Mauritzfontein's Protege Elrico Sesingi Rides His First Winner
Shalton Elrico Sesingi is all smiles after scoring his career first win at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday in his 17th race ride (Candiese Lenferna)
Shalton Elrico Sesingi rode his first winner at Holllywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday on the Louis Goosen-trained eight-year-old Twice Over gelding Smorgasbord, getting up by 0,25 lengths in a Middle Stakes event over 1000m.
There was probably nobody more pleased about the win than Stephen and Jessica Jell of Mauritzfontein Stud.
Elrico grew up in Kimberley and spent as much time as he could around the horses of Mauritzfontein Stud.
To this day the stud farm is not only his sponsor, but Jessicca still regularly messages him and sends him photographs of all the stud’s progeny.
Sesingi, who prefers to be called Elrico rather than Shalton, spoke yesterday at Summerveld about the win as well as his fairytale path to being accepted into the South African Jockey Academy.
Smorgasbord was on top of his merit rating band off his 74 rating and was set to carry 51kg.
Officially he was 3,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted runner Vihaan’s Web, but Elrico’s 4kg claim alleviated that and in reality he was receiving no less than 17kg from the latter.
Nevertheless, Vihaan’s Web started 2/1 favourite and Smorgasbord was out at 16/1.
Elrico said about the win, “I was quite confident going into the race. My training partner Qiniso Ngcobo had ridden Smorgasbord in his previous start and he told he had a chance. I rode him in work on Tuesday and he gave me a good feel. I had some good speed around me with Cavalry Commader on my outside and Vihaan’s Web and Donquerari on my inside. Mr Goosen’s intructions were very simple. He said to me ‘Boytjie, this horse is very well, he’s in a good space, just get him out and try’n get cover and then from the 300m ride your own race.’ The plan worked out well all the way to the line. I was grateful for that.””
Ironically Smorgasbord’s late charge saw him pipping Qiniso’s mount Donquerari, a stablemate of the winner.
Most jockey’s say their first win is their most memorable and Elrico said he was “over the moon” when seeing the screen on the trot back to the parade ring as it confirmed that he had got up.
However, he said even after the first-winner tradition of the senior apprentices throwing him into the Academy swimming pool the victory had not really sunk in.
He reckoned it would take about a week to sink in and he added he was looking forward to his next winner.
Elrico was introduced to thoroughbreds by his father Bradley and fell in love with them from a young age.
His father had been a stallion manager at Mauritzfontein Stud.
After his father had moved to a different farm Elrico still had family living at Mauritzfontein.
He schooled at Greenpoint High in Kimberley and could not wait for the weekends and holidays, so he could go and spend time with the horses at Mauritzfontein.
He loved the foaling season and recalls visiting the mares the night before they foaled and stroking them.
He took a great interest in all of the farm’s stallions and mares and their progeny and spent as many days as he could being close to them.
Jessica also provided him with horses to ride and he reached a high level in all of the equestrian disciplines of showjumping, dressage and eventing.
His showjumping, which he did for nine years, took him to many different venues.
One day his father told him there was something on the TV that might interest him and he witnessed the Durban July for the first time. He was thrilled by the spectacle of racehorses charging for the line with the crowd roaring them home and could sense the adrenalin.
Mauritzfontein stud manager Mike Sharkey believed Elrico would make a good jockey and applied to the South African Jockey Academy on his behalf.
They were full at first, but Elrico said he would never forget the day his father had phoned him and told him he had been accepted.
“A shock went through my body. I wasn’t expecting it and from that day I just started loving riding. I used to watch videos and practice how the jockeys ride with short stirrups.”
He was shy when he first got to the Academy as a seventeen-year-old in January 2025 as he had to meet many people from all walks of racing.
However, he started feeling at home when always getting good feedback from the senior jockeys like Serino Moodley, Athandiwe Mgudlwa and Nicholas Patel when asking them questions about jockeyship.
He calls Serino his “main man” as he has taught him and immense amount about riding horses and riding in races.
He revealed, “I look up to Serino. What he does, I ask him and he teaches me how to do it. The way he rides and he just makes a horse calm down and settle … it’s amazing.”
He continued, “And Andrew Fortune. The way he rides a horse … wow! He came to the Academy one afternoon and talked to the apprentices. He rode the Academy horses and taught us how to balance a horse and how to settle a horse and so on. I learnt a lot from him that day.”
Elrico was restricted to riding Academy horses for six months.
