Horse Racing News | Gold Circle Horse Racing And Betting

Huge entry for 1900

PUBLISHED: April 25, 2015

A flood of high-quality entries have been received for the R350 000, Grade 2 Betting World 1900 to be run at Greyville Racecourse on May 15.

Ertijaal supplemented for KRA Guineas

PUBLISHED: April 25, 2015

The three-year-old Australian-bred colt Ertijaal, sensational winner of the Investec Cape Derby, has been supplemented into the entries for the R600 000, Grade 2 KRA Guineas at Greyville On Saturday, May 2.

Inara tops KRA Fillies Guineas entries

PUBLISHED: April 25, 2015

Supplementary Entries and Weights for the R300 000 Gr2 KRA Fillies Guineas to be run over 1600m at Greyville on Saturday May 2:

Will Louis bounce back?

PUBLISHED: April 23, 2015

David Thiselton
The Geoff Woodruff yard said that Triple Crown hero Louis The King had been working well in the build up to Saturday’s Gr 1 R2 million President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m despite virtually being pulled up in his last start in the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m.

It will remain a mystery why he ran below par that day, although jockey Piere Strydom did say subsequently that he had been surprised that a horse lacking in speed had started favourite over a distance too sharp for him. However, history is littered with horses that have not managed to bounce back from their first below par run and among them are greats like Empress Club and Model Man.

It could be argued that Louis The King’s first below par run was actually in the J&B Met, when starting favourite and running a flat race to finish sixth (His run in the Vodacom Durban July could not be considered a below par run as he suffered such bad luck in that race).

However, if there is one trainer who can get them to bounce back it is Woodruff and what better example to use than his dual Durban July winner El Picha, who ran 10,75 lengths back in the Horse Chestnut Stakes before going within half-a-length of winning the Champions Stakes (today known as the Champions Challenge) and then going on to win the July for a second time. However, bookmakers are not too confident Louis The King will bounce back and have him at 7/1, although they do still make him third favourite behind the mighty Majmu and the unlucky Vodacom Durban July loser Wylie Hall.

Tellina (JC Photos)

Woodruff also has the consistent Tellina in the race and his son and assistant trainer Tim said, “Tellina’s last run was very encouraging and if he reproduces it he will have a big shout.” This five-year-old Silvano gelding is a “terrible work horse”, but can be relied on to run to his best in the big ones. His Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas win occurred more than 18 months ago, so he will carry no weight penalties and will therefore receive 2,5kg from the only male Gr 1 winner in the race Louis The King. Tellina is a 10-1 shot with the bookies and looks to be better value than his more illustrious stablemate.

The third Woodruff contender is Killua Castle and Tim described him as a “dogged, tough horse”. He added that this narrow SANSUI Summer Cup runner up had needed his last run in the Gr 2 Colorado King Stakes over course and distance, his first start back from his unplaced run in the J&B Met. He was beaten 6,25 lengths by Wylie Hall in that last start but is now 1kg better off and Tim added that, whereas Louis The King and Tellina go well on any ground, Killua Castle would probably prefer the faster ground that the weather forecast suggests there will be on Saturday.

The yard run the Gr 1-placed Jet Master filly Touch The Sky in the Gr 2 gerald Rosenberg Stakes over her ideal trip of 2000m. Tim said, “She shows incredible work at home but is just not reproducing it on the racecourse so we are trying the blinkers to see whether that will work.” She is not actually carded to race in blinkers, so punters will have to take note of the card changes and/or the dissemination on the day.

Woodruff has a good chance of winning the first race where the classy Shadow Of His Smile runs over his ideal trip of 1600m with Anton Marcus up. Tim said about the yard’s coupling, “Shadow Of A Smile is a top division horse who always needs to be respected. The Captain’s Tune has gone a bit off the boil but has been looking good.”

Pictures: Louis The King and Tellina (JC Photos)

Delpech raring to go

PUBLISHED: April 22, 2015

David Thiselton
Twice National Champion Jockey Anthony Delpech spoke today about the fine book of rides he has on Champions Day, which includes the brilliant grey filly Majmu, who has fast become the darling of the South African turf.

