David Thiselton

Rainbow Bridge pulled up from the Vodacom Durban July with a slight knee niggle so will be monitored before a decision is made about him defending his Grade 1 Champions Cup crown on Gold Cup day, 29 August.

His Eric Sands-trained stablemates Golden Ducat and Driving Miss Daisy are on track for the Champions Cup and the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet respectively.

Sands said about Rainbow Bridge, “He seems fine and we will check him but I won’t risk anything.”

Sands said he had been a little disappointed with Rainbow Bridge’s sixth place finish in the July.

He elaborated, “He has always run a little below par in his second run after a layoff but he had that respiratory problem upon arriving at Summerveld so had to miss the Drill Hall.”

Sands then admitted, “I outwitted myself a little bit really…”

He explained he had anticipated the chief Snaith trio of Belgarion, Do It Again and Bunker Hunt coming across from their wide draws and believed he would thus be trapped on the rail. Consequently, he had asked the jockeys to move off the rail in the first 400m.

He continued, “The filly (Silvano’s Pride) was out in front but the real pace was just in front of us. However, that pace fell away too soon. My pair were the only two up there who stayed on the others all fell away and finished close to tailed off. So, it just did not pan out well for us. It was no fault of the jockeys though, there was nothing wrong with their efforts.”

The sectional timing data provided by statistician Jay August showed the Sands pair to have gone through the 1800m mark in the lead in a blistering time of 107.46 seconds, which was 1,57 seconds faster than the previous fastest July to that point on the new narrow track and more than four-and-a-half seconds quicker than the 2018 and 2019 Julys. Golden Ducat and Rainbow Bridge thus did extremely well to stay on for a 1,90 length fourth and 2,75 length sixth respectively. 

Rainbow Bridge finished 0,40 lengths behind Do It Again last year when receiving half-a-kilogram and this year was 1,85 lengths behind the latter when giving away half-a-kilogram, which equates to only about a quarter of a kilogram worse performance in comparison to the latter from last year.  

Sands, along with many pundits, was particularly impressed by Golden Ducat’s performance. 

The big Philanthropist gelding had not handled Hollywoodbets Greyville well in his first two SA Champions Season starts and he had consequently been fitted with a new noseband for the July Gallops. That change brought the best out of him so was retained for the July. 

In the big race Golden Ducat raced without cover from the Drill Hall onwards in a handy position behind the strong pace with his half-brother Rainbow Bridge in his slipstream. After being overtaken by the latter at the 200m mark he amazingly fought back and ran all the way to the line, finishing almost as strongly as the first three who had come from way off the pace. 

Golden Ducat’s performance, on paper, had also improved despite the race having not panned out well for him. In his previous start in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 he had finished 1,55 lengths behind the comfortable winner Got The Greenlight and in the July on the same weight terms he had finished just 1,1 lengths behind the latter despite the latter having been flat to the boards. 

Sands said, “He is on the up.”

He added that having shown speed over 2200m and staying on well he believed the classic 1800m distance of the Champions Cup would suit him.

Driving Miss Daisy has also been in fine form and will be a big runner in the Gold Bracelet over 2000m. She stayed on well in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 and looked the winner before Summer Pudding got going to beat her by 0,90 lengths. Then on July day, wearing first-time blinkers in the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m, she ran on strongly from the back of the field for a fine 1,90 length fourth in a star-studded field.

Image of Rainbow Bridge by Candiese Lenferna

David Thiselton

Tributes poured in for Avison Carlisle, one of KZN’s most passionate horseracing men and long-time chairman of the board of the South African Jockeys Academy (SAJA), after he had passed away Saturday the 1 August 2020.

He and his wife Mary are testimony to the enjoyment that can be derived from owning, breeding and watching thoroughbreds and Avison cared so deeply for the health of the industry that he became involved beyond the call of duty.

The couple were introduced to racing by Scotch Ferrie, who was the assistant headmaster at their son Keyan’s school Weston Agricultural College, and three years later they bought their first horse Rebel Patriot for R75,000 at the Yearling Sales in Durban.

