I like to round off the year with a review of the last 12 months. As always, there were highs, lows and some laughs along the way, but for the most part the Year of the Snake seems to have been a year of loss – of people, champions – horse and human – and an awful lot of race meetings.
January
January saw the return of Shaheen Shaw to the Tellytrack studio after his dramatic December exit, the feud over KZN satellite yards for out-of-province trainers and a rather controversial result in the 152nd Queen’s Plate with the winner being Variety Club.
Beach Beauty won the Paddock Stakes and KZN Raider Love Struck triumphed in the Politician Stakes. National Emblem passed away after a serious bout of colic and What A Winter proved unstoppable in the Cape Flying Championship. Lance Armstrong admitted to doping in an interview with Oprah.
There was controversy over who really trains Blueridge Mountain and the CTS Cape Premier Sale opened with a bang with lot no 1, Brutal Force knocked down for R1.5 million to Mayfair Speculators.
February
Yogas Govender & Aldo Domeyer win the Met (Photo: Liesl King)
In February, 2012 Gold Cup winner In Writing withdrew from the Met at the 11th hour, leaving 15 to face the starter. The threatened grooms’ strike was averted and 7yo Martial Eagle won the main race for Sabine Plattner, Yogas Govender and Aldo Domeyer. Capetown Noir won the Derby, Blueridge Mountain the Majorca and Ilsanpietro rounded off the day in the J&B Stayers.
Visiting jockey Maxime Guyon added some continental flavour. On Valentine’s Day South Africa was rocked by the loss of Reeva Steenkamp. Vodacom Durban July organisers announced a stakes increase to R3,5 million and confirmed another 3 years of sponsorship.
Soft Falling Rain and maestro De Kock racked up their 5th consecutive win in the UAE 2000 Guineas while at home Piere Strydom chalked up win no 4700 aboard Lady Calument at Turffontein. A leaked straight-talking memo from Team Valor caused consternation and Gold Circle announced a major stakes increase for Champions Season. Pope Benedict XVI resigned on 28 February and the Harlem Shake replaced Gangnam Style as this year’s silly music craze.
March
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis on 13 March 2013 and is proving one of the most popular members of the clergy in decades. Cherry On The Top started her Triple Tiara campaign with the SA Fillies Guineas. Following Jaap Visser running Dynamic Dynasty without a passport last November, the NHA fined Visser R1k for not having the horse inoculated and his assistant R2k for comments made in the post race interview!
Shea Shea broke the course record for the Meydan Sprint. CTS announced their R7.5 million CTS Race Series for Book 2 graduates. A debacle at the start of the King’s Pact Stakes caused an on-course protest and the rest of the day’s card was abandoned.
Jeff Lloyd suffered a life-threatening blood clot. Rathmor lost Woodborough. Shea Shea broke the record for the Al Quoz Sprint and Animal Kingdom won the Dubai World Cup. Love Struck won the SA Classic despite his trainer’s opinion that he ‘doesn’t stay’. Cherry made it 2 from 2 in the SA Fillies Classic.
April
A son of Second Empire won the 6 April Grand National. The organisers had new safety fences and all runners made it home. Britain bid goodbye to the ‘Iron Lady’ while the USA reeled after the Boston Marathon bombings. Black Caviar won her 25th race on the trot and retired unbeaten. Blueridge Mountain won a progress plate, carded to the Ramsden stable. Caesour was found dead in his stable.
Sean Tarry appealed a drug positive and had his fine reduced. Avontuur’s new stud Oratorio arrived in South Africa and trainer Romeo Frances was cleared in the ‘hermaphrodite’ case. Godolphin trainer Al Zarooni’s string tested positive for anabolic steroids prompting Sheikh Mohammed to announce a ban on steroids in the UAE. SA Racing received a visit from the EU inspection panel. Cherry On The Top clinched the Triple Tiara with a good win in the SA Oaks.
May
May brought a 7 race whitewash for Team Snaith on East Cape Derby day. Rain lashed the Western Cape forcing meetings to be cancelled and features to be postponed.
