Garth Puller has a good regard for his four-year-old Fort Beluga gelding Sea Urchin, who won impressively at Greyville’s PinkDrive meeting on Friday night under Anthony Delpech. Sea Urchin is not the only Fort Beluga to have done well under Puller’s care and it is not surprising the former jockey great has a few of the ill-fated stallion’s progeny in his Summerveld yard as he rated this Sean Tarry-trained son of Fort Wood very highly after winning on him in his first two career starts.

Sea Urchin started his career as a four-year-old due to a joint chip. On his debut over 1000m on the Greyville poly on August 23, he was backed in from 25/1 to 10/1. However, he lost two lengths at the start and was detached at the back of the field when turning for home, before running on fluently and overtaking all but the easy winner, the promising Swakopmund. In his next start on October 11 over 1000m at Scottsville he started even money after being backed in from 4/1 but, after hitting the gate and losing two lengths, he was once again outpaced before flying home for a 1,15 length third to Bagger Vance.

Sea Urchin (Nkosi Hlophe)

On Friday night at Greyville over 1000m on the poly, his third career start, Sea Urchin was backed in from 5/10 to 1/3 and broke well for a change from pole position, which allowed him to find a midfield position under Anthony Delpech. He then got better and better the longer the race went and strolled home a comfortable winner.

Puller admitted Sea Urchin had not beaten a strong field and the handicappers have duly merit rated him only 68. However, he confirmed the horse was looking for further, so this gelding is definitely one to follow until beaten because he strikes as a horse, who from this handicapping starting point, could run up a sequence of victories.

Other of Fort Beluga’s progeny Puller trains include the three-time winners Fortissimo and Call Me Maybe, as well as one-time winner King’s Affair and the twice-placed from just three starts, Enchanted Bay.

Current national champion trainer Tarry for a long time rated the luckless Fort Beluga the best horse he had ever trained.

Puller rode him in his first two career starts, both at Clairwood, and immediately rated him a horse with multiple Gr 1 potential after victories of six lengths and 2,5 length victories respectively over 1200m and 1450m.

Fort Beluga won his first four starts but then calamity struck. Starting 18/10 favourite in the 2006 Gr 1 BSA Cape Guineas, an upset in the stalls prior to the race saw him finishing unplaced 30 lengths back and the experience had a negative influence on his subsequent racing career. He still managed to achieve another two wins so ended a six-time winner over distances of 1200m – 1600m. He never earned black type, despite attaining a highest merit rating of 105, but at least looked to have a promising stud career ahead of him as he had a fair female line with his dam by Northern Guest having also produced Gr 2 eight-time winner Hundred Acre Wood and stakes-placed Joshua Tree and Magnolia Lane, all of whom were also by Fort Wood. Alas, Fort Beluga had only covered for one season at Bruce le Roux’s Spring Valley Stud when he was struck by lightning, so was fated to only ever produce one crop.

By David Thiselton

National champion trainer Sean Tarry’s first ever raid of Port Elizabeth turned into a magnificent success as he finished one-two in Fairview’s biggest race, the Gr 3 Algoa Cup over 2000m, with the four-year-old Seventh Rock colt Stonehenge and the five-year-old Jay Peg gelding Orchestrated.
Julius Mariba rode a fantastic race on Stonehenge, who led from start to finish.
Mariba sent his mount to the front from a wide draw when adjudging there was not much pace on and dictated the gallop in the windy conditions. He remained patient after turning for home, waiting until the challenges were coming thick and fast before asking Stonehenge the question. The colt kept on finding to keep the like of Krambambuli, Symbolik, Mountain Master, Gothic, Masterly and Current Event at bay. Orchestrated then flew late down the inside and only just failed to get to his less fancied stablemate, losing by a head. The Justin Snaith trio Masterly, Krambambuli and Current Event filled the next three places and were all within a length of the winner.
Stonehenge was actually officially 2kg under sufferance and started at odds of 8/1. Krambambuli started joint 7/2 favourite together with with the eventual seventh-placed Mountain Master.
Stonehenge was bred by Daytona Stud and is owned by the Seventh Rock Syndicate.
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong the former South African-based Mauritian Karis Teetan rode a treble, including winning the Gr 2 $HK 4 million Premier Bowl over 1200m on the top class Able Friend.
– David Thiselton

