The South African horseracing and breeding industry was shocked to the core this evening with the breaking news that multiple champion sire Jet Master has suffered a setback and is unlikely to be covering any mares this season. Jet Master was crowned champion sire of our season that ended on Sunday. He beat his nearest rival Captain Al, after a protracted struggle at the top of the sire log in the final few weeks.
The sire of top racehorses of recent years in Pocket Power, JJ The Jet Plane, River Jetez, Ebony Flyer and Mythical Flight, amongst many others stands at the Klipdrift Stud in Robertson. The son of Rakeen is owned by Patricia and Henry Devine and made a winning racecourse debut at the start of the 1997 racing season in the care of Tony Millard. He was to win eight Grade 1 races in total. He retired to Highlands Stud in 2001 but a political spat while his first foals were on the ground saw him move to Klipdrift Stud, where he stands today. The timing of the sad news is bound to send shockwaves through the breeding ranks. Further news will follow, once more details are available.
Jockey Chris Puller is a prodigious talent who has often flattered only to deceive. A son of a former jockey, and a nephew of one of the greats of the game in Garth Puller, he can certainly ride when in the mood and he stole the show with a hat-trick of winners at an unseasonally warm Kenilworth racecourse on 2 August.The Puller name is synonomous with Group winners and one hopes that he is spurred on by this early success as Cape racing is in desperate need of some young blood in the jockey ranks.
Prestage and Puller. Famous silks enjoyed a double.
Puller’s first winner was on the big grey Born To Be Wild, who has a mind of his own, but can run. The gelding was aided in the build-up and at the starting stalls by South Africa’s leading horse-whisperer Malan Du Toit. Puller tracked the flashy Kannemeyer –trained Noordhoek Express until the 200m marker, where he asserted himself to win a good race. In typically prudent fashion his trainer Bill Prestage suggested that he was now ‘looking for him to show improvement.’ Well said. No champion, but let him earn his stripes. He is by Australian stallion, Ferocity.
Queensland based Ferocity is a son of Lion Hunter and is a former winner of the Adelaide Magic Millions and the Gr2 Ascot Vale Stakes, beating a field of Golden Slipper contenders in near record time. He has produced Gr1 winners. High-profile banker and SA racehorse owner Bernard Kantor bred the grey gelding from the Timber Trader mare, Almasiga, who was covered off-shore. Trainer Bill Prestage paid tribute to the eagle eye of Millennium Stud’s Joanne Mincione, when he related the story of how the former breeder had said that Born To Be Wild would ‘go for big money’, when explaining why he had not shortlisted him at the Grandwest Sale. Prestage landed up paying only R95 000 for a horse by a stallion whose current service fee is around the Aus $11 000 mark. Not bad going.
Prestage has only fourteen horses in his string at Milnerton, and a shrewder more patient horseman one will not find. He and young Chris Puller were on the mark in the fifth race again, when the lesser fancied of the stable coupling, Six Flags, ran on well to collar the pretty grey Gareth Grey, who had looked a winner right up to the 50m marker. This MR 72 Handicap over 1200m had always looked a tough puzzle, and Prestage’s stable companion, the big Dynasty gelding Santa Barbara, went out a weak favourite. He was never in the hunt and the trainer said afterwards that he had decided to give Six Flags a chance and sit off the leaders, and he in fact discussed the fact that he was the better ride with Puller.
Tellytrack presenter and Phillipi-based racehorse trainer Stan Elley, who come rain or shine is always on duty and serves racing so loyally, appropriately won the very first Western Cape race of the new season. His unfancied and formless Zandvliet Stud-bred Daddy’s Countess won the first race, a Maiden Plate over 1200m, at any price in the hands of a very low-key Jassurick Jordaan. The likeable former KZN apprentice has been as scarce as a dinosaur in the winner’s enclosure and we hope that this win singles a change of fortune for him.
Swamped by Marsh. Shirtliff in the winner's circle again.
Backers of the fancied Polar Bound, who contested the sixth race over 1400m as an odds-on favourite, may be feeling a little puzzled and hard done by after what appeared to be an over-confident ride by Karis Teetan. The pacemaker as expected in this race, was the long-striding Cap Alright who was given a great ride by replacement jockey Richard Fourie, failing only in the last stride. He was tracked the whole way around by the shrewd veteran Karl Neisius, who was riding the Shirtliff-owned long-striding Lancelin. He drew alongside the pacemaker very late, and stayed on just a little bit better. Marsh Shirtliff said afterwards that this was one of his cheapest buys yet favourite horses and the youngster had ‘spoken’ to him as a baby. Teetan and Polar Bound made up good ground late on the inside, but it was a case of too little too late from a hopeless position. Funny old game this. One day you are the hero. The next you are zero.
Teetan rode a more bullish race in the very next event, an MR 88 Handicap for Fillies and Mares, but his mount Lassiter fell away to finish last after being chased around her field to track the pacemaking Diva Dancer. Teetan’s confidence may have been under fire but conversely, Brandon Morgenrood rode a great race to get Barcelona Winter home to an easy fourth win from six starts. Yogas Govender’s four year old played up at the start, but is on the up and looks a Sizzling Summer Season prospect. Her trainer termed her a ‘Group filly’ afterwards. Her dam, Barcelona Baby, was a top filly in her day, winning seven races, including the Southern Cross Stakes fourteen years ago under the late Andre Du Preez. Her highly esteemed stablemate Joie De Grise, herself a successful La Plaissance broodmare these days, ran third that day.
Hot hat-trick. Chris Puller in fine form.
Puller rounded off a great day by riding his third winner in a driving finish to get Prompter home in the final race. The Stage Call filly is owned by Arc En Ciel Stud and trained by Joey Ramsden and probably just stays the 1400m. Puller looked after her during the race before producing her with a finely timed run. He had to contend with a wild ride by colleague Jassurick Jordaan who came at him from all angles on the Stan Elley-trained Light My Candle, who flew late.
The next Cape meeting is on 13 August. That’s a long time to wait if one is feeding racehorses.
