Highveld trainer Joe Soma sends down two promising horses in gelding Orapa and colt Old Oak Tree for the Bloodstock South Africa Million Mile to be run at Scottsville on Sunday.

Orapa has been merit rated 83 after an impressive win second time out over 1400m at Turffontein where he came wide into the straight before cantering past the field effortlessly and winning by 3,25 lengths.

On debut over 1450m Orapa was backed in from 12/1 to 4/1 but it did not pan out too well for him and Old Oak Tree beat him by 3,1 lengths.

In his next start Old Oak Tree was caught wide so was not at all disgraced in finishing a six length fourth to the highly regarded Heavenly Blue. However, he has been accorded a merit rating of only 78.

Orapa, who is by Tiger Ridge out of the decent Fort Wood mare Loupe (who won three-in-a-row between 1160m and 1200m early in her career), has unfortunately drawn 18.

Soma said, “We rate him highly although it is still a big ask for a young horse who is still gathering experience. We are also a bit concerned about how well he will travel, as he has tended to be a naughty horse in the pens, and there is also the draw, although on the bright side with the new rules in place he should load last from that barrier position.”

Old Oak Tree, who is by champion freshman sire Gimethegreenlight out of Captain Al mare Ribbons For Thee, was a 12/1 shot when winning the 1450m maiden third time out from a handy position and Soma said his last start proved he is improving. He is drawn in barrier 10 and Andrew Fortune, who rode him in his last two starts, is up again.

Soma said, “When you have a jockey like Andrew Fortune, you always have a chance.”

Corné Orffer will ride Orapa for the first time as Aldo Domeyer, who won on him, is serving a suspension.

Soma concluded, “There is not much between them in work. We are not a stable who drills young horses and they could both have very nice futures ahead of them, so I hope they come through the race unscathed.”

David Thiselton

Sean Tarry can hardly separate his pair for Sunday’s Bloodstock SA Million Sprint over 1200m at  Scottsville, but said he would “only just” swing towards Bold Viking ahead of Side Show if he had to. He expected a better run from his Bloodstock SA Million Mile contender Kahula.

Bold Viking and Side Show met in a grass gallop this week and “there was not much in it”, but Tarry pointed out the conditions of the gallop had favoured Side Show.

Tarry added, “They are different types of horse, Bold Viking takes his time but has a very strong kick, while Side Show will be there the whole way as he has some toe. I think the tough Scottsville 1200m will suit Bold Viking.”

Bold Viking, a strong Black Minnaloushe colt who came from a seemingly beaten position to win going away by 1,2 lengths on debut over 1200m at the Vaal, will be ridden by Andrew Fortune from a middle draw, while Querari colt Side Show, who romped home by 5,25 lengths when stepped down to 1200m for the first time, will be ridden by Lyle Hewitson from a draw of 12 in the 16 horse field if the reserves come out.

Tarry said about the Kahal filly Kahula, who will be ridden by Hewitson from draw ten in the Mile, “She threw us a curve ball last time, it was a very disappointing run (in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes), but before that she hadn’t put a foot wrong.”

Her first three runs for a win and two thirds were over sprint distances, but being out of the Tarry-trained SA Oaks-winning Fort Wood mare Bedloe’s Island she should easily stay 1600m.

David Thiselton

Dennis Drier has a chance of landing both the R1 million Bloodstock SA Sprint over 1200m and the R1 million Bloodstock SA Mile at Scottsville on Sunday as he sends out two promising types in Hack Green and The High Life respectively.

Both Drier and stable jockey Sean Veale made no bones about how highly they regard Gimmethegreenlight colt Hack Green after he had powered home to win the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes by three lengths from a wide draw over 1200m at Greyville on eLan Gold Cup day to remain unbeaten in two starts.

Assistant trainer Stuart Ferrie said, “He is a tough boy and is as well now as he was before the Umkhomazi.”

The Horse Chestnut filly, The High Life, caught the eye when running on strongly to win a Juvenile Plate over 1600m at Greyville on July 16.

