David Thiselton

THE TURFFONTEIN INSIDE track stages an eight race meeting and those who do their homework should be rewarded with fair dividends. 

In  the first race over 1450m Sister Light is all the rage in the early market and has been priced up at 5/10 but she did not impress enough on debut to warrant it.  She had the run of the race from pole position over 1400m on the Standside track but battled to quicken in the straight although she did do enough in an uninspiring field to finish a head second. However, the form is yet to be franked. Kissed By Fire makes just as much appeal but was quoted around 7/1 in the opening market. She has quite a nice big action which enables her to run on from off the pace so the draw of five out of seven should not be a problem. Golden Aspen also has a shout as a front-runner who will be favoured by the current fast conditions. Turn Tide has run two moderate fifths over 1000m and 1200m but being by The United States out of Var mare Caviar, who was a five-time winner from 1000m to 1400m, she might improve over this trip. The first-timer Lilly Langtry, by Byword out of maiden Black Minnaloushe mare, does not make appeal on debut.

In the second race over 1450m Timbavati River has a nice big action and stayed on for third in a fair field over 1400m last time after leading so he is the one to beat from a fair draw. Lion Of The Desert was backed on debut in April over 1160m  and showed some pace and this scopey horse has a long stride too. However, drawn unfavourably in one that day down the Turffontein straight it was not surprising he faded out. He could have benefitted from the layoff and on pedigree, being by Twice Over out of a Grade 3-winning Damascus Gate sprinter, he should enjoy this trip so is interesting from a plum draw of two. The first-timer who makes most appeal is Zanetto who is by Silvano and is a half-sister to Grade 2-placed Varumba, a sprinter by Var. The first-timer Privilege is a Sean Tarry-trained stablemate to Lion Of The Desert and on jockey bookings could be the stable elect as Lyle Hewitson is up. He is by Rafeef out of a twice-winning Windrush sprinter, but the latter has not produced a winner from three runners, all by Pomodoro. Another Level is another interesting first-timer being by Twice Over out of Grade 2 Debutante winner Captain’s Call, who is by Captain Al. The latter has produced two winners from three runners including a full-sister to Another Level who won once and placed twice in just four starts. 

In the third race over 1000m Prince Of Fire showed pace over 1000m on debut before drawing away to win cosily and from pole position he can follow up off a reasonable merit rating of 83. King’s Road is an ultra consistent former KZN horse who made a good Highveld debut over 1200m and now from draw two over his favourite 1000m trip he will be a threat. Warrior’s Captain has a lot of pace and scope and must also be respected despite returning from a four month layoff.  

The fourth race is over 2600m and Barak looks the one to beat. He appears to have turned the corner after a three-and-a-half month layoff for despite being a stayer he has finished second in his last two starts over 1800m and 2000m respectively. He is a banker consideration from pole position. However, staying races often produced surprise results so that would be risky. Category Four has not had much luck lately and now gets a good draw over a trip he stays, although he does have to carry topweight. He should be running on from off the pace. Afraad, Captain’s Chorus, Brand New Cadillac, Super Handsome and possibly Humble Tune all have to be considered.

In the fifth race over 1800m Leading Lad was continually baulked for a run last time over this trip so was most unlucky and he now has his third run after a layoff. Grimaldi cruised in last time over this trip to fulfil some of the potential he has always looked to have and he might be running off a capped merit rating so is the one to beat on paper. Willo’thewisp is 4kg better off with Grimaldi and is drawn in pole so has a shout.

In the sixth race over 1800m Flying Bull makes plenty of appeal. He is drawn in pole and this horse has a nice big action and was staying on in eyecatching fashion last time over 1450m. He is by Soft Falling Rain out of a Judpot mare whose only win was over 1400m on debut but the latter was a half-sister to Henry Higgins, who was effective over middle distance and staying trips. Prince Evlanoff and Western Fort should have benefitted from their last starts and look to be the chief threats. 

In the seventh over 1450m Val D’Orcia won well on debut over 1160m and on pedigree will relish this step up to 1450m, being by Vercingetorix out of Listed Oaks Trial winner Tuscan Lass. The consistent Funky Music is distance suited and drawn in pole. Flying Grace brings fair form from the Cape and is hard to ignore. 

In the last race over 1450m Dark Travel is in good form and is distance suited and the joint best in at the weights under the Classified Stakes conditions. Bitter Wind and Kapama make most appeal of the rest. For wider Miracle And Wonder, Tiki Taka and Pomelo can be considered.            

