Twentytwentyvision – He can see clearly now

It is commonplace for a horse that has run eleven times and run into the top five almost 50% of the time, to break his maiden. What is not common, is for that same horse, at his next start, to win again. That is exactly what happened to Crawford Racing’s Twentytwentyvision at the last Saturday meeting for September at Durbanville racecourse.

 Twentytwentyvision had started his racing career in nondescript fashion, placing fourth in his second start either side of two below par runs in soft going at Kenilworth Racecourse. He then had a break, coming back refreshed and running a second and a third at Durbanville over the 1250M, his best two consecutive runs of his career to that point.

Racing then moved back to Kenilworth and again the patchy form continued. In July of this year racing switched back to Durbanville, and suddenly the son of Royal Mo, owned by Messrs Grant Knowles, B Nunhuck & Wehann Smith, Ms G MacGregor & Mr & Mrs D Naik suddenly found his feet at the course he thrived at.

He almost broke his Maiden over 1400M running just over a half a length off the Peter Wrensch trained Mela Strength in July. A run over 1600M did not produce the desired result, and at his next run on the 10^th of September, Brett dropped him back in trip to the 1250M. As Louis said in the post-race interview, he had never felt him go down that well, and with the drop in distance, he came back just as well.

From a slightly awkward draw, Louis bounced him and within a matter of strides was on the rail in second place as Richard Fourie’s mount, Mystic Majesty took up the role of pacemaker. They continued in this fashion around the bend. At the 400M, Richard’s mount wandered off a straight course, and Louis took the opportunity to give Twentytwentyvision a couple of cracks, who readily came forward to take up the running.

He continued to gallop resolutely all the way to the line, drifting outward marginally just before the line but he was still clear of the field, and passed the post just under a length and a half ahead of the second horse. The patient owners were well rewarded, with eagle eyed on course presenter Vicky Minott selecting this as her value in the race based on his runs over the course and distance.

Twentytwentyvision breaks the Maiden over 1250M at Durbanville

Now, if Twentytwentyvision’s Maiden win was just reward for his consistency, then winning his follow up run was just extremely good. This field included some highly rated youngsters in the form of O’Tenikwa, Air Raid and Dawn Till Dusk, all with a merit rating around the 90 mark. Twentytwentyvision was drawn on the outside at nine and was racing under sufferance versus the top merit rated horses in the field. However, Louis was in the saddle again, the race was over 1250M, and at Durbanville Racecourse.

The race riding tactics worked so well in the last race there was no reason to change anything. Louis bounced him and his exceptional gate speed saw him up with the pace, one off the rail and racing just off the two pacemakers, O’Tenikwa and Wissa’s on Fire as they rounded the bend. Louis was racing next to his stable companion Monumental with Richard in the saddle, both jockeys having plenty of running in their respective mounts.

As they swung into the stretch, Louis switched to the centre of the track to make his run, with Richard going between the two pacemakers. Both accelerated well, but Twentytwentyvision was going just that little bit better and got to the front as they entered the last 100M. The Gina Goldsmith and Greg Bortz owned Dawn Till Dusk was now starting to fly from the back of the field, but Louis kept Twentytwentyvision up to the task, courageously keeping his head in front by just under a half a length as they hit the line.

Twentytwentyvision follows up his Maiden win at his next start

A horse that is owned by a high profile set of owners has now rewarded those owners for their patience with two wins in a one month. Two wins over the 1250M at Durbanville has culminated in a rejuvenated Twentytwentyvision beating a good field of handicappers which will only increase his confidence going into the summer season. With that extra boost of confidence there is no reason not to think that potentially the owners’ patience could be even further rewarded going forward.

Ride of the Month – Richard Joins the Dots

When Richard Fourie says go at the top of the stretch, gives a horse a couple of cracks with the whip and the response is good, they normally hit the front at the 200M mark and very seldom are beaten. That is the hallmark of the champion jockey for the 2023/2024 season, great judge of pace, knows when to “push the button”, and is beautifully balanced for a jockey that is incredibly strong in the finish.

Messrs R Chung and M Gujadhur owned, and Crawford Racing trained Join The Dots, is a horse that takes a bit of riding. On debut he jumped slow from the gates, but Louis did not bustle him, just allowing him to get onto the rail. As they rounded the turn he was in last place, but steadily made up the ground under the hands to run into midfield, a decent debut from a well-bred individual.

The son of Vercingetorix, that had cost R550 000 as a yearling at the Bloodstock SA 2022 Yearling Sales, then stepped up winning his second run in impressive fashion at Kenilworth Racecourse over 1600M, beating the then highly touted Foudre from the Candice Bass Robinson stable.

