Beaten Durban July favourite Legal Eagle and Tsogo Sun Sprint winner Captain Of All are now officially the best horses in the country following the handicappers’ decision to drop Futura for his fourth under top weight last Saturday.

Legal Eagle has been left unchanged on 120 despite finishing behind Futura when he ran off his old mark of 112. In effect he met the Queen’s Plate and Met winner on terms 4kg better than weight-for-age.

The handicappers caused some surprise, and attracted criticism, when raising Legal Eagle 4kg for his Jubilee Handicap win previously.

But Ken Nicol explained yesterday: “Legal Eagle stays on 120 as we can’t really judge him on his July run. He found some interference and it’s a short run-in. Futura ran to 119 in the Met and we gave him an extra half-kilo because of the ease of his victory. He ran a good race on Saturday but we have now taken that half-kilo back.”

Power King has been raised 1.5kg to 109 and runner-up Punta Arenas 1kg to 111. Third-placed Tellina has gone up 2kg to 112.

Majmu, winner of the Avontuur Cape Fillies Guineas and the Jaffee Empress Club, disappointed and has been left on 114. She could now be facing retirement.

Mike de Kock said on his website: “It is Sheikh Hamdan’s policy to retire all his fillies to stud at the end of their three-year-old careers and she is due to be exported to Shadwell in the UK. We will, however, be discussing her future with him. She has racing left in her.”

De Kock believes she may not have stayed the trip in the July – “She got into a challenging position and just didn’t kick on as strong as we expected. She had a good preparation, she pulled up physically fine after the race, there are no excuses. Perhaps she is simply at her best up to a mile.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Legal Eagle (JC Photos)

The Duncan Howells-trained Same Jurisdiction was raised two points to 113 after her impressive win in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m at Greyville on Saturday and is now only one point lower than the highest rated filly of her age in the country, Majmu, who ran disappointingly in the Vodacom Durban July, albeit under a welter burden for a horse of her age and gender.

Same Jurisdiction was one of two Gr 1 winners bred by Klawervlei Stud on the day, the other being the Dennis Drier-trained Seventh Plain, who won the Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m.

The fairytale story continues for original owners Larry Vermaak, Dr Ralph Katzwinkel, Maureen Powell and Howells himself.

Same Jurisdiction (Nkosi Hlophe)

The Mambo In Seattle filly was bought for R270,000 at the Suncoast KZN Yearling Sale, but one of Howell’s chief owners Ian Van Schalkwyk felt the price was too high so only took half. Dr Katzwinkel came in after being asked by Howells.

Maureen Powell takes up her side of the story, “My Dad’s always been an avid race fan and one of the things I have always wanted to do is buy a racehorse and name it Phillipe after him. I mentioned this to my husband who told me his partner Larry Vermaak was involved with horses. So when I popped in to the office one day Larry said why doesn’t he give Duncan a call and ask him what horses are available. He phoned and Same Jurisdiction was available and suggested I take a share. I said pleasure and she is the first horse I have ever been involved in.”

Vermaak took a share at the same time. Powell is savouring every moment of Same Jurisdiction’s career and has not bought into any other horses yet. However, she still has that dream and pondered over the possibility of naming Same Jurisdiction’s first foal Phillipe.

She spoke of the thrill of winning big races, “It’s overwhelming every time, it’s an amazing feeling.”

Van Schalkwyk sold his share in Same Jurisdiction to Drakenstein Stud after her first Gr 1 victory, the Thekwini Stakes over 1600m at the end of last season.

Saturday was her second Gr 1 win and she maintained her unbeaten record in three starts over the course and distance. Her phenomenal turn of foot makes her suited to the tight Greyville track.

She is likely to now be targeted at races like the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m and the Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m at Kenilworth in the Cape Summer Of Champions Season.

She is from the first crop of Mambo In Seattle and appears to be getting better and better.

Another improving horse from this first crop is the Howells-trained gelding Saratoga Dancer, who should be a big race contender next season. Mambo In Seattle certainly looks to have a bright future.

By David Thiselton

Silvano stole the show at Vodacom Durban July day but the feel good story might well have belonged to the lesser known stallion Seul Amour.

