MUIS…MAGIC!
On the cover
At the age of 70, eleven-times SA Champion jockey Michael ‘Muis’ Roberts continues to devote his life to horse racing and was honoured for the 35th consecutive year at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday, where he also saddled the winner of the final race on the card. We chatted to the living legend – see more on page 12. Candiese Lenferna took the photograph.
GELUK, OOM ANDRIES!
It was good to see Craig Bantam guide Lucky Rocket to a 66-1 win at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth last Saturday for veteran trainer Andries Steyn. In 1984 Andries started out with 14 boxes that he took over from Willie Kleb on the site of the old Makro, later taking over the Alec Soteriadis yard where the Milnerton Mediclinic stands now. Andries later gave some of his empty boxes to Eric Sands, when he was starting out. When the old stables had to make way for development, Andries moved to the new block on Koeberg Road, training from the area once occupied by Joey Ramsden, which, if we recall, Candice Bass-Robinson then took over. Andries is now in his own facility. Chase Liebenberg took the rare photograph of the stalwart.
DON’T MISS IT! WSB CAPE TOWN MET FINAL FIELD THIS EVENING
The final field for the 163rd renewal of the R5 million World Sports Betting Gr1 Cape Town Met will be unveiled at 18h15 this evening.
The stream will be available on Cape Racing’s YouTube channel and will also be broadcast live on Gallop TV.
The announcement will end months of speculation and debate as we then look
forward to the official public gallops on Thursday 16 January, and count the days down to the big raceday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday 25 January.
The R1,5 million HKJC World Pool Gr1 Cape Flying Championship and R1 million Maine Chance Farms Gr1 Majorca Stakes head a sparkling undercard.
It was in the year 1792 that the noble thoroughbred first stepped ashore in the fairest Cape; the first of the breed to land on the African continent and the beginning of what has become one of the biggest industries in the land.
Glen Hatt and River Jetez en route to a victory in the 2010 J&B Met | Credit: Supplied
The Cape of Good Hope was the birthplace of racing in South Africa with Lord Charles Somerset playing a major role in the establishment and development of the sport in the region.
The first recorded race, the Turf Club Purse, was run on Green Point Common on Monday, September 18, 1797, and won by the five-yearold Zemman Shaw.
The race was organised by the African Turf Club – later to become the South African Turf Club then the Western Province Racing Club, Gold Circle Western Cape and in the modern
era, Cape Racing, which boasts as its flagship event, the R5 million World Sports Betting Gr1 Cape Town Met.
The first recorded winner of the Metropolitan Mile, as it was originally known in 1883, was Sir Hercules and, while the race had a chequered existence for many years in the early 1900’s, by the 1960’s it was firmly established as one of the ‘big three’ races in South Africa along with the Grade 1 contests we now know as the Hollywoodbets Durban July, and the original Summer Handicap in Gauteng, which is run today as the Betway Summer Cup.
The venue then – today we know it as Hollywoodbets Kenilworth | Credit: Supplied
SEAN VEALE TEAMS UP WITH HOLLYWOOD RACING
New retained rider Sean Veale with Hollywood Racing Manager, Anthony Delpech | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Enjoying the best season of his twenty two year career in the saddle, Grade 1-winning rider Sean Veale has been contracted by Hollywood Racing as their first retained jockey.
The 38 year old Cape Town-born lightweight has maintained an industrious work-rate since a flying start to the current season and told the Sporting Post on Tuesday that the Hollywood Racing opportunity had come at ‘the perfect time’.
“I am honoured to have been given the vote of confidence by South African horseracing’s most progressive team of passionate horse loving people. Given the growth and success of their operation, what a humbling privilege it is for me to have been granted the opportunity,” he enthused, pointing out the ‘synergy and timing’ of Hollywood Racing’s first winner Splendid Night on 13 March 2002, and his personal career first success on Emmency at Clairwood, just five months later on 15 August.
The father of two is known as one of the hardest working riders around and showed his maturity and ability with a polished tactical ride on Imilenzeyokududuma for Hollywood Racing in the Michael Roberts Stakes on Sunday. The performance had former senior jockey Gavin van Zyl drawing parallels with the legendary eleven-times SA champion Michael Roberts!
“The value of having an experienced jockey in the team to provide feedback and who can get to know the individual quirks and traits of our horses cannot be underestimated, and we felt it was a good time, given the growth and diversity of our string nationally, to retain a jockey. Sean Veale has ridden many winners for us and he ticked the boxes in terms of his work ethic, experience and enthusiasm. We welcome him to the Hollywood Racing team and wish him every success,” said Hollywood Racing Manager Anthony Delpech.
Veale, who has focussed on KZN and the Cape, with stints in the Eastern Cape, is currently at fifth position on the SA national log with 64 winners at a strike-rate of 14,3%. He will continue to ride under the Sporting Post banner.
The SA Jockey Academy graduate has had his ups and downs, but has always bounced back from the injury challenges with fearless resolve, even after a shocking fall in October 2023 at Hollywoodbets Durbanville when he fractured his jaw and nose.
The former Capetonian lives by the ‘happy wife, happy life’ credo, with Maxine and their energysapping young sons, Cody and Troy, keeping him busy away from the rigours of racing.
MUIS THE ACE CAN SEE IT AGAIN
Michael Roberts rode his only Met winner fifty years ago and returns to the scene of his maiden Grade 1 success as a trainer on Saturday 25 January in a bid to win the Cape showpiece again – this time as a trainer.
Michael Roberts and Rachel Venniker ended the raceday on a high, courtesy of Northern Warrior’s good win | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
For those old enough to remember, Captain & Tennille’s smash hit ‘Love Will Keep Us Together’ was topping the charts in a time now mostly long forgotten. ‘Muis’, as the living legend is fondly known, steered the Cyril Rickaby-trained champion Sledgehammer to victory in the then Benson & Hedges Metropolitan on 18 January 1975, beating present-day Summerveld neighbour Garth Puller on Elevation by 2,25 lengths.
Fast forward to Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on 25 February 2023 and Piere Strydom brought See It Again through with a pulsating finish to beat local champion Charles Dickens and win the SplashOut Gr1 Cape Derby.
That was a momentous moment for the 70 year old trainer, who became the first KZN trainer since Dennis Drier who saddled The Sheik in 2000 to win the historic classic.
Muis now looks to repeat the Grade 1 achievement with the same horse and jockey in the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met on 25 January.
Talking to the Sporting Post after his raceday at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday, Muis said that See It Again’s L’Ormarins King’s Plate effort could be ignored as he had rapped a joint.
“We have got him back to himself now and it makes sense to go for the Met again. He ran fourth behind Double Superlative last year and Piere (Strydom) naturally knows him very well.”
Interestingly, the two champions have only won the Met once each. Muis , as we already mentioned, in 1975 on Sledgehammer, while Striker won on Angus in the Plattner silks back in 2003. They certainly, with respect, would be the combined oldest-trainer jockey combination in recent living memory to lift the silverware next Saturday!
Talking to the Sporting Post last Sunday, after saddling Northern Warrior to win the final race on his tribute raceday, the eleven-times SA champion recalled that the first running of the Hollywoodbets
Scottsville feature named in his honour was in 1990, when won by Toorak.
Dawson Trail won the Michael Roberts Handicap in 1992, the year he became only the sixth nonBritish or Irish jockey to land the UK Flat Racing Jockeys’ Championship, having ridden 206 winners during the season.
He recalls having won his own race five times – three as a jockey and twice as a trainer. He saddled West Coast Gold to win in 2008 and followed up in 2009 with the Australian-bred Tropical Empire.
“It’s a great honour and I appreciate the acknowledgement and tradition that has well and truly stood the test of time,” added Muis as the only recipient of an annual raceday in South Africa.
Michael Roberts – the young champion jockey
TWICE THE FUN!
Klawervlei Stud’s proven Gr1 sire Twice Over (Observatory) continues to produce the winners and he struck again with two more winners over last weekend.
Twice Over’s first success came when his son Repetition won the first race at Fairview on Friday. That Justin Snaith trained three-yearold, making his first start at Fairview, came from a long way back to win the Welcome To Nelson Mandela Bay Open Maiden (2400m) convincingly.
Under Craig Zackey, Repetition powered home down the centre of the track before going on to score by a length and a half. Bred by Normandy Stud, the lightly raced Repetition races for Bjorn Nielsen.
His four time Gr1 winning sire had more success at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday, where Twice Over gelding Licence To
The Michael Miller trained four-year-old powered home, under Tristan Godden, to claim the Germany B Stakes (1200m) by just over three parts of a length.
Bred by Waterford Stud, the Sterling Miller and Ben Sahd owned gelding has won three times thus far, with Licence To Thrill having finished second, third or fourth in his three races prior to Sunday’s win. Twice Over went close to having a double on Sunday with his son Last One Standing finishing second in the fourth race at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.
Champion Twice Over, who finished first, second or third in 11 Gr1 races, is a proven source of class, with his star progeny including such Gr1 winners as Do It Again, See It Again, Double Superlative and Sand And Sea.
Thrill won the fifth race on the card.
The magnificent Twice Over | Credit: Supplied
SIR HENRY CECIL –CHAMPION 10 TIMES!
Perhaps one of the most famous racehorse trainers known for his dominance in flat racing and association with Frankel the wonder horse, Sir Henry Cecil didn’t always have it good.
Crowned Champion Trainer a whopping 10 times, he trained 25 domestic Classic winners and was noted for his mastery at Royal Ascot where he trained 75 winners.
Despite his success, he experienced a dramatic fall from grace. A fall-out with Sheikh Mohammed and the loss of many ownerbreeders with whom he’d had long-standing relationships saw him encounter a period in the wilderness.
