Andrew Harrison

It was probably asking a little too much of Kingsmeads Krystl to take on winners in her first three starts, including two group races. She takes on maidens for the first time in the card opener on the turf at Hollywoodbets Greyville today and barring any springers amongst the first timers, she should take a lot of beating.

Alyson Wright’s filly was far from disgraced in any of those starts and in spite of finishing over a dozen lengths back to Desert Miracle in the Gr2 Golden Slipper, she was in the pack with the rest of them as Mike de Kock’s filly sauntered to an eight-length victory.

She makes her seasonal debut here coming off a 74-day break, and could prove a little too classy.

The scrap for the minor placings could be close. Sea Of Tranquility has come to hand of late and with the blinkers off she rates a strong chance in this line-up. Winter Journey has shown some recent improvement and was a beaten favourite last run. Fateful Mistress and Fearless Kitty are others to consider.

Duquesne Whistle finished runner-up on Monday but was still a runner here at time of writing. However, it would be a little surprising if she does make the start in the second and her defection would make it slightly easier for stable companion Claudina who has improved with every run. She is lightly raced and can bring some relief to the MJ Odendaal stable that has been finding the winner’s enclosure a little elusive in recent weeks.

Duncan Howells has opened the stable doors this afternoon and saddles 11 runners, starting with Sea Of Tranquility in the first. Next up is Shield Maiden in the opening leg of the Pick 6. The daughter of William Longsword is not half as talented as her half-sister Via Africa but she is lightly raced and appears to be improving with each outing. This step up in trip may be what she’s looking for. Indomavel may have found her last run too short and from a good draw will be a threat while New Orleans has not been far back in two sprints and should enjoy the extra furlong.

Howells saddles Naval Secret in the fourth and the gelding has come good for his new stable. He had a tough draw on the poly last time out and has pulled a better marble here although he will not be short of opposition in a race where most of the runners are in with a winning chance. Master ToBe has been much improved in blinkers and had tough draws at his last. Fromheretoeternity comes with some smart Highveld form over the trip but took a big jump in the handicap for her last win. Euphotic and Pink Floyd are others to consider.

A small field lines up in the fifth where Keep The Lights on reverts to Graduation company and looks the part. Sofia Erin is talented but has developed an aversion to the starting stalls. If the starter’s assistants manage to load her and she jumps she could be a threat. Mark Dixon sends out Vivid Jet who returns from a break. She is way better than her last two but may just need this outing.

Gavin van Zyl saddles River Doon in the sixth and it should pay to keep close tabs on the betting. She showed early ability and a promising return from a lengthy ten-month break after her maiden win. Roha has been taking on stronger on the Highveld and she was second best in a strong line-up last start and should make a bold bid here. Quepid has some useful form in strong company and Maris Corolina won well against weaker last start and although she steps up in class she is in good form and has another handy galloping weight.

Paul Peter has sent down a strong raiding party and Astrix can give a good account after running out a comfortable winner last time out. The blinkers seemed to have helped and from a good draw must have a strong chance. Native Tongue has smart form in good company. His last win was over this course and distance in a feature and at best should go close. Tristful is the best weighted runner and featured strongly in top company in Champions Season. He is likely to start favourite.

The Tony Nassif-trained Consol Queen is likely to start at long odds for the last where she faces a useful field. However, she has been showing steady recent improvement and off a light weight looks primed for this. Silver Maria is long overdue and has been costly to follow but she goes well over course and distance and must have a change of luck anytime soon. Princess Anastasia has threatened but yet to deliver but the blinkers come off and she steps up to what may be a more suitable trip and Aquae Sulis has come good of late and switches to what looks to be her preferred surface.

RACE 1: 3 KINGSMEADS KRYSTL   10 SEA OF TRANQUILITY   2 WINTER JOURNEY   6 FEARLESS KITTY

Preview: KINGSMEADS KRYSTL (3) contested two features last season. Her last run is best ignored and should go well if judged on her earlier form. SEA OF TRANQUILITY (10) has come to hand of late. The blinkers come off and she rates a strong chance in this line-up. WINTER JOURNEY (2) has shown some recent improvement and was a beaten favourite last run. FATEFUL MISTRESS (1) is a battling maiden but her recent form has been consistent and from a good draw can feature. FEARLESS KITTY (6) returns from a break but took on winners in her first two outings and was not too far back last run. (Andrew Harrison: 3-10-2-1-6).

