Bremner beaming after first Grade 1
PUBLISHED: April 29, 2014
Port Elizabeth trainer Yvette Bremner landed the first Gr 1 win of her career at Turffontein on Saturday courtesy of her six-year-old gelding Copper Parade, who produced a devastating finish under Piere Strydom in the R1 million Computaform Sprint over 1 000m to beat the hot favourite Via Africa by 0,75 lengths.
Port Elizabeth trainer Yvette Bremner landed the first Gr 1 win of her career at Turffontein on Saturday courtesy of her six-year-old gelding Copper Parade, who produced a devastating finish under Piere Strydom in the R1 million Computaform Sprint over 1 000m to beat the hot favourite Via Africa by 0,75 lengths.
The connections are now eyeing the Gr 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint over 1 200m at Scottsville on May 24 for the Ascot-bred son of Lecture, who is now a dual Gr 1 winner.
Bremner ran a live sms conversation from the parade ring until after the finish on Saturday with her former stable jockey Karis Teetan, who was watching from his new base in Hong Kong, so he was the first to congratulate her.
However, in her own mind she has battled to elevate this prestigious win above any other.
She said, “A lot of people have asked me what it is like to have won my first Gr 1. I generally don’t show any emotion, although I was excited, but every win, even if it’s a maiden, is a very good feeling if you have put the work in and everything goes according to plan. For me the pressure was off in this race when Piere Strydom phoned and asked for the ride.”
Strydom had said during the phonecall that if the horse ran to his Johannesburg form he must have a chance, although he was not sure it was a winning chance.
Copper Parade had run at Turffontein twice before, winning the Listed Golden Loom Handicap over Saturday’s course and distance on November 2 last year by a comfortable two lengths, before being beaten 3,75 lengths by Here Comes Billy when carrying topweight in the Gr 2 Merchants over 1 160m.
Copper Parade was involved in an incident in the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship earlier this year, when being loaded early and then breaking through the stalls, that had landed Muzi Yeni in hot water for cursing the starter.
“We have never had any luck in Cape Town,” said Bremner, who also referred to the problems Blaze of Fire had experienced at the start of the Gr 1 Cape Guineas in 2011.
However, Copper Parade returned to Port Elizabeth and won a Conditions Plate over 1 000m at Fairview in good style.
In his penultimate start in the Listed East Cape Sprint Cup over the same course and distance nothing went right, but he still finished a 1,25 length second to Vauclair.
Bremner said, “We had expected a good pace in that race with Cap Alright in the field, but it didn’t happen and Copper Parade ended up absolutely reefing behind them pulling Keagan Latham’s arms out. Even in a longer race if it’s a crawl and a sprint the horses that stay won’t catch the leaders and that’s what happened that day. It was a disaster.”
However, Bremner was confident that Copper Parade would run to his best against top class company, where the pace is likely to be truer. “He likes to be covered up and then when he is switched out he takes off. He loves it.”
Everything worked out perfectly on Saturday and, although the style of his run didn’t surprise her, just how well he did it might have. Strydom was certainly surprised, although he said that the horse had felt very good going down to the start.
Just two backhanders was all that Strydom required and the horse suddenly emerged like a jet propelled rocket on the outside to spoil the party for favourite backers.
Via Africa had to settle for the runner up spot for the second year running, but unlike last year, when slowly away, she ran a perfect race this time. She pinged the start, showed her usual high cruising speed and kicked at just the right time to repel the challenge of her nearest market rival Contador. Both jockey Kevin Shea and assistant trainer Alex Rymill admitted that she had done everything perfectly, but was just beaten by the better horse on the day.
Yvette recently took over the share in Copper Parade of her life partner Hedley McGrath, but clarified yesterday that it was still “our share”. The other share is held by Optima Trust, whose nominee is Val Fenix.
Copper Parade enjoyed a fine career with top Cape trainer Joey Ramsden before moving to Bremner’s Fairview yard at the beginning of last season. He won the Gr 1 Golden Horseshoe over 1 450m at Clairwood as a two-year-old, albeit after and objection against Kavanagh, and finished second in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint as a three-year-old as well as fourth in the Gr 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint as a four-year-old.
Bremner said Copper Parade always travelled well (he was transported up to Johannesburg last Wednesday), but revealed that he was going to stay up in Johannesburg until the Golden Horse Casino Sprint as he enjoyed the training tracks up there during his previous Johannesburg stint. Alec Laird will take care of him.
