The Equine Group have announced that long serving director, Gary Grant will be withdrawing from Group with effect from the end of the financial year in February 2020.

Grant quipped “I’ve been doing this for twenty six years, had a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding time and met so many good people, with many clients and fellow staff members having become great friends too.  It is time for change though, I’m going to kick back and spend some time with my children and then I have a few business opportunities that I plan to investigate next year.”

Grant’s withdrawal from The Equine Group, also coincides with his withdrawal from Bloodstock South Africa.

Chris Haynes of The Equine Group and Bloodstock South Africa said “I am sad to see Gary leave after all these years.  He is a good friend and has been an amazing business partner. I thank him for his contribution, and I wish him well in his future endeavours. This has been in the offing for a while, accordingly for both The Equine Group and Bloodstock South Africa, it will be business as usual.”

The Turffontein Standside track eight race meeting tomorrow has a ready-made banker as Hawwaam shouldn’t raise a sweat winning the fifth race, a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600m.

This will be the superstar’s last preparation race before the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and Sun Met and with Anton Marcus aboard he should doddle it, being 4kg better off with the second best weighted horse Hero’s Honour. Tierra Del Fuego goes in off a hattrick and this progressive sort looks to be the biggest danger. Lake Kinnaret was well beaten by Tierra Del Fuego in yielding going over 1400m but he had a shoe attended to at the start and it was likely not his race. He has the ability to be runner up here too over a suitable trip, although the forecast rain might suit Tierra Del Fuego better. 

The best bet on the card looks to be Spanish Boy in the eighth race over 1160m. He lost a lot of ground at the start on debut over 1200m but stormed home to win by half-a-length full of running. Last time out he faced a classy field over 1450m and was well beaten but he will appreciate the step back to this trip and looks to be leniently merit rated on 82, if the ten point across the board raise in August is taken into account. Winter Twilight could represent good place value in this race as this long-striding sort showed improvement last time out and on the formlines of that race he comes out well against a number of the other contestants here. He also has a high draw which appears to be an advantage presently. The Sands also has a nice high draw and on his day this Visionaire gelding could earn.

The first leg of the PA is an 800m contest for juveniles. The Johan Janse van Vuuren pair Galactico and Emerald Floe make appeal in that order. The former is speedily and precociously bred being by Kingsbarns, a Group 1 winner as a two-year-old, out of Solskjaer mare Winter Star, who was twice an impressive winner as a two-year-old in sprints and later won the Ready To Run Cup. Emerald Floe is by Oratorio out of Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Emerald Beauty, who has produced a number of multiple winners. Ashley Fortune’s Tsitsikamma Girl is speedily bred being by champion sprinter Captain Of All out of Var mare Maties Wildekat, who won on debut over 1000m at Kenilworth in the October of her three-year-old year and she was later runner up in a Listed race over 1000m at Fairview.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 Tilmeeth is still immature so has plenty of scope for improvement and after running on well over 1400m last time out for second he should relish this step up in trip. Anton Marcus rides. Tobefair has run well in his last two races over this trip, including when leading last time. He is well drawn so could lead again and as one who really digs his toe in he will appreciate rain softened ground. Banha Ridge has run two fair races and from a good draw with Gavin Lerena up he is also worth including.

In the second leg of the Pick 6 Nimitz, a Captain Al gelding who is a half-brother to Soft Falling Rain, could beat an uninspiring field. He is nowhere near as good as his half-brother but is well drawn with Anton Marcus up and should be running on as usual. General Jackson has not made the frame in two starts but faced fair sorts and he could earn. Lynty’s Legacy has also shown enough ability to be able to win this race.

The sixth race over 1400m is a tricky handicap and could be an exotics stumbling block. Private Ruler is the selection as one who has won over course and distance and is capable of a strong finish. Lasair showed signs of improvement last time and is interesting with cheekpieces on over a shorter trip. Movie Magic is distance suited and has eyecatching form but he has a wide draw to overcome. Prix Eclips has shown glimpses of ability but he is 1kg under sufferance here. Street Flyer is an eight-year-old but is still competitive.

In the seventh over 1160m State Trooper make plenty of appeal. He has a win and a third over this course and distance and has proved to be competitively handicapped at present. Purple Diamond is enigmatic but has been quite consistent lately and he certainly has the ability to win over this course and distance. Old Man Tyme is 1,5kg better off with State Trooper for a 1,75 length beating and last time over 1450m he ran well with first-time blinkers on, so they could make all the difference here and he has Piere Strydom aboard.   

