

Black Minnaloushe gelding Greek Legend has been a touch disappointing in three runs in KZN, but being a half-brother to Gold Cup winner Wavin’ Flag makes him an interesting runner in the Gr 3 SABC Gold Vase over 3000m.

The yard run Lazer Star in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes. She was bought out of the Ormond Ferraris yard mainly for breeding purposes and on previous evidence the 1600m trip might stretch her, although she is drawn well and it is her third run for the yard.

Splendid Garden carries topweight in the eighth, the Compendium MR 103 handicap over 1000m on the poly, and has a tough draw of nine. However, he has come a point down in the merit ratings and this talented but temperamental sort can’t be ignored coming off two Gr 1s where he was not disgraced.

By David Thiselton

Kannemeyer duo spot on

Posted on by

Three-times Vodacom Durban July-winning trainer Dean Kannemeyer said both of his candidates for this year’s race, five-year-old Solid Speed and three-year-old Mambo Mime, were “spot on.”

Asked on which one he preferred he said, “On their home work Mambo Mime, but Solid Speed has never been a good work horse. Solid Speed is a five-year-old and Mambo Mime is a three-year-old and they carry the same weight, so that’s a different ball game.”

Jockey Keagan de Melo said he had been very happy with Mambo Mime and based on the feel the horse gave him believed he would definitely stay the 2200m trip. He is drawn in 12 and should be running on like he was in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000. On Monday he worked with Dynastic on the beach sand at Summerveld and drew clear effortlessly.

Jockey Stuart Randolph is also happy with Solid Speed. The latter represents the same owner, trainer and jockey as last year’s winner, Power King, runs off the identical merit rating of 106 and is drawn in barrier 5 compared to Power King’s 6.

Solid Speed (left) & Mambo Mime at the VDJ Gallops (Nkosi Hlophe)

Solid Speed (left) & Mambo Mime at the July Gallops (Nkosi Hlophe)

Balance Sheet and Solar Star both looked well in their workouts on the beach sand this week ahead of their engagements in the Gr 3 SABC Gold Vase over 3000m.

Kannemeyer has always believed Solar Star would get this sort of trip. He pointed out the latter had stayed on well in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m, where he finished fifth, only 1,65 lengths behind the winner Balance Sheet. However, Solar Star will now be only 0,5kg better off with his stable companion, so won’t find it easy to reverse form, especially considering Balance Sheet is proven over the trip, having finished second in last year’s Gold Cup over 3200m.

Kannemeyer runs Impala Lily in the first over 1400m on the poly and believes she will appreciate the step back to 1400m. It looked that way in her work out on the beach sand on Monday as she is a robust sort with big hind quarters. Her pole position draw is a further plus.

Cape Laddie ran a fine race under Anthony Delpech last time when caught wide over 1400m on the poly and still managing to stay on for a one length second to the fair sort Irish Pride.

He is now drawn well over the same course and distance in Saturday’s second race, but he does have to deal with a one point merit rated raise and Delpech was concerned about it being his second run after a long break.

David Thiselton

Palladium (Nkosi Hlophe)

Laird in top form

Posted on by

Former National Champion Trainer Charles Laird scored a tremendous treble at Greyville on Saturday, including winning two black type events for his chief client these days Alesh Naidoo.

However, Laird said he would not be supplementing Gr 3 Cup Trial winner Exit Here for the Vodacom Durban July. He said, “He has drawn well in five for the consolation event anyway.”

Laird was relieved to have been proven correct in his assessment of Exit Here’s poor last two runs, in which he believed the jockeys had gone to hard out in front. The blinkered Moutonshoek-bred Jay Peg colt was asked to go a particularly ridiculous pace in the Gr 2 Canon Guineas.

Palladium (Nkosi Hlophe)

Palladium (Nkosi Hlophe)

By contrast Weichong Marwing rode him to perfection on Saturday, controlling the pace from the front before extracting the necessary extra to repel challengers and beat the second favourite Dynamic by a quarter of a length. He converted odds of 40-1.

