In light of the guidelines and restrictions regarding public gatherings as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday 15 March to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Phumelela Gaming and Leisure, Kenilworth Racing, Gold Circle, the Racing Association, the National Horseracing Authority and The Thoroughbred Horseracing Trust have unanimously agreed to implement the following Protocols and Procedures with immediate effect:

1. Racing to continue, but with no public attendance on course

From Tuesday 17 March, all race meetings will be closed to the public until further notice. Consequently, the Joburg Prawn Festival at Turffontein scheduled for 4 April and the Klawervlei raceday scheduled for Durbanville on Saturday 28 March are cancelled, although the race meetings at which they were scheduled will take place.

Only essential racing participants will be allowed access to racecourses on race days. These include owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms, officials and staff deemed necessary to host a race meeting safely and successfully.

• Access control to be strictly adhered to and facilities for participants to be limited

Access points to racecourses will be limited, as will hospitality venues for participants allowed at racecourses on raceday in order to strictly comply with the guidelines and restrictions imposed.

• Sanitization measures to be put in place

Hand sanitizer, accompanied with the necessary signage and instructions, will be made available to all racing participants allowed on course.

The same sanitization measures will be applied at training centres which will include all grooms. In addition, various restrictive measures to be implemented as a cautionary, as well as potential lockdown procedures, are being put into place in the eventuality of an outbreak at any of the grooms’ accommodation.

• All non-racing events cancelled

All non-racing events, such as conferences, hosted at the various racecourses across the country will be cancelled with immediate effect.

• Off Course Betting Outlets

In line with the published restrictions, attendance at all Off-Course Betting Shops will be limited to under 100 persons as required. In addition, sanitization measures will be put in place at all outlets.

Racing fans are encouraged to open online betting accounts instead of placing bets at Off-Course Betting Shops.

• Government Hotline

Attention is drawn to the government hotline – 0800 029 999 – which provides easy access to important information on the subject.

The Racing Operators reserve the right to deny access to any of their venues to any person displaying Covid-19 symptoms. 

By Andrew Harrison

 With effect from 1 March 2018, Barrier Trials were made compulsory in KZN for all first time runners and runners that have been off the course for a period of 150 days and longer.

Basic information on the trials, such as time recorded and lengths behind the ‘winner’ of the trials is carried in the Gold Circle racecard, Computaform and other relevant formguides.

However, in an effort to make the Barrier Trials punter friendly and to provide more detailed information, Gold Circle has  appointed a team of seasoned ‘race readers’ to give their opinion on each trial.

They will comment on and assess the performances of individual participants as a guide to punters.

It is hoped that this initiative will lead to further transparency regarding first timers and prove to be a valuable aid for punters.

Each Barrier Trial will be archived and comments can be accessed on the Gold Circle website at http://www.goldcircle.co.za/racing/barrier-trials/

]]> https://kznbreeders.co.za/news/press-release-barrier-trials/feed/ 0 https://kznbreeders.co.za/news/kzn-breeders-series-first-logs-announced/ https://kznbreeders.co.za/news/kzn-breeders-series-first-logs-announced/#respond Tue, 20 Feb 2018 05:37:18 +0000 http://kznbreeders.co.za/?p=7718

Pencil in Saturday 30 June on your racing calendar, which sees the running of another KZN Breeders Race Day at Greyville. The KZN Breeders Series incorporates the running of our feature KZN Breeders Million Mile. Amongst the entries are recent Graded Stakes Winners The Thinker (Gr2), Champagne Haze (Gr2), Witchcraft (Gr3), Wukkin’ Up (LW), Intergalactic (Gr2), Heaps Of Fun (Gr2), Matador Man (Gr1 placed and last years Million Mile winner), Dawn Calling (Gr1 placed)  and 11-time winner, London Call.

Last year saw the Durban View Room at full capacity of 400 owners, trainers and breeders in a sea of Black and White.  The seven supporting races of the Series will be two races each over 1200m and 1600m one each for fillies and mares and colts and geldings respectively, one race over 1900m and two Juvenile races over 1200m, one each for fillies and colts.

The races will be open to all horses country-wide whose credentials meet the criteria of “KZN bred” as prescribed by the rules of the KZN Breeders Premium Scheme.

The full sister to 4-time winner and Gr3 placed Mogok’s Desire, Royal Agree heads up the first KZN Breeders Series Log for 2018 for 3yo’s and up. Trained by Glen Kotzen, the four year old filly is ahead with 22 points under her belt.

