Only used twice – one could pick this jammie up cheaply
Racing is hotting up all around the country and it was no surprise to see Sean Tarry take one of the early spring features up in Turffontein with Trip To Heaven. Well done to him. He looks like picking up exactly where he left off last year, writes Joey Ramsden.
We had a smashing Saturday, attending the wedding of Markus and Ingrid Jooste’s beautiful daughter, Andrea, to Stefan Potgieter. Stefan is a thoroughly decent gentleman. It was the most marvellous occasion and one had to be there to be able to understand how lovely it was. In the words of the one James Bond song, “Nobody does it better”.
Talking of doing it better, I don’t think Act of War could have won the Matchem stakes in any better fashion.
Time for war
It was great to bring him back after a lay off and let him win in such fine style. No matter what people think, the intention really was to run him in Durban. However, with Greyville being such a tight course and the wide draws he kept getting, it was not easy. The track is not in the best of condition and the kick-back can sometimes be quite ferocious. We had a couple return from races with horrible black eyes and a clod in the face can stop a train.
The one time we were going to run him, we galloped him first and he came back with his blood picture completely wrong and then ran a slight temperature. Having said that, if I had realised Champion’s Day was going to be put back a week, we could well have run him. However, no one could foresee the postponement of the meeting and that is just the way it goes.
Spring time fun
After the Durban season ended, we decided to keep a few of our horses there to enjoy the nice spring weather.
We also tried something new in that we sent them off to Annette Dawes’ Highgate Farm to sleep overnight, come across to Summerveld in the morning to do some work on the treadmill to keep them busy and then to return to her farm to spend the rest of the day in the paddocks.
So they were having just a little bit less than a busman’s holiday. I hope it is something that has worked and time will tell. It certainly seemed to do the job for Act Of War.
Act Of War – I am very pleased!
Despite putting up a fairly shoddy gallop at Greyville a few weeks ago, we still decided to bring him back to the Cape and have a go at the Matchem. Thankfully, it all worked out well, whether by hook or by crook, or by skill and luck!
It looks a tough season ahead for him with some really good performers in the pipeline with Legislate, Futura and the filly Inara (if she decides to take on the boys). She looks to be even better this year. I am sure others will also come down. This year’s summer season looks to be a particularly strong one.
If it does not get racing fans going this year, nothing ever will. I cannot wait.
The jockey invasion
It is also good to see a fresh influx of jockeys. Young Donovan Dillon looks to be extremely smart. Donavan Mansour has come down to ride a bit for us. One could say he is seasoned although we don’t know much about him as he has spent a lot of his time in Mauritius. He is an extremely likeable young man and seems to be getting the job done.
Karl Neisius – speedy comeback I hope!
My heart still goes out to Glen Hatt and my new found friend in Karl Neisius. Karl is one of the toughest cookies around and for him not to be out and about, he really must be hurting.
All of us at Goodhope Racing really do wish him well. Hopefully he will make a speedy comeback as we still need him.
Saturday reminded me of one of those days when one is not sure if one’s yard is right and firing or not quite there yet. Racing people like to talk about viruses and things like that. I try not to look for the easy way out and keep a close eye and monitor everything.
My great friend and super trainer, William Haggas, always says when things are not going well, take a step back, go away for a week, and see what it looks like when you return.
I think I can almost parallel this advice to Jose Mourinho’s football.
He looked like a madman ranting after his side got well beaten by Southampton on the weekend. Yes, he might have had a penalty but they should probably have had two and he really did not have too much to complain about.
His team looks at sixes and sevens but I am sure he is doing his absolute best to understand how they have gone from Champion’s last season to nothing this season. He has basically kept the squad the same but those same people are not producing the goods. I am sure he is out on the training grounds working his butt off and trying all the tricks which have made him the self-proclaimed special one. He truly is extremely special but maybe it is time for him to take a step away for one week, let his team carry on and then come back and take a look at it with a fresh set of eyes.
Training legends front row – William Haggas and Sir Michael Stoute
It has never failed for William Haggas and it has not really failed for me if I follow his advice properly.
Arc of fire
The Arc was a fantastic event and Golden Horn put the others to shame. It was a brilliant ride, with Dettori keeping straight for a couple of furlongs before coming across. This horse has shown how versatile he is and will quite rightly probably be named horse of the year; a well-deserved title. The rest of Arc day was, as usual, up to Championship material.
Finally, the weak exit of England from the rugby world cup just goes to show what a complete nation of losers we are with a complete lack of introspection.
Jake White – a missed opportunity for England
We could have employed the world’s best rugby coach in Jake White numerous times. My heart rose as I thought we would then have a world cup winning team and after chatting with Jake he thought exactly the same. Instead we managed, although he is a lovely man, to keep employing a failure in Stuart Lancaster.
We knew we were in deep trouble when, before a ball had been thrown or kicked, he told us he was preparing for rugby world cup 2019. I am sorry but he has already had four years to prepare for this one! I am sure the hearts of the nation sank when reading that. They certainly performed like they were preparing for something. I am not sure if it was the rugby world cup or the school boys U19 challenge to be held next week at school.
Whatever they were preparing for, the performances were not good enough or professional enough for a nation which is hosting one of the world’s great sporting events. No matter that the better sides are still in, it has to be a poorer show without the host’s nation in it.
I am going to stick with my early selection of Australia. Whilst cheering the Boks home, at the moment, the Australians appear to be strongest. I really hope I am proved wrong.
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