Bold Silvano!!!!!

I would now take the oppurtunity to ask everybody on this forum to do a letter of apology to me...... for telling me a year back that i'm crazy... Bold Silvano wont win the July.

I've tipped him a year back that he would win the July.

Start writing your letters...... I will now take the moment to take a bow.

Don`t think im one of the ones that have to kiss your ass..lol

Dear Kobus you are bigger than all the guys on the forum so please dont hurt anyone. lol

ps Well done!

Well done Kobus. Also wrote something about Bold Silvano being the 3 year old to beat after champions cup run. Mentioned something about Jock over showing his hand on that run. Also said that early pace would be dictated by Red Rake early on.

How much did I win. A big fat 0. Changed my bets. Anyway it was an awesome day and worth every cent spent.

I also made Bold Silvano the pick of the 3yos, but (later date notwithstanding0 I thought they may have a tad too much to do with those weights. Clearly, such was not the case. We live and learn!

Don`t forget the flame,both cruising turning for home,both kicked both stayed,Silvano ridden slightly more hungrier...

The Melbourne Cup for Irish Flame?

Mike De Kock targeting Melbourne Cup glory

South Africa: Mike De Kock, South Africa's champion trainer for the fifth time and with a record-prize money haul, is on the point of adding the Melbourne Cup to his global ambitions - next year, if not this.

He said: "I honestly believe that Irish Flame [runaway winner of the South African Derby and second in last Saturday's Durban July] is a Melbourne Cup horse and I've told the owners not to hesitate to send him. Don't be surprised to see his name among the entries."

De Kock, 46, won ten of his country's 33 Grade 1 this season that ended on Saturday including the Gold Cup as well as the Durban July. His SAR 22.3 million (£1.96 million) prize money total was 34 per cent more than the previous record and 60 per cent more than his nearest rival.

These figures, of course exclude De Kock's success with Lizard's Desire in the Singapore Airlines International Cup and the horse's near miss in the Dubai World Cup.

He said: "Being champion trainer is not something I set out to achieve but it still means a lot and this season I was lucky enough to have some good horses.

"I will be taking 12 of the best of them to Dubai so it will be hard to become champion again this time."

De Kock trained at Geoff Wragg's Abington Place stables in Newmarket for a time last year and in 2008. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, his principal patron, has bought the yard but de Kock has not trained there this year and he is not certain to do so next year either.

He said: "I will if I have horses good enough but there's no point in doing so if I don't."

Anton Marcus,40, is champion jockey for the second time after being runner-up in the two previous seasons. He rides primarily for former champion trainer Charles Laird and Markus Jooste who is the leading owner.

Andrew Fortune, champion in 2008/09, had his season severely curtailed bysuspensions and weight problems but he has been signed up as first jockey to Gary Alexander and has moved from Cape Town to Johannesburg.

Fortune's son Aldo Domeyer is champion apprentice while Mick Goss's Summerhill Stud is the leading breeder for the sixth straight season and Jet Master champion sire for the fourth consecutive time.

Top five trainers

Trainer Races won Prizemoney SAR

Mike De Kock 151 22,341,185
Sean Tarry 137 13,907,770
Charles Laird 125 11,935,385
Mike Bass 105 11,876,470
Justin Snaith 136 9,406,020


Top five jockeys

Jockey Races won Rides

Anton Marcus 197 654
Felix Coetzee 138 871
Anthony Delpech 133 664
Pierre Strydom 127 671
M.J. Byleveld 124 1,074

Statistics courtesy of the National Horseracing Authority.

Impressive figures from Tarry

Kobus,I think you may be on the wrong forum? I remember reading a thread on Racing web where you took a mountain of abuse.....should your apologies not come from there?

Shikes Rob you are right... but it will feel great if you oke's also apologies... hehehehehe