SP Sprint - 28 May 2024

On the cover

TRUE BLUE GOLD CLASS!

Winning Form’s national log-leader Richard Fourie chats to Gallop TV presenter Rahiel Radhakrishna after the Drakenstein bred and raced Silver Sanctuary’s courageous victory in the Tabgold Gr1 Woolavington 2000 at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.

Candiese Lenferna took the photograph.

FLAG MAN CANVASSES A JULY VOTE

Flag Man (Serino Moodley) chases Green With Envy (Craig Zackey) in the Gr1 Daily News | Credit: Chase Liebenberg

While most South Africans will be focused on picking a winner at the polls this week as we cast our ballot in the general election on Wednesday to elect a new National Assembly as well as the provincial legislature in each of the nine provinces, racing fans may well be rethinking their Hollywoodbets Durban July vote after a weekend that saw the emergence of a serious pretender to the throne – and the demise of the dreams of a few others.

The outstanding exploits of Mrs Geriatrix put Clifton Stud back in the breeding headlines and now a horse bred at their KZN farm is third favourite for the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

David Mollett writes that prior to Saturday’s Daily News 2000, Flag Man – a R100 000 son of Flying The Flag – was regarded as an improving three year-old in Gareth Van Zyl’s stable, but wasn’t in the thinking of pundits as far as the July 6 race was concerned.

The gelding’s July price on Saturday morning was 50-1.

He has rocketed up the merit ratings from a 92 to a 126 and in their latest markets, both July sponsor, Hollywoodbets, and World Sports Betting have Flag Man as third favourite at 10-1. He gave supporters of odds-on favourite, Green With Envy, a real fright and the latter’s price has eased fractionally to 5-2. Green With Envy has been allocated a rating of 127, which also changes the July weights picture!

Many moons ago in 1998, Classic Flag (Anthony Delpech) delighted Peter and Jenny Blyth when winning the July – could Flag Man follow in his footsteps? There was certainly lots to like about his performance in Saturday’s Gr 1 race under a positive ride from Serino Moodley.

The Sporting Post described Green With Envy’s performance as ‘mission accomplished’, which

was probably kind, as the favourite’s backers were ready to call the paramedics with the Cape Derby winner in last place!

The Khaya stables owned and bred got home in the end, but didn’t impress a number of observers.

Michael Jacobs posted on the SP website: “Unlikely to win the July, struggled to beat a MR 92. Going to have to lift his game considerably to make an impression in the July.”

In my book, that’s fair comment and I’m quite happy with my antepost voucher of 6-1 a place about Without Question. Interestingly, the Snaith inmate is now 20-1 with Hollywoodbets and 25-1 with World Sports Betting.

Prior to Saturday’s race, Hluhluwe was being put forward as the possible surprise package but the Trippi gelding’s limitations were exposed as he trailed nearly seven lengths behind the winner on Saturday. Barbaresco finished a creditable third, but SA Derby runner-up Pure Predator was never a serious threat in fourth.

The next Hollywoodbets Durban July log will only be published after the running of the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge on 8 June, and that prestigious mile could shift the goalposts even further.

LET’S GO FOR GOLD!

A nationally representative entry of 16 has been received for the 53rd renewal of the premier SA Champions Season weight- for-age mile, the R2 million Hollywoodbets Gr1 Gold Challenge, which will be run at the Theatre Of Dreams on 8 June.

Hollywoodbets Greyville will host the prestigious contest just a month in advance of the Hollywoodbets Durban July, and ten of the potential Gold Challenge starters are also in the entry list for the R5 million spectacular.

Richard Fourie and Legislate grab honours in the 2015 Gold Challenge (Pic – Gold Circle)

Justin Snaith’s now retired star Do It Again was the most recent galloper to achieve the Gold Challenge – Durban July double back in 2019 and the stable achieved another 21st century same year double winner with the brilliant filly Dancer’s Daughter. Pocket Power, Big City Life and Legislate all achieved the double, but in different years.

Two 3yo stars in Tony Peter’s Main Defender and the David Nieuwenhuizen charge Sandringham Summit top the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge ante-post betting boards, and will be looking to make it a double for the sophomores after Charles Dicken’s electrifying victory last year.

Main Defender was a highly publicised withdrawal due to elevated TC02 levels from the IOS Drill Hall Stakes earlier this month, while Sandringham Summit was beaten by subsequent Daily News 2000 star Green With Envy in the WSB Gr2 Guineas on 11 May.

Other 3yo’s to win the Gold Challenge in recent times include Brett Crawford’s Undercover Agent, who gave Lyle Hewitson his maiden career Gr1 success in 2018, and Joey Ramsden champion Variety Club who won it in 2012 and 2013.

Mike de Kock’s Dave The King has been touted as representing some value at double digit odds after his recent confidence boosting Hollywoodbets Scottsville victory, while the Randjesfontein legend also has

3yo Gimmeanotherchance in at first stage.

Justin Snaith’s quartet includes recent IOS Drill Hall Stakes winner Royal Aussie, and the 2024 Gr1 Cape Town Met winner Double Superlative, who was announced as having retired to stud in February. The son of Twice Over suffered a tendon injury in Durban in early 2022, after winning the Cape Guineas in 2021. He was off for over 14 months and made a miraculous recovery to return and win the WSB Cape Town Met. Efforts to obtain a comment on Double Superlative were unsuccessful.

Sean Tarry last won the Gold Challenge 17 years ago with Successful Bidder ridden by Brett Smith, and the former multiple national champion has a pair in recent unlucky Drill Hall runner-up Cousin Casey, and the very smart 3yo, Lucky Lad.

Cousin Casey ran last in this contest last year, after fighting Smanga Khumalo early in the race, in his newly fitted blinkers. Ironically Bling’s first ride back on the son of Vercingetorix was in the recent Drill Hall Stakes, where traffic late in the race cost him.

The only member of the fairer sex in the first entry is the Glen Kotzen trained recent WSB Gr2 Fillies Guineas winner Rascova, who races for Sandy and Eugene Arundel, and has pulled a fair 6 from 16 gate.

Last year’s Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge winner Charles Dickens has been retired to stud, and his trainer Candice Bass-Robinson does not have an entry at this stage, and neither do Eric Sands and Brett Crawford, both dual winners in the last decade.

Supplementary entries close at 11h00 on Friday 31 May, with declarations due on Monday 3 June by 11h00.

THE SPRINT IS INTERACTIVE

KANNEMEYER STAR SHINES!

Craig Zackey makes it look easy as he waits for the Stipes’ announcement with champion, Green With Envy | Credit: Candiese Lenferna

Dean Kannemeyer’s 2024 Hollywoodbets Durban July dream is well on track after current ante-post favourite and Khaya Stables’ star Green With Envy defied the odds under the talented Craig Zackey in an incident filled renewal of the R2 million Gr1 Daily News 2000 on Saturday.

It was stressful for the smashing 3yo’s legion of fans, and it certainly wasn’t pretty.

But it was mission accomplished for the punting public, as well as Lady Christine Laidlaw’s Khaya Stables and her top trainer, who will now be looking forward to a repeat of their Power King triumph of 2015 in Africa’s greatest, with a 3yo that has swept all before him since winning the Schweppes Gr3 Politician Stakes on Cape Town Met day, just four months back.

Dean Kannemeyer, who won the Daily News 21 years ago with the champion Dynasty, had expressed one concern in the build-up week, and that was a potential lack of pace in a small field.

And the longstanding Milnerton resident sort of got that, dished up in a race that delivered some theatrics from the saddle, and even the boardroom, afterwards.

Highveld raider William Iron Arm went off like a hare, but was pulled back by jockey Calvin Habib, which move appeared to produce a knock-on for various of those in his wake.

After William Iron Arm had fallen back into the pack, Sean Veale and The Grey King bounded ahead, largely as a result of an unfortunate slipped saddle. At this stage, Grant van Niekerk switched Hluhluwe out, taking Barbaresco with him, while Green With Envy had taken his own medicine, and was some lengths back in last.

