David Thiselton

PIERE STRYDOM was in sublime form at Turffontein Inside on Saturday and rode the winner of the last three races to take his career tally to 5459.

Strydom has reportedly said he would retire at the end of this season so will be going all out to make it a memorable one.

The last of the abovementioned winners, the Brett Webber-trained Written In Stone, has been taken to a new level by Strydom and can carry on progressing considering the way he won on Saturday.

This five-year-old by Pathfork has had an interesting career.

He was bred by Schalk and Clare Le Roux’s Goudini Stud and was bought by Webber for R50,000 at the Cape Thoroughbred Sales’ March Yearling Sale of 2017. 

Written In Stone’s cleverly named dam Autograf, who is by Becker out of Sharp Ledge (Fine Edge), won three times over 1200m at Turffontein, Newmarket and Bloemfontein, and won once over 1400m at Bloemfontein.  

At Stud Autograf had previously produced three-time winning Var filly Lady Beatrix, a one-time winner by Bankable and two one-time winners by Gitano Hernando.

Written In Stone took eleven races to win his maiden. He converted 8/1 odds in a Workrider’s Maiden Plate over 1160m at Turffontein in May last year under Madimong Isaac Duba. 

He was well beaten in his first three runs out of the maidens and looked to have a bleak future.

However, then came his first transformation, brought on by a rest and gelding.

He came back in a strong Pinnacle Stakes event over 1200m at the Vaal where he finished a mere 6,50 lengths behind the winner Hawwaam and four lengths behind Grade 1-winning sprinter Chimichuri Run.

The bookmakers did not appear to notice that he had performed about 10kg above his 66 merit rating on paper and priced him up at 16/1 for his next start over the same course and distance. His odds had tumbled to 25/4 by the off and he finished a one length second under the same pilot Keenan Steyn. 

He went close in his next three starts from 1160m to 1400m. 

However, his problem appeared to be a habit of running on too late.

He found 1600m too far next time out and then at last recorded his second career win over 1450m on February 1 this year.

He then finished unplaced in two more attempts at 1600m.

However, dropped back in trip, he has not missed a cheque in nine subsequent starts.

Strydom rode him in March for the first time but in July this year became Written In Stone’s regular partner. The partnership has yielded two wins, two seconds and a third in five starts.

Between Webber and Strydom they have worked out how to get the best out of this strongly built bay.

Rather than being bottled up off the pace he appears to enjoy racing without cover close to the pace and then finds plenty, suggesting he has more ability than his rating reflects. Strydom had him facing the breeze in the front-line three runs ago over 1200m at the Vaal and he ran away at the end to win easing up by three lengths from Holy Man, who won next time out.

He used similar tactics four days later over the same course and distance and was probably only beaten by his low draw as he ran on strongly for third.

Then on Saturday Strydom kept him wide initially in a 1200m event around the turn and although he was happy to have him covered up approaching the straight he switched him out for a run a full 700 metres from home. Written In Stone once again found plenty at the business end and ran away to win by 2,50 lengths from another progressive sort, Putin’s Promise.

This is the difference a truly great jockey can make. It is not just the riding skills but the intuition which separates them from mere mortals and it will be most interesting to see how much further this partnership can progress now that the key to the horse’s ability has been found. Owners Fred and Linda Mindszenty and B I d’Oliveira are sure to have a lot more fun with this horse. The latter 0wns Written In Stone’s half-sister by Wylie Hall, the Webber-trained Signed And Sealed, who finished second in the first race on Saturday under Hennie Greyling.

The handicappers showed Written In Stone a lot of respect by raising him seven points for Saturday’s win to an 82. 

In the first of Strydom’s hattrick on Saturday he rode a patient race on Sell High, who looked to have some other fancied horses held on paper. 

The Dorrie Sham-trained five-year-old Mambo In Seattle gelding weaved his way through in the 1800m MR 88 Handicap event to win by a cosy 0,60 lengths from Category Four.

The second of his wins was on the Corne Spies-trained four-year-old Crusade filly Madame Patrice. In this 1200m event it was interesting to see Strydom keeping the filly quite wide around the turn in second place, probably to avoid the loose ground which had been churned up by seven prior races. She kept on finding in the straight to beat topweight Royal Lily by a quarter-of-a-length. The latter was highly tried early in her career and should be followed as she ran on strongly from the back.    

ANDREW HARRISON

CHRISTMAS is some months away but tis’ the season of favourites and bombs. With Champions Season behind us, lowly merit rated handicaps are not the easiest even on a good day.

So Var starts for his fortieth race and although only collecting five wins on the way. So Var has shown his best recent form on the poly but he is in good heart and should run a decent race at Hollywoodbets Scottsville tomorrow.

The diminutive Winter Blues is a Louis Goosen stable favourite because he is all heart and seldom gives less than his best. Tomorrow, he is over his best course and distance and cannot be written off.

An interesting runner is Gavin van Zyl’s runner Greenlighttoheaven. Van Zyl has three runners in the race and one would normally assume that Dancing Feather, with stable rider and reigning national champion Warren Kennedy in the saddle, is the stable elect.

