Above: Johannes Manoko receives his SA Nursery trophy and incentive cheque from 4Racing’s Matthew Daniel (image: Alet Pretorius)
There was a moment, early in Saturday week’s Grade 2 TAB SA Nursery at Turffontein, when more than a few racegoers quietly settled on the same thought: with only four runners lining up, this might at least be a worthwhile trip for the small visiting stable of ‘Bo’ Ngcobo. His maiden outsider, Better Never Ends, is guaranteed fourth place and will earn a cheque to help with the journey back to Summerveld. Shame, man, that’s cool!
If you were among those who entertained that sympathetic notion, you’ll no doubt be smiling now. Because racing, as it so often does, had other ideas.
Better Never Ends (DeclarationOfPeace) was not there to make up the numbers. Always travelling well, he surged forward under Muzi Yeni to capture the 1160m contest in style. The victory yielded R296,875 in prize money, a further R100,000 BSA Juvenile winner incentive for owner Johannes Manoko’s Dladla Family Trust, and an additional R50,000 visitor’s incentive from 4Racing for Ngcobo, a result that transformed a hopeful outing into an unexpected, richly rewarding triumph.
Manoko, who suggested the fitting of blinkers to Better Never Ends and encouraged Ngcobo to take his chance on Champions Day, said: “This victory came as a relief, racing is an expensive sport. It was simply wonderful to be on course and experience the moment. We will treasure it forever.”
Better Never Ends, a graduate of Clifton Stud, was purchased at the 2025 Bloodstock SA August Two-Year-Old Sale, and Manoko recalled: “We really liked the colt and had set a limit of R200,000. But there were several others who had spotted him, and the bidding quickly went beyond the 200k mark. The adrenaline was flowing, though, and I asked Bo to stay in the hunt. He was hesitant – worried we might overspend – but we pushed on and secured him for R360,000.”