The points begin to accumulate from 1 January, and Royal Agree has won and placed in all three of her starts since then. Out of Australian mare Royal Promise by super broodmare sire Royal Academy, this is the immediate damline of sire Icelandic (GB). Royal Promise has produced five winners to date, including recent Crusade colt Prince Of Promise. His year younger full sister, 2yo Crusade’s Promise has placed third in her only start to date for trainer Vaughn Marshall and owner Mr J E Mitchell.

Royal Agree is owned by Mr Peter De Beyer, purchased from the KZN Yearling Sale in 2015 for R160 000. She has earned almost R250 000 in stakes with three wins and seven places under her belt, and her highest Merit Rating at 79.

Mogok has produced four Gr1 winners to date, including star American and South African Gr1 winner, Gypsy’s Warning. Amongst his many Stakes Winners produced, he is also the sire of amongst others recent Stakes horses Pagoda and Paul Lafferty’s smart looking The Bayou, a full brother to Gr1 winner Orbison.

With 292 KZN-breds qualifying for the KZN Breeders Race Day from almost 400 entries for the six series of races at a stake of R200 000 each for ages 3yo and up, thank you to the owners and trainers for the support our race day that has increased and been a better success in each year of its running. In order to qualify, horses must be registered with the KZN Breeders Premium Scheme.

South African Champion trainer Sean Tarry, who cleaned up last year to take 6 races home and the winning stake of over R2-million in the process, has been heard to say that it is a day he pencils in and preps his horses specifically for. Sean has entered 31 horses for the day, amongst them many Gr2 winners.

Our Million Mile, which is excluded from the entries and log below saw Matador Man last year defeat Gold Circle’s best performing 2yo filly of her year, Dawn Calling, in a nail biting finish.

The KZN Breeders Race Day is the second biggest event by stakes on Gold Circle’s racing calendar with stakes of R2,6 million on offer. In addition to the stakes earned by the winning and placed connections, the KZN Breeders Club also hand out vouchers to the first four of each race to use towards the purchase of a KZN-bred horse at the KZN Yearling Sale (with a combined value of R223 000), which always takes place the week prior to the running of the Vodacom Durban July.

Further dates for KZN Breeders Series entries:
Supplementary Entries close Friday, 20 April 2018 at 16:00 Fee: R2280 (Fee R2000 + Vat R280)
Final Supplementary Entries close Thursday, 14 June 2018 at 11:00 Fee: R11400 (Fee R10000 + Vat R1400)

In an important update to the entries and conditions this year, to accommodate juveniles that may be showing precociousness for the race day, entries for 2yo’s will remain open until 22 March 2018 at an entry fee of R57 in order to accommodate these young horses. 

The Juvenile log is posted separately.

Well done to the log leaders!

History was made at Greyville on Sunday when the inaugural official barrier trial was run over the polytrack 1000m prior to the race meeting.

Barrier Trials have been introduced by Gold Circle for all unraced horses and those that have not raced for 120 days or more.

The heat has to be completed in 70 secs, to qualify for a certificate.

On Sunday the previously raced KZN-bred Alldressedup led most of the way under Athandiwe Mgudlwa to hold off the unraced Twice Over gelding Sequel. The winner clocked 62,05 secs.

Alldressedup is by Bankable out of a Jet Master mare, trained by John Nel. The five year old Summerhill-bred mare has won at Greyville previously over 1200m under Anton Marcus, and placed three times previously.

All runners carried 58kgs, with Craig Bantam claiming 2,5kgs on Sequel.

Barrier Trials are not held anywhere else in South Africa but have been introduced by Gold Circle to raise the transparency levels for punters. Gold Circle are also the only racing operator to provide first-timer comments for national racing.

-extract sportingpost.co.za

Gold Circle will be staging official barrier trials for unraced horses from as soon as the first week of November 2017, turftalk.co.za reports. The trials will be held at the Kwazulu-Natal racetracks prior to the start of race meetings.

KZN Trainer and Gold Circle board director Paul Lafferty, who was instrumental in seeing through the long-awaited trials, told Turf Talk this morning: “We had an AGM yesterday and barrier trials were approved by CEO Michel Nairac. It carries the unanimous support of trainers. The vote was 100-nil!”

The trials will be held over 1000m on the racetracks proper (at weight-for-age in case of mixed ages), with full control from stipendiary stewards, and with official race videos produced for every trial. All unraced horses destined to make their debuts in KZN will be subject to being trialled in their racing silks before they can compete in a race.