His racing operation struggled, and business problems coupled with ill health meant he didn’t train a Group 1 winner in any race between July 2000 and October 2006. He saddled just 12 winners overall in 2005, with his
stable being supported almost exclusively by the loyalty of Prince Khaled bin Abdullah.
A win in the 2007 Oaks marked a return to form for Cecil’s stable, with Light Shift becoming his 24th English Classic winner. From here, progress was steady, until the 2011 season when he achieved 55 winners, his best season for 10 years. Frankel was one of the main reasons for his success, winning many top races including the Dewhurst Stakes and Royal Lodge Stakes in 2010, 2000 Guineas, Sussex Stakes, and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 2011, and Queen Anne Stakes, International Stakes, and Champion Stakes in 2012.
Described as “The best horse we’ve ever seen”, Frankel, now a champion sire, ensured Cecil’s life finished with a flourish. Rolling back the years to the good old days, Cecil’s stable made one of the greatest comebacks ever.
DYNASTY GELDING IN HOT FORM
Sean Veale steers Imilenzeyokududuma to victory as Narina Trogon (Tristan Godden) chases, with Muzi Yeni arriving too late on Royal Victory | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
The Gareth van Zyl yard are in rich form both at home and down in the Cape, and the Summerveld team pulled off a feature double for Hollywood Racing as the Dynasty gelding Imilenzeyokududuma followed up on his Listed Christmas Handicap victory with a smooth win in Sunday’s R200 000 non-black type Michael Roberts Stakes at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.
Gareth van Zyl has now saddled the Hollywood Racing Team’s first two feature successes of 2025, Sunday;s win coming just a week after Asiye Phambili won the Cartier Gr2 Sceptre Stakes on King’s Plate day. The Van Zyl family also provide Hollywood Racing with their final feature success of 2024 when Imilenzeyokududuma won the Listed Christmas Handicap at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the Day Of Goodwill public holiday.
That glorious year-ender capped a ‘purple patch’ as it came just weeks after Asiye Phambili won the World Sports Betting Gr3 Southern Cross Stakes.
Van Zyl coincidentally also gave the purple team their 600th winner on African soil when Luhamba Phambili won the Need For Speed Sprint, back in November
But back to Sunday’s action. The Michael Roberts tribute feature and raceday is one of the longest running of its kind in South Africa and is now in its 35th year, having been won by Toorak at the inaugural running in January 1990.
Sean Veale steers Imilenzeyokududuma to victory as Narina Trogon pops his head into the frame, and Muzi Yeni arrives too late on Royal Victory (Pic – Candiese Lerena)
Nathan Kotzen’s dual Grade 1 winner Royal Victory looked the class and was well in at the weights to resume winning ways on Sunday. But the gelding didn’t enjoy the best of luck in running as Sporting Post-sponsored rider Sean Veale showed his tactical acumen, not giving an inch, keeping Muzi Yeni and the son of Pathfork out of his own keenly guarded position on the inside, early on.
In the run for home, Celtic Beauty relinquished her lead to Mexican Pete, whose effort was
shortlived, as Imilenzeyokududuma started unwinding from midfield.
Under a balanced ride by Veale, Imilenzeyokududuma (9-2) went on strongly to beat Narina Trogon (33-1) by 0,80 lengths in a time of 105,07 secs for the 1750m on the inside track.
The class act, and 33-20 favourite, Royal Victory stayed on late for third a further half length back, with Mrs Mary Liley’s good filly Celtic Beauty (10-1) doggedly staying on the same distance further back in fourth.
“That was a tactically outstanding ride,” waxed assistant trainer Gavin van Zyl in crediting Veale, saying that it was as good a ride as the master Muis Roberts would have delivered.
Imilenzeyokududuma, who is a different horse after his break at the start of this season with Nicole Wille and the Hollywood Life After Racing Team, was bred by Ridgemont and is a son of the top farm’s late champion Dynasty (Fort Wood) out of the three-time winning High Chaparral mare Chevauchee.
A R400 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale graduate, the 6yo gelding is loving his racing and has won 7 races with 9 places from 25 starts and stakes of R745 600.
Imilenzeyokududuma was named after Hollywoodbets brand ambassador Jerry Sikhosana, an Orlando Pirates legend who scored the winning goal in the 1995 African Cup of Champions Clubs Final.
Sikhosana’s nickname during his playing career was ‘Legs Of Thunder’, hence the Xhosa translation, Imilenzeyokududuma.
CALL THE BOMB SQUAD!
Friendless in the betting, the Garth Puller-trained Captain Bombshell carried too many guns for his old rival William Robertson in Sunday’s R200 000 African Holly Stakes at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.
With his trainer enjoying a well-deserved break in Sri Lanka and having his final run before export to Mauritius, Captain Bombshell (33-1) was always in the mix under SplashOut-sponsored jockey Siphesishle Hlengwa and got first run on the 6-10 favourite to beat the accomplished Highveld raider by 0,40 lengths in a time of 62,53 secs for the 1100m straight.
Sun Blushed (13-2) stayed on for third, with the consistent mare Shipholia (14-1) rounding off the quartet.
The twelve-time winning William Robertson has a habit of successfully raiding the KZN Capital City and ironically it was just under a year ago that Captain Bombshell won the Marula Stakes at the same track – his scalp was again William Robertson!
The Haras del Carmo-bred Captain Bombshell races for Ramraj Chintalloo and is a son of Captain Of All (Captain Al) out of the two-time winning Elusive Fort mare, Bombshell Girl.
The 5yo departs SA having won 5 races with 7 places from 24 starts for stakes of R502 875.
Captain Bombshell storms clear under Siphesihle Hlengwe in his last run on African soil | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Tristan Godden has the favourite Comic Relief in charge to make it 2 from 2 | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
MILLER’S 1,2,3
Racing in KwaZulu-Natal went ahead at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday after two abandoned racemeetings over the past week and the card opened with a popular result as the Querari filly Comic Relief maintained her unbeaten record to win the R300 000 non-black type KZN Futurity Plate.
Trainer Mike Miller held a strong hand in the opener, and it was hardly surprising to see the Summerveld conditioner saddle the trifecta, with his trio of debut-winning fillies in the stable’s quartet of runners going 1-2-3.
After the field split into two groups, Sporting Post-sponsored jockey Tristan Godden steered the 5-10 Comic Relief from the inside pack to a smart second win over the grey Pomdoro daughter Captains Envy (10-1) by 0,80 lengths in a time of 57,72 secs for the straight 1000m.
Another Querari daughter in Siesta Sunset (17-2) ran 2,30 lengths back in third.
Raced by the trainer’s son Sterling Miller, Comic Relief was was bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, and is out of the Ideal World mare What Fun.
Comic Relief was a R225 000 buy from the 2024 National Yearling Sale and her two wins takes her stakes earned – without the BSA bonuses – to R243 125.
Comic Relief has joined the likes of Black Cheetah, Parental Guidance, Caroline Island, and Siesta Sunset as eyecatching early twoyear-old winners for Querari this season.
SEABISCUIT – NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE!
A horse that captured the hearts of many, Seabiscuit came back from an injury where many feared he would never race again. A small horse with poor conformation, not much was expected of him on the racetrack. After his first 40 races, he had won just 10. However, after moving from Jim Fitzsimmons to Tom Smith’s stable in 1936, he started to taste success, winning several top handicaps over the next two years. However, an injury during a race in 1938 threatened to end his career for good.
George Woolf, the jockey riding Seabiscuit, said he felt the horse stumble, and it was later diagnosed that he had suffered a ruptured suspensory ligament in his front left leg. He was sent to recover at owner Charles Howard’s ranch, where he covered seven mares in the spring of 1939. He was nursed through his initial recovery, first learning to walk again, before increasing to a trot and then a canter. His fitness improved through the winter and he resumed race training by the end of the year.
Seabiscuit lined up for the first time on 9th February 1940 in the La Jolla Handicap at Santa Anita where he finished third. By his third race, he was back to winning ways. He continued to run well, winning the San Antonio Handicap and Santa Anita Handicap, before retiring to stud on April 10th 1940. He sired a total of 108 foals.
From looking as far from a successful racehorse as can be, to learning to walk again, Seabiscuit proved that nothing is impossible. Despite his injury, he continued to be successful both on and off the track, rounding out an impressive career as a top-class sire.
GREATERIX SHOWS HIS CLASS
Just over a week after his return to the saddle following a two month injury enforced break, Muzi Yeni banked three winners at Turffontein on Saturday, including a confidently restrained ride on Mike de Kock’s Greaterix in the R350 000 Betway Gr3 Got The Greenlight Stakes.
The uber competitive Yeni was in the leading brigade on the national champion log until that terrible fall from Back In Business on 2 November in the Allied Steelrode-Onamission Charity Mile put paid to his grand plans.
Now some 30 winners behind the likes of Gavin Lerena, Craig Zackey and Richard Fourie, Muzi knows that catching the ‘three musketeers’ is going to be well nigh impossible.
But the former multiple regional champion is not short of inspiration and motivation and the Stone-Stamcor sponsored rider produced a cracking confident ride on Greaterix in the Betway Got The Greenlight Stakes.
After the grey son of Vercingetorix took Quid Pro Quo on with a bold front-running attack in the Dingaans in November, whereafter he reportedly pulled up distressed, he was given a chance on Saturday and delivered in style, moving up late to at 7-10 to hold off a sustained challenged by Fire Attack (17-2) to beat the Laird inmate by 0,70 lengths in a time of 86,59 secs for the 1400m.
Cosmic Speed (15-2) stayed on best of the best for third and 2,40 lengths back, with the 66-1 Potberrie capping the quartet.
Now a winner of 4 races with 2 places from 6 starts, Greaterix took his earnings to R556 875.
