Sands Of Time – June 1994

May 29 – June 4

Gary Player’s thoroughbred dreams lie in tatters when Broadway Flyer fails to find a place in the Epsom Derby. Player is the breeder of the son of Theatrical, produced from SA Oaks winner Serena (who was bred by Mordaunt Milner, and from the family of local sire Man Of Property). Broadway Flyer, who starts second favourite, appears to suffer from an overdose of scrimmaging in the 25-strong field. The race is won by Erhaab, a son of US sire Chief’s Crown (Danzig), who’s also the sire of 2000 Guineas runner-up Grand Lodge. Erhaab is ridden by 51yo former champion Willie Carson.

The Hong Kong season closes with a 7-race evening meeting at Happy Valley, where the Epsom Derby is included as the final event on the card. Basil Marcus extends his unassailable lead in the jockey championship to 73 (it’ll be his third title, and a new Hong Kong record) by winning the first race, shouted home by a crowd of 36.000 fans. Although the HK$38 million wagered on the Derby is less than a quarter of the HK$160 million bet on the last of the six local races, there are long queues at the windows following the victory of Erhaab, who starts 7/2 favourite in Hong Kong. Despite the relatively low interest in the Derby (perhaps because of its local off-time of 11pm!), the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club achieves a record turnover for the meeting when HK$933 million is bet, bettering the previous high of HK$883 million. Perhaps our local TAB’s should considering offering permanent South African citizenship to Hong Kong punters when the former crown colony returns into Chinese hands in 1997: a boat-load of them would probably double our turnovers!

Bookmakers have a field day at the midweek meeting at Greyville when the on- and off-course Tote crashes. Main Man filly Main Lambada scores a runaway win at the meeting, beating Casey’s Honour and Haarlem Park by almost 3 lengths in the R100.000 Natal Breeders Sprint. In the second feature on the day Taban narrowly holds off Signor Amigo in the Chairmans Stakes, with Richebourg third and Dancing Duel fourth. Taban sets a new race record with 69.6 for the 1200m, bettering Ocean City’s 1974 effort by 0.2 second.

Compilers of the Natal Racecard reach the depths of despair when a declared runner is left out of the official racecard by mistake. Named Queensborough, the horse duly wins.

Argosy filly Sugar Cube Baby retains her unbeaten record when winning her fourth start, in the R25.000 EP Nursery at Fairview. She’s yet another success for Stanley Greeff, who is having a superb season with his juveniles.

Racing editor status soars to new heights with the running of the fifth race on Daily News day at Greyville. The race is named “Robbyn Ramsay Matron handicap (f&m)” – the word matron usually reserved for highclass, proven broodmares – wow! At the same meeting punters abandon last season’s top juvenile Imperial Despatch in their droves, when the colt lines up for the R150.000 Gr1 Daily News 2000 at Greyville. After all, Imperial Despatch had been soundly beaten when favourite for the SA Guineas at his previous start. The extra distance and the strong pace make all the difference to the son of Imperial Dilemma, though, as he finds his form again to beat Rusty Pelican on the post – at comfortable odds of 12/1. The Gr2 Strelitzia Stakes run half an hour later falls to Plugged Nickle filly West Wall, who holds Dahlia’s Legacy and Dancing Telegraph at bay.

In the Cape, former champion Jungle Warrior has a feature winner from his very first crop when Western Rocket wins the Langerman Racefigure Handicap with second highest weight of 57.5 kilos. The winner flies up late to beat Fairly Eligible by a short head, with topweighted favourite La Mancha in third. Interestingly, the two runners-up are both sons of Fair Season, the sire of Jungle Warrior!

June 5 – 11

D-Day remembrances take place everywhere, fifty years on. As part of the celebrations the London Daily Express re-publishes in full its 4-page issue of June 7, 1944. The paper, which for once does not carry one single advertisement, is devoted in its entirety to the invasion – with exception of a two-column box with racing results! After all, the D-Day Newmarket meeting took place as usual and punters cannot be kept in the dark. Gordon Richards won three races, but not the day’s feature event. That was the Coronation Cup, in which Persian Gulf set a new course record. Other names pedigree students will recognise are Fairthorn (beaten a head in the 12.30) and Pink Flower (winner of the 2.30).