He got his own horse to take care of as stable management is part of the learning curve.
Then came his unforgettable first day at track.
He recalled, “I came for second string. Mr Pandaram was still here and asked me to get on this black horse and take him to the beach track, first opening. At that stage I was still dof and didn’t know where the first opening was, but I found it and I then managed to hold the horse for only two strides. After that instead of me taking him for a ride he took me for a ride. He bolted and I only managed to stop him at the zero mark.”
Elrico’s reply to the question of whether he was scared will amuse most readers.
He said, “No, I was just stressing about what Mr Pandaram would say when I got back!”
He continued, “But luckily he was in a happy mood that day and after I had trotted back he just started laughing! He said we are all learning.”
He continued, “Riding racehorses is fun, it is amazing. I wouldn’t say it is better than showjumping, but the quality of horse is way better.”
Elrico concentrates on minimising the pressure on the mouth of the horse, especially for the juveniles who are learning and need to have a good experience everytime they are ridden
He tries to ride on a long rein as often as possible and listens and absorbs everything the like of legends like Michael Roberts and Garth Puller teach him about riding.
He said, “When I came to track for the first time, I used to ride for Mr Roberts he was a big supporter and helped me every morning, giving me advice and showing me what to do and telling me about his own riding techniques and about how he used to make a horse run for him.”
He did actually have a fall off one of Michael Roberts’ horses in training, fracturing an eye socket bone, and was off for three months, but Roberts welcomed him back when he returned.
He added, “I can’t say enough about Mr Puller. He helped me a lot and he is always there to help the apprentices whenever they want advice on both riding and aspects such as managing their weight. He also advises on race-riding aspects such as what to do in tight finishes etc.”
Elrico is immensely grateful to his sponsor Mauritzfontein Stud, to the riding masters and all of the trainers and owners who have supported him.
Trainer Nathan Kotzen and owner Sid Moodley gave him his first ride on My Boy Lollipop and he said Nathan had taught him a huge amount about riding.
He said, “Mr Kotzen helped me a lot since the day I came to track and taught me how to settle a horse and taught me a lot about riding. For my first ride he did not put me under pressure or make me nervous. He gave me a confident feeling, which helped me, and he gave me simple instructions. He said, ‘Just get him out of the pens and don’t hit him, just ride him with your hands and balance him up and so on.”
It was one of his necessary five qualifying rides down the straight.
He described his first ride around the turn, on the Paul Lafferty-trained Cool Wind, as “scarey” as it was over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville. He did not know the round course and it was new territory altogether. Luckily there was a good pace on and having wanted to lead he found himself in second place on the rail and stayed on to finish third.
His favourite horse to date is the Adam Azzie-trained Champagne Mac, who provided him with his first place, a third place finish over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville and nearly provided him with his first win when an unlucky 0,25 length second. On the latter occasion he had had to skillfully shift inward and then outward when weaving his way through from last place. Champagne Mack will give him another chance of a win in his next start in 12 days time.
Elrico has completed his five qualifying rides down the straight and now needs six qualifying rides around the turn in total.
The well mannered youngster is going about things the right way and is learning quickly.
Phenomenal Vercingetorix Deserves More Plaudits
Vercingetorix had another phenomenal Sale at the BSA August 2YO Sale and that included having the Top Lot, the Varsfontein Stud-bred grey colt out of Ciao Bella called Ragazzino (Picture: BSA)
Molly’s Monthly Column
Dave Mollett
Everyone appears to be singing from the same hymn sheet – notably Turf Talk’s editor – when it comes to assessing the performance of the panel judging the Equus awards.
Mr T headlined one story with “Panelists Have Set A Precedent for Consistency.”
The panel won’t have had to burn the midnight oil in naming See It Again as “Horse-of-the-Year.” His form was there for everybody to see.
However, this got me thinking – what would have been the outcome if there was a combined racing and breeding award? Then the panel would have a serious discussion as it would bring into the equation my personal “Horse” of the year. His name Vercingetorix.
If one googles Vercingetorix, it states that – in the Gaulish language – it means “Supreme King of Warriors” and “Great Leader of Heroes.”
A hero is exactly what those breeders who put their faith in the son of Silvano feel about him. They have been rewarded beyond their wildest dreams.
Vercingetorix has also delighted racegoers and punters with Gladatorian, Holding Thumbs, Palace Of Avernia and Quickstepgal some of his progeny to excel. National Sire Statistics show he had 60 more winners than Gimmethegreenlight last season.