Trail runners must be extended (fully ridden out), but whips won’t be necessary. Race results with run-ons and times will be made available so that punters can have access to all the information they require.

Lafferty commented: “There are many advantages to barrier trials and the most important of all is that it will go a long way to restoring public confidence in racing. There is a perception that racing is crooked. Certain trainers refuse to talk about their unraced runners and when they win, punters believe they were placed at a disadvantage, that wool was pulled over their eyes or that vital info was withheld on purpose.

“Perception is reality. We want to eliminate the perception of unfairness so that the people who wager money on races can be assured that they are on an equal footing, they have all the necessary information at hand before they put their cash down.

“There are trainers who withhold information on their runners to plan so-called ‘betting coups’. I said to them yesterday, ‘How many coups have any of you actually pulled off? I don’t see any helicopters parked at your stables. Forget the betting coups, those days are over. We need new owners in the game!

“There will be teething problems and there will be incidents where actual race results won’t reflect the results of the trials, but the trials will establish form patterns for stables which punters will be able to follow with reliable results. They will be able to see which stables bring their horses to hand faster or slower compared to others, and so on. The main issue, however, remains the aspect of public confidence. The betting public wishes to see that the operator is doing everything it can to help them win!”

Lafferty also said that stakes will be increased for races in Gold Circle country, planned for October, November latest.

-turftalk.co.za

Toreador’s twice Gr1 winning son Bull Valley secured the honours at last night’s Gold Circle KZN Racing Awards, the Ambiance Stud-bred Bull Valley winning Champion Horse Of The Season. The awards honour the performances of KZN based and trained horses during South Africa’s Champion Season, the exception being Horse of the Season was open to all comers.

Bull Valley won both the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint and the Gr1 Mercury Sprint in an easy fashion. His sire Toreador is one of the most value for money sires in the country, producing Stakes horses each year and this year sees his service fee set at R20 000. The same owner / trainer combination of Bull Valley is having success with another exciting son of Toreador in Scott Bros-bred Matador Man.

Other KZN links on the evening was Lady In Black awarded Best Performance by a Two Year Old Filly. The Dynasty filly’s dam is now resident at Rathmor Stud,  Mystery Dame is due to foal to Noble Tune this season.

Continuing with the outstanding success on the evening for Dennis Drier, Sand And Sean, a grandson of outstanding broodmare sire Spectrum, secured Best Performance by a Two Year Old Male and added Champion Sprinter to his list.

Congratulations to the special award winners on the evening:

Horse Of The Season:

Bull Valley

Groom of the Season:

Mandilakhe Mtwesi

KZN Champion owner by stakes:

Mayfair Speculators

KZNOTA Owner of the Year (KZN-based by stakes earned):

Roy Moodley

KZN Champion Jockey (Most wins in KZN):

Anthony Delpech

KZN Champion Apprentice (Most wins in KZN):

Eric Ngwane

KZN Champion Breeder of the Year (Most stakes won in KZN):

Klawervlei

KZN Champion Trainer (Number of wins trained in KZN):

Duncan Howells

Anita Akal Special Award:

Doug and Di Campbell

KZN Racing Personality Of The Year:

Deez Dayanand

NHRA Long Service Award:

Julie Wilson

Ride of the Season:

Bernard Fayd’Herbe – Marinaresco (Vodacom Durban July)

Round two of four in total, of the “Level The Playing Fields” Series takes place at Scottsville on Sunday 30 April.

The final fields of both pools to be run on the day have been released below and see the previous winning jockeys Billy Jacobson (previously on Putchini) and Athandiwe Mgudla (previously on Royal Agree) drawn to ride The Poet and Roy Is Second respectively, this time over the 1400m.

Putchini will be ridden this weekend by Craig Zackey, whilst Royal Agree will be under Doctor Lembethe.

Keep on the results to see who will be at the top of the log next week, and who the leading owner, trainer, breeder and jockey might possibly be to win the overall prize of R50 000 each.

Each leg of each pool will see the races run for a stake of R100 000 each – the series in total for a stake of R1million.

Round 3 will be run over 1600m on 27 May at Scottsville. The final will take place over 1400m on the KZN Breeders Race Day.

Summerhill Stud were once again rewarded with Leading Breeder at Gold Circle’s KZN Racing Awards on Friday evening, after winning the National title for the 10th time at the Equus Awards two weeks ago. The Summerhill Team lead by Mick Goss were on hand to receive the award and Mick Goss thanked everyone present for their support over what has been a difficult year for Mick with regards to his health, and fortunately he is in fine health. Summerhill’s Rabada and No Worries featured prominently over the past KZN season amongst many others.

