S’manga Khumalo will want Gold Cup win after being hit with another ban

It wasn’t the end to the season jockey S’manga Khumalo had expected — a 14-day ban and R35,000 fine after being found guilty of whip abuse in the sixth race at Fairview last Friday.

The local stipendiary stewards found Khumalo guilty of hitting his mount, Demigod, 12 times, which breached whip rules. In June, Khumalo was also given a 14-day ban for a similar offence at the meeting at Greyville on May 31.

The 37-year-old, who has ridden 170 winners this term and is in third place in the national jockeys’ log, isn’t going to be in the soup queue soon, but it will make him more determined to win Sunday’s World Pools Gold Cup at Greyville.

Khumalo will partner Aragosta for trainer Mike de Kock and the gelding turned in a good last effort when finishing second behind Crimson King in the Durban July Consolation on Durban July day.

The popular jockey rode the same horse in the 2022 Gold Cup when beaten five lengths by Shangani. He looks in better shape for this year’s contest for which bookmaker Lance Michael quotes the gelding as the second favourite at 6.73-1.

Michael has Sean Tarry's three-year-old, Future Pearl, as the 1.65-1 favourite and Richard Fourie’s mount ticks all the boxes after his win in the grade 3 Gold Vase on July day.

Nevertheless — rather like the Grand National in the UK — punters love to try to find an outsider in this marathon race and many will consider Future Pearl’s odds too “skinny”. In 2022 this column found a 40-1 chance, Imperial Ruby, which was collared in the final strides. This year there might be another joker in the pack lurking among the long shots.

Future Pearl’s fourth career win in the Gold Vase saw him recoup the R550,000 he cost owner Antony Beck as a yearling from Drakenstein Stud. Sunday’s first prize in the Gold Cup is R625,000.

Somewhat ironically, Khumalo was in the saddle when Future Pearl managed sixth place behind Sea Master in the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup at Greyville in May. That winner is in the Gold Cup field and represents the in-form stable of Gareth van Zyl.

Justin Snaith — certain to be crowned champion trainer in seven days’ time — has had a quiet KwaZulu-Natal season by his high standards, but tuned up perfectly for the final meeting next Sunday with a five-timer at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Snaith, who saddles One Way Traffic and Salvatori Mundi in the Gold Cup, captured the Olympic Duel Stakes with his four-year-old, Kwinta’s Light. This was the fifth career win for the daughter of Gimmethegreenlight who cost R550,000 when purchased from Syrilla Stud.

Greg Ennion does well with a small string of horses and the Cape trainer was beaming from ear to ear after Love Is A Rose took top honours in the grade 3 Final Fling Stakes. The daughter of Master Of My Fate is proving a bargain buy at R70,000.

Though Fourie was the pilot on Love Is A Rose, the top jockey at the meeting was Grant van Niekerk with a treble on Steadfast, Kwinta’s Light and Silver Falcon. The latter — a R900,000 son of Silvano — completed a four-timer for his owner, Nic Jonsson.