MICHAEL CLOWER

Champions Cup winner Futura has been raised 3.5kg to a new merit rating of 113 for last Saturday’s devastating performance and he is now second only to Vodacom Durban July hero Legislate (114) among the three-year-olds.

Next season he will put his claims to the test over a mile in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate as well as going for the J & B Met.

Brett Crawford said: “Those will probably be his two main missions. He is a very versatile horse but the good ones are and he is improving with every start. He was immature when he first arrived in Durban but in the last four months he has strengthened up and last Saturday he looked an absolute picture.”

Futura and Elan Property Group Gold Cup winner Wavin’ Flag return to Cape Town this week and will then be given a break.

Crawford said: “I will be sending them to a farm for a short spell and bring them back after they have had their African Horse Sickness vaccinations. Wavin’ Flag will be aimed at the J & B Jet Stayers on Met day and will have one or two prep runs before that.”

The 42-year-old has now had 15 Grade 1 wins, eight of them since he took that shock decision five years ago to resign as a private trainer to Sabine Plattner and start from scratch at Philippi with more hope than horses. He now he has a yard of 94 boxes and one of the most powerful strings in the country.

He reflected: “In this game you can’t do things on your own. You need the support of everyone around you, especially the owners – and I’ve been blessed.”

 

It was a red letter afternoon for Crawford and Hatt who followed up their Gold Cup triumph in the Gr1 Beach Beauty Champions Cup with favourite Futura in the very next race, a race that Crawford won last year with the now retired Jackson.

Bred by John Slade, stud manager at Maine Chance Farms, Wavin’ Flag was bought as a weanling by the grooms co-op. However, when offered for sale at auction as a yearling, Wavin’ Flag failed to reach his reserve.

“He had a reserve of R200 000 but no one wanted him,” said well-known racing television personality Grant Knowles, one of the many co-owners.  “So I bought him back but we still had trouble putting a syndicate together. There was nothing wrong with him, just that he was a typical Silvano yearling – a bit plain.”

We he didn’t look plain in the winner’s box yesterday.

Pace, or more accurately, the lack of it, has been a worrying feature of this Champions Season and in another rough race where the early gallop had runners jostling for position there were a lot of hard luck stories. One of these was favourite Hot Ticket who was shuffled back early and trailed the field for much of the race.

Canterbury Tale made the early running but was none too keen in front with Wild One and Ash Cloud in behind. Wavin’ Flag was racing mid-field. At the top of the straight Hatt slipped Wavin’ Flag up the inside rail joining issue with Wild One. Gold Onyx, who was none too keen to take part as he ducked down the chute during the pre-raced parade but seems to reserve his best for Greyville, was produced with a telling late run up the outside fence and Piere “Striker” Strydom looked to have lived up to his billing.

However, Wavin’ Flag and Wild One drew the best out of each other and there was only a half-length and a nose in it at the line.

“He’s a horse who really deserves this,” said Hatt. “He’s a changed horse since coming to (KwaZulu) Natal. He had a couple of little mishaps leading up to this race but lucky he’s a horse that doesn’t take a lot of work.”

The brilliant mare Beach Beauty, retired and soon off to stud, led the parade for the Champions Cup, now named in her honour but it was again Crawford and Hatt who stole the show. Futura was a strong fancy for the Vodacom Durban July but was one of the many runners undone by the farcically slow pace. It was a little better this time round as No Worries set a decent gallop for the short-priced favourite, allowing Futura to use his long stride. Hatt employed similar tactics as on Wavin’ Flag, giving Futura a clear run up the inside rail and the colt responded with a telling finish. The grey King Of Pain ran on late for second with No Worries staying on for third.

The Duncan Howells-trained filly Same Jurisdiction threw the Equus Awards judges a curved ball when turning in one of the best performances of the year to win the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes by the shortest of margins that included a thrilling stretch duel with SA Nursery winner Carry On Alice.

Same Jurisdiction was always perfectly placed in third place on the rail as Banbury set a modest early pace with Carry On Alice trapped three wide but also handy.

At the top of the straight Carry On Alice got first run on the field and went a length or so clear with Kevin Shea on Same Jurisdiction having to wait a few precious seconds for the gap to open off the false rail.

With 400 m to go it looked as if Carry On Alice had the race sewn up but Just Jurisdiction was not done.

Stride for stride she cut onto Carry On Alice’s lead and the two were locked together over the final 200m. But Kevin Shea, a veteran of the saddle, coaxed one last effort out of Same Jurisdiction and she snaffled Carry On Alice on the line.

This was trainer Duncan Howell’s sixth Gr1 of his career and the victory virtually cemented his place as KZN Champion trainer for the season.