June
Frankie Dettori returned to race riding and rode his first winner on 6 June. Gavin Venter got into hot water for criticising the NHA on air and was relieved of his Tellytrack presenting duties. Henry Cecil passed away 1 week before his favourite meeting where Shea Shea narrowly lost out on becoming SA’s first Ascot winner. HRH won the Ascot Gold Cup with Estimate. 25 June saw the July field announced and then it was open season as the selection panel were roundly criticised.
The discovery of a paleolithic equid jawbone gave clues about the evolution of the horse. Jaws dropped at the VDJ gallops when Love Struck was only allowed a canter as he was due to start in the R1million KZN Breeder’s Race Day. The KZN Breeders’ Mile moved to Clairwood after concerns about the state of the Greyville track prompting vocal criticism of KZN tracks in general. June also saw the loss of Iain Banks, James Gandolfini and the return of the minions in Despicable Me II.
July
Grant van Niekerk – 5 on the card
More July drama as selection decisions were argued in public. The connections of Whiteline Fever and Hill Fifty Four appealed their MR’s and lost. Anton Marcus stood down from his July rides due to a broken thumb. Rain played havoc with the track, but despite the weather and concerns for Madiba’s health, the VDJ went ahead.
The first two races were abandoned, the Gold Vase was compromised to 2400m, Tellytrack coverage lost sound, Interbet crashed and the false rail was moved for the big race, which was won by Smanga Khumalo aboard ‘accidental Silvano’, Heavy Metal. Controversial entry Run For It thrilled fans in second.
What A Winter finished 3rd in the Mercury and retired to stud. With Awards season upon us, the WC panel announced the intent to adopt a national stance, but then postponed this decision till next season in the interests of fairness.
The NHA announced they will exclude runners’ restricted race stakes earnings from national statistics, although owners, trainers and jockeys stakes will be counted. A successful Gold Cup day saw wins from Along Came Polly, Kochka, Jeppe’s Reef, Razzle Dazzle Rose, Distinguished and Jackson, whose connections confirmed that he will stay in training for the next season.
Snaith Racing closed out the season on a new record of wins per season of 198 and Summerhill won their 9th consecutive Breeders’ Championship. MDK was champion trainer for the 8th consecutive year, Silvano broke all records to be Champion Sire and Piere Strydom won the Jockey Championship.
Variety Club was named Horse of the Year for the second year running. Champion SA sprint filly Val De Ra produced a filly by Oasis Dream and was booked to Frankel. Andy Murray won Wimbledon and William and Kate produced royal baby Prince George.
August
The new season saw a raft of jockey changes with Grant van Niekerk joining Mike Bass, Richard Fourie joining Snaith Racing and Glen Hatt taking up duties with Brett Crawford.
Gary Player posed nude on the cover of ESPN to promote healthy living and Miley Cyrus introduced the world to twerking. SA prepared a raft of stars for export including HOY Variety Club and July hero Heavy Metal.
September
No More Breakfast
The NHA announced a controversial 6 point MR hike across the board. The Apache crossed the line first in the Arlington Million, but was relegated to 2nd after an objection. Hassen Adams was appointed to the board of Kenilworth Racing and the clubhouse at Randjesfontein was razed to the ground.
A dispute over Kum Naidoo’s occupation of boxes at Randjesfontein was settled by Court Order. The racing community mourned the loss of Trevor Armitage. Phumelela announced the removal of couplings on the Pick Six and took over GC TAB accounts as of 3 September.
Karis Teetan opened his card in Hong Kong with a win on 8 September. A meeting was held with WC trainers to discuss the proposed sale of Milnerton training facility. Phumelela and Tellytrack imposed a service fee for commercial use.
The breeding community lost another champion sire when Western Winter was destroyed after complications following a colic op. A racing delegation addressed parliament and DTI minister Rob Davies promised a team of facilitators to assist with transformation in racing. Phindi Kema lost her appeal against the Competition Commission decision in the Cape High Court.