Duncan Howells trained this Exclusive Patriot gelding to six wins.

His success was the beginning of a love affair with the sport for the Carlisles.

In 2002 Howells notified them that Rebel Patriot’s dam, Rebel Qui, was up for sale together with her weaning at a dispersal sale at The Dargle in KZN.

They were not really interested but on the day of the sale Avison needed to escape the frustration of watching the South African cricket team losing so he and Mary decided to go and have a look.

They returned to announce to the family the purchase of Rebel Qui for a paltry R1,200 and her foal for R14,000.

Rebel Qui thus became the foundation mare of the Carlisle’s Kinmount Stud, based on their farm, which is situated between Howick and Nottingham Road.

It was the beginning of a KZN racing fairytale.

The weanling was Ravenscraig, who won three-in-a-row early in his career and was good enough to be entered in the Grade 2 KZN Guineas. He went on to win one more race.

The Carlisles sent Rebel Qui to Winter Romance and she was soon in foal.

In 2003 while holidaying in the UK and traveling on the Flying Scotsman headed for Edinburgh Avison and Mary received an SMS from their daughter Kristy to let them know Rebel Patriot was running that day.

Later, upon arrival at a quaint hotel recommended by a taxi driver, the phone beeped again and this time the SMS said simply, “He won!!”

They were standing at the time on the front mat and after a joyous celebratory outburst they looked down and read the words “The Howard.” In an instant the name of Rebel Qui’s pending foal was decided. The Howard won a 1600m race at Clairwood and later added another win at Flamingo Park. He was no great shakes but gave many people a lot of enjoyment including the owners of The Howard Hotel in Edinburgh who posted regular reports of his progress on their communications billboard. Such was the infectious enthusiasm for the sport Avison had.

Rebel Qui’s next foal was Rebellious Streak, a Deep Sleep gelding who won five races and was placed 12 times.

The next two foals were both by the disappointing stallion Requiem, one being unraced and the other unplaced.

However, the unraced one, Quinarius, produced a four-time winner and two-time winner both by Lion Tamer.

Rebel Qui then produced one time winner and seven-times placed filly Yet Again by Muhtafal. Yet Again went on to produce a twice winner by Toreador.

Then came a windfall when Rebel Qui’s next foal, Patriotic Rebel was purchased for R100,000 by Brett Crawford.

This Stronghold gelding went on to win twice and finish placed in two stakes races, including the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby, before being bought into the Mike de Kock yard, for whom he finished a narrow second in the Grade 3 Mango (Campanajo) 2200. However, he was destined to only win one more race.

At around the same time of Patriotic Rebel being sold at the Ready To Run Sale, the Carlisles bought Rebel Patriot’s full-sister, Polish Rebel, who was in foal to Silvano, for a bargain R60,000 at a Cape mare and weanling sale.

The resulting foal was Regal Eagle, who won five of her first eight starts and later finished fifth in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint.

Rebel Qui’s last filly was the three-time winner Crystal Ball and she will be covered this season by What A Winter.

Kinmount have produced an incredible fifty wins from small beginnings.

Avison was also a compassionate man and the family adopted a street child named Ronald Khumalo. This soon looked to be another fairytale story as Ronald was not only accepted into SAJA but became the first of his year to make it to track and the first to race ride. However, with a bright future beckoning Ronald’s attitude changed for the worse and the Carlisle family’s sadness was later compounded when he passed away at a young age.

Avison’s connection to SAJA had started with Ronald and in 2009 he was voted in as Chairman of the Academy Board. He vowed to stamp out the conceited attitude which had crept into the Academy students and which had led to Ronald’s decline in fortunes

.

Mary confirmed SAJA became Avison’s passion and he poured a tremendous amount of energy and love into this world renowned institution. He enjoyed a fine working relationship with headmaster Graeme Bailey and was still the Chairman upon his passing yesterday.

Avison also attempted at one stage to start an organisation which would represent the collective wishes of KZN owners, trainers and breeders, but after a year of effort it did not get off the ground.

