Andrew Harrison

One-eyed horses are barred from racing in Australia but they often hold their own in this country as the one-eyed Winter Games made good use of his light weight and stayed on gamely to hold off a late-charging favourite Gladatorian to land the Listed Kings Cup, the race the harbinger of South Africa’s Champions Season.

Jumping from his inside gate, Mathew Thackeray had no hesitation in taking Mike Miller’s runner to the front and given the right-handed nature of KZN courses, Winter Games had his good eye on the rail.

But Thackeray was not taking any prisoners and went lengths clear going up the hill with his opposition seeming confident that he had pressed the accelerator a little too early.

However, it was only in the final furlong, with Winter Games slowing down and Gladatorian and Diani chasing, that the race became a contest. 

Favourite Gladatorian was game in defeat as he made up many lengths in the straight only to go down by the narrowest of margins but he was giving the winner 10.5kg which was probably the difference between winning and defeat. Never the less it was a tremendous pipe-opener given that he was returning from a three-month break.

Possibly the most impressive winner on the day was the Miller-trained Vikings Revenge who turned in a sparkling debut as he spreadeagled the field in the card opener. It is seldom that you get 16-1 about a Miller-trained juvenile but the son of promising sire Eric The Red was allowed to run ‘loose’.

Stable rider Tristan Godden, and confirmed by Miller, said that they had not done much with the colt on the home gallops but he caught the eye of paddock watchers and turned in a performance that has G1 Gold Medallion written all over it in spite of this being a 1400m contest.

Godden had no hesitation in taking Vikings Revenge to the lead and there he stayed. Short-priced favourite Gotta Go Eddie tracked the winner all the way but came up empty in the run for home with the filly Hollywood Heiress running him out of second but many lengths behind Vikings Revenge.

It was a rocky start to the card for punters as another well supported runner took a back seat with Kaygee’s Delight getting the better of the recently gelded Shoot The Rapids in the second. Frank Robinson’s runner  was the class horse in the race and by all handicap ratings was head-and-shoulders above the rest of the field. Against him was the 1800m trip as his best form is over a mile-and-a-half and further. After runaway leader Capsaicin threw in the towel, Shoot The Rapids moved in for the kill under Gavin Lerena but Kaygee’s Delight was making steady progress under Siphesihle Hlengwa and Garth Puller’s charge reeled in the favourite to win comfortably.

It was a smart return to the track by Shoot The Rapids and Robinson will be well pleased as he eyes the big staying races come Champions Season.

David Thiselton
Luke Ferraris failed by a hair’s breadth to win Hong Kong’s most prestigious local race, the HK26 million Hong Kong Derby over 2000m at Sha Tin yesterday.
Ferraris had to jump from the widest draw of all in the 14-horse field. He was riding the Mark Newnham-trained My Wish, who had won the Hong Kong Classic Mile and finished second in the Hong Kong Classic Cup over 1800m, which we both raced for a cheque of HK$13 million and Ferraris was aboard in both races. The Hong Kong Derby has a stake of over 60 million when converted to South African rands, meaning the winning rider scoops a cheque of about R6 million, so Ferraris was a hair’s breadth away from a massive payday aboard the small but courageous four-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding, who is by the stallion Shocking.
Ferraris dropped My Wish out to last place from the wide draw and the writing seemed on the wall for him when they went a crawl up front with the pace being set by Hugh Bowman on the Casper Fownes-trained Lo Rider, who was paying HK$19 rand on the Tote.The eventual winner, Cap Ferrat, who paid HK$26 on the Tote, had the box seat in third place on the rail. 
Ferraris never panicked despite being in last place behind the slow pace and he made sure he had cover all the way around the final turn before being slung shot to the outside. 
Cap Ferrat had stolen a march down the inside and My Wish looked to have a hopeless task upon straightening. 
However, he then began low flying on the outside and from 100m out it was touch and go whether he was going to reach Cap Ferrat. 
As they flashed past the line with Ferraris extracting every bit of extra he could out of his mount it seemed as though he had done it, but this was just the illusion created by his faster finishing mount.
The slow motion replays showed that Cap Ferrat had held on by a centimetre or so.
My Wish was comfortably the best performer over the classic series though with a win and two seconds.
Ferraris would have become the ninth graduate of the South African Jockey Academy to have won the iconic race.
Douglas White won it three times, Felix Coetzee won it twice and all of Bartie Leisher, Basil Marcus, Robbie Fradd, Weichong Marwing, Anthony Delpech and Karis Teetan each won it once. 
The South African-bred Flower Alley guilding Mondial was a touch unlucky to not make it into the Derby Field as he was higher rated than a couple of horses who did get in. It was adjudged that his Hong Kong debut, when unplaced  in the Hong Kong Classic Cup, was not quite good enough to make it into the final field.This decision was vindicated, because he did run on the day and finished downfield in a race over 1800 metres. This horse is not going to have it his own way in Hong Kong as he looks to be one who needs a proper stamina test and there are no two mile races on the island. 
Meanwhile in Australia, prominent South African owner Larry Nestadt is becoming familiar with the winner’s enclosure out there.
On March 8 he had a Gr 1 and Listed win back to back with Royal Patronage and Alalcance over 1300m and 2000m respectively, both horses trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
On Saturday Alalcance stepped to 2400m in a Gr 3 and this British-bred Mastercraftsman mare looks to have Melbourne Cup credentials as she led from start to finish and waltzed in by 4,40 length.
The Drakenstein colours were also successful in Australia on Saturday with a three-year-old filly called Heat Missile. She won one from two starts when with Robbie Griffiths and Matt de Kock and won her debut on Saturday for the Waterhouse-Bott yard in a 1200m race at Kembla Grange under claimer Molly Bourke, despite being green.
This filly is by Too Darn Hot out of the Australian-bred More Than Ready mare Entisaar, who won both the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery and Gr 1 Allan Robertson when trained by Mike de Kock.
Heat Missile is owned by Mike de Kock in partnership with Drakenstein, Nestadt and Gary Barber and looks to have a lot of promise.

