Turf Talk Newsletter – 08 January, 2025

Oriental Charm, Zapatillas On Track For The Met

Oriental Charm pictured winning the Gr 2 WSB Green Point Stakes easily. (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Oriental Charm remains the favourite for the WSB Met, despite running below par in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate, finishing a 8,95 length seventh.

James Crawford said about the run, “It was a little bit disappointing, we definitely expected a bit better. It wasn’t his best run by any means, he didn’t run terribly, but we expected him to perform better than that.”

Montien appeared to cross Oriental Charm when not sufficiently clear just before the first turn, which caused JP van der Merwe to take a stranglehold on Oriental Charm and the horse then seemed to peck slightly too.

However, James did not feel this made any difference to the end result.

James continued, “It is hard to judge and I will use See It Again as an example. Last season See It Again won the Green Point beating Charles Dickens and co, and Oriental won the Green Point well this season; See It Again then ran below par in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate, just as Oriental did; but See It Again should then arguably have won the Met, but things just didn’t quite pan out for him. You could also say for Oreintal it is second run after a bit of a rest, which I am bit more firm in the camp of than others, although he did pull up with one or two of his usual issues.”

James is still confident of Oriental Charm’s Met chances and commenting on his price of 7/2 with the sponsor, he said, “I think anywhere from 3/1 to 5/1 I wouldn’t disagree with.”

He ageed the yard’s best valued Met runner was Zapatillas, who on the formlines of the Cape Mile vs the King’s Plate actually comes out well ahead of Oriental Charm, but is out at a whopping 66/1 for the Met with the sponsor.

However, James had no regrets about not running Zapatillas in the King’s Plate and said, “I don’t think Zapatillas is a miler. He’s capable of it, but I think he is a better horse over nine or ten furlongs.”

Zapatillas finished a 1,70 length fifth in the Gr 2 Anthonij Rupert Wyne Premier Trophy over 1800m on Saturday.

James said, “He was also a little bit disappointing. I expected him to go a lot closer, but he never looked like he traveled well during the race. He started to pick it up a little bit in the latter stages with about 350m to go but at that point with how Hollywoodbets Kenilworth is running right now (very firm and very quick) to make up six or seven lengths with 350m to go , I think only Quid Pro Quo would maybe be able to do that.”

James concluded, “I think Zapatillas will give us an honest gutsy race in the Met and will be there or thereabouts for sure.”

He said Zapatillas was sound and doing “very well: at present.

The most backed horse in the Met looks to be the three-year-old Eight On Eighteen, who has been backed in to second favourite.

However, James thinks the probable most undervalued runner among the leading candidates is last year’s runner up Rascallion, who is 16/1 with the sponsor.

Rascallion comws off a gutsy victory in Saturday’s Premier Trophy.

James said, “Rascallion is a tough boy and he knows the track and trip, he’s a war veteran so to speak and he should definitely be shorter in the betting.”

Craig Zackey Will Ride Fatal Flaw In Majorca

Fatal Flaw pictured winning the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas impressively. (Picture: Wayne Marks)

The Crawford yard also spoke about their other feature race prospects.

James said about the crack Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas-winning filly Fatal Flaw, “She is doing very, very well, she is flying at the moment.”

Piere Strydom is the regular rider for the ASSM Racing Syndicate-owned New Predator filly, but will not be able to make the weight for the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes and he will be replaced by Craig Zackey.

James said, “Unfortunately Striker can’t ride her, but Craig is also riding at the top of his game right now.”

At My Command was beaten 11,70 lengths into 11th in the LKP and James said, ‘I don’t believe he is a miler. I think last season we proved he is a sprinter and I think he’ll be better if we put him over 5 or 6 furlongs.”

He is entered in the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship over 1000m on Met day, but his participation has not yet been confirmed.

Surjay, who won the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1000m last season,will be running in the Cape Flying.

James believe there is not “too much” in the Cape Flying this season, but besides the obvious candidates he said he had healthy respect for last season’s Post Merchants winner Cafe Culture and said he looked to be very quick out of the pens. It should be a humdinger if the like of Surjay, Dyce, Gimme A Prince, Lucky Lad, Questioning, At My Command and King Of The Gauls etc all line up.

Meanwhile, I Am Giant is a talented speedster who is running over 1160m at Turffontein on Saturday.

