Isivunguvungu just holds on under Manuel Franco in the Da Hoss Stakes on Saturday at Colonial Downs (Coady Media)

Graham Motion said the South African sprinting sensation Isivunguvungu had pulled up well from his victory in the Da Hoss Stakes on Saturday and was “in good shape” on Sunday morning.

Trainer Graham Motion was impressed by the Narrow Creek Stud-bred Hollywood Syndicate What A Winter gelding’s winning USA debut at Colonial Downs on Saturday and foresees a good international future for the former Peter Muscutt-trained Equus Champion Sprinter.

He said after the race on Saturday, ““I can’t say enough about what a good effort this was today. He spent two months in quarantine at the beginning of the year. He is a very special horse. He has a big following in South Africa and I am so happy for those guys. Super happy for the Hollywood Syndicate. Manny gave him a great ride. He’s a lovely horse.”

Motion was complimentary about South African horses in general.

He added, “They’ve just lifted some of those [quarantine] restrictions [on South African horses]. I think we are going to see a lot more [of them], especially after the performance of this horse. South African horses by nature are very tough.”

Motion has a history of success with South African-bred horses, having trained Gypsy’s Warning to major wins in the U.S, inlcuding the Gr 1 Matriarch Stakes at Hollywood Park.

The Breeders’ Cup is the end-goal for Isivunguvungu, but the conditioner admits he and the owners still need to plan what the route there will look like. “We have to decide if we are going to run him again; we have to decide if he is going to be able to get in the Breeders’ Cup, which is what we’d really like to do. There’s a fine line now with this guy. I think he’s done enough fitness wise to get there without another race, so we’ll just decide.”

South African racing fans were able to watch Saturday’s race live as the big horse’s owners Hollywood Syndicate secured the TV rights for Gallop TV and Isivunguvungu’s victory received rapturous late night accolades on social media platforms.

He looked to be slightly slowly away under Manuel Franco in the $150,000 Black Type Da Hoss Stakes over five furlongs and 110 yards on turf at Colonial Downs and took a couple of bumps too.

However, he used his familiar early pace to secure the rail behind the two leaders and looked as monstrous as ever as he stalked the pace.

Franco pounced into the gap that opened on the rail as they turned for home and Isivunguvungu accelerated into the lead.

It looked race over half way down the straight as he opened up a two or three length lead.

However, his lack of a race for eight months then began to tell as he started tiring, while Nothing Better began bearing down on him.

Isivunguvungu showed his courage by finding enough to keep the fast closing horse at bay to win by a neck.

There was 1,5 lengths back to the third horse Maya Prince.

Isivunguvungu was receiving four pounds from the runner up.

However, it was a fine performance coming off a layoff and it earned his connections a cool $90,000 (R1,606,500).

He should come on well for the run.

His ultimate target is the Prevagen $1million Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint over 1000m on Saturday 2 November.

South Africa’s thoroughbred breeding is standing up to the international test.

The tally so far for the “Flying Springboks”, eleven of whom departed for the USA in March, is a black type second by Beach Bomb, giving weight all around and likely needing the run, and a Black Type win for Isivunguvungu.

Royal Patronage, carrying Larry Nestadt’s royal blue and yellow epaulette Australian colours, saunters to an impressive Gr 2 victory at Randwick on Saturday (via meta (Linda Tag (joint-owner)))

The familiar yellow and purple silks of the Hollywood Syndicate were not the only colours that flew the South African flag high overseas this weekend, because big Johannesburg-based owner Larry Nestadt had Gr 2 success in Australia with an exciting prospect called Royal Patronage, who was making his Australian debut at Randwick.

Nestadt’s all royal blue colours are well known in South Africa and have been associated with a lot of big race success. He has owned two horses of the year as he has shares in current Equus Horse Of The Year Dave The King and the 2010 Equus Horse Of The Year Irish Flame ran in his colours. In Australia his colours are also royal blue but with yellow epaulettes.

On Saturday the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Royal Patronage won at Randwick under Tim Clark and it was described by Racenet.com.au as a “stunning” performance.