RACE 2: 5 CLAUDINA   8 NOBLE NOVA   3 DUQUESNE WHISTLE   2 NATASHA ROSTOV

Preview: CLAUDINA (5) has improved with every run. Lightly raced and can make further improvement. Stable companion DUQUESNE WHISTLE (3) is long overdue. Consistent form and a 4kg claimer up should enhance her chances. NOBLE NOVA (8) has been holding form and stays the trip well. She must have a chance in this line-up, NATASHA ROSTOV (2) looks held by the first selection but is lightly raced and is up in trip for the first time. The stable is in form so cannot be written off. (Andrew Harrison: 5-3-8-2).

RACE 3: 5 SHIELD MAIDEN   4 INDOMAVEL   2 NEW ORLEANS   14 CASHEW

Preview: SHIELD MAIDEN (5) is coming along slowly and the step up in trip may be what she’s looking for. INDOMAVEL (4) may have found her last run too short. Better this trip from a good draw. NEW ORLEANS (2) has not been far back in two sprints and should enjoy the extra furlong. CASHEW (14) has a difficult draw but was narrowly beaten over course and distance last start and must have a decent chance on that showing. (Andrew Harrison: 5-4-2-14).

RACE 4: 6 NAVAL SECRET   3 MASTER TO BE   7 FROMHERETOETERNITY   13 EUPHORIC

Preview: Tricky handicap. NAVAL SECRET (6) has comes good for his new stable and had a tough draw on the poly last time out. He has pulled a better marble here. MASTER TO BE (3) has been much improved in blinkers. Tough draws for his last two and has a much better gate here. FROMHERETOETERNITY (7) comes with some smart Highveld form over the trip. Took a big jump in the handicap for her last win but looks capable of following up. EUPHORIC (13) has drawn wide and was never in the hunt from a similarly wide draw on the poly last outing. He has smart form in blinkers other than his last run and has a money chance. (Andrew Harrison: 6-3-7-13).

RACE 5: 4 KEEP THE LIGHTS ON   1 SOFIA ERIN   5 VIVID JET   6 FINDING FREEDOM

Preview: KEEP THE LIGHTS ON (4) has been rested but has some useful form in the best company. She may just need it but at best should go close. SOFIA ERIN (1) is not the easiest at the gate but is smart on her day. Will go close if she loads. VIVID JET (5) returns from a break. She is way better than her last two but may just need this outing. FINDING FREEDOM (6) contested two features before taking on maidens. Narrow winner but does looks promising. (Andrew Harrison: 4-1-5-6).

RACE 6: 3 RIVER DOON   6 ROHA   8 QUEPID   4 MARIA COROLINA

Preview: RIVER DOON (3) showed early promise. Made a promising return from a lengthy break and extra will suit. ROHA (6) has been taking on stronger on the Highveld. She was second best in a a strong line-up last start and should make a bold bid here. QUEPID (8) has some useful form in strong company. Stable has come out in force today. MARIA COROLINA (4) won well against weaker last start but although she steps up in class she is in good form and has another handy galloping weight. (Andrew Harrison: 3-6-8-4).

RACE 7: 2 ASTRIX   4 NATIVE TONGUE   10 GURU’S PRIDE   3 CALIENTE

Preview: ASTRIX (2) is the best weighted here and was a comfortable winner last time out. The blinkers seemed to have helped and from a good draw must have a strong chance. NATIVE TONGUE (4) has smart form in good company. Last win this course and distance in a feature and at best should go close. GURU’S PRIDE (10) has been off form of late but caught the eye behind Captain Fontane last start and with a 4kg claimer up must have a shout. CALIENTE (3) is seldom far back on the poly. Switches to the turf from a good draw. Should be right there. (Andrew Harrison: 2-4-10-3).