Bred by Al Adiyaat South Africa (Pty) Ltd, and raced by the breeders in partnership with Messrs Mike de Kock, Chris Haynes, George Ragunan & Noeline Malherb, the winner is a son of Vercingetorix (Silvano) out of the thrice-winning Jet Master mare, Semra.
Greaterix strides clear in the hands of Muzi Yeni | Credit: JC Photos
SPRINTER SACRE –PHENOMENAL !
One of the greatest steeplechasers the world has ever seen, Sprinter Sacre was a phenomenal racehorse. After making the move to Nicky Henderson’s yard in 2009, he won several top-class races, achieving a peak RPR of 190. It wasn’t all plain sailing, though, after he pulled up in the 2013 Desert Orchid Chase with an irregular heartbeat. He had monitors fitted and was prescribed a period of rest, leading to him missing the 2014 season.
After spending 386 days off the track, he ran a gallant 2nd in the 2015 Clarence House Chase but suffered a low-level bleed. He then ran again in the Queen Mother in March but was pulled up.
It seemed his glory days were behind him after two years of injury, heart problems, and suspicions he was finished at the top level, but his trainer, Nicky Henderson, never gave up. A dogged training performance saw him return to Cheltenham in November 2015, where he would romp to victory in the Grade 2 Schloer Chase. From here, he rounded out his illustrious career with three
wins from three runs, which included him reclaiming the Queen Mother at Cheltenham.
After heart issues and injuries threatened to end his career, Sprinter Sacre showed all of his class to come back not once, but twice, showing he still possessed all the zest and class of his younger years.
E FAMILY LEGACY
Muzi Yeni and Greaterix storm clear of Fire Attack (Diego de Gouveia) in Saturday’s feature | Credit: JC Photos
Saturday’s Gr3 Got The Greenlight Stakes winner Greaterix is so fast that Mike de Kock doesn’t want to work him with other horses at home.
But speed is the number one attribute of a good horse.
That he has so much of it, helped Greaterix to break away from the pack in Saturday’s 1400m contest at Turffontein. He held on from a strong-finishing Fire Attack to win by the best part of a length.
“Greaterix came back distressed after the Dingaans, he went too fast up front that day. We gave him two weeks off after that and he just needed it on Saturday. He may just be a very fast horse and not a typically classic horse, but we have to try the Gauteng Guineas next month because he will be fitter and he has lots of ability,” added the veteran trainer.
Jockey Muzi Yeni said that Greaterix was his top three-year-old, and that he was still learning to race. “He’s a young horse, they clipped his heels and he was never comfortable. I had to let him roll a bit early, his win was full of merit and I’m looking forward to him going a mille.”
Greaterix, by Vercingetorix out of Semra, races for Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s Al Adiyat, in partnership with Mike de Kock, George Ragunan, Chris Haynes and Noeline Malherbe.
His victory on Saturday saw him become the latest stakes winner descended in female line from the prolific Empiric (Voodoo). Got The Greenlight also-ran Musical Score (Oratorio) is another descended from Empiric.
Empiric, whose dynasty has become known as the ‘E’ family, is ancestress of numerous high-class performers around the world, with her progeny faring particuarly well in South America and South Africa.
Greaterix, whose dam Semra won three times and ran third in the Listed Queen Palm Stakes, is the best horse produced by his dam to date.
Semra’s third dam is one of Empiric’s greatest daughters, Elysee. The daughter of El Gran Capitan is one of an elite number of mares to have produced a trio of Gr1 winners, with Elysee responsible for Epoque and champions Ecurie and Empress Club. The latter is widely regarded as one of the greatest horses to grace the South African turf, while her half-sister Ecurie was ARCSA Champion 2YO Filly of 1984.
Epoque, while not a champion, was also a top-class performer, winning five black-type races, including the Gr1 SA Fillies Guineas and Gr1 Garden Province Stakes. Epoque left more of a mark on the stud book than her illustrious half-sisters, throwing five winners including Listed Michael Roberts Handicap winner Eminent (Model Man), the Gr3 placed Ever Seeking (Secret Prospector), and the stakes placed Evangelista (Model Man). Ever Seeking, in turn, produced triple Gr1 winning champion, and successful sire, Elusive Fort – the broodmare sire of Saturday’s Betway Gr3 Mother Russia Stakes third Miss Lia as well as Gr3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery winner Easyjadeasy (Model Man).
Ever Seeking also produced Elusive Fort’s fullsister Esprit, the dam of triple graded stakes winner Elusive Silva (Silvano) and granddam of the promising Empire State (Rafeef), while Evangelista’s daughter Summer Angel threw the graded stakes winners Exit Here (Jay Peg) and Eventual Angel (Right Approach).
Other stakes winners descended from Epoque include Zimbabwe champion Peggson
(Jay Peg) and the versatile Cat Daddy (Ideal World).
Epoque was sired by Oak Dancer, while Ecurie and Empress Club were daughters of Liloy and Farnesio respectively.
Elysee also produced Empress Club’s fullbrother Ethique, who sired graded stakes winners Boy Jayson, Exceptional and Technique as well as Gr1 Gold Bowl winning champion Kelly.
However, Elysee is but one daugher of Empiric to have made their mark on the stud book.
Empiric’s daughter Escolastica (Great Host) founded her own dynasty, with Escolastica’s descendants including South African champions Escoleta Fitz (Fitzcarraldo) and her son Hermoso Mundo (Ideal World), as well as the top-class European galloper Rio De La Plata (Rahy).
The latter, winner of the 2007 Gr1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, won group races in Britain, France
and Italy, was produced by Escolastica’s granddaughter Express Way (Ahmad). The late Candy Stripes enjoyed great success when mated to descendants of Empiric, with this combination producing South African raced champions like Candy Critic (out of Empiric’s great granddaughter Tough Dancer) and Eventuail (whose third dam was a full-sister to Elysee), to name but three.
The Equalize sired Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Emerald Beauty was produced by the Candy Stripes mare Emerald Girl, another descendant of Empiric.
This is also the family of recent Listed World Sports Betting Cape Summer Stayers Handicap hero Holding Thumbs, who, like Greaterix, was sired by Vercingetorix.
Bred on the same Vercingetorix/Jet Master cross as recent Anthonij Rupert Wyne Gr2 Premier Trophy first and second place finishers Rascallion and Magic Verse, Greaterix looks sure to keep his illustrious family in the news.
THIS WAS SIMPLY FABULOUS
Two Laurence Wernars home-breds dominated the finish of Saturday’s R300 000 Betway Gr3 Mother Russia Stakes at a wet Turffontein as Gimmefabulous finished best to crown a happy birthday double for trainer Adam Azzie.
Despite dropping his crop in the latter stages, Winning Form rider Raymond Danielson made it a ‘lucky’ thirteen winner of the term when extracting the very best out of the lightly-framed Gimmefabulous (10-1), who scored a career peak success with an eyecatching victory.
“We can stand here and make like we know it all, but things worked out well and we are very pleased for Laurence Wernars,” quipped
birthday boy and winning trainer Adam Azzie.
Just when Philasande Mxoli looked to have made all the right moves on the forward galloping Miss Lia (28-10), the daughter of Talk Of The Town succumbed late and was overwhelmed by the Wernars duo.
Gimmefabulous (10-1) held off Salenio Peninsula (17-100 from the Johan Janse van
Raymond Danielson gets Gimmefabulous up on the outside of Salenio Peninsula in a thriller | Credit: JC Photos
Vuuren yard, to score by a neck in a time of 87,53 secs for the 1400m. Miss Lia (28-10) held on a further neck back in third.
The Azzie team had earlier saddled Just The Two Of Us to win the third under Muzi Yeni.
Bred by Laurence Wernars, Gimmefabulous is a
daughter of champion sire Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) out of the five-time winning Aussie-bred High Chaparral mare Being Fabulous.
Now a winner of 3 races with 2 places from her 7 starts, Gimmefabulous took her stakes bank to R357 963.
REMEMBERING BOB CHAMPION & ALDANITI
The Bob Champion and Aldaniti story is perhaps one of the most famous in racing, no doubt down to the severity of the issues the pair suffered. In July 1979, after a fall at Stratford a few weeks prior, Champion was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Two specialists confirmed the news at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea and he was given only a 40% chance of survival, with a maximum of eight months to live. He returned to racing whilst still in treatment, having lost most of his muscle and about 30% of his lung capacity. By August 1980, though, Champion had returned as Josh Gifford’s stable jockey.
Aldaniti was in recovery mode, too. He was prone to injury and had sustained a serious tendon injury just over a year before he was due to run in the Grand National. His trainer, Josh Gifford, and his vet had considered euthanizing the horse because of the severity of the injury, but his owner, Nick Embiricos, was adamant he would recover and return to racing. Aldaniti spent the entirety of 1980 on box rest, recovering at Embiricos’ Barkfold Stables.
The thing that makes this story most impressive is not only the fact that both horse and jockey recovered from adversity and returned to racing, but that as a pair, they won the 1981 Aintree Grand National.
Aldaniti’s only preparation run saw him winning the Whitbread Trial Handicap Chase, whilst Champion was lucky to be competing in the race at all. Together, their incredible story had captured the hearts of the public and racing fans alike, seeing them sent off as 10-1 2nd favourite in the 39-strong field. Despite over-jumping early, the pair got into a nice rhythm, eventually winning by some 4.5 lengths.
There was no expectation of the horse ever completing such a feat when he was purchased for just 4100 guineas back in 1974, particularly when it was found that he was prone to injury. Likewise, Champion had defied the odds to beat cancer. After losing 30% of his lung capacity, many felt they would be lucky to even compete in the race, let alone win, but win it they did!