He never missed a Scottsville racemeeting and the Carlisles enjoying the day in the members area together with the Ferries and two other veteran KZN racing families The Gibsons and the Elliotts became a familiar sight.

KZN racing will miss Avison’s presence but he leaves behind a legacy in many areas of the sport.

A celebration of the life of Avison Carlisle will have to be delayed due to COVID-19 but he has left many good memories for Mary and their children Keyan. Kristy, Duncan and Tan and for the eight grandchildren he doted on.

The Mike Miller-trained Walls Of Dubrovnik will make an audacious last gasp attempt to land a R500,000 bonus by travelling down to Port Elizabeth to run in the Listed Champion Juvenile Cup over 1400m on the Fairview turf on Friday.

When the new Hemel ‘n Aarde stallion Fencing Master arrived in South Africa in 2016 stallion manager David Allan of David Allan Bloodlines announced a R1-million bonus to be potentially distributed among the three best two-year-olds conceived by this stallion in his first covering season.

UK-based Colin Bird owns Fencing Master and Allan announced that in support of the British-bred stallion the owner, trainer and breeder of his three best black type two-year-olds conceived in 2016 would receive respective bonuses of R500,000, R300,000 and R200,000.

On first interpretation it seems the money will be split between owner, trainer and breeder.

Friday is officially the last day of the season, so the Champion Juvenile Cup has allowed the two-year-old colt an eleventh hour opportunity to land the bonus.

Walls Of Dubrovnik finished a strong-finishing third in the KZN Yearling Sale Million over 1300m at the Vodacom Durban July meeting on Saturday. Unfortunately, that race is Non-Black Type so did not qualify him for the bonus.

That was his second run in the famous Gujadhur family colours. The Gujadhurs of Mauritius own one of the oldest racing stables in the world and are viewed virtually as royalty by the island’s passionate racing public.

Walls Of Dubrovnik went within 1,4 lengths of claiming the R500,000 cheque on June 13 when finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m. He would have gained black type with a third-place finish.

He was subsequently sold to the Gujadhurs.

Mike Miller’s son and assistant, Sterling, said the colt had come out of his race on Saturday well.

He added, “The 1400m is a bit of a stretch but he should get it if ridden correctly. On Saturday he came from near last to run third.”

He does have a tough draw of eight out of ten to overcome and will be ridden by Shadley Fortune.

Walls Of Dubrovnik is on the float today and will be taken care of in PE by Gavin Smith.

In other Miller yard news blinkers will be tried on their good looking Oratorio colt Royal Exhibit, who was a bit detached in the running of the Grade 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on Saturday before running on to be beaten 4,15 lengths into ninth. His targets will be a maiden and then the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m on Gold Cup day.

By David Thiselton

The Glen Kotzen-trained Temple Grafin spoilt what was being viewed as a tiebreaker for the Equus Older Female award by winning the Grade 1 weight for age Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday and she is now in line for the award herself.

Keagan de Melo gave her a fine ride to register his 100th winner of the season and his first career Grade 1 victory.

The Duke Of Marmalade filly joined Queen Supreme, Clouds Unfold, Ronnie’s Candy and Celtic Sea as the fifth individual Grade 1 winner of the season in the older female category.

Kotzen has now won the Garden Province three times. His previous victories were with Lady Windermere in 2009 and Princess Victoria in 2012.

Temple Grafin becomes the first South African-bred Grade 1 winner of the Drakenstein Stud-based Duke Of Marmalade and his fifth Grade 1 winner worldwide.

De Melo is lying third on the national jockeys log but is more than a 100 winners behind the runaway leader Warren Kennedy.

He first broke through the 100 winner barrier in the 2016/2017 season and this will be the third time he has achieved the feat.

For statistical purposes he will not be able to surpass his record of 114 winners achieved in the 2017/2018 as the season officially ends on Friday. However, he would no doubt have surpassed it had the season not effectively been shortened by more than two months. His season’s strike rate of 14,27% is the highest he has achieved to date.