Silvano’s progeny, Power King, Punta Arenas and Tellina, finished first, second and third in the July and all of them were bred by Maine Chance Farms. A rare occurrence for a country’s premier race anywhere in the world.

Earlier Seul Amour’s progeny Just Ask Me and Heart Of A Lion, both trained by Gavin van Zyl, had won a MR 83 Handicap over 1400m on the poly track and the Gr 2 SABC Gold Vase over 3000m respectively. Seul Amour, a New Zealand-bred, has a superb pedigree being by Zabeel out of four-time Gr 1-winning mare Grand Archway (Archway). He was raced in Australasia by well known South African owner Larry Nestadt and won a Listed race.

He began his stud duties in Australia but was brought to South Africa by Brad van der Riet and Alf Dickerson in 2011 and stands at Van der Riet’s Vanree Stud. Dickerson, his nephew Dennis Fraser and breeder Terry Andrews, had earlier bought the Counter Action mare, Action Lady. They sent her to Lake Coniston and her first foal Dance Club won a race at Fairview, albeit in her 19th start.

Heart Of A Lion (Nkosi Hlophe)

However, her next visit was to Seul Amour.

The foal was born and the trio now had two Seul Amours and didn’t know which one to keep. They decided to sell Heart Of A Lion for a “give away” price. Nick van Veen bought 50% and another owner was supposed to take the other 50% but defaulted.

Dickerson and Fraser then took a share each and the Van Zyl yard agreed to take the remainding 25% and to train him.

Heart Of A Lion ran fifth in his first two starts on the Highveld over 1160m and 1400m respectively and then ran second over 1400m to the useful Judicial.

However, it was when he was stepped up to 1600m in the May of his two-year-old that he showed his potential, winning his maiden by eight lengths at Turffontein. It didn’t escape the notice of Seul Amour’s former owner Larry Nestadt who made an offer and bought half of Van der Veen’s share for an apparently sizeable sum. At the same time Edwin Foster’s Bold Moves 860 syndicate bought the Van Zyl yard’s share.

He won his next two races to record a hat trick and looked to have a bright future as a three-year-old when finishing a 3,15 length fifth in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m at Greyville in his final start as a juvenile.

However, it was only when stepped up to staying trips this season as a four-year-old that he has really begun to fulfil his potential.

He finished third in both the Gr 3 Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850m and the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m, both at Turffontein. Then in his penultimate start he caught many a pundit’s eye running on strongly in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m at Greyville.

His regular rider Muzi Yeni gave him a fine ride on Saturday, dropping him out from a wide draw, relaxing him beautifully and he then ran on strongly in the straight to just prevail over Wild Ash and Solid Speed.

The handicapper has only raised him one point to 96 and this augurs well for his chances in the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m at Greyville on the last Saturday of this month. Terry Andrews is the official breeder of both Heart Of A Lion and three-year-old gelding Just Ask Me so July day 2015 will always be a memorable one for him.

By David Thiselton

Vodacom Durban July runner-up Punta Arenas in the Champions Cup looks like being Stan Elley’s final big race runner.

Elley, who relinquishes his licence in the week after the race, said yesterday: “We will probably make a final decision by the end of this week but at this stage I am pretty happy with the way he has come out of last Saturday’s run.  He had a little bit of heat in one joint on Sunday morning but now that is just about gone.”

Elley, who has been training for 41 years and had two thirds in the July with Red Badge in 2003 and 2004, was delighted with Punta Arenas’ performance and said: “He did everything right except win the race.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Punta Arenas (Nkosi Hlophe)

Summerveld maestro Dennis Drier has won many Gr 1 races in recent seasons but was still unable to contain his emotions after managing one of the best days of his career on Vodacom Durban July day on Saturday. He won both of the two-year-old Gr 1 events on the card and later added a first and third in a Non-Black type sprint.

Dennis Drier (Nkosi Hlophe)

He said, “You dream of winning races like this and this is unbelievable.”

The veteran trainer had two Gr 1 winners on a day for the first time at Scottsville earlier this year, so only appears to be getting better.

