Gibraltar Blue's Son Smashes Vaal Classic Course Record
I’m A Fireball smashes the course record over 1450m at the Vaal Classic track. It was one of two course records on the day with the Roy Magner-trained Titans Of War (Act Of War) having earlier broken the 2000m course record under Gavin Lerena, recording 119.93 seconds (JC Photos)
The most impressive winner at the Vaal Classic track meeting on Thursday was the Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Hollywood Racing-owned three-year-old Vercingetorix gelding I’m A Fireball, who led in a Graduation Plate over 1450m under Callan Murray and just never went back to the field as some of the jockeys of the other runners might have been expecting.
He ran out a 3,25 length winner carrying 56kg and became the first horse to do the course and distance in under 84 seconds, recording an amazing 83.32 seconds and smashing the previous record of 84 seconds set by Lady Of Steel on June 2, 2020 (the runner up King Harald was also under the old record, recording 83.86 seconds).
What is particularly fascinating about the victory is that I’m A Fireball’s dam, the Irish-bred Rock Of Gibraltar mare Gibraltar Blue, caused a sensation on her South African debut over the same distance of 1450m and she was also trained by Mike de Kock.
Gibraltar Blue’s race was at Turffontein Inside on 17 April, 2010, and she powered in by 5,50 lengths under Johnny Geroudis in a Progress Plate for fillies and mares carrying 55,5kg.
Mathew de Kock, who was likely unaware his charge had just broken the course record as there didn’t seem to be any mention of it in the aftermath of the race, said I’m A Fireball’s performance had been the sort of promise he had always shown them. He had not disgraced himself when beaten just 1,95 lengths in the Gr 1 Gold Medallion, but this Vaal race was the first time he had made it into the winner’s enclosure since his impressive debut over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville. Mathew mentioned his mother Gibraltar Blue having also liked the front-running style of racing, so he will likely stick to that tactic.
I’m A Fireball’s mother Gibraltar Blue went on an impressive winning streak after that aforementioned debut.
She won the Gr 2 KRA Filllies Guineas next up and then, after finishing a 0,25 length second in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint, she won the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m, then after a near five month layoff she won the Listed Gardenia Stakes over 1000m by 4,25 lengths and then won the Gr 2 Ipi Tombe Challenge over 1600m.
Her first six starts in SA had thus yielded five victories and one second.
She was then aimed at lofty targets like the Cape Flying Championship, Queen’s Plate etc and her best results were a close third in the Gr 1 Majorca Stakes, winning the Gr 3 Jo’Burg Spring Challenge over 1450m against the boys and a close second in the Gr 2 Merchants over 1160m at Turffontein.
She was six months younger than her South African contemporaries as she was born to Northern Hemisphere times in Ireland, so that made her career even more impressive, especially in her three-year-old year.
She was actually entered for the July as a three-year-old, as the first nominations were early and it was not known at the time that she would have limited stamina capacity.
John Koster of Klawervlei Stud chose Gibraltar Blue, with the help of Mike de Kock, Jehan Malherbe and “Fozzy” Stack, at the Goffs Million Sale in Ireland in 2008.
“We knew she was above average after her runs in Ireland and England,” said Koster way back in 2010 a few days after her impressive South African debut. “She was close to the lead in the Goffs Million sprint (in 2009) about a furlong out and finished only four lengths back. Then she had bad luck when finishing fourth in a Group 2 race at Newmarket against some very good fillies – she had no sort of passage. After Saturday’s win (over 1450m at Turffontein Inside), especially considering she is six months younger than the rest of the three-year-olds, she looks special.”
The specific aim of the journey to the Goffs Million Sale in 2008 was to find a filly to run in one of the Goffs Millions races attached to the Sale.
The two races were staged at the Curragh racecourse over six furlongs and a mile respectively in 2009, both with prize money for the winner of one million Euros. The race was reserved for horses which had catalogued as yearlings at the previous year’s Sale.
Gibraltar Blue was initially sent to trainer Tommy Stack, whom Koster used to work for.
Stack is famous for having ridden the great Red Rum to his third Grand National victory in 1977.
Apart from having been a jockey and a trainer, he was also involved in breeding and was one of Coolmore’s early staff members.
Koster did his “apprentice” years in the breeding industry under Stack.
“Tommy is a legend in Ireland and actually bred one of the first good horses he trained, Corwyn Bay, who won the first running of the Cartier Million”, recalled Koster back in 2010.
Gibraltar Blue soon showed potential under the watchful eye of Stack and his son “Fozzy”, who was a kid at the time of Koster’s employment.
(“Fozzy” took over his father’s license in 2016 and is successful in jumps and the flat, including winning the Gr 1 Belmont Oaks with Aspen Grove.)
