CAPE SEASON EXTRAORDINAIRE

We had a season to remember in the Cape this year thanks to Dennis Drier and also partly to Brett Crawford. Dennis went to the Cape with a small string of horses and won many of the Feature races with BEACH BEAUTY and MASTER OF MY FATE. Brett had a season of his life with of a number wins and JACKSON ran a few great races. Justin Snaith turned out the winners and was again successful on the big days especially the run of JET EXPLORER in the Queens Plate.

BEACH BEAUTY will go down as the publics favourite as she won both the Paddock Stakes Grade 1 then the Majorca Stakes Grade 1! She ran four times in the Cape and was 3rd only against the males, against the fairer sex she was unstoppable. In the Paddock Stakes over 1800 meters she won as she liked but in the Majorca Stakes she had her work cut out for her ……she was drawn 13 out of 13- but in her favour she was well suited to the 1600meters. She went for the shorter race against her own sex bypassing the Met which she had competed in previously and come 3rd last year! Sean Cormack, her regular rider, got her over early and she got herself out of trouble and kicked on to win the race .Dennis Drier, her conditioner, stated after the race that "the more you throw at her , the more she gives" and this certainly was the case!

She won her 4th Grade 1 in fine style and now heads back to Natal where she will look for her 5th Grade 1 race…..Well done to the Shanks Syndicate as this honest and brilliant mare has earned nearly R4,5 million and won 15 starts, been placed 9 times and so she has only been out of the money on 4 occasions. 

MASTER OF MY FATE is a beautifully bred colt being by Jet Master out of Promisefrommyheart and he campaigned very well in the Cape improving each run by winning 3 times on the trot there, the last being in the Peninsular Handicap a Grade 2       race over 1800meters beating the subsequent Met winner! He had run a perfect preparation for the Met and started favourite for the race. Unfortunately he was hampered early in the race(and by the slow pace) and although he ran on well to finish 5th he blotted his near perfect record as he was second in his debut and had won his last 6 starts! He returns to KZN and only is looking for a Grade 1 victory to send him off to stud!

JACKSON ran a great race in his first run since winning the Chairmans Chamionship in KZN, over the sprint distance of 1200 to Welwitchia the, Laisserfaire Stakes(listed race) ,with a creditable 2nd in the Queens Plate to Capetown Noir over the mile.There  was some concern over whether he had done too much in his pipe opener and he started 2nd favourite for the Met. He did not take part in the race as he never raised a gallop and sadly he showed some distress after the race and the current talk is that we will not see him again at the race! He will stand at Highlands Stud where he was raised.

JET EXPLORER showed once again his devastating toe when flying for 3rd in the Queens Plate. It was expected that he may reproduce this run in the Met but he ran into traffic problems during the race and did not reproduce his same form.

In KZN the Flamboyant Stakes a Grade 3 was run over a mile MURMERING SKY ran 2nd with ORANGE BLOSSOM running on to 3rd spot. These 2 fillies were conditioned by the Drier and Howells yards for Mrs Rhona Beck and Ian Van Schalkwyk respectively. These two fillies then reversed their form a month later!

In the Gauteng Feature the Lebelo Sprint also a Grade 3 over 1000 meters both SHES A STUNNER and MISS OCTOBER ran very well to finish 2nd and 3rd for Sean Tarry and Geoff Woodruff. These fillies were then placed for their owners from the Tawny syndicate Messers Nestadt ,Blank and Schill etc, and Dave Abery, Tim Keating, Ferdi Dippenaar, Chad Francis and Neil P Smith. The latter filly- MISS OCTOBER then came and won a sprint over 1000 meters for the team of enthusiastic owners and has since won her first graded race- the Grade 3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap. What a busy and successful year she has had! She will next be aimed at one of the countrys biggest sprint prizes, the Computerform Sprint Grade 1.

While the hype was on for all of the exciting feature races in the Cape the Cape Premier Sale Book 1 was held before the Met .The sale was talked about a lot and instead of being a disappointing sale like it may have appeared on the first day it was actually amazing! There was plenty of interest shown in the horses sold as on the second day the average per yearling increased from R480 000 to R570 000 and showed an increase on 18% from last year ! We were delighted to get 2 colts from the sale to grow out, a son of Trippi and a son of Tiger Ridge……both well grown and they will improve as they develop.