Two horses displayed their Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup credentials over the weekend, the Mike de Kock-trained Dynasty colt Alghadeer at Greyville when winning the Listed Jonsson Workwear Michaelmas Handicap over 1900m on the Greyville polytrack under Antony Delpech, and the Joey Ramsden-trained St. Tropez on the Turffontein Inside track, whose magnificent turn of foot saw him cutting through a Pinnacle Stakes field over 1800m like a knife through butter under Andrew Fortune.

Greyville was awash with pink at Friday night’s PinkDrive meeting. The generosity of the sponsors of race 2 to 9 on the card (Klawervlei Stud, Sean Tarry Racing, Investec, Drakenstein Stud, Jonsson Workwear, Varsfontein Stud, Cape Thoroughbred Sales and Gold Circle) enabled Gold Circle’s Racing and Marketing Executive Graeme Hawkins to present a cheque of R300 000 to PinkDrive, who work tirelessly in aid of the worthy cause of breast cancer awareness. Additional money was raised through an auction and donations and the big and appreciative crowd enjoyed a plethora of live entertainment laid on for the night.

In the Michaelmas the four-year-old Dynasty colt Alghadeer didn’t get the best of starts from the widest draw in the 12 horse field but Delpech persisted with the plan of going to the front and once he had got there, at about the 1400m mark, the horse settled well. However, his supporters would have been a tad concerned that too much use had been made of him as he had to come three wide around them on the turn. Meanwhile, the four-year-old Frank Robinson-trained Dynasty filly Olma, who was giving Alghadeer 3kg, had found the perfect position one wide in about fourth place, just behind the fancied Master James.

However, Alghadeer found a fantastic kick in the straight and then kept on resolutely, and Olma, despite running on well on the outside, never quite looked like getting to him. In the end she was beaten a length by her paternal half-sister in what was yet another triumphant result for the leading sire Dynasty. The Royal Rhumba came from last to finish third, just pipping the courageous seven-year-old gelding Penhaligon, who was having his third run after an eight month rest. Alghadeer, who was bred by the Gary Player Stud and is owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was steady in the betting throughout as 4/1 favourite, while Olma was backed in from 14/1 to 9/2 and Master James, who finished fifth, started 11/2.

Alghadeer (pictured) only ran off a merit rating of 92. However, Delpech rates him a good horse and reckoned he could win a Gr 2 or Gr 3. That does not say much for his Summer Cup hopes but the manner of the victory, in which he found extra after his early exertions, could see him in with a shout if he is able to sneak into the field with a light weight.

The other two most impressive winners on the card were the Garth Puller-trained four-year-old Fort Beluga gelding Sea Urchin and the Paul Lafferty-trained three-year-old Warm White Night gelding Apollo’s Gift.

Sea Urchin was having just his third career start in a 1000m Maiden. He broke well for the first time in his career and strolled to a comfortable victory under Delpech, which suggested he would prefer further. Being a four-year-old and therefore favourably weighted in this maiden according to the weight for age scale, he will not be given a high merit rating and could run up a sequence of victories.

Apollo’s Gift was having only his fifth career start in a MR 74 Handicap over 1000m and won effortlessly to give Delpech a meeting hattrick.

Craig Eudey and Alec Forbes got the meeting rolling when the improved Kildonan gelding Buster Brown powered to an easy victory in a 1400m Maiden in his 17^th career start at odds of 8/1. The Dennis Drier-trained 15/10 favourite Ricochet Flyer faded tamely to finish unplaced.

The Drier yard made amends in the second, another Maiden over 1400m, as the hard knocking four-year-old Ashaawes gelding First Sea Lord finally got it right in second time blinkers in his ninth career start to just get up under a strong ride from Sean Veale at odds of 3/1, beating the Doug Campbell-trained 18/10 favourite Shine Up by a head. The Charles Laird-trained first-timer by Visionaire, Stokvel, ran on well for third and is one to keep an eye on.

