Champion Warrior (Source: Wayne Marks).

Champion Warrior A Product Of Overseas Mare Project

Can the Brett Crawford-trained prospect revive interest in Twice Over?

Cape Racing Sales have replaced the former Western Cape sales company Cape Thoroughbred Sales, who bought a number of mares over from Ireland and Britain a few years ago in what was known as the CTS Mares Project.

The mares were imported in foal, then later mated over here before being sold on.

One of the success stories of the project was Grade 1 WSB SA Derby winner Aragosta, who is out of the Galileo mare Miss Gallidora.

Champion Warrior looks like becoming another success story.

He is one of the horses on everybody’s lips at present after his scintillating performance over 1250m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville yesterday, which saw him remain unbeaten from two starts.

The Klawervlei Stud-bred colt is out of a Fastnet Rock maiden, who is out of a Sadlers Wells mare who won a Listed race over a mile and two furlongs.

If they priced up now for the R7.5 million Gold Rush, Champion Warrior would likely be favourite.

Being by Twice Over coupled with that female line he should be crying out for at least 1600m.

John Koster of Klawervlei Stud, who bred Champion Warrior, lamented that Twice Over was just about “the most maligned” stallion in the country, considering his record.

Twice Over has not only produced the greatest July horse in history, Do It Again, but last season had six individual stakes winners of seven races including the Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner Double Superlative.

Yet he is not in fashion with breeders.

However, John said he did still sell well and had recently had a R1,4 million sales progeny as well as a R700,000 and R600,000 pair.

He is also a fine stallion to have on the farm to breed to the farm’s own mares.

Champion Warrior looks like a Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas prospect, as well as a Gold Rush prospect.

It will be hard to ignore a sire who has produced two successive Cape Guineas winners, so a Champion Warrior Guineas win would be a dream result for Klawervlei Stud.

Picture: James McDonald aboard Nature Strip after winning last year’s edition of The Everest (AAP).

The Aus$15 Million Everest Form Guide – Nature Strip Lands Tough Draw

The WSB R7.5 million Gold Rush, which will be run on WSB Cape Town Met day next January, is based on Australia’s richest race, the Everest, which is to be run at Randwick in Sydney on Saturday.

By Trevor Marshallsea from Fox Sports

It’s the richest race this country has, a multi-million dollar minute-and-a-bit dangling a near-ridiculous $6.2 million to the winner, and – wait for it – $443,750 for running last.

What have we come to? Well, it’s The Everest, of course, Sydney’s showy, much-hyped sprint race which will be run for the sixth time at Randwick on Saturday.

With total prizemoney of $15 million, it’s also the richest race on grass in the world (though there’s a couple on dirt worth more).

It’s the event that’s shaken up Australian racing – immediately leapfrogging the Melbourne Cup on its inception to become the country’s most lucrative race. And on the score of how much hype goes into it every year, as shouty promoters assure us of its unmissable greatness at every turn, it beats all other comers by the length of the straight.

It’s also a brilliantly fitting event for Sydney. While Melbourne’s highlight is a tough and tactical 3200-metre grind for the stout-hearted around Flemington, the Harbour City’s big two – this one and the Golden Slipper – are fleeting sprints over 1200 metres.

This one is held via a novel “slot holder” format under which the 12 runners are selected. We’ll explain that later, but one thing it means is it can’t be given Group status, the label applied to distinguish the best races the world over many years now, as in Group 1, 2 or 3.

Regardless of that, the Australian Turf Club website boasts The Everest “brings together the best sprinters from around the world”. If “around the world” means Brisbane and Melbourne, then OK. But counting the full field of 12 plus four emergencies this year, 13 are trained in Sydney, two in Victoria, and one in Queensland.

Noone’s going to care a lot about that, though, when the gates fly open in this ultimate dash for cash: not the winning owners, the cashed-up jockey (probably James McDonald like it always is), or trainer (most likely Chris Waller, and ditto).

This edition has drawn a quality field of some of the nation’s best sprinters, headed by last year’s winner and Royal Ascot conqueror Nature Strip, who has a chance to come very close to Winx’s prizemoney record if he goes back-to-back. Still, it’s not like it’s the type of field you wouldn’t see in some of Australia’s other major 1200m races – they haven’t dropped in from outer space, or overseas, to make the fifteen mill seem entirely fitting – but it looms as an engrossing contest nonetheless, despite Sydney providing what’s likely to be yet another heavy track.