Graeme Hawkins

Captain West (28/10) and World of Pleasure (5/1) fought out a thrilling finish to the fourth race, the R160 000 Cape B Stakes over 1400m, at a rain-affected Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday with the former, trained by Brett & James Crawford and ridden by Louis Mxothwa, just edging ahead in the last stride to score by a whisker. World of Pleasure tried gamely to make all the running under Sean Veale, but Captain West loomed large halfway up the straight and the result was in the balance as the 3yo sons of One World matched each other stride for stride over the final 150m, with the photo finish showing that Captain West had just prevailed.

Mauritius Kestrel moved up threateningly at one stage but ran out of steam in the closing stages to finish a distant third while the heavily supported Powerandtheglory (13/10) was never settled in running. He has previously run his best races when allowed to stride along from the start and did not enjoy being restrained in the early stages on Saturday.

The opening race, a Workriders Maiden Plate over 1250m, also produced a thrilling finish with rank outsider Stu’s Girl (16/1) and stable companion Johnny Drama (4/1) passing the post locked together. The photo showed that Stu’s Girl, given a patient ride by Godfrey Sigenu, had scored by a short-head with the Candice Bass-Robinson trained daughter of Danon Platina shedding her maiden ticket at the tenth time of asking.

Good For You was widely considered the nap of the day in the second race, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1250m, and the 2yo son of Legislate turned the race into a procession. Trained by Glen Kotzen and ridden by Chad Little, Good For You (6/10) bounced away smartly and was never headed, pulling clear to beat Diamond Days by more than four lengths. Cliffscape started a similarly short-priced favourite in the third event, a Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) over 1250m, but in this race Aldo Domeyer had to pull out all the stops to get the 2yo daughter of Canford Cliffs home by a neck over a much-improved Una The Unicorn (25/1) who looked set to cause a major upset at the 200m pole.

Una The Unicorn appeared to be travelling the better of the pair into the closing stages, but Cliffscape dug down deep over the final 100m under Aldo Domeyer and rescued punters in a driving finish. Cliffscape stopped the clock at 76,47 seconds, more than a second slower than the time recorded by Good For You in the prior event.

Richard Fourie’s sole winner of the day came ironically as a chance ride in the fifth race, a Class 5 Handicap over 1400m. Deputising for Gareth Wright, who fell earlier in the afternoon, Fourie steered the Piet Botha-trained Mont Loisir (16/1) to a pillar-to-post victory, staying on well to hold off the faster finishing Sun Dazed by half-a-length. The race did not end there though as Candice Bass-Robinson lodged an objection on behalf of the runner-up, but this was fairly over-ruled and the result stood.

Regulation was all the rage to win the sixth race, a Class 4 Handicap over 1800m, but the strong front-running Congressman (14/1) never gave his six rivals a chance, turning for home with a ten-length advantage under another cunning ride by Corne Orffer. Trained by Andre Nel for Sabine Plattner, Congressman had won his maiden over 2000m in similar fashion and the 4yo son of Querari is maturing into a decent handicapper. Kwite a King, Regulation and Dubbelosix all chased hard in the home stretch, but the bird had flown, and Congressman was still more than two lengths ahead at the winning post.

Bass-Robinson struck for the third time when Fun Zone (4/1) ran out a popular winner of the seventh race, a Class 4 Handicap (F&M) over 1600m, under a confident ride by Aldo Domeyer. Fun Zone turned for home towards the rear of the field as La Divina (10/1) set decent fractions up front but although the latter stuck to her task well, she had nothing left in reserve when Fun Zone came storming through the field to win going away in some style. The smart-looking Girl Magic, who was the pick of the parade, was not disgraced in third spot and the lightly raced daughter of Jay Peg could be worth following in this class.