The filly may still be the stable number one as she looks seriously talented, but her best form has been over a mile and given the quality of this field, the 1000m-dash could be on the sharp side.

That said, she is loaded with class and cannot be written off lightly.

Stable companion Greenlighttoheaven is lightly raced, but he won smoothly on debut before taking on feature company at his next two. He was probably outclassed in both outings and he’s in another tough one. But he does have a 4kg claimer up and if he can reproduce his debut win, he could be the surprise package.

The Dennis Drier yard is seldom quiet for long and it has been showing signs of returning to top form after a quiet spell of late. But as Drier has said on many occasions, if you don’t have the horses you are always going to struggle no matter how good a trainer you are.

Drier is one of the most respected trainers in the sport and as a result is seldom short of a decent horse or three.

Maiden’s Prayer has had two runs back since returning from the Cape so should strip at her peak and could be good enough to put this field to bed in the seventh. But it is another competitive handicap and if Maiden’s Prayer does not run up to expectations then the que behind her is a long one. Arianos Shadow is over her best distance and showed up well at her last two for Yogas Govender and the Wendy Whitehead-trained Twice As Smart is useful and from a good draw should be thereabouts again.

The regally bred Sanskrift, full sister to champion sire Silvano, enhanced her paddock value enormously by winning her last two over course and distance but it is debatable that she can make it three, even though she only got a two-point raise in the handicap.

This is her first run for her new stable.

Those punters looking to bolster their punting wallets before the exotics may look to Lord Wylie in the card opener as he has improved with each outing and was close-up behind the much-vaunted Hail Columbia last time out. However, there are plenty of first timers in the race so one is never quite sure what you are up against and it may prove prudent to hedge on the side of caution.

 Hawker Typhoon, although nearly surprising on debut when starting at long odds, could be the right one the second and a repeat of her first effort should see her in the firing line again. Irish Belle looks held by a number of her rivals given her debut form but she raced very green on debut when jumping from a difficult draw. She is sure to have come on from that effort and is one to watch in the market.

GOLD CIRCLE has agreed to host the trial of a proposed new racing concept called Super Six Racing.

Gold Circle was approached by Super Six Racing Ltd., a UK-based company to trial the concept which will in no way affect the Hollywoodbets Greyville meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, other than in six races in which riders will be wearing designated colours of the team sponsors and not the silks of the registered owners.

Other than the colour changes – where affected owners will be financially compensated –  the meeting will be as normal, called by the local commentator on duty and broadcast on Tellytrack.

The aim of the exercise is to ‘test-drive’ the new concept ultimately aimed at the emerging Chinese thoroughbred racing industry where gambling is prohibited.

The Super Six press release reads: The Super Six product is aimed at taking the sport of horse racing to consumers as a non-gambling proposition. Super Six Racing is in negotiation with distributors to put our programme in front of a global audience, particularly into territories where gambling is currently prohibited, in particular mainland China.

The purpose of the trial (at Hollywoodbets Greyville) is to produce a very high-quality broadcast package of some 40-minute duration which will be used to showcase the Super Six horse racing product to our potential sponsors and partners.

The only difference from a normal raceday would be that Super Six would require fields of exactly twelve runners, with jockeys wearing the colours of our Super Six Racing teams, rather than the owners own colours. We envisage our six races to be part of a normal eight-race card so that there would be minimal disruption to the usual racing product.

Subject to a successful trial, Super Six Racing Ltd will look to enter into formal agreements to stage its first full Super Six Live Racing Series.

Initial thoughts see a series of six meetings, typically with four weeks space between them, which would allow for five qualifying events and a grand Final. Our intention will be to live stream and broadcast the Super Six series internationally and in particular into mainland China.

This very low risk proposition, with minimum disruption, offers the potential for substantial long-term benefits to the South African horse racing industry, including:

Phase One:

• An enhanced broadcast product on Super Six Raceday, showcasing South African racing to a new international audience.

• A partnership with Super Six Global League, presenting a more approachable, inclusive and easy to understand horse racing offer

• A transformational offer engaging with a sector of the population, previously disinterested in horse racing, engaging, entertaining and building a sustainable new audience for the sport. 

Phase Two

• Super Six plans foresee the development of four major new racetrack facilities in China over the next ten years. Each new racetrack in China will require upwards of 600 horses and regular re-supply

• South African racing would act as a feeder or nursery for Super Six Racing in China, with concomitant long-term benefits. Rather than waiting for racecourses to be built over a period of years, staging Super Six in South Africa means that we can move teams seamless to the new tracks as they open.

• This would facilitate the strengthening of the South African breeding industry with a secure long-term demand.  Enabling improvement of the breed with increased budgets for breeding stock acquisition and collaboration in securing stallions to shuttle between the northern and southern hemispheres.

