VODACOM DURBAN JULY 2013 : FIRST SUPPLEMENTARY ENTRIES

R3.5 MILLION VODACOM DURBAN JULY (Grade 1) Greyville, Turf, 2200m 6 July 2013 First Supplementary Entries as at 14 May 2013
Horse	MR	Trainer
ABERCROMBIE	94	Mike Bass
ALEXANDRA PALACE	92	Mike de Kock
AMERICAN STORM	97	Spike Lerena
ASTRO NEWS	102	Charles Laird
BARACAH	95	Sean Tarry
BEACH BEAUTY	112	Dennis Drier
BIG CITY ANGEL	89	Gavin van Zyl
BRAVURA	108	Joey Ramsden
BULSARA	102	Gavin van Zyl
CAPETOWN NOIR	110	Dean Kannemeyer
CAYMAN ISLAND	98	Yogas Govender
CHERRY ON THE CAKE	94	Gavin van Zyl
CHERRY ON THE TOP	112	Ormond Ferraris
DO YOU REMEMBER	101	Geoff Woodruff
DREAMBYTHEMASTER	76	Charles Laird
E-JET	104	Sean Tarry
ENCHANTED KINGDOM	100	Paul Peter
FOURTH ESTATE	92	Colin Scott
GALILEO’S DESTINY	105	Mike de Kock
GENERAL SHERMAN	93	Sean Tarry
GLORIOUS JET	98	St John Gray
GOLD ONYX (NZ)	104	Sean Tarry
GOLDEN CHATEAU (AUS)	101	Duncan Howells
GOTHIC	97	Kumaran Naidoo
HAMMIE’S DYNASTY	92	Mike Bass
HEAVY METAL	111	Sean Tarry
HILL FIFTY FOUR	112	Vaughan Marshall
ICE MACHINE	109	Garth Puller
ILHA BELA	98	Mike de Kock
IZORA	98	Mike de Kock
JACKSON	113	Brett Crawford
JET AGLOW	101	Glen Kotzen
KING OF PAIN	104	Joey Ramsden
KNOCK ON WOOD	107	Ormond Ferraris
LIANCOURT ROCK (AUS)	102	Dean Kannemeyer
LOCKHEED JETSTAR	95	Geoff Woodruff
LOVE STRUCK	103	Paul Lafferty
MASTER PLAN	110	Alec Laird
MASTER SABINA	88	Geoff Woodruff
MEISSA	89	Gary Alexander
MUJAARIB (AUS)	108	Mike de Kock
PATRIOTIC REBEL	95	Mike de Kock
PENHALIGON	97	Alyson Wright
PESSOA	103	Alec Laird
PIERRE JOURDAN	100	Gary Alexander
POMODORO	113	Sean Tarry
POTALA PALACE	100	Mike Azzie
PRICELESS JEWEL	86	Adam Marcus
PUNTA ARENAS	100	Stan Elley
PUTNEY FLYER	96	Weiho Marwing
RED FORT	98	Geoff Woodruff
RUN FOR IT	106	Justin Snaith
SABADELL	91	Geoff Woodruff
SAFE HOUSE	89	Mike Azzie
SANSHAAWES	99	Mike de Kock
SEAL	108	Gavin van Zyl
SHOGUNNAR	106	Gavin van Zyl
SILENT PARTNER	94	Mike de Kock
SILVER SPRING	77	Gavin van Zyl
SMANJEMANJE	104	Tyrone Zackey
TAIPAN	107	Dean Kannemeyer
TELLINA	103	Geoff Woodruff
TEQUILA SUNRISE	86	Mike de Kock
TERRITORIAL WATERS	90	Tony Rivalland
THUNDER DANCE	106	Brett Crawford
TIME OF SONG	80	Deon Visser
TRIBAL DANCE	107	Vaughan Marshall
TRUE MASTER	95	Justin Snaith
VERCINGETORIX	107	Mike de Kock
VERTICAL TAKEOFF	101	Sean Tarry
VIVA MARIA	102	Mike de Kock
WAGNER	99	Joe Soma
WAR HORSE	98	Corne Spies
WHITELINE FEVER	109	Sean Tarry
WILD ONE	95	Jeff Freedman
WYLIE HALL (AUS)	98	Weiho Marwing
YER-MAAN	95	St John Gray
YORKER	102	Geoff Woodruff
ZAMBUCCA	107	Saeed Mohideen
Final Supplementary Entries : Monday 10 June 2013 Weights : Tuesday 11 June 2013 Declarations : Monday 24 June 2013 Final Field and Barrier Draw : Tuesday 25 June 2013 Gallops : Thursday 25 June 2013 Vodacom Durban July : Saturday 6 July 2013 www.vodacomdurbanjuly.co.za

