SOLO TRAVELLER : BLOODSTOCK SA CAPE GUINEAS (GR1)

Click above to watch Solo Traveller winning the Bloodstock SA Cape Guineas…
(Photo : Gold Circle - Footage : Tellytrack)

BLOODSTOCK SA CAPE GUINEAS (Grade 1)
Kenilworth Turf 1600m
For all 3-year-old horses
18 December 2010

David Thiselton
www.goldcircle.co.zaSolo Traveller became the first progeny of former champion sire Western Winter to win the Bloodstock SA Cape Guineas at Kenilworth on Saturday and the race was a triumph for Mike Rattray’s Lammerskraal Stud but even more so for trainer Justin Snaith and jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe.

Justin Snaith and Bernard Fayd’Herbe claimed a Cape Guineas double, having won the fillies’ version two weeks ago with the exciting Ebony Flyer. Snaith nearly achieved the same three years ago with filly winner Captain’s Lover and colt runner up Russian Sage, but this was in fact his first triumph in the male version of the race. He made sure of it, claiming a one-two as his Dynasty colt Run For It finished strongly for second. The last trainer to do the Guineas double was the maestro Terrance Millard whose filly Star Effort won both races twenty seasons ago in the 1990/1991 season.

Lammerskraal Stud’s Sally Jordaan was thrilled with the victory. She and Mike Rattray choose only a couple of colts from each crop to race themselves every season so it is highly rewarding when they get it right as they have with Solo Traveller.

Fayd’Herbe had to ride Solo Traveller very strongly in the closing stages, but the horse responded by hitting another gear and his long stride took him through a gap and past Kavanagh. Fayd’Herbe said that the tougher the circumstances the better Solo Traveller liked it. He added that Solo Traveller was still “underdone” so should come on for the run. Solo Traveller is a full-brother to Strawberry Ice who finished second in last season’s KRA Fillies Guineas and was never tried beyond a mile. However, his relaxed demeanour in the running coupled with his long stride and tough character will give him every chance of staying the 2000m of the J&B Met. Furthermore his second dam Taineberry won the Grade 2 Natal Oaks over 2400m. Snaith intimated that Solo Traveller would go for the Met as he felt this season’s three-year-old crop were strong particularly in relation to the older horses still left in the country.

Run For It, who did not have a clear path in the Selangor, relished the longer straight not to mention the skill of Felix Coetzee. He had to be switched around the front bunch to get a run, but it is unlikely he would have beaten Solo Traveller with a straighter path as the latter ran all the way to the line and probably would have found extra if challenged. Snaith intimated that Run For it would be aimed at the Grade 1 Cape Derby over 2000m on J&B Met day. Run For It does have a Vodacom Durban July look about him.

Mike de Kock must have been disappointed once again with Kavanagh, whom he rates highly. Kavanagh quickened very well into the lead, but could not stave off the challengers in the final 100m for the third time in his short career to date. There is no way that jockey Johnny Geroudis could have waited any longer with him as he was behind King Fahiem who had begun to fade. Perana ran a fine race, staying on well. He will be a big runner in the Grade 1 Cape Derby or J&B Met, whichever one he targets, as he clearly needs further. Il Saggiatore also caught the eye as a Cape Derby prospect. He lost two lengths at the start and turned for home last, but was finishing very strongly and was just 2,6 lengths back at the line. Fifth-placed M’Lords Throat ran an excellent race considering he had to come from a very wide draw. He fought on courageously for a long time in the straight from his handy position. Many will say that the race proved that What A Winter, who finished a 2,35 length sixth, didn’t stay. However, he was firstly caught three wide, secondly had to come from a long way back and thirdly appeared to be running on perfectly well until the whip was drawn. He then appeared to become unbalanced and lugged in.