Naidoo was largely behind the decision to purchase Exit Here for R1,1 million at the CTS March Yearling Sale in 2014. Exit Here is a half-sister to Eventual Angel, who won four races for Naidoo, including the Gr 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes. Naidoo owns Exit Here in partnership with Laird’s long-time stalwart client Markus Jooste.

Earlier on Saturday, Laird and Naidoo had combined to win the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m with the Avontuur-bred Silvano colt Palladium, who remains unbeaten after two starts.

Despite the tailwind, Palladium was able to come from last with an impressive run and beat the favourite Daffiq by a neck under Keagan De Melo.

Laird had advised De Melo to stick with Palladium after his strong finishing-debut win over 1200m at Greyville, knowing Anton Marcus would be tied to ride the Markus Jooste-owned stablemate Buffalo Soldier, who ran a decent 1,9 length fourth on Saturday.

Laird said he would keep De Melo aboard for Palladium’s next two races, which are due to be the Gr 2 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on July day and the Gr 1 Premiers Champion Stakes over 1600m on eLan Gold Cup day.

Palladium is a half-brother to the former Equus Champion Sprinter Val De Ra, but Laird said he took more after his sire Silvano and would get the mile.

Laird clinched the treble with a brilliant front-running ride by Marcus on the Jooste-owned Top Form in the R200,000 KZN Winter Challenge 1200.

There was also disappointment for the yard as the luckless Ice Machine ran unplaced in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

Laird said Ice Machine had always been a horse who preferred being taken to the outside for his run as he was then able to be taken through the gears gradually on the back of a momentum building outwards catapult,  whereas taking a horse inward for a run, like he was on Saturday, required committing the horse too soon. “He is not getting any younger,” he said about the seven-year-old.

By David Thiselton

july c

Huge entry for July day

Posted on by

With 180 entries received for the six feature races supporting the R4.25-million, Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July at Greyville Racecourse on July 2, one might believe there is not a single top horse from anywhere in the country that is not aimed at Africa’s Greatest Horseracing extravaganza.

With the announcement of the final field for the 2 200m blue ribbon event not due for nearly two weeks, the plans for some of the hopefuls are still in limbo resulting in the largest entry for the meeting being for the R500 000, Grade 3 Delta Airlines 2200 – the race normally targeted by horses that do not make the final cut for the premier event – and this year there are 48 of them.

The R1-million, Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1 600m has attracted 21 entries including super filly Bela-Bela as well as the likes of Inara, Silver Mountain, Entisaar and Negroamaro.

The two R600 000, Grade 2 juvenile races, the Durban Golden Horseshoe and the Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper, have both drawn large nominations with 37 entered for the colts race and 28 for the fillies.

The R500 000, Grade 3 SABC Gold Vase over 3 000m has drawn the 29 best stayers in South Africa.

It all points to another bumper Vodacom Durban July meeting where about 50 000 will cram into the Greyville course and together with punters from around the country, wager hundreds of millions of rands on the meeting.

 

Dennis Drier (Nkosi Hlophe)

Drier’s racing achievement

Posted on by

Summerveld maestro Dennis Drier has won many Gr 1 races in recent seasons but was still unable to contain his emotions after managing one of the best days of his career on Vodacom Durban July day on Saturday. He won both of the two-year-old Gr 1 events on the card and later added a first and third in a Non-Black type sprint.

Dennis Drier (Nkosi Hlophe)

Dennis Drier (Nkosi Hlophe)

He said, “You dream of winning races like this and this is unbelievable.”

The veteran trainer had two Gr 1 winners on a day for the first time at Scottsville earlier this year, so only appears to be getting better.

On Saturday his filly Chestnuts N Pearls provided the great Horse Chestnut with his first South African-bred Gr 1 winner and his second Gr 1 winner overall when sweeping through to land the Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m by 1,5 lengths under Sean Cormack.