Harry’s Son gave the Equus judges more food for thought when the Paul Lafferty-trained colt had a change of luck in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes. Under a superb ride from Piere Strydom, Harry’s Son cut through his field to hit the front close home just ahead of a wall of horses. One could have thrown a blanket over the first five home with Jayyed snatching second ahead of the dead-heaters Anjaal and MLjet.

Just as on July day, Harry’s Son lost a shoe before the start and was re-shod which will not have done his chances any good. “He didn’t jump that well,” said Strydom post-race. “He dropped to the back of the field and it was stop, go, stop, go but I had Afrikaburn in front of me.”

Once the split opened at the top of the straight Harry’s Son took the gap and fought home to a game win.

Short-priced Afrikaburn had every chance but ran a “flat” race as he failed to pick it up in the straight and was never in the hunt.

Picture: Nkosi Hlophe

The four-year-old Dynasty gelding took 13 runs to win his maiden, but his fortunes have changed since hold up tactics were employed over long distances and he has now won four of his last five starts.

With the Gold Cup in mind, he was deliberately not raced for eight months until his recent comeback on 20 April over 1 900m at Clairwood, where he was a bit keen, showing that he needed it.

Yesterday he switched off as beautifully as usual in his favourite role as the tail maker and then produced his customary strong finish to win at odds of 3-1 by 0,25 lengths.

He was 0,5kg under sufferance, but having carried only 52kg will need further improvement to be a Gold Cup contender. He will also need to get going a bit earlier up the shorter Greyville straight, although it must be pointed out that yesterday’s race was run in very soft going, while he has previously shown a fine turn of foot on fast ground.

The former SA Derby runner up Gothic had dropped to an attractive merit rating of 90 and finished runner up in his second start for the Vaughan Marshall yard.

The Duncan Howells-trained Beewithme goes well for S’Manga Khumalo and ran to form in third as he was 1,5kg under sufferance with the winner.

Three other notable performances on the day were by the Dennis Drier-trained Balkan, the Neil Bruss-trained Red Flame and the Brett Crawford-trained Zacharias.

Balkan by Horse Chestnut added a five length victory over 1 100m in a fillies Juvenile Plate under Sean Cormack to her five length maiden win over 1 000m and stamped herself as a serious Gr 1 Allan Robertson contender for Scottsville’s Festival Of Speed meeting on May 24.

Three-year-old Jet Master filly Red Flame put herself into the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 picture with an impressive display in an 1 800m Graduation Plate event for fillies and mares under Anthony Delpech, cruising to a 1,75 length victory.

Zacharias, a three-year-old filly by Lundy’s Liability, was a cheap purchase, but is all heart, and won her fourth race in succession when winning a MR 89 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1 600m by a comfortable 1,5 lengths under Glen Hatt. Crawford and Hatt also won an earlier handicap over 1 200m with Gulf Storm.

The first race of the day over 1 000m saw apprentice Tristan Godden notch up his first career win aboard the Kumaran Naidoo-trained Secret Traveller.

Meanwhile, S’Manga Khumalo was kicked by a horse before the start of the tenth race at Clairwood today and was later sent for X-rays in order to diagnose whether there was any serious injury.

The current national log topping jockey was attended by medical experts at the start and had to be replaced aboard the Greg and Karen Anthony-trained Bonsai by Jarred Samuel.[/expand]

The pair are now set to face each other in a North versus South clash of the Titans in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 at Greyville on May 31, a contest that could decide the Equus Champion three-year-old male title. They might also face each other in the July, although the Snaith camp have emphasised that Legislate is not a certainty to run in that race.

Legislate, who was bred by Vaughan Koster’s Cheveley Stud, was purchased for R100,000 at the 2012 National Yearling Sales, well below the R234,064 average of that year. To date he has earned R1,159,850.

Justin’s brother Jonathon, his father Chris and bloodstock agent John Freeman identified the Dynasty colt as one of their picks of the Sale. Legislate is out of a four-time winning Restructure mare and the trio didn’t feel the female line “was the greatest”. However, they quickly became excited upon viewing him.

Jonathan said, “We were looking for a Dynasty, it is just a matter of time before he becomes Champion Sire, and this one had great conformation and fantastic movement.”

The team were prepared to fork out plenty to secure the colt and could not believe it when the bidding stopped at R100,000. Jonathon recalled, “I remember saying, hang on, this is a bit suspect. We hadn’t had the horse vetted or scoped and became concerned. Vaughan Koster then came over to congratulate us, although he was a bit disappointed by the price, so we asked him if the horse had any issues and he told us he was 100% sound.

I liked him so much that I immediately offered to buy half of him from Dennis Evans, who was going to put together the ownership. He said he would consider it, but on further thought it didn’t make sense as the plan was to ship the horse to Singapore.”