Wendy Whitehead’s fantastic recent run continued as the four-year-old Kahal filly Thanda, who started at 15/2, put the bad luck of her last start behind her and under a good ride by Forbes won the third race, a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1400m, after fighting off the Michael Roberts-trained Chinese Whisper. The favourite Queen Of Thrones almost fell to her knees at the jump and finished tailed off.

The fifth race might have seen a world first, because all the jockeys wore the same colour silks, pink. It didn’t stop the great commentator Craig Peters delivering a faultless call with the only the colour of the caps to go on. Doug Campbell kept his good form rolling in this race as the Overlord filly Overlap and jockey Keagan de Melo recorded a quick 1600m polytrack double, having won together over course and distance four weeks earlier. She started at odds of 6/1. However, she ended up Tote favourite after original favourite Let It Rip was scratched at the start.

In the seventh, a MR 82 Handicap over 1000m, the Robbie Hill-trained Tiger Ridge gelding Bengal Boy surged through late to give De Melo a meeting double and deny Campbell’s Fire The Rocket a course and distance double. However, the horse for the notebook is the Sean Tarry-trained Arabian National, who was unable to make use of his  blistering early pace after a tardy start and instead pulled for his head in behind horses. He still looked likely to win when running on well, but had no answer to the winner’s late charge and was just pipped for second.

In the ninth, a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1000m, the hard knocking Kumaran Naidoo-trained Querari filly Simla overcame an outside draw before powering clear and easily converting 16/10 favouritism under Ian Sturgeon.

At Turffontein on Saturday, the classy four-year-old Silvano gelding St. Tropez was having his first start since staying on for second under a bit of a weak ride in the Gr 3 tabGold 2200 on Vodacom Durban July day. He was always travelling well under Andrew Fortune in midfield and turned it on impressively in the straight before staying on resolutely to repel the persistent pacemaker Ahlaam. St. Tropez looks likely to love the 2000m course and distance of the Summer Cup and the long straight should suit his style.

Another impressive winner at Turffontein was the Mike de Kock-trained three-year-old Tiger Ridge gelding Noah From Goa, who overcame a wide draw in a MR 74 Handicap to win by 6,25 lengths,  giving Delpech his fourth winner on the weekend. This was Noah For Goa’s first start on turf and his only defeat in three starts to date has been in a Non-Black Type feature over the too sharp 1000m on the Vaal sand. Saturday’s win could earn him a place in this Saturday’s Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m, although he is unfortunately drawn widest of all among the 27 horses still standing their ground.

– David Thiselton
– Picture: Alghadeer winning the Michaelmas Handicap at Greyville on Friday night (Nkosi Hlophe)

Chevauchee could well jump straight from a maiden to a Grade 2 on Saturday week after fully justifying her exalted home reputation in the opener at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Despite losing significant ground at the start she was able to lead 300m out and come away under not much more than hands and heels to win easing up.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe reported: “This is a very smart filly and she is going to get better over further. We are expecting quite a bit from her.”

The Australian-bred is by the dual Derby winner High Chaparral out of a Danehill daughter of Irish Oaks winner Knight’s Baroness. She is owned by the Ridgemont Stud of Magnum boss Wayne Kieswetter.

Joey Ramsden said: “I have only had one horse before that could outrun the treadmill and that was Variety Club. This one can do it too and I will definitely consider the Choice Carriers.”

Vaughan Marshall is gearing Exelero back towards the big time after the way the Byleveld-ridden 12-1 shot disposed of the big names to win the Pinnacle Stakes in a time only a third of a second outside the course record.

He said: “Exelero is now showing us what he was showing early in his career. I am prepping him for the Cape Merchants on November 14 and then we will see how good he is.”

Heartland, the 7-2 favourite, disappointed but the course vet found him short behind. Justin Snaith, though, reckons that Prince Of Wales is an Investec Cape Derby contender even though Donovan Dillon’s mount only got up close home in a blanket finish for the seven furlong maiden.

