Graeme Hawkins

Sadly, One Stripe’s swansong in South Africa turned into a nightmare at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth yesterday as Gavin Lerena found his path down the inside rail blocked by The Grey King who was forced inwards by eventual winner All Out For Six (Grant Van Niekerk) at the 200m pole. Whether One Stripe was going as well as All Out For Six at that stage is open to conjecture, but Champions often find a way of snatching unlikely victories under pressure, and One Stripe, who was severely checked, was denied that opportunity.

The record books will show that All Out For Six, racing in the colours of the One World Syndicate and stable companion to the Vaughan Marshall-trained One Stripe, emerged victorious in the R5-million HSH Princess Charlene Big Cap over 1400m by a comfortable margin over La Pulga who avoided the scrimmaging and ran on nicely from near the back of the field to finish a clear second. Great Plains got up to edge The Grey King out of third spot with One Stripe having to settle for sixth position. Clearly One Stripe was not beaten on merit, and we look forward to seeing him setting the record straight as he jets off to the USA to join the stable of Graham Motion and the company of fellow “locals” Isivunguvungu, Beach Bomb and Gimme A Nother.

Making a rare appearance on the racecourse these days, it was wonderful to see KZN-based Steve Sturlese and his wife, Cheryl, on hand to lead in their 2yo son of Fire Away, Military Command, following a dominant victory in the R1,5-million Cape Racing Sales Slipper over 1200m. Billed as the second race on the 10-race programme, Dreamworld was sent out the 2/1 favourite but, although far from disgraced in finishing runner-up, he was no match for Military Command who led from start to finish on a lightning-quick track to pass the post nearly two lengths ahead of the chasing pack. Bred by James Goodman, Sturlese owns Military Command in partnership with Blaine Hamilton, Gino Da Silva and Tony Zackey and the colt was ridden to victory by Craig Zackey for trainer Peter Muscutt. 

The opening race, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m, was won in equally comfortable fashion by the striking grey North Point who was allowed to drift from 5/1 to 12/1. The 2yo son of William Longsword bounced into an immediate lead and was never headed. Ridden by JP van der Merwe and making his debut for the Brett & James Crawford stable, North Point raced away to score by three lengths with Demanding Dave (100/1) and Follow Your Heart (11/10) making up the frame.

Peace Of Mind, the Crawford/Rix team’s only runner on the card, took full advantage of the speedy conditions under Gavin Lerena to post an easy victory in the third race, a Cape C Stakes over 1000m. Palo Queen and Peace of Mind disputed the early lead but once the former fell away, Peace Of Mind (12/1) assumed control and galloped all the way to the line to score by close on two lengths in the fast time of 56,94 seconds.

Dropping to the minimum trip for the first time in her career, Mai Sensation (11/2) proved too strong for the opposition in the fourth race, a Middle Stakes (F&M) over 1000m, skating home with more than a length to spare over Babelicious (4/1) and First Masterpiece (9/2). Mai Sensation has now won three races from only eight starts and there appears to be more to come from the 3yo daughter of Rafeef who was bred in KZN at Peter Blythe’s Clifton Stud.

The fifth race, a Cape A Stakes over 1100m, produced a thrilling finish with little more than a length covering the first six horses past the post. Andrew Fortune appeared to have timed his final effort on Tenango (14/10) to perfection but no sooner had the son of Canford Cliffs struck the front inside the last 150m when 66/1 chance Gem King came charging through under Corne Orffer to spoil the party.

Richard Fourie opened his account in the sixth race, a Cape C Stakes over 2200m, producing the fast-improving Umfula (2/1) with a sustained run up the stretch to run out a facile winner over Ahead Of The Facts (7/2). Tothemoonandback (10/1) stayed on well to fill the Trifecta position with the consistent Aladdin’s Lamp rounding out the top four.