Later his top class Seventh Rock colt Seventh Plain fought back in courageous fashion to get up by a short-head in the Gr 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m under Anton Marcus.

Seventh Plain will likely be named Equus two-year-old male of the year as he also won the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion and on Saturday he beat the Gr 1 SA Nursery winner Arabian Beat into third.

Chestnut N Pearls was bred by Nutfield Stud and is owned by Jaap van der Vendel’s Vendel Civils, Mark Currie and Mayseh Chetty. Currie, who was having his third Gr 1 winner, and Chetty were both on course to lead her in. Chetty has had 120 winners in his seven year ownership career, but this was his first Gr 1 success.

He said, “I’m very proud, it’s exciting to have a Gr 1 winner and on July day.” The filly was purchased at Bloodstock South Africa’s Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Sale for R240,000 last year so will have a big money sales race to look forward to next year.

Drier had initially planned to put her away after her run in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m at Scottsville, but jockey Cormack had advised that the 1200m trip had simply been too short, and she had also had to come from an unfavourable high draw, so he recommended she run in the Slipper. His advice proved spot on. She now might even take her place in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m on Super Saturday.

Chestnuts N Pearls (Nkosi Hlophe)

Chestnuts N Pearls (Nkosi Hlophe)

Drier hails from a famous racing dynasty, who were once labelled “The Sob Mob” by his Uncle Russell Laird (“When we win we cry, when we lose we smile”), so it was little surprise to see him in tears in the winner’s enclosure after the filly’s fluent win.

In the Golden Horseshoe the Dominic Zaki-trained Arabian Beat overcame a wide draw to lead from the off and looked to have an apparently under pressure Seventh Plain beaten 100m out. The danger looked to be the well supported Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained maiden Brazuca, who was flying on the inside. However Seventh Plain then suddenly found his big stride and surged through the centre to beat Brazuca by a short-head with Arabian Beat a head further back. Drier said, “He’s an absolutely amazing horse. Anton said he was very green. I didn’t think he could win half way down the straight, but that is what top horses are made of and top jockeys.”

Drier believes this big colt has a very bright future, so he will likely be put away and aimed at the Cape Summer Of Champions Season, although this will depend on owner Markus Jooste’s racing manager Derek Brugman.

Seventh Rock has had a Gr 1 winner in each of his first two crops, the first of them being Guiness who was also trained by Drier. Seventh Rock was trained by Drier’s cousin Charles Laird and owned by Markus Jooste and the latter also owns both Guiness and Seventh Plain. Seventh Plain was bred by Klawervlei Stud.

Seventh Plain (Nkosi Hlophe)

Seventh Plain (Nkosi Hlophe)

Later Drier won the eThekwini Sprint over 1200m on the poly with the classy three-year-old Var colt Generalissimo and his promising Trippi gelding Triptique flew up for third. The win confirmed a change in fortunes for owner Nick Jonsson, who had won an earlier race on the day having enjoyed a luckless Champions Season up until then. One of Generalissimo’s finest assets is his gatespeed and he had missed the break in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville after standing in stalls for close to five minutes and later Jonsson’s three-year-old Justin Snaith-trained Jet Master gelding Ultimate Dollar had to be scratched from the start of the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 after kicking the back of the gate. Both horses won on Saturday. Generalissimo is now unbeaten in two starts on the poly and  Ultimate Dollar proved what a big runner he would have been in the Daily News by winning the Gr 3 tabGold 2200 in fine style from start to finish under S’Manga Khumalo. Jonsson owns Generalissimo in partnership with his father Benji and Ultimate Dollar in partnership with RD Hamilton’s Evanstan Investments.

Khumalo’s other winner on the day was aboard the Charles Laird-trained Resolution, who won her swansong on the poly before going to stud. Resolution’s part-owner Alesh Naidoo competed with Jonsson for owner of the day as he also owned the winner and third-placed horses in the KZN Yearling Sale Million, the Dennis Bosch-trained Clifton Stud-bred AP Answer gelding Cutting Edge and the Charles laird-trained Chosen Dash, and he also owns the Laird-trained Bold Inspiration, who finished second in a Listed event.

