David Thiselton

The Vaal Classic meeting has eight races today and there look to be some fair opportunities for punters.

In Race three the Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Another Universe has caught the eye from day one as one who would improve with age and over further distances. He just failed over 2400m last time having earlier won his maiden over 2000m. He might appreciate the step back down to 2000m. However, he does have a tough draw of ten. The big, scopey colt by Ideal World will be ridden by Ryan Munger, who is enjoying time off from the Canadian winter. Another Universe will need some luck but if Munger can find cover the horse will relish staying on resolutely down the long straight. Silvano’s Song made his seasonal reappearance only in December and won by 4,25 lengths over this trip. He was raised by seven points but could still be improving in the typical fashion of a five-year-old by Silvano. Kudzu is knocking on the door from 1600m to 1800m and from a good draw also has a chance.

In race seven over 1200m Andi’s Girl’s rider was caught napping in the Listed Summer Pudding Handicap in November over 1600m and arrived on the scene too late. This is shorter than ideal, but her class could pull her through, although she does have a tricky draw of six out of seven. Trent Mayhew’s 1,5kg claim could help. Just Be Lekker has class and speed and over this trip can overcome a six month layoff, although her draw of five out of seven is tricky too. Pointer is a talented speedster returning from a long layoff and he should get away with it too from a good draw over a suitable trip. 

In the first race over 2400m Santiago’s Pride and The Mightiest both hail from the yard of astute trainer of stayers Weiho Marwing. Santiago’s Pride gets the nod as he is proven over the trip and jumps from a good draw with Kobeli Lihaba up. However, Kaiden Brewer rode both of them in their last respective starts and looks to have opted for The Mightiest, who went close when stepped up to 1800m last time. She is a filly up against males and has a wide draw, but she does get a gender allowance. Instant Attraction ran a good race over 2000m in her penultimate start and should also be in the shake up, although Trent Mayhew does ride 2kg overweight.

In the second over 2000m Gamer used to have a problem settling, but has improved in that regard and ran on late in his penultimate start over 1600m to just fail. He is interesting over a trip that will suit on pedigree now that he is settling better. Flag Bearer was ultra consistent off a 64 merit rating. After a win over 1800m last time he now has to run off a 67 from draw five out of ten. He has gone close off a 69 before and this galloping type has a shout. Clear The Path has shown enough ability to have a chance here and will stay the trip. Cartagena is capable of running on and should be coming into his own so has a chance with the season’s leading jockey, Craig Zackey, up. Silent Trigger was beaten a neck by Flag Bearer over 1800m last time and is 1,5kg better off, but has a tricky draw over a further step up in trip.

In the fifth over 1450m Sutherland ran second to a good prospect in Confederate last time out over 1400m down the straight and now has a fair draw over 1450m. Corrupt showed a big, rangy action on debut over 1200m and got up so should go close here over a more suitable trip. Salute The Flag is better than his last start and Zackey is now up. Pressonregardless has some fair recent form and is distance suited but looks held by Sutherland. Strewn Sky could do well if producing his best.

In the sixth race over 1200m Take Your Place is in hard-knocking form and has a fair draw. Micke’s Bomb is not the most reliable, but did well enough off this merit rating last time and can earn. Sigfrid Swing has dropped to a competitive merit rating and has a much easier task than last time in a Graduation Plate. There She Goes has some good form and will enjoy the trip and is off a competitive mark but does have to overcome a wide draw. Boom Boom is drawn in pole and should be staying on dourly.

In the last race over 1200m Alone Time has good pace and can stay on resolutely so could lead from start to finish from a fair draw. Hammies Hero has his third run after a layoff and should go close over a suitable trip as he showed some good ability in the strong centre of Cape Town. Written In Stone is evergreen and consistent and over a suitable distance should run on well from a wide draw. Pendragon is also capable of running on well and only has to overcome a three point raise for his last win. Sail The Sky can be involved if repeating his last start.

RACE 1     

3 SANTIAGO’S PRIDE 7 THE MIGHTIEST 8 INSTANT ATTRACTION 1 ALAKANANI

Preview: 3 SANTIAGO’S PRIDE went close over 2300m last time and is trained by the top class trainer of stayers Weiho Marwing. 7 THE MIGHTIEST is also from the Marwing yard and enjoyed the step up to 18-00m last time so might enjoy this staying trip too. 8 INSTANT ATTRACTION’s best run has been over 2000m, so that augurs well for the step up in trip here. 1 ALAKANANI has showed glimpses of promise. (David Thiselton 3-7-8-1) 

RACE 2     

2 GAMER 3 FLAG BEARER 4 CLEAR THE PATH 9 CARTAGENA

Preview: 2 GAMER finished strongly to win his penultimate over 1600m in the maidens so looks to be over his over-racing antics and is interesting stepped up to 2000m. 3 FLAG BEARER is a resolute galloper who can always be thereabouts if it pans out well and it might do from draw five out of ten. 4 CLEAR THE PATH wasn’t disgraced first time out the maidens and might enjoy the step down in trip having finished second over 1600m in October. 9 CARTAGENA is capable of a strong finish if it pans out well and can’t be ignored. (David Thiselton 2-3-4-9)

