Rising star Donovan Dillon is moving from Durban to Cape Town to become first jockey to Michael Robinson.

He said: “I will also be riding a lot for Mr Snaith and I have good support behind me from a couple of other Cape Town trainers.”

Dillon, 21, has ridden nearly 130 winners including this year’s Lonsdale Stirrup Cup on Solid Speed and he finished second on Melliflora in last Saturday’s Thekwini Stakes. He has impressed a number of the Summerveld-based Cape Town trainers in recent months.

Robinson, who will have around 50 horses this season, said: “I need a jockey who can ride work for me every morning and give me feedback. Donovan looks naturally gifted and he has been riding a lot for my father-in-law Doug Campbell who speaks highly of him.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Donovan Dillon (Nkosi Hlophe)

Mike Azzie will rest his Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes winner Rabada and give him his African Horse Sickness (AHS) vaccinations before aiming him at the R2 million Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein on October 31. He will then possibly send the Summerhill Stud Brave Tin Soldier colt to Cape Town for two big Gr 1 events, the Grand Parade Cape Guineas and the Investec Cape Derby.

His Premier’s Champions Stake third-placed Go Deputy colt Abashiri will also be rested and given his AHS vaccinations. He will then be aimed at next Autumn’s Triple Crown.

Azzie also has big race hopes for Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes runner up Melliflora and his older horse Deputy Jud.

His Summerveld Champions Season string were on their way back home to Randjesfontein yesterday.

Azzie has no doubt the unbeaten Rabada will stay the 2000m trip of the Cape Derby and said, “Anton (Marcus) has always maintained that is the trip he is looking for and that he would be best on a galloping track. We didn’t give him any stamina work at Summerveld, we kept his work short and sharp, because of the nature of the 1400m and 1600m races he ran in at Greyville. We haven’t seen the best of Abashiri yet. He is one very serious horse and is a very exciting prospect for the future. If you analyse the way the race panned out on Saturday, when he wanted to make his run he had to be switched out and come eight or nine wide into the straight. It could otherwise easily have been a different result. He was not as sharp as Rabada because the penny hasn’t dropped with him yet and when it does the sky could be the limit.”

Azzie didn’t allow the one week postponement of Super Saturday to add any pressure and simply took the view that everybody was in the same boat.

He said about the Querari filly Melliflora, who ran on well from midfield for a 0,25 length second in the Thekwini, “She is gangly and immature and I have not let up on her, so now that I can give her some down time I think she will do some developing and blossom. I think she will also prefer a galloping track and the way she cruised to victory at Scottsville in her previous start has made me quite excited about her.”

He was also pleased by the Judpot colt Deputy Jud’s 6,5 length eighth in the Gr 1 Champions Cup over 1800m and said, “It was an improved performance and I have been given permission to do what I have wanted to do for a year, geld him. I think he will now keep his mind on the job and do what he’s supposed to do.”

Azzie said he had left Summerved with “heavy feet”.

He elaborated, “It is the best training centre in South Africa. It is away from the humdrum of racing and the fact that my unsound horses came sound there speaks volumes for the tracks. I love KZN, the staff and people are so friendly and always make our visit pleasurable.”

Azzie became emotional in the winner’s enclosure on Saturday when talking about his own staff and this includes his younger son Ryan who has recently joined older son Adam as part of “The Azzman” team. Yesterday he could not help drawing a parallel between his two sons and the Snaith brothers Justin and Jonathan, whose results as a team speak for themselves.

He said, “Ryan was always the one who spent most time at the stables with me as a kid, but is business orientated and always has his finger on the pulse. Adam is laid back and will not allow the silly things that have sometimes worried me to get to him. I will one day be more in the background offering advice because together I think they will make a formidable team.”

By David Thiselton

One of the country’s most underrated sires, The Scott Brothers’ USA-bred Storm Cat stallion Mogok, had the fourth Gr 1 winner of his career when the Mike de Kock-trained Wild One stormed home on Saturday to convert favouritism in the country’s premier staying race, the eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m.

Mogok was originally owned and bred by the one of the world’s most prominent racing families, the Niarchos’s.

The Scott Brothers seized an opportunity to bring in a stallion with a magnificent international pedigree when noticing Mogok up for auction on a French Sale as an unraced two-year-old.

The Niarchos family are known for their high quality band of broodmares. The Scotts had also noticed Mogok had been given two wind operations before attempts to race him were abandoned. Therefore, they knew the connections must have thought a lot of him.

Another bonus was that, as a mere two-year-sold, he would have a long stud career ahead of him. Indeed, despite having already thrown eleven crops, he is now only 15 years of age, so has a good few seasons still left in him.

At the time of Mogok’s purchase, Storm Cat was one of the most expensive stallion s in the world at around $400,000 a service with no guaranteed return.

His female line was even more attractive. Mogok is a half-brother to Machiavellian, who was one of the leading sires in Europe. His third dam is Natalma. The dam of the possibly most influential sire in the history of the thoroughbred breed, Northern Dancer

Mogok is also a half-brother to two French-based Gr 1 winners, Exit To Nowhere and Coup de Genie.

