Mystical Twilight can make amends for last time’s disappointment and score at a rewarding 5-1 in the Gold Circle Graduation Plate at Durbanville today.

MJ Byleveld’s mount has the form to win as he had Met day Listed winner Buckinghamshire nearly two and a half lengths behind in the SA Nursery in April.  He was an easy winner of maiden over this course and distance two months ago but things went wrong when he started second favourite here last time.

“He got bumped coming out of the gate and I think you will see a vastly improved performance this time,” says Vaughan Marshall. “I believe he will like the five furlongs even though you wouldn’t expect that from his pedigree.”

Buckinghampshire comes out nearly two lengths better on adjusted ratings and opened at 9-10 with Betting World yesterday but he has been off for over 11 weeks. “He will run very well although I think he is better over a little bit further,” says Justin Snaith.

Ernie, who started favourite when fourth in the Langerman and is 3-1 here, also has strong claims but he has not raced since June. “It’s not so much that he will need the run but that it’s a bit short for him,” says Candice Robinson. “He has been gelded since his last race.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe had three winners on Saturday and he should waste little time in striking again because his mount Duke The Duke looks capable of beating fellow 5-2 joint favourite Barnstable and Rit Mo Total (28-10) in the first.

He can also win race three on Durban Beach who opened at 9-10. The gelding has not raced since starting odds-on for his debut ten months ago but bookmakers have long memories and they have not forgotten how the money poured on this one. “He was a precocious, speedy type,” Snaith recalls. “But his knees came up after that first run so he has had a long break. He is a nice type of horse.”

Snaith also trained the Darryl Hodgson pair Cardinal Call and Chennai Space when they made their January debuts but neither has raced since. Chennai Space has the better chance of the pair according to the bookies and Betting World had him second favourite at 5-2 yesterday. “I think he will probably need the run,” is Darryl Hodgson’s verdict.

Ravishing Lad doesn’t have the same potential but is expected to go close and the 7-1 chance could be worth a small place bet. “I am going to put cheek pieces on him and he will go to the front,” says Mike Stewart. “When Richard Fourie rode him here in July he was beaten less than half a length into third. Richard told me that he had the second and third stone cold but the horse wouldn’t go past them.”

Midnight Spy, 5-2 joint favourite for race four, was only caught on the line when running a cracking debut here a fortnight ago but Taffety Tart (also 5-2) has slightly stronger form and is preferred.

Big Ed has run well over shorter distances in his last two races but Shane Humby’s five-year-old is in his element over 2 400m and looks another for Fayd’Herbe in the Gold Circle Handicap. However yesterday’s 14-10 looks short enough.

By Michael Clower 

Picture: MJ Byleveld

The Australian-bred Aces United will bring South Africa a world first today in race nine at The Vaal when running with a breathing device invented by Dr. Ralph Katzwinkel of the Summerveld Equine Hospital.

Katzwinkel emphasised that the device is not at all performance enhancing, rather it allows the horse to receive sufficient oxygen and therefore perform to its natural ability. The National Horseracing Authority (NHA) has approved the device.

Aces United  ran second in his first two starts over 1000m at Kenilworth to two decent sorts in Equity Kicker and Tomba La Bomba.

Then on L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate day he won over 1200m. However, he has not run since J&B Met day, where he was well beaten over the same course and distance.

The well-bred four-year-old colt by Lonhro was starting to become anxious at both the races and in training and sweating up in the ring until eventually one day he finished extremely distressed and wanted to fall over.

It was then discovered that he had a rare condition, which can usually not be detected when a horse is at rest, called “a fourth branchial arch defect.” It apparently occurs at a rate of two horses in every 20,000 and the end result of the condition is that a horse does not receive sufficient oxygen while galloping.

Aces United not surprisingly scoped normal at the Sales. Katzwinkel was only able to pick up the cause of the problem through the use of an Overground Exercise Laryngoscope, a device which transmits a live video of a horse’s throat while at full gallop.

A fourth branchial arch defect, or “four bad”, is a congenital condition affecting the fourth branchial arch.

It is a malfunction in the upper airways whereby the nerve endings and muscles do not develop properly. This leads to multiple defects in the upper airways. Horses who have had surgery in an attempt to solve the condition inherently do not do well.

Katzwinkel and his team first performed a “permanent tracheotomy” on the horse. This is where a permanent opening is created and in Ace’s United case the opening was made high up on the neck just behind and between the jaw mandibles.

When Aces United was put back into work, it was discovered the opening was acting like a valve and was collapsing. In other words the horse was sucking the opening closed.

