The first race meeting on the new Vaal turf track will be held on Thursday (May 19) and trials on the new surface suggest that the track is going to be a winner.

The new track will be known as the Vaal Classic track and replaces the sand track. Work began last November and everything has gone according to plan. Trials were held on the new surface and senior jockey Sherman Brown is among those impressed with the track: “The track was very nice, very even all over the place. I sat behind a horse and didn’t get much kick back, pulled out to the middle of the course and the horse really enjoyed the going.”

The configuration of the new track is identical to the previous sand track. It’s a right-handed course with a 2800m circumference and a 1000m straight course. Races over 1000m are up the straight with 1200m races starting in the middle of the bend and 1450m races at the entrance of the bend.

Phumelela Horseracing Executive Clyde Basel said: “Not many turf tracks in SA have a 1000m run-in, giving every runner ample opportunity to get into a winning position. Many thanks to the track management team for working long hours to get the Classic track ready. We plan to stage about 20 racemeetings from now to the end of the year on the new track.”

   –   TABnews

Picture: Supplied

National Champion jockey elect S’Manga Khumalo reached the 200-winner mark for the first time in his career when winning the World Sports Betting (WSB) Poly Challenge 1600 aboard the Justin Snaith-trained Jet Explorer at Fairview on Friday.

Khumalo has established himself as National Champion trainer Sean Tarry’s chief jockey this season.

Tarry believes it is simply an increase in confidence which has enabled Khumalo to take it to a new level.
He emphasised how important it was to his team effort to have Khumalo riding confidently.

He added, “It was great to see him get the double century. Every bit helps his confidence and confidence enables him to ride to his best.”

Khumalo’s Vodacom Durban July victory on the Tarry-trained Heavy Metal in 2013 elevated his self belief on to the same plain as his ability, which has always been there in abundance.

He duly won the national jockeys championship the following season.

He was unable to retain his title last season, but did help Tarry win his first National Trainer’s title.

Khumalo has proved himself to be as hungry as ever this season and his professionalism is proven in that he is in regular contact with his new “mentor”, ex-jockey great Felix Coetzee.

Coetzee has always been the ultimate professional and, as one whose success came as much through hard work as natural talent, he was always destined to be a good “coach”.

Khumalo is not the only one who is benefitting as Coetzee is playing an important role in the nurturing of one of the most exciting female riding talents in the world, Hong Kong apprentice Kei Chiong.  Chiong has surpassed expectations by riding 23 winners in Hong Kong so far this season, which puts her in 10th place on the world’s most competitive jockey’s log.

Coetzee is contracted to the Hong Kong Apprentice Jockeys School as a consultant and flies out their every six weeks.

However, he mentors Chiong over the phone at least four times a week. This is on top of the tutelage she receives from the Hong Kong Academy’s chief riding master, ex-patriot South African Craig Benton.

Tarry is dominating this year’s championship and looking at the strength of his two-year-old crop he looks set to become as entrenched in the number one spot as Mike de Kock once was.

Therefore, Khumalo will be difficult to dethrone if he remains in favour with Tarry.

Therein lies the Importance of Coetzee’s role, a background figure who knows all about the pressure of being at the top and who can nip any niggling loss of confidence in the bud.

Coetzee’s role could be likened to the benefit of a swing analyst to a professional golfer.

On Friday Khumalo proved how good his judgement of pace has become.

He was in third place in the running, but swung his mount out and went for home early, having recognised the moderate pace of the race.

It was a party spoiling win as Port Elizabethans had been hoping to embrace a “triple crown” winner of their own.

The five-year-old Jacque Strydom-trained Go Deputy gelding Gogetthesheriff needed to win the race to land a R250,000 bonus from WSB for his owner Freddie Van Onselen, as he had been victorious in the first two legs of the Challenge over 1200m and 1400m respectively.

Unfortunately, he was strong in the early running behind the slow pace.

He still managed to run on bravely under JP van der Merwe to finish a half-a-length third.

Van Onselen did land a R50,000 consolation bonus, but was clearly devastated by the loss. However, he gathered himself to take the mic and thank all the fans of “The Sheriff” who had come to the course to support him.

“He was beaten by the better horse but it won’t be the end of the Sheriff,” he concluded.

Khumalo is unbeaten in two rides aboard Jet Explorer. First time up in February he had extracted the first win out of the courageous seven-year-old Jet Master gelding since the shocking fall in the Gr 1 Rising Gold Challenge two years ago which had left the horse requiring life-saving surgery to repair a shattered jaw.

Khumalo is 26 clear of second-placed Anthony Delpech on the national log and can probably afford this seven day suspension he is currently under.