If I had to pick out a runner from that quartet which really got into the hearts of punters, it would be Quickstepgal. Tienie Prinsloo’s filly rewarded her backers on a number of occasions and the KZN panel also got it right when naming her their “Horse-of-the-Year.”
Perhaps the first inkling that Vercingetoriix was going to dominate sales in 2026 came at the National Yearling Sale in mid-April. I remember shaking my head in disbelief that the stallion returned the average of R1 593 103 – some R400 000 more than Gimmethegreenlight.
BSA’s, Michael Holmes, was able to announce record turnover for the sale and it was Vercingetorix who took the two-day sale to its dizzy heights.
The most remarkable Sale this year has been the Klawervlei Stud Dispersal Sale on August 10 where eight Vercingetorix shares were sold between R2,5m and R2,7m for a total of R20 900 000.
I wrote in my previous column that there was likely to be a “stampede to Bonnievale” and so it proved with the aggregate reaching an astonishing R83,8m. Amazing how one family were so dominant with 13 lots by Silvano realising R24,8m and Vercingetorix 18 lots for R12,3m.
Here are the leading buyers at the Klawervlei sale.
Numzaan R20,5m
Finch River Stud R15,2m
Lammerskraal R5,3m
Vendel Civils (Pty) R4,6m
Hemel & Arde R3m
Jonathan Snaith R2,1m
Titanium Racing R1,8m
Central Route Trading R1,3m
Fast forward to the August Two-Year-Old sale and more remarkable figures for BSA to celebrate. Turnover was up 32% from R80,5 to R106m. Quite remarkable.
Not surprisingly, Vercingetorix was responsible for the top lot with Form Bloodstock bidding R6m for a colt consigned by Varsfontein Stud.
“Pedigrees don’t get much better than this. He is a terrific specimen. He ticked all the boxes,” commented Johan Malherbe.
All these achievements by Vercingetorix make the quote by Maiine Chance boss, Andreas Jacobs, look prophetic. In an interview he said “Vercingetorix could end up being more famous than his father (Silvano).”
Yes, Vercingetorix did win the Champion Sire category at Equus, but the suspicion remains that he deserves more plaudits.
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If UK champion jockey, Oisin Murphy, thought that winning the 2026 championship would be a walk in the park, the Irishman has had to have a rethink.
There is a 20 year-old on his tail with his sights set firmly on the title.
His name is Billy Loughnane and he is enjoying an outstanding UK season with big race wins in the 2000 Guineas (Bow Echo), St James Palace Stakes (Bow Echo), July Cup (Commanche Brave) and Sussex Stakes (Bow Echo).
“To be competing in these races is what you want and to find a horse like that (Bow Echo) at 20 is a dream come true,” said Billy.
Evidence of his desire for the jockeys title came when he skipped two days of the recent York meeting to ride fancied runners at Brighton.
Born in Ireland in 2006, the Loughnane family moved to the UK in 2011 and Billy soon got involved in the showjumping scene.
His father – previously a trainer in Ireland – suggested he could make the grade as a jockey and that has proved 100% correct.
While Billy is freelance, he rides many horses for Bow Echo’s trainer, George Boughey. Sadly, Bow Echo suffered an injury and has been retired.
Bjorn Ironside Wins Spring Spree As Lerena Provides A Master Class
Gavin Lerena produced the ride of the season to date to win the Listed Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m at Turffontein Inside on Saturday on the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Bjorn Ironside and it was the third leg of a four-timer for him.
The horses sitting in one wide positions around the turn had been battling to make up the ground throughout the day with the horses on the inside getting first run on them coming off the false rail. Lerena had also been aware, having ridden him before, that the five-year-old Gimmethegreenlight gelding tended to hang in, so he wanted to be on the inside fence down the straight. Therefore the first move he made was to drop Bjorn Ironside out. The plan worked out perfectly as a gap opened behind the vanguard and he was able to secure the rail in the small eight horse field one from the back and third in line on the rail.
In the straight it was noticeable that Lerena kept the stick away throughout and drove him entirely with the hands, even when he was under pressure to catch the leader Max The Magician. Janse van Vuuren pointed out later that Lerena understood this horse having ridden him when he was a young horse. Gavin had perhaps formed the opinion the horse resented the whip, or otherwise, looking at some replays of him as a young horse, he tended to hang towards the side he was being whipped on.
