HILL FIFTY FOUR POUNCES IN PENINSULA HANDICAP

Click above to watch Hill Fifty Four winning the Peninsula Handicap (Grade 2)
(Photo : Gold Circle)

PENINSULA HANDICAP (Grade 2)
Kenilworth, Turf, 1800m
5 January 2013

Liesl King
Thoroughbred NewsA combination of a master trainer and an ice cool jockey saw the Vaughan Marshall-trained Hill Fifty Four produce a hat-trick of wins in the R300,000 Peninsula Handicap (Grade 2) over 1800m at Kenilworth racecourse on Saturday.

Marshall had mapped out a path for Hill Fifty Four that included four victories and a Group 3; whilst keeping the gelding under the radar. All that remained was for jockey MJ Byleveld to win the Peninsula Handicap from barrier 13, to give Hill Fifty Four a fighting chance in the J&B Met (Grade 1) on February 2nd; the highlight of the Cape racing season.

Byleveld is no stranger to front running tactics and he bounced Hill Fifty Four extremely smartly from the outside barrier and set sail for the lead. Passing wide around most of the field, he settled the gelding three wide in third, behind rail running Queen’s Command (AUS) and Hammie’s Dynasty. In a change of tactics, second favourite Taipan raced up with the speed, with his old enemy Punta Arenas on his tail.

With Queen’s Command leading the field into the home straight, Byleveld sent Hill Fifty Four even wider, before launching an attack up the centre of the track. Challenges came from favourite Jet Explorer and Punta Arenas, while Karis Teetan set Black Wing alight at the back of the field.

Byleveld however had the gap and the horse to maintain momentum and despite Punta Arenas making up ground on the leader in the closing stages, catching him was out of the question. Hill Fifty Four crossed the line 1.25 lengths clear, in a time of 1.50.44. Aldo Domeyer and the luckless Punta Arenas completed a hat-trick of second placings, with the flying Summerhill-bred Black Wing getting the better of Jet Explorer to snatch third.

Marshall now has to wait and see whether Hill Fifty Four gets a starting berth in the showpiece of the Cape Sizzling Summer Season, the Grade 1 J&B Met over 2000m on February 2nd, but so far the plan has been executed to perfection.

Peninsula Handicap (Grade 2)
Final Result

#	LBH	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	0.00	HILL FIFTY FOUR	57.0	101	13	M Byleveld	Vaughan Marshall
2	1.25	PUNTA ARENAS	55.0	97	6	A Domeyer	Stan Elley
3	3.00	BLACK WING	60.0	106	5	K Teetan	Brett Crawford
4	3.10	JET EXPLORER	54.0	95	4	F Coetzee	Justin Snaith
5	3.20	CASH REGISTER	52.5	91	11	G van Niekerk	Glen Kotzen
6	3.60	HAMMIE’S DYNASTY	53.0	93	12	G Hatt	Mike Bass
7	3.70	BROWN PENNY	57.0	100	2	A Nienaber	Mike Bass
8	4.45	CASK	58.0	102	14	G Schlechter	Stephen Page
9	4.75	TAIPAN	60.0	107	1	K Neisius	Dean Kannemeyer
10	5.15	POLITICAL PLAYBOY (AUS)	25.5	92	8	G Wright	Glen Kotzen
11	5.90	QUEEN’S COMMAND (AUS)	56.5	99	9	R Khathi	Glen Kotzen
12	8.40	LION IN WINTER	57.0	100	10	S Cormack	Joey Ramsden
13	10.65	ICE MACHINE	59.5	106	3	B Fayd’Herbe	Garth Puller
14	13.40	NYSEAN BOLT	54.0	94	7	G Behr	Greg Ennion

Extracts from Thoroughbred News

"PJ", JACKSON AND ENGLISH GARDEN

Summerhill-bred Pierre Jourdan
(Photo : Summerhill Stud)

VODACOM DURBAN JULY (Grade 1)
Greyville, Turf, 2200m
7 July 2012

Were you a watcher of Tellytrack’s excellent broadcast on the July Day fields Sunday evening? If you weren’t, we won’t recount everything they talked about, because the show will be on the loop on Channel 232, and you can get it for yourself. But what did matter, was their discussion on the “big one”, the Vodacom Durban July. Before you accuse us of parochialism because we happen to be the only farm with two runners, it’s worth remembering that it’s Africa’s greatest horse race, and it’s the only one that counts right now. The panel comprised four learned gentleman, Graeme Hawkins, Vaughan Marshall, Sheldon Peters and Brett Crawford, the latter the trainer of the ruling hot favourite, Jackson, and one-time conditioner of a Summerhill J&B Met hero, Angus. The panel were unanimous, it’s Jackson or nobody, despite his draw at 16. We all know how good Jackson is, and the fact that the weights for three-year-old colts are capped at 57 kgs, makes him a very likely prospect, with luck in the running.