As he had done in the WSB Guineas earlier this month, Craig Zackey ranged up the outside on Green With Envy as they spun for home.

But this time the handsome son of Gimmethegreenlight hung inwards away from the grandstand, and ended up costing himself lengths, in the process landing up alongside Gareth van Zyl’s progressive 92 rater Flag Man on the inside rail.

Zackey had changed his crop hand to the right and at no stage did Green With Envy make contact with any opponent.

In the drive to the wire, Green With Envy (6-10) was extended by the gallant chestnut Flag Man (10-1) who kept at it under Serino Moodley, to produce a thrilling climax to a muddling race.

A head separated the top two in a time of 123,69 secs on good to soft ground. For comparison’s sake, the course record is 119,60 secs, and the class record stands at 120,02 secs.

After suffering the early interference, Barbaresco (20-1) ran on well for third, a further 2,50 lengths back, even though his connections still won’t be clear whether he actually stays the 2000m or not.

A race review was, not unexpectedly, called by the Stipes.

But after what felt like an interminable wait, they announced no further action – from their side. That announcement suggested that anything could still happen. One wonders why the Stipes didn’t get some indication from any other potential objecting parties, even though Craig Zackey had not yet weighed in, and made it a clear, all good to go?

Craig Zackey, who rode three winners on the afternoon, and had to wait with the Kannemeyer team and the handsome winner in front of the stands while the Stipes watched the movie, said that he would have to do something about his personal stress levels!

“It’s a lot of stress riding this horse as the public love him. He had to check and he dropped back – further than what I would have chosen. Then he got into a rhythm. At the 900m there was a bit of ‘argy bargy’. He’s a sensational horse, even though he hung in. It was an incredible victory,” added Zackey, who said that he was looking forward to riding the likely favourite in one of South Africa’s biggest races.

Trainer Dean Kannemeyer said that he would like to go and watch the race a few times and would then issue a statement. We are carded to speak to him on Sunday morning.

Bred and raced by Khaya Stables, Green With Envy, who was raised on Varsfontein Stud, is by SA champion sire Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) out of the Irish-bred Miss Coco, a daughter of champion Galileo, who was unbeaten in one start over 2400m.

Now a winner of 6 races with 3 places from 10 starts for stakes of R2 968 901, Green With Envy will next see action on 6 July at the same venue. Exciting times!

Credit: Candiese Lenferna

SILVANO’S SILVER COMMANDS BRAVE WIN

Drakenstein 1-2! Silver Sanctuary (Richard Fourie) scored a maiden Gr1 success at Hollywoodbets Greyville

Credit: Chase Liebenberg

The might of the Drakenstein powerhouse was seen to good effect at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday again when the champion Franschhoek nursery celebrated a hat-trick of victories in the R1,5 million Tabgold Gr1 Woolavington 2000.

After winning the race with Oh Susanna in 2018, and Silver Darling (2022), both with Justin Snaith, and then the Sean Tarry-trained Rain In Holland (2023), Gaynor Rupert’s team celebrated a 1-2 on Saturday with the Mike de Kock-trained Silver Sanctuary scoring a maiden Grade 1 success, and holding off the low-flying year older Gold Standard daughter, Hold My Hand, who races out of Glen Kotzen’s yard.

It was another superb ride by Richard Fourie, who chalked up the 310th victory of a record-setting term, when he capitalised on a 1 draw and stalked the leader Bellevarde,

before slipping through down the inside rail and stealing an early march, in a courageous show of bravado by horse and rider.

At the 200m, Silver Sanctuary (3-1) was in command and held on well to beat Hold My Hand (25-1) by 0,70 lengths in a time of 125,86 secs. That time is put into perspective by the fact that the course record is 119,50 secs!

Beating Wings (8-1) was a neck away in third, with Frances Ethel (2-1) staying on for fourth in her first run out of the Highveld.

After her excellent win in the KRA Listed East Coast Cup, Saartjie (9-2) failed to fire in a flat second run after a rest and finished out of the money. She’s worth another chance.

Richard Fourie said that his biggest worry was Saartjie.

“But Silver Sanctuary has played bridesmaid to a top sort in her stablemate Gimme A Nother. So her form is good. She’s not the tallest and she’s still a bit immature, but it was a brave win, and the 1 draw made a difference,” added the SA champion jockey elect.

Globetrotting trainer Mike de Kock suggested Silver Sanctuary wasn’t at her best in Oaks.

“I thought she had the beating of them today. Thanks to Gaynor Rupert and Kevin Sommerville, for their patience. I have a proper crew in the pit lane too, and a big thanks to my team. It was also a tactically sound ride by Richard Fourie,” added the veteran.

Drakenstein’s Kevin Sommerville said it was a great honour to win a race of this stature, and thanked the De Kock team, the sponsors, and Gold Circle.

A full-sister to past Daily News 2000 star Safe Passage, the winner is a daughter of our late multiple champion sire Silvano (Lomitas) out of the well-performed Antonius Pius mare, My Sanctuary.

She has now won 4 races with 5 places from 10 outings for stakes of R1 895 000.

There will be decisions to be made as to whether to go the Hollywoodbets Durban July or Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes route with Silver Sanctuary. Exciting times for a still improving 3yo!

Craig Zackey and Green With Envy wait on the Stipes’ race review decision

Credit: Chase Liebenberg

Just days after Green With Envy’s sensational Gr1 Daily News 2000 victory, it is business as usual at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday for trainer Dean Kannemeyer, who saddles two Grade 1 runners on the bumper Golden Horse Sprint raceday card.

On the very same raceday last year, Dean saddled Khaya Stables’ smashing 4yo Gimme A Prince, who registered his second Grade 1 win of that season with a scintillating score in the Golden Horse Sprint.

While Dean doesn’t have a runner in the handicap on Saturday, he does saddle two live chances to add to his Gr1 haul, in the impressive debut winner Gimmie’s Countess, who lines up in the Gr1 Allan Robertson

Championship, and the hardknocking Hollywood Syndicate galloper, Shantastic.

“Gimmie’s Countess is a sister to Gimme A Prince, their dam being Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint star, Real Princess, who won that in 2016 under present day Hollywood Syndicate Racing Manager, Anthony Delpech! She is a highquality filly and won very well on her polytrack debut two weeks ago.”

He points out that the form was confirmed when the runner-up Spirit Of Levana won impressively at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.

“She beat a horse of ours whom we regard highly. It is difficult to guage form in a 2yo feature, where they are all improving at

different rates, and some are more precocious than others. Hollywoodbets Scottsville can also catch them out, first time there. I have never won this race, but I wouldn’t be letting Gimmie’s Countess take her chances if I didn’t think a lot of her,” added the veteran.

On Shantastic, who runs in the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint, Dean observes that the 4yo daughter of Rafeef has held her own in very decent fairer sex sprinting company.

“She ran a cracker in the Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes and the Listed Olympic Duel Stakes in the Cape summer. She was given a rest on the farm, and she’s come back with enthusiasm. I had no pipe-opener options for her, so ran her against the boys first time back. She stayed on 2,70 lengths off Hithemhardsunshine, to

whom she conceded 1,5 kgs, and is no slouch, himself. She has her first run in the KZN Capital City, but is a mature, sensible and tough filly. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her in the mix!”

The man who has trained three Durban July winners and a host of classic horses, including his first Gr1 winner Colonial Girl, who won the Gold Cup less than 12 months after he took over the family operation in 1999, offered some feedback on his Hollywoodbets Durban July favourite Green With Envy after Saturday’s humdinger.

He said that the 3yo emptied his manger on Sunday morning, and bar some minor bruising after the Gr1 Daily News 2000 thriller, is on track to become the eleventh 3yo this century to win the big race on 6 July.

Dean Kannemeyer receives his Daily News trophy from the publication’s Editor Mazwi Xaba, as Gold Circle Director Mayesh Chetty looks on | Credit: Chase Liebenberg

Dean added that winning Grade 1 races is seldom a walk in the park, but that Saturday’s race had been particularly eventful.