In the Gr 2 Au$300,000 Tramway Stakes over 1400m Royal Patronage sat handy behind a strong pace before quickening in fine style and winning by 1,25 lengths despite coming off a 462 day layoff.

Nestadt is the chief owner in the Wootton Bassett five-year-old French-bred entire, who was purchased at a Tattersalls horses in training sale.

As a two-year-old Royal Patronage won the Gr 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes over seven furlongs at York and the Gr 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes over a mile at Newmarket. In the latter race he beat ill-fated Dubawi colt Caroebus. who went on to win the Gr 1 2000 Guineas and the Gr 1 St. James Palace Stakes.

As a three-year-old Royal Patronage was disappointing with a second place finish in the Gr 2 Dante over a mile-and-two-and-a-half furlongs at York and a fifth place finish in the Gr 1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes over a mile and two furlongs on the turf in the USA being his best finishes.

He stayed in the USA after the latter race, leaving the Mark and Charlie Johnston yard for the yard of Isivunguvungu’s trainer, Graham Motion.

He had four runs for Motion, two as a three-year-old and two as a four-year-old, and his best result was winning an Allowance race at Keeneland over a mile-and-a-half.

However, Gai Waterhouse’s expert eye spotted something in the colt, whose sire Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) commands a fee of €200,000. Wootton Bassett was a high class racehorse, whose career unfortunately coincided with the same crop as Frankel’s, meaning he was limited to one Gr 1 victory. However, his stud record features 80 stakes performers and from that number 31 of his sons and daughters have won in Group/Graded company, with nine being successful at Gr 1 level.

Royal Patronage is a Melbourne Cup entry.

He is an excitimg prospect as can be seen from the comments about him after the race.

“We were really confident with what we’d seen from him at home,” Bott said.

“He worked up quite sharply during the week, which was encouraging going into today.

“In fairness, Europeans having their first start in Australia and traditionally showing form over further and also the conditions today, we were just a bit mindful he may find the 1400m a bit too sharp for him.

“But the way the race panned out was excellent. There was good pressure on from the outset. He really put himself in the race from the gates.”

Top jockey Tim Clark said Royal Patronage will only “continue to improve” the deeper he goes into his spring campaign.

“He’s been going well at home, working fantastic, and his trials were good,” Clark said.

“When he was able to bounce and adjust to that 1400m speed so comfortably, I thought he would be hard to beat.

Nestadt has had extraordinary success in Australia recently.

Last year he had a Gr 1 win as well as multiple other Gr race victories and also a Melbourne Cup tenth place finish.

This year, besides Royal Patronage, he has four other Melbourne Cup entries, Just Fine, Miliitary Mission, New Endeavour and Balance Play.

The Irish-bred Just Fine (Sea The Stars) won the Gr 1 Metropolitan Handicap over a mile and four furlongs at Randwick last September and was made the ante-post second favourite for the 2023 Melbourne Cup, but he was scratched after running flat in his next start. They decided to wait for this year’s Cup instead. He ran in a Gr 2 over a mile on Saturday at Randwick and was beaten just 1,75 lengths into fifth, so should be peaking at the right time for The Cup.

Military Mission, who ran tenth in last year’s Melbourne Cup, is an Irish-bred by Mastercraftsman. He ran in the same race as Just Fine on Saturday and was beaten 5,75 lengths into ninth.

New Endeavour is also an Irish-bred and is by New Bay.

He finished second in the Gr 2 Hungerford Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury last August and in Australia he has had a Gr 3 second and a Gr 1 second, both over a mile and two furlongs at Doomben, among other runs.

Balance Play is yet another Irish-bred import. He is by Lope de Vega, who is is one of Europe’s top stallions and stands for a fee of €125,000. The four-year-old gelding is yet to run in Australia but comes off a good three-year-old campaign for Ralph Beckett in England in 2023 where he won three handicaps from a-mile-and-two-furlongs to a-mile-and-three-furlongs and ended with an official rating of 101.

Nestadt’s Melbourne Cup entries are all trained by Waterhouse and Bott.