Katzwinkel had Aces United transported from Cape Town to Summerveld in order to find a solution to this problem. He consequently invented a removable plug to keep the incision open. The device is covered with gauze, so that no dirt can enter the opening.

The device worked very well and the horse has not made any noises in training since it was applied and he is no longer showing any signs of distress either.
– David Thiselton

The profitability issues of staging Western Cape racing is again in the spotlight after racing operator Phumelela issued a warning to local owners and trainers that unless field sizes were boosted up to 12 horses and above per race, stakes might be reduced or meetings shelved.

The topic of field sizes evokes a divergence of views. Stats in the Western Cape bear out the virtually universal trend that horses are being run less often and field sizes have come down. Nine is the average field size at Durbanville, with around 10 runners going to post in each race at Kenilworth.

Heavily invested owner Marsh Shirtliff is adamant his horses must run as often as possible and field numbers must increase. He downplays the supposed impact of dodgy draws, a common reason for horses not taking up engagements, and is instead advocating fuller participation to promote a well-supported, sustainable local racing scene.

But, more typically, owners or trainers are reluctant to race horses from bad draws. No owner likes to see their horses fare badly, and draws can be tough to overcome, even if not the insurmountable problem they are sometimes made out to be. Critics may also cite the awkward camber that can see runners at Durbanville become unbalanced. The threat of their valuable bloodstock sustaining a career threatening injury may prompt cautious connections to keep them tucked away safely in the stables.

Mooted improvements to the racing surface at the country course would make a significant difference, meanwhile when racing reverts back to the flatter, sweeping expanses of Kenilworth next month, field sizes ought to bump up.

The racing programme, which currently comprises 84 meetings and 694 races across the season in the Western Cape, is also a continual source of debate. Racing secretaries find that it’s virtually impossible to keep everybody happy. Depending on the shifting composition of their strings, trainers may want more top-level handicaps or lower grade contests, races for stayers not sprinters, or set weight affairs races rather than merit rated handicaps.

For example, Candice Robinson, who is skillfully managing the Mike Bass stable, counts Shirtliff among their most prominent patrons and would love to oblige by running horses more regularly. However, she is currently frustrated by the lack of viable opportunities for their many above- average horses, who are caught out by being just not quite good enough for feature races.

While field sizes are an issue, at the heart of the controversy is the need to boost betting revenues which makes the wheels of this racing game go round. The Western Cape, where close to 1500 individual runners compete each season, is one of the lowest per runner contributors when assessed against betting turnovers. This, despite being home to quality thoroughbreds, outstanding horsemen, a proud tradition of historic stakes races and a sterling breeding industry.

Western Cape racing has much in its favour, and resilient industry players who have risen to multiple challenges over the years are again committed to sorting things out. Recent meetings suggest that, be it dealing creatively with the draw issue, administrators imaginatively tweaking the racing programme or genuine improvements being made to course conditions, a collaborative solution with the operators will be found.

– Mark van Deventer for TAB News

The R1 million Supreme Cup sponsored by SAP will not become defunct due to the discontinuation of the Vaal Sand, but instead will be raced on turf, although the venue is still the subject of discussions.

Clyde Basel, who officially became Phumelela’s Racing Executive on October 1 while still retaining his position as Executive in charge of hospitality and events, said the Vaal Triangle was an “untapped” racing area and the validity of staging the Supreme Cup at The Vaal racecourse had already been proven. This year’s event, held September 26 and sponsored by the enterprise software giant SAP, was said by some to be the best ever.

The Vaal looks likely therefore to be the favourite to retain the Supreme Cup meeting.

The Vaal Sand will be replaced by a turf track. It was a sad day for many to see the end of the Vaal sand, because the surface clearly offered a lifeline to many horses who were going nowhere on the turf.

However, a R1 million turf race over 1450m on the last weekend of September could well offer an exciting springboard for big horses being targeted at such races as the Gr 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile and the Gr 1 SANSUI Summer Cup.

Also under discussion at Phumelela will be the building of a polytrack. Basel said the merit of such a surface had already been proven at Fairview, whose polytrack had to date saved 15 racemeeting since being opened in October 2013.

By David Thiselton

The promising Alistair Gordon-trained three-year-old Dupont gelding Bunker Bill is being targeted at the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein on October 31 and will certainly not be lacking support as there are a crowd of a passionate racing folk involved in the ownership syndicate behind him.

