Distribution of weight would appear to be the key to Anton Marcus’s extraordinary ability to get horses fast away from the pens – an ability that has puzzled onlookers, profited punters and been the envy of rivals.

The four-time champion does it race after race, seemingly without having to ask his mounts to use up valuable energy, and they are invariably in a handy position within 200m no matter how badly they are drawn.

Close examination reveals that he doesn’t jizz up his mounts either in the pens or before going into them. In fact he sits remarkably still but when the gates open he rises high in the irons, bringing his weight well forward over the horse’s withers.

After no more than a couple of nudges with his hands his horse is running freely and easily – and doing so fast enough for him to be able to position it where he wants.

Most jockeys, finding that their horse is not going fast enough to get a positon, don’t rise at all and instead crouch low in the saddle and start pushing hard. This brings their weight significantly further back than it would be using the Marcus method.

It will be interesting to see if any of them switch to the Marcus way of starting and how successful they are at it.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Anton Marcus

Trainer Dean Kannemeyer has the five-year-old Silvano gelding Power King as well as he had him before his famous victory in the Vodacom Durban July in the build up to Saturday’s Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup over 2000m at Turffontein.

Power King will travel from Summerveld to Johannesburg on Friday and the one concern could be the altitude adjustment. It is generally agreed that horses raiding the Highveld from the coast will struggle at distances beyond a mile, but what is often ignored is that Summerveld is already a third of the altitude of Johannesburg and this could explain why horses raiding from that particular KZN centre have been successful in middle distance and staying races at Turffontein in the past.

Power King had an excellent seasonal reappearance, when flying up for second in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1200m on the Greyville turf on November 1.

Kannemeyer has not wanted to over exert him in his preparation and his next serious bit of work was last Thursday, when he had a gallop over 1200m on the Summerveld grass. “Boom, he was ready,” said Kannemeyer, who added big race jockey Stuart Randolph had also been pleased with the workout.

Power King has a plum draw of five and was only given a three point raise for his July win. He will still have to shoulder second topweight of 58,5kg off his 109 merit rating in what looks to be an ultra competitive race, so it is not going to be easy, but he is the fancy of a number of pundits and is the second favourite at 6/1 with Betting World.

There is about 23mm of rain forecast this week up to and including Saturday. Kannemeyer pointed out, “Power King won the Winter Guineas in soft going, finished second in the Winter Derby in the mud and won a Scottsville race on firm ground, so he can handle all conditions. He is a genuine horse with a big heart and his preparation has gone like a dream, he’s very well.”

Kannemeyer, whose main base is at Milnerton in Cape Town, has been with Power King at his Summerveld satellite yard this week.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Power King (Nkosi Hlophe)

If there is a surprise packet in the Gauteng SANSUI Summer Cup then Zimbabwe champion Yer-Maan could fit that bill and raise a few eyebrows at Turffontein on Saturday.

Imagine the scene with the St John Gray-trained gelding, Horse Of The Year in Zimbabwe in 2014-15, belying the 66-1 odds currently readily available about him with Betting World.

But for that fairy-tale scenario to have even a chance of developing, Gray is adamant the Quinton Riddle-ridden Yer-Maan must enjoy a strong pace from gate to wire, and he is conscious of the fact that in recent Summer Cups those who galloped handily off a slow pace were able to assume their positions at the business end.

Gray, who’s Dancewiththedevil plundered the race in 2011, opined: “My horse will start at long odds, but providing the pace is on from the start he will finish his race off powerfully.”

The trainer is not slow to criticise some of the rides given Yer-Maan in the past but has faith in Riddle, whose family are part of racing folklore in Zim. He added: “We have brought Quinton Riddle down from Borrowdale and he knows the horse well. The key is that this horse needs to be ridden in a specific fashion.

“Hopefully Quinton will ride the necessary race. Providing the pace is on and it doesn’t rain he’ll run well.”

Yer-Maan is a complete roughie with the majority of judges at 66-1 but Gray doesn’t think he is actually too far short in ability of his merit rating of 104.

