Eric Sands’ expertise as a trainer was highlighted by his win on Saturday in the Grade 1 Asian Racing Conference Commemorative Derby with Golden Ducat, who couldn’t be sold as a youngster due to a serious hock injury and might not have existed at all if Sands had not managed to nurture his mother Halfway To Heaven into a stakes performer after she had survived a number of incidents as a youngster.

Halfway To Heaven has now achieved the phenomenal feat of producing three Grade 1 winners with her first three runners.

Golden Ducat’s half-brothers are no ordinary Grade 1 winners, they being Rainbow Bridge, (Ideal World) and Hawwaam (Silvano), who need no introduction.

Sands’ biggest thank you after the race was reserved for Halfway To Heaven and in referring to her three Grade 1 winners from three runners he said, “When I was a kid my father was with George Azzie and Hawaii was there. He was out of Ethane who also produced William Penn. But I have never seen this before. I don’t know if it has been done before and I don’t know if it will be done again. She is phenomenal.” 

Golden Ducat became his sire Philanthropist’s first South African-bred Grade 1 winner, although he did produce a Grade 1 winner in Canada before being imported to stand at Drakenstein Stud. 

Rainbow Bridge, Hawwaam and Golden Ducat were all bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Studs.  

Craig Zackey rode a faultless race on Saturday to record his third Grade 1 win of the season. His previous two also came at Kenilworth, both for Adam Marcus. It was an eighth career Grade 1 for 25-year-old Zackey. 

Golden Ducat lined up as the joint lowest rated horse in the field on a merit rating of 89 but, with just four previous races under his belt, had not yet had a chance to prove himself.

Sands believed the tall bay had run “way above” his merit rating in his previous start over 1500m which was “far short of his trip.”

He also pointed out he himself had won a Cape Derby before by avoiding features with an immature horse, although he was likely referring to Money Bags, who crossed the line first in 2006 but was later demoted after an objection.

Sands had previously won the Cape Derby with Jungle Warrior in 1988 and Grande Jete in 2001.

Zackey’s confidence was boosted on the way to post.

“He’s a big strapping fella with a huge action and knowing how Hawwaam and Rainbow Bridge get the ten furlongs I said to myself he is going to get it even better.”

Zackey, after jumping from draw two, settled him in the perfect position in midfield one out with cover alongside the favourite Silver Host.

The good pace suited the big gelding, as he was able to stride out throughout. He had plenty in the tank turning for home and produced a sustained finish to overtake and beat Sachdev by half-a-length.

Zackey is sponsored by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud. He had won a Grade 1 before in the colours of Jessica Jell’s Mauritzfontein Stud and on Saturday achieved the double he had longed for by winning a Grade 1 in the colours of Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift Stud.

His association with the current champion breeders started around 2015 when he stuck with a filly called Nother Russia, who was so temperamental nobody wanted to ride her. Zackey spent hours of his spare time helping “horse whisperer” Malan du Toit school her as well as “showing her a lot of love”. One day her grateful owner and breeder, Jessica Slack, now Jell, said to him, “This is your filly until the end of her career.”

Jessica was true to her word and the Mike de Kock-trained filly won eight races under Zackey, including the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes.  

Zackey believes there is a lot more to come from Golden Ducat, describing him after Saturday’s race as a big baby who was still learning. 

“The day he puts his head down and puts it all in you’re going to see a really good horse.” 

Sands applauded Zackey for his ride and showed considerable emotion when thanking Mary Slack.    

Golden Ducat was gelded in November last year after starting to become “a bit impossible”.

His mother had temperament issues too, as do both Rainbow Bridge and Hawwaam.

Gavin Walker, the former owner of Bush Hill Stud, bred Halfway To Heaven.

As a youngster she knocked herself out one day by running headlong in to a pole. She then survived a flood and she later cut herself badly on barb wire when escaping into a vineyard.

That all happened before being sent to Lisa Humby to be backed,

She was then went to Sands, where sore shins initially plagued her.

She was also nervous and “quite dangerous” and reportedly put two Sands’ stable employees in hospital.  