RACE 3     

10 ANOTHER UNIVERSE 8 SILVANO’S SONG 5 KUDZU 

Preview: 10 ANOTHER UNIVERSE is a progressive sort who will enjoy this trip but he does have a wide draw. 8 SILVANO’S SONG won well last time and being by Silvano can still improve further. 5 KUDZU is knocking hard and should be involved. (David Thiselton 10-8-5)

RACE 4     

3 GUY ALEXANDER 5 OMBUDSMAN 4 PRIMAL QUEST 7 VAVA VEGAS

Preview: 3 GUY ALEXANDER has found consistency lately and has a chance of another win. 5 OMBUDSMAN may place in this line up. 4 PRIMAL QUEST is improving and could earn here. 7 VAVA VEGAS is capable of earning.  (David Thiselton 3-5-4-7)

RACE 5     

3 SUTHERLAND 7 CORRUPT 4 SALUTE THE FLAG 5 PRESSONREGARDLESS

Preview: 3 SUTHERLAND ran a cracker last time behind a promising sort and from a good draw should go close. 7 CORRUPT has been given a fair merit rating after a good debut win and he will relish the step up in trip, although he does have a tricky draw.  4 SALUTE THE FLAG disappointed last time but is capable of better. 5 PRESSONREGARDLESS is in fair form although has a bit to do to match Sutherland on their last meeting. (David Thiselton 3-7-4-5)

RACE 6     

6 TAKE YOUR PLACE 2 MICKE’S BOMB 1 SIGFRID SWING 3 THERE SHE GOES

Preview: 6 TAKE YOUR PLACE is a consistent sort who is distance suited and has a fair draw for an in form yard. 2 MICKE’S BOMB is not the most reliable but did well enough off this merit rating last time and can earn. 1 SIGFRID SWING has dropped to a competitive merit rating and has a much easier task than last time in a Graduation Plate. 3 THERE SHE GOES has some good form and will enjoy the trip and is off a competitive mark but does have to overcome a wide draw. (David Thiselton 6-2-1-3)  

RACE 7     

3 ANDI’S GIRL 1 JUST BE LEKKER 5 BAKWENA 6 POINTER

Preview: 3 ANDI’S GIRL has class and should be able to cope with the step down in trip. 1 JUST BE LEKKER has class too and will enjoy the trip but does return from a six month layoff. 5 BAKWENA has a lot of ability and is still unexposed. 6 POINTER is hard-knocking but has not run for five months. (David Thiselton 3-1-5-6)

RACE 8     

3 ALONE TIME 4 HAMMIES HERO 7 WRITTEN IN STONE 2 PENDRAGON

Preview: 3 ALONE TIME has good pace and can stay on resolutely so has a good chance from a fair draw. 4 HAMMIES HERO has his third run after a layoff and should go close over a suitable trip. 7 WRITTEN IN STONE is consistent distance suited sort and should run on well from a wide draw. 2 PENDRAGON is also capable of running on well and only has to overcome a three point raise for his last win. (David Thiselton 3-4-7-2) 

David Thiselton

Durban-based owner Rikesh Sewgoolam prefers to watch his horses running from home and did so as usual on Saturday for the L’Ormarins King’s Plate, which was won by his superstar Vaughan Marshall-trained colt One Stripe.

He admitted to being nervous before every race and to being pessimistic about the 11/10 favourite’s chances when he turned for home with a lot of ground to make up on the leaders.

He said, “Gavin’s plan was to race him forward this time and probably sit third or fourth, considering he had a goodish draw of five, but things never worked out from the jump. Unfortunately, for the first time he missed the break and all the plans fell out the window. He had to do it the hard way and turning for home I really didn’t believe he would be able to get to them, especially when he went past the 400m mark and had so many horses in front of him and with that horse of Piet Botha’s (Montien) going so well and Gimme A Prince travelling so well on the inside rail.”

Out on the track the jockey had a completely different perspective.

Riskesh revealed, “Gavin was full of confidence. When I chatted to him on Saturday night he said he turned into the straight and balanced him and he knew at the 500m mark he was going to win. It was just a matter of getting a clear passage, he could feel there was so much there. But unfortunately with us watching on television it looked totally different!”

Lerena rode with the hands all the way to the 200m mark and then when giving him a slap with the whip, One Stripe took off. He burst through between Montien and Gimme A Prince to win by a cosy 1,75 lengths.

Rikesh said, “He was so brave, he took that gap … for a young horse to take that gap. It was pretty tight when you look at the head on, tighter than what it looked like from the side on.”

One Stripe had thus become only the third horse to have won both the Cape Guineas and the King’s Plate in the same season, with the great David Payne-trained In Full Flight having been the last to do it in 1972.

One Stripe’s entry in to the King’s Plate was actually an after thought.