RACE 8: 9 CONSOL QUEEN   3 SILVER MARIA   1 PRINCESS ANASTASIA   10 AQUAE SULIS

Preview: CONSOL QUEEN (9) has been showing steady recent improvement. Light weight and looks primed for this. SILVER MARIA (3) is long overdue and has been costly to follow but she goes well over course and distance and must have a change of luck anytime soon. PRINCESS ANASTASIA (1) has threatened but yet to deliver but the blinkers come off and she steps up to what may be a more suitable trip. AQUAE SULIS (10) has come good of late. Switches back to what looks to be her preferred surface. (Andrew Harrison: 9-3-1-10)

Andrew Harrison

APPRENTICE RACHEL VENNIKER had an afternoon to remember as she booted home a treble for Michael Roberts at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday. Hardly more than three months into her professional career and she has tongues wagging and barring misfortune could well emulate the likes of Hollie Doyle and other outstanding internationally proven female riders that are easily holding their own in what used to be a male dominated profession.

Venniker still has to add polish and punch to her riding and her left hand but she does all the basics, placing her mounts and keeping her balance in the finish. It has worked for her so far and she hardly had to revert to the stick on the Roberts-trained Hatta, the first of her winners yesterday, as she went to the line basically hands-and-heels.

The combination was back in front of the microphone a race latter as Venniker produced another mature ride on the Roberts-trained Tupelo Honey.  It was Venniker’s third win in succession on the grey but instead of making all the running as in her two previous races, she was content to sit in off the pace as Philisande Mxoli set a good pace on Paul Peter’s runner Sacred Lotus.

The Highveld visitor looked to hang tough in the straight but Venniker always had the pacemaker in her sights as she moved off the inside rail on the turn, picked her spot and fired home.

Any doubts that Venniker was a one-trick pony where firmly put to bed two races later as she turned in another pearler for Roberts as she got Patronage to respond positively to her encouragement. No flailing whip needed even in the heat of the moment. Seemingly in trouble with challengers on all sides, Venniker kept her mount balanced and a few gentle right-handed reminders saw the gelding give of his best. 

In stark contrast to Venniker, Thabiso Gumede, soon out of his time, is equally talented but is all hustle, bustle and muscle and rarely gets beaten in a tight finish. He rammed it home on Not No Pussycat for Gary Rich as the filly looked to run in under pressure, winning in commanding fashion.

There is a hard truth in racing that a horse does not know its pedigree or its price. Tales Of Us has a blue-blood pedigree and cost a pretty penny at the sales but it took him four years to win his maiden and the prospects of another success seem limited going on the post-race comments of his connections.

Often a handful at home, the most damning indictment came from Keagan de Melo; “He doesn’t try too hard.”

That said, Byron Forster does a sterling job as Andre Nel’s KZN assistant for Sabine Plattner and does not often get the cream of the crop.

Ask any jockey who has been laid off for a length of time and they will tell you that it’s not easy getting back to full race-riding fitness.

Anton Marcus has still managed eight winners from just 45 rides this season and he showed that he was back in the groove on Bend The Rules in the second. In a ding-dong battle over the final furlong, Serino Moodley appeared to have got his measure as Royal Monarch edged ahead, but in one final desperate lunge, Marcus got Bend The Rules to respond one last time to get his nose in front.

Soft and still all leg according to Lorenzo Kariem who does a lot of the work for owner Mario Ferreira although Gareth van Zyl is carded as the trainer.

I’m not aufait with the rules regarding equipment changes but surely trainers should have it all in hand at declarations, well before the morning of the race. Rain Wear was carded to race in blinkers but yesterday at 8.16 am to be exact, race control was informed that the blinkers were coming off.

In the same race, although notified the day before, Roy’s Rocker was declared in blinkers. Roy’s Rocker improved to run third while Rain Wear was hesitant to go through a tight gap and finished out of the money. One cannot blame a trainer for playing by the rules, but surely the rules regarding late equipment changes should be tightened. It’s just not fair on the punter who does not have access to the late changes.

David Thiselton

THE DOUG CAMPBELL-TRAINED SIYA VUMA WON impressively at Hollywoodbets Greyville last week and it was revealed he was the subject of a rare mix up in the mating shed, which has led to some relatively small-time owners with a dream horse on their hands.

Siya Vuma was bred by Hartley SA, which was owned by a businessman from China named Mr Guo, whose breeding and racing interests in South Africa were looked after by long-time industryman Peter Gibson.

Gibson decided to send Hartley’s broodmare Reigning Queen, a placed horse by King Of Kings, to Mauritzfontein Stud-based stallion Byword.