To illustrate how well he’s in at the weights, last year’s runner-up, the Summerhill-bred Pierre Jourdan, was assigned 57,5 kgs for the 2011 version, while the best three-year-old in the field, Igugu, was set to carry 55,5 kgs, which she did with aplomb, closing strongly to hold off “PJ’s” challenge by ¾ length at the line. This year, PJ concedes 3 kgs to the colt Jackson, and he would have to be the first horse since the introduction of metric weights in 1961 to carry 60 kgs to victory, if he is to take Jackson’s colours down. That’s a kilogram more than he conceded to Igugu (a filly), so in handicapping terms, he has an impossible task, but the July can be an “impossible” race to predict. There are twenty horses in the race, the Greyvillle straight is relatively short (450 metres), and the false rail, which was traditionally set at somewhere between 10 and 13 metres out from the normal rail, is brought in to 6 metres for the July. The experts tell us that at 6 metres, outside horses are at something of a disadvantage when they come off the rail.

One horse whom we’ve feared ever since the weights came out, was last year’s third, English Garden, not only well drawn this year, but with an added year of maturity and just 56,6 kgs to carry, he looks like a serious “lurker”.

Beyond these three, it’s anybody’s race, though Mary Slack’s two fillies, Ilha Bela and Gorongosa, both deserve mention. We know the bettors fancy Ilha Bela ahead of Gorongosa, but we have a sneaky suspicion about the latter, who’s 9 for 10 so far, and whilst that record came in lesser company, she will stay every inch of the race, and will be doing her best work at the business end of it. Oh, and one other thing: she’s trained by Mike de Kock.

If you’re a Summerhill man, you’re not going to conclude this story without mentioning Smanjemanje, who at 66-1 is the rank outsider. He’s a dual Group winner this season, and looked a winner with 150 to go in the Champions Cup (Gr.1) at Turffontein just two months back. If you’re looking for a decent place bet at very long odds, you could do worse than to have a couple of bob on him. Remember where he comes from, and that tells you, anything could happen! And they’re paying six places.

The best represented stallion in the race, is a former hero, Dynasty, who won it in facile fashion from the 20 draw. Jackson jumps from the 16 slot, and if he’s anything like his Dad, that has to be a positive portent. Besides, Dynasty has the excellent Beach Beauty (also drawn wide) and with a bit of luck, could be concerned with the finish, though this diminutive filly has 57 kgs to cope with. Otherwise, there’s the lightly raced Sage Throne, who is something of an unknown quantity at this level, but who has enough on his record to give him a sniff. Like Jet Master and Captain Al, Dynasty is another exceptional advertisement for South African-bred stallions, having been bred and raised at Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift Farm up the West Coast, and now standing at Highlands Farm Stud in Robinson.

For what it’s worth, the panel’s top bets on the day are: Captain’s Wild (presently at 10/1) in the 2200, and Golden Chateau (4/1) in the Byerley Turk (Darley Arabian).

BETTING WORLD DERBY AND OAKS : OLE OLE

Shogunnar (SAF)
(Photo : Gold Circle)

Betting World Derby and Oaks (Grade 2)
Clairwood, Turf, 2400m
24 June 2012

Life can be funny in the way it throws up coincidences. Or is it possible that these things are preordained? Here we are at the quarter final stage of Europe’s biggest football tournament, England, thank heavens for her fans who’ve taken a pasting on the rugby field of late, having made it to the quarters, and suddenly on the racing front we’re reminded of one of the same tournament’s greatest sons. Some years ago, Manchester United striker, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made this tournament his own, and the horse the Coolmore team named for him, Solskjaer, pops up with a live candidate for each of this weekend’s Gold Circle Derby and Oaks.

The Derby looks like a match in two, with Vaughan Marshall’s Tribal Dance in the one corner and Gavin van Zyl’s Shogunnar in the other. The catch here is which form is the more reliable. Tribal Dance destroyed his field in the East Cape Derby (Gr.3) a few weeks back, and we found a pleased-as-punch Vaughan Marshall grabbing an early breakfast on Sunday morning at Café Bloom: he was imperious in pink, and he had the bloom of confidence about him. Shogunnar on the other hand, on only his fourth racecourse appearance, posted the fastest last 400 metres in an ominous display from the back, grabbing the third placed cheque behind Jackson in the Daily News 2000 (Gr.1). We’re not for a moment suggesting that Shogunnar is in the Jackson class, but this was a smashing effort making up 7 lengths on the favourite, and as a son of the Summerhill resident, Solskjaer, he gives hope of a good weekend. Adding weight to our aspirations, just Tuesday afternoon, the stallion’s first-time daughter, Sol’s Gold, gave early notice with a 60-1 performance for Albert Rapp and co at the Vaal. Don’t tell Mike Bass or Marsh Shirtliff we said this was a “match in two”. They’ll tell you Taipan is the one to be with, and he could well be; it’s just that a “match-in-two” had a better ring to it.

