WORLD SPORTS BETTING 1900

The Covid-19 virus has turned the world upside down including the schedule of feature races for South Africa’s Champion Season. However, Gold Circle have managed to schedule an innovative new programme that allows structured build-up for horses into the major features.

The World Sports Betting 1900 has always been an important stepping stone into the Vodacom Durban July and as such has attracted a high-class field for the race to be run at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday, June 20.

Although not the last chance saloon for VDJ hopefuls, victory in the WSB 1900 on Saturday will almost certainly ensure automatic entry into the country’s biggest race as a dozen of the 13 runners  hold entries for the VDJ so there is a lot at stake.

Justin Snaith has kept the wraps on his charge Belgarion, who is the likely favourite come Saturday. Snaith has hopes of qualifying him for the VDJ with minimum possible weight and a win on Saturday will probably see the gelding on ice until the big race.

Other notable entries are the mare Camphoratus, sixth in last year’s VDJ, the highly rated Duke Of Spin, Born To Perform, a son of former VDJ winner Dancer’s Daughter, Crown Towers and Eyes Wide Open who races as a gelding this season.

Stephen Marshall, Gold Circle Marketing Executive was appreciative of the World Sports Betting sponsorship. “World Sports Betting have become a significant sponsorship partner of Gold Circle. With their presence as an on-course bookmaker pre Covid-19 and with their sponsorship of the WSB Guineas, WSB Fillies Guineas and the prestigious WSB 1900, they have shown their commitment to the sport of horseracing in KwaZulu-Natal. Gold Circle appreciates their support, especially during these trying times,” he said.

Journalist: Andrew Harrison.

Kommetdieding could prove to be one of the biggest bargains in last year’s Klawervlei Farm Sale after running out a convincing winner of the R225 000 Graduate Race  on debut at Kenilworth on Tuesday.

The Elusive Fort colt cost Ashwin Reynolds a mere R55 000 and he started at 16-1 but Sihle Cele’s mount proved two lengths too strong for hot favourite Tanzanite Queen with 30-1 shot Captain Dizzy all of four and a half lengths back third.

Michelle Rix, asked if the win came as a surprise, replied: “Definitely not. He opened at 25-1 and there was money for him. We have always known that he was special and we have thought highly of him from day one – although we were worried that he might jump a little slowly, not having been to the track before.”

Glen Kotzen might have been out of luck with Tanzanite Queen but he could do little wrong early on, winning three of the first four races even though victory didn’t always come from the one he expected.

Fairy Warrior was the one he – and most punters  – thought would win the Kuda Maiden Juvenile but the 5-2 favourite managed only fifth behind 33-1 newcomer My Bestie. “Mr Kotzen told me to school My Bestie and give him a good experience,” said Sandile Mbhele. “But he was travelling comfortably and picked up nicely.”

“I have always loved this colt but I was a bit disappointed with the favourite Fairy Warrior,” admitted Kotzen. “Last time he came from off them, and I don’t know why Morne Winnaar took him to the front today. He said the horse was very green up front – and I’m not surprised.”

Winnaar, though, was soon back in the Woodhill trainer’s good books  with first reserve Caya Coco leading a furlong out to spring a 16-1 surprise in the www.proboost.co.za Maiden Juvenile. “This is a smart filly and we have rated her from day one,” said the trainer. “But first time they walked out of the pens and her run was too bad to be true.”

Kotzen’s stable jockey promptly doubled up with Flower Of Saigon who led just under a furlong out for owner-breeders Martin Wickens and Gisela Burg in the Coup De Grace/Snaith Racing Maiden Juvenile.

Justin Snaith reached his 16^th successive century with Parktown (Richard Fourie’s 86^th winner of the season) and Spirit Festival who was ridden by Winnaar’s son Joshwin Solomons in the last.

Robert Khathi rode a fine waiting race in front on the Michael Robinson-trained Sudden Star in the New Turf Maiden, keeping more than enough in reserve for the final furlong.