“I don’t want to be unkind or disrespectful, but it was a bit of a shambles – a perfect storm of circumstance, I suppose. Green With Envy took a bump out of the gate. The initial leader went fast, then the jockey looked behind, and restrained his mount. That caused a concertino effect. I see the Stipes have opened an inquiry into Barbaresco being carried out at the 900m. My horse was also checked and he found himself further out of his ground than we wanted to be. The saddle slipped on The Grey King. So he unfortunately couldn’t be assisted. These things happen in racing!”

Unbeaten since going beyond a mile for the first time in the Schweppes Gr3 Politician Stakes on Met day, we asked Dean why the Khaya Stables star had drifted in, in the run for home.

“We detected some bruising this morning on his near-for cannon. Craig feels that he took the bump that caused the bruising when they came out of the gates. He was feeling that, and it is probably the reason that he ran away from it in the home straight. It’s minor and won’t impact on his prep in any way,” he confirmed.

Craig Zackey, who picked up three winners on the day, took some social media criticism from various quarters for going round his field, rather than waiting to make his run down the inside rail. We asked the top trainer what he thought about that.

“Craig rode his race and he knows his horse. Green With Envy is a long striding athlete, and those out front could easily poach a vital length or two in the run for home. Remember too, that sitting on a sofa is quite different to sitting in the saddle in a Grade 1 race. Decisions are split second calls. We are very happy and owner Lady Christine Laidlaw is over the moon.”

And the wait afterwards for the race review?

“The Stipes have a job to do. Both Craig and I didn’t feel there was any grounds for concern. They never touched, and the runner up also shifted in from the crop. And Craig said that Flag Man – what a lovely horse he is – was very game, but that in the final strides we were going away from him. As I said, Grade 1 victories have to be earned. They are designed to be fought for, rather than dished up on a platter!”

Dean, who won the Durban July in 2003 with Dynasty, in 2006 with Eyeofthetiger, and in 2015 with Power King, described Green With Envy’s prep into the 2024 Hollywoodbets Durban July, as having gone 100% according to plan:

“I had him underdone for the WSB Gr2 Guineas and he was not wound up for the Daily News. He is a tall, racy individual with a great temperament, who keeps himself fit. So in these last 40 days into the big race, we will keep him happy and ticking over and then he will go on the grass ten days before.”

We asked the man who saddled Dynasty to win the July from a 20 draw in closing, what would be an ideal barrier gate for Green With Envy.

“One always needs some luck in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, but I’d be very happy with a gate of somewhere between 5 and 10. But he’s a class act and a massively talented horse, and we’ll run our race whatever ticket we pull.”

“Pinhooking is a term that describes the practice of buying a horse at one stage of development and selling them at the next.”

• Purchase a yearling at the Cape Racing Sales Winter Yearling Sale 2024

• Payment due only after selling the yearling at the Cape Racing Sales Breeze Up in October 2024

• Summary of costs for the scheme:

Purchase Costs

- CRS Yearling Sale – 2% Buyers Commission - R5000 CRS Bonus Initiative levy

Sales Costs

- Free entry onto CRS Breeze Up sale

- 5% Vendor Commission

- 3% Pinhook Premium

Potential Buy Back Costs

- 2% Buyer Commission

- R5000 CRS Initiative Levy

one stripe

WINNER OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE NURSERY (GR3)

WINNER OF THE WINTER NURSERY (GR3)

PAID R100 000 - PINHOOKED AND SOLD FOR R1 400 000

www.caperacingsales.co.za | For further information or to apply for the scheme contactJustinVermaak – justin@caperacing.co.za

WINTER IS COMING!

2024 CAPE RACING WINTER YEARLING SALE

Cape Racing Sales presents the 2024 Winter Yearling Sale, which is set to take place at 11h00 on Thursday, 6 June 2024, at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

Viewing will commence on Tuesday, 4 June at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

There are 115 yearlings catalogued from a wide range of leading vendors, boasting a wide spread of South Africa’s established and freshman sires represented to suit buyers across the price spectrum.

Commercial highlights include five Vercingetorix yearlings, nine out of Rafeef (AUS), and a sole Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) baby – all of whom will be highly sought after.

The Pinhook incentive scheme, introduced in 2023, will again be a sale feature.

The incentive allows speculators to make purchases at the Winter Yearling Sale in June while only having to pay for the stock once selling at the Ready to Run Sale in October.

All graduates qualify for the CRS Juvenile bonus, which pays R100,000 to the winning connections.

The Cape Racing Sales personnel listed below are available to assist:

• Table bookings Joanne Knowles jo@caperacing.co.za

• Buyers’ Cards Janine van Blerk janine@caperacing.co.za

• Sales queries & general info Justin Vermaak justin@caperacing.co.za

Catalogues and further information will be available for download from www.caperacingsales.co.za

THE SPRINT IS INTERACTIVE

THE MAINE CHANCE POWER FACTOR

One of South Africa’s foremost breeding establishments as a Top Ten breeder for over 20 years, Maine Chance Farms, will dispatch 15 yearlings to the Cape Racing Sales Winter Yearling Sale.

The auction takes place on 6 June @ 11h00 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

Lot 6 should get things underway for the farm with a bang as bay colt Frequent Traveller is by high quality producer, Querari out of the accomplished Gr1 placed Silvano mare, Frequent Flyer. Querari over Silvano is a proven successful mating.

Lot 8 is a chestnut Quasillo filly ex Galadriel, a half- sister to Lochlorien. Quasillo, a son of

European HOTY in 2009, Sea the Stars, was the Champion three-year-old in Germany in 2015. His filly is followed immediately by Good Omen, another Querari colt out of smart race mare, Goodtime Gal.

Maine Chance then offer Lots 23 – 27 in succession. The first in this batch is by speed sire, What A Winter - a filly out of the Irish mare Kitoko, with French blood mixed in through second dam, Breathe.

Maine Chance – place of beauty | Credit: Supplied

Lot 24 is a result of a mating between Querari, the son of European Champion, Oasis Dream, and La Calisto. Letter of Marque is thus a full brother to La Quinta, an attractive, way- aboveaverage sprinter trained by Snaith Racing. Second dam La Calima produced 8 x winning speedball, Los Colmos. This is the same family as Silvano’s sire, Lomitas who rated a sky high 131 on the International Classification.

Querari, who was the top rated older German horse in 2010 with a Timeform figure of 121, has Lot 25 a bay colt out of La Chouette. Best of her progeny is the still- in- training Tout a Fait, a tough to pass 1400m exponent that has already won five times. Second dam, Night Diva was the Champion Older Stayer in SA twenty years ago, so this page has an intriguing blend of speed and stamina.

Lot 26, Life of Leisure is a bay filly by Gold Standard out of the Querari mare, La Collosa. Second dam La Calima’s accomplishments were acknowledged when previewing Lot 24, whilst third dam, La Colorada was rated the top filly on the 1983 German 2-year-old Free Handicap.

Lady Penny is a first foal for Lady Clarisse by home- town hero, Querari, who stands at Maine Chance. The female side of Lot 27 is absolutely laden with Black Type.

Rafeef was the leading first season sire in SA in 2020/21 and is proving an instant commercial success after 18 stakes winners - and counting. His daughter, Lilting Song is out of Silvano mare, Lip Service and this bay filly goes through the ring as Lot 34. Lip Service is a three quarters sister to Lyrical Linda, winner of the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes and brother to Gr1 winner and sire, Liege. This is a classic mating: Danehill and Lomitas delivered Arc hero, Danedream.

Lot 40 should generate a frisson of excitement when stepping into the ring. This Querari filly is out of the Dynasty mare, Maria Theresa, making her a full sister to well-performed Maria Querol, and related to an extremely promising

Dean Kannemeyer trained, youngster, Rhydian.

Lot 51, an Hawwaam filly out of the German mare Perija (by Shamardal) has quality Euro bloodlines stretching back generations on the female side. To illustrate, third dam, Praia foaled 16 x winner, Potemkim, Joint Champion Older Male in Italy in 2016.

Lot 56 is a bay Querari colt ex Quena (by Silvano) called Quiet Place. He is inbred to the famous two and three-year-old German Champion Filly of 1992/93, Quebrada.