However, James said, “The Cape Flying is still a possibility, but a lot will depend on whether travel is still open or not and I do also want to try him over further this season.”

The problem is the last supplementary stage for the Cape Flying is Friday and his race is on Saturday.

If going over further the obvious step in the past would have been the Hawaii before the Horse Chestnut, but for some reason the 1600m event is now programmed to be run on March 1 and the 1400m event on March 29.

Grand Heritage 5,50 length winner Pomodoro’s Jet faces a strong field on Saturday in the Listed Wolf Power 1600 at Turffontein Standside.

James said, “We were raised a good amount of points, but rightfully so considering the manner in which he won. I think the Wolf Power is his hardest task to date, but he’s absolutely flying at the moment so I would not be surprised to see him in the winner’s box again.”

Frances Ethel And Quid Pro Quo Latest News

Frances Ethel winning the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks in the Tam Valor colours. (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Barry Irwin spoke today about the two top SA-bred fillies he has purchased for his Team Valor International racing syndicate, Frances Ethel and Quid Pro Quo.

He said, “Frances Ethel will not race again in South Africa.

She did not exit her last race perfectly sound and had to be treated.

She is fine now and in light training at Milnerton with Candice Bass-Robinson awaiting February 1 quarantine and projected flight 2 weeks later to Europe.

She will likely enter training with Andrew Balding in England. her long range plans call for export after 6 months in England to Australia. However, if she comes around fast enough, she very well could race in the UK or Europe.

Quid Pro Quo runs February in the Grade 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas. Depending on when the next flight is to Europe, she could race again at Turffontein.

She will be flown to Europe. We plan to choose a trainer that will prepare her for the 2026 Dubai Carnival.

Following the World Cup night races, she will return to Europe, where she likely will race before possible export to the United States.

We have time before choosing her trainer and I want to think about it some more before making that important decision.”

A Closer Look At Maine Chance's Stallion Addition, Point Lonsdale

The globetrotting Point Lonsdale in action (Picture: supplied.)

Cape Breeders (January 8)

Maine Chance Farms will welcome an exciting new addition to its already impressive stallion roster when Point Lonsdale joins its lineup in 2025.

A top-class racehorse, who won group races at two, four and five, Point Lonsdale, like Maine Chance’s previous star stallion Silvano a globetrotter star, earned more than £ 700,000 in prize money.

Point Lonsdale, winner of seven of 20 starts, showed tremendous precocity winning four of five starts at two, when he ran second, to subsequent Irish classic winner Native Trail, in the G1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes.

At two, Point Lonsdale won all of the G2 Galileo Irish EBF Futurity Stakes, G3 Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes and Listed Chesham Stakes, having won his debut by five and a half lengths. (Previously Futurity Stakes winners included legendary sire Giant’s Causeway).

The classy Point Lonsdale would go on to win both the G2 Ire-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Huxely Stakes and G3 SP Or Better Guaranteed With Tote Alleged Stakes at four when he also ran third in the G1 Dahlbury Coronation Cup.

However, it was at five when Point Lonsdale put up one of his most impressive performances. He romped home to thrash multiple group winner Arrest by five and a half lengths in the G3 tote.co.uk Ormonde Stakes.

During his globetrotting career, Point Lonsdale accounted for numerous high-class performers including G1 winners Auguste Rodin, Bay Bridge, Dubai Honour, Duke De Sessa, Iresine, Onesto, and Tunnes.

Point Lonsdale is one of over 40 stakes winners for his triple G1 winning sire Australia, a classically bred son of Epsom classic winners Galileo and Ouija Board.

Among Australia’s top performers are such G1 winners as Order Of Australia (Breeders’ Cup Mile), Galileo Chrome (St Leger), Mare Australis (Prix Ganay), Ocean Road (Gamely Stakes), and Point Lonsdale’s champion own brother Broome.

Galileo has enjoyed plenty of success in South Africa, with his SA progeny including such champions as Igugu and Mahbooba, as well as the dams of G1 winners Dyce, Green With Envy, and Hero’s Honour.

His sire sons in South Africa include the likes of Kingsbarns and The United States, while the much missed New Predator was sired by Galileo son New Approach. Another son of Galileo, Global View, is the sire of reigning South African Horse Of The Year Dave The King.