Waterhouse has won the Melbourne Cup once, in 2013, but has had 145 Gr 1 wins and has won the Sydney Trainers Premiership seven times.

She has been described as “the first lady of Australian racing” and is in the Australian Racing Hall Of Fame along with her legendary father Tommy J. Smith.

Ombudsman remains unbeaten at Longchamp on Sunday (Picture: Scoop Dyga)

Cape Breeders

Klawervlei Stud’s four time G1 winning stallion Twice Over hails from an exceptional family, and this wonderful female line has been in the news yet again through the deeds of unbeaten three-year-old Ombudsman.

The latter made it four wins from four starts when victorious in Sunday’s G3 Prix du Prince d’Orange at ParisLongchamp, with Ombudsman looking a very exciting prospect.

Impressive on good ground in the Listed Prix Nureyev at Deauville last month, the 3-5 favourite raced in the box seat behind the leader First Look and was gifted a clear run up the rail as that G1 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up drifted left passing the two-furlong marker. Green and errant for William Buick on the run to the line, the Gosdens’ upwardly mobile colt veered off a true line twice to interfere with the similarly progressive Henri-Francois Devin trainee Start Of Day close home but was allowed to keep the race after an inquiry. Start Of Day was half a length behind at the line.

Godolphin Managing Director for UK and Dubai Hugh Anderson said, “William said that Ombudsman is a very good horse who is a little bit green and perhaps that is what we saw in the final stages. I am really delighted and John and Thady have campaigned him superbly, with the win at Deauville and now here. The expectation is that he is going to be a very good 4-year-old and he’s definitely coming back next year–I’m not sure about whether he will race again this year.”

Ombudsman is out of the Dansili mare Syndicate, a great-granddaughter of G1 Emirates Prix Du Moulin De Longchamp winner All At Sea. The latter is a half-sister to Twice Over’s granddam Quandary.
Twice Over’s lengthy list of high-class performers includes 2023 G1 SplashOut Cape Derby/G1 Daily News 2000 winner See It Again, a three-part brother to the Twice Over sired champion Do It Again.

Recently gelded, See It Again is being aimed at a tilt at the R6 million G1 Betway Summer Cup.

Imperatriz was not only voted Horse Of The Year she also became the first equine recipient of the NZTR Award for Outstanding Global Achievement. The Mark Walker-trained I Am Invincible mare won three Gr 1s in Australia last season (Picture: Te Akau Racing)

Imperatriz crowned Horse of the Year

Warren Kennedy Jockey Of The Year

NZTR

9 September 2024

The New Zealand racing awards were held on Sunday and on top of being the Jockeys Premiership winner Warren Kennedy was named Jockey Of The Year.

A horse he rode once last season season and on whom he won as a two-year-old, the filly Orchestral, was named three-year-old of the year and received some votes for Horse Of The Year.

The New Racing awards have a highly professional system and it would no doubt lead to more universally popular results than it does over here.

There are two voting panels, a “Recommendations Panel” and a “Voting Panel”.

The Voting Panel is required to declare any conflict of interest regarding any award on which they are voting and to abstain from voting on the award(s), for which they have a conflict of interest, financial or family as defined in the ‘Declaration of conflict of interests’ statement, subject to audit by Deloitte. The decision of the Voting Panel is considered final, subject to audit by Deloitte.

Voting Rules

In the event of more than one person/horse receiving equal highest votes then multiple winners will be declared. The number of votes awarded to each finalist will be included on the result sheet by the auditor. A list of votes awarded for each finalist in each category will be made available on the NZTR website www.nztr.co.nz after the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Horse of the Year Awards Dinner.

Love Racing NZ wrote the below article about this year’s awards.

Girl power reigned supreme at the 2024 New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards, sponsored by SENZ, in Hamilton on Sunday.

Champion Matamata mare Imperatriz, as expected, was named SENZ Horse of the Year and all five flat racing categories were won by female gallopers.

Imperatriz also took the sprinter-miler category, top filly Orchestral was named as both the champion three-year-old and champion stayer, Velocious earned the two-year-old title and Legarto topped the voting in the middle-distance category.

