It’s the final countdown..

Bank on the Smart money at Greyville

The Vodacom Durban July gallops were held on Thursday morning and gave little away with most of the contenders putting in similar workouts and 400m to finish times. The exception however has to be Smart Banker who put in the clear ‘best performance’ of the morning with an impressive galloping display, blitzing the final 400m in 21 seconds. He is also the only horse in the race that comes in devoid of relevant collateral form to SA champ and race favourite Pocket Power. An eyebrow raising decision by Anton Marcus to jump off Smart Banker in favour of Our Giant who will not get the trip lest there be a snail’s pace. Time will tell and for my money, Smart Banker is the July dark horse and best value for this year’s contest at 20/1.

Smart Banker is the July Dark horse for 2009 (pictured here winning his prep. run at Greyville earlier this month despite needing the run. Image Gold Circle)

Pocket Power

As to be expected, Pocket Power went through the motions without fuss to ease up behind his work companion much the same as last year. He knows the difference between a race, a workout, and when a champ effort is required. Having said that, after watching his last few wins it appears that he’s reached the point now where only a workout effort is required to cream anything SA can throw at him. A worthy who continues to make history with every outing.

In the (Duban) City of traders, Buy & Sell would be King

Buy and Sell put in an eye-catching exercise and must have a chance again on his 3rd attempt. Last year he had a tough pre-July run in the Gold Challenge after a lengthy layoff, then showed winning work for his July gallop, only to go over the top and burn out in the race itself. Not the case this year and his prep looks to be better timed and should hit closer to the mark. It’s a pity we don’t see him more regularly on the track with a progressive build up to race-honed peak fitness, hardened and ready to fire. Clearly he must have his problems and gets ‘saved’ for the grade-1s. Stable in red hot form at present, don’t leave Buy and Sell out of anything.

For the minor money there’s still big competition

As for the rest, overall the work was all good with the exception of Meteor Shower who put in a poor showing, otherwise fans and followers should be pleased with their fancies and can now get stuck in to some gambling with the final puzzle piece in place. Catch Tellytrack for re-runs of the display & peanut talk accompaniment. Some discrepancies around the workout times, in particular Thandolwami and Meteor Shower who’s 400m to finish times appear to have been mixed up (I’ve swapped their times in the list below). The track condition continues to disappoint and if we get the rain that’s been threatening lately, the already patchy surface will be mush in a heartbeat. Here’s the times announced at the gallops :

400m to finish (authentic stopwatch and flag-drop method)

Horse – time (secs)

SMART BANKER – 21.0

TROPICAL EMPIRE – 21.5

FOREST PATH – 21.8

OUTCOME – 21.3

CAPE TOWN – 21.9

THUNDERING JET – 22.0

RIVER JETEZ – 22.3

BUY AND SELL – 22.5

BIG CITY LIFE – 22.5

OUR GIANT – 22.5

ZIRCONEUM – 22.6

THANDOLWAMI – 22.8

LONDON GUEST – 22.9

POCKET POWER – 23.3

LIKEITHOT – 23.4

METEOR SHOWER – 24.3

KAPIL – nursing an injury and  did not work, instead was lead out to walk  in front of the grandstand

ALUMINIUM – in JHB

CATMANDU – in JHB

BOUQUET-GARNI – refused to board transport to Greyville

Carl Burger joins the training ranks

Carl Burger (center) is now a licensed SA racehorse trainer as of 27th May2009

Lifelong racing man Carl Burger was granted a trainer’s license last month after passing his trainer’s exam on the 27th May. He’s already up and running with 12 boxes at Gold Circle’s Phillipi training establishment in Cape Town and has the option of 12 more boxes to follow. Currently he has 5 horses in training, as well as a number of unraced babies waiting in the wings. I caught up with Carl for some Q&A..

How long have you been interested/involved in horse racing, and how did you get into the game?

