RIDE THE SKY
On the cover
Candiese Lenferna captured this image against a background of dramatic skies at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday. Weiho Marwing’s Highveld raider Blue Horizon wins the final race under the Sporting Post-sponsored newly crowned SA Champion Apprentice Kobeli Lihaba.
Varsfontein Filly Flying
Well-related 4yo is on the up
Winter Country Championships Four features – multiple good stories
Lyle On Top Down Under SA champion’s busman’s holiday
Goodwood gets it right, again
Vale Dan de Wet Cape breeder was loved by many
REINS, REIGNS, RAINS
The 48 year old British-born Lizzie Jelfs, an Australia-based horseracing TV presenter, was victorious in the 2024 Markel Magnolia Cup at Glorious Goodwood last Thursday.
British-born Jelfs, a mother of two daughters, who has been riding out for Newmarket trainer Harry Eustace in preparation for the 1100m charity race, partnered with Reins Reigns Rains to gain a smart victory. Lizzie proved that age is just number after her daughter told her only six months ago that she was too old to ride horses!
Since its inception, the Markel Magnolia Cup has raised £2,4 million for charitable causes. The image is courtesy of Goodwood Racecourse.
EQUUS MELTING POT – TITLES UP FOR GRABS
Quid Pro Quo – can’t miss in the champion 2yo filly category | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
This year’s Equus Awards, to be announced at a function at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on 15 August, will effectively be decided solely by the opinion of an expert panel. The Equus Awards website states, “The final list of nominees for each award will be derived from the final points standings amongst the relevant categories. The panel of judges will then use the tables derived from the points system as a guide when making their final decision. There will no longer be a public vote.”
The change likely happened due to the furore over the Equus Middle Distance award last year. See It Again had won the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby, the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and he was a 0,25 length second to Winchester Mansion in the Hollywoodbets Durban July on terms 5,5kg worse than weight for age. Yet the public obviously blindly voted for the July winner and another problem was that the points system excludes age-group events. This year a similar situation has arisen. Green With Envy is not in the first five on the Middle Distance log because the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby and Gr 1 Daily News 2000 wins are age-group events and he did not accumulate any points for winning them.
The nominees are usually the first five in each category.
However, controversy will likely be averted by a rule that allows discretion to be used by the Equus Committee.
“The Equus Committee has the option, however, once the final season points tables are concluded, to include certain horses in distance categories despite their low(er) points tallies, if the committee is of the opinion that doing so is justified.”
Green With Envy is likely to be a nominee and is likely to fight out the Middle Distance award with the log leader Royal Victory.
Royal Victory won two open Gr 1 races, one of which was a weight for age event.
He won the Gr1 Betway Summer Cup over 2000m and although he carried joint bottom weight of 54kg he was the second best performed runner in that race behind Puerto Manzano, whom he received 6kg from and beat by 4,60 lengths.
He then won the Gr1 weight for age Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m.
He also finished third in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July over 2200m.
Green With Envy had won the Gr 3 Schweppes Politician Stakes before his wins in the Cape Derby and Daily News 2000.
The pair only met once, in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, and although Royal Victory finished third and Green With Envy only seventh their respective performances were virtually identical on paper. Royal Victory was 1kg better off than weight for age with Green With Envy and beat him by 1,20 lengths.
That means Royal Victory performed 0,02kg better than Green With Envy, a negligible amount.
It will be a tough one for the expert panel to decide.
The panel consists of Graeme Hawkins (chair), Deez Dayanand, Vicky Minott, Nico Kritsiotis and Rouvaun Smit.
There has not been an Equus Awards press release about the final points standings for the equine section of the Equus Awards, but a quick calculation shows Dave The King to have moved past his stablemate Gimme A Nother into the top spot for the Equus Horse Of The Year category.
Dave The King was not even in the top five in the standings when the points standings were last released on July 10.
However, the Gr1 HKJC Champions Cup he won on the last weekend of the season is regarded as a “Super Grade 1” and the 48 points he earned took him from 72 points to 120 points, surpassing Gimme A Nother’s 104 points.
His win did not change anything in the Equus Middle Distance award which is comfortably led by Royal Victory on 90 points.
However, Dave The King would have moved into the lead in the Champion Older male category ahead of Royal Victory and Thunderstruck.
Dave The King is on top of the Champion Miler category too.
Thunderstruck stays on top of the Champion Sprinter category thanks to Lucky Lad’s failure to win the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint. Lucky Lad got 20 points for second in the Mercury Sprint but that left him eight points shy of his stablemate.
Proceed stays on top of the log in the Champion Two-year-old male category thanks to a filly, VJ’s Angel, winning the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes.
Dave The King – out of the blue and in running for SA Horse Of The Year | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
The new darling of the SA Turf, Quid Pro Quo, is way clear on top of the Equus Two-year-old filly category.
No three-year-olds performed well enough on World Pool Gold Cup day to threaten Green With Envy’s and Gimme A Nother’s positions on top of the Equus Three-year-old Male and Equus Three-year-old filly categories respectively.
Likewise, Princess Calla was not ousted from her position on top of the Champion Older Female category.
In the stayers category Master Redoute would have joined Red Maple on top on 18 points.
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Retired speed star Thunderstruck – tops the champion sprinter log | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
VARSFONTEIN FILLY ON THE WAY UP
Tristan Godden rode a perfectly judged race to get Mascherina home in Sunday’s feature | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
A half-sister to the Ridgemont based 2021 SA Triple Crown winning sire Malmoos, the Varsfontein Stud-bred Mascherina registered her maiden stakes score at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday when running out an impressive winner of the R200 000 Listed Off To Stud Stakes.
The first feature at the very first KZN racemeeting of the new season proved a popular one for punters when Tristan Godden rode a confident race on the 11-10 favourite, who was produced from a few lengths off the gallop to cut them down and win going away to beat Highveld raider Quantum (16-1) by 0,40 lengths in a time of 96,43 secs.
Another Highveld raider in Sean Tarry’s Elembee (13-2) rounded off the trifecta a further 1,30 lengths back, the beautiful grey Perilla (17-2) a neck back in fourth.
A 4yo daughter of reigning champion sire Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready), Mascherina is out of the Fort Wood mare Justthewayyouare, who won four times from 1600m to 2600m.
Mascherina is in fact one of six winners for her Listed Spook Express Handicap winning dam, who is a half-sister to top sire Master Of My Fate (Jet Master).
“She likes to be switched off and her 2 gate wasn’t the best draw for her. But she is a decent filly and I think she will go further yet,” said Sporting Post-sponsored rider Tristan Godden, who completed a double for the Hollywoodbets-sponsored Peter Muscutt yard.
Mascherina, who was saddled by Vanessa Beets in the absence of Peter Muscutt and Ros Coetzee on a well-deserved Zanzibar holiday, has now won 4 races with 3 places from her 8 starts for stakes of R361 625.
This was a great start to the new term in Varsfontein’s Golden Jubilee year.
A
to the
good start
season! Sporting Post-sponsored jockey Tristan Godden shows his delight at having achieved a double on the day | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
VARSFONTEIN’S PRIZED FAMILY
WE LOVE THEM JUST THE WAY THEY ARE!
Mascherina (Tristan Godden) wins the Listed Off To Stud Stakes | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
‘It all began in 1998 when the farm outlaid R750 000 for the Bush Telegraph mare Secret Pact, which, at the time, was a South African record price for a broodmare’
The new racing season started on a high note for Varsfontein Stud with homebred Mascherina’s maiden stakes success in the Listed Off To Stud Stakes at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.
The daughter of resident champion stallion Gimmethegreenlight and the Fort Wood mare Justthewayyouare is the latest stakes winner to emerge from a female family which the revered stud, now in its Golden Jubilee year, has nurtured and taken to new heights in recent times.
It all began in 1998 when the farm outlaid R750 000 for the Bush Telegraph mare Secret Pact, which, at the time, was a South African record price for a broodmare. A multiple Gr1-placed stakes winning own sister to Horse of the Year London News, her dam was the remarkable Broodmare of the Year Soho Secret, herself a dual stakes winner of ten races and twice Gr1-placed. In addition to her superb pedigree, Secret Pact was a looker to boot and was in foal to leading sire Elliodor. In short, she was the complete package.
Varsfontein next sent her to Fort Wood, to whom she foaled the filly Secret Heart, who raced with distinction in the colours of the late Laurie Jaffee, for whom she won the Listed Prix du Cap, while her impressive list of placed efforts included thirds in all of the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas, Gr1 SA Fillies Guineas, Gr1 Garden Province Stakes and Gr1 Paddock Stakes. That piqued the interest of Team Valor’s Barry Irwin who purchased the filly and exported her to the States.
Retired to the broodmare paddocks, Secret Heart came up trumps with her first foal, the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf winner Pluck, a near black colt by Gimmethegreenlight’s sire More Than Ready. Also dam of Gr3 Red Carpet Handicap victress Three Hearts, Secret Heart sadly died at age 15, a loss Irwin described at the time as ‘a hard one to swallow. She was an
ideal mare, she had speed, she had size, her pedigree improved every year and her first foal was sensational.’
By the way, Varsfontein kept Secret Heart’s winning own sister Secret Mission, who when mated to Gimmethegreenlight in his first season, produced Gr2 Umkhomazi Stakes winner Hack Green.
Secret Pact again visited Elliodor, the result of which a November-born filly named Promisefrommyheart. Slow to mature, she was entered for the 2YO Sale, but that fell through when she suffered what can now be regarded as a fortuitous setback and instead, joined the stable of Geoff Woodruff under whose guidance she became a champion on the track, winning the SA Fillies Guineas, Triple Tiara, the Woolavington, Thekwini Stakes and Ipi Tombe Challenge in the Varsfontein silks. Fate again intervened when heart strain brought her racing career to a premature end.
Immediately retired to stud, Promisefrommyheart would produce seven foals before her death at age 14, four of which were fillies. Of the six that raced, all won, the most successful of which the magnificent Jet Master colt Master Of My Fate. A multiple Gr2 winner, he returned to his birthplace and has made a huge impression as a top five stallion, to the extent that he was the country’s second leading sire in 2021.
His Fort Wood half-sister Justthewayyouare won the Listed Spook Express Handicap and prior to Mascherina, produced the Captain Al siblings Captain Splendid and Malmoos. The former, who was the mare’s first foal, claimed both the Gr3 East Cape Derby and Lonsdale Stirrup Cup. Full brother Malmoos
went on to even better things. A ‘wow’ horse who commanded R4,4-million as a yearling, he lived up to his lofty price tag by lifting the coveted Triple Crown and eventually retired to Ridgemont Highlands in 2022.
