The very tight inner city Happy Valley track has been the nemesis of many a visiting international jockey. Unlike the Sha Tin track, which is perfectly suited to a European style of racing, Happy Valley demands that jockeys bounce their mounts out as fast as possible and go hell for leather to the finish. Something that most visiting jockeys find hard to adapt to.

Gavin Lerena though, had no such problems.

Given a ride in the first by Tony Millard, Lerena showed that he is well equipped to race with the best of the locals, steering his mount Medic Swordsman into third, 0.75 lengths behind the winner and demoting fellow countryman and local hero Douglas Whyte to fourth.

Lerena went on as he had started and when he was legged up on Mr Right, number 8 and drawn 8, he certainly had all the Chinese luck on his side. Lerena stormed home and just got Mr Right up on the line, beating ST Yazin and Maxime Guyon into second.

His ride in the fourth and last leg, Superoi was considered his best and the Derek Cruz trained gelding showed just why. Urged to challenge the lead down the home straight by Lerena, he stormed home, winning comfortably by 0.75 lengths, with Lerena celebrating in true HK style.

That was enough to capture the Longines Hong Kong International Championship, with Lerena receiving the magnificent trophy and a cheque worth HK$500,000, roughly R1 million.

Lerena thanked Tony Millard who gave him the ride in the first enabling him to get used to the track. “It’s a very fair track and I had a great time. Thank you Hong Kong”, he said. “It is fantastic to be able to ride with such great jockeys”, he added.

When asked if he would consider following the likes of Dougie Whyte and Karis Teetan and ride in Hong Kong, Lerena said that he would certainly consider it if the opportunity arose.

“It’s a fantastic track, with a great atmosphere and it was my dream to ride here. To win the Challenge was just amazing! Two lucky eights, so I guess eight is now my lucky number too.”

By Liesl King

Justin Snaith, 41 last Thursday, needs just seven more winners to reach 2 000 and Captain Swarovski can take him a step nearer this notable landmark – and at a good price too – in the Itsarush.co.za Graduation Plate at Kenilworth today.

Justin Snaith (Nkosi Hlophe)

He also runs the four-month absent Harry Lime but stable jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe is on the Captain and Snaith says: “They are both very well but I think that Captain Swarovski would be the one on his gallop which was very impressive.”

This is an open race because a number of the eight runners unlikely to run up to their merit ratings. One that almost certainly will is The Tripster who has good recent form but, if the handicappers have got it right, he has one of the worst chances!

Light The Lights is best-rated and has 3kg in hand of the next best (Harry Lime). “He is better over further but his last run, which was over this trip, was good,” says Glen Kotzen. “It’s a very competitive race but I believe he is a big runner. After this he goes for the Jet Master on Saturday week and, if he qualifies, he will go for the J & B Met.”

Captain Nemo started odds-on at Turffontein on his last start for Geoff Woodruff and joined Brett Crawford not long afterwards. He has a chance on ratings. “I am still learning about him but he put up a nice grass gallop,” says his new trainer.

Silicone Valley is 1.5kg worse with Prince Of Thieves for the two lengths Aldo Domeyer’s mount beat him over this distance last month but Silicone Valley was repeatedly baulked that day and should be able to confirm the placings. He was 5-2 favourite with Betting World yesterday but there was money for Captain Nemo who shortened from 4-1 to 33-10. Light The Lights and The Tripster were next at 9-2 while the two Snaith horses were 6-1 chances as was Prince Of Thieves.

Harry Lime (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Dennis Drier-trained Ferrie is odds-on for the opening maiden. He is held in high regard and finished third first time but the same applies to Percival who looks value at 5-2. He would have finished a lot closer on debut had he got away on terms and Andre Nel spoke highly of him beforehand, saying: “He can run and he is very smart.”

Nel and Fillies Guineas hero Domeyer may also win race three with 18-10 favourite Keep On Chooglin who has won both his starts. He went up only 2kg for his last win and, given normal improvement, he should be able to give weight all round. Seymour is second favourite at 5-2 but Panga Panga (9-2) looks just as big a danger.

Tender Trip is 18-10 favourite but 4-1 chance Variance from the Vaughan Marshall stable has the form to win the Summer Of Champions Maiden. Brooklyn Brawler (12-10) could be another for Snaith in race five. However he will have to put his best foot forward if he is to beat Crawford’s 5-2 shot Rock On Geordies who showed promise on debut.