‘The Mother Russia one-two was a wonderful result. Breeding racehorses is all about having the nicks and crosses come together, especially if the mare has done well. It gives me another passion besides the racing and gambling side’ – Laurence Wernars
The Laurence Wernars bred Grade 1 winner
Proceed | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Prominent owner Laurence Wernars, he of Puerto Manzano and Brazuca fame, has raced some decent fillies over the years, either in his own name or in partnership, and includes the likes of Gr1 winners Mighty High and Temple Grafin, as well as graded stakes winners True To Life, Princess Of Light, Sporting Model, Homely Girl, Netta and Gobsmacked, to mention just a few.
Not surprising then, that he has also ventured into the breeding side and when asked how he came to join the ranks of breeders, he explained:
“I always tend to spend a bit more for a filly at sales, purely because of their residual value and if they reach a merit rating of 100 or more on the track, I think it is only fair to give them a chance at stud.”
Last weekend’s Gr3 Mother Russia Stakes at Turffontein is proof that his track record as a breeder is growing in stature by the day, given that he races and bred both the winner Gimmefabulous and runner-up Salenio Peninsula from mares he campaigned himself.
As her name suggests, the winner is by Gimmethegreenlight and is also the first foal out of the imported High Chaparral mare Being Fabulous. Trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren, she carried the Wernars silks to victory in the Listed Syringa Handicap and also has a string of Gr3 places to her credit.
Runner-up Salenio Peninsula was not disgraced as she lost by the bob of a head. Her dam, the Gr3 Fillies Mile winner Negroamaro was also trained by Janse van Vuuren and proved herself amongst the leading sophomore fillies of her generation by running second in the Gr1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic, Gr1
Woolavington 2000 and Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.
She has made a fine start to her broodmare career, as her first three foals are all stakes performers: Gr1 Daily News 2000 third Barbaresco, his Gr2-placed sibling Outofthedarkness and now Salenio Peninsula.
Speaking of Barbaresco, he showed his class later on in the day by coming from stone last under a hefty 62 kg to win going away over 1160m, a distance far short of his best.
Gimmefabulous and Salenio Peninsula aside, Laurence already has the distinction of being the breeder of two Gr1 winners.
Sean Tarry-trained homebred Proceed, a seven-length maiden winner, earned Gr1 honours with a cosy victory in last season’s Gr1 Gold Medallion and was voted the Equus Champion Juvenile Colt. Laurence reports that the colt is currently on the easy list due to a leg injury, but will hopefully have recovered in time for the KZN winter season.
Proceed was joined by three-year-old Fatal Flaw, who recently broke through at the elite level with a two-length score in the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas. Ironically, the filly was one that got away, she was sold as a yearling to ASSM Racing. As Laurence wryly admitted: “I have to sell some of them, or I will be in trouble with the taxman.”
Incidentally, she is the second Gr1 winner sired by the Wernars-raced New Predator, a fine sprinter/miler who looked a stallion of infinite promise before his tragic demise at age eleven.
New Predator also features as the sire of another talented Wernars homebred in Pure Predator. Beaten a neck by paternal halfbrother Purple Pitcher in last season’s
Gr1 SA Derby, he won the Gr2 Colorado King Stakes, a race previously won by fellow Wernars homebred Divine Odyssey, a teak tough son of Oratorio who earned Gr1 black type when third in the Premier’s Champions Challenge and registered his tenth career win at age seven.
Oratorio also features as the sire of homebred stakes winner Gentleman’s Wager, whose dam Princess Of Light was raced by Laurence in partnership with Ashley Devachander. Despite being a daughter of champion sprinter Var, she won them the Gr2 Gold Circle Oaks and finished second in the (then) Gr1 Gold Cup.
Laurence currently has about 40 mares, the bulk of which are based at Maine Chance Farms, with the balance spread amongst Narrow Creek, Winterbach and Syrilla Stud.
Breeding racehorses is not for the fainthearted, it is a long-term project fraught with risk and disappointment, something Laurence is well aware of: “Last year, I lost a Vercingetorix filly out of my best mare which was heart-wrenching, but that’s how the cookie crumbles.”
To enjoy success with the progeny of mares one has raced oneself, is probably one of the most satisfying experiences any owner/breeder can aspire to and Laurence can attest to that:
“The Mother Russia one-two was a wonderful result. Breeding racehorses is all about having the nicks and crosses come together, especially if the mare has done well. It gives me another passion besides the racing and gambling side.”
A file photo of the team – Jarryd Wernars, Laurence Wernars, trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren. Hong Kong-based jockey Keagan de Melo is in the foreground | Credit: JC Photos
Jet (Gavin
JET POWERED KHAYA FLYER AGAIN
The Crawford partnership celebrated as Pomodoro’s Jet went all the way to win the twice postponed R250 000 Listed Wolf Power 1600.
The 6yo Pomodoro gelding has certainly found the right note up at the Brett and James Crawford satellite yard at Randjesfontein and three weeks after a big victory in the non-black type Grand Heritage at Vaal, he scored a long overdue maiden stakes success when going all the way under Gavin Lerena to win the first of Saturday’s weather impacted features.
Riding Pomodoro’s Jet for the first time with regular pilot Craig Zackey opting for the sunnier climes of the Cape, Lerena was always in control as Pomodoro’s Jet (2-1) scored by 3,50
lengths in the Pick 6 opener.
Clocking 99,06 secs for the mile, he beat Chestnut Bomber (10-1), with Texas Red (25-2) a quarter length away in third.
Bred by Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud, the R200 000 BSA National 2yo Sale graduate is a son of Jet Master’s Durban July winning son Pomodoro out of the Captain Al mare, Gorgeous Al.
A winner of 7 races with 8 places from 20 starts, Pomodoro’s Jet took his earnings to R955 857.
One is inclined to wax the red wine parallel with the gelding, who is well and truly aging better than most of us. He has shed the bridesmaid tag and is certainly worth following.
Pomodoro’s
Lerena) goes all the way to make it two on the trot | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
FIRE AWAY DAUGHTER IS ALL CLASS!
While Craig Zackey dominated the early part of the Fairview Friday card with three winners, Richard Fourie converted a chance ride and a feature success to keep his Highveld-based colleague on his toes.
Luna Halo (Richard Fourie) wins the Lady’s Bracelet ahead of Lady Silvano at Fairview on Friday | Credit: Pauline Herman
The fight for national jockey championship honours this season is still in the early days, but the tussle between Zackey and reigning champion Fourie, as well as Gavin Lerena, who indicated this week to the Sporting Post that he would not be averse to riding regularly in Nelson Mandela Bay Racing territory, makes for an interesting and exciting competition.
On Friday, Fourie won the second for Cliffie Miller when deputizing for the injured Marco van Rensburg on Lanciafiamme, and then followed up with Luna Halo – like his earlier winner, offspring of Fire Away – who registered her tenth victory with an easy wrap of the R150 000 Lady’s Bracelet.
Downgraded from Listed status to non-black type, the mile feature provided Luna Halo with the second win of her 4yo career, and showed how well the former East Cape Nursery winner has trained on from a sparkling 2yo term.
Starting at 7-10, Luna Halo hit the front after Red Sash had called it a day, and she went on smartly to beat stablemate Lady Silvano (25-1) by three quarters of a length in a time of 96,25 secs for the mile.
For the second consecutive Eastern Cape racemeeting, the Greeff yard saddled the feature trifecta as Essential (66-1) rounded off the top three, a further 3,25 lengths back.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Luna Halo is a daughter of War Front stallion Fire Away out of the twice winning Captain Al mare, Sentinel.
She was a bargain (always in hindsight!) R160 000 purchase from the 2022 National Yearling Sale and is now a winner of 10 races (6 on turf and 4 on the all-weather) and 7 places from 19 starts for stakes of R941 125.
The next Fairview racemeeting is on the turf, on Friday 17 January.
Marco was seen at Fairview last Friday
Credit: Pauline Herman
MARCO LIVES TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY
After a horrifying mid-race fall in which he fractured his arm at Fairview on Tuesday 8 January, jockey Marco van Rensburg has been discharged from Greenacres Hospital in Gqeberha and now commences the frustrating road to recovery and a return to the saddle.
“As Purple Operator went down I tried desperately to bring his head up. But it happened so quickly. I broke the arm just back of the wrist. The surgeon was happy that the operation to re-do the wrist and sort out the split and broken bones was a success. I have to return in two weeks for him to re-open it and check the plates and stitches. Six weeks off is a minimum I would guess. But thank you to all of those who have reached out to enquire about my progress. I appreciate the interest and kindness.”
The 41-year-old from Sasolburg is something of a bionic man, having broken a litany of bones from clavicles to arms, wrists and other precious parts over his quarter century in the saddle.
Like any jockey, he accepts that accidents and injuries are a part of life when dealing with equine and human flesh and blood in a competitive sport.
But the former Champion Apprentice tells the Sporting Post that he is concerned that the Fairview polytrack, a surface he and many of his colleagues have long regarded as one of the finest in South Africa, could possibly be in need of attention in certain areas.
“One can expect horses to jar up, as that’s in the nature of the surface. But the sad incident with Purple Operator at around the 1000m marker on Tuesday was the third in the space of as many months within approximately 100m of each other. That warrants investigation and attention to my mind and I will be drawing this to the attention of the Stipes,” he added.
In February last year concerns from jockeys regarding the safety of the Fairview turf pullup area, in what was termed the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ by some, was addressed by 4Racing and the National Horseracing Authority after a spate of falls in short time.
The frustrating reality after the Purple Operator tragedy for Marco Van Rensburg, who rides comfortably at 53,5kgs, was that he was working hard and enjoying a good season with 47 wins (including a Gr2 and Gr3) achieved at a win strike-rate of 11,19%.
He says that any injury and time away from the saddle is a ‘setback.’
“I always say it could have been worse – I didn’t’ break my neck and I live to fight another day. I have had my fair share of injuries – it’s an occupational hazard. But I was in a good rhythm and it takes more than the 6 or 8 weeks to recover and regain the positive momentum. Race riding fitness is a factor, then some trainers may feel there could be a loss of nerve.
