Another treble for Marshall
PUBLISHED: August 24, 2015
The Vaughan Marshall yard are firing on all cylinders…
Vaughan Marshall is in unstoppable form at the moment and he can trace the roots of it to that desperate day eight weeks ago when he scratched all nine runners because the stable was in the grip of a respiratory virus.
If that decision sowed the seeds of his current success he is certainly harvesting the rewards. His Kenilworth treble on Saturday was his second of the week and the last six Cape Town meetings have seen him saddle 14 winners.
He recalled: “The virus had been hovering over me for a while but then it got bad for about ten days during which I decided to take the drastic route. It has paid off, the horses are fit and we are cracking on with them.”
Ken Truter was able to celebrate his 60th birthday in style (“My wife told me to pace myself but it’s not easy!”) with all-the-way scorer Even Better and Paladin while MJ Byleveld completed his own and the stable’s treble on the four-month absent Exelero in the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap.
Zubbadubbadoo’s bid to make it five in a row in the last-named raced proved an expensive anti-climax. The 16-10 favourite never got into it and finished with only two behind him.
Corne Orffer told the stipes that he felt there was something wrong and Brett Crawford said: “I am sure we will find that he is a little bit sore in the morning. He is not a sound horse.”
Langerman winner Ready To Attack ran a fine race over a distance too short for him to take fourth to the comfortable Glen Kotzen-trained winner Albarakah (Greg Cheyne) in the Mother City Handicap, particularly as he lost ground at the start and came back cut into on his left hind. But Justin Snaith wants to see further evidence before he starts regarding the colt as a Guineas horse.
It’s rare indeed for a Mike Bass winner to start at 50-1 but Spanish King surprised the stable as much as the punters under Jason Smitsdorff in the opening maiden.
Candice Robinson said: “He really disappointed first time out and we gelded him, but I wouldn’t have expected him to win this.”
Grant van Niekerk was seen at his determined best on the yard’s Beautiful Bird two races later although he modestly said he was lucky. Maybe he was but he certainly created his own. After repeatedly trying a succession of virtually non-existent gaps he thrust his mount into one that wasn’t there at all and, miraculously, it opened for him. The 15-20 favourite got up to beat fellow Drakenstein homebred Arabian Winter in the last stride.
Paul Reeves rode four of his near-300 winners on Lady Be Mine and her granddaughter Baby Be Mine brought the memories flooding back when leading just over 100m out under Robert Khathi in the 1 200m fillies handicap.
Michael Clower
Bass condition improving
PUBLISHED: August 24, 2015
Positive news on the condition of trainer Mike Bass…
Mike Bass is making significant progress in a Cape Town hospital as he recovers from the pneumonia and septic shock that came close to killing him.
His daughter Candice, speaking at Kenilworth on Saturday, said: “He is doing really well and he should be semi-conscious by this afternoon or tomorrow. We have still got a long recovery road ahead but he is doing much better.
“He is back on dialysis today and tomorrow because his kidneys are not yet working properly but he is now breathing quite well.”
Bass,70, had to have the lower part of his right leg amputated and apparently it was this operation that saved his life. According to son Mark, quoted by Mark van Deventer on tabonline.co.za, he would have died within four hours had he not been operated on, and he began to show improvement almost immediately.
There have been some concerns about how Bass will take the loss of his limb – he is a keen golfer and a man for whom the club championship looms almost as large as the Met – but his family have done some research and come up with cases of people who have been able to play just as well with a prosthetic limb as they did before.
Michael Clower
Can Zubba keep the streak going?
PUBLISHED: August 21, 2015
Zubbadubbadoo goes for five wins in a row at Kenilworth tomorrow…..
Zubbadubbadoo bids to make it five in a row in the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap at Kenilworth tomorrow and the handicappers have given him a chance of doing so.
They only raised him 1.5kg for last time’s half-length defeat of Captain Blackwater. Normally a horse that keeps winning can expect more and Corne Orffer’s mount has won all except the first of his five starts.
“When a horse is on a winning streak you always wonder if it is going to come to an end,” says Brett Crawford. “But he had been on a break before his last win so I think he needed it a bit and he is such an honest horse that it wouldn’t surprise me if he won again.”
Captain Blackwater is the obvious danger on 1.5kg better terms, particularly as he wasn’t raised for finishing second, but Global Destiny has place prospects at a better price. He went close last Saturday and Paddy Kruyer comments: “He went so well, and took the race so well, that I have decided to run him again.”
Langerman winner Ready To Attack is the name horse on the card and makes his handicap debut in the Mother City Handicap. Justin Snaith says: “I am running him here because we’ve got six weeks of racing at Durbanville coming up and I don’t want to run him there.”
However the 1 500m Langerman win was a significant improvement on what the colt had shown over this 1 200m on his previous start and Crawford’s Blow Me Away makes more appeal.
