Sands Of Time – June 1995

31 May – 6 June

 

No Doubt about Taban

The 1200m Gr2 Chairman’s Stakes at Greyville on 31 May made Taban the winter season’s second millionaire after Fire Arch, and the first ever to reach the landmark without winning beyond 1200m. Just for good measure, he lowered the race record for the Chairman’s Stakes as well. Drawn widest of all, Taban broke fast and turned the weight-for-age race into a procession. Always with the pace, he kicked on coming into the straight, leaving fourteen others toiling in his wake, including race favourite Flobayou, who’d also been drawn wide and raced unusually handy. He had nothing to come in the straight, thought, and finished fifth – his first unplaced run in his 11-race career. Levendi ran on best of the others to finish second, with the game Midnight Run and Sligo Bay next best. Former champion sprinter Signor Amigo finished last, leaving his career well and truly in tatters.

Ton Up!

Leading trainers Tony Millard and Stanley Greeff achieved the 100-win milestone for the season in the same week-end. Stanley beat Tony by a nose because of the Friday meeting in PE, scoring in the local feature event with Sugar Cube Baby on 2 June. Fittingly, Millard also chose a feature event to pass his landmark, with Amazon Fighter in the 3 June Strelitzia Stakes at Greyville.

Return of the Amazon

If horses don’t need to be enormous to win races, nor do they need to cost the earth. Amazon Fighter, a half sister to Cape Derby winner Western Rocket, was acquired for a relatively modest R25 000 at the 1994 Cape Summer Yearling Sale, and posted her second Feature race success in the Gr3 Strelitzia Stakes over 1200m at Greyville on 3 June. Amazon Fighter raced in the first three throughout and pounced as pacemaker Quick Succession weakened. Fellow Gauteng visitor Fine Royal came with a mighty rattle from far back, but was still half-a-length off Amazon Fighter at the post.

A Shaw Thing

Later that afternoon, the diminutive Teal gave a hint of things to come with an impressive display of courage in the R150,000 Gr1 Daily News 2000. Having jumped off the pace, Johnny Geroudis looped his charge around horses on the approach to the home turn. Teal came under pressure at the subway, briefly looking as if he would go out the back door, however, he dug deep to find another gear in the closing stages. Edging past Pelagos and Stormy Hill, he still had enough in hand to shake off charging stablemate Tickets And Tax by a neck, booking his starting berth in the Rothmans July in the process.

Dancing For Joy

Down in the Cape, the opening leg of the Cape Winter Series, the Listed Milnerton Mile, went the way of Paddy Kruyer charge, Joyous Dancer. Coming off a 5 month layoff, Hymie and Joan Maisel’s daughter of Dancing Champ had shown strong form, coming into the race off back to back wins. Frontrunner Whistling Prince slowed the pace to a crawl, and looked to be coasting to victory, still clear and being ridden only with the hands 200m out. Joyous Dancer though, was never much more than three lengths behind her stable companion and began to make ground in the straight. Whistling Prince didn’t find very much when the whip was eventually applied, and Joyous Dancer collared him in the final strides to win by a neck. The slow pace meant that race was no sort of a test as far as stamina is concerned and Joyous Dancer is far from assured of staying the 1800m and 2000m of the remaining two legs of the Cape Winter Challenge series.

Dispersal

Jaap van de Vendel & Bradgate Stud held a breeding stock dispersal at Kildaragh Park stud on 4 June, with Henry Devine securing the sales topper, Daddy’s Darling, for R105,000.

Gilbeys On Sunday

In order to avoid a clash with the Rugby Cup final, set for Saturday, 24 June, the KZN operators opt to move Gilbeys Day to Sunday, 25 June.

7 – 13 June

 

Riley On The Charge

Vaal trainer Mike Riley has some useful two-year-olds this season and Manyeleti gave the stable its second juvenile Feature race success of 1995 when landing the Gr3 J.G. Hollis Futurity over 1400m at Clairwood Park on 7 June. Riley had previously won the Gosforth Park Fillies Futurity with Fine Royal.

Just For The Record

The 10 June 1995 WFA Clairwood Park Challenge produced an exciting clash. 1995 J&B Met hero Surfing Home returned to the track for the first time since his 19 week layoff and the field boasted the likes of Cape Guineas winner Bushmanland and Cape Derby runner-up, Amberpondo. However, Mike de Kock’s Record Edge proved much the better horse on the day and Record Edge won as he liked, beating Bushmanland to the post by 1.75 lengths with Amberpondo 3rd and Surfing Home a creditable fourth. With Record Edge set to carry a mere 52.5 kilos in the Rothmans July, his connections must be starting to feel more than a little nervous now…

All’s Fair

James Lightheart saddled Western Rocket to win the 1994 J.W.S. Langerman Futurity, and on 10 June he sent out Northern Fair to capture the 1995 running of this 1500m handicap for two-year-olds at Milnerton. It may be too much to hope that Northern Fair will enjoy anything like as bright a subsequent career as did Western Rocket, but who can say? It was the gelding’s first start beyond sprints, and he relished every yard of it as he swooped past Mustang Manny in the last 150m to win by a widening two lengths. Freedom Fortune, an impressive winner of his only previous start, finished a promising third after being drawn widest of the 16 starters around the near-bed course and not having much luck finding a clear run up the straight.