By David Thiselton

Traces looks good for the Interbet.co.za Graduation Plate at Kenilworth today. The Brett Crawford Australian-bred has only won once in nine starts but his fifth in the Cape Merchants 11 days ago suggests he is going to be hard to beat.

Anton Marcus rides, as he has done in the four-year-old’s last two runs and, despite the handicappers dropping him a kilo for his good Merchants effort, he still has a theoretical 4.5kg in hand. Not surprisingly he is favourite but the present 16-10 is not prohibitive.

Next best in is the top weight Machiavelli who won over 100m further than this in August and is 4-1 second favourite. General Franco comes next in the betting at 9-2 but is hard to fancy on anything except his debut win.

The opening two-year-old race is a fascinating affair as none of the seven runners has been seen before. Glen Kotzen runs three and has booked Warren Kennedy for Mifid Two who opened favourite at 17-10. This Gimmethegreenlight filly is out of the Diana winner and Cape Fillies Guineas third Double Whammy and is jointly the most expensive filly in the field at R200 0000 at the National Two Year Old Sale. “She hasn’t done much but she is a nice filly and she is probably the most forward of my three runners,” says the Woodhill trainer.

His other two were bought at the Klawervlei Farm Sale – Musical Glitch (R30 000) by Jay Peg out of a mare who won over a mile, and Ruby Rhythm (R35 000) by Captain Of All out of a mare who won twice at two and is a half-sister to the July second Run For It.

Justin Snaith runs Favorita, a Gimmethegreenlight out of a Var mare and who didn’t go to the sales. “She is very small but very speedy,” says Snaith. “She has only had one gallop when she went with Stuck On You (third last Saturday) and finished half a length the better.”

Glen Puller’s assistant Riaan van Reenen says that Dad’s Catch (a R150 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale purchase by Captain Of All out of a Western Winter mare) “is more advanced than our two who ran last Saturday and she will be competitive.”

Winter Peace cost R200 000 at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale and is by What A Winter out of a half-sister to State Crown who won the Winter Guineas and was third in the Cape Guineas. Candice Bass-Robinson admits she is a bit in the dark about the filly’s chance and says:” She is not lightning quick but she is a nice filly.”

Last, but certainly not least, is the bargain basement buy Spacial Aura, by Jay Peg out of a mare who won once in ten starts and as a three-year-old. She failed to find a buyer at R20 000 at the Cape Yearling Sale and was bought at the Klawervlei for only R5 000.

Mike Robinson, who trained the dam, is positive, saying: “She has shown nice speed and she has done everything right. Robert Khathi has done the work on her but he has on Justin’s runner as well so he rides that. Richard Fourie rang me and said he was available.”

So nobody is that bullish and the race looks wide open. Punters (and this writer too) got it wrong with Thomas Henry on Saturday. Unless there is a real move for any of them it just might pay to side with Fourie’s mount at 7-2.

Gavin Lerena flies down for just two rides – Bold Diva and Cartel Captain – but it looks significant that Anton Marcus rode Rocamadour last time and is on her again in the Betting World Maiden even though she is not a Ridgemont horse. I also like Speed Of Night in race two and Proclaimer in the next.

By Michael Clower

Golden Ducat, half-brother to Hawwaam and Rainbow Bridge, has been gelded. Eric Sands and owners Wilgerbosdrift decided on this drastic (in view of his pedigree) measure following his third in a mile handicap at Kenilworth 13 days ago. He has long been a bit difficult and it is thought that gelding will concentrate his mind on racing.

Sands said: “We are not going to rush him back. If he is ready for the Cape Derby (February 22) he will run in that. If not he will either stay in Cape Town for the Winter Series or go to Durban.”

Hawwaam, favourite for the WSB Green Point on Saturday week, now looks almost certain to miss the race. The Sporting Post reports that the Mike de Kock star runs at Turffontein on Thursday and will then be aimed at the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and the Sun Met before going to Australia.

Champion sprinter Kasimir will miss his hoped-for reappearance race at Kenilworth on Saturday because only three others were declared when the National Racing Bureau added a 1 100m Pinnacle to the programme. The trio comprised stable companion Mister Vargus, the high class Bold Respect and Ready Steady Go, a useful performer from the Harold Crawford stable. But that was not enough and the NRB said no.