KZN-bred daughter of Trippi bred by Anton and Judy Procter, Dawn Calling, won best performance by a two year old filly. Her owner Mr Dave MacLean was on hand to receive the award along with her trainer Duncan Howells, who took home three awards in total on the evening and dominated the juvenile fillies category with all three being inmates of his stable – including KZN Breeders’ Bruce Le Roux and Tinus Gericke’s Gr2 winning filly, A Woman’s Way and KZN Yearling Sale Million winner, Lunar Rush.

Exit Here, whose dam Summer Angel stands at Rathmor Stud, won an award for Best Performance by a Three Year Old. The chestnut colt is owned in partnership by Alesh Naidoo and Markus Jooste and trained by Charles Laird. Rathmor Stud have also acquired his half-sister, multiple Stake winner Eventual Angel. At one point the colt was unbeaten from five starts including the KZN Guineas Trial Listed and Gr3 Cup Trial. He has had six wins and two places to date, including finishing three lengths off Illuminator in the CTS Million Dollar race.

His half sister by Right Approach, Eventual Angel is a winner of the Gr3 Umzimkhulu Stakes amongst her five victories and four places. She has also finished closely in Gr1s behind the likes of Inara, Zante and Alexis. Summer Angel has produced a foal by Noble Tune in 2015 and she is due to foal to him once again this year, and she has a two year old by Judpot going to the Read To Run Sale later this year.

Ashburton’s trainers dominated the awards with Duncan Howells, Paul Gadsby and Weiho Mawing all achieving multiple Awards. Summerveld-based Dennis Drier was again KZN Champion trainer by number of winners in the province, edging Howells by seven.

Equus Award winners Ingrid and Markus Jooste were also KZN’s leading owners by prizemoney, whilst KZN Breeders Club director and breeder Roy Moodley was the leading KZN-based owner by stakes won. Anthony Delpech was leading jockey and Eric Ngwane leading apprentice.

Paul Lafferty, racehorse trainer, television presenter and stand-up comic was a popular recipient of KZN Personality of the Year.

In a new category voted for by the racing public, Piere Strydom got Ride of the Season for his handling of The Conglomerate in the Vodacom Durban July, winning from 18 draw. Marinaresco was crowned Horse Of The Year.

Congratulations to all concerned and thank you to Gold Circle for an outstanding evening.

The KZN Breeders Awards takes place at Bellwood Stud on 26 November.

An immaculately prepped group of yearlings pre-selected for Nationals in April from first season sires’ French Gr3 winner Eightfold Path and Gr1 Middle Park Stakes winner, Crusade were also presented.

Amongst the stallions shown was the beautifully-bred Mogok, a sire of four Gr1 winners – two of them International with Gypsy’s Warning and The Apache. Gr1 Breeders Cup and Eclipse Award winner Miesque’s Approval, a leading sire on the Polytrack made a great impression and finally the young and exciting first season sires’ Eightfold Path and Crusade.

You can catch the brilliant team of Gold Circle’s own Warren Lenferna and ex top jockey Kevin Shea co-hosting at Greyville race days including the TGIF Friday Night Live racing.

Thank you to the team at Scott Bros for an wonderful morning and beautiful KZN-bred horses!

Click on each thumbnail to view the full sized images.

Dr Phumla Mnganga, is to take over the reins of Gold Circle, KwaZulu-Natal’s Racecourse and Betting Operator, following the retirement this week of sitting chairman, Mr Robert Mauvis.

Mr Mauvis, who has chaired the company since 2011, stood down at the company’s Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, December 8.

Dr Mnganga’s appointment, together with the other office bearers of Gold Circle, was confirmed at the company’s Directors Meeting today.

The Board thanked Mr Mauvis for his dedicated and enthusiastic leadership during the company’s transformation that included the separation of the KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape Operations, the introduction of the Polytrack and upgraded public facilities at Greyville and the developments and improvements to facilities at the Summerveld and Ashburton training centres, while restoring Gold Circle’s relationships and strengthening its financial position considerably.

Mr Moses Tembe was re-elected Vice-Chairman with the other appointed directors being N P Butcher, J H S De Klerk, P V Lafferty, D Moses (CFO), S Naidoo, M J L Nairac (CEO), Mrs M Nhlanhla, L Nunan, G Petzer and Mrs L Rakharebe

Mr Neil Butcher & Mr Babu Nunan were re-elected Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Gold Circle Racing Club respectively.