Fidelity, an own sister to Malmoos, returned to Varsfontein as a modest one-time winner but quickly made headlines when her first foal, the Var filly Ghaalla, sold to Shadwell for a then record R5-million at the National Yearling Sale. She became her young dam’s first stakes winner with victory in the Gr3 Fillies Mile and was followed by the Silvano filly Due Diligence, winner of the Gr.3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes in the Varsfontein silks.
Promisefrommyheart’s first foal, the winning Jallad filly My Guiding Star, also returned to the Varsfontein paddocks and counts amongst her six winners Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes victress Hashtagyolo, stakes-placed Allez Moris, as well as Gr2 Debutante third La Revere. The latter, a
daughter of Var, produced Gr3 Protea Stakes hero Karangetang as her first foal.
Promisefrommyheart’s last foal, the Var filly Vermentino, never raced due to a cleft palate but was retained for breeding and visited resident standout Gimmethegreenlight first time round, the result of which the East Cape Fillies Nursery winner and Gr2 Sceptre Stakes runnerup Favorita.
As regards Secret Pact, she ended up a dual Gr1 producer. Her Western Winter daughter Covenant was retained by Varsfontein and proved her mettle as a three-year-old, with victories in the Gr1 Majorca Stakes, the Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes and Gr2 Sceptre Stakes, a race she won again at four.
Now a valued member of the farm’s broodmare band, she is the dam of a three stakes performers to date.
The brilliant Promisefrommyheart – stallion Master Of My Fate’s mom | Credit: Supplied
To Var, she produced Gr1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion runner-up Varallo, a subsequent winner in Hong Kong. A mating with Captain Al yielded her first stakes winner, Erik The Red, who in his finest hour, stormed to victory in the Gr2 Cape Merchants at the expense of Rio Querari, the season’s Champion Sprinter. He too has made his home in the Varsfontein stallion barn, with his first crop of runners set to hit the tracks later this season. Rounding out the trio is Fort Wood daughter Scandola. A stakes-placed winner of three races, she has made a flying start to her broodmare career with her first two foals, Gr2 Debutante Stakes victress Cala Muretta and Gr2-placed Gimme’s Lassie, both by Gimmethegreenlilght.
But back to Mascherina’s dam Justthewayyouare, her genetic make-up
combines the blood of superior broodmares Fairy Bridge (dam of Sadler’s Wells), Fall Aspen (dam of Fort Wood), as well as our own Soho Secret, who features as her third dam. A recipe for success. Varsfontein will offer her most recent foal, the Vercingetorix colt Just Now at the upcoming BSA August 2YO Sale.
The purchase of Secret Pact all those years ago proved an inspired one, considering that at last count, no less than sixteen of her descendants have joined the stakes winning ranks, no mean feat.
Needless to say, with the majority of the fillies retained and three male descendants doing stallion duties, Varsfontein looks guaranteed to reap handsome rewards from this prized family for many years to come.
Master Of My Fate – majestic son of Jet Master | Credit: Jeremy Nelson
Newly crowned SA Champion Apprentice Kobeli James Lihaba | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
While the Equus Awards will be held on Thursday 15 August, the champions of some racing categories are decided on stakes and can already be announced.
Turf Talk reports that Richard Fourie was the toast of the season having smashed what was thought to be one of the safest records in sport, the 334 wins of Anthony Delpech achieved in the 1998/1999 season.
Fourie set a new mark of 377 wins and he also broke the East Cape record, 116 held by of Greg Cheyne, setting a new mark of 119, well clear of S’Manga Khumalo on 62 and Luyolo Mxothwa on 53. Fourie was also the KZN and Western Cape Champion jockey. In KZN his 126 wins, were well clear of Serino Moodley on 72 and Muzi Yeni on 62.
In the Western Cape his 90 wins were clear of Grant van Niekerk on 68 and Aldo Domeyer on 62. The Central Provinces championship was dominated by Gavin Lerena, who had 153 wins, well clear of Calvin Habib on 89 and Muzi Yeni on 86. Fourie’s strike rates in East Cape, KZN and Western Cape were 24.84%, 24.47% and 20.55% respectively, while Gavin Lerena’s strike rate in the Central Provinces was 24.13%.
Kobeli Lihaba was national champion apprentice with 49 wins. Malesela Katjedi had the most wins by an apprentice in the Western Cape, a paltry two, which underlined the effect that no recruitments in the two Covid years had on the apprentice ranks. Lihaba led the KZN and East Cape tables on 29 and 13 wins respectively and Katjedi and Siyanda Sosibo both had 17 wins in the Central Provinces.
Anathi Feni won the Workriders Challenge and also had the equal most wins of 6 by a workrider during the season, together with Phenisile Mongqawa.
The national champion trainer is Justin Snaith with stakes earnings of R20,981,288.
Sean Tarry was expected to mount a strong challenge on World Pool Gold Cup day, but it did not materialise and in fact his yard has been going through a rare lean spell and have a current trot of 50 runs without a winner. Nevertheless Tarry finished second to Snaith for the second year in succession. His total earnings were R19,450,638.
Brett Crawford was in third place on R18,848,063 followed by Mike de Kock on R17,655,844 and Candice Bass-Robinson on R14,517,800. Alan Greeff had the most wins, 139, followed by Gavin Smith on 134 and Snaith on 120. Brett Crawford with 106 and Tony Peter with 101 also had over 100 wins and Peter, who finished sixth in the championship on R13,018,438, had the highest strike rate of 18.9%.
Snaith was Western Cape champion trainer with 101 wins for stakes earnings of R17,254,163, followed by Bass-Robinson on 81 wins and R13,302,150 and Crawford on 62 wins and R8,447,188.
The Central Provinces champion was Mike de Kock on stakes earnings of R12,396,843.75 (66 wins) and Tony Peter on R11,983,937.50 (98 wins) was second with Sean Tarry on R11,484250.00 (70) wins third.
The KZN Championship and East Cape Championship is decided on number of wins.
Gareth van Zyl produced a late charge in the KZN Championship with two trebles in the last few meetings to pass Alyson Wright and claim the title by just one win from Alyson Wright, whose yard went through a lean spell and didn’t have a winner in the month of July.
Van Zyl had 54 wins to Wright’s 53 and Wendy Whitehead was next best on 46.
In the East Cape Alan Greeff’s 139 wins were five clear of Gavin Smith on 134 and Kelly Mitchley was next best on 78.
The national champion breeders were Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein on stakes earnings of R32,691,781 followed by Drakenstein Stud on R30,753,181 and Varsfontein Stud on R22,153,894.
Recordbreaker Richard Fourie | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Drakenstein set a new record 21 individual stakes winners, breaking their own record set the previous season of 20. The 21 individual stakes winners won 31 stakes races between them, which was not as high as their 35 stakes wins the previous season.
Drakenstein Stud were easily the Western Cape champion breeders on R15,084,644, clear of Varsontein on R5,607,044 and Klawervei Stud on R5,256,800.
Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein dominated the Highveld breeders championship on R15,736,094 with Varsfontein on R8,893,750 and Drakenstein on R6,779,250.
They also won the KZN breeders championship on R7,664,250 from Varsfontein on R5,601,875 and Drakenstein on R5,477,438.
Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein also won the East Cape Championship on R4,168,338 beating local breeders Ascot Stud who returned 3,488,900 with Drakenstein on R3,411,850.
Drakenstein Stud were champion owners with R13,976,956 to the Hollywood Syndicate’s R13,154,675 and Sabine Plattner on R7,176,963.
The Western Cape standings were Drakenstein R7,561,019, Nick Jonsson R5,442,725 and Nick Jonsson & Douglas Ross R5,205,063.
The Central Province Champion owners were Messrs J F & L M F Wernars & Mrs T J Wernars on R5,452,250, followed by Messrs P J Victor, B J Wiese & Natasha Sturdy on R4,075,000 and Drakenstein Stud on R4,007,875.
KZN champion owners were the Hollywood Syndicate with stakes earnings of R6,609,500 from Sabine Plattner on R3,726,500 and Messrs Greg Bortz & Leon Ellman
& Ms Gina Goldsmith on R3,196,250.
The East Cape champion owners were Arun Chadha and Warne Ripon’s ASSM Racing Syndicate on stakes earnings of R1,978,225 with the Hollywood Syndicate on R1,403,600 and Pine Lodge Stud & Halo Stables T/A Halo Syndicate (Nom: Mr A C Greeff) on R1,148,388.
Gimmethegreenlight was national champion sire for the third time and for the second time in succession he achieved what no other South African sire had done since at least 1953 and he might possibly have been the first in history to have done it.
The Varsfontein Stud-based son of More Than Ready has not only been National Champion Sire for two years in succession, but he has also been the leading sire of three-year-olds and the leading sire of two-year-olds for two years in succession (the breeding championships are based on stakes).
Gimmethegreenlight ended the season with his progeny having earned a total of R30,732,600 in stakes, a new South African record. He was not far ahead of Vercingetorix on 28,413,038 with Querari next best on R16,623,956.
One World set a new freshman stallion record mark of 30 individual winners of 40 races, breaking his father Captain Al’s 2004/2005 record of 22. He also equalled Captain Al’s overall two-year-old record of exactly 30 individual winners of exactly 40 races set in 2009 and would have broken it had the Hollywoodbets Durbanville meeting not been moved from Wednesday to Thursday last week.
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AFTER JULY…CLOUDS, WHAT CLOUDS?
Under glorious Cape winter sunny skies, SA champion trainer Justin Snaith’s team continued their flying start to the new season when Cloud Chaser, a half-sister to Cape Town Met winner Double Superlative, stormed to a facile victory under Anthony Andrews to win the R200 000 Winter Country Championship 1400 Final Class 5 feature at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
With a treble at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Thursday, and Cloud Chaser rounding off a treble at the first meeting of the new term at the Southern Suburbs HQ, Snaith made it 6 winners as Cloud Chaser bounded home as if parachuted into
the 1400m contest at the 300m.
Anthony Andrews had the Silvano mare some way off the gallop set by Unsolved Riddle, and she made up lengths in the run for home.
Anthony Andrews unleashes Cloud Chaser | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
Causing a minor exotic bet knockout, Cloud Chase (20-1) ran away to win by 2,50 lengths in a time of 89,17 secs.
The favourite Spirit’s Unite (5-2) has been threatening to win, but his supporters had to again be content with a place return as he stayed on for second, ahead of Greg Ennion’s duo of Veronique (13-2) and Cattaleya (14-1) who continued to pay their way and rounded off the quartet.
