An entertaining display of tactical race-riding, with the assistance of the Cape crawl, gave Joey Ramsden’s former KZN Champions Season Gr1 winner King Of Pain a deserved victory
When the guys on top – with the best intentions – are sending you in the opposite direction as well, it really does make for some tough decision making
The Drill Hall Stakes is no longer at pure weight-for-age, but for the first time in its history has conditions attached. Just why South Africa needs to sink further into the quagmire is anyone’s guess.
I suppose it is the time of year but our stable has had a number of colics recently which, I have to say, is extremely rare for us. All have been small and nothing too bad, apart from our KZN Older Champion Male. He managed to get a serious bout of it on the night he won his award
Our alleged biggest race of the year should not have come down in effect to it being a lottery – not a lottery where people put their hands in a drum and pull out a number – but one which involves an awful lot of the human element, opinion, feelings and dare I say it, financial interest ante-post. Why is it so hard not to have a pre race field of 16 runners and stick with it? If they thought the draw was a big surprise, when it came to the final horse being announced, I did not hear too much surprise in the room!
It will be interesting to see which way the panel goes with Futura being one of the earlier fancies and not winning. Will they pick him as one of their lucky picks? Either way it makes no difference to me but they might as well make a farce of the whole situation…
King Of Pain earned a crack at the Vodacom Durban July in the closing stages of the Magnum Mile on Saturday, writes Michael Clower.
It has been a fantastic few days. Obviously Variety Club’s big win made it all worthwhile. It is really lovely when a plan comes together, suggests Joey Ramsden
Sting in the tale as King Of Pain wins the R110 000 Magnum Mile on UCT RAG Race day. But only just!
The enigmatic King Of Pain gets another opportunity to redeem his reputation in the Magnum Mile on the UCT Rag race day at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Eighteen of South Africa’s finest line up at the Kenilworth 2000m start in Saturday’s R 2,5 million J&B Gr1 Met in what promises to be a humdinger of a race. It is an open contest but L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner Capetown Noir looks set to finally slay the stamina ghost that has lurked in the shadows throughout his career.
‘I called the owner and before I could even make the offer he excitedly told me that a certain South African bookmaker had just called 10 minutes earlier to make an offer of R5m’
It’s clear that eight incidents of crop excesses is unacceptable for a sport keen to maintain a good public image, and the time appears to have arrived for a review of the crop rules for work riders on the Highveld
Rafeef is fast establishing a fine reputation as a stallion who has the ability to sire stakes winners across the speed and stamina spectrum