R23-MILLION STAKES FOR CHAMPIONS SEASON 2013

Africa’s Greatest Horserace - The R3.5Million Vodacom Durban July
(Photo : John Lewis)

CHAMPIONS SEASON
4 May 2013 - 27 July 2013

Champions Season in KwaZulu-Natal is a three-month feast of superior racing offering feature race stakes in excess of R23million in a programme of 45 Graded, Listed and special events, headed by Africa’s greatest racing spectacle, the R3,5million Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July. Champions Season launches on Saturday 4 May at Greyville, with the running of the Colts and Fillies Guineas, as well as the Drill Hall Stakes.

The great news is that the stakes pot for the Champions Season feature races has been given a R6million cash injection, which represents a 28% increase on previous levels. This news follows hot on the heels of Gold Circle’s announcement earlier this year of an across the board stakes increase of between 10% and 11% for all minor races in the province and the news that this year’s Vodacom Durban July will be run for a stake of R3,5 million, making it the richest horserace on the continent.

The biggest Champion Season increases are the R500,000 added to the Vodacom Durban July stake, while the Daily News 2000 also gets a R500,000 cash injection and this year will be run for a stake of R1,5 million. The stake for the Woolavington 2000, run on the same afternoon as the Daily News 2000, has been increased to R750,000. The stake for the Gold Cup, the country’s most important race for stayers and final feature of the season, also goes up by R250,000 and will carry a stake of R1,25million.

Other significant increases for the Grade 1 races include the Golden Horse Sprint and Mercury Sprint, now both worth R750,000, the SA Fillies Sprint, up R100,000 to R600,000 and the Garden Province Stakes, up R250,000 to R750,000.

Added to Champions Season this year is the KwaZulu-Natal Breeders’ Day scheduled for the Saturday before the July when the KZN Breeders Million Mile worth R1million will hold centre stage. The Million Mile will be backed up by seven other races, all with a stake of R200,000.

Running from the beginning of May to the end of July, Champions Season provides a comprehensive mix of events catering for all the needs of the thoroughbred population with major contests for two-year-olds, three-year-olds and the older horses from sprints through middle distance races to the strong-winded stayers.

Celebrating the importance of the classic races for three-year-olds, special meetings are staged for the KRA Guineas and KRA Fillies Guineas over the traditional 1600m as well as the Betting World Derby and Betting World Oaks over 2400m, races from which great champions of the future could emerge.

The four big Champions Season meetings are :

GOLDEN HORSE SPRINT RACEDAY
Scottsville Racecourse
Saturday 25 May 2013

The only race meeting on the Continent featuring four Grade 1 sprint races, this day draws the finest sprinters in the country.

RISING SUN GOLD CHALLENGE RACEDAY
Clairwood Racecourse
Saturday 8 June 2013

The Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge is an open weight-for-age race over 1 600m and a major event for horses seeking a run in the Vodacom Durban July.

VODACOM DURBAN JULY RACEDAY
Greyville Racecourse
Saturday 6 July 2013

There is not an owner, breeder, trainer, jockey and groom that has not conjured up dreams of winning Africa’s Greatest Horse Racing Event and for most, just to be involved in the prestigious event is something very special. If you have a runner you have a chance and that chance comes once a year and for most owners, possibly once in lifetime.

Supporting events on the day include the all-new KZN Breeders Juvenile Million. With a stake of R1million, it is for juveniles graduates from the KZN Yearling Sales and is run at level weights over 1300m.

The Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes is an important black type-earning event for fillies and mares at weight-for-age over 1600m for a stake of R750,000.

The Golden Horseshoe and Golden Slipper are Grade 1 events that each carry stakes of R600,000 and are for two-year-olds at level weights over 1400m.

The Grade 2 Gold Vase carries a R400,000 stake and is an open merit-rated handicap over 3000m.