The Lanzerac Hotel was announced as the sponsor for the 2013 Ready To Run Cup. Summerhill announced that ATO will miss the 2013 breeding season due to export protocols. Soft Falling Rain won the Gr2 Nayef Joel Stakes at Newmarket by 3 ½ lengths.
October
The inimitable Mrs O (Photo: Hamish)
Controversy at Durbanville as King of the Deep beat Hold On Tiger. Or did he? Summerhill and Yellow Star Stud held their Ready To Run gallops. Heavy going at Ascot laid waste to the SA runners and MDK announced Igugu’s retirement. Rain plagued Gauteng and several meetings were abandoned.
The end of October saw the welcome return to draws on entry in the WC. The First Lady of Racing, Mrs O passed away aged 92. The NHA announced a ban on anabolic steroids in training, Fairview opened its polytrack to great acclaim with the Algoa Cup won by Disco Al for Good Hope Racing.
The Cape Summer of Champions kicked off with Red Ray winning the Elusive Fort Cape Classic. The RA opened the newly refurbed 1st floor RA facility. CTS announced a one million US dollar stake race in January 2016, open to graduates of the 2014 CTS Premier and Book 2 sales. The race will be run at Kenilworth over 1400m.
November
November saw a potential rising star in Close the Gap on Charity Day and the Ready To Run Cup was scooped by daughter of Solskjaer, Winter Star for new kid on the training block, Johan Janse van Vuuren and Mr VC Veeramootoo. Royal Zulu Warrior won the Gr2 Charity Mile. Gai Waterhouse and Damien Oliver won the Melbourne Cup with Fiorente. More drama in the Cape with a case of mistaken identity when Magic Feet won at Kenilworth.
The mistake was not announced until after the 3rd race and punters lost out. Bungalitis seemed to be catching and in KZN 2-time winner Forgive No Forget was allowed to start in maiden company. She finished 2nd. In the UK AP McCoy rode his 4000th career winner. The new Bipot bet was launched on 15 November and Harold Crawford was attacked at his Milnerton training base. South Africa won this year’s jockey international.
The NHA announced a reversal of the 6 point MR hike. The Racingpost announced the death of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, but then had to print a retraction when it turned out he’s still alive. The CTS Ready to Run sale made history with Brutal Force (of CTS Book 1 fame) going under the hammer for R4.5 million. He was purchased by Mayfair Speculators. Again.
The real Magic Feet debuted at Kenilworth and finished 18th. Ice Machine caused an upset in the Green Point Stakes and Mary Slack’s De Kock won the Selangor for Brett Crawford. Captain America beat red hot favourite Red Ray in the R2million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes and Tevez won the Merchants. SA-bred Chocolicious went under the hammer at Goffs for €400,000.
Despite continuing bad weather, the Summer Cup meeting went ahead and Geoff Woodruff trained 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th past the post. It was also a 1-2 for Jet Master who sired Yorker and Master Sabina.
December
Goodbye Tata
E-tolls launched on 3 December and on 5 December 2013the world bid goodbye to Madiba. 6 December saw the last ever meeting at Arlington with Mitch Wiese-trained Arwa the last horse to cross the finish line. Avontuur Fillies Guineas day saw the launch of the new Grand Parade winner’s enclosure at Kenilworth and Grant van Niekerk rode 5 winners on the card.
13-time Hong Kong champion jockey Douglas Whyte rode a treble on Longines International Day including the Hong Kong Mile and Hong Kong Cup. Wet weather continued to dog both KZN and Gauteng racing.
Marc Currie was announced a director of Kenilworth Racing on 11 December and Phumelela announced a stakes increase to R250 million. The Sporting Post printed its 2000th edition.
But there’s more!
The Cape Guineas boasts a line-up almost as mouth-watering as the Burger King offerings that will be on course and 2013 may well still have a few surprises up its sleeve. But that comes after my print deadline, so for now may I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season and here’s to 2014. May the Year of the Horse be a good one!
– Robyn Louw