By David Thiselton

Apprentice Lyle Hewitson proved yesterday he can mix it with the best even on a level playing field when winning the Gr 3 World Sports Betting East Cape Derby over 2400m at Fairview aboard the Justin Snaith-trained Captain Al gelding Captain Splendid.

Hewitson dropped his mount out to last from a wide draw and had him perfectly relaxed behind a decent pace.

The Fred Crabbia-owned horse made steady progress up the inside rail to catch the favourite Welsh Emperor and win comfortably in the end.

Hewitson has been making record-breaking progress in the apprentice ranks.

However, this was an especially significant victory as he was not allowed to claim his usual 2,5kg.

It was Hewitson’s first Graded race success.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Lyle Hewitson (Nkosi Hlophe)

Tevez will stick to similarly low key events for the rest of the season after romping home in the Racing. It’s A Rush Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Those who made him evens favourite feared the pace was nothing like fast enough when he sat handy and struck the front fully a furlong from home but apparently Aldo Domeyer never had a moment’s doubt.

He said: “Tevez broke nicely, the gaps came at the right time and he was a bit more impressive than the length and a half margin would suggest.”

The six-year-old was the first leg of a treble that took Mike Bass to 90 for the season and daughter Candice said: “He went to Durban in the previous two years. The first time he bled and last year he didn’t do well so there is no point sending him again.

“He is a super little horse but he is not a robust sort and you have to be careful that you don’t overdo it with him. He has a short run but he is as honest as the day is long. There are only two more suitable Pinnacles left this season and he will run in both while next season he will have another go at the Merchants and the Cape Flying.”

Stable companion Our Mate Art, who created a significant impression when making a winning debut against older horses last Tuesday, is likely to step up to Grade 3 company in the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery on May 28.

This race attracted only 12 entries when it closed last Wednesday and three more were added after it was re-opened for 24 hours. A similar, less successful, approach was adopted with the Fillies Nursery and nothing could be added to the original ten.

However these include China Pearl, one of two winners for Brett Crawford on Saturday, and the potentially high class Miranda Frost who underwent an operation on her nose after weakening in the final 200m of the Perfect Promise. “There were various pustules in her nasal passage that had to be removed as they were causing infections,” said Joey Ramsden.

He chose a less drastic remedy for his own nasal problem, deciding that the best cure for a bad cold was to stay at home and supervise daughter Zara’s seventh birthday party – and so watched on TV when Donovan Dillon’s mount Table Bay (backed from 7-1 to 14-10) proved too good for his opponents in the first and when Jetano came right away in the final furlong of the 2 000m handicap.

Heavelon van der Hoven’s mount missed a recent trip to Port Elizabeth because of an eye infection and, according to assistant Ricardo Sobotker, Durban is now under consideration with the alternative being the Winter Oaks at the end of next month.

Richard Fourie, whose phone call to Billy Prestage for the ride on Castlewood in the Place Your Bets Maiden proved rewarding, is full of enthusiasm about Legislate’s new career as a stallion.

Fourie rode the horse in 14 consecutive races including all his victories and said: “Legislate was a spectacular racehorse, by far the best I have ridden. If he had gone overseas he would have won internationally. He is a strong individual and I am convinced he will be a stunning sire. I would stand in a queue to buy his babies.”

By Michael Clower

Marinaresco could be diverted to the Vodacom Durban July if – as expected – he wins the Winter Classic at Kenilworth on Saturday. And, if he does, his price will tumble.

Seemingly Mike Bass, Marsh Shirtliff and Bryn Ressell are preparing to kiss goodbye to a favourite’s chance in the Winter Series for a crack at the big one.  There would hardly be a dry eye in the house if the Milnerton maestro, previously successful with Trademark, Dunford and Pocket Power, brings it off with his final throw of the dice.

Candice Robinson said: “Marinaresco is nominated for the July and he may well run if he does well on Saturday.”

The gelding was third in the Investec Cape Derby, finishing just in front of July favourite Black Arthur, before returning to take the Winter Guineas with a devastating turn of foot.

He was 28-1 with Betting World yesterday, and 25-1 with World Sports Betting, but he could shorten in the next few days as bookmakers assess the implications and seek to get first run on punters.

But the Bass stable is none the wiser about Silver Mountain’s below par return in the Daisy Fillies Guineas after blood tests showed nothing wrong. She is likely to step up to ten furlongs in the Woolavington on Saturday week. “She drew well in that and she will probably run,” said Mrs Robinson.

The 2014 Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner King Of Pain will be ridden by Brandon Lerena for the first time when this year’s Chairman’s Cup winner is one of four Joey Ramsden runners in the Betting World 1900 at Greyville on Friday. Anton Marcus will choose between The Conglomerate, Disco Al and St Tropez.

By Michael Clower