De Melo has been viewed as a potential top echelon rider for a long time and having broken the Grade 1 ice the floodgates could open for the talented 26-year-old.

He was awarded the SA Champions Seasons ride of the season last year at the KZN Racing Awards and might be in line for it again after his performance on Temple Grafin on Saturday.

The 40/1 shot jumped well from draw six but was hampered by Celtic Sea, who made a bee line for the rail from draw seven. De Melo was consequently caught wide for a bit but kept his mount settled before slotting in to a midfield position. He brought her down the centre in the straight and under a vigorous ride the four-year-old found the extra to overtake both Pretty Young Thing and Celtic Sea.

Temple Grafin was sold to Laurence Wernars after her third place finish in the Majorca. Wernars has been an owner for about three decades and this was his third Grade 1 win following Hero’s Honour and Mighty High, who respectively won the SA Derby and Allan Robertson in 2018.

Temple Grafin was bred by Mrs Fran Crowe.

It will be difficult to separate the quintet of Grade 1 winners for the Equus award.

Clouds Unfold won the Grade 1 wfa Bidvest Majorca Stakes over 1600m, beating Celtic Sea by 0,3 lengths and third-placed Temple Grafin by 1,55 lengths. Her best other achievements in the season have been a fourth place finish in the slow run Grade 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m against the boys and a 2,5 length second at level weights to Celtic Sea in the Grade 2 Sceptre Stakes over 1200m, a race in which Temple Grafin finished a 9,2 length eleventh. Clouds Unfold ran a disappointing 3,55 length eighth from a wide draw in the Garden Province on Saturday.

Celtic Sea, on top of her Grade 2 win and Grade 1 second mentioned above, also won the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint over 1200m and finished second in the Garden Province.

Ronnie’s Candy has won both the Grade 1 wfa HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes and the Grade 2 Ipi Tombe Challenge, both over 1600m, and finished a 4,25 length second to Queen Supreme in the Grade 3 Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m when giving the latter 7,5kg. She finished sixth in the Garden Province, beaten 3,45 lengths.

Queen Supreme, who was born in the Northern Hemisphere meaning she is six months younger than her contemporaries, has also won the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m, finished second against the boys in the Grade 1 wfa HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m, third in the Empress Club Stakes and fourth against the boys in the Summer Cup.

Temple Grafin’s best other performance, besides her Grade 1 win and Grade 1 third, was fourth in the Grade 3 Poinsettia Stakes.

The respective merit ratings of the quintet are Celtic Sea 126, Clouds Unfold 126 and Queen Supreme 122, while Temple Grafin and Ronnie’s Candy went into the Garden Province rated 118 and 117 respectively. Temple Grafin will undoubtedly be adjusted upward.

By David Thiselton

The Piet Steyn-trained Potala Palace colt Katak won the Grade 3 Pocket Power Stakes over 2400m at Kenilworth today to complete the Cape Winter Series triple crown under Bernard Fayd’herbe. 

History repeated itself as Pocket Power himself won the Winter series triple crown in the same Marsh Shirtliff colours that Katak carries and he was also ridden by Fayd’herbe. 

Fayd’herbe has in fact ridden the winter series triple crown three times as he did it with African Night Sky too. 

Katak is now unbeaten in five starts. 

Steyn confirmed he was still immature so he should continue to blossom. 

The Sun Met and Vodacom Durban July will be natural targets, like they were with Pocket Power, although big monetary offers from overseas will probably come in and will be hard to turn down.

By David Thiselton

Image: Katak (Liesl King)

Justin Snaith landed his fifth Vodacom Durban July and Richard Fourie his third at Hollywoodbets Greyville today as Belgarion fended off the country’s top three-year-old Got The Greenlight to win in the fastest time since the track was narrowed in 2014.

Belgarion’s record-seeking stablemate Do It Again finished third, the highest finish of the five horses in history who have attempted three wins in the big race.

Snaith is the ultimate professional and his stable jockey Fourie would have known that Belgarion’s stablemate Silvano’s Pride, who was the expected pacemaker, was going to go like the clappers in front. 