Slightly slow from the gates, Louis bustled him until he eventually settled about six lengths off the leader as they rounded the turn for home. He still had quite a bit of work to do as they spun into the stretch, and Louis started working on him through the 500M.

Although the intial response was slow, he was working into the race, and as he got into his work Foudre had hit the front on his outside. However the gap on the rail was wide enough to go through and he did that readily as the 100M came into view.

He contuinued to accelerate and won cosily by just under one length, a very good win from a late maturing three year old having only it’s second run.

Join The Dots wins his Maiden at the second start

Winning his second start earned Join The Dots a merit rating of 86. He ran two more races where he finished an average of 7 lengths off the winners, and was then rested for four months. Since his comback, in his last run he was stepped up to 2000M, a race where he was partnered with Richard Fourie.

No dawdling in the gates as he was out in a flash from his five draw, settling six lengths off the leader as they started rounding the turn. As they moved into the straight with Eternal Optimist setting a decent pace, Richard moved him to the inside rail to make his run.

In typical Richard fashion, he was given a few cracks as he started making his run on that inside rail, he quickened sharply to overhaul the frontunner in a matter of strides. Three lengths clear at the 200M he kept galloping purposefully all the way to the line to win easily.

Join The Dots wins under a great ride from Ricard Fourie

He seems to have matured since the layoff, has lost the tardiness out of the gates, and showed a good turn of pace on the Durbanville course to easily catch the leaders. He does need a little bit of persauding, but back to Kenilworth over the 2000M and the long run in, could see good days at the races for Reynolds Chung &  Mukund Gujadhur.

Owner Profile – Mukund Gujadhur

Mukund Gujadhur has an undying passion for horseracing. A lawyer who was schooled in Mauritius and the United Kingdom, he recently celebrated his fiftieth race winner on South African soil for Crawford Racing. On Saturday he was on course at Durbanville Racecourse to lead in two winners, the first being the Crawford Racing trained Join the Dots. Co-owned with Reynolds Chung, the son of Vercingetorix won a sparkling race under a brilliant ride by Richard Fourie.

The second winner was even more impressive, when JP Van Der Merwe brought home the 122 merit rated Questioning in the Grade Three Matchem Stakes from the stable of Vaughan Marshall. This impressive son of Querari he co owns with Greg Bortz, the Wernars Family and Gina Goldsmith.

This was Questioning’s sixth win from twelve starts and maintained his unbeaten receord at Durbanville Racecourse. Montien went to the front from the jump with Questioning stalking his every move. As they came into the straight, JP started asking Questioning for more, and he quickened and kept on running all the way to the line. It was an excellent double for one of the true gentleman of the Sport of Kings.

Questioning wins the 2024 Kuda Matchem Stakes

Mr Gujadhur owns and co-owns multiple horses in South Africa, trained by some of the top trainers the country has to offer.  Fifty winners for Crawford Racing is a major milstone in a racehorse owners lifetime, and with promising colts Questioning, The Specialist, Allez Moris and Join The Dots all maturing and showing immense promise, the number could be increasing markedly in the 2024/2025 racing season for the Gentleman from Mauritius.

Stable Profile – Mlandeli Phaca

Mlandeli Phaca has been Crawford Racing’s right-hand man since he joined them in 2009. He is mostly in the background, but his contribution should never be underestimated. Who, you may ask, is Mlandeli Phaca who brings this wealth of experience to the Yard through his years of working for Mike De Kock and Dennis Drier in his formative years.

When I chatted to him, and saved his mobile number on my phone, the name that displayed was “Spider Crawford”, I kid you not. The head groom of Crawford Racing is a humble, hard-working gentleman, born in the small town of Ugie in the Eastern Cape, one of seven children, having three brothers and three sisters.

He had served his apprenticeship with Mike De Kock, working for his stable from 1990 to 2000. He then moved to the stable of Dennis Drier, working for him for six years, from 2002 to 2008. At the time of Brett training for Mrs Sabine Plattner, Spider joined Brett and then remained with him when he decided to form Crawford Racing in October 2009.

The Kaiser Chiefs and Chelsea supporter’s first half of his day starts at 5am to 11am which are predominantly to gallop the current crop of runners as well as the possible future equine superstars of tomorrow. The second part of the day starts at 2.30pm to 4pm where stables are cleaned, and horses are fed. On racedays all the runners must be time scheduled to travel from the stables to the racecourse, run their respective races and then travel back to the stables.

Being the head groom and an integral part of one of the top stables in South Africa is not for the feint hearted as all his responsibilities as head groom must run like clockwork, especially on race day. However, Mlandeli Phaca is the man for the job and if all that responsibility is not enough, he then adds “you can just call me Spider”.