Evans has transported 26 South African-bred thoroughbreds to Singapore in total. The combination of good sales value in South Africa and the attractive prize money in Singapore makes good business sense. As it happened Legislate failed a piroplasmosis test and had to stay in South Africa.

The colt only won his maiden at the third time of asking, over 1 600m at Kenilworth, but then showed the signs of what was to come when finishing runner up in both the Gr 3 Cape Classic over 1 400m and in the Gr 2 Selangor Cup over 1 600m.

He disappointed in the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas, finishing unplaced, but the yard freshened him up and he displayed a devastating turn of foot in the Gr 1 Cape Derby over 2 000m to beat the odds-on favourite Captain America by 1,25 lengths.

Evans received an offer from overseas after that win, but he kindly gave the Snaiths the chance to match the price through their own clients. Gaynor Rupert of Drakenstein Stud and Jack Micthell came to the party and are now the joint-owners together with Evans and his wife Gael.

Legislate’s beautiful action and superb turn of foot were there for all to see at Greyville last Saturday in the KRA Guineas, where he confirmed form with Captain America, trouncing him by three lengths.

His long term aim is the Dubai Carnival. However, his priorities before he leaves will be the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and the J&B Met, which is one reason for his July participation not being a certainty.

Justin said, “He has so much scope, he is still a big baby. His work leading up to the KRA Guineas was incredible. He was blowing away older horses, beating them by lengths.”

Jonathon said, “In my opinion the Johannesburg form is not as strong as the Cape’s. We are looking forward to the clash with Louis The King, but are confident that Province will get the upper hand!”

Louis The King is one of the rags to riches stories of the decade. His breeder Phillip Kahan of The Alchemy bought his mother in foal to Black Minnaloushe for R20,000 from Drakenstein Stud at a mares and weanlings sale. Kahan liked the resulting “docile” foal, but he was too immature for the Cape Premier Yearling Sales in January, so he sent him to the KZN Yearling Sale. However, the colt didn’t receive a single bid and Kahan had to buy him back for R55,000. Later in the car park, Kahan bumped into Woodruff, who was only there to drop off some July tickets. He explained to Woodruff that he had been unable to sell his best colt.

Woodruff asked him how much he wanted and Kahan replied, “A minimum of R60,000”. Woodruff said, “Send him up.” Woodruff trusted Kahan’s opinion and didn’t even want to see the horse, but the latter managed to persuade him to have a peak over the stable door. Later, before Woodruff had returned to Johannesburg, an owner of his, Tiaan Van Der Vyver, phoned while on his way to have a look at one of the yard’s youngsters at Sharon Patterson’s pre-training centre.

Woodruff asked him to have a look at the Black Minnaloushe colt too. Van Der Vyver agreed and liked what he saw. He bought him and then named the colt after his son Louis, in whose name he also races. The colt is the first racehorse that Louis has ever owned and has earned R5,342,500 to date.

Louis The King has all the credentials of a champion, a fine temperament, a good action and a superb turn of foot. He also has plenty of scope for improvement and showed in his SA Derby win that he has courage in abundance. He will never lie down without a fight.[/expand]

Dean Kannemeyer, who won the July with Dynasty 11 years ago and again with Eyeofthetiger three years later, said: “There is a big question mark about the race as we are concerned about the 2 200m and so there is a possibility that Capetown Noir may not run. We will see how things go in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Clairwood on June 7 and I will discuss it with the owners.”

It had been widely assumed that the dual classic and L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner would be retired to cash in on his stud value after contesting the Champions Cup on July 26. But not so.

The Milnerton trainer explained: “I have been speaking to Khaya Stables [the official owners] and Jehan Malherbe about this and we are considering the possibility of sending him on an overseas campaign.

“He was going to go last year but we decided to keep him here for another season after he was narrowly beaten by Vercingetorix in the KRA Guineas and the Daily News. As things turned out that was pretty good form. We will make a decision after the Gold Challenge.”

Kannemeyer added that he was quite satisfied with the four-year-old’s third in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes. He said: “It was not really his game because the 1 400m at Greyville is too sharp for him but he came through it well and the Gold Challenge will be his next race.”

Capetown Noir is a 20-1 chance for the July and most of the money in recent days has been for Legislate who has been cut from 9-2 to 7-2 clear favourite while Triple Crown winner Louis The King has eased from 9-2 to 5-1.

Seemingly the KRA Guineas winner’s support is matched by his improvement since winning the Investec Cape Derby.

Justin Snaith said: “He was always going to improve as he is a son of Dynasty. He took the KRA Guineas well and indeed he is doing well in Durban. He appreciates the light tracks there.”[/expand]