Turf Talk Newsletter – 27 October, 2025

Picture: Boeta Engelbrecht gets a congratulatory handshake from breeder, Carl de Vos. (Chase Liebenberg/Race Coast).

WJ ‘Boeta’ Engelbrecht, the third generation of a proud racing family that has bred and raced horses since the 1960s, made a milestone purchase at Saturday’s Race Coast Sales October Two-Year-Old Sale at Hollywoodbets Durbanville – his first-ever R1-million buy.

It was a fittingly curious moment in a family with more than six decades and hundreds of runners behind them. Because, as Boeta admits with a laugh, he has no idea why he bought Lot 70, Another Hero. His hand just went up before the hammer fell. No jokes!

“I didn’t look at this colt at all, and nobody looked at it on my behalf,” Boeta said. “I didn’t know its pedigree, and I don’t even think I had a catalogue in front of me when I raised my hand. Somewhere during the bidding, I must’ve sensed there was a bit of spirit around this lot. Glen Kotzen was bidding hard, and when auctioneer Alistair Cohen called R950,000, my hand just went up. Next thing I knew, I’d bought him – and Greg and Naz Ennion and everyone at my table were up hugging and congratulating me!”

Now, Boeta may well be the undisputed Champion of the World in the Heavyweight Sauvignon Blanc Division, but he vehemently denies that consumption of said product had anything to do with the movement of his arm which, in all fairness, got him a rather lovely specimen from a top stud farm.

“Listen, it’s easy to think that’s what happened, but it’s not,” he insisted. “I joined a table of friends and had no intention of buying at this sale. In fact, I’ve been thinking of cutting back on the stock I have in training at the moment. But then I got the bid, and now I have a R1-million horse! You know, they say good horses find you. I think this one found me.”

Lot 70: Another Hero. (Race Coast).

Another Hero (Lot 70) is by champion stallion Gimmethegreenlight and is the first produce of Grade 1 winner Sentbydestiny. He’s a cracking first colt foal from a renowned Varsfontein family, closely related to Badger’s Cove, Lion Rampart, and Double Grand Slam – conceivably acquired for less than his true worth, especially if he’d been a filly.

“My dad phoned me to ask why on earth I’d bought a colt,” Boeta chuckled, “because we normally buy fillies. Even Varsfontein’s Carl de Vos looked a bit puzzled when he wished me well on the purchase. He said, ‘I didn’t know you guys bought horses at sales.’ ”

Boeta’s father, the legendary Elandsbaai farmer and businessman ‘Willempie’ Engelbrecht, represents the second generation of the family that began its racing journey with Boeta’s grandfather, ‘Oupa’ Willie, back in the 1960s. The original blue, grey and red silks they raced under are still in use today.

The Engelbrechts began breeding in the seaside village of Elandsbaai, later moving their mares to Klipdrift Stud, and eventually to Eugene Freeman’s Boland Stud. Oupa Willie famously won the 1973 Met with Gold Flame, while Willempie campaigned the likes of Blue Cossack (G1 Cape Derby), Bold Messenger, and Joshlin. The family’s breeding influence has also been felt in the bloodlines of – to name but a few – Ebony Flyer, Captain’s Lover, Lady In Black, and Mr Flood.

There are illustrious names among those – the Engelbrechts clearly know their way around a good horse, and perhaps, as Boeta suspects, Another Hero really did find him.

“He’s got a deep black-type pedigree,” Boeta said with a grin, “so you never know!”

Another Hero will be trained by Greg Ennion at Milnerton.

Lot 49, Pearly Beach (Race Coast).

A slightly different story comes from trainer Lucinda Woodruff, who went guns blazing after one horse at this sale and got it. Lucinda spent R1-million on behalf of a Malaysian client for Lot 49, Pearly Beach, a colt by Galileo’s son Japan out of an unraced daughter of Sea The Stars.

This Maine Chance graduate is inbred to the famous race mare and later broodmare, Urban Sea, the dam of both Galileo and Sea The Stars, of which bloodstock expert Frank Mitchell once wrote: “Without doubt, Galileo and Sea the Stars are the primary conduits for spreading the influence of their famous dam throughout the pedigrees of the world. Of the eight stakes winners out of Urban Sea, Galileo and Sea the Stars are peers of the realm in racing and breeding. Everywhere, they are considered among the best of the best. Classic winners and sires of classic winners and champions, they are not, however, the only important producers of important racing stock that Urban Sea has produced.

“One of the ironies of breeding is that Urban Sea, as great a broodmare as she was, had only 11 named foals. That is 10 percent (or less) of the production from a popular stallion in a single year. From Urban Sea’s small pool, however, she has launched a great tide of bloodstock around the world.”

Lucinda said: “It’s just insane and I am so excited. It’s not often that a sale in Africa has a horse inbred to Urban Sea. I just had to have him.” She described Pearly Beach as a ‘beautiful, well-proportioned horse, not too flashy, the way I like them’ and said that her client found her via her website. “I have two young, new clients and a few other new patrons, and the stable is growing,” said Lucinda.

The Sale produced excellent results overall, in line with other recent auctions. In total, 127 of the 131 lots that went through the ring sold for an aggregate R45 925 000, at an average of R361 615, and a median of R300 000.

See results here.

Happiness Is! Lucinda Woodruff, flanked by Chad Little and Anthony Andrews. (Chase Liebenberg/Race Coast).

Picture: Michelle Rix congratulates apprentice Sifiso Bungane, who rode William’s Woman. (Race Coast).

Michelle Rix launched her official solo career as a trainer at her Milnerton stables last Thursday, and her first runner, William’s Woman, won the first race at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday.

