Epsom
Federico Tesio, widely regarded as one of the most brilliant Thoroughbred breeders of our time, famously said, “The Thoroughbred exists because its selection has depended, not on experts, technicians, or zoologists, but on a piece of wood: the winning post of the Epsom Derby.”
The maxim holds true today as much as it did then and in the hands of Bernard Kantor and the Investec team, ‘the greatest flat race on earth’ has had a distinctly South African flavour since they took over the sponsorship in 2009.
Rouvaun Smit
To ensure that ‘Brand SA’ was stamped firmly in the international consciousness with more than just the zebra, Team Investec announced their commentator swap initiative in late 2014, whereby Epsom commentator Richard Hoiles would come to South Africa to call the Investec Cape Derby and Rouvaun Smit would call at the Epsom Derby festival. The first leg took place at Kenilworth on Met day 2015 – incidentally the last time the Cape Derby was run on Met day – and Richard Hoiles called the very impressive Ertijaal home for the Mike de Kock team.
Six months later, Smit was in the hot seat at Epsom Downs, returning the favour in the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Cup – an event that produced a small, but high quality field including Dolniya and Flintshire – and produced an upset to boot, when Pether’s Moon found a late surge to deny Dolniya by a neck.
2016
This year Hoiles graced our shores – and our airwaves – for the 2016 Investec Cape Derby as well as the inaugural CTS Million Dollar on the Cape’s new look ‘Day Of Dreams’ with Smit winging his way north for the Diomed Stakes on Oaks day and the Princess Elizabeth Stakes on Derby day. The promotional slogan for this year ran as follows: “The greatest flat race in the world; The one everyone wants to win;
The runners and riders make history; The crowds make it special”
and according to Rouvaun Smit, it is cross your heart true.
Suited and booted! (photo: supplied)
Rouvaun arrived in London on Tuesday, 31 May, to the epitome of the UK summer, “It didn’t stop raining for 2 days!’ he laughs. After checking in at his Epsom hotel, he was off to an overnight visit to friends Tom and Evelyn Yates who really made his visit extra special and his first two days were a whirlwind of suit fittings and prep for the big meeting.
Great organisation
“I cannot tell you how well organised they are. They recognised us the moment we arrived which made me feel so welcome. Our media packs and accreditation were all prepared with a photo ID on a plastic key card, final fields and press releases – everything we needed was laid on. Unlike here where we accept a week in advance, they have the 48 hour rule which helps a lot as there are not so many card changes come race day, but they are a lot more dependent on the media to publish final fields and so on. There are rules for where the media are and aren’t allowed and it’s strictly enforced, but you are briefed exactly what you need to do and where you’re allowed to be, so everyone knows exactly what they’re doing.”
Oaks Day
After a quiet night, it was off to Oaks Day where Rouvaun called the Gr3 Diomed Stakes. “It was a lot easier this year because I knew where to go and how to get everywhere. I usually prefer calling from my binoculars, but Epsom has a special console that allows you to choose specific camera angles during the race – you can choose the start, back straight, head on or side on which is really helpful.”
“Investec, Epsom and Richard could not have been more welcoming or accommodating and nothing one asked was too much. Commentators usually stand in UK, whereas we sit. When Richard comes to Cape Town, I clear all the chairs out of the way so that things are set up the way he likes and make sure everything is set up for him. Richard politely found me a chair and adjusted it to the level I’m comfortable with, which was really thoughtful.”
Know your track
Richard Hoiles
“Although calling a race is the same the world over, you need to know your track. Epsom is designed like a horseshoe with an incline at the start. The highest point is on the back straight and then they descend to Tattenham corner before climbing uphill again to the finish. Because of the course layout, one relies more on the TV than your binoculars and one thing I learnt from last year is that you cannot commit until the final furlong of the race. Because it’s so steep, that’s where the complexion of a race can change. I said to Richard, ‘I hope I don’t get a close finish’ and would you believe the Diomed produced the closest finish of the entire festival – three shorts heads on the line. Luckily I got them in the right order!”
“At Kenilworth, the angle is deceptive and one can’t always tell who’s in front – the trick is to call the field from the outside in. In the Cape Derby, It’s My Turn was taken to the outside rail halfway up the straight. At the 400m, Richard was concentrating on the inside horses and I whispered ‘Outside in’. He picked up It’s My Turn from there on in. I then called the Majorca and when Richard called the Million Dollar, he remembered the angle, so he caught Illuminator. Watching from the grandstand, it always looks as though the outside horse is in front and one doesn’t realise how deceptive it is. Luckily I didn’t have that at Epsom – the horses were all up the inside and it was just a case of whether they were going to get there or not, but it’s times like that that make one grateful to have guys at your side and
it makes the reciprocal arrangement that much more special.”
“Another thing that was really touching is that I was listed alongside Richard as the official commentator in the race card. It was a really nice personal touch from Epsom.”
Highlights
Minding looks special
“Two things stand out. Firstly, Minding winning the Oaks. She met with interference and dropped to last at Tattenham Corner, but the manner in which she picked them up in the straight to win marks her a real champion. She’s won the 1000 Guineas and Investec Oaks and if she wins the St Leger in September, she will be the first to win the Fillies Triple Crown since Oh So Sharp in 1985. Unless she incurs problems, I can’t see her being beaten.”
“The other thing that was heart-warming was the Aga Khan winning the Derby and seeing how much it meant to him. The emotion and sheer delight on his face and to see how humble he was in accepting the trophy from the Queen was something else. As they say, it’s the one everybody wants to win. They don’t bill it the world’s greatest flat race for nothing and one can see what it means to win. The horse that ran second, US Army Ranger, is another horse I think we’ll hear a lot about going forward. He came from a long way back and on the way he finished, he’s got to be a horse to watch in the other Classics. The other talking point of the Festival was the hype around Sea The Stars offspring that are setting the tracks alight. Investec first sponsored the Derby in 2009 when Sea The Stars won and that’s another piece of history in the making.”
Rouvaun calls home the 2016 Princess Elizabeth Stakes:-
Influential race
“The Epsom Derby is a true Classic in the sense that it is open to entires and fillies – no geldings – so it is the holy grail of racing in terms of its significance to the stud book. It is a very special race both in terms of the history of the breed as well as the history of racing and
the manner in which they revere and celebrate that is very special.”
“Everyone dresses up – regardless of which area of the course they’re on, most men wear a top hat and tails and the women wear hats and fascinators. The suit hire company had already booked out all the suits in my size a month before Epsom and with Ascot coming up, they are booked out completely.”
Quality never gets old
Rouvaun with Investec boss, Bernard Kantor (photo: supplied)
“The hype and excitement around Derby day is phenomenal. I think they said they’d had 128,000 people this year. To think so many people are at a race meeting gives you goose bumps. As the field turns for the home straight, you cannot hear yourself on the PA system – that’s how the crowd erupts and the way they cheer the horses is unbelievable.”
“When you look down from the commentary box on Derby Day there are people as far as the eye can see. They extend the facilities on the stand side and there are people all the way up the straight to Tattenham Corner. The middle of the course is common ground and there’s a funfair and vendors and it’s very festive.”
“I was in Dubai in 2006, the year Dubai Millennium won and one can’t compare the two. Meydan is all glitz and glam and modern and sophisticated, but Epsom is something else. Of all the races of the year, the Derby is the one everyone wants to win and the one everyone wants to come to. It’s not called the world’s greatest flat race for nothing.”