Point Lonsdale also hails from an outstanding female line. He is one of three multiple group winners produced by the Acclamation sired Listed National Stakes/Listed Bedanken Stakes winner Sweepstake.

The latter, whose sire is also responsible for Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior and champion sire Dark Angel, also ranks as the dam of Point Lonsdale’s champion full-brother Broome.

Ireland’s Champion Older Male in both 2021 and 2022, Broome earned more than £2 000 000 in a career that saw him compete in all of Britain, France, Ireland, Japan, Hong Kong, the UAE, and the USA. His nine career victories, of which eight came in black-type races, included the 2021 G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Sweepstake is also dam of the top-class Diego Velazquez (by Galileo’s son Frankel), a 2,400,000 guineas purchase from the 2022 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. To date, Diego Velazquez has won four of eight starts including the 2023 G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes. The son of Frankel also won last year’s G2 Tonybet Solonaway Stakes and G3 Meld Stakes before suffering a setback which saw him miss the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile.

The impeccably bred Point Lonsdale hails from a high-class family, with his relatives including the short-lived, but hugely successful sire and G1-winning two-year-old, Zoffany, as well as the Galileo sired G1 James Squire Metropolitan winner Land Legend and group-winning two-year-olds Elite Status, Wilshire Boulevard, and Rostropovich.

Normandy's Summer Seven Will Turn Heads

Lot 5 is a classy looking bay colt by Hawwaam (Picture: CRS).

NORMANDY STUD

CAPE RACING SUMMER SALE 2025

Over the course of Normandy’s nearly sixty-year history, the foundation broodmares chosen by the Foulkes clan have developed into proud families.

Originally, Tommy, Veronica, and now Oscar Foulkes have carefully chosen appropriate stallions to suit their mares, breed quality racehorses, and make it all commercially sustainable.

Ultimately, it is the race-track performance that matters. Luminaries bred at Normandy include Aquanaut, Quick Wit, Little Ballerina, Grande Jete, Mother Russia, Winter Solstice, Sergeant Hardy and Rio Querari.

Normandy offers seven yearlings at the Summer Sale, to be held at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Thursday, 23rd January 2025.

Lot 5 is by freshman sire, Hawwaam, the Champion 3YO Colt in SA in 2018/19. The colt is out of the multiple-winning sprinter, Fleeced, by Querari (GER).

Lot 24 is a Legislate filly out of Lady Wyllie, a half-sister to Sergeant Hardy, mentioned above as a former winner of the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championships.

Lot 32 is an Elusive Fort Colt ex-Windrush (USA) mare, Matushka. This is a renowned Normandy family. The second dam Russian Muse yielded Mother Russia, Champion Older Female in SA in 2009/10 who, in turn, was the dam of Nother Russia, Champion Older Female in SA in 2017/18 and Champion 3YO filly 2023-24, dual Grade 1 winning Gimme a Nother.

Lot 33 is the first foal of Miss Putin, with Russian Muse popping up as the fourth dam. Her chestnut filly is the result of a mating with The United States (IRE) who is by Galileo (IRE).

Oscar Foulkes is impressed at how Erupt (IRE) upgrades his mares so he sent Pelaya (by Silvano(GER)) to be covered by the son of Dubawi (IRE). Lot 38 is the result.

Lot 64 is by Legislate ex Twice as Nice, a daughter of Russian Muse. 3rd dam Terpsichore is one of those redoubtable old mares on which Normandy Stud has built such a venerable legacy.

The CRS Summer Sale of 2025 closes with Lot 95, a Futura filly ex Dreams are Made (AUS) who is a half-sister to Tamaanee, winner of the Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg.

Oscar Foulkes is a pedigree boffin, happy to answer any questions from interested parties and delve deeper into the nuances of these enduringly successful Normandy bloodlines.

Contact details: oscar@normandystud.co.za or cell; 083 297 3402.

ENDS

For further information, contact

Vicky Minott vicky@caperacing.co.za

Janine van Blerk janine@caperacing.co.za

Phone: 021 700 1600

Social media

Facebook: @caperacingsales

Instagram: @caperacingsales

Twitter: @CapeRacingSales

Website: www.caperacingsales.co.za

Sutherland Can Go One Better

Sutherland has been tipped to win the fifth race (JC Photos).

Jack Milner (Tab4Racing)

To race, or not to race. That is the question?