The last two offerings at CRWYS from Maine Chance are both by Erupt, an Irish bred son of Dubawi.

Lot 65, Surreal Moment’s third dam Scented Royal was the Champion 2-year-old-filly in SA in 1988/89 and is a renowned Maine Chance foundation mare, whilst Zen State’s (Lot 85) dam, Zeta Jones is a three-quarter sister to July victor Marinaresco, Gr2 scorer and Gr1 placed 10 x winner, Marina and high class, Bulsara.

Credit: Candiese Lenferna

50 AND GOING STRONG!

50 AND GOING STRONG!

50 AND GOING STRONG!

With a proud history founded in 1974, Varsfontein Stud has bred 49 Gr1 winners to date. breed in SA.

With a proud history founded in 1974, Varsfontein Stud has bred 49 Gr1 winners to date. breed in SA.

With a proud history founded in 1974, Varsfontein Stud has bred 49 Gr1 winners to date. breed in SA.

Kings Rhapsody – won 11 races including the Smirnoff, equivalent to what is now the Gr1 Gold Medallion. That rich legacy continues and this year the farm celebrates its 50th year of breeding success.

The very first yearling sold by Varsfontein – Kings Rhapsody – won 11 races including the Smirnoff, equivalent to what is now the Gr1 Gold Medallion. That rich legacy continues and this year the farm celebrates its 50th year of breeding success.

Kings Rhapsody – won 11 races including the Smirnoff, equivalent to what is now the Gr1 Gold Medallion. That rich legacy continues and this year the farm celebrates its 50th year of breeding success.

Kings Rhapsody – won 11 races including the Smirnoff, equivalent to what is now the Gr1 Gold Medallion. That rich legacy continues and this year the farm celebrates its 50th year of breeding success.

Kings Rhapsody – won 11 races including the Smirnoff, equivalent to what is now the Gr1 Gold Medallion. That rich legacy continues and this year the farm celebrates its 50th year of breeding success.

Kings Rhapsody – won 11 races including the Smirnoff, equivalent to what is now the Gr1 Gold Medallion. That rich legacy continues and this year the farm celebrates its 50th year of breeding success.

Kings Rhapsody – won 11 races including the Smirnoff, equivalent to what is now the Gr1 Gold Medallion. That rich legacy continues and this year the farm celebrates its 50th year of breeding success.

Varsfontein was started in 1974 | Credit: Jeremy Nelson

Varsfontein was started in 1974 | Credit: Jeremy Nelson

Master Of My Fate was the second leading sire of 3-yearolds in 2023 and is currently 4th on the general sires log. Second dam Outrage is a half-sister to Croc Valley and quality stayer, Galileo’s Night, and has already produced Third Runway, winner of the G2 Western Cape Fillies Championship.

compact and looks like she will be an early, precocious type.

Erik The Red, a brilliant two-year-old and son of legendary Captain Al, has been very well received with auction this year. The dam is a half-sister to Gr1 Allan Robertson winner, Miss Florida. Miss Florida is by Captain Al, hence why this proven nick was repeated.

Freydis is a quality over ground and moves well.

Lot 14 – Scandalize (f) by Master Of My Fate ex In A Huff (Judpot)

Lot 41 – Freydis (f) by Erik The Red ex Miss Texas (Coup de Grace)

mare Preluna (Fr) and has some interesting French blood on the dam side. She is a well-made,

strong shoulder and hindquarter.

Formed in the same mould as her sire, she looks like a speedy type.

Dam is a full sister to 2015/16 and 2016/17 HOTY Legal Eagle. She is also from the family of exciting Varsfontein breds, One Fell Swoop and Countdown.

has plenty to come.

Lot 53 – Harpa (f) by Erik The Red ex Preluna (Iffraaj)

Lot 54 – Princess Ruby (f) by Erik The Red ex Princess Thiana (Greys Inn)

The dam is a halfsister to Eyes Wide Open who won the G1 Cape Derby and Premiers Champion Stakes.

This striking colt is leggy and covers ground with a lovely shoulder.

Selling As An Agent

Pearl Emblem won seven races up to 1400m and is a halfsister to Gr1 winner Chestnuts N Pearls. One World’s sterling

olds should have buyers paying close attention.

This good boned colt has plenty of scope.

Lot 50 – United Front (c) by One World ex Pearl Emblem (National Emblem)

Lot 67 – Master Coiner (c) by Master Of My Fate ex Silvery Dream (Silvano)

Lot 91 – Unnamed (f) by Erupt ex At A Great Rate (Arch)

This is a truly international pedigree for bloodstock buffs to ponder as the page includes intriguing British and Japanese This beautifully and precocious.

Manager, Carl de Vos, and the Varsfontein Team look forward to welcoming buyers to view these lots at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Racecourse.

•Varsfontein Stud: 021 8698 238

•info@varsfontein.co.za

The former Zimbabwe based Down To Business, an out and out stayer, looks a live Gold Cup prospect as he finished with a wet sail down the centre of the track to claim his first South African victory with a smart effort in the R200 000 Listed Lonsdale Stirrup Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.

On the first Grade 1 day of the 2024 SA Champions Season, exotic pools were at encouraging levels, with the carryover Pick 6 reaching R3 844 746, the PA R527 769, and the Bipot a nett R306 257. Healthier stuff!

That was some good news, but the NHA’s newly introduced TCO2 testing is still something of a PR dilemma and after two early scratchings on the card for elevated levels, West Coast trainer Andre Nel had Cape Eagle withdrawn from the 2400m feature in what would have been an important season stepping stone.

After Jabu Jacobs had dictated a modest gallop on the Piet Botha visitor Baratheon, it was Pirate Prince that looked a winner down the inside rail, before Tristan Godden unleashed the Zimbabwe connection down the centre.

Finishing full of steam, Down To Business (9-2) proved too strong and went on powerfully to beat Highveld raider Raiseahallelujah (17-2) by 1,05 lengths in a time of 150,52 secs.

It was the second successive year that Candice Dawson’s gutsy gelding had to be satisfied with the runner-up badge in this feature.

Piet Botha will be thrilled with Baratheon (20-1) in third, ahead of Lorenzo Karriem’s Indican Ocean (50-1) who made up many lengths for fourth.

The tote favourite Marauding Horde ran with the blinkers removed and never showed.

Sporting Post-sponsored jockey Tristan Godden said that it was a win plan come together and lauded trainer Peter Muscutt.

“I made a small error last time. This time I kept Richard Fourie in my sights, and when I asked, Down To Business unwound late to get there. I am so thrilled for the team,” added Godden.

Hollywoodbets-sponsored trainer Peter Muscutt said that after the winner’s last run it was a proper ride by Tristan Godden and reciprocated the jockey’s compliments by saying that he played a key role in the success of the yard in terms of feedback.

“I just need to say also that the gentlemen that own the horse and myself have enjoyed a long association going all the way back to our Zimbabwe days. It’s a pleasure and privilege to have achieved this win for them,” he

added.

Down To Business’ former trainer Debbie Swanson found the gelding at a farm sale, and the 4yo gelding certainly looks to be competitive in the upcoming staying features, in a discipline where we are not exactly loaded with superstars.

Bred by Mayesh Chetty, the winner is a son of Redoute’s Choice sire Wylie Hall out of the five-time winning Surging River mare, Keep On Dreaming.

The Lonsdale Stirrup Cup was run as a Grade 3 event last year.

LITTLE BALLERINA

- CRS Cape Slipper (NBT)

- Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Nursery (Gr2)

- Juvenile Plate (Fillies)

Talk to the master

- Maiden Juvenile Plate

- Juvenile Plate

prom queen

- Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies)

makazole

- Maiden Juvenile Plate

African prince

- Juvenile Plate

CAPE RACING SALES JUVENILE BONUS

R100 000 FOR THE FIRST 40 CRS GRADUATE WINNERS (R75 000 OWNER & R25 000 VENDOR) www.caperacingsales.co.za

Master Casper

- Maiden Plate

great plains

- Juvenile Plate

- Juvenile Plate buzz bomb

- Maiden Plate

The Mask

- Maiden Plate

Sorceress supreme

- Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies)

commanding

- Maiden Juvenile Plate

The victory of Down To Business in the Listed Lonsdale Stirrup Cup surely came as a huge tonic to the beleaguered Zimbabwean racing fraternity.