Furthermore, close to the time of the Scotts’ purchase, Mogok’s family produced a winner of one of the world’s most prestigious races, the Gr 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, with the Niarchos-bred Nashwan colt Bago.

Robin Scott pointed out breeding was not an exact science, “it’s luck”, and what separated a good stallion from the also rans was that when a big horse was produced they were “very big.”

However, in Robin’s opinion, Mogok could well have been a champion sire if standing in the Cape, where the mares are of superior quality.

Mogok has not only produced four Gr 1 winners from the lesser KZN mares, but two of them have taken on some of the best in the world and beaten them. His daughter Gypsy’s Warning won a Gr 1 in the USA, while The Apache won the prestigious Gr 1 Arlington Million, beating many international Gr 1 winners, before being demoted to second after an objection. The Apache also finished second in two Gr 1s in Dubai, having earlier won a Gr 2 there.

Yet Robin is of the belief that the big, strong and rangy Mogok colt Orbison, who downed the like of Pocket Power and Bold Silvano when winning the Gr 1 Champions Cup of 2010, was even better than The Apache. Unfortunately, Orbison broke down in Dubai and never raced again after leaving South African shores.

Wild One has benefitted from a long layoff and is at present as sound as a bell. His versatility has been displayed in his last three starts, finishing second in both the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m and the KZN Breeders Million Mile before winning the Gold Cup over 3200m. He is still lightly raced, despite being six-years-old, and looks to have a bright season ahead of him, although a lot could depend on the punishment the handicapper hands him for Saturday’s win.

Meanwhile, Scott Brothers have another blue-blooded formerly Niarchos-owned stallion standing on the farm, Eightfold Path. He is owned by the Chinese national Hui Guo. Eightfold Path is by six-time Gr 1 winner and three-time American champion sire Giant’s Causeway out of the European Champion Kingmambo mare Divine Proportions, who won five Gr 1 races in France. Guo has a few broodmares on the farm too and is likely to be looking ahead to when China unbans horseracing, which looks to soon become a reality.

ThereEightfold Path showed tremendous speed to win a Gr 3 over six furlongs as a two-year-old in France and after going wrong he came back to win a Listed event over a mile as a five-year-old. Robin believes he could become an important sprint stallion.

Mogok and Eightfold Path stand for bargain fees of R20,000 and R10,000 respectively.

However, Robin did divulge that he would likely be more selective with the mares he accepts for Mogok this season.

Robin and his brother Des have a proud history in breeding over nearly a half-a-century and are seldom out of the news. Their success is based on a combination of careful stallion selection and a high quality broodmare band. On top of the imported stallions, they have also brought in excellent pedigreed mares from USA and Europe.

The first of these imported mares was Ofa (Ribot), who produced the mighty Durban July and dual J&B Met winner Politician. Others were Carnet De Dance (Dance In Time), who went on to produce July and Dubai Duty Free winner Ipi Tombe, and Northern Banner (Nothern Dancer), who produced July-winner Teal.

By David Thiselton

Picture: eLan Property Group Gold Cup winner Wild One (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Equus Horse Of The Year elect Futura and last season’s Horse Of The Year Legislate have both arrived safely at Drakenstein Stud where they will enjoy a one month holiday before being brought back for the Cape Summer Of Champions Season.

The Justin Snaith-trained pair of five-year-old Dynasty entires finished first and third in the Gr 1 Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville on Saturday. Futura put in a phenomenal performance and will thoroughly deserve the country’s highest accolade. He hit the starting gates before they had opened and this caused him to lose ground.

Snaith revealed the reason for him hitting the starting gates was probably due to getting a fright when Legislate alongside him kicked the back of the gate. Legislate did the same in the IOS Drill Hall Stakes and had to be scratched after his foot became momentarily stuck between the two back gates.

However, Gold Circle reacted to this and a subsequent incident by padding the back gates with rubber, which not only softens the blow but also prevents the foot from slipping through, and this paid dividends in respect of Legislate on Saturday as he ran his race and was beaten fair and square by two firecrackers.

After losing about a length-and-a-half Futura had to be used up significantly by Bernard Fayd’Herbe to get into the desired handy position. The effect of such fuel burn is usually revealed in the latter stages of the race, but not in the case of Futura, who must have a massive engine on top of his athleticism and wonderful action.

Ice Machine, who was given the perfect tow by Legislate until being switched out at the 300m mark used his tremendous turn of foot to overtake Futura and looked to have the race in the bag, especially considering he had the peerless Anton Marcus aboard. But amazingly Futura fought back under hard and superbly rhythmical driving from Fayd’Herbe to snare Ice Machine on the line.

Ice Machine has blossomed in the Charles Laird yard and deserves a Gr 1 victory. There looks to be no reason why he can’t continue racing as a seven-year-old, especially as he is by Silvano, whose progeny get better with age.

Snaith paid tribute to the gallant Futura, whom he felt beforehand would be in tip top condition and he proved correct.