Vaughan Marshall sent out another three winners on Wednesday to take his tally to 11 at the last five Cape Town meetings and he can strike again with Twenty Four Carat in the first. Show Stealer looks a danger but don’t leave out Bold Aspen just because of last time’s flop.
“I can’t understand that run – and he pulled up sound – but he does everything too early at home so I want him to get cover here,” says Mike Robinson. “I am bringing him back to five furlongs which may also help.”
There is precious little to choose between Storm Front and Even Better in the All To Come Maiden and both have terrible draws. Storm Front gave away valuable ground at the start last time and so Marshall’s colt gets marginal preference.
Beautiful Bird proved expensive when odds-on at Durbanville – the course vet could find nothing wrong – and it could pay to give her another chance in the Place Your Bets Maiden.
By Micheal Clower
Aware of the pace
PUBLISHED: August 21, 2015
A closer look at a bumper ten race card at Greyville on Sunday….
Greyville stages a ten race meeting on the poly on Sunday and punters look to have some fair chances of earning some grocery money.
The first race starts at midday and Swakopmund cost himself last time by tearing away into a big lead and fading at Scottsville. He is the one to beat if he settles under a more conservative ride. Y’retheone was backed on debut and was bumped around at the start before running green and wide, so he could improve. Las Arenas has run one or two fair races in stronger fields and could earn. Lord Luton and Silver Green make most appeal of the rest.
In the second race over 1000m Grand Fantasy ran well last time and makes most appeal in this weak race. Masked Girl is consistently placed and might enjoy the step down in trip considering she appears to have breathing issues.
In the third over 1400m Joshua’s Answer improved last time over course and distance when slow away and running on well, despite over racing at one stage, and the form has been franked. Omega Onslaught has been thereabouts in both of his starts when handy or leading over 1200m. Leroy ran a fair race last time out and Keagan de Melo stays aboard from a better draw.
In the fourth over 1400m the hard knocking Seek The Summit could finally get it right in an uninspiring field with Anton Marcus up. Su Pa Suta has improved since being stepped down to this trip. Topaz Rain should also earn in this field. Ravishing Lilly is distance suited and could earn if producing her best. Swan Dance has gone off form since beating Seek The Summit a few runs ago over this distance at Scottsville and the latter has exacted revenge since then on one occasion.
In the fifth over 1400m Dutch Harbor has gone close here before over 1200m and last time out over this trip at Turffontein he showed excellent pace and was staying on before being swamped by some good horses. Beluga has been a touch disappointing but on pedigree should be suited to this step up in trip. Man The Fort was backed on debut but after showing fair pace he found nothing in the finish.
In the sixth over 1400m Roy Royale is the one to beat over a suitable course and distance from a good draw having come down to a nice merit rating. Lucky Break is course and distance suited and is also off a competitive merit rating, so should be thereabouts despite a wide draw. Mackdesi ran a cracker over course and distance on Super Saturday and now has a 4kg claimer up.
The consistent Salesman must have a shout but would probably prefer 1200m. Nitro Nori is eight-years-old and is on his highest ever merit rating but has always had the potential to live up to such a rating and has found consistency lately. Ho’oponopono is full of ability but is an unsound horse returning from a layoff over a trip he has never tried before. Supreme Power could earn over this suitable course and distance.
In the seventh over 1000m Panchatanta will likely attempt to make all and could well do so. However Aware is tipped to win despite being five points higher in the merit ratings from his last win as he should relish sitting behind a likely strong pace. Var’s Dream proved himself a fair sort last time when slow away and going close over 1000m at Scottsville in his first run out of the maidens off a merit rating of 83. Fire The Rocket and All True Man make most appeal of the rest.
In the eighth, a Novice Plate over 1600m, Translunar has been transformed since wearing blinkers and can go one better than his last three runs. Exit Here finished second to the top class Rabada in a Listed race before winning his maiden easily over 1400m on the poly and he will be a big runner too. Entrée is course and distance suited and well drawn.
Royal Union Jet impressed in his maiden win over 1400m at Scottsville and being by Jet Master is likely to relish the poly. Variety Romp is having just his second career start despite being five-years-old and will likely try and dominate from the off again, but would probably prefer further.
In the ninth over 1600m London Olympics has dropped to a competitive merit rating and jumps from pole position over a suitable course and distance. Chennai Babe went close in her Greyville poly debut over 1400m and on pedigree should enjoy the step up in trip.
Lady Lago won her maiden when stepped up to this course and distance but at the weights doesn’t have it easy being a young three-year-old. Fashion Wear won well at Scottsville last time in her third run after a rest but has to handle a seven point raise. Guest El Grande has the ability to win this if things go her way.
