The weekend got off to a bad start for us with Eskom’s load shedding on Saturday morning halting us literally mid-stride on the treadmill. One never thinks that things can get that bad and then all of a sudden they do. Listening to Cape Talk Radio, I honestly thought the load shedding would happen here and there and not really concern us. How wrong was I, writes Joey Ramsden.
There is clearly something that Eskom is not telling us and the situation is far worse than we are being told. I suppose it is the time for a stiff upper lip in this country, to just keep going and hope it can get better. There must be something really wrong with our electrical supply when we cannot keep power going over the weekend when demand is at its lowest. As I said earlier, Eskom is definitely not telling all.
Racing at Kenilworth, sadly, was also affected by the power outages but they seemed to be up to the task with generators and everything else needed to keep the day running successfully. And boy what a day it was! The Lanzerac Ready to Run sales tent and hospitality was a sight to behold. The food was every bit as good as the decorations and the drink and entertainment as lively. It was a truly magnificently run affair and a day’s world class entertainment.
Lanzerac were not let down by the quality of sport either.
Run For Cover
Justin with the Polo Boks
The Green Point Stakes was won in facile fashion by Justin Snaith’s legislate. He looked a couple of lengths above and a far better horse than last year (although he definitely was not a bad one then either!). He put on a show for the boys that must have the other trainers in the country quaking. It really was a special run and he showed the turn of foot of a true champion. He certainly gave me goose bumps when he came up the Kenilworth straight. I am sure there is plenty more to come. Justin, riding his elephants in India, must be a very happy man. I had a quick chat with Chris afterwards and he was smiling from ear to ear.
A great training achievement and a great run from a great horse.
We had our own moment in the sun when Act of War put in a really good effort in the Selangor Cup. Although it was a small field, it was quite a classy one and he put to bed any doubts as to how good he is. Everything did not go his way and, dare I say it, there is even more improvement to come. Having said that, he quickened away like a nice horse.
He is a special animal in that he can travel anywhere in a race and has the turn of foot of an Usain Bolt. We are so lucky that he is such a relaxed character and just loves putting on a decent show. It was also fantastic to see Kingvoldt bounce back to his best as we have always known that he is an exceptionally good horse. He showed that on Saturday with a top-class performance.
Rags To Riches
Piere Strydom – the 5000 winners a remarkable achievement
But even these two horses’ efforts could not take away from Striker Strydom’s achievement of riding five thousand winners. That is a huge amount of winners by anyone’s standards and involved a huge amount of hard work, effort and air miles. If one thinks about where he came from and where he has ended up, it is a real rags-to -riches story.
Fantastic for him and to get the five thousandth winner in a Grade 2 race on a nice horse and in front of a reasonable crowd made it that much more special. I am so proud of the fact that we were able to give it to him.
Not just content with these two top class races, we also had the Lanzerac Ready to Run Stakes to contend with. A big field running for big money and there were some horses with big reputations running in it as well.
Brutal Fruit
Sean Tarry’s Zambezi River put up a top class performance from a good draw and managed to scoop the main portion of the prize. Our own Brutal Force, having his first run out of the Maidens, also put in a pretty special effort from a wide draw. I was extremely proud of him and his effort. Bernard rode him and his ride was pretty special too. I am sure we will hear plenty more from both these horses.
These sales races have really brightened up the industry and added a whole new dimension and excitement to it. They have brought in new owners and changed the thought processes as to how the whole of racing is marketed and showcased. Lanzerac day was a great example of this.
Dancing North
Disco Al travels to Joburg this weekend
Summer Cup Day is coming up this weekend and we are sending our Disco Al up to have a crack at it. He seems reasonably well weighted and we have a good draw. The weather forecasts rain but that certainly won’t bother him.
He is an animal that can run in the rain. There is an old wives tale: the more rain there is, the more oxygen that gets held in the altitude making it easier for us out-of-towners to breathe. Let’s hope this holds true. He will leave early Wednesday afternoon to get there Thursday morning. Fingers crossed he has a smooth journey and travels well.
It was nice seeing I was not the only one who thought some of the riders at the International meeting were not quite up to it. I know Larry puts a lot of time, effort and thought into the process and I am sure he will get it right. I hope he does not forget about us in the future.
Cape Heats Up
Well, just as Joburg is quietening down, the Cape is hotting up.
For some strange reason we have had the Fillies Guineas draw about a month in advance of the actual race. We managed to cop some fairly wide ones so we will have to up our game and be at our best to overcome them. Having the draw so early just means that the misery has a longer time to sink in. It is difficult enough to keep a smile on my dial, 24/7 and 365 days of the year as it is.
There is the usual fodder for the Cape racing this weekend and nothing particularly exciting on the feature race front. However, the card is good and the racing is strong. Even though it is on a Sunday, it looks worth keeping an eye on.
Once again, congratulations to Striker on getting his five thousand. I guess the question on everyone’s lips is: can he really make it six thousand? Now that really would be something – as if the five thousand is not enough already!
www.joeyramsden.com