The Grade 3 Campanajo 2200 is an open merit-rated handicap over 2200m with a stake of R300,000. Celebrating the first winner of the Vodacom Durban July in 1897, the field is usually made up mostly of runners that never made the final field for the premier event.

SUPER SATURDAY AND GOLD CUP
Greyville Racecourse
27 July 2013

The meeting brings Champions Season to a close in spectacular fashion with four Grade 1 races headed by the R1,25 million Gold Cup, an open handicap that is the greatest test for the cream of South African stayers over 3200m.

Extract from Sporting Post

Click here to view
Champions Season Calendar

VODACOM DURBAN JULY 2013 : ENTRIES

R3.5 MILLION VODACOM DURBAN JULY (Grade 1) Greyville, Turf, 2200m 6 July 2013 Entries as at 18 April 2013
#	Horse	Age	Sex	MR	Trainer
1	JACKSON	4	Colt	113	Brett Crawford
2	POMODORO	4	Colt	113	Sean Tarry
3	BEACH BEAUTY	5	Mare	112	Dennis Drier
4	HILL FIFTY FOUR	4	Gelding	112	Vaughan Marshall
5	MASTER PLAN	4	Gelding	111	Alec Laird
6	CAPETOWN NOIR	3	Colt	110	Dean Kannemeyer
7	WHITELINE FEVER	4	Gelding	109	Sean Tarry
8	BRAVURA	6	Gelding	108	Joey Ramsden
9	MUJAARIB (AUS)	4	Colt	108	Mike de Kock
10	SEAL	5	Gelding	108	Gavin van Zyl
11	GALILEO’S DESTINY	5	Gelding	107	Mike de Kock
12	TAIPAN	4	Gelding	107	Dean Kannemeyer
13	ZAMBUCCA	4	Colt	107	Saeed Mohideen
14	KING OF PAIN	3	Colt	106	Joey Ramsden
15	RUN FOR IT	5	Gelding	106	Justin Snaith
16	THUNDER DANCE	4	Filly	106	Brett Crawford
17	ICE MACHINE	4	Gelding	105	Garth Puller
18	TRIBAL DANCE	4	Colt	105	Vaughan Marshall
19	GOLD ONYX (NZ)	5	Gelding	104	Sean Tarry
20	SMANJEMANJE	6	Gelding	104	Tyrone Zackey
21	LOVE STRUCK	3	Gelding	103	Paul Lafferty
22	PESSOA	4	Gelding	103	Alec Laird
23	PIERRE JOURDAN	6	Gelding	103	Gary Alexander
24	TELLINA	3	Colt	103	Geoff Woodruff
25	VIVA MARIA	4	Filly	103	Mike de Kock
26	ASTRO NEWS	4	Gelding	102	Charles Laird
27	BULSARA	6	Gelding	102	Gavin van Zyl
28	E-JET	4	Gelding	102	Sean Tarry
29	JET AGLOW	3	Filly	102	Glen Kotzen
30	LIANCOURT ROCK (AUS)	4	Gelding	102	Dean Kannemeyer
31	GOLDEN CHATEAU (AUS)	4	Colt	101	Duncan Howells
32	DO YOU REMEMBER	3	Filly	100	Geoff Woodruff
33	ENCHANTED KINGDOM	5	Mare	100	Paul Peter
34	HEAVY METAL	4	Gelding	100	Sean Tarry
35	POTALA PALACE	4	Colt	100	Mike Azzie
36	PUNTA ARENAS	4	Gelding	100	Stan Elley
37	GLORIUS JET	4	Gelding	99	St John Gray
38	SANSHAAWES	3	Gelding	99	Mike de Kock
39	SHOGUNNAR	4	Gelding	99	Gavin van Zyl
40	WAGNER	4	Gelding	99	Joe Soma
41	CAYMAN ISLAND	7	Gelding	98	Yogas Govender
42	ILHA BELA	4	Filly	98	Mike de Kock
43	RED FORT	4	Gelding	98	Geoff Woodruff
44	WAR HORSE	3	Colt	98	Corne Spies
45	AMERICAN STORM	3	Gelding	97	Spike Lerena
46	PENHALIGON	4	Colt	97	Alyson Wright
47	PUTNEY FLYER	4	Gelding	97	Weiho Marwing
48	BARACAH	4	Gelding	96	Sean Tarry
49	LOCKHEED JETSTAR	4	Colt	95	Geoff Woodruff
50	PATRIOTIC REBEL	3	Gelding	95	Mike de Kock
51	YER-MAAN	4	Gelding	95	St John Gray
52	ABERCROMBIE	3	Colt	94	Mike Bass
53	CHERRY ON THE CAKE	5	Mare	94	Gavin van Zyl
54	SABADELL	3	Gelding	94	Geoff Woodruff
55	SILENT PARTNER	5	Gelding	94	Mike de Kock
56	YORKER	3	Colt	94	Geoff Woodruff
57	GENERAL SHERMAN	4	Gelding	93	Sean Tarry
58	ALEXANDRA PALACE	3	Colt	92	Mike de Kock
59	FOURTH ESTATE	5	Gelding	92	Colin Scott
60	HAMMIE’S DYNASTY	4	Gelding	92	Mike Bass
61	MEISSA	4	Gelding	91	Gary Alexander
62	SAFE HOUSE	3	Gelding	91	Mike Azzie
63	TERRITORIAL WATERS	4	Gelding	90	Tony Rivalland
64	TRUE MASTER	3	Colt	90	Justin Snaith
65	BIG CITY ANGEL	5	Gelding	89	Gavin van Zyl
66	IZORA	3	Filly	89	Mike de Kock
67	WILD ONE	3	Gelding	88	Jeff Freedman
68	PRICELESS JEWEL	3	Filly	86	Adam Marcus
69	TEQUILA SUNRISE	3	Gelding	86	Mike de Kock
70	WYLIE HALL (AUS)	3	Colt	86	Weiho Marwing
71	TIME OF SONG	3	Gelding	80	Deon Visser
72	SILVER SPRING	4	Colt	77	Gavin van Zyl
73	DREAMBYTHEMASTER	3	Gelding	76	Charles Laird
74	VERTICAL TAKEOFF	7	Gelding	101	Sean Tarry
Summerhill runners denoted by yellow First Supplementary Entries : Tuesday 14 May 2013 Final Supplementary Entries : Monday 10 June 2013 Weights : Tuesday 11 June 2013 Final Field and Barrier Draw : Tuesday 25 June 2013 Gallops : Thursday 25 June 2013 Vodacom Durban July : Saturday 6 July 2013 www.vodacomdurbanjuly.co.za