WHAT IS IT?

The Everest, a 1200-metre sprint for a maximum field of 12 horses, around Randwick.

It’s held under weight-for-age conditions, the acknowledged drawcard for top-class gallopers, in which weights are allocated according to age rather than on form, as in handicaps like the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. Mares carry two kilos less than males in the same age bracket.

And so, we have eight-year-old gelding Nature Strip at the top of the field with 58.5kg, a four-year-old mare in Shades Of Rose who’s got 56.5g, and three-year-old males in Jacquinot and Giga Kick with just 53kg.

WHAT’S IT WORTH?

As mentioned, $15 million. Winner earns $6.2m, second wins $2.3m, and all horses in the second half of the field win $443,750, meaning there’s no difference between finishing 12th or seventh, which we hope the less fancied horses don’t read about before Saturday.

HOW’S IT WORK?

Copied from the home of all things bold and brash, the USA, The Everest has an unusual entry fee structure. A person, or entity, can decide to become a slot holder, buying said slot (after approval from the authorities) for $600,000, which helps fund the whole thing. So while $443,750 is a lot for running last, it still represents a loss. So too does anything running sixth ($500,000) or worse.

Having bought their position, slot holders will then nominate which horse will fill their spot, and work out with that horse’s owners what sort of deal they’ll make for the sharing of spoils. Therefore, the field isn’t brought together by regular means, under long-established patterns, and therefore no Group status. This year at least, unlike a couple of years ago, it’s a genuine G1-level field.

The said slot holders include breeding and racing industry giants such as Godolphin, Coolmore, the TAB, The Star casino, and smaller concerns such as James Harron Bloodstock, and trainer Chris Waller, who prepared Winx and has Nature Strip.

WHEN’S IT ON?

Race 7 of 10 on the Randwick card, on Saturday at 4:15pm AEDT (07h00 SA Time).

MAIN PLOTLINES

The biggie is Nature Strip, who seems to have put his patchy ways behind him. He used to win when he wasn’t fancied so much, and dog it when he was a raging odds-on favourite, as if he could read a tote board and succumbed to the pressure. But not so much lately. In his past three starts he’s bolted in with Randwick’s autumn sprint highlight, the TJ Smith Stakes (much like this one in being a WFA 1200m contest, only it is a Group 1), went to England and won the race Black Caviar won that time – the 1200m Platinum Jubilee – then resumed from a spell to win The Shorts (1100m), also at Randwick, quite comfortably.

All this has helped him earn a ranking as the world’s third-best horse according to rankings boffins. He’s won a mighty 22 of his 39 races, and $19,060,008. We’re not sure what the $8.00 was for on the end – must’ve been a very cheap race early on in his career – but if he wins his second Everest this Saturday he’ll have $25,260,008 – just behind Winx’s $26,451,175. Another win in the TJ Smith next autumn and he’ll have her.

Thing is, Wallers trains/trained both those horses. While he didn’t have Nature Strip for the first 12 starts of his career, his 10 percent trainer’s share of near enough to $50 million means he’s probably not a bad bloke to know.

Same could be said for James McDonald, the expat Kiwi who’s simply a riding freak – the best jockey this country has seen since Mick Dittman, who retired in 2007. This season alone – which started on August 1 – McDonald’s mounts have won 47 races, at a phenomenal strike-rate of one in four. with the second-best in the country Jamie Kah with 32.

Moreover, McDonald’s rides have reaped $9.72m in prizemoney in that time alone. Second-best is Hugh Bowman with a mere $3.9m. Last season, McDonald’s mounts claimed $36.5m in prizemoney, and jockeys take five percent. Second was Bowman, again, with $19.6m.Nature Strip is the short-priced favourite with Pointsbet at around $2.10, with his main challenger framed as Hugh Bowman’s ride (of course), Lost And Running. He’s a very good six-year-old trained by John O’Shea at Randwick, and is considerably better now than when fourth in last year’s Everest.