Holding Thumbs is probably one of the most improved horses in training this season and the 4yo son of Vercingetorix ran them ragged in the seventh race, the R200 000 Monaco Sport Of Kings Kenilworth Cup (Listed) over 2400m. Oozing confidence, Sean Veale, who has struck up a great relationship with Glen Kotzen’s stayer, wasted no time in taking Holding Thumbs to the front and the resolute 17-hand gelding had the opposition floored with 400m left to race. His lesser fancied stable companion Blackberry Malt emerged from the struggling pack to chase Holding Thumbs home but the race as a contest was over a long way out.

David Thiselton

Sean Tarry is in flying form and bagged a treble at Turffontein Standside on Saturday including winning the feature, the Gr 3 4Racing Sycamore Sprint over 1160m for fillies and mares, with Mia Moo who was ridden by Piere Strydom.

Mia Moo carried 59.5kg off a 103 merit rating and beat the 80-rated Komati River by half a length to give the amazing Vercingetorix a double.

Vercingetorix lots averaged a record-breaking R1,707,143 on the select day 1 of the Cape Racing Sales March Yearling Sale such is the demand for this superstar stallion’s progeny.

Chrome Tourmaline and Elegant Ice were third and fourth respectively behind Mia Moo and Komati River on Saturday and the favourite Almond Sea could only manage fifth after another tardy start.

Komati River is in for a big merit rating raise because she was 6,5kg under sufferance.

Mia Moo provided further evidence that the Cape form is strongest because in her three runs in Cape Town she had finished 16th in the Gr 2 De Grendel Cape Merchants over 1200m, beaten 14,40 lengths, and followed that with a 1,45 length fourth in a Listed handicap over 1200m, running off a 103, and then ran an excellent 0,90 length fourth in the Gr 3 Splashout Prix du Cap, a conditions race over 1400m.

She remained off a 103 on Saturday so was surprisingly easy to back, shortening from 7/1 into 6/1.

Mia Moo jumped well from draw five and Strydom managed to slot her in behind Komatii River, who set the pace down the centre after jumping well from draw six. 

Mia Moo travelled within herself and Strydom merely had to switch her outward for a run to get the job done because she passed Komati River with just a shake of the reins and passed the post while just being shown the stick.

She was bred by Klawervlei Stud and is out of a Captain Al mare.

Both of the highest priced lots at the aforementioned Sale last Thursday were by Vercingetorix out of Captain Al mares, one them, a Drakenstein Stud-bred half-brother to Gr 1 WSB Cape Guineas winner Snow Pilot, going for a SA record-equalling R9 million purchased by Greg Bortz, and the other, a filly vendored by Klawervlei Stud as agent, going for R4.1 million to Darryl Yutar.

Tarry won the first two races on Saturday with respective odds on favourites One Fine Winter (What A Winter) and Tina Lovelace (Danon Platina), who were both ridden by Ryan Munger.

Gavin Lerena rode a double for Brett and James Crawford, while Kabelo  Matsunyane also rode a double.

The leader of the national jockeys log, Craig Zackey, is on suspension from March 9 to March 26, excluding the Royal Raceday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth yesterday (Sunday), so Lerena has had an opportunity to close the gap.

By close of play on Saturday the situation was Zackey on 167 wins, Richard Fourie on 163 and Lerena on 158.

It has been an intriguing championship, but Fourie could probably win it at will. He had already had 19 wins in March by the end of Friday racing at Fairview and is closing rapidly on Zackey, so if he decides to ride regularly in more than two centres (Cape Town and East Cape) then he should forge clear.

Allan Greeff is in flying form in the East Cape and has had 110 wins for the season, just four behind the national log leader Snaith, although the national championship goes on stakes and Snaith is more than R10 million clear of Greeff, who is in second place.

New race times below: Race 1 – 12h40 Race 2 – 13h15 Race 3 – 13h50 Race 4 – 14h25 Race 5 – 15h00 Race 6 – 15h35 Race 7 – 16h10 Race 8 – 16h45

Soccer10 Sunday, 16 March 2025. ADD-IN R 250 000. Pool Closes at 15h30. Sport 14 and Pool 1. Estimated Pool: R 1.8 Million.