The only male horse to triumph was West Coast, who is the jumper of the year.

It is the first time this century that fillies and mares have been so dominant.

Imperatriz’s trainers, Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, were voted trainer of the year and Waikato couple Denise Bassett and John Elstob , who had a quarter share in Imperatriz, topped an eclectic group of finalists for owner of the year.

Elstob and Bassett have been significant investors in Te Akau Racing syndicates and had 45 individual runners during the season. While Imperatriz was their main flagbearer, they were also part-owners of a second Group One winner, in Move To Strike, and the Group Two winners Captured By Love and Ascend The Throne.

The husband-and-wife training partnership of Peter and Dawn Williams, who retired from training in June, were rewarded for decades of excellence with the award for an outstanding contribution to racing.

Peter began his training career in 1975 and Dawn, who went on to become the first woman to train 1000 winners in New Zealand, joined the partnership in the early 1980s.

They were based in Canterbury for the bulk of their careers but moved north, to Byerley Park, in 2011. They never had a large team but were rarely without a galloper of note.

The 1988 Auckland Cup winner Sea Swift was their first major winner and was followed by top sprinter Loader, who completed the Railway-Telegraph double in 1996.

More recent winners at the top level included the classic-winning fillies Planet Rock and Media Sensation, dual Group One winner Shuka and their latest star, Desert Lightning, who made his trainers’ final season a memorable one.

Imperatriz made an irrefutable case to be named Horse of the Year with an almost perfect Australian campaign, which produced six wins, including five at Group One level, and two placings, from eight attempts.

The now-retired mare was the most prolific Group One winner in Australasia, with Mr Brightside the next best, with four, while no other New Zealand-trained horse managed more than two elite wins.

New Zealand-trained horses have usually struggled to match the best Australian sprinters but all of Imperatriz’s six wins came at 1200m or less. She will be at short odds to be named sprinter of the year in Australia and will also be a contender for the Australian Horse of the Year, which will be announced in October.

The I Am Invincible mare, who cost A$360,000 as a yearling, earned $6.7 million in stakes in the 2023-24 season, taking her career earnings to $7.5 million. She had a career record of 19 wins from 27 starts, including 10 Group One wins, and only once finished further back than fourth.

She was ranked among the best race-mares in the world and added to the returns for her ownership syndicate when sold as a broodmare prospect, for A$6.6 million, in May. It was an Australasian record price for a broodmare.

The now six-year-old was bought by Yulong, an international thoroughbred racing and breeding operation, and will be based in Australia. She will be mated with the Yulong stallion Pierata this spring.

Imperatriz’s impact in her final season was further illustrated when she was announced as the recipient of the award for outstanding global achievement, which usually recognises the efforts of the human participants.

Imperatriz dominated the Horse of the Year voting receiving 41 of the 51 votes cast, with New Zealand Derby winner Orchestral the runner-up.

Orchestral was never going to threaten Imperatriz’s hold on the main prize but had a similar profile to Sharp ‘N’ Smart – the 2023 Derby winner and Horse of the Year – and gained all bar two of the votes in the three-year-old section

Warren Kennedy was named Jockey of the Year, after just his second season in New Zealand. The former South African premiership winner made the brave decision to move to New Zealand in his 40s and has been quick to make an impact.

Kennedy, 44, topped the national premiership in 23-24 and was also the leading rider in terms of domestic stake earnings and black type wins. His season included a memorable day at Pukekohe, on January 1, when he rode seven winners at one of the biggest meetings of the year.

Voting for the leading jumps jockey produced the smallest margin, with Portia Matthews edging Shaun Fannin by three votes.

Jockeys’ Premiership – sponsored by OnTrack: Warren Kennedy.

Trainers’ Premiership – sponsored by OnTrack: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson.

Apprentice Jockeys’ Premiership – sponsored by OnTrack: Lily Sutherland.

Owners’ Premiership – sponsored by OnTrack: Brendan & Jo Lindsay.

Newcomer to Training – sponsored by gavelhouse.com: Sam Mynott.