Nature Strip’s old sparring partner Eduardo will take him on again. The pair have had a string of torrid battles over the years, the Federer and Nadal of sprint racing. But when we say “old sparring partner”, the emphasis these days is on the “old”. Eduardo is now nine, and while he’ll never tire of trying, he was a plain fourth to Nature Strip last time out. He’s the $9.50 third favourite this time.

There’s a few young up-and-comers out to take a swipe at the champ: Mazu, a four-year-old who’s dad is one of the hottest stallions around at present, a Japanese horse called Maurice. And three-year-olds Jacquinot and Giga Kick look to have most exciting futures. Whether they can dethrone Nature Strip at this stage remains to be seen, but their lighter weights help.

FIRST WINNER

Redzel, in 2017

LAST WINNER

Nature Strip, in 2021

FORECAST: Rain on Friday, but fine on Saturday, but with so much precipitation lately, the track’s likely to be heavy. It was a heavy 8 when the rating went up on Wednesday night.

OTHER MAJOR RACES ON THE UNDERCARD

The Kosciuszko (the mini-Everest, if you will) – Race 5, 2.50pm. A set-weights race for country-trained horses, aged three or older, over 1200m, and worth $2 million.

The Silver Eagle – Race 8, 4.50pm. A 1300m event worth a million bucks for four-year-olds; a warm-up for The Golden Eagle (yes, these are all real race names), which is worth $10m.

The Five Diamonds Prelude – Race 9, 5.30pm. A set-weights 1500m race for five-year-olds worth $1m and a lead-up to the main race of that name in a few weeks.

The Sydney Stakes – Group 3, 1200m, Race 6, 3:25pm. A weight-for-age race for three-year-olds and upwards. Even though it’s worth $2m, it’s something of a consolation for sprinters not going to the big dance (the metaphorical big dance, not the other oddly-named race of that name to be held on Melbourne Cup day). In fact, four of its entrants are the four Everest emergencies sweating on a run in the feature if something else is scratched.

The Craven Plate – Group 3, 1800m, Race 3, 1:40pm, WFA for 3yos and up, worth $500,000. A middle-distance affair headed by the well-performed Cascadian.

THE EVEREST FIELD

1. NATURE STRIP(Barrier 12) Approx Pointsbet odds: $2.15/$1.30. FOR: Is a proven, tough warhorse who’s ranked the third-best galloper in the world, with an international rating of 123 (which is a significant edge on second-highest ranked Eduardo’s 118). Is proven in the wet, loves this track, and has the best in the business behind him in jockey James McDonald and trainer Chris Waller. AGAINST: Tempted to say not a lot, but has drawn the outside starting gate in barrier 12. His class and McDonald’s guile should overcome that in a field this size, however, for it’s not like it’s gate 24 of 24. WET FORM: Soft: 9 starts, 6 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds (9: 6-1-0); Heavy: 4: 3-0-1. The one they all have to beat.

2. EDUARDO (9)$8.50/$2.60. FOR: Is a big-hearted sprinter who’s been the main thorn in Nature Strip’s side over the years. Victory for this nine-year-old would be a win for the sentimentalists, and a fitting cap to a remarkable career nearing its end. He also has regular ride Nash Rawiller back in the saddle, who was on him eight times in a row for five wins before missing his last run. Loves the wet. AGAINST: That last run, even with Rawiller out injured, was a mediocre fourth, fading out in a race 100m shorter than this one. He is nine, after all, and his best days might be behind him. WET FORM: Soft: 8: 5-0-2; Heavy: 6: 4-1-0. Each-way.

3. LOST AND RUNNING (7)$6.50/$2.25. FOR: Is an emerging type if already a 6YO, lightly-raced with just 16 starts for nine wins. Announced himself with a fourth in this race last year, and with a good barrier, Hugh Bowman aboard, and strong wet form including a last start win over two opponents here in Mazu and Masked Crusader, he looms as Nature Strip’s biggest threat. AGAINST: Has yet to win at the very top level, so he’s still not proven in the big grand finals. Only just got past Mazu by a neck last start, and it’s hard to envisage Mazu worrying Nature Strip here. WET FORM: Soft: 6: 2-1-1; Heavy: 2: 2-0-0. Each-way.