Raced by Patricia Devine, who also bred her and was on course to lead her in, Cloud Chaser is a daughter of Silvano (Lomitas) out of the five-time winner Come Fly With Me, a five time winning daughter of Jet Master, who also raced in the famous silks. Cloud Chaser is now a winner of 2 races with 5 places from 18 starts for stakes of R270 538.
The Country Championships were introduced Cape Racing on 1 January and are aimed at the lower merit-rated horses in the province,
which race predominantly in Class 4 and Class 5 races.
Class 4 races are for horses with merit ratings of 62 – 78, while Class 5 races are for horses with merit ratings of 66 and below.
The intent of the initiative is to shine a spotlight on the meaningful race and earnings opportunities for the so-called ‘weaker horses’ and to illustrate that lower-rated horses in the Cape have the ability to earn considerably in the province, making the ownership experience economically attractive, while allowing the owners to continue experiencing the thrills of racing in the Cape.
The Country Championships run parallel to the RaceCape initiative’s ‘Runs Bonus’ incentive, which creates further incentives for all horses.
With RaceCape, horses that run twelve times in the season earn a R25 000 bonus, which increases further to R35 000 with fifteen runs.
Jonathan and Chris Snaith, together with Babalo of the Snaith Racing Team, accompany Pat Devine, Philippa Berrington-Blew and Craig Strydom at the Cloud Chaser (Anthony Andrews) lead-in | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
BOTHA TEAM DARE TO DREAM
Cape Racing’s Winter Country Championship series has proven a winner for the lesser lights amongst the equine ranks and Piet Botha pulled some magic out of the hat for his owners when the MR 58 rated 5yo Beneath The Moon went all the way at her 23rd outing to register her second career victory and bank the R118 750 first cheque in the Winter Country Championship 1200 Final Class 5 feature on Saturday.
Specifically tailored to provide an incentive to the owners of lower rated gallopers, the series features have attracted good field sizes and produced some competitive winter racing.
Allowed to stride freely by Keanen Steyn over what appeared to be a draw-neutral Hollywoodbets Kenilworth 1200m on Saturday, Beneath The Moon found the winner’s enclosure over two years after shedding her maiden over a mile at the same venue.
In a stampede to the line, Beneath The Moon (10-1) kept at her task to beat Mike Stewart maiden Look Forward (16-1) by 1,50 lengths in a time of 75,38 secs.
Piet Botha also filled the third spot as Tres Chic (5-1) stayed on well a length back.
The winner is a Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein bred daughter of Galileo sire The United States
out of the one-time winning Rich Man’s Gold mare, Night And Day.
A R70 000 Cape Yearling Sale buy, Beneath The Moon has won 2 races with 7 places from her 23 starts for stakes of R228 088.
Keanen Steyn steers
Beneath The Moon to a big win | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
v
Night Bomber charges clear to give Louis Mxothwa the first leg of a double | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
NIGHT BOMBER FINDS THE TARGET
The Zurnamer name and the familiar old gold and blue and white silks have been around our racetracks for what feels like four decades and it was good to see the Lammerskraal-bred 4yo Night Bomber crack his second win after some fringe efforts when he turned on the jets to win the R200 000 Winter Country Championship 1200 Final Class 4 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
Marginally a year since making his debut as a 2yo behind the enigmatic Hluhluwe at the same venue, the Brett Crawford-trained Night Bomber (6-1) was always in the vanguard and kicked clear at the 300m marker to hold off the year older tote favourite Lunch Money (9-2), who came out of the pack to chase hard.
Night Bomber was too strong and won a good race under Sporting Post rider Louis Mxothwa to win by 2,75 lengths in a time of 74,01 secs.
Lunch Money brought through the scratchings in a Bipot that paid over R25 000, while the well-backed Sooty (4-1) maintained his solid form, a further 0,30 lengths away in third.
The winner was no cheapie and cost Gavin Zurnamer R700 000 at the National Yearling Sale. A Lammerskraal-bred son of deceased Lancaster Bomber (War Front), he is out of the very accomplished Kahal six-time winner, Evening Attire.
A winner of 2 races with 3 places from 13 starts, Night Bomber took his earnings to R256 800 and could pay to follow.
SONG SUNG TRUE!
Ossie Noach’s body language on third placed Twice The Master tells the story of a rough race! Louis Mxothwa got Sudden Song up to beat the unlucky King Pelles (Serino Moodley) | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
After their most testing month on track in their short history, Cape Racing wound up their inaugural Winter Country Championship at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday under sunny skies with the 6yo Sudden Song winning the R200 000 1800 Final, to give Brett Crawford and Louis Mxothwa a double.
Last having won back in January 2023, Sudden Song was easy to back at 10’s in what looked a wide-open 1800m contest, and when the favourite Prime Venture started his run of misfortune, by casting a shoe on the way to the gates, the door was open for an upset.
After Baton Rouge had led Twice The Master early, the field came for home and then the fun and games started, as the Stipes report will show.
Approaching the 400m Lockheedlightning was held up for a clear run and was directed
outwards, while at the 250m Naushon was steadied when awkwardly placed on the inside of Twice The Master, which had shifted in slightly. King Pelles continually held up for a clear run until approaching the 150m.
In the concluding stages, Twice The Master rolled inwards away from Sudden Song and then was bumped outwards by King Pelles, which shifted out slightly. Shortly thereafter, Twice The Master made contact with the hindquarters of Sudden Song, and became unbalanced and stumbled badly shortly after the finish. Ossie Noach did well stay on top!
Through it all, Louis Mxothwa kept his head and produced Sudden Song (10-1) late to pip the unlucky King Pelles (11-2) in a time of 116,28 secs.
Twice The Master (25-2) completed the trifecta a further 0,40 lengths back in third.
Raced in partnership by Dave Pearce’s Akber Investments (Pty) Ltd, Gwen MacGregor and former breeder Juan van Heerden, Sudden Song was bred by Riverworld Stud and is by short-lived Jet Master stallion Sudden Storm out of the unraced Spectrum mare Song Thrush.
Sudden Song is now a winner of 3 races with 16 places from 29 starts for stakes of R486 213.
BIPOT QUICKMIX – POOL CORRECTION
4Racing have advised that in the live-ticket data for the BiPot Quickmix on Monday 5 August, the incorrect pool total was displayed as a result of a software glitch that included a R12 172 carryover from the previous day. This resulted in a pool of R25 857 being displayed
instead of the actual pool of R13 684.
The will-pays going into the last leg were not affected by the software glitch and were correct as displayed, as was the official payout of R679,70.
Sporting Post-sponsored Louis Mxothwa acknowledges his double Credit: Chase
Liebenberg
Witness Stand wins by 3 lengths at Goodwood
Witness Stand (Expert Eye) wins the Whispering Angel Handicap at Goodwood by 3 lenghts over 1400m on 3rd August 2024, on good to firm ground.
Expert Witness (Expert Eye) won the Peter Bromwich Handicap at Epsom by 3/4 length over 2000m on 1st August 2024, on good to firm ground. (view the race here).
Witness Stand
Rainbow Lorikeet (Aldo Domeyer) holds off tote favourite Time For Love under Muzi Yeni | Credit: Pauline Herman
Milnerton trainer Candice BassRobinson and jockey Aldo Domeyer turned their early season Garden Route sortie into a rewarding trip after three frustrating seconds early on the Fairview Friday card, when the well-bred Querari mare Rainbow Lorikeet changed their luck with a second career stakes success in the R150 000 East Cape Paddock Stakes.
At the first East Cape racemeeting of the new term, the East Cape Paddock Stakes was the first of a double feature billing on the eight-race card.
A winner of the Schweppes Listed Cape Classic as the sun set on the Cape Summer Of Champions earlier this year, the newly turned 4yo Rainbow Lorikeet (33-10) held off fellow Milnerton raider and tote favourite Time For
Love (2-1), who finished full of running, to gain a gutsy three quarter length victory in a time of 97,92 secs for the mile.
Local star Luna Halo (11-2) was always in the mix after leading early and was a further three quarters of a length back in third.
Rainbow Lorikeet is raced by the Yuppie Syndicate and was bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein.
She is by Maine Chance resident Querari (Oasis Dream) and is out of the Silvano mare Nightingale, who coincidentally gave trainer Candice Bass-Robinson her maiden Gr1 success in the 2017 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes, when ridden by present day Hollywood Syndicate manager Anthony Delpech.
Rainbow Lorikeet has won 4 races with 6 places from her 13 starts for stakes of R464 701.
Candice Bass-Robinson and Aldo Domeyer celebrate a rewarding trip to Fairview | Credit: Pauline Herman
QUERARI QUALITY SHINES EARLY
The consistently successful Querari ended the 2023-2024 racing season on a high note when his son Master Redoute won the World Pool Gr3 Gold Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville. In the process, Master Redoute won the third graded race of his career, the gelding having also prevailed in last season’s Ridgemont Gr3 Peninsula Handicap and New Turf Carriers Gr3 Western Cape Stayers.
Querari (Oasis Dream – Quetena) has made a good start to the season |
Credit: Freeman Stallions
Master Redoute was one of eight stakes winners for Querari last season, with the son of Oasis Dream ending the season in third place on South Africa’s General Sires premiership
Querari, whose runners amassed more than R16,623 million in the 2023-2024 season, also finished seventh on last season’s Leading Sires of 2YO’s list, and fifth on South Africa’s Leading Sires of 3YO’s premiership.
His flagbearers last season, Master Redoute aside, included promising Durban Gr2 Golden Horseshoe winner Cosmic Speed, Gr3 Cape Classic winner Questioning, and At My Command, I Am Giant and Cruise Control. The latter trio finished second, third and fourth, respectively, in the 2024 Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint. The luckless At My Command finished runner up in no fewer than four graded stakes races last season.
Querari
made the perfect start to the new season when his four-year-old daughter Rainbow Lorikeet captured the Listed East Cape Paddock Stakes at Fairview on Friday. Winner of last season’s Listed Schweppes Cape Fillies Classic, Rainbow Lorikeet captured her second black type race when running out a three parts of a length winner of the 1600m contest.
Rainbow Lorikeet, whose dam is the Silvano sired Gr1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes winner Nightingale, is one of nine Querari sired stakes winners whose dams were sired by Silvano. Others bred on this cross include Douglas Whyte Gr1 Thekwini Stakes winner Bavarian Beauty, the aforementioned Cosmic Speed, and fellow graded stakes winners Cosmic Light, Homely Girl and Wonderwall.