LOVERACING.NZ Award for Contribution to Media, Digital & Content: Trackside Premier. Other finalists: Auckland Thoroughbred Racing, Blow Up! Broadcasting, SENZ’s The Mail Run.

NZB Filly of the Year: Molly Bloom.

Champion Two-Year-Old – sponsored by Race Images NZ: Velocious 52. Other finalists: Captured By Love (1), Move To Strike (1), Bellatrix Star.

Champion Three-Year-Old – sponsored by TAB NZ: Orchestral (54). Other finalists: Crocetti (2), Antrim Coast, Molly Bloom, Pulchritudinous, Quintessa.

Champion Sprinter-Miler (up to 1600m) – sponsored by RACEFORM: Imperatriz (50).Other finalists: Bonny Lass (3), Desert Lightning, La Crique.

Champion Middle Distance Horse (1601m-2200m) sponsored by Happy Hire: Legarto (33). Other finalists: Campionessa (20), El Vencedor (2), Ladies Man.

Champion Stayer (2201m & further) – sponsored by Entain Australia and New Zealand: Orchestral (31). Other finalists: Mahrajaan (24), Mary Louise (1), Asterix, Mark Twain.

Champion Jumper – sponsored by Sandfield: West Coast (46). Other finalists: The Cossack (7), Berry The Cash (3), Nedwin.

Jockey of the Year – sponsored by betcha: Warren Kennedy (34) Other finalists: Opie Bosson (15), Michael McNab (1), Sam Spratt (1), Joe Doyle, Craig Grylls.

Jumps Jockey of the Year – sponsored by New Zealand Equine Academy: Portia Matthews (29). Other finalists: Shaun Fannin (26), Hamish McNeill.

Trainer of the Year – sponsored by Dunstan Horsefeeds: Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson partnership (49). Other finalist: Robbie Patterson (5).

Owner of the Year – sponsored by TAB NZ: Denise Bassett and John Elstob (17). Other finalists: Brendan & Jo Lindsay (12), Daniel Nakhle (7), Eddie Bourke (4), Waikato Stud (4), Gerry Harvey (2), Ben Kwok (2), Colin & Helen Litt (1), Kelvin & Vanessa Tyler (1), Barneswood Farm, The Oaks Stud.

NZ Stablehand of the Year – sponsored by Saddlery Warehouse, Cambridge & Tauranga: Joanne Pearson (employed by Lisa Latta, Awapuni Central). Other finalists: Jonathon Richardson (Northern), Lexi Porteous (Southern).

NZTR Award for Outstanding Contribution to Racing: Dawn and Peter Williams.

NZTR Award for Outstanding Global Achievement: Imperatriz

SENZ Horse of the Year: Imperatriz (41) Also: Orchestral (9), Legarto (1).

The Dylan Cunha-trained Prague (green colours closest) fails by half-a-length to win a Gr 3 at Haydock on Saturday (Picture: John Grossick (Racing Post))

Trainer Dylan Cunha and owner-breeder Gaynor Rupert flew the South African flag in the U.K. this weekend with respective Gr 3 second and third place finishes.

Dylan Cunha shouldn’t be long in winning a Group race in the U.K. as he clearly has a talented Group class horse in the Galileo colt Prague, who was purchased in training out of the Aidan O’Brien yard for a mere 10,000 Gns before he had raced.

On Saturday Prague ran in the Gr 3 Betfair Exchange Superior Mile Stakes at Haydock under Daniel Tudhope and took a bit of hold despite being dropped out to be one of the back two. However, he came into the straight still full of running. He initially could not get a clear run and when the gap presented itself he had to switch inward as the eventual winner crossed him. It probably did not effect the result. Nevertheless, it was a fine run and justifued the betting support he received, which saw him shorten from into 10/20 favourite.

Prague is entered in the Gr 2 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Joel Stakes over a mile on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket on Friday, September 27.

South African trainers have a good record in this race with Mike de Kock having won it twice. De Kock’s Eagle Mountain, ridden by Kevin Shea, won it in course record time in 2008 and his stalwart SA-bred colt Soft Falling Rain won it under Paul Hamagam in 2013.