Strathdon, winner of the Cape Summer Stayers Handicap two years ago but only fifth when favourite last year, heads the sponsor’s market for Saturday week’s World Sports Betting Cape Summer Stayers Handicap. The Justin Snaith-trained six-year-old is 7-2 with Gimme One Night second favourite at 6-1.

Candice Bass-Robinson’s Majorca winner Cloud Unfold is 3-1 joint favourite with the Brett Crawford-trained Run Fox Run for the WSB Southern Cross Stakes on the same card. Last year’s winner Princess Rebel is a 13-1 chance.

Glen Kotzen sends Elusive Heart for the R500 000 Grand Heritage at the Vaal on Saturday. Stuart Randolph’s mount has joint top weight and will raid from Summerveld.

Mike Stewart, who had a rare Fairview winner with Duchess Of Prussia last Friday, has only had six runners at the Port Elizabeth course in the last five seasons but intends having more.

He said: “They have races for horses with low merit ratings and, provided you have a sound horse, it can be worth it. Also you know the draws before you accept.”

By Michael Clower

The Mike de Kock team were “very proud” of the gutsy performance Soqrat put up in defeat in the Grade 1 Gauteng Chris Gerber Summer Cup on Saturday and are now gearing up for the Cape Summer Season.

The Australian-bred colt by Epaulette jumped from a high draw and was caught wide without cover throughout. Yet, he still managed to run on strongly and, despite giving the winner and all of the other placed horses 8kg, he failed by just a couple of strides to get there in time.

In the process he obliterated any 2000m stamina doubts hanging over his head and will be heading to Cape Town to run in the L’Ormarins Queens Plate and the Sun Met.

At present there is an equine travel ban from Johannesburg to Cape Town due to an African Horse Sickness case within a 30km radius of Randjesfontein but the ban is expected to be lifted on the tenth of this month.

The De Kock team will travel down as soon as the ban is lifted.

Their Irish-bred filly Queen Supreme ran on from a handy position in the Summer Cup for a gallant 1,6 length fourth and a decision to send her down to Cape Town is pending. The Paddock Stakes will be her obvious target.

Matthew de Kock said, “She is still physically a three-year-old and only actually turns four in March so it was a fantastic performance for a filly of that age.”

The yard were also “chuffed” with Atyaab’s staying on fifth.

“Atyaab ran a very good race considering it was a distance short of his best and we will be sending him down to Cape Town for some staying races,” said Matthew.

Barahin started third favourite behind Soqrat and Queen Supreme and stayed on for a 2,85 length eighth.

Matthew said, “It was little disappointing but he is better when there has been a bit of rain. He is not easy to work with and has his niggles so prefers more forgiving ground.”

Cascapedia was tailed off after “choking up” and has been retired.

Matthew said, “She had been given a third surgery, but it has not worked.”

This big High Chaparral mare was always packed with class and will be a valuable addition to the broodmare band of her owners Mauritzfontein Stud. She won a Grade 2 over 1450m, two Grade 3s over 1800m and was placed three times in Grade 1 events.

The Australian-bred Frosted Gold was as courageous as ever on Saturday in the TAB/Betting World Dingaans and found another gear when it counted to draw away from the crack filly Cockney Pride. However, he had no answer to the devastating finish of the long-striding Shango and had to settle for second.

Mike de Kock had spoken beforehand about a slight doubt over this strongly built grey’s stamina over a mile. However, assessing his performance in the Dingaans, Matthew said this All Too Hard gelding should be tailor made for the easier Kenilworth mile. He has duly been nominated for the Grade 1 Cape Guineas.

One of the yard’s biggest disappointments on Saturday was Marshall, who went into the Dingaans unbeaten in two starts and was backed into favourite. The Vercingetorix colt was in a good position to strike in the straight but found little and finished second last.

He was found afterwards to be not striding out on his right fore. He is held in high regard and Matthew said, “At least we are not scratching our heads on the reason for the run.” The yard is not in a rush to get him into his next race and this magnificent looking colt should bounce back from this disappointment after taking a back seat for a while.

Another good three-year-old in the yard, Alibi Guy, is being looked upon as a Derby type, so is also not being rushed and is yet to make his seasonal reappearance.

The yard have a number of horses who qualify for forthcoming CTS sales races including Dublin Quays, Alramz and Battleoftrafalgar. 

Meanwhile, Hawwaam continues to do well and will have his final Queen’s Plate and Met preparation race on Thursday at Turffontein in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600m. 

By David Thiselton