Race of the season? Get real!

Gauteng commentators were falling over each other in their praise for National Emblem and Special Preview, who fought out a spirited battle on 10 June at Gosforth Park in the Listed Jubilee Handicap. The pair fought valiantly and the winner, on this occasion, was National Emblem.  But the Race of the Season, as some had us believe? No ways. The early pace was slow, and the race not more than a tough sprint home, where class prevailed. A false run race if ever there was one, which is illustrated by the placed horses. The two main challengers finished neck-‘n-neck, but sprint/miler Anarch (squeezed out when the two ‘big’ horses came together) was only 2.5 lengths behind at the line – and he GAVE 1.5 and 2.5 kilos to the two respectively. Fourth finisher Firle Beacon, who ran 4.5 lengths behind the winner, gave 2.5 and 3.5 kilos respectively. So if National Emblem and Special Preview are the greatest based on the outcome of this race, then Anarch and Firle Beacon are not more than a length off the best on level terms.

SA Ties for Epsom Derby Winner

On 10 June, owner Sheikh Mohammed continued his string of big race success with horses that wintered in the desert kingdom, when Dubai trained colt Lammtarra (the Arabic word for invisible) survived a stewards enquiry to win the 1995 Epsom Derby. It was only his 2nd career start.

Of interest to SA fans is the fact that Lammtarra is out of Oaks winner Snow Bride, a full sister to local sire Habaayib, who stands at Highlands for the 1995 season. Snow Bride and Habaayib have a half brother Salaadim, who’ll stand at Camargue in Natal for the coming breeding season.

Wayne’s World

Across the Atlantic, trainer D Wayne Lukas scored the US Triple Crown all by himself when Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch sprinted home in a slow run Belmont Stakes. Thunder Gulch and Timber Country had won the first two legs for the champion trainer, who seems to be right on top again after a few lean years.

14 – 20 June

 

Look Sleek, Look Sharp

The somewhat unfashionably bred Sleek Machine (Sleek Gold – North Way), ensured his July ticket with an emphatic victory in the Gr3 Sharp Electronics Trial. Run over 18000m at Clairwood Park on Friday, 16 June, the four-year-old may be somewhere in the middle of most ante- poste July betting lists, but he won’t be without his supporters as he also won the Peninsula Handicap at Milnerton in January and was runner-up to fellow Rothmans entry Fire Arch in the Bloodline Derby last season.

Whatever the chances of Sleek Machine in the Rothmans July, one thing can safely be said about him is that he will stay the distance and his preparation for the big one is spot on. Friday’s race was only his third since he returned from a short 11 week lay-off and Sleek Machine won’t be overcooked come July 1st. If you’re looking to back something at decent odds, you can surely do much worse!

That Man Jeffrey

Clairwood Park recently introduced a “Jockey of the Day” award, nominated by a member of the Press and intended to be something like cricket’s Man of the Match. Never can the choice have been simpler than it was on Friday, 16 June when Jeff Lloyd blasted home seven winners from nine mounts. Piere Strydom was not far behind, booting home five winners (including the Jackpot) at Gosforth Park on Friday and returning for another five on Saturday!

David’s a Goliath

David Ferraris, relocating to Gauteng shortly to take over from his father Ormond, has made it well nigh on impossible for anybody else to win a Cape juvenile Feature event this season. Lady of Cadiz made it four-from-four with an impressive display in the Kenilworth Fillies Futurity over 1200m on Saturday, 17 June. Jockey Robbie Sweetman was in no doubt about the filly’s stamina – after showing up a narrow leader for most of the way Lady of Cadiz accelerated clear when put to the rest and came home 1.75 ahead of impressive last start maiden winner Fan Ling.

Spanish Fly – Indeed!

First season sire Cordoba got off the mark in spectacular style when his son El Viento scored by over 5 lengths at Kenilworth. The winner is a first foal, out of Fair Season mare Wind Music.

