Andrew Harrison

PUNTERS face another competitive card on the turf at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday where the scratching of the mare Flichity By Farr may have reduced the Trackandball.co.za handicap, seventh on the card, to a match race.

Matterhorn has made major improvement at recent outings, winning his last two, but climbing the ladder makes things all that more difficult. His task was made that much easier with the scratching of stable companion Flichity By Farr, close-up in two recent long-distance features including the Gold Cup, but off her food this last week and is an addition to the scratching’s list 

Matterhorn has come good since being send over ground and although he goes this trip for the first time, he should see it out comfortably.

Biggest threat will be from Anse Lazio who comes with some fair Cape staying form and although he takes on stronger here, he only has 52.5kg to shoulder which will make him extremely competitive. The Andre Nel satellite stable, overseen by Byron Foster, has hit a purple patch of late with a brace of winners last Wednesday, and he is confident of a big effort.

Of the balance, Clouds Of Witness has been a little disappointing of late but did lose his jockey at the start of his last race and can do much better here.

The experiment of introducing ‘conditional’ Graduation Plates with weights allotted in bands according to merit ratings in an effort to boost field sizes, has obviously failed first time out with only nine runners lining up in the seventh.

The merit rating system has been gerrymandered to a point where it is often worthless as a handicapping guideline.

Give punters – and owners and trainers – a break. If a two-time winner carries the same weight, irrespective of its 110 MR, against another two-time winner with a 74 MR, so be it.

The owners get a win and punters get an exotic bet banker.

Mostly trainers are afraid to run their half-decent horses in these races in fear of incurring penalties for their next handicap appearance.

 If the stakes were worth it, the risk would not be so bad, but on the flip side, these are also great races to give the weaker horses a good public gallop without fear of incurring a penalty.

In the days before Merit Ratings, punters had to rely on their intuition as to whether one horse was better than another at level weights with no ratings to guide them.

In a time where the powers that be are making it more and more difficult to win with a decent horse, it is no wonder that new owners are becoming like hen’s-teeth.

Be that as it may, Special Blend and African Sunrise look the pick of the seventh. They are at the top of the ‘handicap’ band and meet at level weights.

There was two lengths behind them when last they met with Duncan Howell’s runner two lengths to the good. The two step up in trip and drawn alongside of each other should make for an interesting tactical race between Lyle Hewitson on Special Blend and Anton Marcus taking over from an indisposed Donovan Dillon on Wendy Whitehead’s runner.

Exotic bet bankers could be difficult to find but two that appeal are Jay’s Dancer in the opening leg of the PA and Chewbaca in the next.

Tinnie Prinsloo has not had much luck of late with his runners in the money but not able to convert but Jay’s Dancer could set that straight. Jay’s Dancer has been knocking at the door for some time now and goes very well over course and distance. He must have a change of fortune soon.

Dangers! Trumps Express, having his first run for a new stable, has shown some promise on the Highveld and can do better here while Bernie’s Dream found strong market support on debut and did not finish far back. He should come on from that run.

Lightly raced gelding Chewbaca has been a touch disappointing had had a wide draw last time out.  He can make amends in the opening leg of the Pick 6 and appeals as the best bet on the card.

Upset chances go to Gonetravelin and Tiger Tank, who has his first run for a new stable and is capable of a surprise.

Andrew Harrison

WITH the Kimberley sand now consigned to the dustbin of history and Fairview on the other side of the country, the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly track is likely to attract a lot more up-country visitors looking for the synthetic surface.

Clinton Binda and Weiho Marwing are regulars and they seldom leave without the odd plum. Binda got off the mark in the first with the filly Afriel. Quizzed post-race he said the daughter of Master Of My Fate, himself an up-tight individual, was ‘scared of everything’. He said that she was alright at home where she gets ridden bare-back but it was a different story at the race course.

He also revealed that as a young horse she had escaped from her box early one morning and was found in a ditch where Binda had to use a front-end loader to get her out. He said it was a long time ago but the memory has surely stuck.

Nirvana Girl looked to be one of the better bets on the card and was duly sent off in the red, but after making most of the running she was nailed on the line by Doug Campbell’s lightly raced filly Montfort.

Marcus made plenty of use of the favourite getting to the front early and extended his lead to a good few lengths at the top of the straight.

However, with Nirvana Girl crying for the line over the last 100m, the pack was closing fast led by Montfort and replacement rider Keagan de Melo timed his run to a nicety, getting up on the line. According to Campbell, the daughter of Elusive Fort, one of the country’s most under rated stallions, is a big immature filly who should go much further than the mile of yesterday.

