Andrew Harrison

With overnight rain and patchy morning showers, the already postponed meeting at Hollywoodbets Scottsville looked to be in jeopardy, but even off a pen reading of 28, the turf held up remarkably well with no complaints from the jockeys.

But with 4Racing also moving their Sunday Turffontein meeting to yesterday, many of the leading Highveld weighing room lights elected to stay home and save the airfare.

This gave opportunity to local riders, not always afforded the best opportunities, a chance to earn some hard-earned cash. Muzi Yeni was the loser even though he rode a double at Turffontein, with three of his local mounts finding the winner’s enclosure.

Serino Moodley benefitted from Yeni’s absence in the first, the Austen Smith Maiden, as Deputy Chief took advantage of a somewhat below par performance from stable companion and favourite O Space O to get the better of Prince Florian and White Seahorse in the first.

Next up Sean Veale added further to the Yeni pain as Got The Fever obliged for Paul Lafferty finishing ahead of La Vida Loca and Dee Day in the Key Pietermaritzburg Maiden.

Tristan Godden was also missing from yesterday’s jockey ranks and MJ Odendaal, successful with Deputy Chief, again turned to Moodley who oblige on Johnny The Thief in the SLCNG Class 3 who got the better of Kitchakal in a tight finish to the opening leg of the Pick 6.

Flying Cool was the easiest winner on the day as Gary Rich’s gelding put plenty of daylight between himself and the opposition in the JS Automotive Bosch C Stakes.

Racing in the back ranks for most of the early exchanges, Flying Cool carved his way through the field at the top of the straight and Cole Dicken could hardly believe what he saw when looking back for challengers are he pulled all of ten lengths clear.

Jabu Jacobs does not get many opportunities but he is a more than capable rider as he filled in for Yeni on Peter Muscutt’s charge Plaza Accord, keeping his mount hard at it to hold off Palermo and Rachel Venniker in the Konica Minolta Class 4.

Moodley recorded his third of the afternoon as Numzaan made amends for Captain Oliver’s distant second behind Flying Cool. Frikkie Greyling’s gelding had shown up well in his two starts since joining the stable from the Cape and his win was not out of turn. However the win was not without some drama for his supporters. He looked to be in all sorts of trouble as the opposition swamped him a furlong out, but Moodley got his mount to rally to shake off his rivals and eventually win a really good race.

Venniker went one better on Trafalgar Square kept rolling in a tight finish to the seventh. There was a line of horses challenging the judge over the final 100m but Venniker extracted just a little bit extra out of Dennis Bosch’s charge to sneak home ahead of Ayuwi Yuwi in the Tash Fire Engineers C Stakes.

At 25-1 Trafalgar Square’s win was something of a boil-over for many Pick 6 punters but Miss Ladyaterix hammered a few final nails into the coffin as apprentice Brevan Plaatjies obliged for Yogas Govender, getting the better of favourite Colorado Creek.

LIESL KING 

FOREVER YOUNG got the better of Romantic Warrior in the final strides of what was a thrilling duel up the home straight of the richest race in the world, the US$20 million G1 Saudi Cup (dirt) at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on Saturday. The Saudi Cup was inevitably going to be a two-horse race between Japanese runner Forever Young (JPN) and reigning Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior (IRE). Not only was the 7-year-old Romantic Warrior, trained byDanny Shum, the highest earning racehorse of all time, with roughly R422 million behind his name, he was also already a legend with 10 Group 1 wins accumulated in Hong Kong, Australia, Japan and the UAE. Forever Young, a 4-year-old colt trained by the enigmatic Yoshito Yahagi, was the young imposter.

He was also well travelled with victories in the Saudi and UAE Derbies in 2024, as well as the Japan Dirt Classic and two third placings in the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the States. While his record was not remotely as impressive as Romantic Warrior’s, there was one crucial factor in his favour.

Forever Young was a proven performer on dirt, while the Saudi Cup would be Romantic Warrior’s first start on dirt.

The two stars were drawn on opposite sides of the track, Romantic Warrior in barrier 3, while Forever Young had to contend with a wide draw in barrier 14. From the jump, James McDonald set out to keep Romantic Warrior out of the way of flying dirt, as he settled him in a convenient gap, just behind early leaders Walk Of Stars and Al Musmak. Sakai Ryusei Sakai on Forever Young had little to do with getting out of the wilderness as the colt quickly sorted himself out.