Her victory has seen Querari take an early lead on the General Sires premiership for the new season.
Querari’s own evergreen sire Oasis Dream, sire of 136 stakes winners and counting, made his presence felt at Glorious Goodwood last week. Oasis Dream’s two-year-old son Aomori City won Tuesday’s HKJC World Pool Gr2 Vintage Stakes (a race won by another Oasis Dream son, Marbaan, in 2022), while another son, Haunted Dream, won Friday’s Regent Seven Seas Cruises Bentinck Conditions Stakes
Oasis Dream broodmare daughters also enjoyed notable success at Goodwood last week, with group winners Audience (Gr2 HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes) and Big Evs (Gr2 King George Qatar Stakes) were both produced by daughters of Oasis Dream,while Oasis Dream mare Responsible is the dam of Obligate (Frankel), dam of Friday’s Gr3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes winner Lead Artist (Dubawi).
Oasis Dream is also the sire of Showcasing, whose Gr1 winning son Mohaather is the sire of Wednesday’s Gr3 Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb Stakes winner Big Mojo. The latter hails from the first crop of his Gr1 Qatar Sussex Stakes winning sire, with Mohaather having made a very bright start to his stud career indeed.
CHERRY ON TOP OF MAIDEN STAKES
It’s been some time coming, but Gavin Smith’s 5yo Cherry Ano registered his maiden stakes success at Fairview on Friday when he rallied late to gain a courageous victory in the R175 000 Listed Memorial Mile.
With the late scratching at the start of Fairy Knight, and a weak showing by Cape raider Sugar Mountain (1-1), who failed to live up to his best form, the gate was opened for Cherry Ano (3-1) to register his eighth career success, after gaining a late advantage over pacesetter Bush Tracker (20-1) to win by a neck in a time of 97,79 secs. Under a polished ride by Calvin
Habib, course and distance specialist Cherry Ano made it five wins over the Fairview mile. Glen Kotzen’s Hat’s Pride (8-1) was always in contention and ran a cracker, three quarters length back in third. Sequoia (14-1) ranged up looking dangerous but steadied to round off the quartet.
Cherry Ano (Calvin Habib) registers his maiden stakes victory. Second-placed Bush Tracker (Louis Mxothwa) and third-placed Hat’s Pride (Smanga Khumalo) ran a cracker | Credit: Pauline Herman
Bred by Summerhill Equestrian and raced by Henning Pretorius, Cherry Ano is a son of the late triple Gr1 winning Western Winter stallion Capetown Noir out of the three-time winning Kahal mare, My Cherry.
Cherry Ano has won 8 of his 18 starts, with 6 places, for stakes of R628 638.
The Gavin Smith-Calvin Habib combination won the last race to register the double, when Dame Of Flames got the better of a titanic struggle with Spin Doctor (hase Maujean).
Summerhill Equestrian recently announced that they will be standing Celestial City, who ran in the same silks as Cherry Ano, in the new season.
The five-time winner and only son of Silvano standing in KwaZulu Natal, Celestial City is a full-brother to Hawwaam and was a R7 million graduate from the 2020 National Yearling Sale. He is out of the Jet Master dam, Halfway To Heaven.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Celestial City’s service fee in his maiden season is R30 000, live foal.
THE SPRINT IS
“Lance was a completely different class. He was as good a 3yo as anything else that I’ve trained at a similar stage in his career.” Sean Tarry, Multiple Champion Trainer
Stakes winning son of multiple champion Jet Master
Damline has produced multiple group winners
Powerful family of champions - Big Swinger, Duc Du Orleans, Rebel King
50% winners to runners
Covered 25 mares last season - limited opportunity prior to that Excellent fertility
r 5.000 live foal
Piere Strydom drives Dual Prophecy up the outside to nab
The Cane Train (Marco van Rensburg) | Credit: JC Photos
STRIKER – WHAT A RIDE!
Another Piere Strydom masterclass. That’s the only way of describing the ride by our evergreen multiple champion on Joey Soma’s Dual Prophecy in the third at Turffontein on Saturday.
The year younger full-brother to KZN champion See It Again did everything to get out of shedding his maiden ticket.
“I owe him one. If Striker doesn’t ride him, he doesn’t win. That’s the simple fact of it. And it just goes to show there’s nothing wrong with being a senior citizen. He’s still hungry,” mused veteran trainer Joey Soma with a broad smile as he reflected on a ride that oozed class and experience and was a rare display of Striker using the crop, and to good effect.
“He showed no acceleration previously. So we thought let’s go further and the blinkers went on. He won the race in the last 20m. He could just as well have run nowhere – that’s the way he felt even late in the race,” Piere Strydom told the Sporting Post afterwards.
Part owner Allan Preddy, who responded to a pre-race question as to whether they fancied Dual Prophecy, with a, “yes, but the only problem is that our father is riding the horse!” was quite apologetic afterwards, and said that he’d never doubt his trainer and jockey again!
Racing in a partnership of ANOA (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Andria Dannhauser), Allan Preddy, Joe Soma and Sandy Wilson, Dual Prophecy, who shed his maiden here at his fifth start, is clearly going to have to lift his game somewhat to even walk in the shadow of his illustrious brother See It Again.
“He was hanging in over the final 200m. It helped that the front horses were stopping, and I was focused on straightening him in the final stages as we already had the leader,” explained Piere.
With 2 winners in 3 days, the 58 year old Pierre Strydom’s new season strike-rate is currently 50%, and he’s relishing the opportunities.
“With all the top younger guys riding overseas, there is definitely an opportunity here. I just have to ride sufficient horses to maintain my fitness. My weight is good, and I’m still enjoying it,” he added.
Piere is currently contracted to ride for Arun Chadha and Warne Rippon’s ASSM Syndicate until end September.
“Riding the ASSM horses is a big plus as it also gives me ongoing access to the top stables. I am meeting with them later this week, and will then see where we go from there,” he added.
Trainer Michael Roberts said over the weekend that Dual Prophecy’s illustrious brother See It Again is likely to be aimed at the Betway Summer Cup at end of November.
“I have no doubt he will relish the long Turffontein straight, as he does the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth summer course. Things just didn’t pan out in the HKJC Champions Cup. We couldn’t let Dave The King get too much of a lead, but I couldn’t have See It Again too close to the pace either, as he doesn’t run like that. So it didn’t work out. He could be a serious prospect at Turffontein, though,” suggested Piere.
The third race at Turffontein on Saturday enjoyed its fair share of drama, beyond the Striker genius.
On arrival at the start, Gavin Lerena expressed concerns regarding the soundness of the Azzie’s Storm Ahead, and despite the Vet giving him the all-clear, Lerena chose not to ride the gelding.
Jason Gates replaced Lerena and landed up running third. During the loading process, Splashlanding kicked the back gates and was withdrawn by the Vet.
Multiple SA
is trying his luck in Australia for a few weeks
champion Lyle Hewitson
Credit: Candiese Lenferna
SA CHAMP VISITS AUSTRALIA
One of South African horseracing’s favourite sons, our three-time national champion jockey Lyle Hewitson commenced his short stint in Victoria, Australia, with five rides, including three for the Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock partnership, on the Pakenham polytrack on Monday. While he didn’t find the winner’s enclosure, Lyle is worth keeping an eye on in the next few weeks!
The 26 year old spoke to Racing.com prior to flying out of Hong Kong, bound for Melbourne, where he got his first taste of Australian racing this week. “I’m really excited of course, I’ve never been to Australia first and foremost, so that’s going to be a great experience in itself,” he said.
“We’re always looking to improve, open more doors and broaden our horizons, so I think Australia’s the ideal place because racing’s thriving there. It also opens up other opportunities down the line, whether it’s for a fly in, fly out for big races or later in my career if it’s somewhere I’d like to settle down.It’s basically an open door that I’m just looking to get through and make the most of it, I’m really looking forward to it,” Lyle said.
As well as dipping his toes into the waters of Australian racing, Hewitson’s stint in Victoria has the added benefit of helping him prepare
for the upcoming season in Hong Kong.
“If you’re trying to get fit and keep your weight down and then also get your eye in, it’s too many balls that you’re trying to juggle at the same time,” added the Durbanite.
“I feel like doing this, besides what it’s going to offer me in terms of the future with Australian racing, it’s going to be a nice kick-start into the new season in Hong Kong because I’ll be riding fit, my weight will be in order, I’ll have my eye in and ready to go and hopefully, have ridden quite a few winners that I get the confidence into the new season.”
A former Work Rider, Lyle rode his first professional winner on his third book of rides at Fairview on 18 March 2016 aboard Blizzard Belle for Yvette Bremner, and was the first man since the legend Gerald Turner to lift the national title while still an apprentice. Lyle was SA Champion Apprentice in 2016/17 and 2017/18, and was crowned SA Champion Jockey in 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2020/21.
His enormous promise led to a short-term contract to ride in Hong Kong in 2019, and it was during that initial six-month stint that he learned just how competitive the Asian racing jurisdiction is as, like so many newcomers, he battled for quality opportunities in a tough environment.
“I never went through a dull or slow patch in my career until the first time that I came to Hong Kong. It was a bit of an awakening, I really had to take it in my stride and I think it obviously makes you tougher mentally as a person and mature as a human being. I was pretty proud of the way I handled all of that and got through it. I went away, went to Japan, did really well, went back to South Africa and won the championship, and then one morning, woke up to a phone call from Hong Kong and went back. Then I had a setback with a major fall from the start once again. Everything that I achieved post that meant a little bit more to me just because I had to overcome those obstacles. I wasn’t even starting from the bottom; I was below that and overcame it,” he adds maturely.
But now things are looking up.
“Two seasons ago was really good and then this past season was consistent, but I’m looking to achieve a lot more.”
Lyle’s hard work and determined approach has led to him riding 120 winners during his time based at Sha Tin, where he’s been based since the end of 2021. He ended last season in the top 10 in the jockeys’ premiership. Lyle
rode 40 winners in Hong Kong during the 202324 season, including a treble at Sha Tin last month.
Jockey manager Nick Pinkerton will be booking Lyle’s rides in this short stint and he confirmed that the seven-time Group 1 winner will be available to ride in Melbourne between this past Monday until Wednesday 21 August. The Hong Kong racing season starts on 8 September. Pinkerton said Lyle was obviously keen to build relationships and to work hard for local stables in a bid to be an option for lightweight Gr1 rides during the spring.
The scene of our star’s Aussie debut, Pakenham Racecourse fills a vital stop gap between the metro level of racing and the genuine bush circuits in Australia. The town of Pakenham is located to the south east of Melbourne. The track dates back to 1875, making it one of the oldest circuits still in operation in Australia. Pakenham has a turf track and a polytrack, the latter interestingly the first in Australia, and which opened in 2015.