He went on: “South African pundits have us believe he’s 10 pounds (5kg) inferior but I’m not certain that’s an accurate assessment.
In truth, his actual mark is somewhere between two (1kg) and five pounds (2.5kg) lower.

“Against that he’s an older horse and stronger these days. A lot of mine don’t like to be bustled early and are given an easy time after the start, and unfortunately guys here believe you need to be handy no matter what.

‘‘So if we don’t have a pace and they dawdle on Saturday we might be left a little flat-footed. On the other hand if they go quick and we have a strong pace he could finish off well, just like Dancewiththedevil did.’’
– Neil Morrice for TabNews

Most punters missed Albarakah when he scored at 25-1 at Kenilworth 11 days ago and, while you won’t get this sort of price in today’s ICA Laboratories Handicap, the remarkable seven-year-old should be a decent price and he has a real chance of winning again.

Greg Cheyne’s mount has won three of his last five, going up in the ratings from 74 to 89 in the process. He was raised five points (2.5kg) for last time but won comfortably, suggesting there is another win in him.

So how come the incredible improvement? “Tender loving care,” says a grinning Glen Kotzen but he is not joking. “At one stage Albarakah was rated 90 but he then had problems with his feet and last season we were going to retire him. But he is a happy horse once more and that means a lot.”

Forward Drive, seventh in the Magnum Cape Classic, reverts to 1 200m. “He had to be gelded because he was haemo-concentrating badly – his blood was like soup,” explains Paul Reeves, “and this run is to get him back.”

The tough little grey doesn’t know what it means to have an easy race so expect to see him up there all the way. However in the circumstances The Tripster, who probably needed last time’s run, may prove the main threat. He opened 3-1 joint favourite with Russian Speed yesterday with Betting World who went 7-2 Macduff and 5-1 Albarakah.

Overshadow stands out at 22-10 in the opening Macsteel Maiden  –  despite Grant van Niekerk riding 9-2 chance Mr Piscato rather than Jiggery Pokery – but he has been off for almost three months. Will he be ready enough? “I think so, yes,” answers Justin Snaith. “He is doing very well at home.”

Snaith and Donovan Dillon can follow up with Sabrina Fair (2-1) in the Investec Maiden 35 minutes later but watch out for Skip A Beat who started favourite for her debut last month only to lose ground at the start and run green. “She has come on since and she will be right there,” says Andre Nel who took his total to nine from 76 runs when La Favourari landed the odds in the first last Saturday. Skip A Beat opened favourite yesterday at 16-10.

Mr Bond’s chance in the Bradbury & Sankfin Handicap has been given a boost by the good Selangor run of Illuminator who was the only horse to beat him last time. Brett Crawford’s gelding remains on the same mark and looks the one.

However don’t be tempted into taking too short a price, certainly no shorter than the opening `16-10, because this is a cleverly handicapped race with several in with a chance after having their ratings adjusted. Notable amongst these are 5-1 chances Professor Brian and Another Idea.

Stable jockey Corne Orffer rides the badly drawn Bezamod (4-1) rather than form horse Silver Snaffles (18-10) in the Market Toyota Culemborg Maiden but apparently this is because of owner arrangements. “Silver Snaffles ran a good race last time [when second to Black Arthur] and I think he would be the stable select,” says Crawford.

By Michael Clower

A racing fairytale unfolded at Kenilworth on Saturday when the unheralded Gavin Van Zyl-trained KZN raider Budapest scorched to a dominating 4,25 length win in the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m under Anthony Delpech despite odds of 33-1.

While pundits were scrambling to find out who the gelding’s sire Lithuanian was, a vindicated few celebrated triumphantly in various parts of the world and their overriding thought was, “Yes indeed, he does have gears!”

The vindicated included ebullient owner Brian “Buffalo Bill” Burnard, trainers Gavin and Gareth Van Zyl, Budapest’s sales consigner Spencer Cook, Breeder Johan Loftus of Witzenberg Stud, Bernard Kantor, who owns Lithuanian, and Jannie Meyer, who stands Lithuanian at his Rietvlei Stud in Mossel Bay.

