Sands Of Time – August 1994

31 July – 6 August

Piere Strydom starts the new season in fine style with victory aboard Nick van Tonder trained As Ever in the R60 000 Maurice Passmore Handicap over 1800m at Newmarket on 4 August. As Ever starts favourite ahead of Ferraris’ top weight Forest Angel. Course specialist Jessamine is on offer at 11-2 along with the Alexander-trained Gay Surrender. As Ever pounces inside the final 200m for an easy victory. Rank outsider African Bach (USA), returning over R10,00 a place on the tote, finishes strongly for second ahead of Jewelled Wings (Aus) and Jessamine. Forest Angel, whose saddle slipped forward during the running, trails in 5 lengths adrift of the winner.

The 6 August Gold Cup is a triumph for PE trainer Arthur Miller, jockey Andre Hoffman and owner Mike Bosch’s 7yo Stateway, who stuns racegoers with a gutsy victory in the prestigious 3200m Gr1 Gold Cup. The massive American-bred Surfing Home maintained his ante-post position at the head of the betting boards, hoping to redeem himself after his Rothmans July disqualification. There was also good money for White Tie Affair (NZ), Space Walk, Sweet Secret and Conman, with Stateway starting one of the 33-1 outsiders in the maximum 20-runner field.

Believing the 3200m a bit short for Stateway to display his true abilities, Miller instructs jockey Andre Hoffman to have the gelding right up in touch throughout and the rider obliges to the letter. Coming into view from behind the Drill Hall, Spring Hill was 3 lengths clear of Ginger Cake, Surfing Home (USA), Stateway, Catch Twenty Two, Art de Vivre and Conman. Deciding that the slow gallop was not in his favour, Mark Sutherland sent Surfing Home a couple of lengths clear through the 900m marker. He was 4 lengths ahead of Ginger Cake and Stateway turning for home and it looked as if his early move would pay dividends. However Hoffman had gone for the stick and Stateway dug into his reserves of stamina, plugging on strongly to get to Surfing Home (USA) inside the last 300m. Showing no signs of stopping he went clear to win by 1 ¼ lengths. Space Walk came out of the pack down the running rail in the straight and ran on for third money, nearly 2 lengths adrift of Surfing Home (USA) with Conman running an honest race for the minor placing.

Another highlight on Gold Cup day is Amberpondo, bred by George Kahan at The Alchemy, picked up by Ashburton trainer Paul Denysschen for a cheap R23 000 at the 1993 Cape Yearling sale. A short-priced favourite for the Summerveld Stakes, Amberpondo is 5 lengths off the pace turning for home, but improves smartly to clear for an easy 3-length victory over Phantom Fun, Fairly Eligible and Manhasset Hills. Having notched 5 wins and a second from 6 starts as a 3yo, Eric Sands’ charge Flobayou is promoted to stakes company for his first start at four and hands out a drubbing to his rivals in Greyville’s 1000m Stewards Cup to register his sixth victory from 7 career appearances.

7 – 13 August

Four days later, Eric Sands registers a feature double when Elliodor (Fr) mare Double d’Or scores in Greyville’s 2000m Gr2 Natalia Stakes for the second time, having won as a four-year-old in 1992. Less than a length fourth in the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes on Rothmans July day, Double d’Or is better suited by the Natalia Stakes trip. Jeff Lloyd rides a forceful finish, holding off a strong challenge from Outstanding Star (Aus), winning by a long-head.

Greyville’s 2000m Gr1 Champion Stakes on 13 August sees Pas De Quoi bow out on a high to return to stallion duties. An unlucky runner-up in 1993, this year the only challenge comes from Crystal’s Garter who puts in a challenge down the straight. Pas de Quoi always had his measure though, winning more easily than the length verdict suggests. Ravenous, placed in both the Gr1 Rothmans July and the Gr2 Greyville 1900, stays on for third. The winner of the J&B Met and Schweppes Challenge during the 1993/1994 season, Pas de Quoi is voted ARCSA Horse of the Year and Champion Older Male and retires to Odessa Stud to stand alongside Model Man and Fine Edge for a fee of R4000.

The National ARCSA Awards Ceremony is held on Champion Stakes day with the presentations made in the Greyville parade ring between races.

