Cap Alright wins the Listed Southeaster Sprint in Kenilworth 7 December 2013
The sun has now set on the 2013/14 Cape Summer Of Champions. Dean Kannemeyer and Adam Marcus enjoyed the last fading rays at Kenilworth on Saturday.
The season has produced some extraordinary highlights as one would expect from horseracing out of the top drawer. Stars emerged and egos were bruised with some reputations shattered. Nobody said that horseracing was for the faint of heart or light of pocket.
There are breeders, owners and trainers who will reflect back on the past three months with great pride. The plan came together and the money is in the bank for some. For others it is a case of getting up off the canvas, dusting off and moving on. There are standout moments for all of us.
Hill Fifty Four wins the 2014 J&B Met
Anton Marcus’ ride on Hill Fifty Four to win the Gr1 J&B Met from a 17 draw afterdrifting out in the home straight and looking dead and buried, was a classic. Albeit a slightly unpopular one for many punters. Piere Strdyom’s extraordinary feat to get Cap Alright home in the Southeaster Sprint was just as remarkable.
The KZN duo of Dennis Drier and Sean Cormack came to town and cleaned up after a quiet start to their season. Their stars Beach Beauty and Master Of My Fate will continue to entertain and enthral us in this coming KZN Champions Season. Dynasty and Silvano showed their mettle and value to the SA horseracing industry. Dynasty’s brilliant top four finish in the Gr2 Selangor Cup had us scrambling for the record books.
Champion Silvano just gets better and better. For punters there were some really tough results but the highlight was undoubtedly the South African recordbreaking Pick 6 pool of over R8 million on Met day.
Finally a word to the sponsors.
From J&B to Lektron, From Avontuur and L’Ormarins to the Elusive Fort Syndicate, they all played a strategic role and added sparkle and lustre when the game really needed it. And without the sponsors, the owners and the punters the game would be dead. Long live the summer!
Saluting The Summer Of Champions
De Kock wins the Gr2 Selangor Cup in Kenilworth 23 November 2012
They say statistics don’t lie. Every participant in South Africa’s leading season of championship racing is a winner. Some just stood out above the crowd. But they all played their part. We salute them all.
The Numbers
35: The individual Cape summer features from Gr1 to non black type races and restricted races
9: Feature winners ridden by KZN jockey Sean Cormack.
8: The number of races won by away trainers.
7: The total number of Gr1 races (the ones the trainers and jockeys wake up so early for)
6: Features won by Dynasty and Silvano
5: Features won by Jet Master
4: The top places filled by sons of Dynasty in the Gr2 Selangor Cup
3: Varsfontein Stud bred feature race wins
2: The number of Gr1 features won by Justin Snaith
1: Only feature won by SA Champion Mike De Kock
The Gr1 winning Breeders
Hallmark Thoroughbreds / Ascot Stud / Lammerskraal Stud / GJ Hauptfleisch / Klawervlei / Cheveley / Late T Armitage
The Gr1 winning Trainers
Justin Snaith (2) / Brett Crawford / Dean Kannemeyer / Duncan Howells / Vaughan Marshall / Dennis Drier
The Gr1 winning Sires
Dynasty (2) / Jet Master / Sail From Seattle / Western Winter/ Var / Captain Al
The Gr1 winning Jockeys
Richard Fourie (2) / Bernard Fayd’herbe / Karl Neisius / Kevin Shea / Anton Marcus / Sean Cormack
Our Summer Stars
Pierre Strydom
Ride Of The Season: Piere Strydom’s pearler on Cap Alright to win the Southeaster Sprint
Magical Moment: Anton Marcus delivering Hill Fifty Four from a 17 draw to win the Met
Extra Special Achievement: Dynasty siring top four home in the Gr2 Selangor Cup
Special Achievement: Sail From Seattle siring his first Gr1 winner from his first crop. The Cape Guineas was won by Seattle Gold
Versatility Acknowledgment: Varsfontein’s legend Caesour sired a Gr2 winner at 1200m and 2800m.
Freedom Of Kenilworth: Bestowed upon KZN heroes Dennis Drier and Sean Cormack for their feature race performances and contribution to the fun while living out of suitcases.
Baptism Of Fire Award: Jointly to Adam Marcus and Mike Robinson who each trained their first ever Summer Of Champions feature winner.