A casino opens at Kenilworth Racecourse, unanimously hailed by patrons as the “most magnificent in the Cape”. This should come as little surprise, as the casino is situated on the fourth floor of the main stand, in what formerly was the Steward’s Quarters… The casino (which incorporates a Tote) is expected to draw a new breed of patron to the track, and at the same time provide a great deal of extra revenue for the Western Province Race Club.

Meanwhile, a recent issue of US News & World Report carries the cover story “America’s Gaming Fever: How Casinos Empty Your Wallet”. Psychological and physiological ploys are used to make as much money as possible from patrons. Subliminal ways in which bettors are manipulated include: enough lighting so that night appears to be day, but not so much that players get tired; aroma, steady circulation of fresh air with pumped in fragrances; and cheap buffet and entertainment. Among other enticements revealed by the magazine: “Booze loosens gamblers up. Many casinos pour a hefty shot and a half”. Also “Cheque cashing and credit card machines abound, and it’s often easier to get casino credit than to get a car loan. Instead of giving an option, most casino ATM’s spit out a single $100 bill when you request $100”.

Racing commentaries, axed by hardnosed SABC executives from RPN Stereo nearly a year ago, are on their way back through a different, non-aligned station. Capital Radio, which broadcasts on medium wave, successfully completes negotiations with Natal Race Clubs and should be on the air in a week or so. Capital Radio is still looking for a sponsor for the service.

Flaming Rock attempts an unprecedented fourth win in the R400.000 Gr1 Schweppes Challenge. The son of Ballad Rock runs into traffic problems on the final bend, when near the tail of the field in rather a slow run race. When he finally finds daylight he flies in his customary manner, running the last 600m in 33 seconds (and last 400 in 22 seconds). It’s not enough, though, to catch Pas de Quoi and Take A Walk, who get first run and are well out of reach. The Schweppes is Pas de Quoi’s second Gr1 win this season, after the J&B Met, and the remarkable son of Roland Gardens is now well fancied for his next mission, the Rothmans July. Both Flaming Rock and Pas de Quoi have been at stud for one season, and will return there come September, hopefully to pass on some of their prized courage and ability.

Apprentice Genevieve Michel makes history at Clairwood. The sixteen year old daughter of former jockey Kenny and assistant trainer Wendy is the first Academy-trained girl apprentice to don silks against her professional male counterparts.

JUNE 12 – 18

Bookmakers price up Pas de Quoi as the new 8/1 favourite for the Rothmans July. Lord Shirldor (10/1) is next, closely followed by Out of Step, Take a Walk, At the Savoy and Vesta (all at 12/1), and Rusty Pelican and Flaming Rock at fourteens. Final field for the big race will be announced in a week’s time.

New Zealand bred Fire Arch secures a place in the Rothmans line-up when he follows up his good third of the Daily News 2000 with a nice win in the R750.000 Gr1 Natal Derby over 2400m at Clairwood. Fire Arch runs on well from the back of the field, together with Sleek Machine and SA Derby winner The Monk, to win by half a length and three-quarters. Favourite Agapanto plays up at the start, gets his leg over a partition in the stalls, and earns his jockey Sutherland a heavy fine for abusing the starter’s ancestry and general competence. Despite the commotion Agapanto still runs a decent race, just missing fourth place, but his Rothmans July hopes seem to have gone up in smoke now.

Trainer Tony Millard has better luck in the Gr3 Mainstay Trial, where front runner Surfing Home makes all the pace to win by a length from Making Mischief. It seems likely that the big American gelding will adopt similar tactics in the Rothmans July, the race in which he finished fourth two years ago as a three-year-old.

JUNE 19 – 25

The final field is announced for the Gr1 Rothmans July, amidst howls of indignation from most quarters when last season’s dual Cape classic winner and multiple Natal Gr1 runner-up Eli’s Truth is eliminated from the line-up, while runners such as Nilgiri and Milleverof stay in. Eli’s Truth is omitted because “his form is not up to scratch”. A few years ago a Transvaal handicapper became an expert on stamina when Senor Santa was eliminated from the Germiston November handicap with the prediction that he wouldn’t see out the 1600m distance. Now with the apparent expertise on form, the handicapping profession has moved yet another step closer to God.