He is likely to be given a big merit rated raise for the win, but Bremner was not concerned as she felt he would have carried topweight, or close to it, in the Golden Horse anyway. Unlike Saturday’s weight for age event, the Golden Horse is a handicap.
The yard’s previous biggest away success had been when their five-year-old Victory Moon entire Blaze of Fire had finished third under Teetan in last year’s
Gr 1 Champions Cup over 1 800m at Greyville. He was subsequently named the Port Elizabeth Horse Of The Year. Bremner said the handsome bay had “loved Durban”, so she would consider another Champions Season campaign depending on how he did in his next start, which would be his third run since returning from injury.
Pick 6 carryovers
PUBLISHED: April 29, 2014
Vaal Net Pick 6 C/Over R300 000 on Thursday 01 May 2014 Race 4 @13h55.
Estimated Pool R1.5MILLION
Fairview Net Pick 6 C/Over R224 270 on Friday 02 May 2014 Race 3 @ 14h00.
Estimated Pool R900 000.
Greyville Net Pick 6 C/Over R1 200 000 on Saturday 03 May 2014 Race 4 @ 13h30.
Estimated Pool R3.8MILLION
Kenilworth Net Pick 6 C/Over R500 000 on Sunday 04 May 2014 Race 4 @14h05.
Estimated Pool R2.1MILLION[/expand]
Average up at National Yearling Sale
PUBLISHED: April 29, 2014
Tony Millard paid top price of R3.75 million for a Silvano full brother to last year’s J&B Met winner Martial Eagle at the National Yearling Sale.
The colt, named Nebula, was sold by Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift and Millard intends putting him into training in South Africa before taking him to Hong Kong. He did the same with this season’s Grand Parade Cape Guineas winner Elusive Gold.
The price was R250 000 below the NYS record set by Divine Jet in 2010 and the R347 776 average, although nearly 18% up on last year, was well short of the 2008 record of R391 148.
An upbeat TBA chief executive Tom Callaghan said yesterday: “The increase in average was phenomenal and the 20% median rise was very positive. Overall this was a result we hadn’t had since 2008 so we are pretty chuffed.
“Some of the top buyers’ bench was a little soft because a couple of people didn’t pitch, and it was tough at the bottom with some first season and unfashionable sires just not wanted but the middle market was really strong and seems to be increasing.”[/expand]
Cape trainers quick off the mark
PUBLISHED: April 28, 2014
Cape trainers dominated the features at Scottsville yesterday and both of the two-year-old Gr 2 winners put their hands up as contenders for Champions Season that officially starts this Saturday.
The Justin Snaith-trained two-year-old colt Harry Lime was an easy winner of the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1 200m under Richard Fourie and is yet another progeny of Var that will make his presence felt. “This horse can really run,” said Snaith.
He added that the bay colt was still very immature, implying that no risks would be taken. He continued, “We bought him specifically for the Gr 1 at Scottsville (Tsogo Sun Medallion), so will see how well he pulls up and take it from there.”
The Fred Crabbia-owned colt started 2-1 favourite and pulled clear from a handy position to win by 3,75 lengths. The Mike de Kock-trained 14-1 shot Mastermind battled bravely, but made little impression on the winner. The Paul Lafferty-trained 8-1 chance Harry’s Son will likely prefer further, so did well to finish third. The Duncan Howells-trained Easy Lover started 13-2 joint second favourite and finished fourth, with Kapitan next best.
Harry Lime is unbeaten in two starts.
The Glen Kotzen-trained filly Rosier appeared to enjoy the Scottsville 1 200m trip of the Gr 2 Debutante as much as her father Kildonan did and ground out a determined victory under Stuart Randolph. She remained unbeaten, having won on debut at Kenilworth at odds of 50-1 and following up in the Listed East Cape Filllies Nursery over 1 200m at Fairview.
Yesterday she started at 16-1 and was in the firing line throughout before fighting on well to hold the Mike Azzie-trained Gauteng raider Lady Ky at bay by 0,75 lengths. The De Kock-trained Ad Idem finished third ahead of the 2-1 favourite, the Snaith-trained Arria. The Mike Bass-trained Seven Grand moved up threateningly from behind, but didn’t go through with it as well as she had in her previous starts and finished fifth.
Rosier has early pace and a strong finish, the combinations necessary for the Gr 1 Allan Robertson over this course and distance at the end of May.
Alistair Gordon gave some cheer to KZN trainers as his gelding Joshua’s Crown won the Listed Sledgehammer over 1 800m.