Lost And Running, ridden by Hugh Bowman.

Source: Getty Images

4. MASKED CRUSADER (10) $13/$3.60. FOR: Has former WA wizard Willie Pike in the saddle, who goes well in big races. Trainers are trying winkers (mini blinkers) to get his mind better on the job. Flew home for second – beaten only a neck – to Nature Strip in this race last year. Has warmed up for this with a sixth then a third (to Lost And Running and Mazu) when flashing home over 1200m. AGAINST: That’s what he does – flies home after settling at the back, doing just enough to seduce you into thinking he could win next time. He hasn’t achieved that since last October, and many among us have been burnt, and will say he’s fittingly-named like those not-to-be-trusted blokes in old time wrestling. Still, he could live up to that reputation again by going and winning this. Heavy form isn’t that great, however. WET FORM: Soft: 6: 2-2-0; Heavy: 3: 0-1-1. Place best.

5. MAZU (11) $16/$4. FOR: Shapes as a star of the future, and has some great bloodlines, with Japanese sires such as his dad Maurice sweeping the world at present. Is from the Snowden stable, which won the first two of these things with Redzel. Is a natural born winner, with seven victories from 14 starts, but with six coming in a row as he grew into his skin last campaign. Handles the wet. AGAINST: Hasn’t quite lived up to the hype of his six on end in this preparation, with a fifth behind Nature Strip followed by a second to Lost And Running. Has his regular rider Sam Clipperton in the saddle, but he’s not so much known as a big race specialist, with three Group 1 wins from 87 goes. WET FORM: Soft: 4: 2-0-0; Heavy: 5: 4-1-0. Each-way hope.

6. PRIVATE EYE (3) $14/$3.70. FOR: Has the same gun trainer as Eduardo in Joe Pride. Normally considered more suited to longer trips like 1400-1600m, but tuned up for this with a slashing two-length win up the straight 1200m at Flemington in a Group 2 which suggests he’s been trained for this shorter assignment. Has an inside gate, a decent jockey in Brenton Avdulla, and handles the wet. AGAINST: Despite the 1200m win last start he’s not proven against the very top class of short-course horses in the land. And you’ll have to check on the day, but by race seven the inside of the track mightn’t be the best place to be. WET FORM: Soft: 5: 2-0-0; Heavy: 5: 2-0-1. Place best.

7. OVERPASS (6) $34/$6. FOR: Can bob up and win on occasion, and has the winkers on this time to hopefully put his mind on the job. Ran a decent second to Nature Strip when first-up from a spell two runs ago. AGAINST: Bit of a roughie, this bloke, who was an ordinary sixth to Lost And Running and Mazu last start. Poor heavy form, and jockey with not much of a big time record in Rachel King (2 G1 wins from 79 attempts). WET FORM: Soft: 4: 3-1-0; Heavy: 4: 0-0-0. Others preferred.

8. INGRATIATING (4) $41/$7. FOR: Prepared by a crack trainer in James Cummings. Was a good 2YO who had a form dip at three but appears to have come back a better 4YO stallion this time in, winning first-up and placing second in an 1100m G2 last start, at Caulfield last Saturday. AGAINST: Is an example of where a selected field can lead to questionable quality. He’s been chosen by his stable Godolphin, who hold a slot. On class, you’d think they should’ve chosen their runner who beat him home last week, Paulele, but Paulele has suspect heavy form. Ingratiating has run some handy placings over 1200m, but hasn’t won beyond 1100m. WET FORM: Soft: 3: 0-1-1; Heavy: 2: 1-0-0. Not for us.

9. JOYFUL FORTUNE (1) $61/$9.50. FOR: Former Hong Konger who’s a 6YO but very lightly raced, with three wins from just eight starts. Mostly, he’s been restricted by injuries which kept him out for more than a year after his transfer to Australia. This campaign though, he’s shown his speed with a win over 1100m at Flemington – on a heavy 10. That’s as heavy as it gets, and it was his only try on wet ground. He’s also had three barrier trials (practice races) and won them all. AGAINST: Class, That Flemington win was in a Benchmark 70 race. We could explain it more fully, but it’s about 10 rungs below this on the class spectrum. He’s not started in a Group race yet. WET FORM: Soft: 0: 0-0-0; Heavy: 1: 1-0-0. The odds say it all.

