Blaze Of Light! Via Africa is just too good for the boys (Hamish Niven Photography)
The living legacy and star contribution to South African horseracing of Avontuur’s super stallion Var was driven home in emphatic fashion again at Kenilworth on Saturday when the four legged Ferrari Via Africa became the second of his daughters to win the R1 million Betting World Gr1 Cape Flying Championship in the last three runnings of the prestigious sprint feature.
The exploits of the brilliant 2012 winner Val De Ra are well documented. She recently gave birth to an Oasis Dream youngster and has been tested in foal to Frankel.
The ham on the honour roll sandwich between the two daughters of Var just happens to be a champion named What A Winter. That is dream league in anybody’s language!
The outstandingly quick Via Africa has some way to go to follow in Val De Ra’s footsteps, but she is not too much more than a flying leap away.
School Fees! Kevin Shea chats to Tellytrack’s Fee Ramsden after the pull up. (Hamish Niven Photography)
And her trainer Duncan Howells’ showed that perseverance pays. His frustrating Cape summer season turned around in under a minute on the beautiful afternoon as the flying 4yo filly showed that she was well over her recent lung infection and displayed the pace of old that had made her close to unbeatable over 1000m.
This was the second Gr1 win of her career, and it certainly doesn’t look like it will be her last.
Via Africa had not been seen in action since the Tony Taberer Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday 7 December.
She never got going that afternoon and was beaten into third and 2 lengths behind the smart Fairyinthewoods.
Her ticket home to Durban was booked and her bags were already packed when a phone call from caretaker trainer Eric Sands to Duncan Howells changed the plans. And he listened to the right man.
Sands has walked this road previously and he kept the dual Cape Flying Championship winner of 1995/6, Flobayou, on the boil for an extended period of time.
“Via Africa has brightened and turned the corner. Maybe you should leave her here,” was all that the astute Sands suggested.
Generations! A proud Alex Howells leads in the smashing sprinter. (Hamish Niven Photography)
Howells followed the advice of his seasoned colleague and left his son Alex to babysit the four legged fireball, and to pick up some invaluable experience along the way.
And as we fast forward six weeks to Saturday, the fairytale ended happily.
Instead of cooling off in her Ashburton box as the shadows lengthened at Kenilworth, she put twelve capable male speedsters to the sword and banked a handsome R625 000 cheque, which will go some way to keeping her in carrots and covering the vet bills. Those are the one thing that nobody talks about when horses are sold!
The Cape sprint start has enjoyed a shaky season and appears to attract delinquent behaviour. How can we forget the Merchants debacle? The field on Saturday stood for at least five minutes as a few of them, with Tevez leading the bratpack, tested starter Fred Bosman’s patience.
The field was eventually despatched with Dean Kannemeyer’s talented but recently turned wayward sprinter Cape Royal digging his heels in. Grant Behr did his best but Cape Royal lost many lengths and may well have earned himself an indefinite suspension, when he simply refused to gallop for his third consecutive outing, as the gates were released.
Kevin Shea had Via Africa out like a flash and he let her drift to the outside rail to lead Cap Alright as Happy Forever and Divine Jet were switched in.
At the 300m marker Via Africa Shea pressed the launch button and Via Africa catapulted away from her field as Red Ray chased down the inside.
Via Africa stormed away to beat Red Ray by a very comfortable length in a very decent time of 58,50 secs.
The finish of the race beyond Via Africa was produced by the erratic Tevez.
Glen Hatt found the rush hour traffic tough going as he switched the son of Caesour in for a clear run at the 200m marker.
Tevez came on strongly but then found Red Ray drifting into Marcus’ right hand whip.
Tevez had nowhere to go and from the head on it appears that Red Ray carried him out on to Happy Forever. Surely grounds for an objection? We await the Stipes Report.
The gallant 3yo Red Ray showed that sprinting may well be his forte and he was not disgraced.
Tevez ran an improved third, ahead of Happy Forever.
Cap Alright ran his usual game race to run fifth and some 4 lengths behind. His best days of serious competition in Gr1 sprints may well be behind him though.
The fancied Divine Jet was once again most disappointing and he finished 2 lengths behind Cap Alright. He remains without a Gr1 win and he will surely go down in the Kannemeyer memoirs as one of the most frustrating horses to stand in Barn 1 at Milnerton.
Memories. Past dual Cape Flying Championship winner Cordocelli played the role of lead horse.(Hamish Niven Photography)
The boom Victory Moon colt Muscatt never fired and finished just behind Divine Jet in a rather disappointing Gr1 debut. He probably deserves another chance and runs off a fair enough rating to still win his races.
The rest were simply outgunned by a seriously high quality female sprinter.
Winning jockey Kevin Shea said that his mount was ‘back to her best.’
“Last time she had no pace. When I saw her today her colour was different and she was calm. She was a length and a half clear out the gates. I always felt I had the race and she won a cracker today,” he said.
Trainer Duncan Howells said that his season had been a rough one and was beset by problems.
He paid tribute to Eric Sands, whom he labelled ‘a great trainer.’ He also thanked his son Alex who had been there through the testing time and had been with the filly throughout the summer.
Part owner Andre Hauptfleisch called horseracing a ‘great leveller.’ He said that dealing with animals made it even more difficult and that he had never been more nervous in the build up to a race previously.
He added that he was grateful and thankful to be standing on the podium and thanked Betting World for the sponsorship.
Via Africa was also bred by Hauptfleisch and she is by Var out of the thrice winning Qui Danzig mare, Bump ‘N Grind.
Via Africa has now won 8 races for 5 places from 13 starts.
She took her career stake earnings with this win to R1 771 750
Duncan Howells left the Computaform Sprint door open, and the sponsors of that race will be hoping that the daughter of Var has another tilt at the big Gauteng sprint in a month or so from now.
She ran second to What A Winter last year.
She will be very difficult to stop anywhere in South Africa this season over 1000m.
And in a lovely touch dual Cape Flying Championship winner (1998/9) Cordocelli was the lead horse for the feature.
It is just such a pity that the racing authorities continue to miss these positives with poor marketing and absolutely zero hype. These are the very small touches that may get a few sentimental racegoers back to the track.
But if the racing media don’t get informed in advance, then how is Joe Public supposed to know about it?
So what is the whole point then?
Ed note:
Excerpt from the official Stipe’s Report:
a) Jockey M Yeni (COPPER PARADE) reported that this gelding hit its head in the stalls. The Veterinary Surgeon was requested to examine the gelding on its return to the unsaddling enclosure and submit a report.
b) Jockey K Neisius (DIVINE JET) reported that this horse returned with a wound on the off fore. The Veterinary Surgeon was requested to examine the horse on its return to the unsaddling enclosure and submit a report.
c) BARBOSA (S Cormack) was jostled between ZAMBEZI TORRENT (G van Niekerk) and CAPTAIN’S SECRET (R Khathi) at the 400m.
d) TEVEZ (G Hatt) was baulked for a clear run from the 400 m to the 250 m. At the 100m TEVEZ (G Hatt) was switched in to continue its run and was carried outwards by RED RAY (A Marcus), which rolled outwards. This led to HAPPY FOREVER (G Cheyne) and CAP ALRIGHT (R Fourie) being carried out in the concluding stages.
An Inquiry will be opened regarding Jockey M Yeni’s conduct both at the start of this Race and in the Stipendiary Stewards Boardroom after the Race