“He jumped out really fast and got me in a prime position behind the leaders”, Sakai explained. Entering the home straight, McDonald decided it was time to put the race to bed and he sent Romantic Warrior forward and into a convincing lead. Sakai however, had been patiently waiting. He pushed the button, Forever Young took off and the chase was on. Halfway down the stretch the two horses came together. Yet Romantic Warrior refused to give an inch.

Gamely they fought on, side by side, until Sakai asked again and Forever Young got his nose in front in the final strides of the race. Youth may have triumphed in the end, but Romantic Warrior refused to surrender, with the winning margin being a mere neck, while Ushba Tesoro (JPN) finished a distant 10.5 lengths back in third.

The winning time was 1:49.099. Yahagi hailed Forever Young as the best horse of his career and said that he had to believe that his horse could catch Romantic Warrior. “If he could also pass him, I knew it would be even better than a movie ending,” he added.

Sakai added that he believed in Forever Young and he never thought he’d lose the race. Forever Young will now travel to Dubai on Monday, where he will take on the best in the world in the G1 Dubai World Cup on the 5th of April. Yahagi confirmed that it is very likely that the colt will contest the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic, seeing as the Saudi Cup was announced as a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup earlier this week.

David Thiselton

All eyes are on the handicappers at the moment as they have the difficult task of attaching merit ratings to the small field Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby in which the odds on favourite and eventual winner Eight On Eighteen went into the race merit rated 24 points higher than any other horse.

The handicappers have a few choices, including using the winner as the line horse or one of the other runners as a line horse, but they might do what they have done previously and use a rating the winner had run to in a previous race.

Using the winner of the Cape Derby as the line horse off a 127 merit rating would not be wise, because it was clear Eight On Eighteen did not put in as good a performance as he did when winning the WSB Met, which earned him his 127 merit rating. The Met was run on soft ground, while the Derby was run on good ground, yet the time of the Derby was about 2,50 seconds slower than the Met. Richard Fourie rode Eight On Eighteen very confidently in the Derby, but had to get to work when challenged at the 300m mark by Sail The Seas. Eight On Eighteen then took a bit of time to pick up before drawing off at the 100m mark. In the Met Fourie had to get serious a long way out as he sat off a fast pace and then in the straight had to chase a horse that had got away in the straight. So using Eight On Eighteen as a line horse would lead to merit ratings that are over inflated for all of the horses except Eight On Eighteen, who whatever happens will stay on his 127 rating.

Using another of the runners would lead to ratings that are not befitting of a Gr 1, considering Sail The Seas was the second highest rated runner going into the race and was rated only 103.

The handicapper might thus decide to rate the race off Eight On Eighteen’s previous merit rating of 115, which he earned from his runner up finish in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas.

If they do that the merit ratings look to be realistic.

If Eight On Eighteen ran to a 115 in the Splashout Cape Derby then Sail The Seas ran to 112.

In the Cape Guineas Great Plains was beaten 1,50 lengths by Eight On Eighteen, the same margin Sail The Seas was beaten in the Cape Derby.

Great Plains was duly given a 112.

Sail The Seas could be given a 112 for his Derby run, Garrix (beaten 7,50 lengths) 107 or 108 and Native Ruler (beaten 5,75 lengths) 103 or 104.

The other three Zeitz, Dawn Till Dusk and Express Yourself, beaten 12,25, 22,25 and 29,25 lengths respectively, will likely remain on their merit ratings of 97, 93 and 86 respectively.

The handicappers are often blamed for skewed merit ratings, but when races are run at absolute crawls their job becomes even more difficult and some blame should be apportioned to jockeys or to the connections who issue them with instructions. For example, the Gr 3 Prix Du Cap over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday was run to a time slower than a Class 4 event on the day and it was about 1,32 seconds slower than a class 3 race.