The Summer Of Champions Honour Roll
Red Ray (Anton Marcus) won the Gr3 Elusive Fort Cape Classic
Trainer: Joey Ramsden; Breeder: Lammerskraal Stud; Sire: Western Winter
Hot Ticket (Karl Neisius) won the Listed Woolavington Cup
Trainer: Dean Kannemeyer; Breeder: Digteby Stud; Sire: Silvano
In The Fast Lane (Sean Cormack) won the Gr2 Choice Carriers Championship
Trainer: Justin Snaith; Breeder: Hallmark Thoroughbreds; Sire: Jet Master
Tevez (Glen Hatt) won the Gr2 Betting World Merchants
Trainer: Mike Bass; Breeder: Avontuur Stud; Sire: Caesour
Sean Cormack
Ice Machine (Kevin Shea) won the Gr2 Green Point Stakes
Trainer: Dean Kannemeyer; Breeder: Roy Meaker; Sire: Silvano
De Kock (Glen Hatt) won the Gr2 Selangor Cup
Trainer: Brett Crawford; Breeder: Gary Player Stud; Sire: Dynasty
Paddy O’Reilly (Bernard Fayd’herbe) won the Listed Kenilworth Cup
Trainer: Mike Stewart; Breeder: Messrs P H Ward, J H Ward & Mrs J Dempsey; Sire: Dynasty
Captain America (Glen Hatt) won the Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes
Trainer: Brett Crawford; Breeder: Varsfontein; Sire: Captain Al
In The Fast Lane (Richard Fourie) won the Gr1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas
Trainer: Justin Snaith; Breeder: Hallmark Thoroughbreds; Sire: Jet Master
Fairyinthewoods (Grant Van Niekerk) won the Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes
Trainer: Darryl Hodgson; Breeder: Milkwood Stud; Sire: Count Dubois
Cap Alright (Piere Strydom) won the Listed Southeaster Sprint
Trainer: Just Snaith; Breeder: Normandy Stud; Sire: Captain Al
Master Of My Fate (Sean Cormack) won the Gr2 Premier Trophy
Trainer: Dennis Drier; Breeder: Varsfontein; Sire: Jet Master
Marcus Anton
Jet Aglow (Sean Cormack) won the Gr3 Victress Stakes
Trainer: Dennis Drier; Breeder: Mr & Mrs C F de Vos; Sire: Jet Master
Elusive Gold (Bernard Fayd’herbe) won the Grand Parade Gr1 Cape Guineas
Trainer: Brett Crawford; Breeder: Ascot Stud; Sire: Sail From Seattle
Tippuana Moon (MJ Byleveld) won the Gr3 Cape Summer Stayers
Trainer: Mike Robinson; Breeder: Drakenstein; Sire: Victory Moon
Ze Kaiser (Grant Van Niekerk) won the Jet Master Stakes
Trainer: Mike Bass; Breeder: Midlands Equine Enterprises; Sire: Silvano
Welwitschia (Kevin Shea) won the Gr2 Diadem Stakes
Trainer: Mike De Kock; Breeder: Sparsholt Stud (GB); Sire: Oasis Dream
Victorian Secret (Sean Cormack) won the Plattner Racing Listed Laisserfaire Stakes
Trainer: Justin Snaith; Breeder: Cheveley Stud; Sire: Captain Al
Viva La Var (Sean Cormack) won the Need For Speed Sprint
Trainer: Dennis Drier; Breeder: Avontuur; Sire: Var
Capetown Noir (Karl Neisius) won the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate
Trainer: Dean Kannemeyer; Breeder: Lammerskraal Srtud; Sire: Western Winter
Beach Beauty (Sean Cormack) won the Maine Chance Farms Gr1 Paddock Stakes
Trainer: Dennis Drier; Breeder: Late T Armitage; Sire: Dynasty
Master Of My Fate (Sean Cormack) won the Gr2 Peninsula Handicap
Trainer: Dennis Drier; Breeder: Varsfontein; Sire: Jet Master
Blaze Of Noon (Richard Fourie) won the Listed Politician Stakes
Trainer: Justin Snaith; Breeder: GJ Armitage; Sire: Dynasty
Reflective Image (Glen Hatt) won the Gr2 Sceptre Stakes
Trainer: Brett Crawford; Breeder: Golden Touch Thoroughbred Services; Sire: Tamburlaine
Omaticaya (JP Van Der Merwe) won the Listed Jamaica Handicap
Trainer: Glen Kotzen; Breeder: Messrs M C Berzack & B Joffe; Sire: Silvano
Silver Holly (Sean Cormack) won the Sun Classique Handicap
Trainer: Joey Ramsden; Breeder: Ascot Stud; Sire: Silvano
Dennis Drier
Via Africa (Kevin Shea) won the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship
Trainer: Duncan Howells; Breeder: G A Hauptfleisch; Sire: Var
Hill Fifty Four (Anton Marcus) won the J&B Gr1 Met
Trainer: Vaughan Marshall; Breeder: Klawervlei; Sire: Captain Al
Legislate (Richard Fourie) won the Investec Gr1 Cape Derby
Trainer: Justin Snaith; Breeder: Cheveley Stud; Sire: Dynasty
Beach Beauty (Sean Cormack) won the Klawervlei Gr1 Majorca Stakes
Trainer: Dennis Drier; Breeder: Late T Armitage; Sire: Dynasty
River Crossing (Anton Marcus) won the J&B Jet Gr2 Stayers
Trainer: Mike Bass; Breeder: Varsfontein; Sire: Caesour
Arria (Richard Fourie) won the Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes
Trainer: Justin Snaith; Breeder: Drakenstein Stud; Sire: Antonius Pius
King Of Pain (Bernard Fayd’herbe) won the Magnum Mile
Trainer: Joey Ramsden; Breeder: Arc-En-Ciel Stud; Sire: Greys Inn
Hot Ticket (Karl Neisius) won the Lektron Gr3 Chairman’s Cup
Trainer: Dean Kannemeyer; Breeder: Digteby Stud; Sire: Silvano
Priceless Jewel (Anthony Delpech) won the Gr3 Two Oceans Racing Prix Du Cap
Trainer: Adam Marcus; Breeder: GJ Armitage; Sire: Ashaawes