10. SHADES OF ROSE (8) $41/$7. FOR: Kerrin McEvoy jumps out, since he rode Redzel to his wins in the first two Everests, and Classique Legend to his win in the fourth one. And this 4YO mare is a winner, having scored in seven of her nine starts. She’s won her past four, including in G2 class over 1200m last start, and can handle the wet. AGAINST: That last start was her first in Group class, and though she handled it well she didn’t beat much, and not by much. Mares haven’t had much of a record in Everests so far, with their best effort a fifth in 2020 (Haut Brion Her). WET FORM: Soft: 3: 3-0-0; Heavy: 3: 1-1-0. Not in this class.

11. JACQUINOT (2) $10/$3. FOR: Very classy 3YO with a light weight, a fine big-day jockey in Damian Lane, and an inside alley. Again, that can be a hindrance on a wet day, but he settles out the back and should come around them and swoop on them late. Showed good toe as a 2YO but has boomed at three, impressively winning both starts since his birthday. AGAINST: His last start was a late-swopping win over 1400m. That suggests he might find these more experienced sprinters too nippy over 1200m, but he will be charging home late. Has had one heavy run for a sixth, but finished fairly that day from the back, and it was the Golden Slipper, the best 2YO race we have. WET FORM: Soft: 1: 1-0-0. Heavy: 1: 0-0-0.

12. GIGA KICK (5) $21/$5. FOR: This bloke’s a winner, with four from four starts. Has a big race jockey in Craig Williams, and is a horse on the way up with a light weight in this. AGAINST: Still a big class question. He just got there by a nose last start, in a G2 for 3YOs, and over 1100m, which is the furthest he’s been. Untried in heavy, and would have to be a real swimmer to upset several rivals here who are more experienced, including in the wet. WET FORM: Soft: 1: 1-0-0; Heavy: N/A. Place only.

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EMERGENCIES

13. FORBIDDEN LOVE $91/$16. FOR: Likes the heavy and won three in a row on such going – a G2, G1 and G1 – last time in. AGAINST: Has struggled to repeat that form with a sixth and and eighth this preparation, and though they were on soft and not her favoured heavy going, she’s a mare who’ll be taking on mares’ poor record in this race, and against several better placed rivals. WET FORM: Soft: 4: 1-0-0; Heavy: 8: 5-0-0. Forbidden bet.

14. APACHE CHASE $151/$26. FOR: Showed his ability by winning a G1 in Brisbane last May over 1300m. AGAINST: Ordinary wet form, including a fifth of nine in that Lost And Running/Mazu race in his only start this campaign. WET FORM: Soft: 1: 0-1-0; Heavy: 3: 0-0-1. Nope.

Picture: Piere Strydom makes it 5499 career winners on the Gavin van Zyl-trained Secret Giver (JC Photos).

Striker Double Leaves Him One Short

Piere Strydom will never be accused of staying on for too long, because he has proved in his comeback that at the age of 56 he is still peerless in the jockey ranks.

He made the couple of good chances he had at today’s Vaal Classic track look like good things.

He revealed yesterday he is currently free of any knee issues, which have sometimes bothered him, and he looked many years younger than his actual age in the saddle today.

He also said he enjoyed riding at The Vaal and rated it one of the best racecourses around – that was also clear to see today.

He had six rides in total at the nine-race meeting.

In the fourth race over 1600m he was on the Heather Adamson-trained Wolff’s World (Ideal World), who looked a fair sort after notching up his second win in the February of his three-year-old season when running off an 85 merit rating in a 1600m handicap.

However, he had thereafter made a habit of making the backend of the frame without ever really threatening to win.

Today, Striker took full advantage of both Wolff World’s 77 merit rating, down from a high of 91, and his nice draw of three.

The weight of 58.5kg was ideal too, as it meant there would be hardly any deadweight, considering his riding weight at present of about 57.5kg.

He got his mount into a handy position and did not chase the hard pace being set by the front three.

Wolff’s World thus had plenty in the tank after being eased forward under a hold.

He burst through a gap before being driven out by Piere for an easy 1,50 length win.