FINAL RESULT

#	LBH	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	0.00	SOLO TRAVELLER	58.0	104	3	B Fayd’Herbe	Justin Snaith
2	0.25	RUN FOR IT	58.0	95	1	F Coetzee	Justin Snaith
3	0.35	KAVANAGH	58.0	104	2	J Geroudis	Mike de Kock
4	0.60	PERANA (AUS)	58.0	102	12	K Shea	Mike de Kock
5	2.10	M’LORDS THROAT	58.0	96	14	G Schlechter	Glen Kotzen
6	2.35	WHAT A WINTER	58.0	109	9	K Neisius	Mike Bass
7	2.60	IL SAGGIATORE (AUS)	58.0	98	7	G Hatt	Joey Ramsden
8	3.10	GREEN KEEPER	58.0	92	6	W Agrella	Justin Snaith
9	3.35	TOP SELLER	58.0	101	11	M Byleveld	Vaughan Marshall
10	3.60	CASTLETHORPE (AUS)	58.0	101	4	A Marcus	Mike Bass
11	5.85	WOLF ON THE FOLD	58.0	93	8	R Fourie	Brett Crawford
12	9.10	COPPER PARADE	58.0	104	5	K Teetan	Joey Ramsden
13	11.85	LUCKY MOON	58.0	93	13	C Segeon	Joey Ramsden
14	11.95	KING FAHIEM	58.0	93	10	M Latorre	Glen Kotzen
15	15.20	BRILLIANT CUT	58.0	97	15	*A Domeyer	Vaughan Marshall

THE BREEDERS’ PREMIERSHIP : A NEW RECORD

SOUTH AFRICAN THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’ PREMIERSHIP
2009 - 2010

It was the celebrated South African flyhalf, Naas Botha, who once famously said that “the Currie Cup is not won in May.”  He was quite right, and that’s been proven time and again with the passage of the years. However, Summerhill’s record of five consecutive Breeders’ Championships is one that stands alone in the last forty years, and this weekend, with a full three months of the racing season left, we have eclipsed all our previous (and South African) earnings records, as our runners amassed more than R1million for the week, catapulting our collective earnings for the season past the R16million mark.

We’ve asked the question before, only to be proven wrong, but we wonder whether we can ever best this season again. The log tells the story. And asks the question.

Figures courtesy of Sporting Post as at 5 May 2010

Breeder	Stakes	AEPR	SW Wnrs	SW Wins
Summerhill Stud	16,037,712	64,151	11	14
Lammerskraal Stud	5,207,650	56,605	3	3
Normandy Stud	5,113,525	71,021	6	10
Wilgerbosdrift Stud	4,960,900	55,740	3	4
Highlands Farm	4,599,587	38,845	2	2
Maine Chance	4,499,312	38,787	2	2
Ascot Stud	4,478,225	46,167	3	3
D Cohen & Sons	4,289,662	33,513	0	0
Avontuur Farm	4,264,325	63,647	5	5
Klawervlei Stud	4,201,075	25,933	2	2

NAAS BOTHA WAS RIGHT

SOUTH AFRICAN BREEDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP

“The Currie Cup is not won in (October)”. But it’s a comforting thought that with barely 3 months of the new season expired, five times Champions, Summerhill, hold a healthy advantage on the National Breeders log, in what is, without parallel, the tightest held Championship in racing, anywhere.

Breeder	Wins	Stakes (R)
SUMMERHILL STUD	55	5,692,362
D COHEN & SONS	24	1,848,037
LAMMERSKRAAL STUD	28	1,716,550
HIGHLANDS FARM	25	1,584,000
KLAWERVLEI STUD	19	1,507,275
THE ALCHEMY	19	1,467,825
SCOTT BROS	18	1,359,375
MAURITZFONTEIN STUD	24	1,331,400
MAINE CHANCE FARM	17	1,310,950
BD OPPENHEIMER	6	1,296,825

  CORRECT AS AT 10 NOVEMBER 2009

 

For more information please visit :
www.summerhill.co.za

Dubai International Racing Carnival: Week 3 update

Herman Brown continued his winning ways at Nad Al Sheba last night when, on an evening that was unusually quiet for the international trainers, his 5yo Irish bred Alpacco won the final race on the card - the USD110,000 Dubal Plate.

The son of Desert King had been campaigned during Dubai’s Winter Carnival over distances between 1777m and 2000m (his best a second place over 1777m on 9 February). With his trainer returning him to the shorter distance of the mile he found his form and cleared away from the pack to win by 1.25 lengths.

Brown now has 4 wins in just 3 weeks of the Carnival (just one less than his 05/06 tally).