Montana Sky has been knocking at the door for Ashburton-based Tienie Prinsloo and had to settle for second once again as Captain Zee showed remarkable improvement to run him out of it with Whateverittakes, the ham in the sandwich, game in third.

It was a quick double for the Sabine Plattner/Andre Nel yard as they followed up Captain Zee with Run To Denmark in the next. It was a case of anyone’s race approaching the final 100m but Run To Denmark stuck to his guns to keep reserve runner Samsonite at bay. Kyle Strydom picked up the ride on Dennis Bosch’s charge and the apprentice continues to impress.

Jabu Jacobs, under the tutelage of Garth Puller and Peter Muscutt, seldom lets them down and he rode a copybook race in the fifth on Purple Persuasion who put her recent disappointment behind her, when drawn 12 from 12. She fired all the way to the line to hold a late-charging light weight Marsanne.

Binda earlier indicated that Phinda Mzala was the main reason for this raid but after cracking on the pace the plan fell apart. It was probably pace that was his undoing as Whizz Of Odds and Di Mazzio came from off the gallop to dispute the finish where it was the seasoned champion Warren Kennedy putting one over his apprentice rival as Strydom got his reins in a tangle.

THE National Horseracing Authority confirms that at an Inquiry held in Johannesburg on Tuesday, 20 October 2020, Jockey Chase Maujean was charged with a contravention of Rule 62.2.2.

The particulars being in that during the running of Race 1 at Turffontein Racecourse on 26 September 2020, whilst riding the horse PUERTO MANZANO (ARG):

1. He changed his crop into his left hand at about the 150m and struck PUERTO MANZANO (ARG) to which this gelding clearly responded.  He then changed his crop back into his right hand, for no apparent reason and this resulted in a pause in his riding of the gelding, and

• Thereafter the vigour with which Jockey Maujean rode PUERTO MANZANO (ARG) up until about the 75m, after this gelding had responded to the use of the crop in his left hand, (as stated above), was not to the standard expected of a competent and professional Jockey.

Jockey Maujean pleaded not guilty to the charge, but was found guilty of the charge.

The Inquiry Board, after hearing all the evidence in mitigation put forward in this matter and taking Jockey Maujean’s record into account, unanimously ruled that:

Jockey Maujean be fined the sum of R60 000 (sixty thousand rand) of which R30 000 (thirty thousand rand) is suspended for a period of 12 months, provided that Jockey Maujean is not found guilty of a contravention of this rule during that 12-month period.

Jockey Maujean has the Right of Appeal against both the finding and penalty imposed.

David Thiselton

JUSTIN SNAITH said there was a good chance that Crown Towers, winner of Sunday’s Listed Michaelmas Handicap over 1900m at Hollywoodbets Greyville, would take his place in the Grade 1 Summer Cup over 2000m at Turffontein Standside on November 28.

He spoke further about his new satellite yard at Summerveld and about the ongoing hindrance to equine travel within South Africa brought about by measures to control the spread of  African Horse sickness (AHS).

Snaith said, “Crown Towers is a handicap type and being by Camelot we have never doubted he would get the Summer Cup distance. His only bad race was when going too fast in front in the Queen’s Plate. He deserves his place and it does not look to be one of the stronger fields, nothing stands out although there might be a few who will improve with a couple more races.”

Crown Towers is drawn 27 of the 49 entries.

On Sunday the five-year-old Australian-bred gelding had to carry 62kg and was caught wide in the early stages from a high draw. Anton Marcus thus took him up to second place where he could sit on the leader Duc D’Orange’s quarter, although he made the move at a steady pace to ensure no wasted energy. At about the 1100m Marcus was able to slot in behind the leader ahead of his main market rival Sworder Street. Crown Towers has more natural speed than the latter and in the straight he skipped a few lengths clear under the hands. He was asked the question at the 300m mark and kept going to beat Sworder Street, who made late inroads, by 1,20 lengths. Crown Towers, off a merit rating of 109, gave the 92 rated runner up 9,5kg. He has been raised six points to 115 and Sworder Street has been raised four points to 96.