Andrew Harrison

CAPTAIN FONTANE is Hong Kong’s loss and South Africa’s gain. A failed export bid saw the gelding back in Garth Puller’s yard and it was four from four at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.

Facing his sternest test, Captain Fontane passed with flying colours and although it is still early days, the gelding has stacked up to all of his pre-race hype. “He’ll go a mile on his coconut,” said Puller after his previous success and on yesterday’s evidence, Captain Fontane could even get further.

A touch keen in the early exchanges, he settled nicely under Ashton Arries and fortunately was clear of Farland who dislodged Jason Gates as his mount appeared to clip heels racing up the inside fence.

Let loose at the top of the straight, Captain Fontane accelerated like a good horse should.

October Song let the side down when heavily supported on debut but Sweet Symphony played a better tune for Mike Miller in the card opener.

October Song was all the rage in her Hollywoodbets Scottsville debut a week back but Serino Moodley found himself all at sea as his mount ran everywhere except straight.

It was a different story yesterday. Starting at long odds, Sweet Symphony pulled herself to the front and was never in danger of defeat with the opposition chasing a shadow a long way out.

Moodley also has a job pulling his mount up after the line as she galloped and extra 800m which possibly bodes well for the daughter of Twice Over seeing out a bit of ground come the future with Moodley giving some encouragement. “She found another gear. I did more to pull her up than what I did in the race.”

With the track seemingly running fast, apprentice Thabiso Gumede wasted no time on the recently gelded Lord Varys. Told to sit second if the pace was on or lead if not by Duncan Howells, the talented apprentice chose the latter option and like Sweet Symphony, the result was never in doubt as Lord Varys galloped his opposition into the ground.

Seven-year-old Mashari is an old hand but does not know how to run a bad race. He clocked up the fifth win of his career as Warren Kennedy got the best out of him for Wayne Badenhorst and his sister Barbara in the third to out-gun Ramchandani Road, again runner-up after another second last Friday.

Muzi Yeni rolled to the front of a small five-horse field in the fourth and was not for the catching on Alyson Wright’s filly Maria Corolina. Leading from the jump, Yeni angled towards the outside fence in the straight leaving Time To Roll just enough space on the outside rail to make a race of it. But the runner-up eventually threw in the towel as running-room got tighter and tighter.

Kennedy is all-out for his second national jockey championship and an overseas ticket and if he keeps riding as he did on Wendy Whitehead’s mare Integrity, jurisdictions like Hong Kong, where no quarter is asked or given, will welcome him. In a five-horse field, Kennedy kept pumping away to get his mare up in the tightest of finishes.

Khanya Sakayi is bit of a forgotten rider since coming out of his time, but he is accomplished as he showed with a copybook ride on Mystery Boy for Gareth van Zyl. In a race devoid of any pace, Sakayi picked his spot at the top of the straight and drove through for a comfortable win.

Shavout and Sir Michael looked the part in the seventh and although finishing in that order, they were out-run by Fight Song, giving Gareth van Zyl a quick double.

Anton Marcus looked to have timed his run to perfection as Shavout took an early lead at the top of the straight but Fight Song, encouraged by some punishing blows in the flank, finished the better.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS OF TRACK AND BALL in Pietermaritzburg, from left, Kenny ‘G’ Harrod, Rob ‘Khulu’ Haswell and Des ‘Dad’ MacDonald, who have shares in the Doug Campbell-trained Let Em Go that runs in the second race at Hollywoodbets Greyville today.

According to Haswell, apart from being part of the furniture at Track and Ball, Des is a life member of Gold Circle and a mine of information about local racing while Kenny, a retired bookkeeper, has an eagle eye for betting moves.

“Together they have certainly enhanced my experience in racing,” said Haswell who owns a number of horses.  “I felt that after so many years of punting it was high time that the ‘Two Musketeers’ had shares in a horse.

“It has taken time to get Let Em Go race ready but the lads are holding thumbs for an encouraging run this afternoon,” Haswell concluded.

David Thiselton

FORMER national champion jockey Warren Kennedy’s pending emigration has been put on hold and he will be in South Africa for the whole 2021/2022 season. 

He confirmed he would be going all out to regain the jockeys’ title.

Kennedy said he had definitely wanted to defend the title last season but it had “slipped away” midway through the season and he pointed out this term he would be able to be more focused.

He said he had been in limbo last season not knowing the status of his visa applications.