Also on Saturday the Gaynor Rupert homebred Dubawi colt God’s Window ran in the Gr 3 Unibet September Stakes over a mile and four furlongs on the Kempton All Weather track.

The Dubawi colt was the John and Thady Gosden yard’s chief Epsom Derby hope this year, so he has been a touch disappointing, although he had a Gr 1 third as a two-year-old and this season added a Gr 3 third on Saturday to a Listed fourth place finish.

On Saturday he dwelt and was near the rear but stayed on to finish a modest 5,25 length third in the seven horse field.

The Vaughan Marshall-trained Querari gelding Questioning showed a fine turn of foot to win his seasonal reappearance over 1250m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday and could be a force to be reckoned with in the top sprint races this season (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Mark van Deventer

Whilst there were no Stakes races over the weekend, that did not preclude some Graded quality performances on the speed numbers. 

Unzen was backed into odds on favourite to win a Pinnacle Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday and went pretty much all the way to score an easy victory. Robbie Sage’s charge is deadly over 1400m and ran a fine speed score of 106.

Mercantour (s/s 102) gamely chased him home, as Zinovi faded away after making a mild bid midway up the straight.

Cruise Control has tangled with the best sprinters around on forays to other centers but does most of his racing in the Eastern Cape. He too justified odds on when scorching away from Blue Holly (s/s 99) in a Fairview Sprint on Friday. He earned a figure of 108 which is excellent and makes him a contender in Graded sprints should trainer Gavin Smith chose to “play away” from home again.

Questioning (s/s 104) started his seasonal campaign in some style with a burst of acceleration getting him a victory at Durbanville. He was backed from 5/1 into 9/4 and duly justified market strength by relegating Silver Falcon into second spot. Vaughan Marshall must be excited about the progressive four-year old’s prospects.

SA speedball, Isivunguvungu made a winning debut in America, just lasting home in the 1100m Da Hoss Sprint at Colonial Downs. The son of What a Winter trained by Graham Motion got a perfect rail hugging trip, seized control at the top of the stretch but was all out to hold the advantage into the final panel.

He is now eligible for a dip at the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Isivunguvungu repeatedly ran speed scores in the band between 109 – 112 in South Africa over the minimum 1000m trip. Anything even slightly further than that makes him vulnerable to the rallies of determined stretch runners.

Infrared could have the race set up for him in Hollywoodbets Durbanville’s 6th race over 1600m on Tuesday (Picture: Wayne Marks)

By Mark Van Deventer (Cape Racing)

The headliner at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Tuesday is Race 6 – a Class 3 over 1600m where eight runners will load into the stalls at 15h37. A brisk pace is expected with the energetic SCALINI, a rejuvenated HOLDING THUMBS, confirmed pace presser FUTURE TURN, and SALVATOR MUNDI all comfortable racing on or near the lead.

Such a scenario might tee things up for stretch runner, INFRARED, a very promising Twice Over 4-year-old gelding who is far better than his one win from eight starts indicates.

He has been a bit stiff a few times which happens to horses that come from off the pace and need to get the breaks at the right moment. But for those tactical hiccoughs, his record would have a brighter sheen. In the summer of ‘23 he ran close to seven-time winning older horse Innamorare at virtually level weights, then next got within two lengths of high-class stable mate and subsequent Hollywoodbets Durban July hero, Oriental Charm when conceding him 2.5 kgs.

Its appears that the top weight has trained on nicely after a rest and gelding in April given a most gratifying comeback. He stayed on willingly within a length of Allez Moris and close to the reopposing, FUTURE TURN who seems sure to run another good race. INFRARED, however, has more scope and can improve past that rival this time around.

HOLDING THUMBS is a major threat. He has been transformed since being fitted with blinkers and ridden more forcefully on soft ground. Glen Kotzen’s Vercingetorix charge now moves up in class under an eight-point penalty, but could be capable of handling this stiffer assignment.

FIBONACCI mixes his form and might be happiest over 1400m but would be handicapped a chance off a light weight on his best efforts. SALVATOR MUNDI and NAVY STRENGTH have won nine races between them, yet are arguably most effective over further.