However, the main point is, as Janse van Vuuren pointed out, this horse always tried his heart out. Such horses do not need the stick and he proved it by finding extra under the hands.
He got up by a length from the 28/10 shot Max Magician with 25/2 shot Karate Kid next best three lengths behind the winner and behind that was the 2/1 favourite Umzingeli Wenyathi (5,70 lengths), the 15/2 shot Charming Cheetah (6 lengths), the 9/2 shot The Last Duke (7,10 lengths), the 25/1 shot Slinky Mapimpi (8,40 lengths) and the 16/1 shot Quantum Theory, who was going for a third win in the race, finished a 10,70 length last.
It was the third time in four years the Laurence Wernars family had won this race, as the Sean Tarry-trained Querari gelding Quantum Theory, who is now a seven-year-old, had won it in 2023 and won last year’s renewal, which was relocated to the Vaal Classic Track.
Janse Van Vuuren said the connections had always believed Bjorn Ironside would win bold black type sometime in his career and that it had come later than expected.
The horse was actually returning from a four month layoff, so it was a fine training feat.
Johan pointed out, “I thought he would run in the money today as he had been working really nicely.”
However, he added that he had fancied some of his past runner up finishers in this race stronger than he had fancied Bjorn Ironside on the day.
He went on to thank the Wernars family for their patience, pointing out the good looking bay had often had niggles.
The horse’s honesty is shown in that in 17 starts he has only missed a cheque three times and has had four wins, four seconds, four thirds and two fourths.
Bjorn Ironside was bred in partnership by Klawervlei Stud and the late David Abery.
He is out of the one time-winning Trippi mare Dance At Dawn, who is a full-sister to the Gr 1-winning Champion Broodmare Real Princess, and he was bought for R850,000 at the Race Coast Sales Premier Yearling Sale.
Dance At Dawn had a colt by Vercingetorix at last year’s National Yearling Sale that went for R2.4 million and a Gimmthegreenlight colt at this year’s Sale that went for R2 million.
She is owned personally by Klawervlei’s former owner John Koster and has another Vercingetorix on the ground and is in foal to Vercingetorix.
Lerena’s day did not start on a bright note as the 5/10 shot he rode in the first race over 1200m, Shining Sun, was scythed down late by the 5/2 second favourite Forever Canford, a St. John Gray-trained Canford Cliffs gelding ridden by Jason Gates. Gray is in magnificent form and his eight wins this season have been achieved at a 32% strike rate. Gates is also riding with great determination and having had 14 wins the whole of last season at a strike of 4.70% he has had seven wins this season at a strike rate of 25%.
In the next race Lerena was on the 5/4 favourite Rafeef’s Queen and was once again caught and passed late by the second favourite, this time by the Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Rafeef filly Thorn Bird, who was ridden by Jeff Syster.
However, Lerena won four of the last five races at the meeting.
His run started with the Tony Peter-trained What A Winter filly Winter In Auckland, who converted 5/2 odds in a MR 80 Handicap over 1200m by a comfortable 2,20 lengths after being taken to the front from a seven out of seven draw.
In the Non-Black Type Betway The Lady’s Stakes, the promising Candice and Tamy Dawson-trained Vercingetorix filly Anchorage had not been finishing off her races from the front or handy positions, so the blinkers were dispensed with and from draw two Lerena had her in last place in the eight horse field before mowing them down with a devastating finishing effort to get up by 0,90 lengths at 4/1 odds.
Lerena came from last in the final race too on the Stuart Pettigrew-trained Flower Alley gelding Orange County.
He had known the importance of having the rail in this meeting and had it in just about every race, whether that meant taking the horse to the front or dropping him out to last.
Orange County had to come between horses for his run, but this 7/2 shot went through them like a hot knife through butter to win by 1,70 lengths in the 2000m handicap.
The race completed a master class in race riding by Lerena and hopefully the up and coming youngsters noticed his planning and execution.
That's My Baby Scores At Her Happy Place
The officially best weighted runner That’s My Baby loves Hollywoodbets Greyville and was the easy winner of the ultra strong ANITA AKAL – CELEBRATING 55 YEARS A STAKES race there over 1400m on Friday night. The much vaunted colt Esteemed started odds-on favourite, but ran a disappointing fifth. He was reported to have made a respiratory noise (Julia Marnewick)
Andrew Harrison’s report on Sunday’s Hollywoodbets Scottsville meeting and Friday night’s Hollywoodbets Greyville meeting
Odds-on favourite Bello Gallico lived up to his billing in the first at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Friday evening. Deep in the red before the off, he was all over the place in the running, but when asked for an effort by Chad Little, Glen Kotzen’s charge rocketed away to win as he liked. He appears to be a little better than your average maiden and definitely one for the notebook.