Honours are awarded as follows:-

Horse of the Year / Champion Older Horse – Pas De Quoi
Champion Older Filly – Vesta
Champion Stayer – Space Walk
Champion Sprinter – Taban
Champion 3yo colt – Golden Taipan
Champion 3yo Filly – Kundalini
Champion 2yo Colt – Special Preview
Champion 2yo Filly – Dancing Danzig
Outstanding Trainer – Ormond Ferraris
Outstanding Jockey – Piere Strydom
Outstanding Breeder – D. Cohen & Sons (Pty) Ltd
Outstanding Stallion – Dancing Champ (USA)
Outstanding Broodmare – First Lisa

It is worth special mention that despite PE only racing on a weekly basis, Fairview-based Stanley Greeff achieves a career best total of 123 winners for the season. It takes his career wins to 2229, 28 short of Millard’s national record of 2257. On the EC log, Greeff saddles 103 winners, 78 seconds, 75 thirds and 64 fourths from a total of 719 runners and earnings of R1 575 488. Greeff finishes 7th on the national log on stakes earnings behind Ormond Ferraris, (76 winners), David Payne (58 winners), Patrick Shaw (62 winners), Tony Millard (82 winners), Gary Alexander (64 winners) and Peter Kannemeyer (38 winners).

Meanwhile, back in the Cape, 3yo Lady Elle dominated the Listed Olympic Duel Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth.  Ridden by Mark Khan and trained by Colin Burroughs, she lead the way from the 400m pole alongside Shilly Shally, with Cloud Cover and Overflame next best.  Inside the final 200m Lady Elle skipped clear and was clearly the best on the day, winning by 1,5 lengths from Shilly Shally with Cloud Cover a further 2,75 lengths back in third.

21 – 27 August

A week after being named ARCSA Champion Sprinter for the second year in succession, Vaughan Marshall’s charge Taban kicks off his six-year-old campaign with a narrow but game victory in the R100 000 Gr1 Natal Mercury Sprint over Clairwood Park’s 1200m on 24 August. A weight of money sees Gr1 Gilbey’s Stakes winner Golden Taipan start even-money favourite to atone for his Durban Merchants Handicap defeat at his previous start. He comes within a long-head of achieving this under plenty of left-handed whip in the closing stages, but the line comes just too soon. This in no way detracts from a great run by Taban. A very much in form Robbie Fradd jumps him away smartly and then plays hare to the remaining nine runners. Punched out to go more than 2 lengths clear into the final 200m, Taban keeps finding more to post his twelfth career win and take his earnings to R910 490. Secret Rites, runner up in this race a year back and having his first start since early March, finishes well to be 1 ¾ lengths off Golden Taipan in third place.

With longshots filling three of the first four places in Clairwood Park’s 1600m Gr2 Post Natal Golden Slipper, the 10-cent quartet dividend is a massive R11 248,70. Australian-bred Stormy Hill, winner of two of four previous starts and sixth in the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Futurity Stakes, goes off at the top of the boards. But try as she might, she has no answer for a well-timed run from New Zealand-bred Dahlia’s Legacy, who gets up to win by a neck. Masai Mara, handy throughout, stays on for third less than a length further back with Carrier Princess coming from well back for the minor placing.  The 20/1 odds about Dahlia’s Legacy (NZ) are an indication of the extent of stable confidence, but her victory nevertheless provides trainer David Payne with his second successive winner of this fillies’ feature, having won the 1993 running with Fine Things, who also caused an upset at the expense of the well fancied duo Fair Model and Hispanola (Arg).

There is a topclass finish in the EP Breeders Stakes at Arlington on 26 August. The “Boet” Nel-trained Spark of Power is ridden by Francois Naude, who puts up 3kg overweight, and wins by a short head from Jamaican Inn with 11/10 favourite Little Strike a short head away third.

Clairwood Park is the scene of a remarkable run by Cape gelding Hainan Dao in the 2 400m Gr2 Premier’s Gold Vase on 27 August. First emergency acceptor for the race, Hainan Dao secures a run little more than 24 hours before the event after the late defection of Zimbabwean entry San Vito. After a frantic float trip from Cape Town, trainer Pat Labuschagne and his charge arrive at Clairwood Park only a few hours before the race. Hainan Dao inherits San Vito’s jockey too and apparently none the worse for the long haul, moves up smoothly in the straight to take over from pace-making Royal Voyager inside the final 100m. He holds off a late rally from hot favourite Fire Arch (NZ) to win by a head with Art de Vivre third. The race also produces an objection against pace-setting Royal Voyager who was fourth across the line. Shifting in from the whip in the closing stages, Royal Voyager was responsible for a chain reaction which saw Double d’Or, Flaming Axe, Conman and Spring Hill all running into trouble. With the objection upheld and Royal Voyager demoted to last, Spring Hill was moved to fourth and Double d’Or fifth.

In a second feature on the day, Lustra (USA) gelding La Fabulous, bred and raced by Peter and Val Fenix, is just too good for his rivals and scores a convincing victory in the 1600m Kwazulu-Natal Breeders Challenge, second leg of the provincial Triple Crown.