I have always bounced back better and I will do so this time again!” he adds with enthusiasm.
Marco’s first career winner was at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on 17 December 2000 when the Krusenstern filly Pearly Queen won for trainer Dennis Bosch.
DE KOCK 3YO GOES TO 109
Greaterix has had his rating raised from 106 to 109 after landing the Betway Gr3 Got The Greenlight Stakes run over 1400m on the Turffontein Standside on Saturday.
The Handicappers were unanimous in their view that runner up Fire Attack, was the most suitable line horse to assess this race leaving his rating unchanged on 111.
Fourth place finisher, Potberrie was the only other runner to receive an increment in the ratings and had to be capped at 95 due to the specific conditions of the race that do not allow for a more than three points increase for placed runners.
There was however a three point drop for The Specialist, from 106 to 103 and a 2 point drop for Wild At War, who went down to 102 from 104
Betway Gr3 Mother Russia Stakes
Gimmefabulous had her rating adjusted to 96 from 93 following her victory in the Gr3 Betway Mother Russia Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein on Saturday.
Here it was both the runner-up Salenio Peninsula and the third finisher finisher, Miss Lia, who were considered to be the most suitable line horses to rate this race, leaving their ratings unchanged on 95.
Due to the specific conditions of this race the fourth-place finisher, Cocomelon, had to be
capped on a rating of 90, even though she produced a higher performance figure.
Bakwena, who finished fifth in this race, was the only runner to receive a drop in the ratings and she went down slightly to 95 from 96.
Listed Wolf Power 1600
Pomodoro’s Jet has seen his rating increased from 105 to 113 after easily accounting for his rivals in the Listed Wolf Power 1600 handicap over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday.
The Handicappers were of the opinion that third place finisher Texas Red, made for the most suitable line horse to assess this race, leaving his rating unchanged on 110.
This race was benchmarked at 52kg = 96, and as such the runner up Chestnut Bomber, who was seven points under sufferance, went up accordingly from 99 to 106 (nett 96 after the WFA deduction).
There were downward adjustments for three runners following this contest.
Truth and Joker Man both received drops of two points each, from 106 to 104 and from 103 to 101 respectively, while Marauding Horde received a one point drop from 101 to 100.
• Media release by NHA on Tuesday 14 January 2025.
DE KOCK’S GOT A TIGER IN HIS TANK
The Ridgemont-bred Rafeef filly Easy Tiger produced one of the most impressive juvenile debut performances of recent months when she ran out an easy winner accounting for more experienced males in the Turffontein opener on Saturday.
Clawing his way back to peak fitness after his recent injury enforced lay-off, Muzi Yeni had Easy Tiger well back early on in the Maiden 1000m.
But past halfway, the top jockey started working on the daughter of Rafeef, who was switched twice before making up lengths and cutting
through her opposition to beat the 5-2 twice placed favourite Zacatoo going away under a hands ride by 2,25 lengths in a time of 59,31 secs.
Veteran trainer Mike de Kock had predicted beforehand that Easy Tiger was a ‘naughty filly and that she’d be green’. That was underscored when she was at the back of the field after the start and initially seemed a bit awkward in running.
Halfway through the race, Easy Tiger was going to run closer to last than first, but she took off, sliced through the field and the result was never in doubt.
Muzi Yeni and Easy Tiger grab the honours in Saturday’s Turffontein opener | Credit: JC Photos
Yeni said: “She’s a small filly but with a beautiful action. She was relaxing at the back, but we were on the speed and she got closer and closer. She put the race to bed confidently, I think she will go over 1400m to 1600m.”
Team De Kock saddled the winner for a partnership of Craig Kieswetter of Ridgemont and Devin Heffer of Hollywoodbets. Mike de Kock said that he and son Mathew were privileged to visit the pre-training facility at Ridgemont earlier this week.
“It is a wonderful facility. The horses that came from them were forward and ready. Well done to Julia Kieswetter who runs it. They have got plans which we are pleased to be a part of for the future.”
He said about Easy Tiger: “She’s a nice type of filly. I wanted to see her finishing it off and she did it well. I hope her win is a start of things to come. Mathew and I have some nice horses coming through in our new partnership, which has begun but starts officially on 1 March.”
Despite the jockey’s encouraging observations that she should go a mile, Easy Tiger is bred to fly, being a daughter of champion Redoute’s Choice’ outstanding Ridgemont-based Grade 1 star Rafeef, out of the four-time winning Where’s That Tiger mare, Tiger’s Touch.
She is a half to the speedy Dynasty four-time winning mare, Great Cat.
MAINE CHANCE’S SUPER SUMMER SEVEN
Maine Chance Farms, in the famous B.A.R. region, is consistently in the upper echelon of SA’s thoroughbred breeding industry and has been ranked in the Top 10 for the past twenty years.
Representatives from their draft are always worth scrutiny given the Stud’s outstanding record of production. They send seven yearlings to the Summer Sale.
Lot 22 is a Vercingetorix colt out of the Argentinian mare, Kay Tee Perry. Second dam Krysia foaled Keane, the Champion Older Horse in Argentina in 2016/17. Devil’s Bag, Halo and the family of Machiavellian work extremely well with Lomitas, Silvano and Vercingetorix. And inbreeding to Danzig delivered Rock of Gibraltar.
Lot 23 is a daughter of Rafeef – Leading First Season Sire in SA in 2020/21. Irish dam Kitoko (by Montjeu) has a couple of foals to race –both winners. And there is an abundance of Black Type on the female side with high quality French and Irish influences. To illustrate, third dam Yogya, produced Six Perfections (by Celtic Swing) – the Champion 2YO filly in Europe in
Gateway to success on the track! | Credit: Supplied
2002 and Champion 3Y) Miler in France the following year. A prolific Niarchos family over generations!
Lot 40 is an end of August, Vercingetorix filly out of Perfect Princess. She is from the same regal family as Princess Victoria, Princess Royal and HOTY Princess Calla, a family line that continues to produce fillies of the highest order.
If you seek a speedy youngster then Lot 67 is worth a gander. Querari is a proven sire of sprinters and currently the best producer of 2-yr-olds. (e.g. his son, Rio Querari won the Gr1 Computaform Sprint) and dam Victoria Lavelle was fleet-footed over the short cuts.
The same, good- value sire is represented by Lot 80 – a filly ex Bandola (by Silvano.) One of only three foals of hers to race was Bavarian Beauty, who took out the G1 Douglas Whyte as a 2YO. Further down the page, there is Black Type aplenty tracing through the second (Buccelati) and third dam (State Treasure).
Maine Chance’s final offering is an intriguing
blend of stamina and speed. Futura is an influence over middle distances and beyond, whilst the dam of Lot 85, Cat’s Paw was a zippy sprinter. Amongst her five winners to date is speedball, Celtic Voyager, winner of the Umgheni and Durban Dash.
Maine Chance, who stands terrific stallions, Vercingetorix and Querari, together with fine producers, Erupt and Quasillo, have recently added Point Lonsdale to their team. The tough and consistent son of blue-blooded Australia out of the super-swift, Acclamation mare, Sweepstake is an exciting stallion prospect at a time when SA breeders are looking to add fresh blood to the gene pool.
Whilst viewing yearlings for this Summer Sale, it will be opportune to discuss Point Lonsdale’s syndication options with Maine Chance’s owner, Dr Andreas Jacobs.
Dannielle Kuttel – danni@mainechance.co.zacan provide helpful assistance in the build up to the 23 January auction at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
AVONTUUR’S SUMMER DRAFT ARE TALK
OF TOWN
Pippa Mickleburgh is especially excited about new sire Talk of The Town, understandably so given his tremendous looks and potent pedigree.
The handsome Talk Of The Town – set to get tongues wagging | Credit: Supplied
Jeter, dam of Sean Tarry’s eight- time winner, Litigation, has a Talk of the Town chestnut colt (Lot 19) on offer at the CRS Summer Sale on Thursday 23 January, which is bound to cause a stir.
Debatable (Lot 19), is a half-brother to Caesura, a versatile Oratorio colt who won ten races between 1400m and 2400m, so Jeter is a proven producer. Second dam, Sports Chestnut won the Cape Fillies Guineas, in an impressive page resplendent in Black Type.
Talk of the Town, a handsome stallion, is just starting out his career in the breeding sheds –his oldest progeny are three-year-olds.
He also has a beautifully bred colt out of the speedball, Viva on auction.
Lot 68, Tabloid will be sought after, for sure, as Viva (a 7x winner) has already thrown the high- class sprinter/miler, Cold As Ice, who did great on the Turf in SA and on the All-Weather at Lingfield in the UK; and G2 Sceptre Stakes winner, Live Life.
Stable C3 is where this bay colt can be appreciated.
Lot 20 is by freshman sire, Malmoos, who won the Triple Crown in SA in 2020/21.
Within Reach is a first foal of Jetorio. Second dam, River Jetez, a sister to turf legend, Pocket Power, won 12 races up to Gr1 level in SA and
the UAE, so there is considerable substance to this bloodline.
Significantly, River Jetez has already produced a Gr1 winner in the shape of the Computaform Sprint star, Rivarine.
Talking about power-packed pedigrees - Lot 66 is Proud Mary, a daughter of Vercingetorix IS out of supa-quick Var mare, Varikate, winner of the G2 Post Merchants. That makes this bay filly a half sister to Thunderstruck, the Champion Sprinter in SA in 2023/24.
All of Varikate’s foals have won races. Apart from the stellar achievements of Thunderstruck, Before the Dawn (seven wins) and Patronage (six wins) also cultivated the winning habit. Stable C6 is certain to receive many interested visitors.