It was back to the drawing boards for Mike and Mathew de Kock as the highly touted Esteemed turned in a tame performance to finish out of the money in the A Stakes that headed the card.
Always handy as expected front runner Go Grayson Go set a brisk early gallop, the odds-on favourite never got going. First time under lights, first time around the turn, who knows, but it was not a run that will inspire any future performances.
It was left to the De Kock’s other runner Greaterix to chase home Sean Tarry’s lightly weighted mare That’s My Baby to cap a three-timer for apprentice Anaas Mosaheb who had earlier scored on Galactic Beauty for Kom Naidoo and Hurricane Flight for Doug Campbell. He came close to a four-timer as Richard Fourie and The Swan Song got the better of Mosaheb and Grand Appeal in the seventh.
Louis Goosen is one of the genuine characters of racing in this country. He only got his first Gr1 win at the end of last season after decades of trying when Eric Dubois landed the Gr1 World Pool Moment of the Day Premiers Champions Stakes but he is just more than a racehorse trainer.
He is a deep thinker of the sport and always willing to impart his experience to those that are making their way. Behind the scenes he mentors the apprentices of the South African Jockey Academy and has been responsible for the first winners for Qiniso Ngcobo and now Shalton E Sesingi, the pair finishing first and second on the Goosen-trained pair of Smorgasbord and Donquerari in the Middle Stakes that headed the Hollywoodbets Scottsville card on Sunday.
The well regarded Exocet was the horse on most punter’s radar and he started favourite but his year-long lay-off recovering from a fractured canon bone told over the final furlong. He showed plenty of pace but came up empty when the pressure was on and the race should bring him on lengths. Not one to write off in a hurry.
Smorgasbord, eight years old, and Donquerari, seven years old, dominated the finish with Smorgasbord getting up late to deny his stable companion. But as Goosen pointed out post-race, ‘weight stops trains,’ in racing no matter how good you are. Both of his charges were getting lumps of weight from the more fancied and better performed opposition and it told in the finish with fourth-placed Vihaan’s Web, giving Smorgasbord 17 kg. Enough said!
It is the time of the year in KZN when trainers with a stable of lessor lights come to the fore. Smorgasbord was an eight-year-old and next up in the D Stakes, Tienie Prinsloo’s grey Global Movement got the better of the year-younger Kimball O’Hara in a driving finish. Both have been dropping steadily in the ratings to where they are more competitive and retirement to a riding stable cannot be far off for either if the programme offers up another opportunity.
Nicholas Patel made the most of his luck as he got French War Lord home in the first. Lightly raced, MJ Odendaal’s charge improved nicely to win but One Pepper had to navigate traffic which may have cost him the race. My China is a strapping son of largely ignored stallion Horizon but the gelding is one for the notebook.
Sabine Plattner is a dream owner as she never seems to pressure her trainers. Four, five, six and even seven-year-olds with very little milage on the clock are given their chances and although Theleia and Run Forest Run are not prime examples being four and five year-olds, both were only having their eighth starts.
Not all owners can afford to be this patient but both horses are paying their way.
Stepping a horse up from a sprint to a mile is not always easy for punters to work out and there were a number of them stepping up in the first leg of the Pick 6. Those punters that waited before placing their bets were rewarded as all the money for Reign Man proved to be on the mark. Calvin Habib, deputizing for an injured Rachel Venniker, rode a confident race and the result was never in doubt as Reign Man strode clear early and won well.
Rags To Riches rounded off the meeting as Cole Dicken got Gary Rich’s filly home in fine style. An interesting story that makes this sport what it is, is that Gary trained the mare Connect Me. In spite of her multiple wins, there were no takers and she sold for a paltry R5000 as a broodmare. She has since produced two winners and the ‘rags to riches’ tag is fitting.
Saratoga, The Masters Of Horseracing
Rob Haswell at the iconic Saratoga meet
Former Mayor Of Pietermaritzburg Rob Haswell is a big racing fan and he reports on the Travers Stakes at the Saratoga Summer meeting, which he regularly attends
The Travers Stakes, worth $1 25 million, is the richest race on the summer season of racing at the historic Saratoga race track in upstate New York in Saratoga Springs.