Super Six is delighted to announce team sponsors for this exciting and ground-breaking Inaugural Raceday and their colours as follows:-

Team	Body Colour	First Cap	Second Cap
Autoimmune Warriors	Pink	Pink	Purple
Drakenstein Stud	Light Blue	Light Blue	White
Dromex	Yellow	Yellow	Black
Team G Racing	Red with Yellow Circles	Red	Yellow
Klawervlei Stud	White	Green Spots on White	White Spots on Green
Summerhill Equine	Red, White and Blue	Dark Blue	Grey

Following on from the Inaugural Raceday, Super Six and Gold Circle will work towards staging the first full series of Super Six Racing.

Finally, Super Six Racing would like to thank Gold Circle and all team sponsors for their outstanding support in such difficult and unprecedented times – without which this Inaugural Raceday would not be possible.

Andrew Harrison

CAPTAIN FONTANE had garnered a reputation before he even set foot on a racetrack and he gave credence to those views with a smashing victory in the last at Hollywoodbets Greyville today.

A comfortable winner on debut, that form was rubber-stamped when runner up Hail Columbia hacked up at Hollywoodbets Scottsville last Sunday.

Today’s performance was something out of the top drawer as Garth Puller’s charge spread-eagled the opposition, putting five lengths of daylight between them.

Missing the kick, Lyle Hewitson managed to slot him in on the rail and hold his position. But once off the false rail, Captain Fontane extended like a really good horse to win as he liked.

A pricey yearling purchase, Captain Fontane is owned by Hong Kong-based trainer David Ferraris and his partner C.W. Hui. With Hewitson having completed an extended if fruitless spell in Hong Kong, he will be in a position to give Ferraris valuable feedback and the green light for the Far East may well be flickering.

 There are few riders that can get a horse out of the gate quicker than the rest. Anton Marcus is a past master and anything drawn wide that prefers to race handy and is on the rail before the opposition has woken up to the fact that they are in a race.

The Ghan may have, in the end, have proven to be a touch superior to his rivals as Marcus made plenty of early use of him, giving him a breather up the hill before skating away to win the second.

The race was the second leg of a double for the rider and Brett Crawford’s assistant Peter Muscutt as Marcus had employed similar tactics in the card opener as he catapulted odds-on favourite Deep Thought out of the gate and was never there for the catching.

That was two favourites home before the wheels came off as far as many punters were concerned.

Aquae Sulis, second at her penultimate start but never sighted last time up, started the rot as she got home comfortably for Mike Miller with Ashton Arries breaking an extended drought.

Born To Perform was the next favourite to bite the dust and was never in the hunt as Hexatonic and champion jockey Warren Kennedy got the better Special Blend inside the last 50m.

Hexatonic and Aquae Sulis (R42 on the tote) both returned 14-1 on the books.

One can count on one hand horses that have made it past 100 visits to the track in the past two decades, but at nine years old Putchini is still playing the right tune as he notched his 11^th success from 112 starts. Ivan van Wyk has never been shy to run his charge who at times has run twice a month for six months in succession, testimony the geldings iron constitution.

DAVID THISELTON
ST. John Gray (pictured) and Sherman Brown both rattled off hattricks at Turffontein Inside yesterday and one leg of the double they had together was Dance Class, who has now won five in a row and is threatening to become the next black-type earner in a Gray-owned family whose star member was Dance Class’s close relative, Dancewiththedevil.
The latter looked to the casual observer to be a useful handicapper halfway through her four-year-old season before beating a Grade 1 winner in a Graduation Plate and then proving that was no fluke by winning the Grade 3 Acacia Handicap, the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes and the Grade 1 Laurie Jaffee Empress Club Stakes within a period of six weeks. 
She later won the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and the Grade 1 Sansui Summer Cup.
Dance Class, who won over 2000m yesterday carrying 57,5kg off an 87 merit rating, has a long way to go to match those feats.
However, being a late maturer is not the only similarity she has to Dancewiththedevil.
Firstly, she is by the same sire, Modus Vivendi, and is out of the five-time winning Jam Alley mare Dance Alley, who is a half-sister to Dancewiththedevil.
She is not quite as classy as Dancewiththedevil was but like her, she is not tall but is strong and has a tremendous turn of foot.
She took a while to get going from a handy position yesterday but once she hit top gear she passed her full-sister Jive Express and then fetched the topweight Heartstwings to win by a comfortable 1,50 lengths.
Gray said in the post-race interview that her acceleration indeed reminded him of her famous three-parts relative and he concluded by saying she was not far off Dancewiththedevil’s class and would also be especially effective on the Turffontein Standside track.
Gray won the first two races at the meeting with the progeny of Bezrin.
The first-timer colt After Hours, who is a half-brother to the three-time winner Grindelwald, started favourite in the first over 1200m and ran on well under Brown to win by 0,75 lengths.
The filly Feather The Nest, who is out of three-time winning Announce mare Nesting Call, ran on well in the second over 1200m and just held on under S’Manga Khumalo to convert odds of 5-1, having been backed in from 13-1.
Gray owns and bred all three of his winners. 
Brown’s other winner was the favourite for the third over 1200m, the Paul Peter-trained Var filly Way Of The World. 
Peter scored a treble for the second time in five days and both Khumalo and Piere Strydom rode doubles.