On Saturday his filly Chestnuts N Pearls provided the great Horse Chestnut with his first South African-bred Gr 1 winner and his second Gr 1 winner overall when sweeping through to land the Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m by 1,5 lengths under Sean Cormack.

Later his top class Seventh Rock colt Seventh Plain fought back in courageous fashion to get up by a short-head in the Gr 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m under Anton Marcus.

Seventh Plain will likely be named Equus two-year-old male of the year as he also won the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion and on Saturday he beat the Gr 1 SA Nursery winner Arabian Beat into third.

Chestnut N Pearls was bred by Nutfield Stud and is owned by Jaap van der Vendel’s Vendel Civils, Mark Currie and Mayseh Chetty. Currie, who was having his third Gr 1 winner, and Chetty were both on course to lead her in. Chetty has had 120 winners in his seven year ownership career, but this was his first Gr 1 success.

He said, “I’m very proud, it’s exciting to have a Gr 1 winner and on July day.” The filly was purchased at Bloodstock South Africa’s Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Sale for R240,000 last year so will have a big money sales race to look forward to next year.

Drier had initially planned to put her away after her run in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m at Scottsville, but jockey Cormack had advised that the 1200m trip had simply been too short, and she had also had to come from an unfavourable high draw, so he recommended she run in the Slipper. His advice proved spot on. She now might even take her place in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m on Super Saturday.

Chestnuts N Pearls (Nkosi Hlophe)

Drier hails from a famous racing dynasty, who were once labelled “The Sob Mob” by his Uncle Russell Laird (“When we win we cry, when we lose we smile”), so it was little surprise to see him in tears in the winner’s enclosure after the filly’s fluent win.

In the Golden Horseshoe the Dominic Zaki-trained Arabian Beat overcame a wide draw to lead from the off and looked to have an apparently under pressure Seventh Plain beaten 100m out. The danger looked to be the well supported Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained maiden Brazuca, who was flying on the inside. However Seventh Plain then suddenly found his big stride and surged through the centre to beat Brazuca by a short-head with Arabian Beat a head further back. Drier said, “He’s an absolutely amazing horse. Anton said he was very green. I didn’t think he could win half way down the straight, but that is what top horses are made of and top jockeys.”

Drier believes this big colt has a very bright future, so he will likely be put away and aimed at the Cape Summer Of Champions Season, although this will depend on owner Markus Jooste’s racing manager Derek Brugman.

Seventh Rock has had a Gr 1 winner in each of his first two crops, the first of them being Guiness who was also trained by Drier. Seventh Rock was trained by Drier’s cousin Charles Laird and owned by Markus Jooste and the latter also owns both Guiness and Seventh Plain. Seventh Plain was bred by Klawervlei Stud.

Seventh Plain (Nkosi Hlophe)

Later Drier won the eThekwini Sprint over 1200m on the poly with the classy three-year-old Var colt Generalissimo and his promising Trippi gelding Triptique flew up for third. The win confirmed a change in fortunes for owner Nick Jonsson, who had won an earlier race on the day having enjoyed a luckless Champions Season up until then. One of Generalissimo’s finest assets is his gatespeed and he had missed the break in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville after standing in stalls for close to five minutes and later Jonsson’s three-year-old Justin Snaith-trained Jet Master gelding Ultimate Dollar had to be scratched from the start of the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 after kicking the back of the gate. Both horses won on Saturday. Generalissimo is now unbeaten in two starts on the poly and  Ultimate Dollar proved what a big runner he would have been in the Daily News by winning the Gr 3 tabGold 2200 in fine style from start to finish under S’Manga Khumalo. Jonsson owns Generalissimo in partnership with his father Benji and Ultimate Dollar in partnership with RD Hamilton’s Evanstan Investments.

Khumalo’s other winner on the day was aboard the Charles Laird-trained Resolution, who won her swansong on the poly before going to stud. Resolution’s part-owner Alesh Naidoo competed with Jonsson for owner of the day as he also owned the winner and third-placed horses in the KZN Yearling Sale Million, the Dennis Bosch-trained Clifton Stud-bred AP Answer gelding Cutting Edge and the Charles laird-trained Chosen Dash, and he also owns the Laird-trained Bold Inspiration, who finished second in a Listed event.

By David Thiselton