Horses of tremendous potential seldom make their debuts in work rider races but Look To appears something special, leading over a furlong out in the Cornerstone Vet & Vetscape Maiden to score by a staggering nine and a half lengths under Lungisani Geledu.

Adele Allsop, Vaughan Marshall’s assistant, said: “We thought highly of her as a two-year-old but she got injured and had to have an operation. She is a lovely filly.”

When Peter Wrench ran Troop The Colour under a huge amount of sufferance in the Kenilworth Cup the handicappers raised the five-year-old a staggering 13 points and some knowledgeable critics said the horse would never win again. But it only took him two runs, and a five-point drop, to spring a 10-1 surprise under Ossie Noach in the Vaughan Marshall Racing Handicap.

By Michael Clower

Glen Kotzen holds at least two of the aces in the valuable Klawervlei Farm Sale Graduate Race at Kenilworth’s Youth Day holiday fixture and Aldo Domeyer can win the race for the second successive year.

He scored a convincing success on the Sean Tarry-trained favourite Rock The Globe last season and this time he is also on the market leader, Tanzanite Queen. His mount has, at least arguably, the best form and she came in for significant support in the early betting (33-20 to 11-10).

She raced prominently when a little-considered 14-1 on debut and, despite losing a front shoe, she only went under by a neck to the much more experienced Fiftyshadesdarker who had some good form.

“I‘ve no idea where in the race she lost the shoe so I can’t say whether it made a difference but she was a little unlucky because she was green,” says the Woodhill trainer. “She was hanging in to the stick and, if the jockey had changed it to his other hand, she just might have put her head down and won.

“But it was a brilliant prep for this. I’m just hoping, though, that it is not too close to her first run.”

However there is a doubt about her ability to handle the changed going. It was good to soft on Monday morning after 14mm of rain the previous day and a total of 86mm in the last week. “She is a big filly but very light on her feet so maybe she won’t go in deep,” says Kotzen. “But I don’t really know.”

Second favourite, after being backed from 7-1 to 4-1, is stable companion Musical Glitch who ran well in the Fillies Nursery. “She has had three months since then to strengthen up and she is a big runner.”

While Kotzen admits that Tanzanite Queen is his first choice of the quartet he points out that Morne Winnaar believes Musical Glitch is better and she was his choice.

Greg Cheyne rides 8-1 shot Magical Midlands (at R200 000 the second highest-priced horse in the field) who had to be withdrawn on debut when Anthony Andrews was injured in the pens. “The horse was fine – I galloped him the next day. It would have been nice if he’d had the experience of a race but he is a proper horse and he will be doing his best work at the finish.”

Ruby Rhythm (25-1) is the outsider of the Kotzen quartet. “She has shown huge improvement from her first two outings and she needed the run last time.”

Brett Crawford’s first-timer Maison Merci is perhaps the most likely of the newcomers, but there was no early money for him and  he has been eased from 9-2 to 15-2.

If it is still good to soft punters will be going into the maidens like an explorer without a compass because few of the runners have raced on this sort of surface and their ability to handle it – or otherwise – is largely a matter of guesswork.

Soft Day is marginally favourite for the www.proboost.co.za Maiden Juvenile (race three) and, in a field mainly made up of newcomers, the Glen Puller filly may just be good enough.

Her performance will be a pointer to the chance of Flower Of Saigon in the next, the Coup De Grace/Snaith Racing Maiden Juvenile, as Winnaar’s mount was just over a length and a half further back on debut despite racing green. She has already been nibbled at and could be good enough.

There is precious little to choose between the top four in the Soetendal Estate Maiden – Soetendal is where Rainbow Bridge goes for his holidays – but Fort Agopian ran well on Cape Derby day, has been backed from 7-1 to 4-1 and gets the vote.

Lastly, particularly if you are winning at this point, you might like to consider having a few rand each way on Ikebana in the last. The Brett Crawford five-year-old has raced six times when the going has been softer than good, winning on three occasions and being placed on two of the other three.

