Calls for a genuinely nationally representative SA Triple Crown and SA Triple Tiara have been made by a Gr1 winning Gauteng trainer, who suggests that it’s time for individual racing jurisdictions to start putting their heads together and acting in the broader best interests of the sport, nationally.
The Sporting Post was talking to Joey Soma in a follow-up on the performance of his dazzling Gr1 SA Classic winner Red Saxon, who was disappointing when finishing sixth and 10,25 lengths off Aragosta in the Gr1 SA Derby last Saturday.
Joey Soma gives SA Classic winner Red Saxon a kiss (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
“We still don’t know whether he stays or not after what was clearly a below-par run,” says Joey, who said mucous was detected in Red Saxon’s trachea after a scope on Sunday.
“His stablemate African Adventure, who ran nine lengths behind Nebraas in the Caradoc Gold Cup on the same day, showed signs of bleeding. We scoped him and found mucous and blood in his trachea. We scoped Red Saxon and detected mucous in his trachea. On Monday the mucous was evident externally. I have reported these findings to the National Horseracing Authority.”
The veteran says that there had to be ‘something amiss’ with Red Saxon as he couldn’t understand the 14 length turnaround in the form with Aragosta.
“I am treating my horses and am hoping to have Red Saxon ready for the Gr1 Daily News 2000 on 28 May at Hollywoodbets Greyville,” he confirmed.
Regarding the SA Derby as a race, Joey said it was possibly time to look at placing a floor limit on merit ratings for entrants.
“Do we want 70 odd MR horses in these races? The Derby was run as two races and having lowly rated horses does no favours to anybody,” he says.
Interestingly, the assessment of race status is done on the basis of the top four finishers’ top rating achieved at the end of the season being averaged out.
This is collated over a three year period to achieve a levelling out.
For Gr1’s, the average required is a 115. If this is not achieved, the IFHA will issue a warning and a likely downgrade could follow.
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As regards the merits of what is in essence a regional Triple Crown and Triple Tiara, Joey suggests it’s time to aim for excellence.
“With the demise of Phumelela, the ills of the fragmented approach to everything we do has been compounded. And it’s not doing horseracing any good. The SA Triple Crown would be a great starting point for putting all of our heads together. I’d moot a first leg of the Cape Guineas in December, then the SA Classic at Turffontein in early March, with all roads leading to the Daily News 2000 at Hollywoodbets Greyville in late May,” he suggests, as he adds that the fairer sex series would be mirrored with the Cape Fillies Guineas, the SA Fillies Classic and the Woolavington 2000.
“The fact that the series happens to culminate in KZN during the SA Champions Season is a logistical reality – and definitely not a reason to suggest that one region is getting one over the other. Can you imagine – we find a sponsor at say R5 million. The incentive would be there and the winner would be the genuinely best 3yo of their sex in the country. And every province gets a fair chance to travel, and with a reasonable opportunity to acclimatize and recover in between.”
Joey says the reality is that, while it takes a serious horse and a top training feat to win the series in its present format, it is mostly a regional competition on the lines of the Cape Winter Series.
“I must stress – this is not meant as disrespect to any of the past winners or their connections. Keeping a horse on the boil to win over a mile, 1800m and 2450m in the space of under 8 weeks is no mean training feat and takes a top horse. The same applies to the Western Cape – in the dead of winter. Try winning from a mile to 2400m in seven weeks! History shows that very few horses can pull it off – I think Pocket Power, African Night Sky and Katak are the only three in 14 odd years.”
But he goes on to say that the reality is that these are regional series and have their place.
“The South African Triple Crown and the South African Triple Tiara need to be genuinely nationally representative. I hope we can move on from the island mentality and get this discussion going.”