The five-year-old by Joshua Dancer snuck into the handicap with the minimum weight of 52kg and ran on resolutely from a handy position under Julius Mariba to get up by a short-head from the Joey Ramsden-trained Coltrane with the Garth Puller-trained King Jace a further neck back in third. Favourite One Cool Dude never got a clear run in the straight and can be counted an unlucky loser beaten a half-length.
This was Joshua’s Crown’s third victory at the Pietermaritzburg track.
The Listed Scarlet Lady over 1 800m saw an impressive five-length victory for the Brett Crawford-trained five-year-old Dynasty mare Dancing Dynasty, who was ridden by Bernard Fayd’Herbe. Her more favoured stablemate Luna Da Victoria had no answer to her sweeping finish, but was a clear second ahead of Supercede, Hijacked and Royal Denise.[/expand]
Louis a worthy champion
PUBLISHED: April 28, 2014
Louis The King wrote himself into South African racing folklore on Saturday when winning the Gr 1 SA Derby over 2 450m at Turffontein and thereby completing the SASCOC Triple Crown. But he wasn’t the only shining star that emerged from the meeting.
The Black Minnaloushe colt was described as “docile” by his breeder Phillip Kahan of the Alechemy Stud and as “uncomplicated” by trainer Geoff Woodruff. He would not be the first great racehorse to have a relaxed demeanour. This temperament trait allows a horse to reserve its energy for the race itself and Louis The King certainly needed every ounce of the latter on Saturday as the Alec Laird-trained As You Like threatened to spoil the party.
However, Louis The King proved he has another important asset, courage, as he repelled the latter’s determined challenge. Jockey Robbie Fradd looked relieved after he had finally passed the line as he had made his move quite early in the straight.
However, his journey from Australia, where he has just started a new career, proved worthwhile as he became the second jockey to have completed a triple crown alongside Weichong Marwing, who partnered the great Horse Chestnut to all three of his Johannesburg classic wins in 1999.
Black Minnaloushe was quickly written off by the buyer’s market, but there is likely to be a reassessment now. On Saturday the Weiho Marwing-trained filly Ash Cloud became the third of his current crop to win a GR 1 when she landed the Gr 1 SA Oaks under Weichong Marwing. The other Black Minnaloushe Gr 1 winner from this crop is Premier’s Champion Stakes winner Kochka, who is currently sidelined with an injury.
As You Like’s sire Tiger Ridge might have to be reassessed in terms of stamina capacity. His son Kavanagh was probably responsible for the notion that he is all about speed, but his daughter Cherry On The Top completed the Triple Tiara last year, while
As You Like made a bold bid over the arduous Turffontein 2 450m on Saturday to complete a trio of top three Triple Crown finishes. Earlier, Cherry On The Top bounced back to her best by winning the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes over 2 000m in ominous style. Weichong Marwing rode her for his old guv’nor Ormond Ferraris.
Meanwhile, the late great Jet Master should reclaim the National Sire’s crown that he lost to Silvano last season, mainly due to the Woodruff-trained Yorker, who won his third Gr 1 of the season on Saturday. The big gelding gets better and better and was mightily impressive when dispatching the field in the Gr 1 President’s Champion Challenge with contempt under Anton Marcus, beating them by over three lengths, despite carrying topweight. He and Louis The King are likely the best male racehorses in the land at present.
Another top sire, Captain Al, looks to have produced yet another high class filly in the form of the Sean Tarry-trained Carry On Alice. This long striding sort showed impressive cruising speed in the Gr 1 SA Nursery under S’Manga Khumalo before surging past the odds-on favourite Banaadeer. One of the most interesting clashes in the forthcoming weeks, if it happens, will be when she meets the brilliant Mike de Kock-trained Majmu, whose power was evident as she went further and further clear in Saturday’s SA Fillies Nursery under Marcus, leaving the opposition looking a bit like greyhounds behind her.
Louis The King might have stolen the fairytale story of the season title, having not received a single bid at the sales and then being purchased for a mere R60,000 by Tiaan van der Vyver, who then named him after his son Louis, in whose name he races.
However, not far behind will be the story of Copper Parade, a six-year-old Lecture gelding, who gave Port Elizabeth trainer Yvette Bremner her first Gr 1 victory on Saturday when producing a blistering finish from the clouds in the Computaform Sprint under Piere Strydom to down Via Africa. Copper Parade is now unbeaten in two starts over the course and distance and proved once again that Port Elizabeth racing is currently in a healthy state.[/expand]