He said other priorities such as the birth of a second child and spending a month in Cape Town to partner Summer Pudding had also taken precedence over the championship. 

He only rode at two meetings between January 9 and the end of that month, L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate day and Cape Town Met day.

However, at the start of that stint he was already lagging in 6th place in the championship on 61 winners, 57 behind the 118 of eventual champion Lyle Hewitson.

Kennedy was also quick to add that at no stage during last season had he “taken it easy”, so  he is under no illusions about how tough it is going to be to stay out in front this season after a flying start.

He is currently on 38 winners, 15 clear of second-placed S’Manga Khumalo and 22 clear of joint third-placed Lyle Hewitson and Muzi Yeni.

Kennedy said Covid-19 related issues had delayed the clearance of the visas for him and family and that next January would have been the earliest they could have departed for overseas.  

As that would be halfway through the season and shortly before the SA Champions Season he has instead decided to “push through for the whole season.”

Kennedy is also still hoping to break into Hong Kong and said being a dual national champion would enhance that chance.

He mentioned Paul Peter’s three-year-olds as being the best chances he currently perceived of big race success this season and among them he mentioned the Silvano gelding Sound Of Summer and the What A Winter colt Mufasa. He also mentioned the KZN star She’s A Keeper but pointed out that Gareth van Zyl was using S’Manga Khumalo more and more and he was not sure he was going to keep the ride on the five-year-old mare.   

Andrew Harrison

GARTH PULLER was on Monday officially crowned KZN’s Champion Trainer but he will be more concerned with the performance of Captain Fontane that lines up in the last on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville today.

Captain Fontane’s roundabout from Puller’s stable, to quarantine and possible export to Hong Kong, and back is well documented and the unbeaten gelding gets another chance to cement his burgeoning reputation.

Unbeaten in three starts, the first two before quarantine eliciting rave reviews, Captain Fontane made a workmanlike return to the track when holding off Hooves Of Troy in a 1200m sprint at Hollywoodbets Scottsville in early July.

The winning margin was less than a length but Ashton Arries, in the saddle again this afternoon, made light work of the finish, giving just enough to get the job done.

It was a copybook workout for a horse that had not seen a racetrack in eleven months and there should be much more to come. He goes 1400m for the first time and on the poly for the first time, but asked post-race if his charge would go any further, Puller was emphatic. “He’ll go a mile on his coconut.”

Today’s race will provide a searching test and some indication of Captain Fontane’s true ability as he takes on some useful opposition.

The Robbie Hill-trained Petra is a five-time winning mare who may also have just needed her last outing when finishing strongly behind Light That Loose. She will also appreciate the step up in trip.

Shane Humby has battled a foot abscess with Mr Fitz but appears to have got on top of the problem and the stable is showing signs of an up-tick in form.  Quick Star is always dangerous and his light weight from a good draw will be an advantage while Hard To Play, Good Rhythm, Sniper Shot and Williams Land will be no push-overs.

Shavout and Sir Michael are the best weighted in the seventh and look set to fight this one out. MJ Odendaal has always had high regard for his charge and Shavout’s only poor run was in The Dingaans where nothing went to plan.

He has shown strong form in good company of late, third to Crown Towers in The Sledgehammer at Hollywoodbets Scottsville and a two-length third to the smart filly She’s A Keeper in the WSB 1900.

More recently he was a touch unlucky behind Gentleman’s Wager.

It may all depend on which Sir Michael pitches up on the day. Dean Kannemeyer’s charge has been costly to follow and the form behind Do It Again in a Pinnacle Stakes is beginning show a few leaks after Sir Michael took the knee to Ralph The Rascal when odds-on followed by a well below par effort behind Captain Tatters. However, he may well be looking for this extended trip. Either way he looks the biggest threat to Shavout.

Of the balance, African Sunrise is struggling to win again but gives the impression that he could pop up when least expected.

Jacob’s Ladder lost form after his narrow maiden win, but Louis Goosen appears to have got on top of whatever was the problem as the gelding tuned in a much-improved performance when runner-up at long odds last time out.  He may now be showing what he’s capable off and a repeat will see him close again.

Owner Rob Haswell will be hoping that Let Em Go will have put in a good showing for Pietermaritzburg’s Track and Ball ‘Three Musketeer’s’ in the second but Uplifted does appear to have a better chance in the sixth as the gelding has been close-up in both starts since his maiden win. The tongue-tie goes on and he should have a strong chance with this weight.