The ever-consistent Electric Feels (5/2) brought the curtain down at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday with a smooth win in the final event, a Cape D Stakes over 1000m. The partnership of Mpumelelo Mjoka and Electric Feels seems like a match made in heaven and the 5yo daughter of William Longsword responded nicely to his well-timed urgings over the final 100m to come home less than a length ahead of Over The Atlantic (25/1) with the tote favourite Gravity, who attracted plenty of on-course support as race time approached, completing the Trifecta.  Trained by the Harold Crawford/Michelle Rix partnership, Electric Feels has now won four races and has yet to miss the frame in nine starts with Mjoka in the irons.

Andrew Harrison

The Kings Cup to be run over a mile at Hollywoodbets Greyville today is always a reminder that South Africa’s Champions Season is on the horizon and with a healthy stake on offer it is an opportunity for some to warm up their engines and for others, possibly lessor lights, to grab a slice of the stake before the big guns are in action.

Narina Trogon and Formagear fall into the latter category although they may still prove me wrong.

On current form there was not much more than a head separating the pair when last they met in the Fever Tree Handicap at Hollywoodbets Scottsville. Mike Miller’s runner was finishing his race off the better of the pair to snaffle third close home and as they meet on the same weight terms and jumping off alongside of each other there should not be much between them again with Narina Trogon just earning the nod.

Tienie Prinsloo is never afraid to pit his fillies against males and Miss Platina won well enough last start and escaped the handicappers. She has another light weight and Muzi Yeni stays aboard which is always a bonus. Gladatorian is the class horse in the race and weighted to win but has not been out since December. Stuart Ferrie’s charge will have bigger fish to fry come Champions Season but he is not without a winning chance.

There is an early start to the meeting with a ten-race programme and the first off at 11.40, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1400m. Gotta Go Eddie was sent out a short-priced favourite on debut but had to play second fiddle to the Michael Roberts-trained Fortress Of Fire who looks to be at least useful at this stage.

The step up in trip should suit Gotta Go Eddie and barring a ‘springer’ he should get the meeting off to a winning start.

In the second, Broadway Girl showed up nicely first run back from a short break and Stuart Ferrie’s mare goes well this trip. Palermo has been improving steadily and is seldom far back. This trip should suit although he has it all to do at the weights. Shoot The Rapids has been rested and gelded and although the class horse in the race he will probably need this outing over a trip well short of his best.

Bad Medicine has his first run for Alyson Wright and comes with some useful Highveld form where he has been well supported in the market. Gavin Lerena stays with the ride which is a bonus. Silver Platter returns from a break but is lightly raced and he has improved at recent outings while Fire Force has not been far back at his last two and can improve on his last run when returning from a short break.

JP’s Palace has yet to run a bad race for Darryl Moore but has a fair weight to shoulder in the opening leg of the Pick 6. However he will benefit from Rachel Venniker’s 1.5kg allowance. Arverni King seldom runs a bad race and has been knocking at the door for late. He is course and distance suited while National Dream has his third run after a break and should strip at his peak

The fifth is an open handicap but Future Saint has been improving slowly and this looks to be the right race. Animal Impact is way better than his last effort when ridden by an apprentice and has his third run after a break. Run To Rio is having his third run after a rest and has not been far back of late.

Field Marshal looked to be out of his depth in a feature last time out but ran a cracker for Frank Robinson, only being run out of it late. He takes on weaker in the sixth and has a corresponding jump in weight to contend with but has the best of the draw. Kitchakal is never far off them but got a two-point raise in the handicap for his last effort. However, he has been consistent for Duncan Howells. Of the balance, Sign Of Fate needed her last run over a sprint and can do better over this trip with a handy weight while Mascherina returns from a break but is useful and one to watch in the market although she does seem to prefer Hollywoodbets Scottsville.

In the eighth, Burning Man has been in good form since being fitted with blinkers but was a beaten favourite at his last two. He can make amends for Frikkie Greyling. Danger could be Sonata Samaritan who although taking on males has yet to run a bad race. She has taken a two-point drop in the handicap which will help her cause. Rooster Bradshaw was not far back in his handicap debut and does show some promise while The Gliding Fish is way better than his last run and steps up to a more suitable trip. He could be the surprise package.

The last leg of the Pick 6 is a tricky affair but Festival Of Magic has run two promising races since arriving in KZN. He has been dropping in the handicap and from a handy draw he should be a contender. Papa C has shown up well since returning from a break and has his third run since the lay-off. He was a close-up second last start but has drawn a little wide. Jazz Festival and Red Mountain are others to consider.

The tenth is an open sprint but Twenty One May was touched off last run and has been consistent over the distance. He has a handy galloping weight and should be a contender. Gavin Lerena replaces the apprentices aboard Connery who although drawn wide does appear to enjoy the turn to the Scottsville straight which could see him to his sixth win. Vision To Achieve is battling for her next win but has been dropping in the handicap and with only 50kg to shoulder she could finally notch her third success.

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