David Thiselton

The Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein yesterday was won by the Tyrone Zackey-trained Johnny Hero under Kabelo Matsunane, who celebrated recently attaining his fully fledged jockey’s license by riding a double.

The Jubilee traditionally provides a last gasp opportunity for lower rated horses to make a bid for a place in the Vodacom Durban July field and the pair that fell into that category yesterday were the 111-rated former Dingaans winner Shango and the 107-rated Pack Leader. 

Running Brave and ExpressfromtheUS were other July entries to run but they were high up on the last July log in tenth and twelfth position respectively. 

Eight of the original jockeys had to be replaced because of the meeting coinciding with the postponed Hollywoodbets Scottsville Festival Of Speed meeting.

Matsunyane had landed a chance ride in the previous race on the well-bred Mike de Kock-trained Dynasty filly Desert Miracle. He brought this maiden home to beat some useful fillies going away in the Highveld Winter Juvenile Fillies Stakes over 1400m.

The early pace was sedate in the Jubilee and the known front-runner Running Brave had every chance to get over from draw five to take the lead but Greg Cheyne, riding her  for the first time, opted to try and unsuccessfully restrain her instead. 

Bingwa led and kept the pace steady with Running Brave racing too strongly on his outside.

Oyster King was in third between the pair with Green Haze in the box seat on the rail and Jet Start caught out wide. 

Johnny Hero had nice cover behind Oyster King and Shango was behind him.

Christopher Robin was caught wide the whole way. 

Pack Leader had nice cover third from last, while Chijmes tried the hold up tactics which had worked well last time over shorter and was on the rail one from last and ExpressfromtheUS was at the back having been dropped out from a wide draw.

Running Brave was soon a spent force, not surprisingly, as Bingwa strode out well in the front and was the target for the chasers.

Johnny Hero, who had snuck into the handicap with the minimum weight was the first to chase and was moving ominously well. 

Shango and Pack Leader were also making a bid on the outside.

Johnny Hero forged to the front 200m from home and kept going to beat a charging Shango by 0,75 lengths with Bingwa staying on to be just a head behind that. Pack Leader was fourth, beaten four lengths, and ExpressfromtheUS was too far back and could only manage a 6,35 length fifth.

Running Brave ran her second shocker in succession and was beaten 26 lengths, although the riding tactics did not help, so her July place might now be in jeopardy. The breeding shed might be calling for this admirable mare.

Shango would likely have needed to win to get into the July and Pack Leader’s chances of qualifying for the big race are gone. 

Johnny Hero runs in the same colours as the 2012 narrow July runner up Smanjemanje and it will be interesting to see whether he is supplemented. In 2017 Coral Fever was supplemented after winning the Jubilee with 53.5kg but he was not included in the final VDJ field.

Later the Johan Janse van Vuuren stalwart filly Lady Of Steel landed the seventh win of her career, a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1400m, in comfortable fashion under Marco van Rensburg, from Orpheus who enjoyed the step down in trip and strode out well in the front throughout.     

Callan Murray took advantage of the jockeys’ absence and flew up from Cape Town to ride the first two winners on the card and both look promising. Big Burn by Elusive Fort is a full-sister to Catch Twentytwo and won the first over 1160m by three lengths for the Paul Peter yard.

Murray rode the Peter-trained Mufasa to a 4,25 length win in the second over 1160m. He is by What A Winter and is a half-brother to the Grade 3-winning Grade 1 runner up Magico.

The Fabian Habib-trained SA Derby winner Out Of Your League bounced back to form by winning the next over 2400m under Diego De Gouveia.

The Alec Laird-trained Spice Market won the fourth over 1400m from start to finish under 4kg claimer Mfanelo Zuma.

The fifth over 1400m was won by the Sean Tarry-trained Rain In Holland under Luyola Mxothwa. She easily accounted for the 1/4 favourite Smorgasbord.   

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Andrew Harrison

Hot on the heels of War Of Athena’s win in the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 last Saturday, Paul Matchett and owners Roy Wentzel and Dr Rose Waterman-Wentzel were back in the Grade 1 spotlight as Battle Force recorded his sixth win in just a dozen starts when landing the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday.