Cordoba is named after an ancient Moorish city in Spain, most probably because he’s by El Gran Senor.  Cordoba raced at 2 in England, finishing third in the Gr1 Middle Park Stakes (he started odds-on favourite) and fifth in the Gr1 Dewhurst Stakes, from just three starts. He moved to the US as a 3yo, winning twice from five starts. He came to South Africa after that, running once before going to stud. Well fancied on that outing he injured a knee and that was that. Cordoba stands at Shirley Pfeiffer’s Arc-en-Ciel stud in Wellington, this coming season at a fee of R5,000 live foal

New Sire for Summerhill

Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Daarik has been retired to stud after being found to have been incubating a virus during the running of the Schweppes Challenge. After consultation with Sheikh Maktoum’s racing manager, Angus Gold, it had been decided that there was little point in continuing to train Daarik for his final objective, the Champion Stakes, and he will stand at Summerhill Stud.

The first son of the world class stallion Diesis, Daarik is one of 4 Group winners to emerge from his highly performed dam, Bay Street, and joins his close family relative, the Group 1 winner Braashee in the Summerhill Stallion barn, together with Northern Guest, Coastal, Desert Team, French Stress and Rami for the 1995 season.

Jockey change for Western Rocket

The final field for the Rothmans July is announced, with a jockey change for Western Rocket. Robbie Fradd will replace “MJ” Odendaal, who is under contract in Mauritius and won’t be able to get the necessary release from his stable.

The final field for the 1995 R1million Rothmans July is:-

Draw	Horse	Jockey	Weight	Betting
10	Surfing Home	Jeff Lloyd	58	6/1
12	Space Walk	Kevin Shea	55.5	40/1
7	Fire Arch	Piere Strydom	54	7/1
8	Imperial Despatch	Anton Marcus	54	14/1
11	Firle Beacon	Karl Neisius	53.5	66/1
5	At The Savoy	Muis Roberts	53	20/1
9	Barrellen	R Bonham	53	25/1
15	Elete Fov	Anthony Delpech	53	25/1
14	Chief Advocate	Mark Sutherland	53	25/1
2	Record Edge	Doug Whyte	52.3	5/1
4	Sleek Machine	Stuart Randolph	52.5	25/1
6	Zelator	C Louw	52.5	33/1
16	La Fabulous	Gavin Venter	52	50/1
1	National Emblem	Rhys van Wyk	52	5/1
3	Teal	Johnny Geroudis	52	14/1
20	Western Rocket	MJ Odendaal	52	20/1
18	Special Preview	Gavin van Zyl	52	12/1
17	Tickets And Tax	Stephen Jupp	52	16/1
13	Summer Line	Weichong Mawing	51.5	50/1
19	Festive Forever	Eric Chelin	51.5	33/1

 

Empress Club in Foal

Despite a very light book of mares, and fertility problems from the onset of old age, it took 26yo champion sire Lyphard just one jump to get the Empress in foal. Lyphard has sired about a hundred stakes winners in his 21-year stud career, and boasts an AEI of 3.61. The foal will be a complete outcross, with no duplications in the first five generations, a rather unusual occurrence.

Just the Ticket

One 2400m classic which certainly wasn’t run at a crawl was the Gr1 Kwazulu-Natal Derby at Clairwood Park on Monday, 19 June. While Millard hopeful Vladimir, a full brother to Illustrador, saw his July hopes go up in smoke, Tickets And Tax, on the other hand, put himself right into contention with a sizzling display. Pat Shaw’s colt clearly relished the strong pace and simply blew past his rivals to hit the front 200m from home and win by 3.5 lengths from Cape Derby winner and fellow July runner Western Rocket.

21 – 28 June

 

In A Different League, Harry!

25 June was Gilbeys Day at Scottsville and Harry’s Charm all but sewed up the ARCSA 2yo Filly Award with a resounding demolition of 13 rivals in the Allan Robertson Fillies Futurity. Piere Strydom had to do little but stay in the irons as Mike Azzie’s charge sauntered home 4.5 lengths clear of League Title, who just held the hapless Ragusa Abbess out of second place.

Harvest Time

In the Gilbey Stakes, Ricky Maingard’s charge Young Harvest debunked the myth that horses always need a prep run or two before going into big races and delivered a galloping lesson to his 15 rivals. Allowing the pacesetters a 4-length lead, Piere Strydom steered Young Harvest past his tiring opponents to lead 100m out and go on to win by three-parts of a length from the charging Flobayou, who was conceding Young Harvest 5kgs. Discover Diamonds stayed on for third ahead of Shoe Express.

Oh Carol!

After an abortive attempt to reduce the distance of the Oaks to 2000m from 2400m (which also caused collective amnesia amongst racing administrators as to whose idea it was), a rather weak field lined up for the 1995 Gr1 SA Oaks. In a slow run race, Tony Millard’s Argentinian import Carolera made all the running under a fine ride from Jeff Lloyd, and found more when looking beaten in the last 200m to beat rank outsider Miss Dancer by a head.