SELECTIONS:

Race 3: Soft Day
Race 4: Flower Of Saigon
Race 5: Fort Agopian
Race 7: Tanzanite Queen
Race 8: Ikebana (ew)

Not many 60 year old jockeys are still giving it a full go in the saddle but Port Elizabeth based Shannon Devoy isn’t thinking of retirement just yet.

He said he is still enjoying riding in races and doesn’t shy away from early morning work riding.

Devoy is very much involved with the stable of Fairview trainer Jacques Strydom.

“I have been with Jacques’s stable for a number of years now. We have a good understanding which helps to manage my workload.

“I don’t ride a full card of races at a meeting, about four races is fine for me. That way I still enjoy my racing and I know the horses that I am riding,” he explained.

“When the lock down due to Covid-19 started I sat out with the work riding for a while. My fitness suffered, so I resumed work riding again.”

Devoy says a good system is in place at Fairview to continue with racing behind closed doors according to the Covid-19 regulations.

“It is different and a learning curve for all of us. We will progress as we continue.”

One of the East Cape’s feature races that fell away this season when racing was suspended for a while due to Covid-19, is the Glenair Trophy stayers race, denying Devoy a chance on the 6yo mare Onesie.

“I am now looking forward to riding her in the PE Gold Cup (on 17th July). I lost some rides last season when I had a hip operation.

“Onesie was one of the horses I missed out on. I would love to win the PE Gold Cup for my brother David (that owns the horse in partnership with the trainer) who is a successful businessman in Perth, Australia.

“Jacques has a knack with stayers. He is a stayers specialist and gets the best out of the horses,” Devoy said.

Devoy won the PE Gold Cup in 2012 with the Corne Spies trained Campo De Santana.

“I am disappointed that the distance of the race has been cut back from 3600m to 3200m. It was a tradition that this was the longest race in the country.”

When asked what has been the highlight of his career, Devoy declares Fighting Beat (East Cape horse of the year 1997) as the best PE horse he has ridden.

“I was Hekkie Strydom’s stable jockey in those years and rode many winners for Hekkie. The highlight was winning three in a row with Fighting Beat.”

To still be going strong at 60 years of age the injuries must have stayed away and Devoy agrees that he has been blessed in this regard.

“I have always had trouble with my lower back and had a successful shoulder operation, but yes, blessed with not many injuries.”

So no retirement plans as yet?

“No, as long as I ride the right horses and still enjoy it I will continue.

“It is wonderful to still be involved and be part of the strong bond and camaraderie that exists in the jockey room.”

By Henk Steenkamp

Rising star Katak is only third highest-rated in the Legal Eagle Stakes – the new name for the Winter Classic – at Kenilworth on Saturday week.

The handicappers raised the unbeaten Piet Steyn-trained colt 7.5kg for his impressive performance in last week’s Kuda Variety Club Mile (formerly the Winter Guineas) but that still puts him 1.5kg behind Silver Host and Super Silvano who were beaten nearly six lengths and nine lengths in the Kuda.

The Justin Snaith-trained Politician winner Silver Host has already been declared for the Legal Eagle and will again be ridden by Richard Fourie while Robert Khathi will be on stable companion Bayberry.  Snaith has won four of the last 12 runnings of the Winter Classic while Fourie will be bidding for his fourth win in the race following Alvaro in 2008, Why Worry (2012) and Rainbow Bridge two years ago.

Snaith has also declared four for the Ladies Mile on the same card – Esteemal (Fourie), Duchess Of Bourbon (Khathi), Dynamic Diana and Fortune Flies – as well as three for the Stormsvlei Stakes, the second leg of the fillies winter series – Flatware (Fourie), Honey Pie (Khathi) and Double Reward – and three for the Olympic Duel: Queen Of Quiet (Fourie), Casino Queen (Khathi) and Fleeced.

By Michael Clower

To take a bet go to www.tabgold.co.za or www.trackandball.co.za