Gibraltar Blue won her debut over six furlongs at Fairyhouse before her two meritorious defeats in the Goffs Million Sprint and the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes for two-year-old fillies over seven furlongs at Newmarket.
She was due to join De Kock’s small string at Newmarket in the UK in the summer, but partly due to the expense of keeping horses in training in Britain and Ireland, she was brought to South Africa instead.
Rock Of Gibraltar’s progeny tend to prefer fast ground so the move to the Southern Hemisphere was probably the right call.
I’m A Fireball is Gibraltar Blue’s eighth foal – all of them have been bred by Klawervlei Stud.
She has had seven winners and three stakes-placed horses, Pillar Of Hercules (Captain Al), Battleoftrafalgar (Captain Al) and Cullinan Blue (Vercingetorix).
Hopefully, I’m A Fireball will become her first stakes winner.
A Look At Who One Stripe Faces In The Pegasus Turf
One Stripe could well be the dark horse of the Pegasus World Cup Turf Turf Invitational Gr 1 over 1800m, because not many pundits will take much notice of an Optional Allowance Claiming race, which was the only time One Stripe performed close to his best in North America (Picture: Gulfstream Park Racecourse)
Gavin Lerena has a fine overseas opportunity riding One Stripe in the US$1 Million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Gr 1 at Gulfstream Park on January 24 over a distance of a mile and a furlong (1800m).
The Horseracingnation.com website shows the probable final field and provides comprehensive information on each runner.
Click on the link at the bottom of this article and then one on the website click on each horse that mentioned to see their profile and details of their racing career.
Horseracingnation.com only rates One Stripe 11th out of the 12 probable runners in the race.
However, their measurements seem to be based on performances in black type races in North America, because One Stripe’s South African record is not included in his stats and his latest race in an Optional Allowance Claimer, where he was 0.4 seconds outside the Gulfstream course record, is also not included.
Vercingetorix Dominant In Virtually Every Stat
Vercingetorix in his paddock at Maine Chance Farms (Picture: Jeremy Nelson)
The stallion phenomenon Vercingetorix has a chance of breaking his own record for stakes winners in a season, but what has become increasingly noticeable this season is his conveyor belt of winners at virtually every meeting and a look at the stats confirms this as he leads the winners to runner percentage stat for horses who make it on to the first page of the Sires Championship (i.e those who are in the top 20 for their progeny’s stakes earnings).
His winners to runner percentage this season is 40.9%.
He has had 215 runners for 88 winners of 118 races.
Fire Away is second of those on the first page with 40.3% winners to runners.
He has had 62 runners and 25 winners of 34 races.
Canford Cliffs is on a winners to runners percentage of 38.9% with 95 runners and 37 winners of 52 races.
The United States has 38.6% winners to runners with 83 runners and 32 winners of 39 races.
What A Winter has 37.1% winners to runners this season to date with 124 runners and 46 winners of 56 races.
There are sires with higher winners to runners percentages but they fall further down the log due to their relative lack of runners.
Buffalo Bill Cody, who has only had 30 runners, has a winers to runners percentage of 43.3%.
Flower Alley with 47 runners is on 42.6%.
The late Var with 21 runners is on 42.9%.
However, the longer the period of measure the more accurate the statistic of winners to runners will be and a look at a whole season i.e. the whole 2024/2025 season saw Vercingetorix with a winner sto runners percentage of 57.9% with 247 runners and 143 winners of 245 races.
On the first pace the late Lancaster Bomber was second i that stat last season on 49.6% with 115 runners and 57 winners of 92 races.
Rafeef was also high with 48.2% with 166 runners with 80 winners of 122 races.
An out of fashion stallion who is high up on some of the stats is Ideal World.
Last season Ideal World had 55.9% winners to runners with 59 runners and 33 winners of 49 races.
This season Ideal World is on the first page of the Sires list and although to date he only has 33.33% winners to runners with 42 runers and 14 winners of 18 races, he has the highest figure for average earnings per runner at R120,359.
Legislate is second in the avarege earnings stat this season on R115,714 while Vercingetorix is third on R74,901.
Over the whole season in 2024/2025, Lancaster Bomber had the highest average earnings per runner of R157,169, while Vercingetorix was second on R156,124.
Eight On Eighteen obviously helped Lancaster Bomber lead that statistic last season.
In third place in average earning last season was Master Of My Fate on 108,851 and also above R100,000 on the first page were Gimmethegreenlight (R102,899), the late New Predator (R100,686) and Rafeef (R100,634).
However, the stat that is most important for popularity is the stakes winners stat.
Last season Vercingetorix smashed a record by having 23 black type winners of 33 black type races.
Gimmethegreenlight was second on 14 black type winners of 20 black type races.