The Oaks is a different matter. It does not look like a vintage field, the top rated being Beloved Betty (MR 99), Razzle Dazzle Rose (MR 96) and Avenue of Gold (MR 92), while Mike de Kock will believe he holds a strong hand with Tajmeel (MR 86). However, for as long as you have a ticket, there’s hope, and it’s interesting that current champion jockey, Anton Marcus, has taken the ride on Sean Tarry’s Final Score, another Summerhill-bred daughter of Solskjaer. You might well ask where all this stamina comes from, given that the stallion’s December-foaled Ice Axe picked up a cheque in the Derby last year. Here we need to remember that his half-brother Yeats, is the only horse in history to have posted four consecutive victories in the greatest staying race in Europe, the Ascot Gold Cup (Gr.1) over 4000m, coincidentally also scheduled for Thursday at Royal Ascot. That probably says it all. It’s now in the hands of providence.

TALES OF BRAVERY SMOKES OPPOSITION IN DRILL HALL STAKES

Click above to watch Tales Of Bravery winning the Drill Hall Stakes…
(Photo : Gold Circle - Footage : Tellytrack)

DRILL HALL STAKES (Grade 2)
Greyville, Night, Turf, 1400m
5 May 2012

TALES OF BRAVERY
(Kahal (GB) x Emperor’s Warning by Caesour (USA))
5 Year Old Bay Gelding
Owner : Roy Eckstein (late)
Trainer : Vaughan Marshall
Jockey : MJ Byleveld
Breeder : Victory Moon Breeding Syndicate (Pty) Ltd
Win Time : 83.05
Career Record : 9 Wins, 8 Places, 25 Starts
Career Earnings : R1,316,770

RACE RESULTS

#	LBH	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	0.00	TALES OF BRAVERY	60.0	113	11	M Byleveld	Vaughan Marshall
2	1.75	CHESALON	60.0	110	3	P Strydom	Mike Bass
3	1.85	BULSARA	60.0	104	9	R Danielson	Gavin van Zyl
4	1.95	REBEL KNIGHT	60.0	106	13	A Marcus	Gary Alexander
5	2.70	DEPARDIEU	58.0	108	4	K Neisius	Dean Kannemeyer
6	2.80	LAKE ARTHUR	60.0	102	14	S Veale	Yogas Govender
7	3.05	KAVANAGH	60.0	112	8	A Delpech	Mike de Kock
8	3.10	THE SHARK (ZIM)	60.0	100	10	S Randolph	Dean Kannemeyer
9	4.10	MOROCCAN (ZIM)	60.0	103	2	K Latham	Weiho Marwing
10	4.85	CAPTAIN’S SECRET	60.0	107	6	B Fayd’Herbe	Mike Bass
11	4.95	LION IN WINTER	60.0	108	12	S Cormack	Joey Ramsden
12	5.95	KISS AGAIN	60.0	107	1	K Teetan	Mike Bass
13	7.70	SPLASH GOLD	60.0	109	7	B Lerena	Dean Kannemeyer
14	99.99	BIELORRUSO (ARG)	60.0	96	5	N Roebuck	Kumaran Naidoo

www.summerhill.co.za

TALES OF BRAVERY WELL PREPPED FOR L'ORMARINS QUEEN'S PLATE

Tales Of Bravery - Jet Master Stakes
(Photo : Gold Circle)

L’ORMARINS QUEEN’S PLATE (Grade 1)
Kenilworth, Turf, 1600m
7 January 2012

David Thiselton
Gold CircleTrainer Vaughan Marshall runs his five-year-old Kahal gelding Tales Of Bravery in the weight for age Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m at Kenilworth on Saturday and will be hoping to go one better than last year when finishing a 2,25 length second to Mike de Kock-trained Mother Russia.

Marshall said, “He is very well and has done everything we wanted him to do.”

Tales Of Bravery has had a fine season to date having won a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1500m at Kenilworth on his reappearance, then finishing a 0,5 length second to Bravura in the weight for age Grade 2 Green Point Stakes over 1600m on the Kenilworth Old Course and then winning the Jet Master Stakes over Saturday’s course and distance on December 17.

He has had one extra prep run than last year, but Marshall doesn’t believe this will make any difference to his chances. He reckons the better draw of seven compared to eight last year will help. Marshall makes Bravura and Variety Club, both from the Joey Ramsden yard, the horses to beat.

Extract from Gold Circle