However, with veterinary help for her shins she was able to win six races for Sands, including the Grade 3 Prix du Cap over 1400m.

She was then sold by Walker to Mary Slack and won the Listed Off To Stud Handicap over 1800m for Mike de Kock shortly before being retired to stud.

Walker had bought Halfway To Heaven’s grandam Our Elegant Girl on instinct when watching her antics at Scottsville one day. Her rider had fallen off on the way to the start and, astonishingly, she stopped, turned around and allowed him to remount, an unheard of happening in thoroughbred racing. 

Halfway To Heaven is in-bred 3×3 to Northern Dancer through Jet Master and Rambo Dancer.

She should go on to smash more records as she has two more Silvano’s on the ground, a filly and a colt, as well as a Querari filly.

By David Thiselton

Golden Ducat put himself into the Vodacom Durban July betting at 25-1, and his remarkable dam into the record books, when realising his long-held potential after being backed from 16-1 to 10-1 in the ARF Commemorative Cape Derby at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Halfway To Heaven’s first three foals have now all won Grade 1 races – Rainbow Bridge and Hawwaam are the other two – and there is going to be some interest in the next one when the Silvano colt comes into the ring at the National Yearling Sale in April!

The Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein breeding operations are already entitled to take a bow but Saturday’s 10-1 win was also a triumph for Eric Sands who learned an invaluable amount about the complex mental make-up of the family when he trained Halfway to Heaven and won the 2013 Prix Du Cap with her.

It was his decision to geld Golden Ducat in November and to bring him back almost under the radar. “We had to geld him because he was getting impossible and I have won the Derby before by avoiding features with an immature horse,” he explained after greeting his third winner of the race following Jungle Warrior back in 1988 and Grande Jete in 2001.

It was the third Cape Town Grade 1 of the season for Craig Zackey – “Golden Ducat pulled me through the field without me pressing the button and he has a turn of foot as well,” Zackey enthused. “He still looks around but the day he puts his head down and puts it all in you are going to see a really good horse.”

An improving three-year-old, almost certainly still ahead of the handicapper, is what July punters dream about but, before you start comparing the pre-nomination prices, it would be prudent to wait until he is confirmed an intended runner – and that is not the case at the moment.

“I am going to discuss things with Mary Slack, Steven and Jessica Jell as well as with Jehan Malherbe,” said Sands, “and only then will we decide what we should do.”

The stipes provided an interesting footnote to Saturday’s race with their report that Anton Marcus had accepted the mount on Golden Ducat as well as on Cane Lime ‘N Soda who finished only seventh. Seemingly Marcus decided he should remain loyal to Robert Bloomberg and Ron Chetty but he was fined R1 000 by the stipes plus the same amount for exceeding the whip limit. Bernard Fayd’Herbe, fourth on Parterre, was fined R2 500 for the latter offence.

Kasimir has a busy Durban campaign ahead of him after confirming his champion sprinter status by repeating last year’s win in the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes – but by God he had to fight for it.

Chimichuri Run threw down the gauntlet on his outer (Gavin Lerena: “He quickened when I asked him to and he fought all the way to the line”) while Aldo Domeyer drove Russet Air up the rails with all the intent and determination of a man possessed. “You always think you are going to get there and I had a great run”).

But Richard Fourie kept asking even when defeat was staring him in the face like a black-framed mirror, and his mount unhesitatingly answered every call. “l know he looked beaten but this horse has a secret weapon – he’s got heart. Also he is game, a true champion and an exceptional 1 200m horse.”

Justin Snaith, winning the race for the third successive season, added: “Kasimir has had a light season – just three races – so I will try and make up for it in Durban and have him a little busier than I might otherwise have done.”

Snaith also brought off a 40-1 shock with the Fayd’Herbe-ridden Crown Towers in the Selangor Jet Master but the puzzle of the day was Front And Centre’s running in the Vasco Da Gama Prix Du Cap. The favourite showed little interest leaving the pens – even when niggled at and pushed along – and for much of the seven furlongs she showed every sign that racing no longer held much appeal. Yet in the closing stages she ran on to finish an encouraging second.