Visit blog.hollywoodbets.net to find the selections and venue off-times for the Australian racing.
Fabulous firsts! Irish owner Michael Moroney, Lyle Hewitson and Carl Hewitson with the Irish flag on Hollywoodbets Durban July day 2023 – Lyle rode his Dad’s first feature winner and Mr Moroney’s first SA winner | Credit:Candiese Lenferna
NO CHANGE FOR MASCHERINA, RAINBOW LORIKEET MOVES UP
The well-weighted Mascherina remains unchanged on a rating of 95 after landing the Listed Off To Stud Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
It was 3rd placed Elembee, who was deemed to be the most suitable line horse in this contest and as such she remains on a rating of 84. The specific conditions of this race do not allow for an increase in the ratings of placed runners.
Consequently, 2nd placed Quantum and 4th placed Perilla remain unchanged on ratings of 81 and 82 respectively despite running to higher figures.
Five horses received drops in their ratings. Littlemarysunshine and Crazy Blues received slight drops of 1 point each, from 96 to 95, and from 79 to 78 respectively.
Capetown Beauty dropped to 76 from 78, while Virginia Sweet dropped to 92 from 96. Lastly, Reefway received a 2-point drop from 88 to 86.
Memorial Mile (Listed)
The well weighted Cherry Ano remains unaltered on his rating of 111 following his narrow win in the Listed Memorial Mile over 1600m at Fairview racecourse on Friday.
The Handicappers were unanimous that 3rd placed, Hat’s Pride made for the most suitable line horse, and as a result his rating remains unchanged on 99.
The only other runner apart from the winner to receive an increase in the ratings was Sequoia, who goes up to 99 from 96.
Global Ally was the solitary runner in this race to receive a drop in the ratings and is down slightly to 98 from 99.
East Cape Paddock Stakes (Listed)
Rainbow Lorikeet has seen her rating adjusted to 101 from 96 after capturing the Listed East Cape Paddock Stakes over 1600m at Fairview on Friday.
The Handicappers were of the opinion that 4th placed Official Secret made for the most suitable line horse to rate this race, leaving her on a rating of 96.
Second placed Time For Love, who had to be switched out to obtain clear running approaching the 100m, received a 5 points upward adjustment to her rating, from 94 to 99 while 5th placed Essential, received a partial adjustment from 87 to 92. This makes her equal to the now 92 rated Woman’s World who received a 1-point drop from 93.
Finally, Time For Glory, who was worst in at these weight terms, was also partially increased to 79 from 75.
No horse received a rating drop in this race.
• Media release by the NHA on Tuesday, 06 August 2024.
PLANNING YOUR MATINGS?
The only Directory of Sires at stud in South Africa is now available! The 29th edition of the Sires 2024 Handbook is a 152 page glossy magazing printed in full colour and packed with information, including extended pedigrees, pedigree evaluatio ns, conformation photographs and statistics.
It features 56 stallions, including nine new firstseason sires for 2024.
They all have their individual website page with a wealth of data, which gets updated daily at www.raceform.co.za
Price is unchanged from previous years, R290. With the current unreliable postal service, it can be sent via courier or Postnet at an additional R100.
BHA SEEKS NEW LEADERSHIP
Julie Harrington steps down at end of 2024 | Credit: BHA
The BHA has said it is looking for a ‘next generation leader’ as it began advertising for a successor to chief executive Julie Harrington.
Harrington announced in June she was stepping down at the end of the year after four years leading British racing’s governing body, saying it was the “right time” to leave the role.
The BHA is also looking for a replacement to take over as chair from Joe Saumarez Smith in May, with the successful candidate set to have a say in the choice of the new chief executive.
In the BHA’s advertisement for the chief executive’s position, it said it had become responsible for leading the development of British racing’s industry strategy, including commercial matters.
It added:
“This is a new dimension to the organisation and therefore the appointee will need to be able to think commercially as well as lead on all regulatory and government affairs.”
The BHA said it was looking for “a ‘next generation’ leader to take the organisation forward, ensuring racing is a sport for everyone and to help it grow and thrive in the future.
“Julie has led significant changes at the BHA, meaning that the role has recently evolved to include responsibility for setting the long-term industry strategy for horseracing; the BHA is no longer just a regulator, but also plays a role in the commercial success of the sport.”
The advert also sets out other responsibilities for the new chief executive, including being a
“voice on the global racing stage”, as well as “maintaining a healthy relationship with betting operators”.
The BHA said the international landscape in racing was driving “huge commercial returns” to the sport and that the successful candidate would need to bring experience in engaging with international markets to “deepen the BHA’s connections globally and represent Britain in the sport”.
It added: “The BHA therefore now has a significant opportunity to bring in a chief executive who understands deeply what it is to lead and implement long-term, sustainable, transformation inside an organisation – how to make it happen, how to embed it, the role of culture and perhaps, most importantly, how to pace it.
“The appointee will therefore be a proven senior leader, with experience in leading complex stakeholder environments, with the ability to influence external stakeholders, such as government, while representing the BHA in the consumer facing environment.”
Executive search firm MBS Group, which has also been involved in the search for a successor to Saumarez Smith, is advising on the appointment, for which applications close on September 11.
It is understood a number of applicants from the political sphere have been told they had not made the interview stage for the BHA chair’s role, a situation that also applies to the highly regarded former National Farmers’ Union president Minette Batters.
A WORLD LEADER!
Moutonshoek’s Gr1 winning sire The United States enjoyed a great run with his two-year-olds in 2023/24. Among his eye-catching 2yo winners last season was Gr1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Premiers Champion Stakes runner up The Specialist, top-class filly Rodeo Drive and Listed Dahlia Plate winner Kingdundee.
For the past season, The United States came out on top with an Average Earnings Per Runner of R96 808.
He did well with 5,56% stakes winners/runners following the likes of Gimmethegreenlight at 6,35% and Vercingetorix at 6,25% and heading the likes of One World at 3,37% and Lancaster Bomber at 2,86%.
Moutonshoek will be offering some wellbred The United States-sired juveniles at the upcoming BSA August Two Year Old Sale 2024 to be held on 22 and 23 August.
An upbeat Dr. Bennie Van Der Merwe shared his comments on this attractive draft:
Lot 31 - Big Joe (c) by The United States ex Always Red
• He is well named - Big (beautiful) Joe!
Lot 201 - Unlimited (c) by The United States ex Love Unlimited
• He is a full brother to a 5-time winner and a very talented 3yo that Barend Botes rates highly
The United States upon arrival in South Africa in 2017 at Moutonshoek Stud | Credit: supplied
Lot 229 - Unnamed (f) by The United States ex Mysterio
• She is a truly magnificent specimen of the proven The United States/Trippi cross
Lot 230 - Unnamed (c) by The United States ex Mystic Express
• He is a strong, speedy looking individual from the family of Variety Club
Lot 299 - Gavius Maximus (c) by The United States ex Spirited
• He is a neat, balanced colt of the emerging The United States/Fastnet Rock cross such as in Tyrconnell, Riverstone and his smart debut winner full-brother Henry Harvey
Lot 320 - Tin Pan Alley (c) by The United States ex The Entertainer
• He is a very racy individual - fast around the paddock!
This draft can be found in Block E at the TBA Complex in Germiston.
THE SPRINT IS INTERACTIVE
WHO WILL BE TOPSELLERS AT BSA AUGUST SALE?
Nestled in the scenic Daleside Valley, the tranquil Heversham Park overlooks the majestic Paardekop. Affectionately known as ‘the farm’, their ethos is founded on raising animals slowly and naturally.
Heversham will be presenting an impressive draft of eight attractive lots at the BSA August Two Year Old Sale 2024.
“We aim to stimulate interest among buyers and the general public, and of course in our own eight lots on the sale. This is our best ever draft and includes Lot 198, a beautiful colt by star freshman One World out of Little Fastnet. He is a half-brother to this season’s Gr2 SA Nursery winner, Little Ballerina,” said Kat Riley of Heversham.
In addition to the exciting buyer opportunities,
the farm will be staging a predictor competition for the sale, scheduled for 22 and 23 August at the TBA Complex, Gosforth Park.
The
BSA August 2YO Sale
catalogue comprises of 327 choice lots from a good variety of top stud farms and with many excellent pedigrees represented, so selecting the highest-priced lots will take some homework and perhaps require a visit to the sales grounds for conformation buffs.
Tranquil and majestic Heversham | Credit: Heversham Park
The free-to-enter competition is open to all and two cash prizes of R5,000 each can be won.
The first prize will go to the individual who can correctly predict the top-selling colt at the sale. The second prize will be given to the individual who can correctly predict the top-selling filly at the sale.
Heversham extends an invitation to individuals interested in racing or breeding to enter the competition.
To enter:
• Entrants must email their names, contact details and the lot numbers of their predictions
of one top-selling colt and one top-selling filly to info@hevershampark.co.za.
• Entries must be submitted before 09h00 on Thursday, 22 August.
• If there is more than one winner in one or both of the categories, a single winner for each category will be drawn from the correct entries by a Heversham Park representative.
The winners will be announced on Monday, 26 August. Results will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
View the sales catalogue online to make your selections and enter now!
BALLERINA’S BROTHER STEPS UP FOR HEVERSHAM
Heversham Park Farm will be presenting a well-balanced draft at this year’s BSA August Two Year Old Sale on 22th and 23rd at TBA Complex, Germiston Johannesburg.
Every horse on offer from Heversham was sired by a Gr1 winning stallion, and hail from classy female lines.
Lot 198 – Unnamed (c) by One World ex Little Fastnet
• One of the hottest stallions around, the son of Captain Al is represented here by a half-brother to six winners, notably Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Nursery winner Little Ballerina. By
the Fastnet Rock mare Little Fastnet, whose numerous high-class relatives include 2024 Gr1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Dubai Honour as well as outstanding half-sisters Tarnawa and Tahiyra.
Cape Guineas winner Act Of War has three on offer:
Lot 69 – Unnamed (c) by Act Of War ex Catskill Queen
• Dam is a full-sister to the dam of 2024 Listed World Sports Betting Scarlet Lady winner Celtic Beauty.
Little Ballerina (Gareth Wright) beats Talk To The Master (Richard Fourie) by three quarters of a length
Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Lot 256 – Unnamed (c ) by Act Of War ex Queen Forever
• This colt is out of a stakes winning daughter of Gimmethegreenlight.