The last of the lots from the farm on the slopes of the Helderberg is Bachata, a Rafeef colt ex Courante. This first foal hails from an impeccable Avontuur lineage as the grey second dam, Sarabande was high class. Winning the Grr1 Majorca Stakes represented her career top.
She is an awesome producer, too as the dam of Mardi Gras (9 wins), Chesalon and La Volta (dam of Gr1 Computaform Sprint victor, Master Archie.)
Bachata, who, notably, is a three parts brother to Gr1 Computaform Sprint hero, Master Archie, will go through the ring as Lot 91.
The sale starts at 12h00 on Thursday 23 January and viewing is from Tuesday 21 January.
ON TH E S HOULDERS OF GIANTS
Paulie de Wet, the erstwhile owner of Zandvliet Stud, was one of the racing and breeding world’s great showmen.
Few parts of the industry gave him as much opportunity to play that game as the process of marketing yearlings.
Normandy Stud’s Oscar Foulkes writes that his yearlings always looked ‘just-so’, with their gleaming coats and sheepskin nosebands. Indeed, he won the trophy for best turnedout yearling at the Rand Easter Show on four occasions - I should mention that my grandmother, the widow of Paulie’s cousin Oscar, also won that trophy for Excelsior Stud.
The story is told of a question that Paulie posed to the hugely respected vet, George Faull, about one of his yearling colts: “What do you think he’s worth, George?”
One can imagine a self-satisfied Paulie standing back while waiting for the verdict of one of the industry’s great judges. I was a little boy on the few occasions when I met Dr Faull, but I remember him being extremely measured in what he said. There’s a reason why he was so respected.
“I don’t know, Paulie, what does he weigh?” was his eventual response, perhaps alluding to the colt’s surfeit of condition.
If such a trophy still existed, and if the judging criteria remained the same, I don’t think there’s any chance of me ever winning it. I come at this from another angle.
The French word for breeder is éleveur, which has the same etymological origins as elevate. In other words, it refers to ‘raising’ produce. The closely related word élevé (to educate or to mature) is used in referring to the maturing of wine in barrels, élevé en fût de chêne.
I like this picture of ‘raising’ being more holistic than simply enabling sunflowers to grow taller.
Former owner of Zandvliet Stud, Paulie de Wet | Credit: Supplied
So, as éleveur, I’m not just operating a conveyer belt that has broodmares and stallions on one end, with yearlings dropping into auction sale rings at the other end. I’ve spent too much time training for mountain biking events and generally being in proximity to the worlds of sports science and nutrition to take a narrow view of my role as breeder.
Our job on the stud is to lay the groundwork for our produce to become high performance athletes. We’re as concerned about their freedom of movement as the coverage of their ribs. Their mental state, and relationship with humans, is as important as the gloss of their coats.
JIMMY
Of course, having a family history of breeding horses in the same valley for over 150 years gives me a special kind of foundation for taking this into a slightly new direction. I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Normandy Stud’s yearlings for the Cape Racing Sales (CRS) Summer Sale will shortly leave the farm. We’re both proud of the place they’re in and excited for the futures that await them.
We look forward to showing them at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth from Tuesday 21 January!
MAKES HIS MAGIC
Slippin’ Jimmy took his meteoric rise through the ranks to the big stage of the Magic Millions Raceday at the Gold Coast on Saturday, where he showed his rivals a clean set of heels to win the A$500,000 Gold Coast Turf Club Magic Millions Country Cup.
David Vandyke’s four-year-old advanced his record to six wins from 10 career starts with the all-the-way victory and has now netted his connections almost A$400,000 in prizemoney.
Vandyke teamed up with Mark Cook and RM Racing when he paid A$180,000 for the son of Pariah out of the Kenmore Lodge draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He said the plan to tackle the lucrative race with Slippin’ Jimmy was more than six months in the making.
“He’s always had ability and he’s a good trier,” Vandyke said.
“Mark Cook and myself planned this quite a while ago, we were aiming for this and we got here.We were a bit worried about the rain but he loved it.There are a great group of people in him and it’s such a buzz to win a race like that.”
The win continued jockey Tim Clark’s love affair with the iconic Magic Millions meeting, where he has now ridden nine feature race winners, including the 3YO Guineas on Boomsara in 2019.
He said Slippin’ Jimmy’s ability to settle, control the race in the middle stages and quicken on the rain-affected ground were the hallmarks of the win.
Joe Cleary’s King Gutho ran second and Allan Chau’s Flying Birds ran third, with both horses finishing within a length of the winner. “David prepared him brilliantly and he’d obviously trialed up nicely against a very good three-year-old,” Clark said.
BLACK SWAN’S QUALITY QUARTET
Black Swan Stud is a boutique stud farm standing some 20 mares, set in the picturesque BAR valley, near Robertson. This area is the heart of thoroughbred breeding in South Africa, with limestone-rich soils that build strong bone, and easy access to the cream of the country’s stallions.
The farm which is owned by Peter de Beyer, was established as a stud in 2010, with the first foals born in 2011, although Peter has been an active breeder for 25 years. The majority of the mares were originally bought by him as yearlings to race, and there are now second and third generations producing.
Black Swan got off to an auspicious start, with first crop star Gr1 winner Siren’s Call (Elusive Fort- Siren’s Cove) who was denied the Gauteng Triple Tiara by a short head in the Oaks. The best colt bred on the farm is undoubtedly Last Winter (Western Winter- Field Flower), narrow runner up in the Cape Met,
Black Swan boss Peter de Beyer – looking forward to the Summer Sale | Credit: Cape Racing Sales
where he beat champions Marinaresco and Legal Eagle at level weights, and now a sire.
Black Swan Stud is managed by Walter Cowe, who has vast experience in UK, and who ensures that the yearlings are impeccably prepared and presented.
Successful sire Elusive Fort stands on the farm on behalf of a syndicate, and despite getting on in years, remains fertile and enthusiastic. He has made it the hard way, without the backing of any major breeder, and upgrades his mares.
Notable progeny include Kommetdieding, Cape Met and Durban July hero, now a sire himself, and Gr 1 winners, Out of Your League and Lauderdale. His daughters are now showing significant potential as a broodmare sire, which is not surprising given his pedigree, being by the champion sire Fort Wood and his dam being from the famous Argentinian E- family.
The Stud offers 4 smart yearlings at the Cape Summer Sale on 23 January 2025. Captain Al mare Betty Burke had great success with Elusive Fort progeny, and hence her daughter Pretty Betty (by Master of My Fate)
had to visit him, and her first foal (#44) is a lovely colt.
Sylvie was only a one time winner, yet has been a remarkable broodmare, with Stakes winners from a variety of sires, and was sent back to Canford Cliffs. Her colt (#66) is a magnificent specimen and a full brother to the lightning fast Almond Sea.
Ideal Lady is a daughter of Banks Hill mare Temperate Lady, and her half sister Tequila Blush by Fort Wood, is also at the stud. Ideal lady has produced winners by both Gold Standard and Elusive Fort, and her colt (#14) is from the immediate family of Zante and Helen’s Ideal.
Drama Queen’s dam Taking It Deep was bought after her successful racing career and Drama Queen was the best of her 6 winning foals. Her first foal (#94) is a lovely filly by Elusive Fort.
The CRS Summer Sale will be held at 12h00 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Thursday 23 January 2025.
FOLLOW US
Lot 6 is a bay filly from Narrow Creek Stud out of the What a Winter mare, Fly Away.
She is a daughter of Ignition Lady, by Argonaut. Ignition Lady had a star filly, Big Burn, by Elusive Fort, which won the Jhb Spring F&M Challenge Gr 2, and ran 2nd in the Gr1 Computaform Sprint.
Catch TwentyTwo was another star from Ignition Lady, also by Elusive Fort. He won the Gr2 Dingaans, and was a close runner- up in a brace of Gr1 races, to champions Jet Dark and Rainbow Bridge.
Up with the best milers of his generation, he was exported after his 3yo season, and unfortunately went wrong when raced in UK.
FIND A FORT NEXT WEEK
Elusive Fort is well represented at the CRS Summer Sale, with 3 colts and 2 fillies from 3 different vendors. He is a very versatile sire, who gets top class winners of both sexes, and is a source of both speed and stamina. He has been particularly successful with Captain Al mares.
Elusive Fort has 5 yearlings on the Summer Sale Credit: Supplied
Had he stayed in SA, he would have been a major contender in all the Gr1 mile races. This filly is bred to succeed and has great paddock value.
Lot 14 is a colt out of Ideal Lady, from Black Swan Stud.
He is a full brother to a pair of winners, and is from the immediate family of Gr 3 winner Zante, and Listed race winner Helen’s Ideal.
Lot 32 is a bay colt out of Matushka from Normandy Stud.
The dam is a full sister to the champion Mother Russia, also a very successful broodmare, and hails from the family of Equus champion Winter Solstice.
Lot 44 is a bay colt from Black Swan Stud out of Gr 3 winner Pretty Betty (by Master Of My Fate).
This is her first foal, and no surprise that she went to Elusive Fort, as her dam, Betty Burke had great success with him. This colt is thus a three quarters brother in blood to the very speedy Ernie, who won Listed sprints in SA and Mauritius, and to Freedom Charter, winner of the Gr3 Champagne Stakes and the Gr 3 Pointsettia Stakes, and who was placed in Gr 2 F&M sprints.
Lot 94 is a bay filly from Black Swan Stud, the first foal of Drama Queen.
The dam won 5 races and was not far behind the best of her generation, running second
in the Perfect Promise Sprint and 4th in the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery as juvenile. She ran 5th, beaten less than 4 lengths in the Cape Fillies Guineas.
The second dam, Taking It Deep, won six races and was placed in the Langerman and the Cape Fillies Nursery. Race potential and paddock value.
