1

Tuesday 20 November 2018 www.turftalk.co.za * editor@turftalk.co.za

KERRY Jack of Cape Thoroughbred Sales.

Good bidding likely at CTS Ready To Run ONE of the best things about CTS Sales is that they are staged in wonderful Cape Town, which undoubtedly enhances prospects for good client turnouts, especially at a time when the Cape is at its most picturesque and the weather tends to play along.

A strong buyer’s bench is expected at this week’s CTS Ready To Run Sale at Durbanville and CTS Bloodstock Manager Kerry Jack is excited. She said on Tuesday: “The recent BSA Ready To Run Sale in Johannesburg was encouraging, they posted good results and we have every reason to expect something similar. “We have an exceptional, 117-lot catalogue and we’ll have Cape trainers and their clients in attendance in addition to those flying in from Johannesburg, Durban and Port Elizabeth, for which bookings have been great. We’ll also have an early group of international clients attending the sale, including clients of Empire International Bloodstock and Snaith Racing.

“Most of the internationals normally come for the Cape Premier Sale in January, so it’s encouraging that we’ll have a few at the Ready To Run Auction.” Jack shares the sentiments of CTS CEO Wéhann Smith that this compact catalogue will see more competition between buyers due to the qualifying races attached to the sale, and that their spirited bidding will reflect in the aggregate. “Buyers have a one-in-seven chance of securing a qualifier for the 2019 Ready To Run Stakes. Horses sold here will also qualify for the 2020 CTS Mile and Sprint each worth R5-million. CTS Ready To Run graduates, and their connections, have plenty going for them!” The catalogued lots from KZN’s Far End Stud have already arrived and the balance of horses are expected at Durbanville tomorrow. Jack said: “The official viewing day is Thursday, when all the lots and their breeders or representatives will be here from 8am to 6pm. There will be a Kuda Braai at the Yard Bedouin from 16.30 onwards.

“Anne Dalton and her team have been busy setting up the Marquee and the facilities this week and it’s all looking good. We’ll have the gallops on Friday starting at 9.30, in lot number order. All the gallops will be filmed.” A nice innovation this year is that there will be viewing stations where the gallops can be viewed as many times as needed on the CTS website, after they’ve been completed. While the gallops will be re-played on the screens around the marquee, buyers will also be able to look at individual gallops on laptops which will be placed in the viewing stations, or cubicles. Replays will be available after each batch of 10 gallops, which are expected to finish before 12pm. (to p3)

2

3

A strong buyer’s bench is expected at CTS Ready To Run this Friday. (Brent Abrahams).

CTS READY TO RUN (fm p1) “We’ll be serving breakfast and a light lunch, and we’ll give vendors and their horses a chance to settle down after the gallops before the additional viewing ahead of the sale, which will start at 6pm, with dinner at 7,” said Jack. The catalogue features progeny of the established local favourites, including Dynasty, Silvano, Trippi, Querari and VAR, to two-year-olds by Camelot, Rock Of Gibraltar and Pour Moi.

Asked to identify her personal best lots, Jack said: “That would be unfair as I’ve only seen the lots from Far End, Sorrento and Soetendal, all impressive. Normandy Stud and others are bringing superb lots with top pedigrees too, I’m not going to single anything out at this stage!” In conclusion, Jack noted that the catalogue for the 2019 Cape Premier Sale, scheduled for 23 January, had been finalised. “The catalogue will have 226 lots, quality all round, and it will be available online next week.” - tt.

TOTE BETS WITH INTERBET ARE DIRECTED TO TOTE POOLS

Interbet do not offer the “open (Tote) bet” – 100% of all Tote bets are directed into the Tote pools. This means that (unlike Tote bets placed with book-makers that lay all or part those bets themselves), the “rake” from the Tote pools goes directly to-wards running horseracing and paying owners’ stakes.

Vaal Selections, Tuesday: Race 1: (4) Bridge Of Spies (9) Gimme The Fire (13) Old Ma Tyme (11) Mahogany Bond Race 2: (15) Jungle Jane (9) Birindi (10) Meren-que (14) Castle Gate Race 3: (10) Owlinthethree (16) Vontreo (3) Eureka Effect (9) Naizak Race 4: (2) Against The Grain (14) Summer House (10) My King (6) Felix Fandango Race 5: (4) Dagmar (5) Tamarina (1) Aurelia Cot-ta (8) Crimson Royale Race 6: (3) Doosra (9) Catkin (4) Emily Jay (7) Mujallad Race 7: (2) Daffiq (5) Lone Survivor (6) Marmook (8) Aspri Astrapi Race 8: (15) Ensemble (12) Rock Pigeon (9) Ulla (8) Che Bella Race 9: (12) Seventh Son (4) Moon Warrior (8) Alex The Great (2) Certifiable

4

5

SA racing has some enthusiastic talent coming through from the younger ranks, including Durban-based photo journalist Candiese Marnewick of Gold Circle and Cape Town based designer/photographer Chase Liebenberg. Candiese and Chase have one thing in common: They’re always trying to improve their work and it shows. Here’s a Chase Liebenberg photo taken of Justin Snaith trained Summer Moon last Saturday. Snaith Racing commented: “Saturday was a successful day with three winners at Kenilworth but this moment was special and a highlight. Richard Fourie really cares for his horses and the love displayed here is something to be admired. Great shot Chase!” More of Chase’s work here.