The mare was brought back to Bruce Le Roux’s Spring Valley stud and gave birth to a big chestnut colt.

Byword was a chestnut himself so he looked to have stamped this one.

However, when the DNA analysis was done at Ondestepoort by Professor Alan Guthrie and his team, they quickly realised the foal could not have been sired by Byword.

Further analysis showed him to have in fact been sired by Ideal World, Mauritzfontein’s high profile and highly sort after stallion.

Mauritzfontein’s then Stud manager Guy Murdoch was contacted and upon checking his records realised there had indeed been a mix up and the mare had been sent by mistake to Ideal World.

Gibson said, “I am internally grateful to Guy Murdoch and Mauritzfontein for honouring the original transaction. It was a fortuitous mix up because Byword has subsequently been retired and Ideal World has continued to produced Group 1 winners. This is one of those stories that makes the dream industry so wonderful to be a part of.”

Hartley SA later had a dispersal of their bloodstock and Gibson and a racing friend of his Jan Scholtz bought the colt. 

They later put him on the CTS Premier Yearling Sale but he did not reach his reserve. 

Earlier, one of Doug Campbell’s owners Preggie Vandayar learnt in an article on Turf Talk that Doug’s greatest dream was to train a July winner. 

Later, when Vandayar’s Campbell-owned horse Eden Gardens Glitz was in the winner’s enclosure for the second time, he made a promise to Campbell that if this horse won a third race, he would buy him that July winner he dreamed of.

Eden Gardens Glitz has gone on to win six races but after the third of those wins Vandayar was true to his word and the search for the “July winner” was on. 

Gibson’s father Ian was one of Campbell’s first owners back in the early 1970s when he was training for gymkhana events, so he has had a long association with the family. 

Campbell mentioned in passing to Peter that he was looking for a “July winner” and shared the story behind it. 

Gibson recommended the big colt. 

Campbell was immediately interested as he had trained Siya Vuma’s talented half-brother Highway Eightyfive, a gelding by Kahal who was ultimately moved up to Johannesburg and won four races in total. 

Campbell also knew Siya Vuma’s maternal grandam Melting well as she had stood at the Somerset Stud of a good friend of his, the late Alan Sutherland.  

When Campbell saw the colt, he was so impressed he agreed to give Gibson and Scholtz three months free keep while he put together a partnership. 

He said, “It did not take long to put the partnership together.” 

Vandayar took the majority share but also gave Campbell a share and after listening to Gibson saying he had “a feeling about this horse” he allowed him and Jan Scholtz to keep a share and to bring Ian Gibson into the partnership as well. 

Nathan Godden, the father of jockey Tristan Godden, who lives across the road from Vandayar, also took a share. 

Vandayar named the horse after a crime-fighting group in the Empangeni-Richards Bay area and divulged that the Zulu name translates to English as “We agree.” 

He explained that during traditional healer consultations the doctor will continually ask the question, “Uyavuma?” and the patients will reply, “Siyavuma (we agree).”

Vandayar had often discussed with friends naming a horse Siya Vuma and when one of the latter, Yaseen Ebrahim, heard a horse had been thus named he asked for a share too, so he and his wife Fozia also became members of the syndicate. 

 All members have embraced the partnership with great enthusiasm and not only have a WhatsApp group but also have a song about Siya Vuma which they sang in the parade ring after his win last Wednesday. 

Gibson said Siya Vuma had always walked beautifully and stood over a lot of ground. When he runs these assets combine into a big action, which had jockey Warren Kennedy most impressed. 

“I think he is smart, he gave me a good feel”, he said after the win. 

Siya Vuma lengthened his big stride at the top of the straight after being taken to the front in the 1400m poly track maiden. For such a big, rangy horse he displayed an excellent kick at the 300m mark to draw clear of the only challenger Red Sole and beat him by 2,80 lengths with the third-placed horse beaten 9,30 lengths. 

The handicappers were impressed and awarded him a 93 merit rating which might give him a tough task if he runs in a handicap next. 

Time will tell but the owners are going to enjoy the ride wherever it takes them. 

David Thiselton

SOME changes recommended by the South Africa’s Pattern Committee have been put in place for the first part of the season and if they are viewed as positive might be included in the subsequent racing program too.

The first of the changes is aimed at aligning the class of a handicap pattern event to the class of the potential winners. 