Horseracing has been my lifelong passion, I was introduced to it as a young boy but you could say that horseracing was part of the family. Having grown up surrounded by the euphoria horseracing provided, it was an inevitable realization of a dream. My step-father Jimmy Knox was legendary in the game, first as a jockey and then as an assistant trainer. He once said to me, ‘My boy the day you have your first winner will be the day of many realizations’ and I guess the sheer jubilation and satisfaction on his face and the sincerity in his words, propelled me into fulfilling this passion.  

What is your past work experience?

Went to Farriers' school from 1980-1983. Worked for Herman Brown and Syd Laird as a farrier. While working at Herman Brown back in the 80’s my step-father was working for Johnny McCreedy and I attended first string at McCreedy at 4am then off to Herman Brown’s first string. I have also worked for Selwyn Moodley as a stable employee, and for both Weiho Marwing and Riaan Van Reenen as assistant trainer. I attended many yearling sales with Herman Brown and Jimmy Knox learning what to look for when buying a racehorse.

I remember a year or two back you were involved in a serious car accident,  how has it effected your outlook and life in general?

I was travelling to Namibia a week before Christmas in 2007 and about 600km from Windhoek I had a tyre burst and rolled my car, ended up in a coma for about a month. After waking up I realised the extent of my injuries and that in fact a month has gone by already. I definitely appreciate the sacredness of life more as a result of what happened and the accident has made me value life a lot more. I realise that I am one of the fortunate ones.  I can safely say that the reality of the situation and learning that I was closer to death’s door than I realised lead to an epiphany. I was overcome with this urge and desire to make the most of what I have, to pursue my passion and fulfill my dreams.  The fact that GOD was so determined to get me back here in this life has probably been the greatest inspiration...

What else can you tell us about Carl Burger?

I’m an avid cook…ask my wife she’s never in the kitchen anymore. I love my dogs, 3 German Shepherds they are the 3 youngest kids. I love to travel I’m a keen discoverer so different countries at different times of the year tickles me. I remember in 1966 at Blue Lagoon beach when Sea Cottage was shot, my father Louise Burger was the first policeman on the scene, hence the name of my first horse Louise’s Pride.

Carl Burger also has a Facebook group called ‘Powerhouse racing stables’ that displays the message -

‘I have done everything in life that I always wanted to do, my ultimate goal was to be a racehorse trainer so I have taken it with both hands. Thanks to Selvan and Mr Roy Moodley who gave me the chance and thanks to my teachers Herman Brown Snr, and to the late Syd Laird and Jimmy Knox, I promise I will do my best to get to the top and to all the people who assisted me along the way thanks I will be forever grateful for your support. Cheers for now Carl’

Visit Powerhouse Racing Stables here :

On a personal note, the July gallops on Thursday marked my one year anniversary of horse racing ramble having started writing for Freeracer this time last year when covering the 2008 prelude. The July holds a lifelong fascination for me with my most vivid, and perhaps earliest childhood memory being of SA’s grandest gallop the Durban July. Back in 1977, I was 4 at the time and it was the year of Lightning shot..  the family were big on the traditional Rothman’s July get-together every year, and a hat holding all the horses’ names on small pieces of paper would do the rounds offering the promise of a lucky pick. ‘Pulled out the hat’ took literal meaning for me that year as my pre-punting addict little hands found the winner and when all the screaming around the wireless was done for, I was the victor and receiver of the grand prize of 3x R1 notes.

I’m not alone in having been hooked into racing from a young age and in my 21 years of going to the racetracks, I’ve heard similar stories more times than I can remember. So why don’t the ‘powers that be’ have marketing initiatives in place to lure in families and their contribution to the future of racing (their kids)? Perhaps they consider it unethical to build a gambling society by targeting the young and impressionable? Pity that big business conglomerates like the manufacturers of sweets and other noxiously addictive chemical-based-products-masquerading-as-food-for-kids don’t take heed of the moral high-ground too!

Racecard for the big one, July day is available on Tabgold, download it here -> 

KZN racing this weekend

Racing tomorrow is at Clairwood and for the last few days we’ve been subjected cold, hell-freeze-over winds rushing across the Durban landscape. If you’re going racing, book yourself a seat somewhere inside or bust! More to follow tomorrow on Facebook :

Link direct here -