This was a good omen all round, because she also acquired four two-year-olds at the RCS Sale later that afternoon, and now has a string of 46 horses.

Michelle said: “We have 24 babies in the stable which is great. This will make the stable competitive but keep things manageable. Back in March I had only 18 horses and I was getting worried, but things have turned and we’re excited about the future.”

Alongside the stable stalwarts like Francis Carruthers and Fiona Carmichael, Jonathan Bloch now has shares in 10 horses in the yard, and new owner Gerdi van der Merwe owns William’s Woman, who was his first winner.

In 2019, Michelle partnered with her father, Harold Crawford, who took out his trainer’s licence in 1976 and has now retited. They famously won the Durban July and the Cape Met with Kommetdieding, who is now a stallion. Other notable performers from a consistently small string included the exported Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes winner Perovskia, Listed and Graded stakes performers Secret Identity, Time For Love, Time For Love and Cala Muretta.

The iconic Moonee Valley racetrack will be closed for a revamp in 2026.

Moonee Valley Racecourse is preparing to bid farewell to a historic chapter, with Saturday’s Cox Plate having marked the final race on its iconic track before its grandstands are demolished and the venue undergoes a once-in-a-generation transformation.

Chris Waller’s Via Sistina on Saturday won the 105th and final edition of the race in its current form at the famous amphitheatre, with the track set to undergo a major redevelopment, Jockey James McDonald claimed his fourth Cox Plate and Waller his sixth in a sensational race.

The bulldozers arrive next month, and the redevelopment, part of the $3 billion Moonee Valley Park precinct, will see the current grandstands demolished and the racetrack reconfigured. Racing will return to the revitalised venue in August 2027, with next year’s Cox Plate temporarily moving to Flemington Racecourse.

Moonee Valley Racing Club has committed $220 million to racing-specific infrastructure as part of the project. A brand-new grandstand will be constructed on the northern boundary, offering uninterrupted views of the Melbourne skyline and bringing fans 25 metres closer to the action.

The current grandstands at The Valley were built in the 1950’s and 1970’s, while the current track is some 30 years old, a decade past its used-by date. Its facilities are well overdue for renewal and the need for modernisation has become increasingly urgent.

The new track will be three metres wider to allow more runners and more races, while it’ll retain its camber and famous cushion. It’ll be faster, with an extended straight lengthening from 173 metres to 317 metres to ensure the thrilling racing style The Valley is known for remains intact.

The current track has produced some of Australian racing’s greatest moments, none more so than the dominant reign of Winx.   – austadiums.com

White Abarrio with Goatie, his close personal friend.

The 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, White Abarrio, will run in this year’s Dirt Mile; trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. hopes that the horse’s calmer mental state will, thanks to Brownie, help propel him to the winner’s circle.

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. had never shipped a goat via airplane before this week, but he did just that to appease his stable star White Abarrio in preparation for the 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif.

“I was a little worried about how [the goat] would ship, but he handled it just fine,” said Joseph, laughing. “It was a little bit cheaper than flying a horse!”

Named “Brownie,” the goat has long been a part of Joseph’s barn. The trainer decided to pair Brownie with White Abarrio in early September, and said it has been making a huge difference for the 6-year-old son of Race Day’s mental state.

“He’s just calmer,” Joseph said. “We use goats for quite a few of our horses. It’s mainly a mental thing. You wanna keep them happy and horses are herd animals; they’re meant to be with other horses, obviously, and in a stall you can’t put another horse so the closest thing we get comparable is a goat and he really enjoys it.”

“When the horse moves away, like in the afternoon, he’ll cry if he doesn’t see the horse,” Joseph continued. “They normally help the fillies a tremendous amount, but it’s helped him a lot and hopefully it carries over to the race.” – extract from Paulick Report.

Picture: Hitman the horse; and ‘Hitman’ the human, Ricky Hatton. (Grand National Guide)

Hitman, named after Ricky Hatton, won his first race since the boxer’s death – and his first in three years – in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree.

The Paul Nicholls-trained nine-year-old finished two lengths clear of Master Chewy and co-owner Ged Mason said the £45,560 prize money will be donated to the Ricky Hatton Foundation.

“Absolutely delighted that we can help in some ways in Ricky’s memory and legacy. The family have set up the foundation and the proceeds kick it off today,” Mason told Racing TV.

Hatton was found dead in his Manchester home in September, aged 46.

The two-weight world champion was nicknamed ‘The Hitman’ throughout his boxing career.

Hatton’s long-term manager and friend Paul Speak watched on as jockey Freddie Gingell rode Hitman to victory at Aintree.

“Hopefully he’s up there looking down and smiling at us,” Speak said.

Hitman was bought by Hatton’s friends Mason and former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2021 because of the name – though Hatton himself had an allergy to horses. – BBC.

There is a R1-million Pick 6 carryover to Saturday’s Charity Mile meeting at Turffontein, and a pool of R5-million is expected.

The Computaform for this meeting has been published and is available here, so you can start making form notes to catch the big fish this weekend.

It’s a quality card which, aside from the Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile includes five other features and some big names, including Tin Pan Alley, Elegantrix, World Of Alice and Perfect Miracle, potentially the new sprinting sensation on the block.

The meeting sees the return of Champion Jockey Gavin Lerena, joined by the formidable Richard Fourie and other title-chasers Craig Zackey, Muzi Yeni, Sean Veale and Serino Moodley.

The 2016 renewal of the Charity Mile, then still sponsored by Emperor’s Palace, produced the biggest upset in its 20-year history. That was just nine years ago, but can you recall who the winner was?