Mike de Kock had a quieter evening, his best runner Oracle West who was a luckless third in a blanket finish in the USD200,000 Dubal Al Rashidiya. It is a race that has been dominated by South African trainers in recent years - Linngari winning for Herman Brown in 2006 and Mike de Kock with Wolf Whistle the previous year. Oracle West was beaten a short half head by Formal Decree and Ace.

De Kock also added a second placing with Drift Ice (owned by Lammerskraal Stud) in the USD110,000 Dubai Handicap (1200m, dirt).

The stable’s much fancied runner - Diamond Quest - faded 50m before the line to finish a disappointing 6th in the USD110,000 Dubal Cup.

The de Kock stable “are progressing well” reports the champion trainer from his Nad Al Sheba base. Discussing a number of his runners he said that Alexandra Rose has thrived in Dubai and is being aimed at the Cape Verdi next week. The Summerhill Stud owned Mullins Bay is being aimed at the Maktoum Challenge on Super Thursday, 1 March. “In work he has responded well to the dirt and if he reacts on the night is expected to be a serious runner”. Asiatic Boy has come on well from his debut Dubai victory and is being aimed at the Guineas. Limehouse has done well since being in Dubai and is also running in the Guineas. Whistledownthewind has came through well from her run (which De Kock reports “she needed quite badly”) and will be running in either the Cape Verdi or the Fillies Guineas. Kapil will be running on 22 February in the Al Fahidi Fort over 1600m with the trainer saying “he has acclimatised well and a good showing is expected”. Bad Girl Runs had a set back when going lame behind, “however is back in work and expected to run on Super Thursday”, 1 March 2007. Get Square is coming along well. “He is an easy horse to work with and is in hard work with a view to running him on 1 March in the Al Bastakiya” says Mike. Express Way, Drift Ice and Bennie Blue all pulled up well after their runs last Thursday.

KZN Racing Awards

The annual KwaZulu-Natal Racing Awards function was held at at Greyville Racecourse in Durban last night. Summerhill collected 2 trophies including Breeder of the Year.

The awards represent achievements based on the performance of horses which are normally domiciled in KwaZulu-Natal. They were presented at a glittering dinner to honour the top performers, both equine and human, attended by a large gathering of racing personalities.

The three-year-old Qui Danzig gelding, What A Question, owned by Ben and Sue Jonsson in partnership with Rob Hamilton and bred at the Daytona Stud, won three awards including Horse Of The Year.

What A Question also won the Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding and the Champion Sprinter awards making it a great evening for his trainer, Alistair Gordon. He was also on hand to see his four-year-old Goldkeeper filly, Disco Queen, win the Older Filly/Mare award for her owners, Messrs M Marffy, P H Fisher, T Karnezos, S Marffy and A Papageorgiou.

The Two-Year-Old Filly category was won by Team Valor’s London News filly, Sally Bowles and owners Messrs R L Bruss, P A Deal, Mrs D Bruss and Mrs P D Hardy were awarded for Zebra Crossing winning the Older Colt/Gelding category.

The award for the Champion Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding was made to Mr D P Marescia’s Count Dubois gelding, Zeeno, trained by Duncan Howells. Former champion jockey turned trainer, Michael Roberts, was on stage with owners Mr R and Mrs E M Pennells, G J Westwater and J T Meyer to receive the award for Silver Empire’s success in the Three-Year-Old Filly category.

The award for Stayer Of The Year went to the Brett Crawford-trained Reveille Boy owned by Mrs Sabine Plattner.

Brandon Lerena received the apprentice award and Sean Cormack was declared the leading jockey of the season.

Dennis Drier was voted trainer of the year and the award for the training achievement of the year went jointly to Corinne Bestel and Duncan Howells.

Summerhill Stud was named breeder of the year and Mxoloisi Mpukane was declared the groom of the year.

The owner of the year award was presented to Mrs Sabine Platter and the special award, for his contribution to racing, was made to owner-breeder Chris Saunders.

A number of Champion Season accolades were also presented.

They were received by Anton Marcus (Jockey), Mike de Kock (Trainer), Lammerskraal Stud (Breeder) and Tony Moodley (Owner) with the Meritorious Award going to owner Chris van Niekerk.

Source: Goldcircle