The Mike de Kock-trained Australian-bred daughter of Redoute’s Choice will be seeking her third Gr 1 triumph in succession and takes on older males for the first time in the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m. Delpech said, “Her form speaks for itself. She is simple to ride, she doesn’t over race and can lead or sit in fifth or sixth.”

The top jockey also confirmed that being a big, robust filly she would not be intimidated by her older male opponents.

This will also be the first time Majmu has raced beyond the mile, but she has always given the impression that she would relish further, as she relaxes so well in the running and couples that with a blistering turn of foot. She has made up plenty of ground before when finding herself out of her ground over shorter.

Ertijaal (Liesl King)

Delpech urged caution about the other Gr 1 favourite he rides, the Investec Cape Derby winner Ertijaal, who runs in the SA Derby over 2450m. He replaces Gavin Lerena aboard Ertijaal and said, “I don’t know what went wrong last time (in the SA Classic), Matthew (De Kock) said the ground didn’t suit him. He showed in the Cape Derby that he stays all day, so the trip won’t be a problem.

“But to have him at 12/10 and the rest of the field at 4/1 and upwards is all wrong. If you go back in the form of Deputy Jud, who beat Ertijaal in the SA Classic, you will find that Ertijaal only beat him by 0,5 lengths previously, so Deputy Jud must have as much chance. I just think that people jumped the gun by calling him a superstar after the easy Cape Derby win because the runner up (Act Of War) was subsequently shown to have had something wrong and a couple of horses Act Of War finished together with have proven to not be too good.”

Ertijaal has a daisy cutting action, which would indeed be better suited to the faster ground expected on Saturday. He did need the run badly when beating Deputy Jud in the aforementioned race on the Inside track over 1800m and was giving the latter 2kg. Furthermore he is a galloping type who will much prefer the Standside track. The reason for his short price might be that De Kock has won this race nine times.

However, even then it would be no surprise to see the majority of pundits tipping the SA Classic winner French Navy, who is an ever-improving sort and has struck on both running style and pedigree as one who will enjoy the Derby trip.

Delpech’s mount Pine Princess could provide the biggest threat to the Triple Tiara-seeking Siren’s Call in the Gr 1 SA Oaks over 2450m and she has duly been priced up second favourite. Delpech said, “This is the first time she will be going over the trip she really wants.” She has drawn wide in barrier eleven, but Siren’s Call is one outside of her.

Alboran Sea (right) holds on from Captain Of All – Cape Flying Championship (Liesl King)

Delpech rides the second favourite in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint, the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship winner Alboran Sea. Most racegoers believed that this speedy three-year-old filly had been pipped by Captain Of All in the Cape Flying but the photo finish showed she had got her head down at the right time. Delpech replaces Weichong Marwing and said, “It is her first run back from Cape Town, whereas Captain of All has had a prep so will be fitter, but over five furlongs she could get away with it.” The outside has tended to be favourable in recent big racemeetings down the Turffontein straight, so Alboran Sea looks to have a plum draw of 13, although the going can vary on occasion.

Delpech’s ride in the Gr 1 SA Nursery, Shaama, will try and repeat last year’s feat by Carry On Alice of beating the boys. Delpech said, “She is a lovely filly but will have her work cut out as this is much more competitive than her debut. She has an eachway chance and looking at the field Gavin Van Zyl has two nice colts who both have good chances.” Shaama is a paternal half-sister to Majmu, being by Redoute’s Choice, but Delpech said that the like of Majmu don’t come around too often. Shaama has also landed a possibly favourable high draw.

Delpech rides Entisaar in the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery and said, “She is a nice filly and ran below her best last time. The slow start didn’t affect her, it was probably the soft ground she didn’t enjoy as she didn’t run her race and is definitely better than that. It’s very competitive and the filly who beat her last time (Speedy Suzy) must have a chance.”

In the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes he is aboard Santa Carolina and said, “She needs to get her form back to have a chance.”

He rides Raees in the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m and said, “He ran a very good race last time as he was baulked and might otherwise have run second. He stays well and has a good place chance.”

Delpech admitted that he didn’t know much about Drifting Dusk whom he rides in the Gr 2 Camellia Stakes. He said about his mount in the first, Rushmore River, “He is a hard knocker and just ran a flat race last time. He has an eachway chance but I think Shadow Of His Smile will be hard to beat.”