Rikesh revealed, “The King’s Plate was not on his agenda in the beginning. We always had the task of trying to achieve the Guineas, which thankfully we did, and it was on Gavin Lerena’s recommendation that the horse should go for the King’s Plate. We were guided by Gavin and I was guided by Vaughan as well. He took his run in the Guineas pretty well, so we decided to have a go, even though everything was not in his favour. But it worked out in the end.”

One Stripe became just the third three-year-old in the last 50 years to have won the King’s Plate.

When Yataghan did it in 1973 he was the third three-year-old in the space of four years to have done it, following Chichester in 1970 and In Full Flight in 1972. However, the conditions back then appeared to be different because despite the race then being run a month and-a-half later in mid February, In Full Flight and Yataghan both received 7kg from the top weighted older males, while Chichester, when the race was run on New Year’s Day, received 7,5kg from the top weighted older male.

One Stripe only received 5kg from the older horses on Saturday in the race which is today run under weight for age conditions.

Riskesh bought One Stripe from the original owner Grant Knowles prior to the CRS Ready To Run Sale. Knowles had bought him off a BSA Sale for just R100,000.

Rikesh left One Stripe on the Sale in order to qualify for all the Ready To Run races and incentives etc.

Then immediately after the breeze up gallop prior to the Ready To Run Sale Vaughan Marshall, who was going to be the trainer for One Stripe, phoned Rikesh.

Rikesh said, “He said to me ‘You can’t let this horse go, his gallop was probably the best breeze up I’ve ever seen.’ I agreed, not expecting to be challenged in the way we were. We thought he would probably go for around R400,000 or so!”

Rikesh had to go to R1,4 million to keep him. 

Later Winterbach Stud put One Stripe’s Silvano dam Silver Stripe up for Sale in foal to One World about a month after One Stripe had made his debut, ironically on L’Ormarins King’s Plate day last year, where he finished a close up fifth in a strong field. Rikesh wasted no time in securing her and is now looking forward to the career of the weanling full sister, not to mention the progeny of Silver Stripe to follow.

One Stripe’s next mission is the big Sales race, the R5 million Big Cap to be run over 1400m on March 16 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. 

Rugby8 Win Margin, Friday, 10 January 2025, C/Over R45 977, Pool Closes at 22h00

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(if only one 13 of 13 Winner)

David Thiselton

Lyle Hewitson produced an amazing finish to land a rare winner at Sha Tin on Sunday, while in the meantime the dominant Zac Purton is now within 8 wins of Douglas Whyte’s record number of wins on the island.

Hewitson’s admirable professionalism enabled him to be back in the saddle just one week after a bad fall on December 15 and he has raked in two wins since then, but at present it is Luke Ferraris who is getting closest to making the breakthrough that the ex-pat South Africans are always aiming at.

In the ninth race on Sunday, a class 4 event over 1400m, Hewitson was on the Benno Yung-trained Another World, a Kermadec four-year-old gelding who had won third time out over this course and distance.

He was paying HK$11.00 on the Tote and was drawn nine out of 14.

Lyle dropped him out and secured a rails position and had him beautifully relaxed.

In the straight the horse made up ground along the rail quickly after initially being baulked for a run.

However, just as he reached the leader, the second-placed horse shifted inward and slammed the gap Another World was about to take shut.

Lyle checked and wanted to angle outward but a quick backward glance told him he was not far enough clear of another horse running on that line.

Another World was still ambling around with a ton in hand and his supporters must have been throwing their tickets in the air in despair.

Andrea Atzeni had been the rider aboard the horse who had cut Another World off and due credit to him he as aware of what the Horse had done and corrected it.

This saw a gap opening for Another World at the 100m mark by which stage it was surely to late.

However, Lyle drove for the gap and the horse flew through it and got his nose down on the line with the help of Hewitson’s copybook left arm stretch to the top of the horse’s head.

He got up by a short-head and looks to be one to follow.

Lyle has now had nine wins this season, a disappointing return considering he had 50 wins two seasons ago and they are almost halfway through the season.

Meanwhile, Luke Ferraris had a winner on New Year’s s day to take him to 19 for the season and that puts him in lone fourth place on the log.

To put that into perspective the only jockeys ahead of him are Purton, Hugh Bowman and local hero Vincent Ho.

Ferraris is one win ahead of perennial top three incumbent Karis Teetan.

Furthermore, Ferraris has the joint second highest strike rate of 12% together with Hugh Bowman, only behind Purton’s 24%.

Keegan de Melo is having a dismal time of it and it would be no surprise to see him back in South Africa next season. It is hard to understand how a rider of his talent has only had 81 rides the whole season. Only three of the 24 who have race-ridden on the island this season have had less rides than Keegan.

He has remained stuck on four wins since November 20, although he did at least have five rides at Sha Tin on Sunday. On  the other hand that is only the third time this season he has had as many as five rides at a meeting.

Purton is chasing the 1813 race victories in Hong Kong record of Douglas Whyte.

He scored a double on Sunday to go to 1805 wins, so is now within just eight of equalling Whyte’s record.