It has been a particularly stormy star to the new year and with more rain falling over the Highveld, Thursday’s meeting does appear to be in the balance.

Fortunately, they are racing at the Vaal on the Classic track and they might have had less rain than we have seen in Joburg.

On Wednesday the penetrometer reading at Vaal was 29, and the going soft; however, there were no waterlogged areas.

A decision regarding this meeting will be made in the morning.

If no rainfall occurs overnight, gallops will take place at approximately 7:30 am. However, should the course experience overnight rainfall, it is unlikely the meeting will proceed.

Whatever happens, one thing we do know is that the going will be soft and that will obviously play its part in the outcome.

There is no question that it is a tricky card and a damp track will exacerbate matters, but one runner could be suited to conditions and could provide a possible banker for bettors and that is Sutherland, who lines up in Race 5, a Novice Handicap over 1450m.

This lightly raced four-year-old gelding has only raced six times, finishing unplaced on debut before reeling off three solid places. He won his next race and followed that up with a one-length second behind Confederate over 1400m at the Vaal in a MR 84 Handicap after a more than two-month layoff.

The concern is that not only has he raced infrequently, but also intermittently, having had breaks between his last four runs.

That might mean this gelding has his issues but he a very well-bred individual and is a half-brother to Thunderstruck, a winner of two Grade 1 sprints.

However, he is a son of Silvano and as we are aware, they tend to improve as they get older.

Trained by Stuart Pettigrew, one of the most underrated trainers in the country, Sutherland went off at 33-1 last time when finishing second. He clearly has ability and should be a touch too good for his opposition in this race.

What is also encouraging is that this run comes just 42 days after his last course appearance, clearly breaking the pattern of longer stints between his runs.

Philasande Mxoli has ridden him in his last three races and he will be back in the irons for this race.

It would come as something of a surprise if Weiho Marwing fails to win the opening race, a Maiden Plate over 2400m.

He saddles two runners in Santiago’s Pride and The Mightiest and one of them looks almost certain to take the top position – the question, however, is which one?

Both have decent form with Santiago’s Pride, the son of Futura, having finished second in a 2300m KZN Maiden Plate at Hollywoodbets Greyville last month.

However, three-year-old filly The Mightiest comes into the event as the best weighted runner and will carry just 53.5kg.

She was due to run in Race 3 last Saturday, but the race meeting was eventually abandoned and now she has landed up in this event.

The daughter of Captain Of All has yet to race over this sort of distance but she does drop in class this time and off a light weight, could prove too good for her male opposition.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 7 The Mightiest, 3 Santiago’s Pride, 9 Instant Attraction, 1 Alakanani

Race 2: 5 Silent Trigger, 3 Flag Bearer, 4 Clear The Path, 9 Cartagena

Race 3: 8 Silvano’s Song, 2 Quatermain, 10 Another Universe, 4 DJ Junior

Race 4: 3 Guy Alexander, 4 Primal Quest, 5 Ombudsman, 9 Copper John

Race 5: 3 Sutherland, 7 Corrupt, 6 One More Star, 4 Salute The Flag

Race 6: 3 There She Goes, 2 Micke’s Bomb, 6 Take Your Place, 4 Boom Boom

Race 7: 6 Pointer, 7 Foreverinmydreams, 1 Just Be Lekker, 3 Andi’s Girl

Race 8: 3 Alone Time, 1 Super Awesome, 4 Hammies Hero, 6 Sail The Sky

BEST BET

Race 1 No 7 The Mightiest

VALUE BET

Race 3 No 8 Silvano’s Song

BEST SWINGER

Race 1 3×7

BIPOT

R144

Leg 1: 7

Leg 2: 3, 4, 5

Leg 3: 2, 4, 8, 10

Leg 4: 3, 4, 5

Leg 5: 3

Leg 6: 2, 3, 4, 6

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R324

Leg 1: 3, 5

Leg 2: 2, 8, 10

Leg 3: 3, 4

Leg 4: 3

Leg 5: 2, 3, 6

Leg 6: 1, 6, 7

Leg 7: 1, 3, 4

PICK 6

R1680

Leg 1: 2, 4, 8, 10

Leg 2: 3, 4, 5

Leg 3: 3

Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 6, 8

Leg 5: 1, 3, 6, 7

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

JACKPOT 1

R80

Leg 1: 3, 4, 5

Leg 2: 3

Leg 3: 2, 3, 4, 6, 8

Leg 4: 1, 3, 6, 7

JACKPOT 2

R140

Leg 1: 3

Leg 2: 2, 3, 4, 6, 8

Leg 3: 1, 3, 6, 7

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

New Jockey Sensation Partnered With New Hurdles Sensation

Owners Anita and Michael O’Leary (second and third left), with jockey Sam Ewing and trainer Gordon Elliott after Brighterdaysahead won the Neville Hotels Hurdle. Photograph: Damien Eagers/PA