David Thiselton
Royal Victory has a fine chance of defending his title in the weight for age Gr 1 R2 million Premier’s Champions Challenge as he is the highest rated entry off a 124.
The other Gr 1 winners in the field with their merit ratings in brackets are SA Classic and SA Derby winner Purple Pitcher (123), Betway Summer Cup winner Atticus Finch (121), Woolavington 2000 winner Silver Sanctuary (117), SA Classic winner Confederate (118) and SA Dery winner Son Of Raj (119).
There were initially 12 entries, but subsequently Sean Tarry has entered Legend Of Arthur (109) and Let’s Go Now (113).
The other entries are hardknocking Fire Attack (116), former SA Oaks winner None Other (115), the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes third-placed Imilenzeyokududuma (114), Hotarubi (112),  Navajo Nation (102) and the hardknocking World Of Alice.
The three-year-olds among the entries are Confederate, Fire Attack, Legend Of Arthur and World Of Alice.
Fire Attack must have a strong chance. He was finishing strongly from midfield in the SA Classic to beaten just 0.70 lengths by Confederate.
Confederate went to the front in the SA Classic and stayed all the way to the line in superb fashion. He need not repeat the front running tactic and is a very good looking specimen with a long stride and scope for further improvement. The manner of that victory together with the testing going on the day suggests he won’t have a problem staying the extra 200m trip. He drew two among the initial entries, which augurs well for him as he will probably like to be handy. Fire attack drew widest of all among the initial entries, so will likely have to come from off the pace again. He also ran as if he would get further.
Royal Victory also drew wide in 11 out of the 12 initial entries, but he has been shown to not be bothered by wide draws at Turffontein Standside before. Muzi Yeni is an expert at slotting in from such draws and furthermore Royal Victory has a fine turn of foot coupled with a resolute finish.
Atticus Finch is the Betway Summer Cup winner, which proved he stays this trip, but he was receiving weight that day. He is now 3kg worse off with Royal Victory for a three length beating. 
Purple Pitcher could well be the pacemaker and like he did in the SA Classic he might attempt to lead from start to finish. He comes off a good second to Son of Raj in the Grade 3 Betway London New Stakes over 1800m and he will be 3kg better off with the latter in this race for a mere 1,90 length beating. 
Son of Raj benefited from a holiday he was given after last season and turned it on in fine style in the London News. As a winner of the SA Derby he will have no problem staying this trip. He drew 7 out of 12 among the initial entries.
World of Alice strikes as one who will relish this step up in trip, although she does need to get into the race sooner because she is often a bit far out of her ground.
Let’s Go Now is an improving sort who always struck as one who would come into her own as a four-year-old and she is doing so. She will need to prove she stays this trip and on pedigree should do so being by Gimmethegreenlight out of a Silvano mare, who did win up to 2000m. 
Hotarubi produced an amazing finish last time to win over 1400 metres after looking beaten. He is an enigmatic sort, but he has a middle draw and on his day could surprise. 
Imilenziyokududuma clearly relished the Turffontein Standside track in the Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes and stayed on resolutely for a fine third. He is a most interesting runner as he gave the impression that he would enjoy this course and distance. Legend of Arthur was a touch unlucky in the SA Classic, because he started slowly and was left with too much to do, but he did finish very well and should relish this step up in trip.
None Other is capable of a strong finish and as an SA Oaks winner will have no problem with the trip, but she was well beaten in the London News Stakes which is a bit concerning for her chances here. 
Silver Sanctuary is a Group 1 winner over this trip, but this is against the boys and she likely faces a harder task than she did when winning the Woolavington 2000 and she needs to bounce back from a below par effort in the London News Stakes when beaten 9,75 lengths.
Navajo Nation will need to improve to threaten here.
The final field will be published on March 19.