He said: “This was over the short run-in with a tail wind. Over ten furlongs on the summer course he will be ten lengths better.”

This was Snaith’s 50^th winner of the season and was the fastest half century of his meteoric career. Brother Jonathan reckons this is the fastest 50 that any South African trainer has ever achieved.

Stable companion Petala, who justified favouritism in the 1 400m Progress Plate, goes for the Choice Carriers but Snaith doubts her ability to get a mile in the Fillies Guineas.

Ovidio, who completed a double for Sean Cormack and a treble for Snaith in the Woolavington, was stepping up in trip and is expected to stay further.

Snaith said: “It has taken a lot of work to get him here – it hasn’t been plain sailing by any means – and we have had to do a lot of building.”

Consequentially started favourite for the Place Your Bets Maiden won by Grant van Niekerk on the Bass-trained Seventh Sister but finished plum last. She hit the rail before the straight and fell back as she became unbalanced. Darryl Hodgson, Hassen Adams and Chris Puller had better luck with Valediction in the six furlong fillies maiden.
– Michael Clower
– Picture: Ovidio winning the Woolavington at Kenilworth yesterday (courtesy of SportingPost.co.za)

Three of the last nine Cape Classic winners have gone on to triumph in the Cape Guineas and Greg Ennion aims to make Eighth Wonder the fourth after the way the Captain Al colt totally defied his lack of support in Saturday’s Magnum test to spring the biggest Classic shock in 15 years.

Nobody wanted to know the Moutonshoek-bred who drifted ominously from 12-1 to 20-1. Just about the only ones who showed any interest were owners Ockie Schoeman and Braam van Huyssteen, the latter watching on his phone in the Twickenham rain.

But MJ Byleveld was able to make light of a terrible draw and send his mount on just inside the final furlong (“I was impressed with the way he quickened”) to beat the strong-finishing Rodney by two and a quarter lengths with 5-2 favourite Hard Day’s Night less than half a length away third.

Ennion said: “He won this very comfortably and he is only going to get better from now on. This was his third run for me and today was the first time he wasn’t exhausted afterwards – previously he was absolutely b…ered.

“I don’t know about the Selangor on November 21, although obviously I will have a look at it, but our mission all along has been the Guineas. So too is the Derby because he is going to go over ground.”

Ennion has been training for almost 40 years but big race triumphs have been hard earned – and equally hard to come by – and he is understandably intent on making the most of it now that fortune is smiling on him, reflecting: “We can all train the good ones but it’s a question of getting them – and for small yards that is almost impossible.”

Rodney will go for the Selangor and the Guineas with Aldo Domeyer reporting: “He ran on well but this was too short for him.”

Hard Day’s Night, who went to the front just under 400m out but never looked like pulling away, has the CTS Million Dollar carrot influencing future plans. “The Selangor?” queried Joey Ramsden. “Who knows? The sales race is worth so much money.

“But I was pleased with Hard Day’s Night. While I wouldn’t want to take anything away from the winner, I honestly thought mine ran well because he was totally not wound up.”

Purple Mountain (fourth) and fifth-placed Brilliant Crimson both ran far better than their big starting prices would suggest and Candice Robinson said: “Brilliant Crimson would definitely prefer a mile, he is improving and he will be a better horse in six months’ time.”

Forward Drive, much happier allowed to bowl along in front, coughed afterwards but that may not have been significant as Ian Sturgeon said: “He was a bit bubbly and I am sure this will bring him on.”

Captain Chaos hit the pens as he jumped – he lost five lengths according to the starter although the commentator put it at 12. However Justin Snaith was even more brassed off than Ronnie Sheehan, in his case because of the way the race was run.

Snaith said: “It turned into a sprint – Bernard Fayd’Herbe (sixth on Aspara) said he had never been so fast round the turn – and I don’t train horses for races like that.”
– Michael Clower
– Picture: Eighth Wonder winning the Cape Classic at Kenilworth yesterday (courtesy of SportingPost.co.za)