The tenth could go to the consistent Finding Neverland who is three points higher than her last win but now has Anton Marcus aboard over a suitable 1600m.
By David Thiselton
Acapulco attempts the Nunthorpe
PUBLISHED: August 20, 2015
Acapulco attempts to become another two-year-old winner of the Nunthorpe…
The strapping Wesley Ward-trained American filly Acapulco, who was highly impressive when winning the Gr 2 Queen Mary Stakes over five furlongs at the Royal Ascot meeting in just her second career start, will attempt to become the third two-year-old in the last 25 years to win the Gr 1 weight for age Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes over five furlongs at York tomorrow (Friday) and has been priced up as the 6/4 favourite with William Hill.
Legendary South African jockey Michael Roberts won the race on the two-year-old Richard Hannon-trained filly Lyric Fantasy in 1992.
Roberts recalled, “She was only two bricks and a tickey high, she was so small I could actually sit in the saddle and touch her ears, but she was very quick and I just sat off the pace and let them cut throats in front. I remember the owner Lord Carnarvon, who was the Queen’s racing manager, telling me that he had always told Sir Gordon Richards that no rider was allowed to ride any of his horses more than one pound overweight. I said ‘Thankyou Sir’ but still had to do a lot of wasting to make the weight!”
Roberts eventually did indeed ride the horse one pound overweight the carded 7 stone 7 pounds (about 47,5kg).
Due to the weight for age scale, which has only undergone minor alterations since formulated by Admiral Henry John Rous in 1860, Acapulco as a two-year-old filly will also be receiving a massive 27 pounds from older males, 25 pounds from three-year-old males and 24 pounds from the older females. However, as the weights are set higher across the board these days she will have to carry 7 stone 12 pounds (about 50kg).
The USA-bred Acapulco is by Scat Daddy (Johannesburg), who was the USA champion first season sire in 2011. Fittingly Scat Daddy is a Coolmore-owned sire and Acapulco is owned by the Coolmore partners Derrick Smith, John Magnier and Michael Tabor. Acapulco, unlike Lyric Fantasy, is an imposing “monster” who looks more like a four-year-old. However, she has tremendous speed and dominated the Queen Mary in the same way Lyric Fantasy did 23 years earlier to win impressively by 1,5 lengths (Lyric Fantasy won it by five).
Acapulco only ran once in the USA before flying over for the Queen Mary and she could only manage a 7,75 length third over 4,5 furlongs at Churchill Downs, but clearly needed it as she was rushed into the lead before fading. The defeat didn’t stop her from starting 5/2 favourite in the 20 horse field in the Queen Mary and duly converting those odds under the brilliant Ryan Moore. Ward took Acapulco back to the USA after Royal Ascot and she has been flown back in for the Nunthorpe. He had hoped Hall Of Fame jockey John Velazquez would take the ride, but he was unavailable, so another top class lightweight rider, the up and coming Puerto Rican 23-year-old youngster Irad Ortiz, has reportedly been engaged although he is yet to be declared.
Ward was lyrical about Acapulco’s preparation and said, ““Her coat is in amazing condition. She looks like a leopard, all dappled out and with spots everywhere. She is still doing some sensational breezes, just as she was before Ascot. She is doing everything right. I’m so excited. This would trump everything else I’ve achieved in racing, even at Ascot. To race a two-year-old against older horses is something that would never be contemplated in the States. People don’t believe it’s possible when I tell them what we’re planning. I’ve never felt I’ve had the right horse to do it in the past. This time I do have the right horse.”
The second favourite for the Nunthorpe at 5/1 with William Hill is the William Haggas-trained Muthmir, who finished a narrow third in the Gr 1 King’s Stand Stakes over five furlongs at Royal Ascot before being well beaten in the Gr 1 July Cup over six furlongs at Newmarket and then winning the Gr 2 King George Stakes over five furlongs at Goodwood.
The amazing Edward Lynam-trained five-time Gr 1-winning eight-year-old Sole Power, who won the Nunthorpe at odds of 100/1 as a three-year-old in 2010 and won it again as 11/4 favourite last year, is the third favourite at 6/1.
Muthmir will be ridden by Paul Hanagan and Sole Power, who was fifth in the King’s Stand and fourth in the July Cup, will have Frankie Dettori aboard as his regular rider Richard Hughes retired from the saddle after the Glorious Goodwood meeting in order to prepare for his new career as a trainer.
The first two-year-old to win the Nunthorpe was High Treason in 1953 and the last one to do it was Kingsgate Native in 2007. The race is littered with famous names, including “the flying filly” Mumtaz Mahal (1924), the great Abernant (1949,1950), Sharpo (who became the second horse to win the race three times (1980-1982), the filly Habibti (1983) and Dayjur (1990).
The race will be shown live on Tellytrack at 16h20 South African time tomorrow.
By David Thiselton