IGUGU RETURNS FROM YEAR-LONG LAYOFF

Igugu wins the 2012 J&B Met (Grade 1)
(Photo : Action Racing Online)

US$200,000 BALANCHINE (Group 2)
Meydan, Turf, 1800m
21 February 2013

The $200,000 Balanchine (Gr2) tomorrow at Meydan has attracted seven entrants, but the field is overshadowed by the presence of South African Horse of the Year Igugu, who will make her highly anticipated return from a year-long layoff and first start abroad.

Trainer Mike de Kock will try for a record sixth win in the 1800 meter (about 1 1/8-mile) turf race with the 5-year-old Galileo mare. She has not raced since a thrilling, late-charging victory over Bravura in the J&B Met (Gr1) on 28 January 2012, in her most recent outing, and combined with her triumph in the 2011 Vodacom Durban July (Gr1) nearly seven months earlier, she completed a rare double in South Africa’s two premier races - a feat not accomplished in 75 years.

De Kock is hoping Igugu will be back to her best after a year off. She is also a nominee to the $10-million Dubai World Cup (Gr1) on 30 March.

“She is a gutsy filly and a courageous filly, and I hope she returns to the form she is capable of as she is world class and can win on the world stage,” De Kock told The National about his star mare, who will be ridden by jockey Christophe Soumillon.

The J&B Met capped a seven-race win streak that included Igugu’s dominating sweep of South Africa’s 2011 Triple Crown for fillies by a combined margin of 20 lengths - the Gauteng Fillies Guineas (Gr2), SA Fillies Classic (Gr1), and South African Oaks (Gr1).

