The forthcoming 2015 KZN Champions Season will present a new challenge to many of the Cape trainers who will be based for the first time at Summerveld, after a lifetime at the tried and trusted ‘home from home’ of the now closed Clairwood.
J&B Met winning trainer Brett Crawford is one man for whom Summerveld presents no obstacles.
The Phillipi based Crawford has a terrific record, having trained the winners of six Gr1 races from Summerveld, including the likes of Laisserfaire, Reveille Boy, Wavin’ Flag, Futura and Jackson, and it was always his preferred choice above that of Clairwood.
Brett Crawford – knows Summerveld well
“I cut my teeth at Summerveld, including spending five years with Mr Dennis Drier. So I know my way around the place and it really is a top-class training facility,’ he said.
His string is scheduled to depart Cape Town next Wednesday 18 March and he thought that he could have his first runners within a month.
We asked if he was always allocated the same yard.
“Hey no! They don’t like making things too easy for us! No seriously, that is probably not always practical. But my biggest gripe is the restriction on the horses we are allowed to bring to KZN. Not everybody has the capacity of sufficient top-class horses to make it viable to keep a string of say twenty horses ticking over here for four months. Surely horseracing is ultimately about being competitive? I don’t enjoy this anti-competitive and protective stance that they have adopted,” he said.
New Challenge
His Milnerton colleague Dean Kannemeyer is one man who knew Clairwood like the ‘back of his hand’, having visited there for close on 40 years, and has his first season at Summerveld in 2015.
Dean Kannemeyer – getting the hang of it
“My string arrived at Summerveld about a fortnight ago and they all travelled well. As far as the difference in acclimatisation goes between the two centres, I purposely arrived a few weeks earlier than usual to be on the safe side,” he said.
On the adjustment to Summerveld, Kannemeyer was enthusiastic and said a more pressing issue was his personally getting used to the tracks.
“I can only say positive things about Summerveld so far. While there are teething issues in any new environment, it is 32 degrees today and the barns are fantastic and well ventilated. There are also a great variety of tracks and I just need to find my feet and get the hang and feel of them. But the acid test will always be in producing the winners. And we all know the story – when you have a good horse, whatever you do is right!” he suggested with a smile.
Summerveld
Lying at 700m above sea level, the Summerveld Training Centre is situated about halfway between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, at Shongweni.
The Centre boasts 1600 stables and grooms’ accommodation.
Before the closure of the Clairwood training facility in 2014, Summerveld was extensively upgraded with the building of new stables and the laying of a 1200m Polytrack.
The training facilities comprise a 2000m grass track with a 1 000m right-hand bend running into a 1000m straight, as well as another grass track with an 800m bend and a 1 000m uphill straight.
Then there is also the 1200m Polytrack, a sand track around a turn running into a 1000m straight and another sand track with an 800m straight. The centre also has two 350m trotting rings.
Gold Circle are accommodating the following visiting trainers (box numbers indicated) at Summerveld:
Mike Bass – 20
Justin Snaith – 22
Joey Ramsden – 20
Brett Crawford – 20
Dean Kannemeyer – 20
Stan Elley – 5
Neil Bruss – 15
Alec Laird – 20
Paul Peter – 20
Johan Janse van Vuuren – 20