Also prominent were Master Of My Fate (10 of 14), Lancaster Bomber (8 of 10) and Rafeef (6 of 9).
This season Vercingetorix leads this stat again with ease with 10 black type winners of 12 races and next best are Master Of My Fate (5 of 5), The United States (4 of 5), Gimmethegreenlight (4 of 4) and Legislate (4 of 4).
Karel Miedema’s raceform records horses Ability Ratings per race (AR) and Vercingetorix dominates that statistic too:
The sires with the most runners in the top 100 AR’s of the season are:
Vercingetorix 19 runners (Top AR: 113)
Rafeef 9 runners (Top AR: 108)
Querari 7 runners (Top AR: 114)
Gimmethegreenlight 6 runners (Top AR: 112)
Master Of My Fate 5 runners (Top AR: 109)
Vercingetorix has also of course smashed records at the Sales as is well documented.
He has probably already made it into the list of South Africa’s best ever sires.
Will he become the best ever i.e. he will likely in that case need to overtake Jet Master?
First Foals For Auguste Rodin And City Of Troy
Group 1-winning two-year-olds and Epsom Derby heroes Auguste Rodin and City of Troy have both sired their first foals.
At Haras de Pierrepont on Monday, the Millenium Stud-owned Only In Dreams (Le Havre) produced her first foal, a bay filly by Auguste Rodin, described as “a quality filly.”
Later on Monday at Coolmore, Listed-winning two-year-old Ritournelle (Camelot) produced her first foal, a bay colt by City of Troy (pictured above). “He’s a very good first foal,” said Coolmore’s Eddie Fitzpatrick. “A quality colt with scope and strength; a great start for both the mare and the stallion.”
Holding Thumbs Put Up The Best Performance On LKP Day
The Glen Kotzen-trained five-year-old Vercingetorix gelding Holding Thumbs is one of the most consistent horses in training and his courage has been shown in his last two starts in which he has carried 63,5kg and 62kg to victory in two respective races over 2500m, the Listed WSB Club Prive Cape Summer Stayers Handicap and the Gr 3 Cape Of Good Hope Chairman’s Cup.
In the Summer Stayers he started at odds of 16/1 and got up by a hairs-breadth in a battle for the line with a horse who was carrying 11kg less than him and in the Chairman’s on Saturday the big horse came from a handy position with a sustained run and held off the late burst of Magic Verse, who was also carrying 62kg and gave the incredible Vercingetorix a double in the race.
It is interesting to note Karel Miedema’s raceform awarded Holding Thumbs the best AR (Ability Rating) of the whole day on LKP day with his Chairman’s win earning him and AR of 113.
Magic Verse, who was beaten 0,75 lengths, was given a 112.
There were a number of other 112s on the day.
All of The Real Prince, Questioning and See It Again were given 112s for their 1-2-3 finish in the Gr 1 wfa L’Ormarins King’s Plate.
Kingdundee was given a 112 for his win in the Gr 1 wfa Cape Flying Chammpionship.
Holding Thumbs was bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauriytzfontein and is out of the Fort Wood mare Withbatedbreath, whose three wins were from 1600m to 1800m, but she was send in the Listed Oaks Trial over 2000m and fifth in the Gr 2 SA Oaks.
Holding Thumbs has had 26 starts for nine wins, four seconds, three thirds, two fourths and a fifth.
In staying races i.e.races at 2400m and more he had had ten starts for four wins, four seconds and a third and a fourth. He has never finished further than three lengths back in a staying race.
Holding Thumbs is owned by Messrs P Bamford, D D MacLean & Gary Player Stud Farm (Pty) Ltd, Mrs J Doyle & Mr L S & Mrs Rayna Govender.
He is now merit rated 119.
What an admirable galloper Holding Thumbs is!
Zackey, Webber, Magner Doubles
Bell Of Angelus (Rabada) wins the third race under Jeffery Syster and gives trainer Brett Webber a double (JC Photos)
Craig Zackey has become the favourite to win the national jockeys championship after scoring a double at the Vaal today (Thusrday) and going 22 wins clear of Richard Fourie.
There were also doubles for Brett Webber and Roy Magner.
Zackey’s 126 wins for the season have come at a strike rate of 17.21%, whilst Fourie’s 104 wins have been at 22.27% .
Hollywoodbets make Zackey 0.91 on the decimal odds and Fourie is at 1.11.
In the trainers championship Justin Snith is at 0.3 with Tony Peter, Sean Tarry and Mike and Mathew de Kock all at 8.33.
Brett Webber has now had 15 wins for the season at 10.64%.
Roy Magner has hd 14 wins at 12.28%.