A South African-bred son of Wylie Hall, the four-year-old joined the stable of Peter Muscutt boasting an impressive formline of five wins and three places from as many starts in his adopted country, having won the OK Grand Challenge and finishing in the frame in both the Zimbabwe Guineas and Castle Tankard.

The gelding made his local debut on New Year’s day with a creditable fourth in the Christmas Handicap and prior to the Lonsdale, gave notice of his stamina abilities when beaten a head and a neck in the World Sports Betting Highland Night Cup in his first attempt over the 2400m trip.

He joins a fine list of Zimbabwean-raced horses to have scored at stakes level in South Africa, stretching back to the post-World War II years, with the magnificent Spey Bridge.

Bred in the then Rhodesia and owned and trained by Cookie Amos, he won both the Gr1 Champion Stakes and Gr1 Clairwood Winter Handicap as a four-year-old and proved he was every inch a champion at age five when he won the 1956 Durban July under top weight of 58 kg. To this day, he is the benchmark against which every Zimbabwean champion is measured, with the annual racing awards named in his honour.

The late sixties brought more Gr1 success when Rhodesian-owned champion Merciless Sun crossed the Limpopo to defeat the locals in the 1968 Johannesburg Summer Handicap at Turffontein.

Bred by Herman Kok at Verborgenfontein Stud, the colt had carried all before him in his adopted country with victories in the Castle Tankard, the Rhodesian Guineas and Derby, and in the Summer Handicap, he crossed the line a half length in front of 3-1 favourite Bill Baily.

Fast forward to the early nineties and a gelding called Bluff, a son of champion sire Tilden. The

Zimbabwean Guineas winner and Champion 3YO went on to become a fine ambassador for his native country after joining the Summerveld stables of Alistair Gordon.

He won a vintage renewal of the 1994 Drill Hall Stakes under Glen Hatt, beating Pas De Quoi, with Horse of the Year Flaming Rock back in fourth. Also successful in the Gr3 Ashburton Training Centre Handicap, his string of placed efforts included a second in the Gr2 Keith Hepburn Champion Stakes, a third in the Gr3 Frank Lambert Stakes, and fourths in both the Gr1 First National Bank 1600 and Schweppes Challenge.

The start of the new millennium brought with it the Zimbabwean-bred champion Ipi Tombe. Bought as a yearling in Zimbabwe for a measly

Champion Ipi Tombe and Mike de Kock after the Durban July win Credit: Supplied

$1250 in 2000, she only started her career at age three and arrived at the Mike de Kock yard a winner of four of her five Zimbabwean starts. She made her South African debut in the Gr1 Triple Tiara 1600 and went down by just three-parts of a length to Kournikova. The latter subsequently became a stakes producer in Ireland for the famed Airlie Stud.

Ipi Tombe never looked back after that defeat, winning all four remaining South African starts. She exacted revenge in the (then) Gr2 SA Fillies Classic (Kournikova ran third) before reeling off three Gr1 victories in the SA Fillies Guineas, Woolavington 2000 and the ultimate prize, the Vodacom Durban July, where she overcame a wide draw to defeat subsequent Met winner Angus, whilst becoming the first female winner in 18 years.

Named the Champion 3yo Filly in both South Africa and Zimbabwe, she was sold to Barry

Irwin’s Team Valor International and would trail a blaze for Mike de Kock in Dubai.

She went undefeated in three starts, culminating in a smashing victory in the Gr1 Dubai Duty Free, where she set a new track record. Sent to the States, she won the 2003 running of the Gr3 Locust Grove Handicap at Churchill Downs and to this day, is the only Zimbabwean-bred horse ever to have won on American soil.

Sadly, as a broodmare Ipi Tombe never replicated herself, but as fortune would have it, Drakenstein Stud imported her Pivotal daughter Pin Turn, who has kept the flame alive as the dam of Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes and Swallow Stakes winner, Zimbaba.

If ever a horse deserved the moniker ‘tough as teak’, it must be the Zimbabwean-bred gelding Earl Of Surrey.

Joburg Summer Handicap winner Merciless Sun and Joe Byrnes | Credit: Supplied

After winning eight of his first nine starts in his native country, including both the Guineas and Derby, Earl Of Surrey arrived in South Africa in 2007 but went home empty-handed after unplaced efforts in both the Gr1 Summer Cup and Gr3 London New Stakes.

Side-lined for almost a year, he made a winning return in November 2008 before again venturing south with trainer Lisa Harris.

Following an eye-catching third in the Gr2 Hawaii Stakes, he was transferred to the yard of Geoff Woodruff and in his first outing for the stable, went down narrowly to Rebel King in the Gr3 Senor Santa Handicap, only to claim the Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes in his first start at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Remarkably, the Zimbabwean-bred broke through at Gr1 level in a sprint when he powered his way to an impressive, careerbest victory in the Golden Horse Sprint at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.

Lisa Harris was on-course to watch her former charge’s finest moment and described it as “a much-needed boost for our beloved Zim.”

Also successful in the Gr2 Hawaii Stakes

and runner-up in the Gr1 H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes as a seven-year-old veteran, this grand stamp of a horse overcame a fractured pelvis yet was still a force to be reckoned with at age nine, winning all but two of his final eight starts, including four stakes races. He eventually retired on a winning note, having won 21 races, seven of which in South Africa.

The late Neil Bruss also had the privilege of training a tough and talented Zimbabweanbred filly called The Pick. Runner-up in the Zimbabwe Oaks, she blossomed in South Africa, winning the Listed Queen Palm as a four-year-old and finishing second the next year.

Ex Zimbabwean James Armitage, whose father Geoff bred the daughter of Kahir Almaydan, remembers her well.

“She was an amazing filly, tough and strong and one of only two horses ever to beat Ipi Tombe – that by almost three lengths in a 1600m Fillies Handicap at Borrowdale Park.”

James rues the fact that the mare never left a daughter to breed from.

“She was a disappointing broodmare who had physical problems. After she gave us three small colts by Goldkeeper, of which two raced and only one placed, we didn’t persevere with her.”

More recently, the Zimbabwean-bred Tandava tasted South African stakes success when he outsprinted a classy field for a career-best victory in the 2018 Gr2 Senor Santa Stakes.

It was the biggest payday for the Zimbabweanbred gelding, who counted the Republic Cup amongst his eight Zimbabwean wins and added another five to his tally in South Africa.

Incidentally, both Earl Of Surrey and Tandava are by Australian-bred Century Stand, a Gr3placed winner of four races in South Africa. Retired to stud in Zimbabwe in 2001, he is a grandson of the legendary Antipodean stallion, Sir Tristram.

As for Down To Business, his facile Lonsdale victory sets him up for a crack at the Gold Cup.

He wouldn’t be the first Zimbabwean winner of what is still regarded by many as the country’s premier staying event. That honour went to the fine stayer Numerator, who claimed the honours in 1975 for Mike de Kock’s mentor, the late Ricky Howard-Ginsberg.

A son of Durban July and Champion Stakes winner Numeral, this Zimbabwean-bred, a multiple stakes winner in his native country, made amends for his neck defeat in the previous year’s Gold Cup.

Zim bred Tandava wins the Senor Santa | Credit: Supplied

A BUCKET OF MUD ON STAND-BY THE RACE FOR DOUBLE BONUSES

Nine years ago, our grooms brushed the worst of the mud off a furry yearling colt before presenting him for auction at the

He was from the fourth crop of Rebel King, who would be retired the following year, because of a below-par start to his stud career. The colt’s dam had two previous foals, neither of which had won. To make matters worse, he had four white socks and a blaze, which is not a universally popular look for a chestnut.

He was knocked down for R15k, which was to be expected, given his credentials.

The name of this colt? Nordic Rebel, who has now won 13 races – two of them at the age of 10 – with earnings just shy of R2 million. He’s earned at most of his starts, and even when he hasn’t run into the placings, he hasn’t been far off.