Strydom showed his prowess in the next race. He was on the Gavin van Zyl-trained Philanthropist gelding Secret Giver.

After a good break which put the big horse in a handy position, Striker went for home way earlier than he had in the previous race, realising this horse is a big, resolute galloper, who was going to thrive on the long 1000m run in.

Once the horse had wound up into his big stride and found the lead nothing was going to stop him.

He won easing up by 2,75 lengths.

Strydom has five rides at Turffontein Inside on Saturday.

It will be fitting if he can do it on the Highveld’s flagship racecourse.

Turffontein was the venue, alongside the now defunct Gosforth Park, where his rise to “living legend’ status truly began.

Johannesburg fans of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s will never forget those days when he burst on to the scene with that habit of coming from the clouds and mowing the opposition down in front of packed grandstands.

5,500 winners will be an incredible milestone moment and it will be nice if he can reach it on Saturday with his wife and family present.

However, he revealed earlier this week he might only retire officially on WSB Cape Town Met day, after riding in the R7.5 million WSB Gold Rush (and hopefully the Met too).

Picture: Lot 15, filly by Canford Cliffs out of Easy Street (Brave Tin Soldier).

Head turners in the Ridgemont Highlands draft

The Ridgemont Highlands draft presented at the Cape Racing Ready To Run and Unbroken 2-y-o Sale on 29 October includes six lots by its resident stallion Canford Cliffs (IRE) the sire of 38 international stakes winners.

Julia Conway of Ridgemont Highlands provided some notes:

Lot 14 – bf Set For Life (Canford Cliffs – Doris Duke by Trippi) “A neat filly with a nice action. She’s has taken her prep well and enjoys her work.”

Lot 15 – bf Miss Hannigan (Canford Cliffs – Easy Street by Brave Tin Soldier)

“Out of a black type mare EASY STREET, who needs no introduction. Already a proven mare, with her full-brother Ridgerunner winning for Johan Janse van Vuuren in Johannesburg. This filly is well balanced, with a terrific action and a powerful hind end.”

Lot 40 – bf Quiet Whisper (Canford Cliffs – Murmering Sky by Jallad)

“An eye catching filly from an impressive dam line with winning progeny. Another Canford Cliffs that is bound to impress on the track.”

Lot 46 – bc Single File (Canford Cliffs – Peggy Jay by Jay Peg)

“From the Gr 2 winning mare, Peggy Jay, this is a sharp, quick colt ready to impress.”

Lot 53 – ch c Arturo (Duke Of Marmalade – Royale Noir by Black Minnaloushe)

“A full brother to the group 3 winning filly, NASTERGAL. This colt’s pedigree is as impressive as his movement – scopey, elastic, and light on his feet.”

Lot 58 (pictured above) – bc Bloukrans (Canford Cliffs – Three Blue Cranes by Captain Al)

“A tall, athletic colt from a very smart dam line in Three Blue Cranes, who is a half sister to RUSSIAN SAGE and SMILING BLUE EYES. Even tempered and takes his work well.”

Lot 65 (pictured above) – bf Lily of the Nile (Erupt – African Lily by Horse Chestnut)

“A powerful Erupt filly with and powerful hind end and strong shoulder. From the family of the Gr2 winner TRIP TO AFRICA and Listed winner Zambaq she will be a sure head turner.”

Picture: Craig Zackey winning the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate on Vardy (bizcommunity.com).

Craig Zackey Talks About His Move To New Zealand

Troy Finch chats to Craig Zackey about the announcement that he will be relocating to New Zealand.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW

^{People enjoying live music and horse races at the Breeders’ Cup Festival (visitlex.com)}

The Breeders Cup Is In Fact A Fantastic Week-Long Festival

The Breeders Cup takes place this year at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Friday November 4 and Saturday November 5.

However, the big international racing event is not just about the top class racing on the Friday and the Saturday, it in fact a a week long festival of heady excitement and activity.

The headline activities are listed below.

To read about them in detail click on the link at the end of this article.