Another attractive prospect on offer:
Lot 65 – Unnamed (c ) by Erupt ex Captain Wheelson
• Out of a full-sister to Like A Panther, third
in both the Gr1 Cape Guineas and Gr1 SA Classic. This colt hails from an outstanding Australasian family, with his other relatives including South African champion Laisserfaire, and South African graded stakes winners Pretty Young Thing, Warrior and Zodiac Ruler.
This string can be viewed from Block A at the TBA Complex in Germiston.
THE SPRINT IS INTERACTIVE
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL CATALOGUE ONLINE
KLAWERVLEI QUALITY THE KEY
Klawervlei Stud bred a true superstar in the form of One World. Winner of the 2020 Gr1 Sun Met, and Equus Champion Older Male of 2019-2020, One World has proved a sensational young stallion.
Leading First Season Sire and Leading Sire of 2YOs for 2023-2024, the champion son of Captain Al set a new record for sire of individual 2YO winners by a South African first season sire this season.
Stars of One World’s stellar first crop includes Gr3 City Of Cape Town Cape Of Good Hope Nursery/Gr3 Winter Nursery winner One Stripe, Lion Rampart and Miss World - the first two home in the Listed Somerset 1200m - and
promising Gr3 Langerman runner up All Out For Six.
With a number of lightly raced 2YOs having shown promise early on, clearly the sky is the limit for One World!
Klawervlei will be offering, as an agent, three 2YOs by One World at the upcoming BSA August Two Year Old Sale.
Lot 131 – Unnamed (c) by One World ex Fortune Flies
• Classy racemare dam, a full-sister to Listed KRA East Coast Cup winner Time Flies and three-parts sister to Gr1 winner Front And Centre, won four times and ran second in the G3 Final Fling Stakes.
Klawervlei Stud – nursery of blue bloods | Credit: Supplied
Lot 305 – Unnamed (c) by One World ex Sugerpova
• Dam a well-bred Silvano mare, a twicewinning half-sister to Listed Hampton Handicap winner Cape Winter.
Lot 306 – Unnamed (f) by One World ex Summer Moon
• Out of a four-time winning Silvano half-sister to Gr3 Final Fling Stakes winner Cat And The Moon, herself dam of Listed Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial queen Light Of The Moon.
This draft also includes:
Lot 76 – Unnamed (c ) by Pomodoro ex Chennai Babe
• Filly out of a six-time winning daughter of Kahal.
Lot 213 – Unnamed (c ) by Pomodoro ex Millenium Reign
• A Pomodoro full-brother to useful performers Vitellius and Golden Moment.
This draft can be found in Block F at the TBA Complex in Germiston.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: AFRICAN HORSE SICKNESS VACCINATIONS
A National Horseracing Authority notice of 2 August addresses the current availability of the AHS vaccines as well as the eligibility of horses to compete in 2025.
Due to the persistent AHS vaccination shortage, the NHA has extended the window period for horses’ resident in the AHS infected zone to 31 December 2024. Horses resident in the AHS controlled area may only be vaccinated between 1 June and 31 October.
No horse resident in the AHS surveillance and free zones shall be vaccinated against AHS without official permission from the State Vet: Boland.
Only horses with at least one valid AHS set (bottle I and bottle II) for 2023 or 2024 will be permitted entry to the security area to race, effective 1 January 2025. Both bottles must be given in the same AHS vaccination window period (either 2023 or 2024). Our current data, indicates approximately 25% of horses in training will be ineligible to race, if they are NOT vaccinated before 31 December 2024.
Horses residing within the AHS free and surveillance zones do not require AHS vaccination to race in the Western Cape.
However, should these horses leave the AHS free and surveillance zones to race in other parts of the country, they need to be vaccinated as outlined above, within one week of arrival.
Horses may only be vaccinated against AHS by a veterinarian, using a registered, non-expired, polyvalent horse sickness vaccine according to the manufacturers’ recommendations. Such vaccine shall only be supplied by the veterinarian administering the vaccine. Trainers are advised to exercise strict midge vector control when vaccinating horses in the infected zone beyond 31 October.
The NHRA is actively engaging with Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) and other industry representatives to find solutions to ensure reliable vaccination production and distribution. We encourage you to discuss this matter with your private veterinarian, and should you have any doubts, please don’t hesitate to contact the NHRA Veterinary Department.
ONE IN A MILLION BIG EVS ‘THE BEST’
Ridden by Tom Marquand, the 13/8 favourite showed his usual early speed and trademark tenacity to gain revenge on the Australian mare Asfoora, who went down by a short-head in second. Believing finished third, a further three-quarters of a length behind.
Big Evs, who was successful at last year’s Breeders’ Cup, had finished third behind Henry Dwyer’s Asfoora in the Gr1 King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The son of Blue Point carries the colours of Paul Teasdale’s RP Racing Ltd, who won Wednesday’s Gr3 Jaeger-LeCoultre Molecomb Stakes with the Appleby-trained Big Mojo.
Appleby said: “Big Evs is one in a million – the best I’ve trained by a long way. That was very good. I thought they were going to come and do us at the end, but he’s very tough and found a bit more. It was a great ride.
“At Ascot, the ground probably wasn’t perfect for us and the stiff finish is completely different to here. The ground was a lot quicker here as well, so we fancied him today.
I am delighted. She is showing her tenacity every time, really. I was a bit worried after a couple of furlongs that she was out of her ground on the fastest five that you run at this grade, but she’s still learning to sprint at this distance
“I’ll have to have a chat with Paul to see where we go. We’ve got the Nunthorpe, possibly the Abbaye if the ground came up quick, which is probably unlikely. I would imagine that whatever happens we’ll be topping it off back in America.
On his week so far, Appleby said: “It is unbelievable really, to think where I was 10-15 years ago to where we are now. We have some great owners now that support the yard – they spend the money and I get results like this. We have a great team at home that work very hard.”
Marquand said: “Big Evs is fantastic. He’s literally got too much speed! Ponntos has exceptional off-the-blocks boot early on and, to be honest, from the three to the two, he was eating up ground. I was trying to get half a breather in before I went and took the race.
“Big Evs just doesn’t want restraining. He’s got so much raw boot and trying to tame that, it almost feels like there is no point, because he grits down for you as well in that last 100 yards. You don’t need to save an awful lot on a track like this for him.
“He’s an exceptional racehorse and, to come back at three as good as he was at two, is pretty special.”
On going for the Gr1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York, Marquand added: “It is another track that suits him beautifully – he has shown that before. He has bounced into his three-year-old career in as
good or even better form. He feels like he’s got even faster and even more effective in his gait, so it’s exciting for the rest of the season.”
Dwyer said of Asfoora: “I am very proud of her and very happy with Oisin’s ride. You could just tell about 100m from the start of coming down the hill there, she just came off the bridle. She is a quick mare but they went a bit quick for her early. Big Evs was able to control his own destiny, whereas we were stuck behind a couple and got a bit of a bump at around the 300. I think that’s probably cost her the win, but she’s run great.
“The leaders here just have such an easy time of it early, because they run downhill for the first 400. It levels out a bit after that, but if they’re going quick early, they get an easy time. She’s gone terrific – I couldn’t have hoped for her to go better, just disappointed not to win, having gone so well. Everyone has been so great to us, and we’ve very much enjoyed the experience.”
George Boughey said of Believing: “I am delighted. She is showing her tenacity every time, really. I was a bit worried after a couple of furlongs that she was out of her ground on the fastest five that you run at this grade, but she’s still learning to sprint at this distance. She’s carried a penalty there today and probably didn’t have the easiest of runs – there was a bit of traffic with Ralph’s horse on the side there. All options are open for her. Ryan Moore was pretty insistent that she went to the Nunthorpe, but the Flying Five has always been the plan. There’s enough time for her to do both. She will govern whether we do that, if she’s alright it would be no surprise – it’s only 12 days ago that she won the Group Two in Ireland. She takes her racing so well.”
FIRSTS FOR HENRY AND BILLY
Henry
and jockey
enjoyed their first visits to Goodwood on Saturday as they teamed up to win the Gr2 Qatar
Langtry Stakes with Term Of Endearment.
de Bromhead
Billy Lee
Lillie
Term Of Endearment made a successful comeback at York in May, when Night Sparkle and River Of Stars filled the places, and today Carmel Acheson’s mare confirmed her superiority over those rivals.
Term Of Endearment returned at 15/2 after taking the lead a furlong out, with Night Sparkle going down by a three-quarters of a length in second and River Of Stars the same distance back in third. Free Wind, the 11/4 favourite, finished last of the eight runners.
De Bromhead said: “It is my first runner here –we’ve had a lovely time, we’ve been well looked after and we’re having a great day. “I am not sure I ever go anywhere with confidence, but Term Of Endearment had won a couple of Group Threes, so it seemed like the natural progression. She is probably settling much better, so we can ride her closer to the pace.
Before, we always felt she needed soft ground, but I think that was more to bring out her stamina. I was concerned about the ground here today, but she seemed to love it.
“All options are open. She’s in the Irish St Leger and I think there is a nice race at York, so we’ll see.”
Billy Lee said: “Term Of Endearment has done it well. She jumped nicely and got me into a good rhythm the whole way. It’s my first time here but I was following Oisin – I tracked him through and this filly picked up well down the hill.
“My only worry was this is the quickest ground she has been on, but she cruised into the race. I was probably there a bit too soon, but I knew that she would stay and she is as fit as a flea from Henry’s. I committed and, to be fair, she galloped all the way to the line. As in York, she just drifted left a bit, but I had no worries and she wasn’t going to stop.
“I think she is maybe improving. She handled that ground really well and even a step up to two miles might not be out of her reach. It would be nice to see how far she can go.
“We are getting a break from Galway today, so that’s not a bad thing. It actually rode straightforward here – it’s a unique track and some horses take to it. Thank God, she did.”
Andrew Balding said of Night Sparkle: “I am very pleased – she has run a great race. She has put in three really good efforts this year and deserves to win a Stakes race at some stage. She’s got York options, so we’ll have a look. Top of the ground is important to her.”
River Of Stars’ trainer Ralph Beckett said: “She ran very well. I think they go quicker in threemile chases, don’t they?! She ran a sound race and we’re pleased with her. We will wait for the Park Hill, probably.”
APPLEBY, MURPHY AND COOLMORE TAKE GLORIOUS GOODWOOD TITLES
Appleby remarkably recorded four wins, a second and two thirds from his seven runners across the meeting, including taking Friday’s Gr2 King George Qatar Stakes with star sprinter Big Evs.