Part-owner Jack Mitchell pointed out that one of Furura’s best career runs was in the Vodacom Durban July, considering he had carried a welter 60kg.

Both Snaith and another part-owner John Freeman paid tribute to Futura’s groom, Cyprian Mkhonowana, who gained some fame in 2008 because the decision to fly him in from Cape Town half-way through the Champions Season appeared to turnaround the fortunes of the filly he was devoted to, Dancer’s Daughter.

Drakenstein are part-owners in both Futura and Legislate and will be looking forward to them standing at stud one day, although not before they have likely added more big race success to their already glittering CV’s. They have now each won four Gr 1’s apiece and Futura has won the Champions Cup two years running.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Legislate left Futura right (John Lewis)

Duncan Howells landed his second Gr 1 victory of the Champions Season when retaining his crown in the Thekwini Stakes over 1600m at Greyville on Saturday with the Elusive Fort filly Lauderdale and jockey Muzi Yeni has certainly grabbed the opportunity of being stable jockey to this powerful yard with both hands as this was his second Graded race win for them in the space of two weeks.

It was the third time Howells had won the Thekwini and was his first Gr 1 winner for a new owner in the yard, Brian “Buffalo Bill” Burnard, who also won this race with the Gavin van Zyl-trained Along Came Polly two years ago.

Lauderdale, who was bred by Dr Jim Antrobus, was pin-hooked by Allan Bloodlines at the Cape Thoroughbred Sales (CTS) March Yearling Sale last year for a mere R40,000. The filly is from the second crop of the Fort Wood stallion Elusive Fort, whose first crop filly Siren’s Call went within a stride of landing this year’s Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara. Lauderdale was later bought by Burnard on the Bloodstock South Africa Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Sale for R220,000.

Lauderdale was sent off at odds of 12/1 on Saturday.

Howells said after the victory that he had been confident of finishing in the first three, “If you watch her last race she broke well from a good draw and then was kept out the whole way, so she had to race flat out the whole 1400m and it was very difficult for her to finish the race. I knew she was crying out for the 1600m and also knew she is quite precocious in herself so thought this would make it a lot easier for her to get a good position before holding her up and making a sprint for home. Muzi, I must hand it to him, rode a great race.”

Yeni got Lauderdale right up there from the off from his tricky daw of eight and it then panned out perfectly when the big striding Mike de Kock-trained Persian Rug went to the front as this enabled Yeni to shadow her about a length behind.

Persian Rug stretched away impressively in the straight and looked to have it won until being confused by the grandstand shadow and digging her toes in. This must have been a heartbreaking moment for owners Nathan Kotzen and Steven Jell, who are assistant trainers to De Kock and own the Ideal World filly together. However, it enabled Lauderdale to pounce from the perfect position on the outside and stay on to win by 0,25 lengths from the Mike Azzie-trained Querari filly Melliflora, who ran on well from midfield under Donovan Dillon. Persian Rug did amazingly well to pick herself up and run on for third and she will undoubtedly be a big horse for the classics this season.

The favourite Chestnuts N pearls, who won the Gr 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m, stayed on for tie fourth with Flying Ice, who was the other hard luck story of the race as she had to be brought around them into the straight, then switched inward and was a bit tight for room in the last few strides.

Howells commented on how strong Lauderdale was for her age and is an admirer of her honesty. She will qualify for the country’s hitherto richest ever race, the CTS Million Dollar, which is due to be run over 1400m at Kenilworth on January 23 next year. She also qualifies for the R2 million Ready To Run Cup over 1400m at Turffontein on October 31 and will likely go for this season’s fillies classics .

The Burnards were unusually not on course on Saturday having had a family celebration to attend to on their farm, but were represented by on course presenter Warren Lenferna, who has a long association with the Howells yard.

Yeni’s first graded win for the Howells yard was with Cosmic Light in the Gr 2 Debutante Stakes over 1200m at Greyville on July 18. This was another feather in cap for Howells’ partner Cathy Rymill, who selected her at the National Yearling Sale where she was bought for R200,000, as she provided the exciting news season stallion Querari with his first Graded winner. Cosmic Light looks to have tremendous scope and will surely make her presence felt in next season’s classics.

Two years ago Rymill selected Same Jurisdiction at the Suncoast Yearling Sale, before Howells secured her for R270,000. This filly is from the first crop of Mambo In Seattle and proved herself possibly the best filly in the land when winning the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m in ultra classy style on Vodacom Durban July day. Same Jurisdiction won the Thkekwini last year, having earlier won the KZN Yearling Sales Million, and her Johannesburg classic campaign this season was plagued by bad luck. Significantly, the Howells yard also have the probable second best Mambo In Seattle in the land too, the ever improving gelding Saratoga Dancer, selected by Rymill at the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Sale for a bargain R140,000. Saratoga Dancer looks sure to step up to the top flight this season.

Howells first winner of the Thekwini was Gypsy’s Warning, who was from the second crop of Mogok, and after her victory in this race at Clairwood in 2008 she was sold on and went on to win the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic and the Gr 1 Matriarch Stakes in the USA.

By David Thiselton