“She didn’t muster any gate speed,” said Marcus. “But it was a better run than last time so I have got to be happy.”

Ridgemont and Brett Crawford still won the race with second string Pretty Young Thing (the first Group winner for Jackson) under an enterprising ride from Greg Cheyne.

BLOB The Asian Racing Conference delegates seemed most impressed with South African racing in general, and Kenilworth in particular, as they returned to their hotels in a fleet of chauffeur-driven Mercedes. An afternoon in the prestigious Peninsula Room undoubtedly helped but they appeared to be much taken with the racing, the crowds and all the attractions laid on for the public.

And it wasn’t only the ARC who were impressed. David Nagle, after leading in Kasimir with wife Diane, enthused: “Well done Kenilworth for the show they have put on.”

By Michael Clower 

KZN has been slow to produce a potential Classic contender but that may have changed in just over a minute at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.

Mount Anderson still has a lot of learning to do but Keagan de Melo was a good teacher, not giving his mount time to think as he rushed him home in the Sea Cottage Handicap over 1400m.

Even with the two veterans Collabro and Oloye wrestling for the early lead, the gallop was pedestrian. “They went slow early on and then quickened up at the thousand,” commented De Melo. “He got caught a little flat-footed.” From there it was hard at work and De Melo never let up all the way to the line with Mount Anderson eventually put two lengths over the opposition.

Nicolet Roscoe, who saddled three winners for Dean Kannemeyer said, “He’s a nice horse but still has a lot to learn. This was a bit short for him.”

Whether he is able to match it with the visiting big guns, only time will tell, but on yesterday’s evidence, he’s in with a shout.

There are still five months to go before the end of the current season but Warren Kennedy, barring accidents, looks home-and-hosed. Chasing his first national title, Kennedy has not been tempted to tour the country, plying his trade between KZN and the Highveld, and with the support from some strong stables in both centres and able to ride close to bottom weight, he will be a hard man to catch as he went 52 winners clear of his nearest rival, Greg Cheyne.

The first yesterday was very much a mirror image of the title race as Kennedy bounced clear on the odds-on favourite Jozi Hustle and helped by a stiff tailwind he was not for the catching.

Kennedy gave his supporters plenty of confidence for his second win as he steered Paul Gadsby’s charge Rain Dance to what eventually turned into a rather comfortable victory over the luckless King Julian.

Kennedy had King Julian covered on his inside for much of the early exchanges but on the final turn Donovan Dillon angled out and appeared to have made a winning move as King Julian hit the front travelling smoothly.

Rain Dance appeared to be caught a little flat-footed, but once Kennedy straightened him up and balanced, he reeled in King Julian, the two with the race to themselves.

Explosive Beauty lived up to her name as she ‘exploded’ out of the pack for Kennedy’s third win of the afternoon for Paul Lafferty. Connect Me never looked settled as she carted the field along at a good pace and was a spent force early in the straight. Favourite Jackson Wells looked to have the wood on the field as she moved up on the outside rail before Kennedy produced Explosive Beauty with a telling finish to win comfortably. “I always thought she was a good filly,” said Lafferty. “Thought she was good enough to run in a feature but she refused to jump and had us stumped. We took the ear muffs off and she showed what she can do. She won with a lot in hand.”

By Andrew Harrison

The mare Connect Me has been a solid earner for Ashburton-based Gary Rich and can add to her already impressive tally of five wins when she lines up on the poly track at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.

Wednesday’s scheduled meeting on the track was abandoned due to torrential overnight rain that flooded the course and even Noah would have been rounding them up two-by-two as a precaution.

Connect Me has yet to win on the synthetic surface but has finished second twice in three starts and was staying on well behind On The Double in soft ground at Hollywoodbets Scottsville last time out.

That said, she takes on a seriously competitive field and one can make out a case for many of the runners.

Jackson Wells finished close-up in her first two starts after ‘winning’ a barrier trial and when Mark Dixon stretched her to a mile at her third start on the poly, she cruised to a five-length win.

The opposition on Sunday is far stronger but she is an improving filly with a good draw and a handy galloping weight.