On 6 June, we’ll gather at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth for the Cape Racing Sales Winter Yearling Sale, which grew out of the Farm Sale.

Klawervlei Farm Sale.

The evergreen Normandy bred Nordic Rebel | Credit: JC Photos

In keeping with the environment, it’s unlikely that any yearlings will be sporting any mud, and the worst of their winter coats would have been kept at bay by blanketing them at night (inside actual stables).

It’s your next opportunity of tapping into an extraordinary flow of top runners. While there have been multiple Equus Award winners from the sale, horses like Nordic Rebel are a wonderful version of racehorse ownership.

This year, our draft is headlined by three colts that are almost certainly going to be sprinters. Two of them are also eligible for both sales companies’ juvenile bonuses. With the Cape

Racing programme for two-year-olds set to ramp up yet again next season, these colts represent a great opportunity.

We also have three athletic fillies, representing some of our top families.

The Nordic Rebel connection is close by this year, in the form of lot 47, whose dam is a halfsister to the dam of Nordic Rebel - yes, and to the dam of Equus Champion Rio Querari.

We’ll have a bucket of mud on stand-by should you prefer your yearling purchases to be less polished!

Credit: Candiese Lenferna

THE FUTURIST LEADS BY A COUNTRY MILE

The Gr1 Daily News 2000 produced some in-race entertainment on the East Coast on Saturday, but Anthony Andrews and The Futurist took the cake at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth 24 hours later when they caught their seven opponents fast asleep to win the R350 000 Gr3 Pocket Power Stakes by a country mile.

Andrews replaced Corne Orffer on the Brett Crawford trained front-runner, and after going gun to tape to win the Stormsvlei Stakes a half hour earlier, the Paarl-based rider made it a quick feature double when he stole a march and went further and further away from his field.

“I trusted him and set his own fractions out front and I wasn’t fighting him. He was in fine trim and pulled up nicely, trotting back like he hadn’t run,” observed the delighted Andrews.

“I was quite surprised they let him get away like that. Going through the junction they had already let him get away. I think the guys were just a little bit asleep today,” suggested trainer Brett Crawford.

Going off at 33-1, The Futurist, after running second in the same contest last year, won by 9,25 lengths in a time of 120,73 secs.

Of academic interest only, Pacaya (15-10) was

second, with stablemate Navy Strength (25-1) three quarters of a length back in third.

There is no doubt that the Stipes will be summonsing the seven beaten jockeys into the boardroom to remind them that the summer and winter tracks at the Southern Suburbs venue are quite different race platforms.

It was a first stakes winner for Mauritius based part owner Mukund Gujadhur, who races the 5yo gelded son of Futura (Dynasty), who was bred by P F Carolin and is out of the Black Minnaloushe mare, Black Mischief.

Now a winner of 5 races with 6 places from 22 starts, The Futurist has earned stakes of R562 051.

The victory was dedicated by the winning owners to Pocket Power’s breeder Dan de Wet, who is sadly not in good health at the moment. We wish Dan everything of the very best.

The Futurist (Anthony Andrews) is held tightly to win by almost ten lengths | Credit: Chase Liebenberg

PALACE REIGNS OVER WINTER COURSE

Something of a shock runner-up in the Hollywoodbets Gr1 Cape Guineas late last year, the Potala Palace filly Red Palace enjoyed the return to the Cape winter course at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Sunday to register her first stakes success.

Easy to back at 7-1, Anthony Andrews rode a perfectly judged race to win the R200 000 Listed Stormsvlei Stakes in facile fashion.

Having her second run after a rest last time out in the Listed Ladies Mile, the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Red Palace was tucked in, but efforts to settle her backfired.

On Sunday, it was back to the way she enjoys and she took the lead, had a breather, and assumed complete command in the short straight to beat Love Is A Rose (14-1) by 2,50 lengths in a time of 111,27 secs.

Ladies Mile winner Time For Love (7-2) was given every chance from her awkward draw by Richard Fourie as she shadowed the leader all the way round, and ran a decent third.

Bred by the winning jockey’s Dad, Terry Andrews, Red Palace is a daughter of Ridgemont stallion Potala Palace (Singspiel) out of the four-time winning Jay Peg mare, In Limine.

Potala Palace has a single lot on offer at the 2024 Cape Racing Winter Yearling Sale, and four yearlings set to go through the ring at the KZN Yearling Sale.

Now a winner of 3 races with 2 places from 11 starts, Red Palace has earned R707 638.

She was scratched at the start of the Cape Fillies Guineas and had some bad luck in the Cape summer. She should pay to follow.

Anthony Andrews guides Red Palace to victory for a first stakes success | Credit: Chase Liebenberg

THE VILJOENS HAVE A DREAM SELECTION

Hopes and Dreams Stud is located near Wellington and is a passionate venture for the thoroughbred-loving Viljoens who have expanded their interests as leading owners in South Africa to becoming commercial breeders.

Basie and Suzette Viljoen despatch four babies to the 2024 Cape Racing Winter Yearling Sale, taking place on 06 June at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

The Pinhook incentive scheme, introduced in 2023, will again be a sale feature.

This incentive allows speculators to make purchases at this sale while only having to pay for the stock once selling at the Breeze Up Sale in October.

All graduates qualify for the CRS Juvenile bonus, which pays R100,000 to the winning connections.

Lot 61

Royal Clinton is a bay Royal Mo colt out of six-time winning dam Sea Bean. Royal Mo’s best representative to date is ace miler Royal Aussie, who struck paydirt in the Gold Rush and has since gone on to further honours at the top level. Sea Bean was versatile, winning on the sand and turf between 1400m and 2200m.

Lot 79

A Captain of All filly, out of a daughter of Master of my Fate. The stallion’s best progeny are Stakes winners Linebacker and Shango. This is dam Underthemistletoe’s first foal –encouragingly the third and fourth dam’s, Whatsinakiss and Kiss of Peace were prolific and successful producers.

Lot 79 – First Kiss (f) by Captain Of All ex Underthemistletoe

Lot 61 – Royal Clinton (c) by Royal Mo ex Sea Bean

Lot 80

A bay filly by freshman sire Erik the Red, who was a precocious and talented sprint winner of the Cape Merchants, is represented by speedy Valeriana’s first foal.

Lot 82

The super-fast fivetime winning mare, Via Sacra’s first foal by Captain of All, a Grade 1 winning sprinter. The pedigree suggests that this youngster is built for speed.

Lot 80 – Unnamed (f) by Erik The Red ex Valeriana

Lot 82 – Unnamed (c) by Captain Of All ex Via Sacra

SMITH’S LASS GRABS FIRST STAKES

The change of surface from turf to the polytrack at Fairview on Friday flipped the Listed Milkwood Stakes landscape on its head on Friday

The R150 000 1000m feature went from the straight on turf, to the poly on the turn, and produced a 14-1 upset in the shape of Paris Lass who sent from gun to tape under Calvin Habib and stayed on resolutely to beat the 5-4 favourite Three Rocks by three quarters of a length in a time of 56,37 secs.

Gimme’s Lassie (10-1) is threatening to win soon after her transfer from the Cape and stayed on a neck away in third.

The lightly raced Paris Lass was marking her first stakes success and had registered 2 of her first 3 victories on the all-weather.

She was never headed after grabbing the advantage from her 4 draw.

In view of the polytrack fields being restricted to 12 horses, Princess Deb’s and Symbol Of Love were eliminated.

The winner is a R50 000 Cape Yearling Sale graduate and has now won 4 races with 3 places from 9 starts for stakes of R282 463.

Bred by Lammerskraal Stud, she is a daughter of Visionaire (Grand Slam) out of the five-time winning Western Winter mare, French Lass.

Paris Lass (Calvin Habib) marked her first stakes success holding off Three Rocks (Richard Fourie) and Gimme’s Lassie (Craig Zackey) at Fairview | Credit: Pauline Herman

RAIN BRINGS FOURIE TO A FAIRVIEW

Nelson Mandela Bay Racing came in for stick from some exotic bet punters at Fairview on Friday when a jockey protest against worsening surface conditions, saw racing switched halfway through the card to the polytrack.