 The Golden Horse is always a competitive handicap sprint but Matchett, many times champion trainer in Zimbabwe, knows how to play the handicap game. Battle Force was 2.5kg under sufferance in the official ratings in spite of carrying joint bottom weight but the gelding was still under the radar as far as the handicap was concerned. He had received the maximum of 8 points for each of his last two wins but it could have been more.

Matchett also persuaded Craig Zackey that it would be to his benefit if he lost a few kilos to make the weight. “I haven’t ridden 52 for at least four years,” panted Zackey. “I had to lose 5kg in a week.”

There were many anxious moments for the connections as Battle Force first cast a front shoe on the way to the start and while being re-shod, cast a hind shoe. “He was a handful,” admitted Zackey. It was finally decided to remove both hind shoes. “We thought he may be scratched at one point,” conceded Wentzel. “But Paul to his credit knows the horse well and suggested that he run without the shoes.”

“To go through all that frustration and win shows that he’s a good horse,” concluded Zackey.

Sean Tarry saddled Eden Roc to win the Gold Medallion two season’s back and he came up just short as he finished runner-up ahead of a wall of horses headed by MK’s Pride in third.

It was also a second Gr1 win in a week for freshman stallion Act Of War.

Singforafa, third behind Celtic Sea and Run Fox Run last year, put the record straight as she galloped her opposition into the ground in the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint Brought to you by The Witness. Singforafa is well travelled as Corne Spies is never one to sit back home with a fit horse.

However, Singforafa had something of a patchy record in two recent visits to Scottsville. On both occasions she looked a blinder at the weights in lesser company but failed to deliver.

That was not the case yesterday as she found her best form. Ryan Munger had her out with the pace early and she just kept rolling.

Favourite True To Life was in trouble early as Gavin Lerena hunted daylight but she was never travelling well enough to take any gaps and she finished a well beaten fourth with Vernichey, last year’s Allan Robertson winner, just getting the better of Gallic Princess.

Vaughan Marshall has an eye for a yearling, one only needs to go back in his record, starting way back when with Cape Guineas winners Sea Warrior and Captain Al.

He looks to have picked another plum in Ambiorix who added to an already phenomenal Champions Season for Marshall with victory in the Gr1 Gold Medallion.

An end to end winner on debut, Luke Ferraris admitted to making a mistake when beaten in the Cape Nursery. “I may have made a mistake. I had him in behind horses and it didn’t look like his run.

“I asked Mr Marshall if I could ride him like in his first race. He has a very relaxed running style. He pinged the gate and just kept rolling.”

Calvin Habib is slowly building a reputation as a reliable rider on a big occasion and he cemented that opinion with his first Gr1 winner when steering Under Your Spell to a convincing win in the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship, giving Sean Tarry a one-two with Sound Of Warning edging out hot favourite Sheela.

Given that Lyle Hewitson is the Tarry first-call rider, Sound Of Warning appeared to be the stable elect after Under Your Spell took a seven-length drubbing at her last start in the Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery.

It was obviously a below par performance as she had twice previously had the better of Nursey winner Heavens Girl.

Racing handy for much of the race, Under Your Spell went clear 300m out and was not for the catching. Short-priced favourite Sheela was in trouble a long way out but was game enough to make Sound Of Warning work hard for her second place.

Andrew Harrison

SOME unseasonal rain during the week has forced Gold Circle to postpone today’s scheduled meeting at Hollywoodbets Scottsville to today in order to give the track extra time to dry out.

Scottsville hosts its biggest meeting of the year with a jackpot of Gr1 Sprints, the Golden Horse backed up by the Gr1 Gold Medallion, Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship and the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint brought to you by The Witness.

A soft track adds an extra dimension to the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint, the toughest handicap sprint in the country, and always an intriguing contest with all 16 runners fairly evenly matched in spite of some smart sprinters being under sufferance.

Out to defend his crown in the Golden Horse is Sean Tarry’s runner Warrior’s Rest. He fought a thrilling duel with Ultra Magnus last year, scraping home by the shortest of short heads but he has only had two further outings, the last in November last year when down the field behind stable companion Eden Roc.