Brighterdaysahead’s emphatic win sends out warning for Cheltenham

Hot favourite State Man well beaten at Leopardstown

Owner Michael O’Leary still to decide on next target

Greg Wood (The Guardian)

A significant potential rival for Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham emerged on the final day of Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting on the last Sunday of last year, as Brighterdaysahead, a five-year-old mare trained by Gordon Elliott, came home 30 lengths clear of her rivals in the Grade One Neville Hotels Hurdle, with State Man, the reigning champion over timber, only third in a race that he had won for the past two seasons.

She was ridden by the new Irish jockey sensation, Sam Ewing.

State Man set off as the 4-9 favourite for the race, despite having had his first defeat in a completed start in Ireland when finishing a close second behind Brighterdaysahead at Punchestown in November. While Brighterdaysahead had made her own running there, however, she had a pacemaker for the rematch in her stable companion, King Of Kingsfield, and the pair steadily built a lead of about a dozen lengths by halfway.

State Man never threatened to make significant inroads into the leaders’ advantage, and after Sam Ewing sent Brighterdaysahead into the lead two out she pulled further clear all the way to the line.

Willie Mullins’s runner clearly failed to run anywhere close to his best form – “I was in trouble from an early stage and never really travelling,” Paul Townend, his rider, said – but Brighterdaysahead’s time of 3min 45.2sec confirmed the visual impression of her wide-margin win.

A long list of outstanding two-mile hurdlers, including Hurricane Fly, Honeysuckle, Istabraq, Sizing Europe and Faugheen, all failed to get within four seconds of that mark at Leopardstown, while the highly competitive two-mile handicap hurdle on Friday, won by Enniskerry under 11st 5lb, was 8.6sec slower.

Brighterdaysahead’s success had an understandable effect on the ante-post betting for the Champion Hurdle, and she is now the 5-1 joint second-favourite for the feature event on day one of the festival meeting together with Lossiemouth, behind Constitution Hill, the unbeaten winner of the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton a few days before, at 8-11.

Her festival target, however, remained undecided with the Mares’ Hurdle on the same card also under serious consideration according to Michael O’Leary, Brighterdaysahead’s owner.

Brrigherdayshead is the 13-8 favourite for the mares’ event, behind Lossiemouth (15-8), who was the runner-up behind Constitution Hill at Kempton.

Owners Anita and Michael O’Leary (second and third left), with jockey Sam Ewing and trainer Gordon Elliott after Brighterdaysahead won the Neville Hotels Hurdle. Photograph: Damien Eagers/PA

“She was great, but King Of Kingsfield did the hard work as well,” O’Leary said. “Eddie [O’Leary, the owner’s brother and racing manager] called me a couple of years ago and said there’s a mare that we have to buy [and] Gordon has loved her since he got her home, so it’s down to the two of them. I’d go for the Mares’ Hurdle but we’ll have a chat about it closer to Cheltenham, but ultimately Gordon and Eddie will probably decide and I’ll be overruled.”

Brighterdaysahead’s victory was the 100th Grade One success of her trainer’s career, and came on the same afternoon as Elliott’s 2,000th National Hunt winner in Ireland.

“I was nervous watching it as I was wondering if they were going too fast,” Elliott said. “We’ve always thought the world of her and we’re going to enjoy today, but I wanted to give a word to [injured stable jockey] Jack Kennedy, as she’s his mare and he’ll be back riding all these horses once he’s fit.

Danny Shum Dominates Happy Valley Meeting

Helene Feeling steams to G3 January Cup victory (HKJC).

By Leo Schlink

Danny Shum surged to the top of the 2024/25 Hong Kong trainers’ championship with a quartet at Happy Valley on Wednesday (8 January), crowned by Helene Feeling’s triumph in the HK$4.2 million G3 January Cup Handicap (1800m).