The CRS Summer Sale will be held at 12h00 ar Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Thursday 23 January 2025.
NARROW CREEK’S SUMMER SEXTET
Narrow Creek’s John Everett sends six yearlings, each by a variety of sires, to the CRS Summer Sale on 23 January 2025. There are 95 Lots catalogued in total, with the sale commencing 12h00 on Thursday – the venue, Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
Lot 3 is by exciting stallion, Rafeef (AUS) colt ex the Captain Al mare, Ever Fair. There is lots of Australian Black Type going back generations on the dam side and maybe a magical Oz nick with Rafeef kicks in. Whisky Soul is a must see and can be inspected in Stable A6.
A three part sister to Big Burn and Catch Twentytwo, What a Winter mare, Fly Away has a first foal on sale as Lot 6. This bay filly is by Elusive Fort.
Shining Star could be the pick of Narrow Creek’s draft. Sired by Rafeef (his career top
was winning the Gr1 Computaform Sprint under now Australian based hoop, Callan Murray) and out of six- time winning speedball, Sarah - Lot 50, a colt, is bred to be as fast as a missile.
Spring Wonder, by Querari (GER) was also an accomplished sprinter (5 wins). All three of her foals have won races. She has been put to Hawwaam this time around, and the resultant colt is listed as Lot 56.
Lot 57, Old Friend is a Malmoos filly with a strong female line going back generations.
John Everett – quality the key | Credit: Hamish Niven Photography
1st dam Star of Excellence was unraced, but she is from the same family as Star Express, Bless My Stars and Star Burst Galaxy.
The outcome of a mating between Erupt (IRE) and well performed G3 Acacia Handicap winning Jet Master mare, Whatalady is a colt, Lava Strike. There is additional strength on the dam side through the second dam,
Vogue and 3rd dam, Thousand Nights. The recommendation is to see Lot 70 for yourself in Stable A9.
Please direct further enquiries about Narrow Creek’s intriguing draft via email john@narrowcreek.co.za or use mobile number 082 377 2912
HEAVENLY IMPACT!
A centimetre perfect ride from Jason Collett paved the way for a last-stride win and a A$250,000 payday for connections of Heavenly Impact in the Magic Millions Maiden Plate at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
A year after the son of Harry Angel was runner-up in the A$500,000 Magic Millions Debut (900m) on the same program, he shrugged his maiden tag in the best possible manner for connections to kick off the iconic raceday.
From barrier two, Collett plotted an economical run behind the speed on the three-year-old, who quickened between runners in the final 300m and edged out King of Dragons on the line.
Trainer Marcus Wilson, who paid A$30,000 for Heavenly Impact out of the Fernrigg Farm draft in Book 2 at 2023 Gold Coast Yearling
Sale, said it was a satisfying win with a horse that has proved challenging to train.
“I’ve been pulling my hair out with this horse,” Wilson said.
“He’s been a very quirky horse to get into the barriers and he is one horse that makes me nervous on raceday.It’s good to see him get the job done.He’s a big horse and he’s just needed time so we turned him out (after the Oxlade Stakes in June), we gelded him and that’s probably been the making of him, cutting him, it’s the ultimate gear change. He was always going to need a lot of luck because not a horse with early speed so I think you’ll see a better horse over seven furlongs.It’s our grand final, being a local, and we’ve only got a small team so it’s great to win here.We don’t have the big cheque books like some of the big blokes, we just chip away and he only cost A$30,000 a couple of years ago.”
8 FEBRUARY – COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS FINALS
Cape Racing’s success in substantially bolstering the once flagging horse population levels in the Western Cape has been underscored in no small measure by the introduction of the Country Championships just over a year ago.
Cape Racing management identified in late 2023 that a diverse horse population is key to sustained future growth, and coupled with programme innovation, boosted stakes, and the RaceCape Incentive, field sizes in the province have seen substantial growth.
In
essence, the aim of the Country Championships is to highlight genuine race and earnings opportunities and to illustrate that lowerrated 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 Summer finals at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday 8 February promises competitive racing in what will be well patronized fields in the heart of the Summer Festival Of Champions.
The countdown to the Summer Country Championship Finals has thus begun and the programme hosts five finals of R200 000 each over 1000m, 1200m, 1400m, 1600m and 1800m.
Key to shattering the perception that weaker horses should be racing elsewhere in the country, the Country Championships caters for 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 Country Championship log, showing points gained per 4 January 2025, is topped by the Peter Wrench trained Lovers Lane, a 5yo son of Crusade who is raced by the Social Syndicate.
Prize money is shown below and is paid from R100 000 for first place, to R25 000 for 20th.
Owners and trainers are requested to note that entries for the 8 February raceday close at 11h00 on Friday 31 January, while declarations are due by 11h00 on Monday 3 February.
FLOWER ALLEY BLOSSOMS ON SATURDAY
Wilgerbosdrift’s top-class sire Flower Alley enjoyed a memorable day on Saturday.
Flower Alley runners won the eighth and ninth races at Turffontein, while his son Kelp Forest won the ninth and final event at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
Flower Alley’s classy daughter None Other picked up the sixth win of her career when she won the Racing240 For Racing. For You Pinnacle Stakes (2000m) at Turffontein.
The Lucky Houdalakis trained five-year-old looked very well weighted, and so it proved, with None Other romping home to win as she liked by four and a quarter lengths.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, None Other had won both the Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer Oaks and G2 Track And Ball Oaks in 2023.
The well bred mare, who is out of the Dynasty mare One Of A Kind, has earned more than R1,3 million in stakes.
Flower Alley gelding Radicchio made it four wins from his last five starts when he triumphed in Saturday’s Take A Bet Wina Numba Numba MR 96 Handicap (1400m).
The Barend Botes trained five-year-old powered home down the outside to get up close home and win by nearly three-parts of a length at the expense of graded stakes winners Cymric and Moonlight Trader.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Radicchio has won eight of 22 starts. The gelding is out of the Kildonan mare Rosier.
The inform Flower Alley also had success in the Western Cape on Saturday. His son Kelp Forest picked up his sixth win when landing the Interbet Class 4 (1200m) at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. Trained by Adam Marcus, the fiveyear-old, ridden by Grant Van Niekerk, is out of the Var mare Sea Cat.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Kelp Forest was a R160 000 buy from the 2021 National Yearling Sale.
Flower Alley, whose runners have earned over $48 000 000, is having another good season in 2024-2025. His flagbearers this season include Listed Betway Algoa Cup winner Firealley and Listed Allied Steelrode Golden Loom Handicap winner Chyavana, as well as Gr3 Ridgemont Peninsula Handicap runner up Otto Luyken.
Flower Alley’s current AEPR of R61 298 ranks above Gimmethegreenlight, Querari, Rafeef, What A Winter, and Silvano.
DREAM BIG!
Wellington-based Hopes and Dream Stud, who stand champion Frankel’s son Frantastic (IRE), are a young operation who have already produced winners on the racetrack.
Suzette Viljoen and her team present two colts at this auction.
Lot 10 is a What A Winter ex Heart’s Content (by Jet Master) – all four of her foals have won races. The second dam Jalberry is a prolific producer. Included amongst her progeny are Purple Diamond, Love to Boogie and Mr Fantastic who have won 21 races between
them in SA and Singapore.
Lot 73 is a One World out of the Irish mare, Wiqaaya. The grey colt is a half- brother to Bold Ransom, a well-performed sprinter familiar to Highveld racegoers. He’s bred along the same lines as Horse Of The Year Captain’s Ransom, being Captain Al onto a Red Ransom mare.
One World was the Leading First Season Sire in SA in 2023/24 with son One Stripe recently winning the Hollywoodbets Gr1 Cape Guineas and L’Ormarins Gr1 King’s Plate.
Suzette Viljoen will gladly provide further info on 082 773 3811.
Viljoen family flagbearer Captain’s Ransom – the champion will never be forgotten | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
HK$10 MILLION ON LINE IN TRIPLE CROWN
Karis Teetan is hopeful Hong Kong International Sale graduate Patch Of Theta can make the grade in Sunday 19 January’s HK$13 million Gr1 Stewards’ Cup at Sha Tin when Francis Lui’s improving galloper tries horse racing’s elite level for the first time.
Seven potential rivals await Patch Of Theta and the Mauritian jockey, led by dual Group 1 winner Voyage Bubble, victorious in this race last year. Galaxy Patch, Beauty Eternal, California Spangle, Beauty Joy, Chancheng Glory and Red Lion are also entered to run.
“Whatever they have thrown at him (Patch Of Theta), he has responded to pretty well. He has lots of ability and his win last time under a
light weight (115lb) – you can’t fault him, but jumping into a Group 1 against the likes of Voyage Bubble is going to be a tough task,” Teetan said.
“Patch Of Theta is an improving horse. We have respect for the other horses but I think our horse is doing well so far, and if he gets the right run then he’s going to be competitive.”
Patch Of Theta – has won 6 of 14 starts at Sha Tin | Credit: HKJC
The mile challenge is the first leg of Hong Kong’s Triple Crown. If successful in all three races, connections receive a HK$10 million bonus. The HK$13 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) is leg two on 23 February, while the series concludes on 25 May with the HK$13 million G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m).
Bought for HK$8,6 million at the 2023 Hong Kong International Sale, Patch Of Theta boasts earnings of HK$1,19 million as Teetan aims for a third win from as many pairings with the 108-rater for owner Angela Yeung.
Patch Of Theta was a convincing victor of the HK$4.2 million Gr3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap on 1 January at Sha Tin under Teetan.
“After every run since last season, you can feel he’s getting better. He’s yet to run outside of the top three across his whole career – so his form doesn’t lie.
“I’ve worked him at trackwork after his last run and I feel he’s going very well. After this race we will know more about him,” Teetan said.