“Never in my 58 years of racing! I understand the need to get through racing, but exotic punters are locked in and the game changes. The surface is different, as a start. The racing goes from straight to the turn. So, it’s more draw sensitive. It’s a different form-book. It’s ludicrous and there is no thought of the customer,” said longstanding racing man, Selwyn Elk, who questioned why the precautionary move of switching surfaces was not made before the start of the first.

And almost according to script, the 33-20 tote favourite Cherry Anno went missing in the

support feature, the R175 000 Fairview 1400. The son of Capetown Noir has two different sets of form for turf and poly and ran accordingly as the rampant Richard Fourie drove Inherit The Rain (33-10) through to beat the fast finishing Brenden James (6-1) by a halflength in a time of 80,48 secs.

It was Fourie’s 100th winner of the season in the Eastern Cape.

Zietsman Oosthuizen’s Funky Music (20-1) caught the eye in third and is one for the notebook.

Inherit The Rain (Richard Fourie) stays on to beat Smanga Khumalo and Brenden James | Credit: Pauline Herman

An objection was lodged by Smanga Khumalo, the rider of the runner-up, on the grounds of interference some 500m from home. It was overruled and the winner found the number 1 box for the first time since August 2022.

The winner is a son of the ill-fated Soft Falling

Rain (National Assembly) out of the one-time winning Rich Man’s Gold mare, The Heiress.

A R2 million National Yearling Sale purchase, the winner was bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein and has now won 8 races with 22 places from 46 starts for stakes of R774 412.

Credit: Candiese Lenferna

Credit: Supplied

KIESWETTER FEATURE STRIKE AT THE CURRAGH

The Kieswetter family enjoyed yet another stakes winner conditioned by leading trainer William Haggas when the Barnane Stud-bred Kingman gelding Candleford carried the flag at The Curragh on Saturday for the Kieswetter family.

The victory comes just over a month after Barnane Stud’s flying grey Il Etait Temps, who is raced in partnership with the Hollywood Syndicate, doddled in to win the Close Brothers Manifesto Gr1 Novices’ Chase – his third career elite success – at Aintree.

It is also just weeks after a red-letter day on The Championships Finale at Turffontein, with three Ridgemont home-bred feature winners, and

their sires past and present, accounting for four features on the bumper card.

But Saturday’s success with Candleford will always hold a particularly special place in the international racing and breeding family’s hearts as he will always be their first Irish homebred winner, and their very first homebred Royal Ascot winner.

Racing with enthusiasm off a rest, as he always does, Candleford went virtually all the way and gave his field the slip inside the distance on his season debut under Ryan Moore to win the 2400m Listed Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Orby Stakes. In the process he accounted for the favourite, Dermot Weld’s highly regarded Sea

Patrick Wynn Jones, Craig Kieswetter (2nd left) and Wayne Kieswetter (far left) enjoy the post-race celebrations

The Stars filly Sumiha, by a length and a quarter.

Maureen Haggas paid compliments to the SAbased connections, saying that ‘Barnane Stud are really top-class breeders and are the type of people that you like to have horses for’.

The Kieswetter philosophy of sending the best to the best has been seen to great advantage here in South Africa.

“They have very nice mares and go to the best stallions, you then get a chance of breeding a nice horse and that’s obviously what we’re all trying to get a hold of. Candleford wants fast ground and hopefully we’re coming into a period of time where we might get some fast ground now. We’ll see how he is when he gets home. Even though he’s an older horse bringing him across the water is a trip and he’ll need a few weeks and then William will map something out for him,” added Mrs Haggas.

Craig Kieswetter, who with his Dad Wayne, was at The Curragh to enjoy the feature success on Saturday, told the Sporting Post that the victory was a ‘very special one’.

“Given his history, Candleford is naturally one of our sentimental favourites – well done to William and Maureen and the whole team at Somerville Lodge. And of course to Ryan Moore who gave him a pearler of a ride.” he added enthusiastically.

The winner’s sire Kingman is an exciting son of Invincible Spirit, and is currently the Leading sire in Europe by prize money with 79 stakes winners and 47 group winners.Candleford is out of Norse Dancer’s Listed Pretty Polly Stakes winner Dorcas Lane, a direct descendant of legendary broodmare Horama.

Interestingly, Kingman’s 2023 yearling average is £322,153 for 33 sold, including a 900,000gns colt at Tattersalls October Book 1.

Barnane Stud-bred Candleford powers home under Ryan Moore | Credit: Supplied

FAREWELL FRANCES!

The smart Rafeef filly Frances Ethel, winner of the R750 000 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer Gr2 SA Oaks at Turffontein in April, is en route to the United States and will thus not run in the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

Acquired by Team Valor just prior to her Highveld Grade 2 success, the Brett Crawfordtrained Frances Ethel had an unlucky passage for fourth in the Gr1 Woolavington 2000 at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday, and will now immediately head to Cape Town to be prepared to be flown to Europe and then on to the United States to continue her racing career.

This was reported on Monday on the Team Valor social media platforms.

Originally sold on the 2022 KZN Yearling Sale for R160 000, Frances Ethel went through the Cape Racing Ready To Run & Unbroken 2yo Sale ring for R220 000.

She was bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein and is a daughter of Ridgemont kingpin Rafeef (Redoute’s Choice) out of the unraced Fort Wood mare, Daphne Garland.

A winner of 4 of her 6 starts with 2 place cheques, Frances Ethel earned over R800 000 in her short career.

She has not yet been officially scratched from the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

CAN CAMELOT CONQUER EPSOM?

The four-time Gr1 winner has already been responsible for stakes winners in Britain, France, Ireland and Italy this year, with his runners enjoying a rich vein of success.

Camelot daughters Bluestocking, Dare To Dream and Pensee Du Jour have won the Gr2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies’ Stakes, Gr3 Al Shira’aa Racing Prix Vanteaux and Gr2 Prix Corrida, respectively this year.

Bluestocking, runner up in the 2023 Gr1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks, is now likely to target

the Gr1 Cairn Pretty Polly Stakes with her paternal half-sister,Pensee Du Jour, likewise looking destined for bigger and better things.

Camelot sons have also had success in 2024 with his three-year-old Los Angeles (winner of last year’s Gr1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud) landing the Gr3 Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown.

Another Camelot colt, Dancing Gemini, ran second, beaten just half a length, in the 2024 Gr1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains

Camelot, one of four English Derby winners sired by Montjeu, is having a fine season in 2024.

The majestic Camelot (Montjeu ex Tarfah) | Credit: Coolmore

(French 2000 Guineas), with yet another son of the sire, Sevenna’s Knight, running out an eight length winner of the Gr3 Prix de Barbeville.

Camelot, sire of more than 60 stakes winners, will be looking for his first Betfred Derby success on Saturday when he looks set to be well represented in the Epsom classic.

Both Los Angeles and Dancing Gemini are likely runners in the 2024 Betfred Derby, with Camelot also sire of potential Derby runners Deira Mile and Defiance.

It is not the first time, however, that Camelot, winner of the Derby in 2012, will be responsible for a fancied English Derby contender. In 2019, Camelot’s Gr3 MBNA Chester Vase Stakes winning son Sir Dragonet was favoured to win the Gr1 Investec Derby but could only manage fifth, beaten just over three parts of a length by Anthony Van Dyck - ironically both Anthony Van Dyck and Sir Dragonet would die in training.

English King, Camelot’s Listed Betsafe Derby

Trial winner of 2020, was sent off an 100-30 chance for the 2020 Investec Derby, but had to settle for fifth placing, beaten more than six lengths by shock winner Serpentine.

Camelot’s Derby luck did not change either when his top-class son Luxembourg was a well fancied runner for the 2022 Cazoo Derby only for musculur injury to prevail and prevent the colt from lining up in the Epsom classic.