Snaith, who flew in for the meeting, said, “Our only concern beforehand was the weight, 62kg is a lot to carry. I was very excited to be there for the satellite yard’s first feature win. It was great for Megan Trott, who runs the Summerveld yard, especially as she is a hometown girl. She is from KZN and went through the Summerhill School of Equine Management Excellence and then did the Darley course in the UK. She then spent a few years under my wing, so knows exactly how we think and how we like to do things. I will be flying up and down and want to see the satellite yard gain the momentum it needs to sustain itself. A big thanks to Michel Nairac, Tony Rivalland and Raf Sheik for going out of their way to help us start the satellite yard and making us feel welcome.”

Meanwhile, Sworder Street runs again over 2000m at The Vaal on Thursday in a Progress Plate. This four-year-old Judpot gelding will need to get his merit rating up significantly to make the Summer Cup final field. He looks tailor made for the Summer Cup course and distance so trainer Paul Peter will likely be eyeing the Grade 3 Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m on November 14 as his ultimate qualifier.

Snaith then got on to the subject of AHS and lamented the fact that a case in Germiston and potentially more cases to follow would possibly prevent the best horses from Gauteng travelling to Cape Town for the prestigious Cape Summer Season.

He said, “I want to compete against the best guys and not having some of the top trainers race here dulls the racing a little bit. I do believe we have to get the exports right and Adrian Todd is doing the best he can under trying circumstances. I really hope all the time and effort spent will reap the rewards for breeders, owners and trainers in South Africa. Never has it been needed more than right now. But on the other hand, if we are going to be doing this for the next ten years with the hope of getting exports right, all concerned need to sit around the table and devise a plan that will help sustain rather than hinder our own racing while at the same time not effecting the export drive. Racing in South Africa is also a priority.”

Snaith provided a few examples of the above-mentioned hindrance including a recently retired mare who is not allowed to travel into the Western Cape from KZN as she had been given her AHS vaccinations. She is consequently going to miss the breeding season.

The Western Cape’s training centres and stud farms fall within the AHS Controlled Area and movement in to this area is very strictly monitored, especially during the high risk AHS season, which is usually from February 1 to June 30, and also in relation to outbreaks and vaccinations.

There is a special vector protected barn at Randjesfontein where racehorses can spend 14 days instead of waiting out a 40 day travel ban, but living under these conditions and being allowed out only between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. is not conducive to a good preparation.  

David Thiselton

A new type of race called a Conditional Graduation appears on the Hollywoodbets Greyville meeting on Sunday October 25 and the intention is to attract more runners.

Graduation Plates in their pure form advantage good one or two-time winners and give a virtually impossible task to lesser horses. 

Consequently, a lot of these events in the past have had to be scrapped due to a lack of acceptors. 

However, the Conditional Graduation makes it a touch harder for the higher merit rated horses so should attract bigger fields.

In a normal Graduation Plate the one-time winners simply receive weight from the two-time winners and there is an allowance for females and sometimes for young horses.

However, the Conditional Graduation allocates weight to both the two-time winners and one-time winners according to respective nett merit rated bands. There is a female allowance on top of that too.

The race is thus similar to a Pinnacle Stakes event except that there are two weight structures within it, one for the two-time winners and another for the one-time winners.

In the 1800m race on October 25 the two-time winner structure starts at 61kg, which will be carried by horses nett merit rated on a five point spread off the top horse. The top band example given in the program is from nett merit rating 93 to 98. The second top band and downward all have a three point spread. So, two-time winners nett merit rated from 89 to 92, as per the example given, will carry 60kg. Two-time winners nett merit rated from 85 to 88, as per the example given, will carry 59k. Each band from then on downward will also have a three point spread and the weight carried will decrease accordingly by 1kg down to 55kg.

The one-time winner structure starts at 58kg and is allocated to horses nett merit rated on a five point spread that is three points lower than the two-timer winners’ top band. So, as per the example given in the program, it is for horses nett merit rated from 90 to 95. Each band from then on downward will have a three point spread and the weight carried will decrease accordingly by 1kg down to 52kg.

The females will be given an allowance of 1,5kg subject to a minimum weight of 50kg.

The October 25 Conditional Graduation is already closed and there were 32 entries and so far only one scratching. 

Share Holder became a two-time winner on Sunday and will likely have an unchanged merit rating of 99, which as a four-year-old over this trip gives him a nett merit rating of 97. 

He is the top merit rated horse in the race and will have to give up to 9kg away. The lowest gross rated horse in the race is King’s Cove on a 56 merit rating.

Gold Circle will be hoping a full field goes to post so will be monitoring this field closely to see whether the format has worked.