Shum dominated the undercard with Judy’s Great, Happy Soul and Eternal Fortune, rising to the top of the trainers’ standings with Helene Feeling’s (117lb) victory under Harry Bentley, who drove the former British galloper to victory in Happy Valley’s only Group contest of the season.

With 27 wins, Shum leads Pierre Ng (26), Mark Newnham (24) and David Hayes (23) after 36 of 88 scheduled meetings.

“It’s just amazing, I’m very happy,” Shum said. “All four horses ran great races and the jockeys did a brilliant job.

“Helene Feeling likes Happy Valley more than Sha Tin, but unfortunately there aren’t many races for him here. I had to run him back at Sha Tin otherwise he would have had a big break and lost his fitness.”

Second to Helios Express in last season’s HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m), Helene Feeling settled in ninth place in a moderately-run race behind pace-setters Flamingo Trillion (117lb) and The Golden Scenery (127lb) before Bentley made his move approaching the home turn, fanning into clear running.

Driven to the line, the Sioux Nation gelding prevailed by half a length over last year’s January Cup winner Happy Together (135lb) and La City Blanche (128lb), who charged from the tail of the field to claim third. The overall time was 1m 49.19s.

Bentley said: “They’re (Group 3 wins) not easy to come by and really glad to take the opportunity and kick him home. He’s a very good horse. He was a real contender for the (BMW Hong Kong) Derby not so long ago, so clearly he has that natural class and he’s run a couple of really good races here before, finishing third in this race last year.

“So, we know he goes around the track. The wide draw (barrier nine) was always going to be a little bit tricky just get a nice position through the race and we were going very slowly early doors. He probably didn’t come around the bend all that well but fair play to the horse, he really knuckled down in the straight.”

Shum combined with Dylan Mo and 64/1 outsider Judy’s Great in the third section of the Class 4 Great George Handicap (1200m), Vincent Ho and Happy Soul in the second section of the Class 4 Great George Handicap (1200m) and Hugh Bowman and Eternal Fortune in the Class 3 Causeway Handicap (1200m).

Bowman and Vincent Ho both slotted doubles.

Bowman combined with Caspar Fownes and Mighty Commander to land the second section of the Class 4 Kingston Handicap (1650m). Formerly trained by Lucinda Boyd in Australia, the Artie Schiller gelding prevailed at his eighth Hong Kong start.

Ho completed his brace aboard Francis Lui’s Speed Dragon in the Class 3 Cleveland Handicap (1800m).

Zac Purton moved to within seven wins of equalling Douglas Whyte’s record mark of 1,813 victories in Hong Kong as a jockey with Chris So-trained Firefoot’s success in the first section of the Class 4 Kingston Handicap (1650m).

“Things haven’t gone that smoothly tonight. I had to wait for this winner and he just got into a race where there wasn’t much speed with a light weight (120lb). I was able to control things and he deserved to win, he’s been quite honest,” said Purton, who has 66 victories for the season.

Pegasus General scored his first win since March, 2023 when Derek Leung lifted the Brazilian Group 1 victor to success in the Class 5 Paterson Handicap (1650m). Having his first start for Cody Mo, the seven-year-old had dropped from 78 to 38 in the ratings, but showed plenty of fight for Leung.

David Eustace-trained Fortune Whiskey, a three-time winner as a two-year-old in New Zealand, notched his first victory in Hong Kong by triumphing in the first section of the Class 4 Great George Handicap (1200m) under Matthew Poon.

Hong Kong racing continues on Sunday (12 January) at Sha Tin.

Today's Question

Who was the first thoroughbred to arrive in Natal (KZN)?

See Answer At The End Of Newsletter

Picture: The Greyville Vlei which stretched to Congella. Years later the Greyville Racecourse and Royal Durban Golf Club were built within this area of reclaimed land. (www.fad.co.za)

FIELDS, Thursday, 9 January

Vaal Classic

Today’s Question Answer

Today’s Question Answer

The Ascot Stakes winner Mortimer was imported to Natal in 1857 by Charles Barter Of Karkloof.

In that same year an advertisement appeared in the Natal Mercury promoting a big race meeting to be held on July 16 and 17 in Durban, which was likely a forerunner to the July, whose inaugural running was on July 17, 1897.