The race track with its historic wooden grandstand Club House, and vast public picnic area around the parade ring behind the grandstand, caters for all walks of life.
This year some 40,000 attended on Travers Day, so to describe racing as the lifeblood of the town’s economy is insufficient.
The city’s slogan is ” Health, History, Horses”, with the local population enormously proud of their racing, as evidenced by the horse statue feature which welcomes visitors.
Historically the wealthy from New York City were attracted by the hot water springs in the area, but that reason for the city’s existence has been eclipsed by the attraction of racing fans from across the USA and the amazing support of the local population.
The yield of this support is a racing season or “meet” of 46 days from late July to early September. Racing on 6 days in every week, provides an opportunity for locals to rent out their houses, with hotels, restaurants and a wide range of commercial activities having enough turnover during the racing season to ensure a profitable year. Racing is thus not simply important but vital to all members of the town’s community.
Given that the Travers is like, America’s Triple Crown, restricted to three year olds, and given that it follows the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont , the Travers is dubbed The Mid summer Derby.
However, only one Triple Crown winner has added the Travers Stakes, the 1941 Triple Crown winner Whirlaway – not even Secretariat could do it.
Nonetheless, Golden Tempo who won the Derby, was favorite to win this year’s Travers, but could only manage third.
Not for nothing Saratoga is also known as a graveyard for starters horses.
What makes racing unique and an eye opening experience is, in my view. the way the town’s people from all walks of life have embraced and support the city’s unique racing character.
Put another way, racing at Saratoga is to racing what the Masters is to golf.
Sean Cormack Returns To South Africa
Sean Cormack and Sunshine Rock are led in by Bernard Kantor after winning the 2012 Laisserfaire Stakes. (Pic – Supplied)
An interesting registration on this week’s 28 August 2026 NHA Calendar is Gr1-winning jockey Sean Cormack who returns to South Africa after eleven years in Australia.
Cormack had a fine season in Australia in the 2025/2026 season, with exactly 100 wins at a 17.39% strike rate.
His statistics under the columns 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, stakes earnings, strike rate and number of starts are shown below:
| Sean Cormack | 100 | 84 | 83 | 58 | 63 | $2,553,415.00 | 17.39% | 575 |
The 55 year old Cormack was associated with the Dennis Drier yard for many years and is linked to top horses of the ilk of Beach Beauty, Legally Blonde, Captain Of All and Master Of My Fate, amongst others.
It is believed that he will be returning to South Africa for family reasons and has been registered in the Cape.
The National Horseracing Authority calendar is shown below.
The calendar is a summary of the past week’s penalties and registrations and is an easy-read snapshot of information.
Please click on the image below:
Gimmethegreenlight Has Now Had 84 Stakes Winners
Cape Breeders
Varsfontein Stud’s multiple champion sire Gimmethegreenlight came up with his 84th stakes winner on Saturday.
His son Bjorn Ironside picked up his biggest win to date when he claimed the Listed Betway Spring Spree Stakes (1200m) at Turffontein on Saturday.
Five-year-old Bjorn Ironside, a close relative of the Gimmethegreenlight sired stars Gimme A Prince and The Real Prince, was given a fine by Gavin Lerena in Saturday’s R175 000 feature.
The Johan Janse Van Vuuren trained gelding ran on strongly down the inside of the track, to get up and win a shade cosily by a length.
Bred by Klawervlei Stud and the late David Abery, Bjorn Ironside is owned by the Wernars Family.
Saturday’s winner, who is out of the Trippi mare Dance At Dawn, has won three of 17 starts.
His champion sire Gimmethegreenlight enjoyed another fine season in 2025-2026 when his runners won seven black type races including the 2026 G1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate.
The son of More Than Ready had lots make up to R2 200 000 at the recent August Two Year Old Sale.
Today's Question
Which trainer and which jockey have won the Travers Stakes the most time?
The picture is of one of the subjects
Wednesday September 2 Fields
Hollywoodbets Durbanville
Today’s Question Answer
Picture: Javier Castellano after winning a record-extending seventh Travers Stakes aboard Arcangelo at Saratoga Race Course (Bloodhorse)
Most wins by a jockey:
- 7 – Javier Castellano (2006, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2023)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 5 – Bert Mulholland (1939, 1950, 1951, 1962, 1963)