Danish Dynamite Can Score Fifth Win
Danish Dynamite has been tipped to win the 5th race and thereby make it five wins in just seven career starts
Fairview Turf Friday formguides and selections
R1 Besides (1) FYFIELD LEGEND, the balance of the field are unraced. It’s advised to monitor the betting, listen to trainer comments as well as keep a close eye on runners during their parade when making your final decision. (1) FYFIELD LEGEND has the experience hence he will be the narrow first selection.
R2 (16) ROCKIE BLUE has been holding form and will go close with the experience under the belt. She had a wide draw to negotiate in her last start on poly, down the straight this time she will be a massive runner. (3) RIVER FERN is knocking on the door and will a big threat to the top selection. (13) FOCAL POINT returns after a break but has scope to feature as she has only had 3 runs. (5) BRIGHT ERUPTION can get much closer and can be included into the placings. (Devonne Govender 16-3-13-5).
R3 Strong race. (1) ROYAL KINGDOM is holding solid form and is on the up, he needs to be respected here in this competitive line up. (5) ALL SYSTEMS GO is packed with ability, he ran a cracker up in the Highveld finishing 3rd to the top class Trust. He will make his presence felt here. (2) BUFFALO BILL is another smart individual who continues to catch the eye, this will be a test for him but he could be up to the task. (3) ABOVE THE HORIZON can be included in larger perms, quartet chance. (Devonne Govender 1-5-2-3).
R4 (2) LADY LIMONCELLO represents Highveld form which stands up strong here in the province, many others with form in this contest have had many chances hence (2) LADY LIMONCELLO will be the firm first choice. (4) AMANATTO has been consistent and will be the main danger to the top selection. (1) LANA VIEW is always in the mix, she gets a claimer up and can feature here. (6) OCEAN FLAME is another who is holding consistent form and will be in the mix. (Devonne Govender 2-4-1-6).
R5 (2) DANISH DYNAMITE is holding excellent form and will be a tough nut to crack in this strong line up. (5) SONG OF MYSELF is another who is in excellent form and will challenge the top selection. (6) HOT SAUCE is on the up and will be right there at the finish, she needs respect. (7) SPORTS FAN is capable of much better and can run into the money. (Devonne Govender 5-4-6-7).
R6 (1) DAS GUTE is holding excellent form and should be a strong contender with the apprentice claiming 2.5kgs. (10) SHORI KAI has plenty of scope to go well, not to mention a light mass hence he needs to be respected. (9) SILENT TRIGGER wasn’t far in the last start and should be right there once again. (11)CHRONICLESOFNANIA is very capable on her day and should be in the mix once again. (Devonne Govender 1-10-9-11).
R7 Open race. (2) ENCHANTING CHOICE is in great form hence she is the top selection, although she was narrowly beaten by (1) SPLICETHEMAINBRACE she holds consistent form and there shouldn’t be much to choose. (6) HOERIKWAGGO won impressively in her last start and looks progressive, she is capable running a big race here so needs to be respected especially with the fact that Richard Fourie is aboard. The classy (1) SPLICETHEMAINBRACE must go into all bets. Although she was well beaten in her last start she can certainly win this on best form but has a big weight to carry. (7) EAST COAST GIRL has been consistent and has a light mass to shoulder, with Craig Zackey aboard she will need to be respected. (Devonne Govender 2-6-1-7).
R8 (6) HOLLANDIA BAKKERIJ ran a cracker in the last start and should go one better here, big winning chance. (1) THUNDER MASTER has been consistent, he is capable of a big finish and will be eating up the ground late. (3) SUPREME JUDGE is never far back and can get closer, include in quartets. (10) MR BELVEDERE hasn’t been far in recent starts and can make the placings. (Devonne Govender 6-1-3-10).
R9 Open race. (5) SESAME ran a cracker in the last start and her overall form is good, she will be a leading contender here. (8) GLOBAL DRUMBEAT ran well at huge odds in his last start, he can certainly challenge again if repeating that. (1) GARDEN SUN is never far back and is another that cannot be ruled out. (2) KING OF VICTORY ran well with Andrew Fortune aboard in his last start, he should be in the firing once again as Fortune retains the ride. (Devonne Govender 5-8-1-2-13-14).
Today's Question
What has been the highest purse and the lowest purse in the history of the Pegasus World Cup?
Picture: Gun Runner wins the 2018 Pegasus World Cup
FIELDS, Friday, 16 January
Today’s Question Answer
The Pegasus World Cup had its inaugural running in 2017 and the purse was $US12 million.
In 2018 it rose to US$16 million.
In 2019 it dropped to US$9 million.
In 2020 it dropped to US$3 million and has been at that level ever since, although the entry fee changed from US$1 million in 2017 and 2018 to US500,000 in 2019 and then to free in 2020.
