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.

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.

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.

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.

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

The Vodacom Durban July has become South Africa’s premier crowd gathering event due to the perfect blend of sport and glamour.

Winning trainer Dean Kannemeyer’s views in the aftermath contrasted strongly with those of celebrity Pearl Thusi, the well known and outspoken TV and radio presenter, actress and modelling agency owner.

Kannemeyer compared his victory on Saturday with his previous two July wins: “The first time I won it with Dynasty (2003) I was over the moon. When I won it with Eyeofthetiger (2006) it was just as exciting and today was even more exciting. Owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys, everybody wants to win the July. When you win the July you walk off the grandstand and it is like putting on your Springbok jersey and saying you have arrived. Gary Player says it’s like winning The Masters.”

A particularly satisfying aspect to this year’s win was that he had done it for one of his most loyal, big spending owners Lady Christine Laidlaw. He said, “It was the first time Lady Christine had come to Durban. It was fantastic for her, she’s flown in for the week to see her horses run and the other one Solid Speed ran a very good race (third in the Gr 2 SABC Gold Vase). She was absolutely thrilled and I’m thrilled for my whole team.”

Jehan Malherbe from Form Bloodstock found and bought Power King and added another honour to his glittering career as a bloodstock agent. He also found and bought Eyeofthetiger as a yearling, while he clinched the deals with two July winners that Mike de Kock bought in training, Bold Silvano and Igugu. Lady Laidlaw’s first horse with Kannemeyer was Noordhoek Flyer, a dual Guineas winner and now sire who was also found and bought by Malherbe.

Her first July runner, also bought by Malherbe, was Capetown Noir, a champion miler and now sire, who was always suspect over the 2200m trip and ran unplaced in the big race twice.

Kannemeyer spoke of the continual improvement Power King had shown since being gelded last November and said he had also enjoyed an excellent preparation. He had viewed him as well handicapped on his Betting World 1900 run, in which he made up some twelve lengths in the straight to finish second, and on the weight turnarounds with a few horses he met during the Cape Summer Of Champions Season.

Furthermore, he was well drawn and receiving weight from some of the three-year-olds and was one of the of the stand outs at Summerveld in the week of the July.

Kannemeyer said, “On all of that we just needed a bit of luck and I thought we’d come into play. In the race I was very happy with where he was sitting, I was actually surprised, I thought he would be further back. So Stuey (Stuart Randolph) got him into a nice position, he came into the straight and had a look for room and then he quickened up well.”

Regarding the objection he said, “You’re always going to worry but the way I read the race was that the second horse was causing interference and my horse was staying in a straight line. But the decision was the right decision by the board so I was pleased about that.”

However, it didn’t stop Randolph being punished with a two week suspension by stipendary stewards as Power King has earlier hung to his left, which caused mayhem and was costly to a number of horses.

Kannemeyer continued, “Well done to Maine Chance Farms and Silvano. We bought a few Silvanos this year, we are always a great supporter of Silvano, he is a top stallion. They take a bit of time, but it all worked out. I have a great team behind me.”

Kannemeyer was also pleased to have buried a false perception by winning the July with a four-year-old as opposed to his two previous wins with three-year-olds and quipped, “Some people say Kannemeyer can only train three-year-olds … aah haa … I did also win the Gold Cup with In Writing as a seven-year-old. And I won the Gold Cup with a filly (Colonial Girl 2000), they said I could only train colts!”

A July-winning conditioner will usually only bask in glory for an evening, knowing that in this fickle sport you are only as good as your last win.

He will soon have to return to the grindstone, pouring through catalogues and pounding the sales grounds looking for the next champion, early mornings preparing horses and identifying those that will go far. These special individuals must take the baby step of their first race, a nerve-wracking moment for any trainer, and they must then be nurtured along until they are ready to face the cream of their generation. They can’t be underdone if they are to produce their best and it is even worse if they are “over the top”.

Illness and injury are always close at hand with a breed that is notoriously fragile. If ever there are people that are slaves to their profession it is the racehorse trainer, but they usually become very fond of their horses and critical remarks about their horses are not taken kindly. The pressure is great and trainers with July runners often become more and more edgy as the race approaches. Taking all this into account, it is not surprising that the joyous moment of July victory can be likened to the release of a steam valve and is usually accompanied by much emotion.

However, to Pearl Thusi the July is a whole different ball game. Later in the evening when asked who she had fancied for the big race she replied, “Legal Eagle … did he win?!”

She continued, “You must remember that historically women are here to look good and men are here to bet and I’m quite okay with that history continuing because I’m not a gambler.”

She hosted an event at the July this year. She invariably chooses a young up and coming designer for her outfit in order to showcase his skills and was looking stunning in a cream and white number. She named the July as her favourite horsey social occasion and praised the professional approach of the organisers.

By David Thiselton

Last year’s Vodacom Durban July hero Legislate will gallop this morning and how he goes will have a big bearing on whether he drops back to 1 200m for the Mercury Sprint at Greyville on Saturday July 18.

Justin Snaith said yesterday: “We are not desperate to run – we have the whole summer ahead of us – but if we think he is in a good place, that everything is spot on and that he would have a chance of running into the money then he will run.

“We are also waiting on the nominations for the Champions Cup with him. At this stage it looks like Futura will run in that race.”

The nominations for the Champions Cup (July 25) were due to close last Friday but will not now be known until 11.00am today.

Legislate returned to his best to make all the running in last month’s Rising Sun Gold Challenge after a virus caused him to disappoint in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and miss the J & B Met. He then had to be scratched from the Drill Hall after hurting himself in the pens.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Legislate (Liesl King)