No Joy

It wasn’t a good week for any horse with “triple crown” aspirations. Neither the Cape Winter Challenge Series nor the Newmarket Stayers Triple Crown will have a winner in 1995 after the middle legs of the two series were run at Kenilworth on Monday and Newmarket on Wednesday respectively.

Milnerton Mile winner Joyous Dancer was sent out favourite for the Kenilworth Challenge Futurity over 1800m in soft ground, but the race was captured by Piet Steyn’s All Fight, who took the lead a long way from home and had enough left to beat fast finishing Bad Influence by almost a length.

Supa Dupa

The Newmarket Triple Crown has been won twice in the last three years, but Excellerator won’t be joining Fine Regent and Hidden Fortune on the honours list after the 2400m Gr3 Computaform Derby event was won in resounding fashion by Zimbabwean-bred gelding Dupa Dice on 28 June. Mike Riley’s charge romped home by 2 lengths from Travel North, with Excellerator relegated to third place.

Crimson Waves to Prove Stud Value

Crimson Waves, who showed nothing like his best form in the 10 May Gr2 Premier’s Stakes, scratched from Greyville’s King’s Pact Handicap and it was subsequently announced that Graham and Rhona Beck’s colt has been retired to take up stud duties at Maine Chance, where he had been born.

29 June – 4 July

 

Brother to Gold Flier Tops Natal Sales

The Natal Winter Yearling Sale took place at Durban’s Newmarket Showgrounds on Thursday 29th and Friday 30th June.  Michael Azzie bought the sales topper – a full brother to Smirnoff winner Gold Flier – for R150,000. Gold Flier’s trainer Clodagh Shaw was the underbidder.  Of 350 yearlings offered, 253 were sold, 39 withdrawn and 58 not sold. The aggregate was R5,675,000 and the average R22,431 (up a solid 18% on 1994).

KZN Whitewash

Rothmans day provided Natal breeders with more advertising material than even the most fervent imagination could come up with, with all of the Premier’s Champion Futurity Stakes, the Garden Province Stakes, and the first two past the Rothmans July post being Natal breds.

Revenge of the All Blacks

Former All Black star Alan Sutherland may have had mixed feelings about the Rugby World Cup, but the outcome of the Rothmans July was nothing short of a dream come true. Not only did Sutherland’s Somerset Stud breed the winner Teal, but runner-up Barrellen as well. This may well be some sort of record in South Africa’s premier race and one which underlines the growing strength of Natal in the field of thoroughbred production.

Front-running Surfing Home set the pace, only to fade as the field hit the top of the straight. Barrellen mounted a charge along with National Emblem, while Teal began to unwind a run from a good eight lengths off the pace. With little more than 100m left, a 25/1 upset looked inevitable, but Teal fought tenaciously to catch the leaders with less than 50m left, going on to win by the best part of a length. Tickets And Tax came from far back to finish fourth, presenting trainer Pat Shaw with a one-four finish in the great race.

Teal retained his record of never finishing further back than second, and joins Dancing Duel as the only horse to win the SA Guineas, Daily News 2000 and Rothmans July in one season. What more can you ask?

What A Gift!

Ebrahim Khan’s African Breeders Stakes and Breeders Challenge Stakes hero What A Prospect was the only dual Feature race winner in the Premier Champion Futurity Stakes field, and he duly made off with the spoils. Trained at Ashburton by Cyril Naidoo, What A Prospect was always handy and Robbie Fradd’s charge took it up from Castlebellingham with more than a furlong to cover and held off a fast finishing Cape raider Northern Fair by the best part of a length. Manyeleti, stable companion of race favourite Sails Of Silk, stayed on for third but Sails Of Silk himself went backwards to finish in the bunch after being within striking distance on the turn.

A Merry Dance

Last season’s champion two-year-old filly Dancing Danzig, given to Robbie Blank as a present, looks to have wrapped up a second ARCSA Award by landing the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes at Greyville. The dual Fillies Guineas winner raced from off the pace, but jockey Rhys van Wyk started niggling her as they turned for home and once Dancing Danzig hit top gear the race was over. Diane Stenger’s filly shot through a narrow gap to take command approaching the last 100m and went on to beat a charging Dollar Fortune by one length. Northern Girl stayed on for third to make it a Trifecta of three-year-olds. Vesta ran on strongly to fill the frame and, as with the Rothmans July, there wasn’t a single Natal-trained runner in the first four.

Dawn of an era

155 lots were led through the ring for the 1995 Natal Mare and Weanling sale on 3 July.  Fifty-nine sold, 24 were withdrawn and 72 were not sold. GB Davies paid the top price for Flamboyant Stakes winner Clear Creek, in foal to Rakeen and towards the end of the sale, a lanky, unnamed Rakeen colt out of a mare called Jet Lightning, was knocked down for R15k to Mr & Mrs Henry Devine….