Patch Of Theta has won six times from 14 starts in Hong Kong, steadily rising from a rating of 52 by prevailing in Class 4, Class 3, Class 2 and Group 3 to reach his current peak mark.
“It’s going to be a good race. I’m looking forward to riding him. It’s always nice getting on horses like him in big races because they’re a bit unknown but as you know they have ability,” Teetan said.
JAPANESE CONNECTIONS EYE CHELTENHAM
A
first Japanese-trained runner could feature at the Cheltenham Festival this century after All The World was a surprise name in the Unibet Champion
Hurdle entries revealed on Tuesday.
Third when last seen in the Gr2 Tokyo HighJump back in October, he has been described as one of Japan’s elite jumpers by the Japanese Racing Authority’s (JRA) London office.
The Racing Post reports that If All The World were to run it would come more than 50 years after Fujino O broke new ground when brought over from Japan to be trained by Fulke Walwyn. He was unplaced in the Plate.
The JRA’s London office said it was thrilled he was among the entries and it would continue a growing trend of representation for the country in the world’s biggest meetings.
Japan has celebrated notable successes including at the Breeders’ Cup, Cox Plate and in Britain with Deirdre winning the Nassau Stakes. Jumps is less prominent than the Flat in Japan although interest surged in recent
years when Oju Chosan became the country’s greatest ever jumps horse with a recordbreaking fifth win in the Nakayama Grand Jump.
He accumulated close to JPY941,000,000 (£4.8 million), making him the world’s highestearning jumps horse.
All The World is a six-time winner from 40 starts in Japan. He started on the Flat but was a natural when changing codes, completing a hat-trick in an open chase at Hanshin in March. The entire runs in the silks of Shinji Maeda, made famous by Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail.
All The World would be Maeda’s first runner in Britain or Ireland. He is as big as 100-1 with a number of firms, although some bookmakers go as short as 50-1.
SO YOU THINK COLT HIGHLIGHTS FINAL DAY
A colt by leading sire So You Think topped the sixth and final day of the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale when selling for A$185 000 on Monday.
The second foal of a lightly raced daughter of Kodiac, the colt was presented by Goodwood Farm and purchased by RS Bloodstock, Catheryne Bruggeman and Paul Moroney Bloodstock.
“He’s sleek, he walks over the ground and he’s light on his feet,” Moroney said. “He has that head movement that just goes forward and takes everything with him.”
“We thought he was one of the standouts over both books.”
“He’s one we sat and waited for most of the sale and we’re just delighted that we got the opportunity to get him.”
“We probably paid a little bit more than we thought, but there was strong competition,” Moroney added.
Kerrie Tibbey of Goodwood Farm, who consigned the colt, was delighted with the result and she thought he might race earlier than what some of the breed usually do.
Goodwood Farm presented this magnificent So You Think colt | Credit: Magic Millions
“It was an exceptionally good result,” Tibbey said moments after the gavel fell. “He’s a lovely horse and I reckon he’s a two-year-old.”
“He’s got the mentality of a racehorse. He could be here next year.”
The So You Think colt was one of 14 youngsters to sell for a six figure price on the final day of the auction - making it a total of 22 for Book Two.
Across the Book Two sale over A$10.6 million was traded on 235 lots sold at an average price of A$45,419 and clearance rate of 70 per cent.
Over the week of selling Book One and Two combined grossed over A$217 million at an average price of A$217,081.
“It’s been a fantastic fortnight on the Gold Coast,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch noted. “It hasn’t been without it’s obstacles obviously.”
“We had a fantastic Book One - a sale that averaged over A$270,000 with a clearance rate of almost 83 per cent and a new record breaking price of A$3,2 million.”
“It’s been phenomenal. So much international money being spent is a real confident booster for Australia.”
“Book Two was a decent enough sale. Obviously we would have loved to have cleared a few more horses.”
“The participation got a little tough there at the bottom end (of the market). That could be the new normal for this sort of market. Vendors are going to have to understand they are going to have some tough sales at the lower end in the short term.”
“It’s been a fantastic fortnight on the Gold Coast,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch noted. “It hasn’t been without it’s obstacles obviously.”
“Given we are racing for so much prizemoney and Magic Millions goes to Perth, Tassie and Adelaide - we encourage the trainers and syndicators to get involved. These horses race for such great prizemoney and there’s the Magic Millions Race Series.”
The focus now switches to Friday night’s transferred The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Raceday which will be held under lights for the first time.
The remaining seven races from Saturday’s card, carrying prizemoney of A$13 million, will be take centre stage.
“There’s plenty to look forward to on Friday night,” Bowditch added. “We have strong fields - great depth and it should be a fantastic spectacle under the lights.”
To view the results of the sale or to make an offer on a passed in lot click here.
BOOK TWO SALE STATISTICS
Lots Catalogued: 380
Lots Sold: 235
Lots Passed In: 102
Lots Withdrawn: 43
Sale Gross: A$10,673,500
Top Price: A$185,000
Average Price: A$45,419
Median Prince: A$36,000
Sold %: 70
DAY SIX TOP SELLERS
A$185,000 - So You Think-Marjoram colt (Lot 1276)
Vendor: Goodwood Farm (As Agent) / Buyer:
RS B’stock/Catheryne Bruggeman/Paul Moroney B’stock (Vic)
A$165,000 - Tiger of Malay-Streets of Suemori colt (Lot 1395)
Bowness Stud / Campton Racing (Qld)
A$160,000 - Spirit of Boom-Foxarelli filly (Lot 1185)
Robyn Wise (As Agent) / Boomer B’stock/ Beamish B’stock (Qld)
A$130,000 - Spirit of Boom-Glaciers colt (Lot 1195)
Eureka Stud (As Agent) / Danny Maher (Qld)
A$130,000 - Spirit of Boom-Little River colt (Lot 1260)
Toolooganvale Farm (As Agent) / Upper B’stock (HK)
KABELO WALLOPED WITH CROP CENSURE
The National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa confirms that at an Inquiry held in Johannesburg on Tuesday 14 January 2025, Jockey Kabelo Matsunyane was charged with a contravention of Rule 58.10.2 (read with Guideline M in Appendix E on the use of the crop).
The particulars being that he misused his crop by striking Purple Pitcher more than twelve times (14), which was not warranted when considering the circumstances of the race, in Race 8, the Betway Gr1 Summer Cup at Turffontein on 30 November 2024.
Jockey Matsunyane pleaded guilty and was found guilty of the charge.
The Inquiry Board, after considering the
evidence, and taking the Grade 1 status of the race into account, imposed a penalty of a suspension from riding in races for a period of fourteen (14) days and a fine of R64 000 (sixty-four thousand rand).
Jockey Matsunyane was given the Right of Appeal against the penalty imposed.
• Media release by NHA on Tuesday 14 January 2025.
Kabelo Matsunyane – two strikes cost him heavily | Credit: JC Photos
EASY AS 1 -2-3 - 4
Our racing television tipsters are generally on a hiding to nothing. Tip winners, and nobody says anything. Tip losers, and the keyboard warriors climb in.
So it was good to see Fairview regulars Neil Pretorius and Nadine Low Ah Kee find the winning quartet of the eighth and final race on the card last Friday.
My Ami Beach (8-1) beat favourite Sharapova, with Pomodoro Magic (8-1) in third and Komesan’s Passion (25-2) rounding off the magic numbers 4-8-12-14. The quartet paid R1672-30.
Neil Pretorius and Nadine Low Ah Kee celebrate their winning selection | Credit: Pauline Herman
FOLLOW DURIC ON FRIDAY
After more than 30 years in the saddle, Vlad Duric will have his first ride in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the rescheduled Gold Coast meeting on Friday night.
The Victorian raised jockey who plied his trade in Singapore for the best part of 15 years, has called Brisbane home for the past 10 months since returning to Australia.
Justhorseracing.com reports that a short stint in Melbourne during winter to oversee his daughter Sage’s initial foray into race riding coincided with Duric taking a break to get a niggling knee injury right.
Since returning to the saddle last month, Duric has that hunger back and would love nothing more than to add another big purse to his haul of winners.
“Everything has really come good in the last a couple of weeks,” Duric said.
“I took three months off with my knee
problems. It took a little while to get up to fitness again to be honest being that little bit older age, and I don’t really want to be having that long off again.
“But in the last couple of weeks I’ve really tightened up and I’m starting to feel really bouncing and good, which is great.
“I’m really motivated, and I want to win another good race, so I’m looking forward to Friday.”
Duric partners Secret Sort in Friday night’s $3 million race for two-year-olds, a horse he partnered for the first time when fourth in the B J McLachlan Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on December 21. He said Secret Sort did not have a lot of luck in Brisbane last time after filling placings in his previous three starts at Doomben.
Singapore 2021 - Vlad Duric celebrates his first Singapore champion jockey title earned in 2017 with champion apprentice jockey Wong Chin Chuen | Credit: STC
“He’s very fast out of the machine,” Duric said.
“He showed a lot of speed at his first few starts, but they wanted me to ride him from behind the other day. He got into that position nicely but then got stuck back on the inside and didn’t get a lot of room in the straight.
“He’s a horse that is from a low draw and he will take up a forward position in the race and probably be right behind the leaders.
“He’s a very well educated, bombproof, twoyear-old but he’s just a little on the small side so that’s the only thing with him, but he’s going
to make his own luck and be there and you know he could definitely pick up a fat end of the cheque.”
The Magic Millions 2YO Classic was held over from last Saturday when rain washed out the meeting after the first three races had been run.
On speed and near fence had been a plus before the meeting was called off.
“I’d imagine it would be similar on Friday and one thing with my bloke is he’s good on both good and wet ground,” Duric said.
TRAINERS
JOCKEYS
BREEDERS
SIRES
