Winds Of Change (nicknamed “Harold” by part-owner Ravi Naidoo) runs a close second on debut to the useful Roman Agent in the Listed WSB Summer Juvenile Stakes (Picture: Wayne Marks)
The phrase “Winds Of Change” will be immediately associated by many South Africans with the “Winds Of Change” speech delivered by British prime minister Harold McMillan to the Parliament Of South Africa in February 1960 and Ravi Naidoo, a part-owner of the Mike and Adam Azzie-trained horse Winds Of Change, duly revealed that his nickname for the horse is “Harold.”
Winds Of Change is a What A Winter three-year-old colt bred by Drakenstein Stud and is owned by them in partnership with Yagan Nair and Ravi Naidoo’s Kalinga.
He is a half-brother to the Silvano Gr 1-winning siblings Safe Passage and Silver Sanctuary, being out of the Antonius Pius mare My Sanctuary, and he could well be the highest rated maiden in South African history as he has been given a merit rating of 107.
Winds Of Change made his debut at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth in the Listed WSB Summer Juvenile Stakes over 1100m and running at level weights with his male contemporaries finished a 0,40 length second to the useful Roman Agent, who was winning for the second time.
In his next start he was at level weights with his male contemporaries again in the Gr 3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and he slammed Roman Agent by 3,95 lengths, but he was unable to match the classy One World colt One Stripe and finished runner up to him by 1,25 lengths.
“Harold” was 4/10 for his Highveld debut in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m at the Vaal Classic track, but after a tardy start from a wide draw and then perhaps being sent for home too early, he was beaten half-a-length by the Sean Tarry-trained One World colt Don’t Cry For Me.
Next up Winds Of Change ran in the Gr 3 Protea Stakes over 1100m at Turffontein Standside and he finished a 1,30 length second to the classy Tarry-trained Gimmethegreenlight colt Proceed, although he was receiving 4,5kg. He had the like of Buffalo Storm Cody and DantonfromSandton behind him.
He then ran in the Gr 1 Gold Medallion over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville and ran a 2,15 length third to Proceed with Cosmic Speed just 1,50 lengths in front of him.
In his final start of last season he ran in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville and finished a 3,85 length fifth behind Cosmic Speed, Proceed, subsequent Gr 2 winner Cats Pajamas and subsequent Gr 1 runner up The Specialist.
Cosmic Speed is merit rated 116, The Specialist is 115 and Proceed is 114, while Cats Pajamas is 110, so it is not surprising Winds Of Change is as high as 107.
A couple of years back the Corrie Lensley-trained Admiral Kitten gelding Now I Got You ran second in the Gr 1 Gold Medallion in his second career start, having gone close in a juvenile plate on debut, and after another second in a Sales race and a fifth place in the Gr 1 Premiers Champion Stakes he was awarded a 105 merit rating by the handicappers.
The Sean Tarry-trained Cirillo was still a maiden after running close in a couple of Graded events, but was never given an official merit rating while still a maiden because he won his maiden as a two-year-old before ever running in a handicap.
It is hard to think of any other maidens who could have come close to being rated as high as 107.
* Alistair Cohen has messaged to correctly point out that after running third as a maiden in the Peermont Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup in 2020 the Tarry-trained Flying Carpet was awarded a MR of 108.
Gaynor Rupert comes up with some superbly creative names for the Drakenstein-breds and making a guess at how she came up with Winds Of Change one wonders whether his damsire Antonius Pius was the prompt.
Historically Antonius Pius was a good Roman Emperor, whose policies included the facilitation of franchisement for freed slaves, while Harold McMillan’s winds of change speech revealed a shift towards liberalising policies including a cessation of support for apartheid.