RACE 1     

1 OLD FASHIONED 3 RINGHO 2 PURSUIT OF FAME 8 JUST JAZZED UP

Preview: 1 OLD FASHIONED has improved in blinkers and has been thereabouts in both of his last two starts over this trip. 3 RINGHO can go close if repeating his penultimate start over this trip. 2 PURSUIT OF FAME has lost his way but if finding some of his earlier form he could go close. 8 JUST JAZZED UP made a fair debut against a good sort but has not raced for a year. (David Thiselton 1-3-2-8)

RACE 2     

2 ACT ON SNOW 1 LADY OF ARC 6 BILINGUAL 11 WORLD TOUR

Preview: 2 ACT ON SNOW ran well second time out and has a chance if repeating. 1 LADY OF ARC is drawn towards the right side and ran well in her recent comeback so she should go close with Ryan Munger Up. 6 BILINGUAL should be a big runner in this line-up. 11 WORLD TOUR is by One World and is a half-sister to the useful Sheela so could improve on her moderate debut. (David Thiselton 2-1-6-11)

RACE 3     

3 TAKE YOUR PLACE 7 TOGETHER AGAIN 6 IN THE ETHER 8 DANCING DORA

Preview: 3 TAKE YOUR PLACE has good form over this trip and is the one to beat. 7 TOGETHER AGAIN won well last time but is a little bit in and out. 6 IN THE ETHER is drawn on the right side and should be finishing strongly. 8 DANCING DORA is an honest sort who should be in the shake up. (David Thiselton 3-7-6-8)

RACE 4     

5 KIA KAHA 7 VIRGIN RIVER 8 PHANTOM EXPRESS 10 THE NAVY LARK

Preview: 5 KIA KAHA is a progressive sprinter who is drawn on the right side and should take a power of beating. 7 VIRGIN RIVER is speedy and is drawn on the right side and has been knocking on the door. 8 PHANTOM EXPRESS won well last time, but does have a low draw this time and has to overcome a four point merit rated raise. 

10 THE NAVY LARK is speedy and is drawn on the right side and has been knocking on the door. (David Thiselton 5-7-8-10)

RACE 5     

1 POTBERRIE 7 PEACE TREATY 4 ROYAL FORCE 2 MISS LIA

Preview: 1 POTBERRIE has shown himself to be useful and is worth his 101 merit rating, but he does have a big weight here, although Piere Strydom up will help his cause. 7 PEACE TREATY was disappointing last time but is drawn in pole now and can bounce back. 4 ROYAL FORCE was also disappointing last time and from a good draw could prove himself better than that run. 2 MISS LIA was thought of as good enough to take her place in the Gr 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas and although she failed her earlier form suggests she could go close. (David Thiselton 1-7-4-2)

RACE 6      

4 FRANCILIEN 9 GREAT NOTION 2 POINTER 8 ACCEPT COOKIES

Preview: 4 FRANCILIEN has good recent form and did well over this trip category last time and now has a slightly better draw. 9 GREAT NOTION went close first time out the Maidens over this trip category and should go close from a good draw. 2 POINTER has a lot of ability and with Gavin Lerena from a good draw over an ideal trip he should be right there. 8 ACCEPT COOKIES only just failed last time over this trip category and beat Francilien narrowly the last time they met but she is now half a kilogram worse off with the latter and has a tricky draw. (David Thiselton 4-9-2-8)

RACE 7     

6 PAUL REVERE 4 KINSHIN SHA 1 SECRET CHORD 5 BIG BOY BRUCE

Preview: 6 PAUL REVERE looks to be a useful type in the making and from a good draw over a suitable trip he can prove himself better than an 82 merit rating. 4 KINSHIN SHA ran a cracker last time over 1000m but should be able to do well over this trip that he has gone close over three times before. 1 SECRET CHORD is in good form and from a good draw over an ideal trip should be right there. 5 BIG BOY BRUCE has Ryan Munger up and that should enable him to have a chance from a tough draw. (David Thiselton 6-4-1-5)

RACE 8     

4 WRITTEN IN STONE 5 SAIL THE SKY 10 TWICE AS WILD 8 ORIENTAL BOUQUET

Preview: 4 WRITTEN IN STONE was cramped last time but from a good draw this time he can go close if it pans out well. 5 SAIL THE SKY is knocking on the door and is distance suited but does have a tough draw. 10 TWICE AS WILD is drawn in pole and should be thereabouts in this line up. 8 ORIENTAL BOUQUET showed signs of returning to some form last time and with another two points relief in the merit ratings she could earn. (David Thiselton 4-5-10-8)

Soccer13 Net C/Over: R4 275 873 on Wednesday, 26 February 2025 – Pool Closes at 21h00, Sport 11 Pool 1 – Estimated Jackpot: R6.8 Million (13 Of 13)