LANCE BENSON: Taking the freakish dominance of Mike De Kock out of the equation, the national trainer leader board tells a very positive story about the effectiveness and performance of Cape trainers
Selecting a winning racehorse can sometimes be less of a science and a lot more about emotion. He may not yet be another JJ The Jet Plane, but the Surging River first-timer River’s End was chosen on just as much gut-feel.
Wow what a race meeting, at Greyville last weekend! Well done to everyone in the racing fraternity.
The winds of change or a harmless breeze off the ocean of everyday life? We have been spoilt this week by a Phumelela press release and the reporting of a few sensitive issues in the Racegoer pages. This follows an eventful and dramatic Vodacom Durban July and there might be some light at the end of the tunnel after all!
In the listed East Cape Breeders Stakes, a conditions event, State Blue may prove good enough despite having to concede weight all round. Justin Snaith’s 4yo would be a blinder on paper if the race were run at WFA, but it isn’t and some caution is in order.
A first Cape winner for an up-n-coming PE trainer at Kenilworth and a great Winter Derby success for Greg Ennion. Then there was that little matter of Uncle Tommy at the start of the fifth. Plenty of action!
The Western Cape visitors enjoyed mixed fortunes at Fairview on Friday. Justin Snaith’s smart Captain Al filly Ocean’s Swift won the Listed Lady’s Slipper over 1400m but the Listed PE Gold Cup run over 3600m was an entirely different story
The number of entries compares favourably in quantum with recent years, with 58 first entries received in 2024, 60 in 2023, 68 in 2022, 53 in 2021, 52 in 2020, 49 in 2019, and 69 in 2018
Ironically, it was a colt which provided Alan with a first Gr1 success, this being Alec and Gillian Foster’s homebred Cereus, who landed the 2001 Gold Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville, his victory completing a momentous double on the day, with the Gr2 Golden Slipper having gone the way of juvenile filly Tatler, a great-great-great grandaughter of Sun Lass!
JP van der Merwe is not the only guilty party in the matter. In simple terms, he is the only rider to have exercised the NHA’s offer of an Acknowledgement Of Guilt and moved on with his life
Andrew Fortune made it three winners on the Family Day public holiday as Tenango breezed home to win the Gr3 feature