To achieve this a benchmark of 52kg for pattern handicap events has been instituted.  

The hoped for effect is that a Listed class horse will have a better chance of winning a Listed handicap event, a Grade 3 class horse will have a better chance of winning a Grade 3 handicap event and a Grade 2 class horse will have a better chance of winning a Grade 2 handicap event, while the Grade 1 handicaps will favour the best horses.

Got The Greenlight is the highest rated horse on the Highveld. However, the introductions of the 52kg benchmark means that if he runs in a Listed handicap, where the 52kg benchmark will pertain to a merit rating of 98, he would have to carry 66kg; if he runs in a Grade 3, where the 52kg benchmark pertains to a 102 merit rating, he would have to carry 64kg; and if running in a Grade 2 where the 52kg benchmark pertains to a 106 merit rating, he would have to carry 62kg.

This means horses of lesser class will have a better chance of beating him the lower the status of the race. 

The committee recommended the 52kg benchamark to pertain to a 110 merit rating for Grade 1 handicaps but this will not effect the WSB Summer Cup.

Instead a change has been made to the Summer Cup whereby the weight range has been changed from 52kg-to-60kg to 54kg-to-60kg with the highest rated horse carrying 60kg.

This will obviously make it harder for a lesser horses to win Johannesburg’s traditionally biggest race.

In the last five renewals some of the results would have been effected if this change had been in place.

In 2017 the winner Liege carried only 53kg but won by 2,25 lengths so would have won the race if having to carry 54kg anyway and Fort Ember carrying 56kg would have also finished second. However, the next four finishers, Coral Fever (52kg), Pagoda (52.5kg), Girl On The Run (52.5kg) and Orchid Island (53.5kg), would have all been beaten on paper by French Navy, who carried 57.5kg and was beaten only 3,65 lengths. 

In 2018 the winner Tilbury Fort carried the minimum weight of 52kg and would have beaten the 0,60 length runner up Dawn Assault, who carried only 52.5kg. However, both of those horses would have been beaten on paper if they had had to carry 54kg by the 0,80 length third-placed Cascapedia, who carried 54.5kg.     

In 2019 the winner Zilzaal carried only 52kg and would have been beaten on paper by the runner up Soqrat, who carried 60kg and was beaten only 0,40 lengths. The next five runners, Al Mutakawel, Queen Supreme, Atyaab, Roy Had Enough and Green Haze,  all carried 52kg and on paper four of them would have been beaten by eighth-placed Barahin, who carried 59kg and was beaten only 2,85 lengths. 

In last year’s race the only significant change would have been Dance Class, who would have finished sixth instead of fourth, and Tierra Del Fuego and Atyaab would thus have come up a place to fourth and fifth respectively. 

The Pattern committee’s recommendations that a limit on the number of merit rated points a horse can be raised in the first two big feature races of both the Highveld and Cape seasons has also been implemented in order to attract three-year-old runners. 

Last year Mount Pleasant was raised to a 127 rating after winning the Grade 2 Jo’burg Spring Challenge. The hitherto unbeaten 112 merit rated horse was raised 15 points after beating the respectively 126 and 127 rated pair Cirillo and Chimichuri Run.  

The three-year-olds running in this year’s Grade 2 Jo’burg Spring Challenge will not have to fear being burdened with the huge merit raise that Mount Pleasant received. This year’s race allows a winner to be penalised a maximum of eight points and placed horses cannot be penalised at all.

Mount Pleasant’s next two poor performances after the Spring Challenge had nothing to do with his rating as they were three-year-old level weight classics, but the high merit rating did effect him in his next outing in the Grade 2 Senor Santa Stakes (merit rated band conditions), despite him by then having been lowered to a 120. The initial 127 merit rating would also have limited his options for preparation races into the Grade 2 WSB Gauteng Guineas. 

Another change recommended was to alter the conditions of all pattern races over 2400m to merit rated band conditions and limit the merit rating raise for the winner to a maximum of six points. It was also recommended placed horses should receive no merit rating raise at all. This would have the effect of encouraging stayers, some of whom might be average at lesser distances but have then been slapped with big raises for running second or third in a staying feature. Those big hikes would have then negated against them returning to lower division races over any distance. This recommendation has only been partially implemented.