We are selling 7 horses for Scott Brothers at Shongweni on 20 February so please support us as the horses being sold are reasonably priced and it is your last chance to buy a two year old! Most of what are for sale are by Miesque Approval who has proved to be a sire of successful horses. TIMELESS TUNE won for Dennis Bosch and her owners this week end - this filly also by Miesque Approval, was sold last year at this sale! See you there!   

Back to the Cape season the Drier yard were also successful with the Var colt VIVA LA VAR as he won twice there culminating in a victory for his owners the Papagorgious in the Need For Speed Sprint, a non black type for 3 year olds over 1000 meters. He is currently unbeaten having won 3 races for his connections!

The Drier yard were also successful with the son of Captain Al, BARBOSA who had his first run since May and who had been gelded. He won again, his 4th win, beating a useful field including Divine Jet, Muscat and Happy Forever that he was added to the starting line up of the Grade 1 Flying Championship. It was not his day in the big race and he was hampered with after a slow start. The race was won by Via Africa who had responded well to treatment after her two disappointing Cape starts and it was great to see the star back!

The Drier yard were also successful with the daughter of Imperial Dispatch- IMPERIAL FABERGE as she won two sprints for Lee Scribante and Erich Stephens!

In Dennis absence Stuart Ferry has saddled many winners for the team in KZN-INSPECTOR CASEY (2\3 starts),DARKNESS(2/2 starts),HEAVANS DUEL a well bred filly trying further, TARA DAWN and CRESCENDO won twice over the sprint distance and 1450 meters for his connections. He is well related and is by Act One the sire of the fantastic race mare -Dancers Daughter!

Craig Eudey had an awesome day at Scottsville winning with COOL STYLE and plenty of placed runs including ASSESSMENT.

Also in KZN we had our first juvenile winner…...LITTLEBLACKNUMBER  a filly by Black Minnalouche out of a speedy National Assembly mare for Duncan Howells. She was ridden by ace stalwart jockey Kevin Shea for H and B Schweggman, Tim Herdon and Duncan himself. This filly should only improve as she matures.

Other KZN winners include TARGET FIVE and MALKIA both trained by Garth Puller, MIKES CHOICE won for Michael Roberts.

In Gauteng apart from MISS OCTOBER winning we also won with TIGER QUEST(she had won 3 races in a row for her connections), SUPERTUBE won twice for Sean Tarry and Messers Nestadt, Kantor and Bott; CANNON won for Mike De Kock and his team of owners from Tawny. St John Gray won again with the very useful daughter of Sarge-  FORMATION who has shown a liking to the sand , and Ian Van Schakwyk won again with his consistant horse HALLOWED ! We were also thrilled with TINSELTOWN making the frame for her conditioner Lucky Houdelakis as she won easily by 7 lengths! She was sold by us for Peter de Beyer, who bred her, on the Ready To Run Sale in 2012 and even though she was very racy was a bargain

buy for her owners.

In Kimberley POLE DANCE won for her connections, and SMART SET showed a liking for the sand to win impressively by 7.5 lengths for her team of enthusiastic owners Erich Buhr etc.

In PE, KISS AND TELL won for her owner/breeders Pat and Henry Devine for the Snaith team .

Well done to all of you winners as it definitely gives us something to follow and to write about!

There is a long list of horses that need following as they should win soon…..

SARGE IN CHARGE,GARY THE GREAT,QUICK DELIVERY,BLACK BALLADEER,MANDOLAN RAIN,AIR PATROL,TELL MY STAR,HOWAMI,SAMMYSILVER,ABDICATE,IKATHI,COSMOGENIC,

ASSESSMENT,UNDERCOVER CAT,TWILIGHT ELVA,SACRED CALL,IRISH MAID,THE IT GIRL,FIGHTING FORCE,TELL MY STAR,TARGET FIVE,NIGHTS ON BROADWAY,UMOYANA,DANCING ARROW,ICE GODDESS,WOODLAND GEM,BREATHLESS,HAWAAIN SUN,BRASILLIA,ETHYLENE,MIESQUEROK,WIN OVER,CODE RED,GOLDEN SLIPPER and HIGH STAKES

Enjoy your racing in 2014!

Jane Trotter