Derek Brugman confirms Yorker’s withdrawal
In a statement to the Sporting Post on Tuesday, 10 June 2014, Markus Jooste’s racing manager finally put an end to the July speculation and confirmed that their star Jet Master gelding Yorker will be taken out of contention for the 2014 Vodacom Durban July.
Speaking from his office, Derek Brugman told the Sporting Post, “Our decision is based on the fact that we do not believe he will be competitive off his current mark. Despite our protestations and pleas Yorker was given a 118 rating after 2014 President’s Champions Challenge. Wylie Hall who hasn’t run subsequently was used as the line horse off a rating of 109, although he only achieved a 106 in the Horse Chestnut a few weeks earlier. Pomodoro (3rd placed finisher 3 lengths behind Yorker) who handicappers have as running to a 105 in this race, has raced twice subsequently, where he runs to a 98 and 100, 8lbs and 5 lbs below the rating of the 105 they assessed him running to that day. Few others have run subsequently.”
“Last Saturday they used Whiteline Fever (current MR110) as the line horse, although he only achieved a 107 in the Queen’s Plate and Met and a 103 in the President’s Champion Challenge, with Yorker running to a 115 in the Rising Sun. The winner, King Of Pain ran to a 117 rating, although the handicappers have only awarded him 114 for his victory. We do not feel that it is equitable that King Of Pain is given relief for his win because it’s out of sync with his profile, yet Yorker didn’t get the same application of the rules when he ran out of profile in the President’s Champions Challenge. As mentioned he only achieves a 115 in the Rising Sun and possibly a 112 if Whiteline Fever’s Gr1 rating of 107 in the Queen’s Plate and Met at the highest level is applied. However Yorker’s rating did not get dropped.”
Smart son of Jet Master Yorker set for international campaign
“We are not prepared to run our horse in the July off the wrong rating. In the past season he has won three Gr1’s, and placed in two more. We won’t take any pleasure in seeing him running a dirty place because the handicappers haven’t applied themselves properly, only for them to pat themselves on the back by using him as the line horse and saying he ran to his rating. No! There is not enough time to appeal his rating before Friday when he has to be in quarantine and frankly we don’t have faith in the appeal boards who have in recent times dished out “frivolous” verdicts only to be proven completely wrong- we have been there done that! We would rather risk putting him in quarantine and take our chances running him at WFA abroad.”
“We’re not saying that he can’t achieve a 118, but he hasn’t achieved it on paper and as we aren’t clairvoyants it would be unfair of us to expect him to run off that rating the July. We are very disappointed at the way things have been handled as it would have been wonderful to try and win the race for Markus, Bernard and Jim, so we’re doing this with a heavy heart, but we’ve got to do what’s best for the horse.”
“Our immediate plans are that Yorker will leave for quarantine this afternoon and aim him at a Dubai campaign in the care of Mike de Kock. We will have to see how he copes with the rigors of quarantine and travel, but all being well, we will aim at something like the Dubai Duty Free, The Godolphin Mile or possibly the World Cup, depending on how he takes to the dirt surface. With his action and power, we don’t think the dirt will bother him, but if he takes to the surface we would love a chance to take on all the big international contenders on World Cup night.”
“After that, we would be looking at the Singapore International Cup. It should be his ideal trip and long term, that is probably where we want to end up.”