Kitai made virtually all to take Tuesday’s HKJC World Pool British EBF Fillies’ Handicap, while Big Mojo flew home to win the Gr3 JaegerLeCoultre Molecomb Stakes 24 hours later, a race in which stable-mate Mr Lightside finished third.
Shagraan scored in Thursday’s Buccellati Handicap and the trainer sent out Billyjoh to
place twice over the week, including taking third in Saturday’s Coral Stewards’ Cup.
Aidan O’Brien also sent out four winners from his select team of runners but was edged out due to Appleby’s superior record of placed horses. O’Brien’s four wins, headlined by Kyprios in the Gr1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup and Opera Singer in the Gr1 Qatar Nassau Stakes, were all for Coolmore Partnerships, helping them claim the leading owner prize narrowly from Wathnan Racing.
Appleby said: “It is great for everyone concerned – the whole yard, and all the owners
A sensational 2024 Qatar Goodwood Festival for Mick Appleby saw the Oakham handler receive the top trainer award for the first time.
Ed Arkell presenting the award to Mick Appleby | Credit: Goodwood Racecourse
who support us. I never dreamt we’d be able to do it here. I love Goodwood – I prefer it to Royal Ascot! I love it down here. The horses are running well and we keep getting better quality horses – it’s all down to the owners who support the yard, and long may it continue.
“I couldn’t have imagined it coming into the week. We were confident Big Evs would probably win but were not so confident about the others. We knew Big Mojo was pretty decent at home, but to come to the races and do it is a different matter.
“We’ve been able to show what we can do. Big Evs was definitely the highlight and it’s been a great week for everybody to do it at Glorious Goodwood. I would imagine there will be a party for the team next week.”
Oisin Murphy collected the prize for top jockey at the Qatar Goodwood Festival for the first time thanks to four wins, including a dramatic dead-heat on Spell Master in Saturday’s sevenfurlong British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden.
Jouncy won the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden over a furlong shorter on the opening day, while the jockey posted a double on Friday with Toimy Son in the Coral Golden Mile and Assailant in the Coral Play Racing-Super-Series For Free Handicap.
Murphy’s seven second places over the week saw him deny Ryan Moore, who partnered all four of the Coolmore/O’Brien wins and did not ride at the meeting on Friday and Saturday.
Murphy said: “I was very fortunate that Ryan Moore had to go to America – he rode four winners in three days, and it has taken me five days to ride four winners. I don’t know how many seconds I had – I know I had three today –so it was very fortunate that that Spell Master got up. Seconds are very painful and most of them were for Andrew Balding, so thank you to him and his team, and apologies that I didn’t win on more of them.
“I was second behind Ryan Moore as leading jockey at Royal Ascot, and it is nice to be the leading rider here. Thank you to Goodwood; they do a marvellous job, and the clerk of the course, Ed Arkell, has done a fantastic team job with his ground all week, so top marks.”
RACHEL BATTING FOR REST OF THE WORLD!
South African Rachel Venniker, multiple Classic winner Seamie Heffernan, teenage sensation Billy Loughnane, and French Group 1 winner Marie Vélon are among the 12 jockeys today confirmed to ride in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup this Saturday, 10th August.
Nine countries will be represented by the jockeys across the four teams while new ground is broken this year with an equal number of male and female jockeys for the first time in the history of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup.
Vélon, the first French female jockey to win a French Group 1 race with her victory in the 2022 Prix Royal-Oak, will join the Ladies’ team which is captained by the legendary Hayley Turner, making a record-extending 17th appearance in the competition. The team is completed by Saffie Osborne whose final race heroics secured the title for the Ladies last year.
The Rest of the World team will be captained by Australian-based five-time Group 1 winner Rachel King, and will also feature Japanese rider Nanako Fujita. She made her Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup debut in 2019 and became the first female JRA jockey to compete in a Group 1 when doing so the same year. South African jockey Rachel Venniker, successful in over 250 races already at the age of just 23, completes the line-up.
Bauryzhan Murzabayev, from Kazakhstan and a four-time champion Flat jockey in Germany, captains the European team and he will be joined by Italian Alberto Sanna, who has ridden over 400 winners, including the 2000 Guineas in his native Italy twice in 2021 and 2022. Spaniard Jose-Luis Borrego, victorious in Classics in his home country and having ridden nearly 500 career winners, also makes his
debut in the competition.
The Great Britain & Ireland team, led by Dubai World Cup-winning jockey Tadgh O’Shea, will see Loughnane make his Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup debut as the 18-year-old’s meteoric rise continued with his first two victories at Royal Ascot in June. Loughnane’s youth will be combined with Heffernan’s experience, the 52-year-old bringing over 1,000 career victories, including both the Derby and the Oaks at Epsom.
A record £500,000 will be available in prize money across the six race programme with prize money paid down to 10th in each race. £25,000 in stable bonuses is also available split between the three leading yards.
After racing, Sugababes will headline a concert line-up, curated by The Cambridge Club, which also includes Ministry of Sound Ibiza Anthems ft. Ellie Sax, Scouting For Girls, and a DJ set from Denise Van Outen.
Nick Smith, Director of Racing and Public Affairs at Ascot Racecourse said: “We are thrilled with the line-up this year for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup which has a really strong international flavour with nine countries represented.
“To have secured some top-class jockeys, including the star of the moment Billy Loughnane, and international Group 1 winning jockeys Rachel King and Marie Vélon is
testament to the strength of the event. The Ladies’ team has proven incredibly successful, both on the track and with our racegoers, so
we’re delighted to be able to invite three more female jockeys to the Rest of the World team this year.”
DAN DE WET
– A CHAMPION HUMAN BEING
Fond tributes and a spirit of genuine collegial admiration and respect have poured in from across the length and breadth of the South African horseracing and breeding industry as news filtered through that a breeder of champions, Dan de Wet, a man described as a romanticist, poet and philosopher, had succumbed to motor neurone disease on Tuesday 30 July 2024.
A charismatic horseman, food and wine connoisseur, and a family man with a lusty passion for life, the Montagu-born Dan de Wet would have been 71 on 27 August.
Born to Paulie and Sadie de Wet on 27 August 1953, Dan grew up in the beautiful surrounds of Zandvliet Stud and went on to matriculate at the Diocesan College.
After completing his national service in the Navy, he studied animal husbandry and viticulture at Elsenburg.
Dan spent 6 months learning the tricks of the trade with Christie Grassick at Coolmore Stud, notably getting to watch The Minstrel win the Epsom Derby, before joining Dad Paul on Zandvliet stud in 1977.
Dan de Wet – a remarkable guy: 27 August 1953 - 30 July 2024 | Credit: Supplied
Zandvliet was as much a part of the De Wet family history as it was of the history of our country.
In 1695 Jacobus de Wet arrived from Amsterdam as an official of The Dutch East India Company where he became the cellar master.
Zandvliet was proclaimed and named as a 5000 morgan entity by the Cape Colonial Government.
In 1870 the scenic farm was purchased by JS De Wet (Dan’s great- grandfather) who divided the property between two sons during the latter part of the 1890’s.
This was the birth of Excelsior (Stephen, Freddie and Veronica de Wet (Foulkes), Prospect (Malcolm and later Louis de Wet) and Zandvliet (Paul Johannes). Dan and his brother Paul were fourth generation.
His Dad Paul acquired shares in the stallions Grassgreen and L’Aretin (the first sires to be syndicated in South Africa) and in 1952, with his cousins Chris and Malcolm de Wet, Paulie took the progressive step of importing a son of Hyperion, Double Eclipse, who had finished third in the Derby (Double Eclipse was later sold to America).
During the early 50’s and 60’s, with booming agriculture and, believe it or not, a strong Rand, it was the order of the day for local breeders to shop at the Newmarket sales in England.
With the assistance of BBA’s Keith Freeman (and the proceeds of the sale of Double Eclipse), Paul de Wet imported a number of well-bred mares. Added to shrewd purchases from local farms he carefully built a band of high-class mares including Inverlassie, Filcar, Miazzina and Popcorn that went on to establish
some of Zandvliet’s important foundation families.
In 1954 Noble Chieftain (Nearco) was jointly acquired with Malcolm de Wet. He was a Champion Sire for three consecutive seasons, Champion Broodmare Sire and gave the stud access to every avenue of the breeding industry.
The first yearlings were offered at the Witwatersrand Agricultural Society during 1954 and here Gallican realised 500gns and later won 10 races for Reggie Passmore.
When Prospect’s Chris and Malcolm dispersed their breeding stock, Paulie purchased their interests in Noble Chieftain as well as a number of select mares, including the wonderful Sailor Beware II.
Noble Chieftain was an unmitigated success – he was named champion sire for three consecutive seasons as well as being Champion Broodmare Sire – and his success helped the stud become a major branch of the farming operation at Zandvliet.
Zandvliet – a part of a rich history | Credit: Supplied
Paul de Wet’s philosophy was there was only one way, and that was the right way!
The vines had to be planted exactly, and the horses fed only the best home-grown lucerne, and the best grade oats were imported from Freddie Duckitt in Darling.
The first yearlings were offered at the Witwatersrand Agricultural Society during
1954 where Gallican realised 500gns and later won 10 races for Reggie Passmore. Zandvliet produced exceptionally handsome-looking stock and with this strict attention to detail, Paulie won the coveted Gold Cup for the best turned out yearling at the Rand Easter Sales no less than four times.
Zandvliet produced a number of very good horses and some of the early big names include Roderick (1964 Queen’s Plate), his full brother Caradoc (Summer Cup, Gold Cup and Champion Stakes), Goldwater, Home Truth, Don Cossack, Cornice, Davy Jones and Peter Beware (Queen’s Plate and 1969 Metropolitan Stakes, which he won in Paulie’s silks).
During their time together, the father and son team produced the likes of Smackeroo, Moccasin, Harry Hill, Susan’s Dream, Amberlad, Coolstar, Bloodline Million winner Fast Gun, and their second J&B Met winner, Wild West in 1986.
Paulie passed away in 2000 and Dan stepped in seamlessly, with the likes of Swartland, Vertical Takeoff, and of course, the incomparable Pocket Power, carrying the Zandvliet flag.
The Pocket Power story began when Dan purchased Stormsvlei, a daughter of Prince Florimund at the 1998 Natal Broodmare Sale at Summerhill Stud.
He told the Sporting Post in an interview some years ago that she was an averagelooking mare, but what attracted him, he said, was the genetic make-up of her pedigree, because it was compatible with a host of top stallions.
The 12-year-old was in foal to Damascus Gate and Dan procured her for a bargain R20 000 from the now late Henry Devine.