Spencer Cook began planning a pin-hooking strategy for the CTS Ready To Run Sale three years back. He was loathe to put himself under pressure by spending big money at the yearling sales, so scoured the Cape looking for “precocious colts” to purchase off the farms. He had identified the sire Great Britain as a precocious sire, so visited Witzenberg Stud who had a few by him. He failed to find any suitable Great Britains, but “Lofty” then whispered, “I do have this one very nice specimen, but unfortunately he is by Lithuanian.”

Cook recalled, “I liked him from the second I saw him.” He had to have him and forked out R30,000 for the youngster.

Cook broke Budapest in and was also the only person to ride him in the lead up to the sales.
The colt impressed him from the beginning and then came the unforgettable morning when he decided to “sprint him up”.
“I realised this horse had proper gears and he had an overdrive gear too.”

Cook was so excited he jumped off the horse, ran to his office and immediately dialled bloodstock agent John Freeman, asking him to pass on the message to Bernard Kantor in London that he had found a Lithuanian that was “very, very good”. Freeman was true to his word and inspected the horse on behalf of Kantor at the sale grounds.

Later, Cook bumped into Piet Steyn, who spoke highly of Budapest’s mother, the three-time winning Count Dubois mare Fashion File, whom he trained. Steyn was also impressed by Budapest. Then Cook had a chance meeting with Van Zyl and while sitting on a bale of straw discussing their respective career plans, he confided, “Gavin I know you are not going to believe me, but I have a proper horse for you.”

Van Zyl was impressed by the specimen, as well as by the rider’s breeze up gallop report. Later, Burnard reviewed the gallop and was determined to buy the horse.

Van Zyl secured him on behalf of Burnard for R160,000 much to the delight of Cook, who had made a handsome profit. Van Zyl revealed that Burnard had been prepared to bid quite a lot higher. Freeman’s final bid had been R140,000, despite his pedigree page “being quite light”.

Cook recalled one of his breeding friends asking him how he could sell a Lithuanian for that price and not feel guilty. His serious response to the quip was that “R160,000 for a champion was cheap”.

Budapest travelled from Summerveld last Tuesday under a bit of a cloud as his final gallop at Summerveld had been “moderate”. The connections had always felt anything better than fourth or fifth in the Lanzerac would be a bonus. Strangely enough, he had also put up a moderate gallop before his only previous win, an impressive 6,75 length romp in a maiden over 1200m on the Greyville poly.

The other concern was the starting stalls. He had to be schooled after rearing in the pens in one of his early starts. Gelding helped and he was fine for the next couple of starts, but then refused to load in his final intended preparation race for the Lanzerac. Malan du Toit and Michael Shaw worked with him and he was passed for the stalls shortly before the Lanzerac acceptances.

During Saturday’s race, standing on the deck of the Lanzerac Marquis, Van Zyl and Burnard were pleased with Delpech’s placing of Budapest, but then wondered whether he would “stop or go”.

“Then he increased … and increased … and we started to go mad in the last 200 metres!” recalled Van Zyl.

The defeated owners were all sporting, including big guns Chris van Niekerk and Markus Jooste. The latter told the connections the victory had been great for the game as it showed that every buyer had a chance.

Burnard has poured millions into his passion for racing and is a fine horseman in his own right.
Van Zyl has compartmentalised his training operation, with son Chesney in charge of the Turfontein satellite yard and son Gareth in charge of all of Burnard’s horses at Summerveld. Gavin oversees the operation as well as giving his full attention to the rest of the horses at Summerveld.

Delpech was glowing in his feedback on Saturday, mentioning the athletic bay’s range of gears. Budapest will now stay on in Cape Town for the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas.

Kantor bought the Australian-bred Lithuanian, by Nureyev, for Aus$525,000 as a yearling, and he won three races in eight starts between the UK and South Africa. He has had limited numbers of mares, but sired a Listed winner in his first crop (born 2008), Pacific Breeze.

Budapest looks likely to add more black type and it would be no surprise to hear the words, “He’s by the sire from Mossel Bay” once or twice later in the season.

By David Thiselton