However, while the Epsom version may have eluded his progeny thus far, Camelot has still enjoyed success in various Derbies. His son Latrobe was victorious in the 2018 Gr1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, another son, Sammarco, captured the 2022 Gr1 IDEE 153rd Deutsches Derby and Camelot son Russian Camelot ran out an impressive winner of the 2020 Gr1 TAB South Australian Derby.

Inbreeding to Danehill has proved successful for Camelot, with his Gr1 winning offspring Luxembourg, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and Even So all inbred to the late,legendary stallion.

BLUE POINT SON CLAIMS IRISH 2000

2,000 Guineas runner-up Rosallion showed a great turn of foot over the final furlong to deny stablemate Haatem in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday.

Sean Levey still had plenty to do aboard the 10/11 favourite at the furlong marker, but the son of Blue Point responded to his rider’s urgings to get the nod over Jamie Spencer and Haatem in a photo-finish.

Jamie Spencer rode a prominent race on the runner-up and was looking behind for dangers when he hit the front two furlongs out. His mount Haatem showed great courage over the final 100 yards but was out-paced close home. Aidan O’Brien’s River Tiber a further length and a quarter back in third.

A jubilant Richard Hannon commented postrace: “Rosallion was a bit keen early and Haatem is such a brave horse, he’s run such a lovely race and I’ve never known a horse to have as many supporters as he has. He probably didn’t deserve to get beat, but his day will come.”

“Rosallion, I’m absolutely delighted with him, I couldn’t be happier. He took a bit of time to pick them up. He proved he got the trip today and that was the pleasing thing.”

“We’ll go to the St James’s Palace Stakes and try our best to beat the horse that beat us last time. It will be hard.”

“Haatem has run the race of his life. This is a Guineas; they go on about how it’s not a vintage Guineas, but all the best horses had their chance and these two have run smashing races.”

Rosallion (Sean Levey) Edges Out Haatem (Jamie Spencer) At The Curragh | Credit: Racing TV

“I think Haatem will get further and will discuss it with the owner.”

On Sunday Fallen Angel bounced back from her Newmarket disappointment to provide English trainer Karl Burke with victory in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas.

A daughter of Too Darn Hot, she only finished eighth when favourite for the 1000 Guineas three weeks ago. She showed her true colours on her return to the track where she achieved juvenile Group 1 glory in the Moyglare Stud Stakes last September.

Fallen Angel was the 11/4 market leader to reward those who kept the faith and after a

smart start raced on the pace from the off in the hands of Danny Tudhope.

The challengers were close up in behind entering the final three furlongs, but Burke’s grey found another gear once asked to do so and was well on top as she passed the post with two and three-quarter lengths in hand over the previously unbeaten A Lilac Rolla, with Aidan O’Brien’s Opera Singer also running with credit in third on her first start since October.

“I was confident we would see a different filly from Newmarket. I was pleased when the rain came to be fair. She just keeps galloping and stays very, very well,” said Tudhope.

Credit: Candiese Lenferna

William Buick declared Rebel’s Romance a “real international superstar” after the globe-trotting stayer added the Gr1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup to a bulging collection of victories at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Pitted against seven quality Hong Kong stayers, Rebel’s Romance surged to a twolength win over Tony Cruz-trained pair Five G Patch and La City Blanche under jockey William Buick to provide Charlie Appleby’s first win in Hong Kong and become the first internationally trained horse to win the feature.

Owned by Godolphin, Rebel’s Romance’s prowess for travelling and winning was on full display as he clinched a fifth Group 1, having also won at the highest level in Germany (twice), the United States of America and, more recently, the Gr1 Dubai Sheema Classic in Dubai in March.

“He’s done it really well. You always respect the local horses here in Hong Kong and obviously Rebel’s Romance had to travel over here and everything else. The team have done a great job with him, I thought he looked magnificent beforehand, as he always does,” Buick said.

“The race kind of went the way I hoped it would and it suited him. He’s become a very uncomplicated horse and he’s a real international superstar.”

Buick, 35, settled Rebel’s Romance in second place, a horse off the fence, behind leader Moments In Time, and allowed the Dubawi gelding to find his rhythm. When the pressure was applied and the field compacted approaching the 800m, Rebel’s Romance took time to respond.

“He’s a horse who likes to get into his stride, he relaxes beautifully and gets into a nice rhythm. He probably came under pressure sooner than I expected but he was just getting himself organised really,” Buick said. “He is a very versatile horse.”

DUBAWI SON ROMANCES INTERNATIONAL VICTORIES

William Buick drives Rebel’s Romance clear | Credit: HKJC

“Hong Kong is a special place. I’ve been coming here for many years now and it’s tough to win at any level. It’s great to come here with a horse like Rebel’s Romance and even better to win.”

Rebel’s Romance clocked 2m 25.62s for the trip.

Appleby indicated Rebel’s Romance – now the winner of 13 of 19 starts – would head to the United States of America before possibly returning for the Gr1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in December.

“I’m delighted for Sheikh Mohammed and Team Godolphin to have this horse travel the way he has. He’s been to America, he’s been to Qatar, Dubai, Germany and now Hong Kong, which has always been on our bucket list to try and win a race here and we’re delighted to have the right horse,” Appleby said.

“Having the right horse in Rebel’s Romance, we felt he was a horse we could be competitive with and hopefully in the near future, for sure, we’ll be looking forward to finding horses to coming over here.

“He’s a gelded son of Dubawi, he loves his travels. He’s a professional now and he’s done plenty of travelling now. He prefers to be on a plane than actually in his stable.

“The whole concept of Godolphin was built on being an international stable and hopefully dining at the top table as fortunately as we are today. Hong Kong racing is one of the pinnacles of racing and to come here, you have to have the right horse.”

Douglas Whyte said dual Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup winner Russian Emperor’s racing future would be discussed after he finished seventh under Hugh Bowman.

Team Rebel’s Romance celebrates Group 1 success | Credit: HKJC

“Hughy’s report was that they went a good gallop from the get-go and he had nothing to drag him into the race. They ran two seconds quicker than last year. He’s run a nice race and he’s probably come to the end of his career now. I’ll have a discussion with the owner and possibly look at retiring him,” Whyte said.

Zac Purton dominated the undercard with a quartet – Smart Beauty, Divano, Bottomuptogether and Call Me Glorious – as Francis Lui slotted a double to have 59 wins for the season, matching the tally of long-time leader Pierre Ng.

Hong Kong International Sale graduate Smart Beauty notched his third win for Tony Cruz, clinching the Class 5 Helene Super Star Handicap under Purton before the six-time Hong Kong champion jockey logged a double aboard Frankie Lor-trained Bottomuptogether in the Class 4 Indigenous Handicap.

Divano provided the third of Purton’s haul with victory in the Class 4 Makarpura Star Handicap.

“Divano did a lot wrong, he was moving around a lot in the gates and was slow to jump, he was on the back foot to hold his position (1) – with topweight (135lb), it’s not easy to do,” Purton said.

Purton made it four with Call Me Glorious in the Class 3 Oriental Express Handicap for Lui, who has five fewer second placings than Ng for the season.

Jimmy Ting-trained Thunder Blink maintained his unbeaten run with a storming finish to land the Pakistan Plate for Griffins. With only four runners behind him on the home turn, the Ribchester colt was taken to the middle of the track by Jerry Chau to surge home in 21.95s for the last 400m to deny Santori by a short head.

Ting also struck with Huge Wave, who triumphed in the Class 3 River Verdon Handicap under Alexis Badel to earn a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million as well as HK$1.041 million in prizemoney.

Chau also made it a double when Benno Yung’s Top Peak finished powerfully to claim the Class 4 Exultant Handicap (1400m).

Awesome Fluke – who won the 2023 Gr2

W.A.T.C. Derby as Awesome John for John

O’Shea – claimed his first Hong Kong victory in the Class 3 Vengeance Of Rain Handicap as Andrea Atzeni, who slotted his 40th win of the season before Dennis Yip’s Bright Inheritance shocked at 164/1 under Matthew Chadwick to land the Class 4 Viva Pataca Handicap.

Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Wednesday.

Zac Purton posted a four-timer | Credit: HKJC

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