Gordon said the strikingly handsome bay’s participation in the Graham Beck would depend on the draw he lands and an alternative target would be the Listed KZN Guineas Trial over 1600m on the Greyville Turf on November 8.

He added, “He came out of his last run really well and I think he is looking for the extra distance.”

Bunker Bill was having only his third career start in that last race over 1200m at Scottsville and finished just 2,75 lengths behind the Gr 1-winner Guiness, who is an out and out sprinter. Furthermore, he was receiving only 4,5kg from Guiness, which meant he was 2kg worse off than weight for age, so it was an outstanding performance. He also had the promising newcomer Executive Power beaten by two lengths.

Further evidence of Bunker Bill’s potential is contained in his maiden victory over 1200m at Scottsville, which he won in commanding style by eight lengths on July 15 in his second career start. This race has provided one of the strongest maiden formlines of the season in KZN as the runner up African Ruler is unbeaten in two starts since, third-placed Land Of Legends has won his only start since, and fourth-placed Apollo’s Gift has won and been placed second respectively in his only two starts since.

Bunker Bill looks likely to provide fun for a group of owners who deserve a good horse as they are avid supporters of the sport.

He also has a heart-warming story behind him.

The cousins and close friends Bruce Armstrong and Peter “Pumpy” Lambert raced Bunker Bill’s dam Promise Me together with Alistair Gordon and his wife Jeannet. Under the experienced care of Gordon, Promise Me proved a consistent sort and won one race over 1450m at Clairwood, while also running several places ranging from 1200-1600m. Her career spanned three seasons from June 2008 until September 2010 and she ran 22 times.

The connections then struck a deal with breeder Mark Greene, giving her away on the condition they could in turn have her first foal for racing.

Greene was at that stage boarding his mares at the Sandown Stud farm of James and Joy Armitage in Stellenbosch.

Dupont, a son of Zafonic, has always been a good value sire having produced three stakes winners and nine stakes placed horses from 198 foals, 73% of which raced, while 45% of those runners won.

Among Dupont’s stakes winners was the Gordon-trained Lady Magpie, who won the Gr 3 King’s Cup over 1600m in 2011. Among the boys she beat that night was the subsequent J&B Met winner Martial Eagle.

Promise Me’s twice Gr 1-winning sire Labeeb was a big loss to Sumerhill Stud when passing away in 2006, having produced 12.5% stakes winners to runners, including four stakes winners and seven Black-type performers, in his first crop of just 31 foals.

James Armitage revealed that Bunker Bill was a “fantastically good looking foal from the word go.”

He appeared to be a natural and Armitage added, “When he was sent to Alistair he looked as good as any horse going to the yearling sales but hadn’t even been prepared for the sales.”

Bunker Bill has turned out to be amazingly well named. Most could be excused for believing he was named after Peter Lambert’s ebullient father Bill, who is known as KZN’s “Mr Racing” and sometimes by the nickname “Bunter.” However, the horse was in fact named after Mark Green’s father-in-law.

Peter Lambert decided to lease his share to Greyville’s “Box B”, which is usually the rowdiest box on course being frequented as it is by Peter and his twin brothers Ian and David and their equally festive friends. Gordon’s stepson “JP” Coppez and his wife Bronwyn have also taken a share. Bunker Bill therefore has a huge and passionate support base.

Meanwhile, Mark Greene has set up Ndoro Stud on leased land in Wellington, which was once the residence of the late Godfrey’s Gird’s JSE Listed Stud operation Oaklands.

He will be looking forward to the future progeny of Promise Me, which to date includes an unraced two-year-old colt by Warm White Night and a younger filly by Twice Over. Promise Me is currently in foal to Judpot.

In other Gordon yard news he confirmed that the three-year-old Argonaut gelding Beat The Retreat needed his run on Sunday at Scottsville when third to the two classy sorts Split the Breeze and Executive Power in a Graduation Plate over 1200m and added that he was looking for a lot further. Gordon believes Beat The Retreat, who finished 1,5 lengths at level weights behind the Equus Champion Two-year-old colt Seventh Plain in both a Gr 2 over 1100m and a Gr 1 over 1400m last season, will go a mile or even 2000m and is targeting him at the KZN Guineas Trial.

The yard’s promising three-year-old Trippi colt Monte Christo is being aimed at handicap over 1400m at Scottsville on the 18^th of this month.

Gordon is the longest standing trainer at Summerveld and has been associated with many good horses in his time. His yard, having had an upturn in fortunes last season, look to have good prospects for this season and Bunker Bill could well be leading the charge.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Bunker Bill (Nkosi Hlophe)