Ramsden Dominates Cape Features

Joey Ramsden

Milnerton-based expatriate Joey Ramsden has an  unparalleled record in the Grade 3 Langerman and won it on Sunday 5 June for the seventh time in eleven years.  It is fascinating to see how much has changed amongst the Cape jockey personnel, for example,  in the decade since he first won it with the lanky son of Jallad, Steiger, who carried the Bill Nelson Newcastle silks at 12-1 under Brandon Morgenrood in 2001. What is of real concern when looking at the statistics and history  though is that the stake of this longstanding indicator of early juvenile strength down South has only increased 50% in ten years.

Ramsden has grown in stature as a conditioner of racehorses since leaving the employ of Vaughan Marshall in Port Elizabeth in the nineties and boasts a more cosmopolitan patron profile today  than  he did when he first started out on his own  with a core of chiefly UK based owners. He enjoys the support of one of the most powerful owner partnerships  in South Arica in Ingrid and Markus Jooste and it was for them that he won both feature events at Kenilworth on a chilly clear winter’s afternoon that produced fluctuating results for punters. Glen Hatt rode the first leg of the Ramsden feature double when he steered the unimposing daughter of Captain Al, Leeward, to an easy win down the inside rail at cramped odds of 5-10 in the Listed Betting World Irridescence Stakes over 1500m. The Klawervlei bred bay was winning her fourth race in a row from just five starts and she obviously has loads of talent. She will be rested until the Summer and could be a factor as a three year old, particularly if she bulks up a little.

Ramsden sent four of the nine runners to post for  the Grade 3 Betting World Langerman and he won it with his second stringer Variety Club, who held off his unsound goodlooking stablemate  Master Mascus, who may prefer further. Andrew Fortune rode this first Langerman winner for Forest Wildcat stallion Var and the outspoken veteran was highly complimentary in the post-race formalities, confirming his trainer’s estimation of the colt as one of his best two year olds.  The Glen Kotzen – trained Agarkar, a humbly priced son of Indigo Magic, ran an eyecatching staying on third at 33-1 having his post-maiden outing and he looks like a fair bread-and-butter sort to follow in Novice and Graduation company over a little further.  The Langerman gross stake was R90 000 in 2001 and R138 000 today. It would be interesting to do comparisons on feed, vet bills and other living costs from then to now. We will probably find that stakes are lagging way behind – not a heartening sign for the future as playing catch-up never works in economics.

Variety Club, 2yo colt by VAR, wins Gr3 Langerman

Getting a little sentimental and lost in the pages of the history books when reflecting back on  Ramsden’s first Langerman ten years ago, it is interesting to note that twelve of the fifteen jockeys that rode in that race have moved on – six to other centres or countries and another six have retired from race-riding. Joey sent a three-way coupling to post in the 2001 renewal which included the winner, the grey filly Cora Bella for the late  Jeremy Copeman and the highly rated but disappointing son of Sportsworld, The Ashes, for Dave Lehmann and partners. Steiger had problematic legs and never really rose to any great heights with a third to Ultrasound in the Cape Derby and a second in the SA Derby, his most notable achievements. He was however considered good enough to contest the Vodacom Durban July as a three year old and finished only 4,85 lengths adrift of the sensational Dynasty.  The Ashes was highly rated back home but turned into something of a brass who cost punters money and ended his career racing on the sand, where he did win the Flamingo Casino Mile at Kimberley.

Var On A Song

Avontuur stallion Var not only claimed the Langerman honours but sired the winner of the fifth race, an MR 94 Handicap for the fairer sex over 1000m where Varushka blitzed from the jump and kept on gamely and stoutly on a 28 penetrometer surface under a beautifully balanced ride by Aldo Domeyer to record her third win. She was bred by her owner Hattie Zeppel and has a tremendous cruising speed for a daughter of Elliodor. Mike Stewart trains her at one of the Cape’s beautiful training centres, The Dunes out in sleepy Noordhoek.

Andrew Fortune was the most successful jockey on the day with a double, that included the Langerman,  and that commenced with a win aboard the Glen Kotzen trained daughter of Count Dubois, Gatusso, who broke the myth of the unfair draws down the Kenilworth straight by winning from pole position. This was a meritorious win under the circumstances after a seven month break and owners Paul Barret and Judy Wintle could still have lots of fun with her. In a twist of coincidental rivia both of Fortune’s winners were bred by Anton Shepherd’s Beaumont Stud.

Mike Bass-trained Das Beste

The easiest winner of the day was the Mike Bass-trained Das Beste, who bolted away from his field in the third race, a Maiden Plate over 1600m. This R250 000 Ambiance Stud-bred gelding poses an interesting example of the difficulty of breeding and buying horses. He is by Al Mufti out of Jessamine and thus a full brother to top horses in Al Nitak and The Sheik – but that said, he has not started his racing career with the promise of great things to come. However if we recall the meteoric rise of his full brother, the ordinary distance horse Al Nitak,  who became a multiple Group 1 winning sprinter,  after originally shedding his maiden over 2000m, when moving to the late legend of the sprinter-training ranks, Buddy Maroun, then there is still possibly some hope for him!

Turffontein hosted an uninspriring ten-race programme

In Gauteng province, Turffontein hosted an uninspriring ten-race programme where the main event of the day, the R100 000  Macsteel Pinnacle Stakes run over 2600m  was won by the David Rahilly-trained Power Lord, who rounded off a terrific week for stallion Dynasty – and his jockey Sherman Brown.
Smanjemanje made the pace here for most of the race, and one wonders what the connections of this game son of Kahal are thinking by using ill-conceived tactics like that over a marathon trip. His best performances have been around the mile mark and at his one attempt over ground , he finished 16 lengths off Irish Flame in the SA Derby. Whatever one’s opinion about shoeing horses, he also ran unshod and for a horse who has been a loyal servant in the course of achieving a highest lifetime MR of 102, it seems that his connections have lost the plot and are now trying to force him to stay. It was four year old Power Lord’s  third win from seventeen starts and having earned close to R300 000, his purchase price of R15 000 at the Grandwest Yearling Sale, seems nothing like a gamble!

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