Course suited, PAS DE NOM returns to his happy hunting ground after a spell in KZN which yielded a second place, an MR 86 Poly win and a flop from three starts.

Race 8 is a basement level Fillies and Mares sprint where the average merit rating of the entries is a measly 56. Under the circumstances it may be an idea to shop around for a price horse with hidden form. APPLE CATCHER is one such esoteric pick who can outrun her odds.

The Pomodoro mare is lightly raced by Paddy Kruyer with a win and three places to her name from ten outings. Her penultimate start looks uninspiring – near the back of the pack nine lengths off Nordic Quest. But that was a way stronger race than this one as not only is Nordic Quest potentially high class, but beaten rivals Knockout, Blue Holly and Winter Rainfall have since performed admirably in tough contests.

APPLE CATCHER now drops big time in the OMR’s. The pick of her back form on firmer ground gives her a shake at this lower level, but she remains a boom or bust pick only worth speculating on at generous odds.

I’M SO PRITTI has an improving profile and seems sure to run into contention in Race 3, an Open Maiden over 1250m. The Justin Snaith trained Vercingetorix filly who went close behind Scarlet Macaw over the C/D last time, in a key Maiden that has yielded two subsequent winners, can anchor PAs and probably Bipots too, but is opposed by two beautifully bred fillies making their debuts for strong connections.

BERRY’S BOOGIE is by Churchill out of fine race-mare, Love to Boogie for Andre Nel; and TAP SHOES is a Snaith trained, Master of my Fate filly ex Moggytwoshoes and thus related to G1 competitors, Zapatillas and Shoemaker. Given these potent pedigrees, a market watch and careful monitoring of the prelims is advised before committing to any wagers.

Maritzburg Memory has been tipped to win the 7th (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Cape Racing

Race 1

4 FENCING CAPTAIN will be very hard to beat in this race. He was very unlucky last time when finishing second behind Dawn Till Dusk, he is getting better and stronger with more racing, and this looks to be a great opportunity for him to exit maiden company. 1 GALACTUS will be having his first run in the Western Cape at Hollywoodbets Durbanville, he gets a good draw in what looks to be a race that is lacking strong form, watch him closely, he could easily improve. 2 PEREGRINE FALCON comes back to the races from a long break, he is clearly much better than his last run, if he doesn’t need the run badly, he could certainly be right there in the finish. 8 SEEKING THE LIFE will need luck from a tricky draw, he might be able to run a place at best.

(Brandon Bailey: 4 – 1 – 2 – 8)

Race 2

6 MYSTIC MAJESTY ran a decent race from a wide draw in testing conditions last time. He gets champion jockey Richard Fourie in the saddle from a decent draw, he should go very close to winning this race. 8 TWENTYTWENTYVISION is much better than his last run over 1600m, he drops right back in trip now which should help him improve tremendously, watch him closely. 10 UNSUNG HERO will need to put his last run behind him to have a small chance in this race, the blinkers have been fitted for the first time, hopefully that will help him improve. 3 KING OF THE SEAS drops in trip, and he gets a good draw, on his best form he would have a quartet chance at a big price. Watch the first timers closely.

(Brandon Bailey: 6 – 8 – 10 – 3)

Race 3

3 I’M SO PRITTI looks to be the best bet on the card. She gets a perfect draw in a race that is lacking strong form, her recent run behind Scarlet Macaw was very good when finishing second, she will take a power of beating here. 8 BRIGHT GOLD will need some luck in the race from a tricky draw, she is still improving, if the race works out for her, she will have a good place chance. 1 WARBIRD is a lovely looking filly that was very green on debut when well beaten, she gets a good draw in this Open Maiden, with natural improvement and further, she could sneak into the places at a decent price. 5 COLD BREEZE comes back to the races from a small break, she is much better than her form suggests, if she doesn’t need the run badly, she will have a quartet chance

(Brandon Bailey: 3 – 8 – 1 – 5)