By David Thiselton

same jurisdiction

Where to next?

Posted on by

Dean Kannemeyer is to wait until Power King recovers from his exertions in Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July before making any plans about the four-year-old’s future. He said: “Power King was a little wobbly and exhausted straight after the race so we will let him get over this and then decide where we go.”

Kannemeyer, winning the great race for the third time, explained that the horse had not been straightforward to train:  “He had a few soundness problems as a young three-year-old. Then he was haemoconcentrating and so I said to Lady Christine Laidlaw that there was only one way to deal with that and we gelded him.

“But the July is the ultimate race for a trainer in South Africa and I am over the moon to win it again.”

Lady Laidlaw raised the interest levels of the foreign media contingent by reacting positively to overseas campaign suggestions but the horse seems far more likely to stay in this country.

Stuart Randolph had to shed almost four kilos in three weeks to do 53k – “It wasn’t a strict diet but I watched it and the weight slowly came off”- and he is now facing a fortnight’s suspension.

Nothing to do with the Punta Arenas bumping match but everything to do with the way he came across Legal Eagle, Gold Onyx and Halve The Deficit as he began his run. “He cleaned up half the field,” commented a brassed-off Sean Tarry who trains all three.

This was the second successive year that the historic race has been decided in the boardroom but, even more remarkably, the first three are all by Silvano and were all bred by Maine Chance.

Duncan Howells has already mapped out Same Jurisdiction’s future and, after the way she justified 17-10 favouritism under Anton Marcus in the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province, he was talking about her in the same breath as Via Africa. He said: “You cannot believe the improvement she has made in the last two months and not even Via Africa galloped the way she did last Tuesday. She won’t run again this season and next term we will go to Cape Town for the Paddock Stakes and the Klawervlei Majorca.”

Marcus has amazing talent at both ends of a race but even he excelled himself when getting up in the last stride on 12-10 favourite Seventh Plain in the Durban Golden Horseshoe. The superlatives flowed like champagne at a wedding but owner Markus Jooste remarked tongue-in-cheek: “With what Anton costs one expects that sort of ride!”

The former champion added: “This win was a testament to the horse’s courage. He had every opportunity to spit the dummy but instead he dug down deep.”

Trainer Dennis Drier, who initiated a notable Grade 1 double with 16-1 shot Chestnuts N Pearls in the Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper, said: “You dream about Grade 1 winners but to have two in one day is unbelievable and I am blessed to have jockeys like Anton and Sean Cormack.”

Seventh Plain is to be put away for Cape Town and the Cape Guineas but the Thekwini on July 25 is a possibility for the filly. But it’s worth noting that Brazuca, beaten a short head in the Horseshoe, would almost certainly have won had he not been baulked 300m out and been switched to get a clear run.

Also with an eye to next time when the first three in the SABC Gold Vase meet again in the Gold Cup: Solid Speed, who started favourite and was beaten less than a length into third behind the Gavin van Zyl-trained Heart Of A Lion (Muzi Yeni), lost a front shoe.

Dynamic proved the July selection committee’s point when weakening close home in the TabGold 2200 won in all-the-way fashion by S’Manga Khumalo on stable companion Ultimate Dollar but Justin Snaith is still very much concerned about the pens. He said: “This trip was a little bit too far for Dynamic but we have always rated Ultimate Dollar highly. We were going to use the same tactics on him in the Daily News but he got injured at the start.

“These stalls come from Australia and there is too much of a gap between the back gates. We have complained but I feel that the guys are not taking us seriously.”

The stipes certainly took Warren Kennedy seriously when he used a few choice words to the starter – his mount Sun On Africa was injured in the pens and had to be withdrawn from this race. He was fined R1 000 for “abusive language.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Same Jurisdiction (Nkosi Hlophe)