She will be 3kg worse off on Sunday with Costa Da Sol for a mere short-head beating but does now have a draw advantage.

Furthermore, Ferrie said, “She has a tough task against the boys, but was still green last time and only got going in the last 100 metres. She is a nice filly and should go well.”

David Thiselton

Picture: Pocket Power and Mike Bass (Bass Racing)

Mike Bass was given a tremendous reception when he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Racing Association’s Cape Racing and Breeding Awards dinner at the Lanzerac Hotel in Stellenbosch on Monday evening.

It was at this function 12 months ago that the now-legendary trainer felt the beginnings of the freak illness that nearly cost him his life and led to the loss of part of his right leg as well as bringing forward his retirement.

His Marinaresco, winner of the Champions Cup and second in the Durban July, took the three-year-old colt award (despite being a gelding!) and his Cape Fillies Guineas winner Silver Mountain dead-heated with Bela-Bela for the fillies equivalent while stable jockey Grant van Niekerk was presented with the jockey of the year award.

John Slade, for many years manager of Maine Chance Farms and now breeding on his own account in the Karoo, was given the Special Service Industry award while the Mauritzfontein-bred Smart Call was named Horse of the Year.

Greg Cheyne (Liesl King)

Meanwhile, Greg Cheyne returns to action at Kenilworth on Saturday more than seven months after crushing his right foot in a freak pens accident.

Cheyne, 40, suffered seven fractures and two dislocations when his foot was mangled between the horse and the metalwork riding two-year-old Mount Keith at Kenilworth on December 27. He had four plates and a pin inserted in a lengthy operation at the Kingsbury Hospital 12 days later. He wore a surgical boot for three months.

He said yesterday: “I have been back riding work nearly five weeks and I am feeling ready to return to the racecourse.”

Cheyne also intends to ride at Fairview next week – he has a long and rewarding association with  Alan Greeff – and on Saturday he has rides in eight of the nine races.

Michael Clower

The KZN Racing Award takes place at the Elangeni Hotel in Durban on Friday’ August 26, where KZN’s finest will be honoured. The criteria for this year’s awards have been changed slightly and the various racing categories were judged on a “Best Performance” basis by KZN-trained horses – the exception being Horse of the Season that is open to any horse that raced in KZN during the three months of South Africa’s Champion Season.

Ashburton trainers were the only KZN-based trainers to have recorded Gr1 victories over Champions Season with the Paul Gadsby-trained Gunner victorious in the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes and Weiho Marwing’s Mac De Lago in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

Gunner is up against the two unbeaten colts Hack Green and Red Chestnut Road in the two-year-old male category while Mac De Lago is up against No Worries and Punta Arenas in the Older Male category and has three in opposition in the Best Middle Distance performance where he faces Exit Here, Olma and Same Jurisdiction.

The two-year-old filly’s category is dominated by another Ashburton-based trainer. Duncan Howells has all three of the nominees in his yard these being A Womens Way, Dawn Calling and Lunar Rush.

Best performance by a three-year-old male will be a hotly contested category with Exit Here, Isca, Redcarpet Captain and Ten Gun Salute the nominees.

Anthony Delpech was an easy winner of the KZN Champion Jockey Award judged on most wins in the province while Eric Ngwane will be crowned Champion Apprentice.

Champion Trainer, also judged on most wins in KZN, goes to Dennis Drier who finished on 80 winners, seven ahead of nearest rival Duncan Howells.

A new category is Ride of the Season that will be judged and voted for by the racing public. Watch Tellytrack DSTV 239 for more information on voting for your favourite.

Six races have been singled out, those being:

Anthony Delpech – Black Arthur – Canon Guineas

S’manga Khumalo – Enaad – Gold Vase

Anton Marcus – Rabada – Daily News

Anton Marcus – Zante – Queens Palm Stakes

Weichong Marwing – Exit Here – Cup Trial

Piere Strydom – The Conglomerate – Vodacom Durban July