Paulie de Wet | Credit: Supplied
Stormsvlei duly produced a filly christened Stokkiesbaai, but she was born with a cleft palate and had to be destroyed as a yearling.
Next, she visited Western Winter and produced Snow in Summer (later renamed Maximum Break) who was a beautiful yearling and sold for 160k to Ian Veldman. Maximum Break became a 4-time winner before retiring to stud. Stormsvlei’s 2000 colt, Stormberg, by Freedom Land ran for Pietie Giliomee and co and notched up 8 wins.
Patricia and the late Henry Devine’s Jet Master stood his first season at stud in 2001.
With his great performance record and being a wonderfully good-looking horse into the
bargain, Dan was convinced that Jet Master simply had to make it and faithfully sent him four mares right from the very start.
To add to his conviction, Dan is a keen student of Tesio and says the programme ‘did a double somersault’ when he entered a proposed mating between Jet Master and Stormsvlei.
The bay colt that was to change lives arrived at 02h00 on Saturday 28 September 2002.
As Stormsvlei hadn’t produced anything of note at that point, Dan said there wasn’t too much excitement at the time, but he remembered that the guinea fowl were especially noisy that morning as if they were celebrating something special.
Zandvliet’s first Met winner, Peter Beware | Credit: Supplied
Pocket Power caught the eye of Mike Bass at the 2004 Grand West Yearling Sale and the hammer fell at R190 000.
The rest is modern SA turf history.
There is a small postscript to the story in that Dan sent Stormsvlei back to Jet Master in 2002, but then sold the mare – carrying the filly River Jetez – for a mere R12 000.
He told us at the time that he obviously regretted selling her.
“She was a 16-year-old mare, she hadn’t done much, and I thought I would move on. Breeders sell horses like her – it’s something we do – and I can remember my Dad selling Tivoli when she was carrying Beau Art.” Such are the vagaries of breeding!
Speaking on behalf of the Avontuur team, General Manager Pippa Mickleburgh said that they will be forever grateful to Dan de Wet, breeder of their wonderful matriarch River Jetez.
“River was a champion in her own right. Dan always had a cheeky smile and loved his horses. The stories over a glass of red wine
were legendary. He was a family man to the core. We will all miss him but are relieved he is now pain free,” added Pippa.
A friend of Dan de Wet from his primary school days, Robertson breeder Duncan Barry of Riverton Stud, also a product of Bishops, said that Dan epitomized all of the very best that friendship meant to all of us.
“My parents George and Philippa were friends of his folks, Paulie and Sadie. I am a few years younger than Dan, and fondly recall the carefree days running wild on the beautiful Zandvliet lawns. Dan and I remained friends for life,” added Duncan, who said that he had visited his friend in Hermanus two months ago.
“I walked in and Dan greeted me with a smile and reminded me about a funny story of about nineteen years ago, when we attended a Captain Al Syndicate meeting in Franschhoek. He had just won the SA Freshman sire title.”
Duncan said that he had taken a lift with Dan, but he was promoted to dedicated driver at around 18h30 as the ‘lunch’ continued and the wine flowed.
“I agreed to drive. As we went around the corner, I attempted to change gears. But it was an automatic and my hitting the brake saw Dan’s head shatter the windscreen.
Jet Master (Rakeen – Jet Lightning) | Credit: Supplied
There was no serious injury and Dan said he’d tell Kosie (his wife) that a guinea fowl had caused the damage. A few days later, the guy fitting the new windscreen asked how it had happened that the guinea fowl started out inside the car! We had a good laugh all over again. Dan was a legend. He will be sadly missed,” added the veteran.
Klawervlei’s John Koster, who did his apprenticeship at Zandvliet, told the Sporting Post that Dan de Wet was a romanticist, a poet and philosopher.
“He had an enormous passion for nature, for tilling the soil, for breeding high class thoroughbreds, fishing, for the preparation of and eating delectable food and relishing fine wines. He cherished and adored his friends
and family. In short – Dan loved and lived every aspect of life on this earth. Until we meet again, Danny,” said an emotional John.
Beaumont Stud’s Anton Shepherd said his good friend would be sadly missed.
“In Ireland he was known as Danny de Vito. Dan was truly one of the most colourful people in our industry, always great value , with a great sense of humour. He was a gentleman and
never, never, boring! As we used to say, being normal is overrated! My deepest sympathies to Dan’s family,” said Anton.
Speaking on behalf of Mike, Carol and Mark Bass, and the whole Bass Racing Team, Candice Bass-Robinson said that Dan De Wet will always be remembered by the Bass family for the countless, wonderful memories they spent together re-living Pocket Powers’ great achievements.
“Dan was a passionate and astute horseman who was respected greatly by his peers. Dan had a knack of producing brilliant horses like Pocket, Hammies Hooker, Smackeroo, River Jerez and Peter Beware, amongst many others through the generations. He hails from a family steeped in history and a heritage of producing and breeding champion horses and fine wines from their Zandvliet Wine estate. Many bottles of his finest shiraz were shared together over some good laughs with My Dad and our family and he will never be forgotten. His dry sense of humour and love for his children will always be admired and remembered by us all, and we send our heartfelt and our sincerest condolences to his family,” concluded Candice.
Having been part of the South African racing and breeding landscape since 1870, Dan announced in 2015 that Zandvliet Stud was closing its doors on a large portion of South African racing and breeding history.
The new owners did not continue with breeding and Dan quipped philosophically at the time that ‘all things come to an end’. He registered a new operation by the name of Heritage Stud.
Dan is survived by his former wife of 38 years, Kosie and four grown-up children, Jeanne, Sadie (who is expecting in September), Emma and Daniel, and a grandchild, Anna.
Dan (in his trademark white hat) third from left, after Pocket Power’s Met win in 2007 | Credit: Supplied
Dan met Kosie when they were 16 and 9 respectively.
He once shared with the Sporting Post that he told Kosie he would marry her when she was nine.
“She told me to wait 12 years. I waited!” he said affectionately.
Kosie, who farms chicken and eggs with her son Daniel outside Swellendam, told the Sporting Post on Friday that the age story recounted by Dan, is in actual fact, true!
While Dan was a role model and mentor to many, he always held his Dad Paul in the highest regard.
“Dad was a master salesman and dedicated horseman. He was my role model. Then I admired Willie Jooste, who was stud manager during my youth. He was a precisionist and loyal to the bone. I remember Simon, who was stockman at Zandvliet in the early years. He was amazing and could identify the mares in the dark of night!” he recounted in a chat years ago.
And another! Pocket Power’s connections celebrate the 2008 J&B Met win – Dan is in white suit, third from right
Credit: Supplied
River Jetez – 2010 Met winner | Credit: Supplied
Dan de Wet was an entertainer and a social man of repute.
He told us that fresh West Coast Oysters wrapped with Smoked Norwegian Salmon is the most ‘decadent starter’ that one could eat.
To that he added fresh fried Hermanus plaat Steenbras as an entrẻe and AB Sirloin Steak, medium rare, with large grilled black mushrooms and baked potato, dripping with butter, and topped with sour cream and hot English mustard.
His favourite dop was a gin and tonic, crushed ice, a slice of lemon and a twig of mint at 12h00 that is only once the boeing had gone over, before lunch on a Sunday!
He told the Sporting Post that French Champagne’ must be the closest thing to mother’s milk and he also enjoyed a Zandvliet Kalkveld Shiraz, 2008.
Dan’s favourite sport was rugby, ‘until they screwed it up’, as he lamented to the Sporting Post. He loved cricket in all forms, as well as women’s tennis and athletics.
He enjoyed the music of the 60’s-80’s. His favourites included the Beatles, Rodriguez, Joe Cocker, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tom Sawyer, Roy Orbison, Queen, and even Shakira.
Chatting once about the export protocols and the likelihood of them changing the landscape in South Africa, Dan suggested we listen to John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’.
We could never do justice to a character and legend like Dan de Wet in the space of a story.
His memory will live for generations in the lives of his family and friends, and the great bloodlines that first saw the light of day at Zandvliet.
Dan’s folks, Paulie and Sadie de Wet | Credit: Supplied
A memorial service will be held in Dan de Wet’s memory on Friday 9 August 2024 at 14h00 at the United Church, Hermanus.
A celebration of his life will follow at 7 Poole Street, Hermanus.
RIP Dan.
For further information –please email: jeanne.vanzyl@multichoice.com or sadiedewet@gmail.com
CHIEF STIPE PASSES AWAY
A former Racing Control Executive of the National Horseracing Authority of SA, and
a man of many years experience in horseracing policing, David McGillivray passed away late last week.
Born in Mongu, Zambia, David Hugh McGillivray grew up in the country of his birth, as well as in Zimbabwe and Ireland. He was educated at Midleton College, County Cork, Ireland.
McGillivray first joined the NHRA, then known as the Jockey Club, in 1987 when taking up a position in Gqeberha before moving to Durban and then Johannesburg.
The Sporting Post reported in 1994 that David McGillivray, then chairman of the Gauteng stipendiary board, had cracked down on trainers taking liniments and suchlike into the security areas at racecourses. Jockey Club rules prohibited any substances being taken
into the security areas and McGillivray warned that he intended to enforce the rule strictly after two trainers were found rubbing substances on their horses’ legs before races.
He took up a position in Malaysia in 1996 and returned for a stint in Cape Town in 2006, before going back to Malaysia in 2009.
His stipendiary roles in Malaysia and Singapore included the senior position of Professional Racing Steward.
He returned to South Africa in early 2013 and joined the NHRA Management team as Racing Control Executive on 1 March 2013
His earlier stints included spells as Chairman of both the Central Provinces and the Western Cape Stipendiary Boards.
McGillivray proved an innovative breath of fresh air introducing numerous controls and adding impetus to service delivery in various areas at the NHRA.
We recall that he was also a refreshingly transparent source of information for the media – an area in which the NHRA had never covered itself in glory to that point.
He eventually resigned from his position here as Racing Executive in January 2015, before departing again for overseas.
David McGillivray held the position of Chief Stipendiary Steward, PNTC & PRTC, at the Malayan Racing Association.
The Sporting Post extends condolences to his family and friends at this sad time.
KERRIN WAS BRAVE TO THE END
Our thoughts are with jockey Gareth Wright and his daughter Alexi-Lee and their family after the tragic and sad news of the passing of beloved Mom and Wife Kerrin, after an
illness, on Saturday.Our words cannot express the sadness that we feel and we wish the families all strength at this very sad time.
TRAINERS
JOCKEYS
SIRES