Tarry has a knack of earmarking big races for his charges and getting them there with as much in their favour as possible and although Warrior’s Rest has not seen a racecourse in seven months, you can bet that he will be ready to deliver tomorrow and some give in the ground is likely to suit.

Whether he is good enough, only the race will tell as the list of possible winners is a long one.

 Paul Matchett, successful with War Of Athena last Saturday, saddles Battle Force who is one of four three-year-old’s in the field. He is 2.5kg under sufferance in spite of carrying joint bottom weight but he may still be under the radar as far as the handicap is concerned. He has received the maximum of 8 points for each of his last two wins but it could have been more. Most of the recent winners have come from the bottom of the handicap and Battle Force has been in excellent form of late. Paul Peter’s colt MK’s Pride is a smart three-year-old and has the distinction of having beaten War Of Athena and Got The Greenlight. He was far from disgraced in the recent WSB Guineas but could be better suited to this tough 1200m. Mike Azzie is a bit of a Wizz when it comes to sprinters and he saddles Bohica who finished second best to top sprinter Rio Querari in the Computaform Sprint last time out wearing first-time blinkers. He is overdue although he does carry the steadier of 60kg.

Var’s Vicky is no slouch and has had a look at the course and Captain Tatters, although under sufferance, was given a poor ride in a workriders race and off 52kg he could easily make the frame.

True To Life is the highest rated runner in the SA Fillies Sprint brought to you by The Witness and strictly on paper should prove difficult to beat. She finished fourth last year behind multiple Grade 1 winner Celtic Sea and subsequent Gr1 Cape Flying Championship winner Run Fox Run and if she brings that form into the race, it will take a good one to beat Johan Janse van Vuuren’s filly.

It will be a scrap for the minor places. Paul Peter saddles Sarah who showed improved form in blinkers last run although she has always been consistent while although Gallic Princess ran below par last time out with three of today’s opposition having finished in front of her, her form before that was solid and she should be ideally suited to this course. Frank Robinson fitted Love Bomb with blinkers for her last start and last year’s Golden Slipper winner roared back to form. She has always been held in high regard by the stable.

Azzie has made no bones about his unbeaten filly Sheela labelling her as one of the best, if not the best filly that he has trained. The form suggests that he’s not far wrong after she put one over the colts in the Gr1 SA Nursery winner. She looks to be something special.

Possibly standing in her way is the unbeaten Sounds Of Warning who has drawn in the gate alongside. She has had the benefit of a look at the Scottsville track, winning last time out and Tarry has a smart record at this meeting.

The Gr1 Gold Medallion looks more competitive with a number of unbeaten runners testing their mettle. Good Traveller has the best record in that he is unbeaten in three and boast two wins on this course which could just give him an edge over the Tarry-trained Pyromaniac who has won both of his starts on the Highveld. However, he comes from a strong stable that had three other runners entered. Isivunguvungu shed his maiden at first time of asking in open company. The opposition is stronger this time around but he should have come on with the experience and Gimme The Prince is also a winner of his only start.

David Thiselton

HOLLYWOODBETS SCOTTSVILLE’S FESTIVAL OF SPEED meeting is the only one in the country to stage a Jackpot of Grade 1s and this TAB exotic is always well supported.

The first leg is the Allan Robertson Championship for two-year-old fillies and Sheela, one of two possible meeting bankers, runs here. Mike Azzie called her the best filly he had trained since Harry’s Charm, who won seven of her first eight starts in the 1990s including two Grade 1s. Sheela, by new sire The United States (Galileo), has proved it by winning easily on debut despite being squeezed out at the start and then winning the Grade 2 SA Nursery against the boys, beating the talented Smorgasbord with the rest of a well performed field in a different race. In form twice SA champion jockey S’Manga Khumalo takes the ride. The chief danger could be another filly unbeaten in two starts, Sound Of Warning, who is trained by Sean Tarry, who has won a total of twelve Grade 1s at Hollywoodbets Scottsville. This filly recorded a faster time than Good Traveller, second favourite for the Gold Medallion, when winning the Strelitzia Stakes over 1100m here last time out. Stablemate Under Your Spell disappointed in the SA Fillies Nursery but had a tough draw and she had looked all class before that so can bounce back. SA Fillies Nursery winner Heaven’s Girl had been defeated twice by Under Your Spell before that but is improving and can be in the shake up. Super Siri has to be respected coming from Cape Town form. Crimson Causeway and Opening Shower are dark horses to consider. 

