Opinion

John Freeman Newsletter. In this edition:

Cape Sales,
Snow Fairy – Globeform Report,
Racing Recap

As tough as it is for me to say this, France have slipped out of contention as a real threat in September’s rugby World Cup. I say this as somebody who grew up idolising Thierry Lacroix and Oliver Roumat when they were with the Sharks in 1995. I also say this as a South African resident who’s seen a lot of southern hemisphere rugby. And I say it after checking with many of my rugby-watching friends who share the same opinion.

In an ideal world, all horses would be champions and either retire to stud or graduate onto a well deserved life of leisure in a grassy paddock. In some cases this does happen. Frankie Dettori had a bookie-breaking full card of wins at Ascot on 28 September 1996. Fujiyama Crest was the horse who carried him to victory in the final race. Unfortunately, Fujiyama Crest’s career deteriorated somewhat after that until he was running in the claiming ranks. When he came up for sale, Frankie decided to adopt him and Fujiyama Crest, now 18, enjoys life as the Dettori family pet.

A case of killing the goose that lays the golden egg? If one takes cognizance of the existing employment and taxes generated by South African horseracing, then this may well be the most appropriate means of describing Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s patently ill conceived and poorly researched effort to ‘discourage gambling’ and further boost state coffers with the introduction of a 15% withholding tax on winnings effective from April 2012. One wonders if the honourable Minister has ever had a punt or even understands the difference between the horse and a lotto ball or even the unique mindset or psyche of gamblers, big and small?

Sarah Whitelaw on the UAE Oaks, the Vagaries of Breeding, Perfect Promise in Australia, and the female line of Gauteng Guineas winner Igugu

The Super 15 has finally got under way and if SANZAR hoped to build on the hype they created pre-season with the new format they would have been sorely disappointed. After a few boring fixtures, many hoped that the Saturday evening fixtures would provide some real Super Rugby.

One of our racing greats passed away a few weeks ago. On the afternoon of Thursday, 3 February 2011 Winter Solstice, along with his great friend Laat Waai, was sadly struck down during an electrical storm on the hills of Drakenstein Stud. The lightning he had chased on the racecourse had finally caught up with him. He was 10 years old.

Sarah Whitelaw on SA dominance of Balanchine in Dubai, Fusaichi Pegasus, the last Danzig, and a son of Crimson Palace on the Triple trail

The curtain comes down this weekend on the Cape’s Sizzling Summer Season with the running of the Grade 3 Chairman’s Cup at Kenilworth. It has been a weirdly wonderful period of horseracing in the Mother City.

After a stellar career, Pocket Power brought down the house with a final appearance after his Met run on 29 January 2011. Watching the Champ stride out across the turf that he had made his own for so long was an emotional moment. We all know he is a quirky sort and dislikes having to canter too far past the stands, but that Saturday afternoon Pocket Power looked bright and alert and as though he was raring to have another go at the Met course where he had just finished 8th. Most poignant and touching was the way Bernard petted and stroked his neck the whole time, reassuring him and saying a personal farewell to his long-standing friend and partner.

South African Horseracing and Public Relations don’t exactly go hand in hand like a horse and carriage, or even the longer shot of love and marriage. The National Horseracing Authority, however, threw us doubting Thomases a curved ball at Kimberley last Monday afternoon, where a seemingly frivolous jockey protest under sunny Northern Cape skies eventually led to the abandonment of the meeting, and the expected natural disappointment and disenchantment for trainers, owners and punters. The way the potential negative was handled, though, was a shining example in minor crisis management, executed efficiently.