Arizona Sunset is seldom far off the pace and kept on well for a deserved win on the poly last time out. That form has worked out well with two subsequent winners behind her so she must be in with a strong chance.

Philae was much improved last run behind On The Double and Connect Me but does appear to be better on the turf which is a concern for her supporters.

Collabro may not have achieved the heights of his half-brother and champion Legal Eagle but he has still managed five visits to the winner’s enclosure and can make that six for Dennis Bosch come Sunday. He had a difficult draw last run in the soft at Scottsville and came from a long way back to finish two lengths off the winner. He switches to the poly with a good draw and he does appear to have found his best with the addition of blinkers.

The mare Oloye has been kept to the poly track by Brett Crawford since arriving in KZN from Eric Sands and obviously has some issues. She was given two barrier trials before making a smart return to proper racing in a useful field of fillies and mares and she has the benefit of a light weight.

Ralph The Rascal was a recent maiden winner but won well enough to suggest that he will be competitive off his light weight while Karoo Lark and Mount Anderson also appear to have scope.

In the last, Rocket Fire was sent out favourite last run but was slow to begin and cast a shoe in the running. He can make amends. Mokoko has been trying further but the blinkers go on and his form is consistent while Bravo Zulu is always game and has been consistent of late and can do better than his last run when sent out a luke-warm favourite.

By Andrew Harrison

Long-time favourite Viva Rio rates no more than a tentative selection for the ARF Commemorative Cape Derby at Kenilworth’s Prawn Festival meeting tomorrow. The form of the 18-10 chance is much the best – his Cape Guineas second sees him rated a minimum of 4.5kg clear of the rest – but this is a bad race for favourites.

Every one of them has been beaten in the last six runnings when the winners have included a 28-1 shock as well as others starting at 16-1 and 13-1 – and the gelding’s stamina could well have a hole in it. True, he is by Oratorio who won the Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes over this trip, but most of the wins chalked up in the first three generations on the dam’s side have been over 1 200m.

This could open the race right up. King Of Gems (9-1) won the Concorde Cup and can be excused his disappointing effort in the Guineas as things didn’t go his way that day. Sachdev (9-2) also has strong form claims while Politician-winning stable companion Silver Host is preferred by both Richard Fourie and punters who backed him from 11-2 to 15-4 during the week.

The best outsider could well be Golden Ducat at 16-1. This is a half-brother to both Hawwaam and Rainbow Bridge and last time’s Pinnacle fourth was his first run since being gelded. He is almost certainly a lot better than that.

Kasimir is a confident choice to repeat his victory in last year’s Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes when he became the first successful outright favourite in six seasons. In the Cape Flying Championship he was a race short, and not fully tightened up, but he was still less than a length third to Russet Air and his main threat – at least so far as the betting was concerned – was removed when Run Fox Run was scratched yesterday with an abnormal blood count.

Of course Russet Air could do it again, particularly with Aldo Domeyer once more in the irons, as could Bold Respect who was only beaten on the nod while Chimichuri Run just might be a little bit better than last time’s fifth would suggest.

The favourite in the Vasco Da Gama Prix Du Cap has been successful in three of the last four years but this looks a hotter renewal. The 2-1 favourite Front And Centre is under something of a cloud after failing to fire for no apparent reason in the Majorca and the same applies with Santa Clara. Golden Chance has claims on her Sceptre third but she was beaten more than five lengths.

I prefer to take a chance with 15-2 shot Larentina who was fourth in the Cape Fillies Guineas and who ran as if this could be her trip when finishing like a train under top weight in a 1 200m handicap four weeks ago.

It seems pointless looking beyond Erik The Red in the Kepu Cape Of Good Hope Nursery. The price (6-10) may look prohibitive but the way he won the Met day Listed race – making most and seemingly not all out at the finish – was particularly impressive.

Delta Queen is favourite for the Capetown Noir Kenilworth Fillies Nursery after toying with the opposition on debut but Stuck On You (third to Erik The Red in a good field) is the one with the form in the book and accordingly she gets the vote.

By Michael Clower