Following her J&B Met win, Igugu will start back against her own sex in the Balanchine, which De Kock has dominated in nine years since the race was first run in 2004. He sent out the winners of the two previous editions of the race, scoring with Mahbooba last year and River Jetez in 2011. He also took the race with Sun Classique in 2008, who followed up with a win in the Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr1); Irridescence in 2006; and Moon Dazzle in 2005.

Igugu is also nominated for the $5-million Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr1) as well as the $5-million Dubai Duty Free (Gr1), both on Dubai World Cup night.

Owned by the partnership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and Andre Macdonald, the Summerhill Stud Ready To Run graduate has only previously raced in South Africa. She has not been idle in her long period of quarantine though, training quite a bit in Mauritius and in England, where she popped a splint after a workout at Newmarket. Since arriving in Dubai on 7 November, training has since gone smoothly as she acclimated to her new surroundings.

The field for the Balanchine includes Godolphin’s Sajjhaa, a 6-year-old King’s Best mare who won the Cape Verdi (Gr2) by 3 3/4 lengths on 24 January for trainer Saeed bin Suroor. Last season at York, she finished second to Izzi Top, a subsequent Group 1 winner in Ireland and France, in the Betfred Middleton Stakes (Gr2).

Extract from BloodHorse

J&B MET 130

J&B MET (Grade 1)
Kenilworth, Turf, 2000m
2 February 2013

Mike Moon
The TimesThe J&B Met is much more than a horse race. Raced in the dreamy Cape just as summer comes off its peak, it has come to symbolise the glamour of the racing game in South Africa.

If the Vodacom Durban July is all about power and glory - with the prestige of the country’s premier race, alcohol-fuelled corporate show-offs and big money wagering - the Met provides a more elegant, romantic interlude.

Met Day is like a huge garden party with equine entertainments. At Cape Town’s foremost social bash, being seen in the exclusive enclosures in eye-catching finery is, for many, at least as important as what passes the winning post first.

As such, the poshest do in racing is rather more than just the second-biggest race day in the land. A party with cavorting celebrities, outré outfits, sunshine and wine will always attract that extra bit of attention.

It’s small wonder whisky maker J&B has continued to pump money into staging the event since 1978, becoming horse racing’s longest-standing sponsor. J&B might already be an upmarket brand, but it still picks up priceless cache and glitzy publicity from the Met.

This is not to say the racing itself ain’t important. For racing folk, it’s right up there in quality, and for those of us who cannot be at glorious Kenilworth tomorrow, it is racing form rather than haute couture and haute cuisine that must be our focus.

Speaking of which, tomorrow’s 130th renewal looks a competitive affair - at least among the well-backed horses.

Handicap conditions for the Met are intended to ensure that the most talented horses do well. They’re not heavily penalised with weight in the saddle for their past successes and can show their true worth, all else being equal. This year the classiest contenders are also the ones with the most compelling recent form, theoretically narrowing down our choice of most likely winner. Top jockey Anthony Delpech, who hasn’t landed a choice booking for the Met, says he can see the winner coming from only “four or five” horses and hasn’t bothered to scratch around for a mount on an apparent no-hoper.

That seems a fair assessment.

Topping the betting boards at 18/10 is four-year-old colt Jackson, who is obviously a top racehorse and does well on this course. But many pundits and punters haven’t shaken off the bruising they took when he failed to meet a previous big challenge, in the 2012 Vodacom Durban July.

July winner Pomodoro has had a brilliant lead-up to the Met, with little having been in his favour. He has a good barrier draw, has had time to acclimatise to Cape Town and has the peerless services of Piere Strydom in the irons. Feisty mare Beach Beauty is consistent and is almost guaranteed to have a say in the finish.

J&B MET BETTING:

18/10 Jackson, 7/2 Pomodoro, 11/2 Beach Beauty, 10/1 Slumdogmillionaire, 12/1 King Of Pain, 14/1 Master Plan, 15/1 Bravura, 20/1 Run For It, 22/1 Hill Fifty Four, 40/1 Martial Eagle, 50/1 Tribal Dance, 66/1 Bulsara, Black Wing, 80/1 Ice Machine, In Writing, 100/1 Fabiani.

J&B MET SELECTION:

J&B MET (KENILWORTH RACE 8): 2 Pomodoro, 15 Beach Beauty, 4 Master Plan, 1 Jackson

For more information, please visit :

www.jbmet.co.za

Extract from The Times