Belgarion’s wide draw of 17 was thus easily nullified by the horse simply being dropped out. 

The pace was also fast enough for him to use his big stride. 

However, the connections of the favourite Rainbow Bridge had to guess how quick it was going to be up front and their decision to go handy from a low draw did them no favours in retrospect. 

Rainbow Bridge found himself in front in the straight way too soon after Silvano’s Pride and second-in-the-running Twist Of Fate had understandably fallen away after some of the quickest fractions set in July history.

Statistician Jay August measured Silvano’s Pride going through the first 1200m in a tearaway 69.4 seconds and the group  behind her, which included Rainbow Bridge, went through in 70.6 seconds, which is the fastest July so far at that point for the chasing pack.

Handicapping pundits were proved correct by Belgarion’s win. A condition of the WSB 1900 limited the raise he was allowed to be given for winning that race to six points. The handicappers thus had to give him a 119 merit rating despite having analysed him to have run to a 122.

He thus carried 1kg less than he would have and on paper that was the difference between victory and a head defeat by the runner up Got The Greenlight. 

The three-year-olds defied a number of pundits who had written them off. 

Got The Greenlight was running 3kg under sufferance on official merit ratings but there were a few who still fancied him as he was a three time Grade 1 winner whose running style suggested he only did enough to win. 

However, the fourth place finish of the Grade 1 Cape Derby winner Golden Ducat, who was 4,5kg under sufferance, suggested the crop might be a tad better than had been thought.

Snaith is just two July wins behind the record of seven set by the legendary Syd Laird and as a relatively young man he has plenty of time to surpass it. 

It was a deserved win for owners Alec and the Honourable Gillian Foster. The former had a fine sporting day as his beloved England cricket team were not in a strong position at the beginning of the day against the West Indies but by stumps were in command. 

Belgarion was bred by Alec too. 

Silvano’s Pride was chased to the front from the off and soon had a big lead. 

The field were stretched out in the running. 

The favourite Rainbow Bridge was in a handy position, while Do It Again was in the back half and was being trailed by Got The Greenlight who in turn was being followed by Belgarion. 

The latter must have been about 20 lengths off the leader at the halfway mark. 

Owner and breeding doyen Mike Rattray has dreamed of winning the July his whole life and half way down the straight he must have been willing the line closer as his red and white colours were lying first and second, Rainbow Bridge in front and Golden Ducat on his quarter. 

However, the Do It Again treble dream then began to look more likely as he moved up dangerously. 

The latter possibility was short-lived though because it became clear that the pair on the outside, Belgarion and Got The Greenlight were going best of all. 

Belgarion won full of running by 0,90 lengths in a time of 132,4 seconds, the fourth fastest time since the distance was upped to 2200m in 1970.

The Joey Soma-trained Got The Greenlight stayed on well to beat Do It Again by a head. 

The latter was a length clear of the Eric Sands-trained Golden Ducat, who just held on to fourth by a short head from the gallant seven-year-old, the Dean Kannemeyer-trained It’s My Turn. The latter finished fourth in the July as a three-year-old.

Golden Ducat’s stable mate Rainbow Bridge, who was last year’s runner up, finished a disappointing sixth, 0,80 lengths behind It’s My Turn. 

By David Thiselton

The Gavin van Zyl-trained Gabor, who was last season’s Equus Champion two-year-old filly, has been retired and will stand at her owners’ and breeders’ Drakenstein Stud farm. 

She put in her final fast work for Saturday’s Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes yesterday and once again disappointed.

Van Zyl said due to one or two niggles she had not been able to find the form of her two-year-old season and it had thus been decided to retire her rather than to squeeze more out of an already champion filly.

The champion status she achieved was remarkable considering her first racecourse appearance was on May 12 last year in a Barrier Trial.

She won her debut over 1000m on the poly 17 days later and followed that with a running on third from a wide draw in the Grade 2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m.

In her next start she won the Thekwini Stakes over 1600m in fine style from a good draw and thus provided jockey Warren Kennedy with his first ever Grade 1 winner.