In the Gold Medallion Gimme A Prince, whose mother Real Princess won a Grade 1 at this meeting, hardly came off the bit when winning over course and distance on debut and won with ears pricked so he will be hard to beat and is the other possible banker. The Tarry-trained Pyromaniac makes appeal too having won both of his starts well and as one with stout breeding he should relish the testing nature of this course. It’s About Time won well second time out at Kenilworth and is the dark horse. Ambiorix, Gallic Chief and Irfaan’s Boy make most appeal of the rest.

In the SA Fillies Sprint True To Life is in devastating form and can produce her strong on the back of her high cruising speed to win. Vernichey was unlucky in the Computaform Sprint when just a length behind True To Life and she won the Allan Robertson last year so knows her way around this course. Winter Smoke finished a fine third against the boys in the Listed In Full Flight Stakes last time over 1100m here and should be right there.  Ecstatic Green bounced back to form last time and was a narrow runner up in the Allan Robertson last year. Sarah finished second to the smart Celestial Love last time and that puts her in with a shout here. Sweet Future was third in that race and has scope for improvement. Mind Reader is the dark horse as one who has blossomed into a powerhouse sprinter and although all her wins have been over 1000m she has often won going away. Vihaan’s Pie comes off a good win here. Singforafa, Gallic Princess and Tropic Sun are hard to ignore.

In the Golden Horse Sprint Battle Force is officially 2.5kg under sufferance but his merit rating is likely capped as he has been given maximum eight point raises for his last two wins. He is all power and is the one to beat. Vars Vicky has been targeted at this race and makes most appeal as the danger. However, it is as open as usual. Cartel Captain, MK’S Pride, No Laying Up, Chimichuri Run, Ultra Magnus, Bohica, Kasimir and Captain Tatters all warrant consideration.   

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David Thiselton

The Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap, run over 1800m at Turffontein today, is a traditional Vodacom Durban July pointer and this year it could fall to a horse who has already booked his place, the Stuart Pettigrew-trained ExpressfromtheUS.  

He has to carry topweight but regular physiotherapy has helped bring the best out of this horse and his class could carry him to victory with topweight of 61.5kg.

Chijmes produced a late charge over 1400m in his first start for the Johan Janse van Vuuren yard so will be interesting here if the same hold up tactics are employed from a wide draw as he is more suited to this trip. 

Bingwa is drawn well over a suitable trip. He is capable of winning this, having won two of his last three starts and having finished third in the Dingaans and fifth to top three-year-olds four times this season.

Running Brave has Greg Cheyne aboard, a hint that he will ride her in the July. Her last run was all wrong as she did not break well and then took hold of the bit and over-raced. When she settles in front of smallish fields like this, she proves difficult to overtake, so she has a fine chance if bouncing back to her best.

Johnny Hero has a fair draw over a suitable trip and has snuck into the handicap with the minimum weight so he also has to be included.

Green Haze lost by a quarter of a length to Johnny Hero last time over this trip on the Inside track and is half-a-kilogram worse off if apprentice claims are ignored and 3kg worse off is they are considered. However, there is a reversal in draw fortunes as he is now drawn in pole. He has won over this course and distance before.

Jet Start is an in and out horse but if it pans out well for her she can beat fields like this. However, a wide draw does not augur well for her.

Pack Leader has become as disappointing on the Highveld as he was in the Cape and KZN but he does have the ability so is another who can’t be ignored.

Shango is a former Dingaans winner who has been beset by problems since then. However, he has his third start after a long rest and gelding so is another who is difficult to ignore. Christopher Robin has not been seen since February but is course and distance suited. He enjoys rain softened ground but is unlikely to get it according to the sunny weather forecast. Oyster King has improved but is way out at the weights and will have to improve again.