BLOB Michael Clower concluded last Friday’s Fillies Guineas preview by saying: “Our Destiny is probably best of the long shots.” She came second at 100-1.

By Michael Clower

Trainer Candice Robinson, assistant to her father Mike Bass, has confirmed the brilliant filly Silver Mountain will likely go for the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas on December 19 and thereby attempt to become the first filly to win this race since the David Payne-trained Little Ballerina did so in December 1993.

Silver Mountain (Kenilworth Racing)

An interesting statistic is Andrew Fortune rode Little Ballerina to victory in the Cape Guineas, while his son Aldo Domeyer is the regular pilot aboard Silver Mountain.

Other fillies to have won the Cape Guineas include the great Tony Millard-trained Empress Club (February 1992), the Geoff Woodruff-trained Star Effort (February 1991), Renounce (February 1965) and Response (February 1957). Star Effort remains the only horse in history to have won both the Cape Fillies Guineas and the Cape Guineas and Silver Mountain will thus attempt to become only the second to achieve this feat.

The Highlands Farms Stud-bred daughter of Silvano landed a plum draw of two in the Cape Guineas and after her devastating performance from a wide draw in the Fillies Guineas on Saturday, which inspired unbridled plaudits from pundits countrywide, she is likely to start favourite. She is likely to also be hot favourite for the inaugural running of the CTS Million Dollar on January 23.

By David Thiselton

Mike de Kock and Sheikh Hamdan won the 2014 renewal of the Secretariat Stakes with Mitraad (Aus) and they followed up at Turffontein on Saturday with Suyoof (Aus) who, like his stablemate, raced to an impressive victory under top weight of 60kg.

Suyoof is entered for the Gr1 Cape Guineas and Mathew de Kock commented: “We will see how he comes out of the Secretariat and play things by ear for the Guineas. Suyoof has all the ability but he’s still dumb, a bit green and due to his lack of maturity may not be up to it at this stage.”

Mathew also complimented replacement jockey Sherman Brown on a professional ride.

De Kock saddled another promising three-year-old Mooghamir (Gallileo) to a top-notch win in a MR78 Handicap over 1800m at Kenilworth on Saturday, considered as a pipe-opener with a view to the forthcoming Gr1 Cape Derby.

Jockey Anthony Delpech commented: “When Mooghamir saw Nebula sailing by, he woke up and took off after him. This was a notable win and he will improve more.”

Mike commented: “I like the way Mooghamir came back to beat Nebula. He’s a proper mile-and-half horse, he only got going properly at the 1800m mark. We brought him down to the Cape with Entisaar a few weeks ago and he settled very well here, based with Brett (Crawford) at Phillipi. He’s a horse that never stopped coughing back home but that seems to have stopped now.  We were considering the Derby for him and after this win we’ll be going for it.

Mikedekockracing.com

Picture: Mooghamir (Kenilworth Racing)

Mike de Kock’s latest recruits have arrived in Dubai and are currently in quarantine in the UAE.

The group, comprising Ertijaal, Liquid Mercury, Tellina, Mutamakkin and Al Mashooqa, as well as two new acquisitions Eisenhower (USA) and Winkleman (IRE), have all arrived safely and will be in quarantine for five days.

Most of the horses were trained by De Kock in South Africa but he also received two new acquisitions in Tellina and Liqiud Mercury who have joined the string for the 2016 Dubai International Racing Carnival.

Liquid Mercury is a four-year-old grey gelding by Trippi raised at Drakenstein Stud. Formerly in the care of Joey Ramsden, he’s won five of 11 starts, including the Grade 3 Cape Winter Derby. He was also placed in the Grade 1 Cape Derby – third to another Dubai-bound, Ertijaal.

One of the leading runners of his generation, six-year-old Maine Chance-bred Tellina has only four wins to show from 25 runs, but the Silvano gelding is a quality type with a Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas and the Grade 3 Wolf Power Handicap to his name. He has showed his mettle against the best for trainer Geoff Woodruff and has been unlucky at times, getting places in among others, the Durban July (third and fouth in respective years); and the J&B Met (fourth).

De Kock said: “Liquid Mercury is a smart sort. He was purchased for the stable from Joey Ramsden’s yard by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, while the well-performed Tellina was given to us for this campaign by Dr Andreas Jacobs.”

– mikedekockracing.com

Picture: Ertijaal (Liesl King)