Race 4

6 CHAMPAGNE KISSES looks to be a decent filly in the making, she was beaten by the draw last time, from a decent draw in this race and stepping up in trip, she will go very close to winning. 4 TUSCAN ROMANCE has done everything right in her career, she has run two lovely races up the straight at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, now that she steps up in trip from a good draw, she will be a huge danger to Champagne Kisses. 5 GOLDEN ANGEL ran a super race on debut when finishing third at Hollywoodbets Durbanville, with natural improvement and the step up in trip, she must have a good each way chance in a strong race. 2 PLAYFUL JOULES never got into the race last time, the yard think highly of this filly, if she can put that last run behind her, she could sneak into the places.

(Brandon Bailey: 6 – 4 – 5 – 2)

Race 5

8 SPIRIT’S UNITE has really been so consistent through his entire career, he moved up like a winner in his last start when running second behind Cloud Chaser, he will need everything to go right for him from a tricky draw, if the race works out, he will have a solid winning chance. 5 GOLD INDEX had no luck in his last start from a terrible draw, ignore that run completely, he can easily bounce back to his best form in this race. 3 CHAMPAGNE MAC has been disappointing since winning his maiden back in December 2023, he ran a much better race last time, if he can build on that performance, he would have a nice place chance at a decent price. 6 AUGUSTA BLUE races off a very competitive rating, include him into all your bets.

(Brandon Bailey: 8 – 5 – 3 – 6)

Race 6

5 INFRARED ran a cracking race last time behind stable companion Allez Moris. He would have needed that run badly coming back from a lengthy rest, there is no doubt he will improve nicely from that run, he should go very close to winning. 8 HOLDING THUMBS won a cracking race last time, the yard think highly of this gelding, he has matured into a lovely horse and must have a huge winning chance again. 7 FUTURE TURN has become very consistent of late, he was mighty unlucky in his last start when finishing second, from a tricky draw and with some luck in running, he will be on the premises again. 3 SALVATOR MUNDI drops further in trip from his last start, on his best form off this rating he could be the surprise package.

(Brandon Bailey: 5 – 8 – 7 – 3)

Race 7

2 MARITZBURG MEMORY must have a huge winning chance from a great draw. She did not travel one bit in her last start in testing conditions behind Artiste, she has a lovely action and provided the conditions remain on the good side, she will be right there in the finish. 1 GRANDIOSA comes back to the races from a small break, she drops in trip for this Class 4 event, if she doesn’t need the run badly, she could be finishing fast, watch her closely late. 3 POLYNOMIAL is highly rated by the stable, she ran a terrific race last time in a competitive event, from a good draw, she will get the run of the race and must be included into all bet types. 7 ELIZABETH GRACE looks highly progressive, she won her maiden exceptionally well, with some luck in running and further improvement, she could be dangerous.

(Brandon Bailey: 2 – 1 – 3 – 7)

Race 8

5 BENEATH THE MOON got away from the field at the right time in her last start to win a good race. She likes to race up on speed, from a decent draw in a weak looking contest, she must have a good winning chance again. 3 HANG OUT THE STARS had to work hard from a bad draw in her last start, she now drops in trip and gets a decent draw, include her into all your bets. 2 JET GREEN is getting closer and closer, there should be no excuses for her from a good draw, she must have a good each way chance. 7 TRUE HORIZON ran a much better race last time, she would require a career best run to trouble them in the finish, perhaps she can build on that last performance and sneak into the quartets.

(Brandon Bailey: 5 – 3 – 2 – 7)

The picture gives a clue to the answer

Who were the only two horses to beat Sea Cottage twice?

Picture: Sea Cottage’s classy stablemate Java Head won 14 races.

Ding Dong beat Sea Cottage in the Cape Guineas of 1966 when finishing third to Sea Cottage’s fourth and beat him when winning the Met in 1967 with Sea Cottage only fourth.

Sea Cottage’s Syd Laird-trained stablemate Java Head beat Sea Cottage when winning the July in 1966 and when second in the Champion Stakes of 1966 to Sea Cottage’s third.

Sea Cottage beat Java Head seven times and beat Ding Dong three times.