Bookmakers price up Pas de Quoi as their 7/1 favourite for the Rothmans, with 8/1 Lord Shirldor and At the Savoy, 10/1 Vesta, 12/1 Flaming Rock, Surfing Home and Take a Walk, and 14/1 for 3yo’s Imperial Despatch and Rusty Pelican. The money horse appears to be Surfing Home, who could be had at 100/1 in the opening betting for the race, and 50/1 not even two weeks ago. Nilgiri, Golden Peak and Milleverof are the outsiders of the pack at 50/1.

June 26 – July 2

The second leg of the Cape Winter Challenge is up in the air, when last weekend’s postponed meeting at Kenilworth is cancelled – 285mm is measured at the track since the rain started. The originally planned midweek meeting for Milnerton befalls a similar lot, as that track too is unable to cope with six days of pelting Cape winter rains.

It doesn’t only rain in the Cape. Midweek racing at Greyville is abandoned after the running of the fourth race, when jockeys refuse to continue riding. This despite the recommendation of a specially convened “going committee”, consisting of trainers, jockeys, stewards and a stipe, that racing should continue. The Jockey Club opens an inquiry into the jockeys refusal (which amounts to breach of contract). Everyone else wonders what the purpose is of the special “going committee” if a majority vote can simply be overturned by a disagreeing party. The reason for the jockeys not to want to continue in what is described as “dangerous conditions” appears to be not so much the state of the (wet) track and the pull-up area, but rather the poor visibility. As one wag puts it: “The jockeys probably couldn’t see the bookmakers boards any longer”.

The Gr3 SA St Leger, third leg of the Newmarket Stayers Triple Crown is won by Monsieur Music, a son of Steady Beat and Gay Mamselle. Just to show what difference a stallion makes: Monsieur Music is the half brother of Golden Mam’selle (by Golden Thatch), who bred the winner of last week’s Gr1 Gilbeys, Golden Taipan.

The Gr1 Rothmans July ends in controversy when longtime leader Surfing Home swerves badly just as favourite Pas de Quoi begins his challenge on the rail. Jockey Garth Puller switches Pas de Quoi, only to be interfered with a second time when he comes round the other side of Surfing Home. The latter wins the race, but is placed fifth (one place behind Pas de Quoi) after an objection. Surfing Home’s jockey Sutherland earns himself a two-week suspension, one week for each of the two incidents. Sutherland, who appeared to lose control of the big American gelding, blames the incident on crowd noises frightening his horse. The Rothmans July now falls to Space Walk, who much earlier in the season had won the Gr1 Gold Cup at this track and was lightly raced since with the Rothmans July as his next objective.  Himself beaten a head before Surfing Home’s disqualification, Space Walk finishes half a length in front of a flying Flaming Rock, who in turn is a good two lengths ahead of Ravenous, with Pas de Quoi half a length behind that. A notable spectator at the Rothmans July is Tony O’Reilly, chairman and chief executive of Independent Newspapers, which recently acquired a controlling interest in the Argus. Tony and his Greek-born wife Christina have commercial breeding interests in France and Ireland. O’Reilly’s money in the main race is, predictably, on Irish import Flaming Rock – each way.

Space Walk’s Rothmans July win puts the seal on the national breeder’s championship for Odessa’s Lionel Cohen, who had already scored when Divine Fashion won the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes, the fifth race on the Rothmans July day card. In-between those two Gr1 events Surfing Home’s trainer Millard and owner John Nash experience ecstasy when their juvenile Morisco steals a march on the opposition in the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Futurity. Ahead of affairs entering the straight, the son of former Rothmans July winner Royal Chalice skips a few lengths clear, giving him just enough of an advantage to be able to hold on by half a length from La Mancha, Amberpondo and National Emblem – who finish virtually in one line across the track.

Space Walk’s Rothmans July win makes for an unusual double for stallion Dancing Champ, who also sired last year’s winner Dancing Duel. What a loss the deceased son of Nijinsky is for our breeders is illustrated by the fact that 2yo Gr1 winner Morisco is out of one of his daughters, and last week’s Gr1 Gilbeys winner Golden Taipan another of his sons. It will come as no surprise if Dancing Champ finishes ahead of Model Man and Elliodor on the sire-log this season.

Tote turnovers on the July day are up – just one percent in Natal to R6 million, but over nine percent on the Highveld, to R16.7 million. Notable also is the continuing trend away from the track, as on course attendance and turnover on the Rand are down some eight percent.