Isaac Murphy Art Garden Party And Family Stroll – Sunday, October 30th

Breeders’ Cup Draw At Rupp Arena – Monday, October 31st

Tandy Park Takeover (Tandy Park will be the centre of the Breeders’ Cup celebration with live music, food and broadcasts of all the training and activities from Keeneland. Local and national entertainers will perform nightly from 5:30pm till 10pm. Large video boards all around Tandy Park along with food trucks and spirits offerings). – Monday, October 31st – Saturday, November 5th

Fashionable Fillies At Jeff Ruby’s – Wednesday, November 2

Daily Racing Form/ Fan Duel Handicapping “happy Hour” – Thursday, November 3rd

Lexlive Comes Alive! – Wednesday, November 3rd – Saturday, November 5th

Race Track Chaplaincy “night Of Faith, Hope & Love” – Wednesday, November 2nd

The Bourbon Showcase –Wednesday, November 2 – Friday, November 4th

Breeder’s Cup Watch Party At Tandy Park – Friday, November 4th – Saturday, November 5

Thoroughbred Charities “bash At The Breeders’ Cup” – Friday, November 4th

Equine Film Festival – Tuesday, November 1st – Friday, November 4th

International Block Party At Greyline Station – Friday, November 4th

Breeders’ Cup Lounge At Grand Reserve – Saturday, November 5th

To see what is on in more detail CLICK HERE

To find out more about Lexington and its attractions CLICK HERE

Picture: Act Of War has stamped them at Clifton Stud (Summerhill Equestrian Facebook)

Act Of War Certainly stamps his foals!

Clifton Stud have welcomed another generation of quality foals (pictured above and below) from Summerhill Equestrian’s Grade 1-winning and producing stallion, Act Of War.

They include siblings to Grade 3 Hong Kong winner Chefano (Silvano-Valdovino (Al Mufti)) (known when racing in SA as Vacquero), good sized first foals for multiple winners and Black Types (Listed-placed) Linear (Crusade) and (Grade 2-Placed) Mary O (Oratorio) and a filly for the beautifully bred African Goshawk (Tiger Ridge-National Banker).

Picture: Craig Zackey rode a double today (JC Photos).

Doubles For Adamson, Webber, Strydom, Zackey and Klink

Heather Adamson and Brett Webber saddled doubles at the Vaal Classic track and all of Piere Strydom, Craig Zackey and Nathan Klink rode doubles.

Adamson has had three winners this season at a strike rate of 11.11%.

Webber has had four winners at 8.70%.

Strydom has had six winners this season at 15.79%.

Zackey has had eight winners at 8%.

Klink has had six winners at 11.54%.

Picture: The subject of today’s question is pictured here (horse andhound.co.uk)

Today’s Question

Which great horse, who won his first 15 races, made it two Group 1 Champion Stakes wins in succession when winning the last race of his career 50 years ago on 14 October 1972?

Fairview Turf Fields

Picture: Brigadier Gerard powers to victory in the 1971 2000 Guineas with second-placed Mill Reef not in the picture (timeform.com) .

Today’s Question Answer

Brigadier Gerard was the result of mating a non-winning mare called La Paiva (Prince Chevalier) to unfashionable sire Queen’s Hussar, who won the Group 1 Lockinge and Group 1 Sussex Stakes, but whose nomination fee at the time of the mating had dropped to 200 Guineas.

Brigadier Gerard was trained by Dick Hern and won 17 of his 18 races, including 12 which would today be Group 1s.

He handed the great Mill Reef one of only two career defeats in the 2000 Guineas of 1971, which he won by an easy three lengths.

He was the British Horse Of THe year in 1972.

He achieved a Timeform rating of 144, which is the joint-third highest rating in history together with Tudor Minstrel and only bettered by Frankel (147) and Sea Bird (145).

Brigadier Gerard’s only defeat was in the inaugural running of the Grade 1 Benson And Hedges Gold Cup won by Roberto in course record time and considered one of the greatest single performances ever on a racecourse, because Brigadier Gerard, despite being beaten three lengths, had also broken the course record and was officially ten lengths but more accurately 17 lengths clear of the third horse, according to studied footage later. Brigadier Gerard might in fact have run his best ever race in his only defeat.

Roberto never produced that sort of performance before or since.

However, he did have a major influence on South African bloodstock as the sire of Al Mufti, who produced the like of Captain Al.

Turf Talk Newsletter – 13 October 2022