6

New harness and gambling centre will cost $150-million KEENELAND and Churchill Downs have won the right to jointly build and run a new harness racetrack and gambling parlour in Western Kentucky near Fort Campbell. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission voted 11-3 to award the first new racetrack license in nearly 25 years to the $150 million project for Oak Grove in Christian County over competing projects from Kentucky Downs in Franklin and Caesars-Bluegrass Downs in Paducah. Churchill Downs and Keeneland, which owns only 5 percent of the project, will build a 1000m harness track to host 12 days of standardbred racing as early as 2019. They also plan to build a gambling parlour with up to 1,500 historical racing machines, which are similar to slot machines and have produced millions for purses and more than $21 million for the state since 2010. Kevin Flanery, Churchill Downs racetrack president, said that the gambling parlour would generate an estimated $10 million both Thoroughbred and standardbred purses in Kentucky.— Bloodhorse.

AN artist’s rendition of Oak Grove.

@turftalk1

Hold fire on Sand and Sea SAND And Sea, cut from 12-1 to 7-1 for the Cape Merchants after his impressive return in the Tab Telebet Progress Plate, is not a certain runner at this stage and punters should hold fire until Dennis Drier clarifies the position. Drier said after last Saturday’s race: “It is a great pity that the Merchants is only a week away. We will see how Sand And Sea comes out of this race and then decide.” The four-year-old was a revelation. This was his first appearance for seven months – after being gelded and having an operation on his wind – yet he travelled well throughout and swept clear inside the final furlong to win comfortably. Significantly Anton Marcus said: “He is probably even better than this. His engine is still there, and he is willing and able.”

Candice Bass-Robinson was adamant after Nous Voila’s flop in the Western Cape Fillies Championship that the reason was the horse’s inability to handle the turn, and the filly proved her point by making all under Corne Orffer to floor the odds laid on WCFC runner-up Temple Grafin in the fillies Progress Plate. She started at 10-1 but you could have got 14-1 on course earlier in the afternoon. “Nous Voila throws out a leg and as a result she doesn’t go well round a turn.” said her trainer, reflecting that Dutch Philip is much the same. “We will keep her up the straight and I think she can win a Group race.” - Michael Clower/Gold Circle.

Nous Voila, feature material. (Wayne Marks)

7

8

Moreira’s homies are happy! JOAO Moreira’s decision to leave Hong Kong for Japan in July was heavily scrutinised and just as many are analysing his return, but for the man himself and his family it’s pretty simple. After failing to obtain a full-time Japan Racing Association licence, the Magic Man signed a six-month contract to ride as John Size’s stable jockey starting on December 9 and plans on staying in Hong Kong beyond the expiry of that deal on June 9. “My family is very happy to be coming back to Hong Kong,” Moreira said on Sunday after bagging a treble at Sha Tin. “If your family is happy in a place you are likely to be happy too, but if you go anywhere your family is not happy, you are unlikely to be happy. “I promised my wife that if things didn’t happen in Japan, she could choose where we would go next and she indicated that she wanted to come back to Hong Kong because she was happy here. She wanted to come back and I’m happy to come back too, so it’s a good combination.” -SCMP.

JOAO Moreira, family support. (Andrew Hawkins).

MOOI River’s Bush Hill Stud are proud of the achievements of their resident stallion Irish Flame, who boasts a lifetime winners to runners percentage of 40%. Bush Hill congratulated trainer Sharon Kotzen on her filly Just My Style, winning for the second time at Fairview last Friday. Out of a Jet Master mare, she has placed six times and earned R234,325 in stakes. Photo by Candiese Marnewick.

Five days to enter!

WIN A three-night stay for two people, this December, at the magnificent Riverside Boutique Hotel in breath-taking Hout Bay, Cape Town, including flights, bed and break-fast. TO ENTER: Send us the e-mail addresses of friends, to subscribe to this newsletter. Make sure they are in agreement and that they won’t unsubscribe when prize is won! Bring us racing friends. The person who sends us the most new subscribing friends between now and 25 November wins the prize! Send your details and the suggested mails of friends to editor@turftalk.co.za.

9

Not a Hogwarts audition!

GIRLS from the Last Outpost are known for their love of rugby and here’s racing journalist Michele Wing seen at Murrayfield in Scotland supporting the ‘Bokke’ last Saturday. She looks a bit like actress Emma Watson’s iconic Hermione Granger and, with that hat, Michele’d better watch out for the Hogwarts scouts!

The Tuesday tickle