She also provided her late sire Kingsbarns with his first Graded Stakes winner.

She only raced once this season, finishing unplaced in the Grade 2 Tibouchina, and so retires having earned R594,375. 

She is out of the twice winning Trippi mare Se Agabor.

By David Thiselton

Rainbow Bridge is tipped to land a first Vodacom Durban July sash for owning and breeding doyen Mike Rattray.

The Eric Sands-trained five-year-old Ideal World gelding has always been good but is currently at the peak of his prowess and jumps from a plum draw of two. His rider, the national champion jockey elect Warren Kennedy, is cool, calm and collected and is particularly good at placing a horse in the running. Rainbow Bridge showed in the Sun Met that he can be ridden positively and still perform to his best. In the Gold Challenge he relaxed beautifully in front, dictated and ran on to win. With his more relaxed demeanour these days he should get every inch of the 2200m and his versatility in running style will allow the strategically astute Kennedy to implement plan B if the pace does not pan out as fast as expected in the early stages. 

The three-year-olds do not look to be vintage this year but a closer look at the best of them, Got The Greenlight, suggests he could be better than his bare form shows. He tends to take the foot off the pedal when hitting the front but the manner in which he has toyed with two or three Grade 1 three-year-old fields suggests that if he had something to chase he could up his game considerably. 

Tierra Del Fuego would be weighted to dead-heat with Hawwaam if the latter was in the field on his run in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge. That was his first try beyond a mile and he stayed all the way to the line, thus confirming he is influenced by his female line which contains plenty of stamina. Gavin Lerena should be able to ride him more confidently now, knowing he stays.

Do It Again has hinted he could bounce back to his best and is 1kg better off with Rainbow Bridge than last year. However, he does have the widest draw of all to overcome in his bid to make history by winning it three years in a row.

Bunker Hunt has come into his own and on form has a chance at the weights and on his Met run he should stay the trip.

Belgarion is said to be the best handicapped horse as his merit rating is capped due to a condition which allowed his impressive win in the WSB 1900 to be penalised only six points. If he finds cover he could well win, but the problem is he likes to stride out and is drawn 17, so risks being caught wide.

Vardy has a lot of class and an exceptional turn of foot and if he gets the run of the race from draw nine on the back of an even tempo-ed pace, he has a fine chance. However, if the pace is too fast it might expose a possible stamina limitation.

Soqrat had a tough Cape Summer and there is a concern he might not be the same horse he once was. However, if he is able to reproduce his Summer Cup run he could be involved in the finish.  

Those eight are selected in order of mention.

Of the others Twist Of Fate, third last year and a courageous and consistent type, would be a better bet for the top six than a few of those mentioned above. However, he has not been included in the top eight because he looks unlikely to win it.

Miyabi Gold has blossomed and is probably better now than when finishing fifth last year.

Shango can be ignored at your peril as he impressed when winning the Dingaans and this might be the first time he has been at his peak since. 

Silvano’s Pride will be dangerous if able to dictate in front.

It’s My Turn has placed in this race before. 

Divine Odyssey finished a 3,35 length eighth last year and has an outside top six chance. 

Golden Ducat looks held by Got The Greenlight.

Camphoratus placed sixth last year but the field looks stronger this time.

Capoeira looks held at the weights.

Padre Pio is 4,5kg under sufferance and unlike Got The Greenlight does not look any better than that.

By David Thiselton

Donovan Dillon has been pencilled in as the missing jockey blank on Golden Ducat in Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July. Dillon was officially declared by trainer Eric Sands this morning after much speculation.

Dillon, whose carded minimum riding weight is 56.5kg, will need to shed 3.5kg by Saturday to make the 53kg allotted the Cape Derby winner but was confident that he would make the required weight in time.

He weighed in at 55kg yesterday. “I’m on a strict diet and I have got a week,” he said on Tuesday. He has also consulted former jockey Garth Puller who famously shed 6kg to make 49kg when winning the July aboard Bush Telegraph in 1987.

By Andrew Harrison