Turf Talk Newsletter – 14 September, 2026

 Gimme A Nother gets up under John Velazquez (From TBA (Images kind courtesy of Cindy Dulay))

History was made by the superstar South African-homebred mare Gimme Another on Saturday at Woodbine in Canada.

By winning the Gr 1 $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in Canada against international competition the six-year-old Mauritzfontein Stud-homebred Gimmethegreenlight mare probably scored the highest profile win by a South African-bred in North America since the celebrated 1964-born Hawaii (Utrillo) won the Gr 1 Man o’War Stakes at Belmont Park in 1969.

Gimme A Nother beat a top class field in the E.P. Taylor with the second and third horses, See The Fire (Sea The Stars) and Jancis (Tamayuz), both being Gr 2 winners in Britain and the former being a dual Gr 2 winner.

Furthermore, the E.P. Taylor, which is run over 2000m, forms part of the Breeders Cup Challenge series, meaning the winner gets automatic entry into the Breeders Cup.

John Velazquez rode the Graham Motion-trained mare and from pole position he stuck to his station throughout.

She was in a handy position and ran on strongly in the straight, threading her way between the front two horses and using her huge stride to scythe down the outside pair of horses, See The Fire and Jancis, who were being called home by the commentator.

She won cosily by a neck.

The Rathmor Stud-bred Gypsy’s Warning (Mogok) won the Gr 1 Matriarch Stakes at Hollywood Park in 2010, but that is now a Gr 2 race.

The Man o’War Stakes has also been downgraded to a Gr 2, but shortly after Hawaii’s success it was won by such legends as Secretariat and Dahlia.

So Gimme A Nother’s win is likely the best winning performance by a SA-bred in North America since Hawaii’s 1969 victory.

Gimme A Nother is officially owned by Steven and Jessica Jell’s Newstead Stables. The Jells are the owners of Muaritzfontein Stud, who bred Gimme A Nother. Interestingly, they had taken up a prior engagement to watch the rugby test match in Baltimore between the Springboks and the All Blacks and they watched the race on their cellphones in the stadium.

Gimme A Nother is part of a fairytale story as she is the grand-daughter of the top class Mother Russia, who sadly only had one foal, Gimme A Nother’s mother Nother Russia.

The 6-year-old daughter of Gimmethegreenlight  returned R4.40 on the South African Tote and completed the distance in 2:02.71 over a firm turf course.

Dating back to last September, Gimme a Nother has now won four consecutive stakes on American soil. Her other wins are the 2025 John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T) at Del Mar, this year’s Eatontown Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth Park, and Colonial Downs’ Beverly D. Stakes (G2T).

“She came to me undefeated,” trainer Graham Motion said. “That was a lot of pressure, but she’s been remarkable. Hoped to get her to the Breeders’ Cup last year and didn’t quite work out. Ever since we gave her a little break over the winter, she’s been unbeatable.

“(Velazquez) just had a beautiful trip and you have so much confidence when Johnny is riding. He said even today that she was a better horse than she was last time—she kind of took him there. Very impressive.”

There was a terrible incident in the fifth race at Turffontein Inside on Saturday in which the talented Gr 1 Gold Medallion third-placed Kudikaran came down near the line due to a gap suddenly closing on him and he unfortunately had to be euthanased.

Jockey Kaidan Brewer fell on his face and had to be airlifted to hospital, where he was placed in Trauma High Care, and the initial report on his condition on Saturday was followed by more encouraging reports on Sunday and today (Monday):

Saturday: We want to provide an update on Kaidan following his fall. He is currently at Milpark hospital were Kaidan has just been placed in Trauma High Care, where medical staff are closely monitoring  some bleeding on the brain. He also sustained severe facial bruising and a slight cheekbone fracture. He is receiving the best possible medical attention, and the care team is keeping a close watch on his condition. We appreciate the overwhelming outreach, love, and support from everyone during this time. Please keep Kaidan in your thoughts and prayers as he navigates this critical first day of recovery. We will share further updates as we receive them from his medical team. Thank you all the well wishes and prayers.

Sunday: Following a medical evaluation this morning at 9:00 AM SAST with the attending medical team at Netcare Milpark Hospital’s High Care Unit, I will like to update on the condition of jockey Kaidan Brewer. Kaidan’s condition remained stable overnight, with tests confirming no further deterioration or increased bleeding on the brain. While he remains asleep (concussion and sedated)he is continuing to recover from facial bruising as he fell head first taking all the impact there. He has demonstrated encouraging early signs of neurological response, successfully opening his eyes briefly when I asked him to and moving both his left and right legs upon direct command from medical personnel. The attending specialists remain cautious and are taking his recovery process one day at a time. Kaidan’s family express their sincere gratitude to the racing community, fans, and supporters for the overwhelming outpouring of thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes during this time.

Monday:
* Progress: He is responding positively to treatment. While it’s still early days, his recovery is looking very promising and progressive.
* Communication: He briefly opened his eyes, spoke to me, and asked me to stay with him.
* Mobility: He is now moving his limbs and turning in bed on his own.
* Nourishment: He is currently resting and successfully taking in liquids (water, juice, and protein).
* Physical Condition: The facial swelling and bruising have reduced significantly.

Thank you so much to everyone for all the prayers and well wishes.

The messages were sent by Kaidan’s father, who is also his agent.

The stipendiary steward report on the incident stated:

c) Shortly before the finish line, KUDIKARAN fell, dislodging Jockey K A Brewer. Jockey K A Brewer was attended to by the course paramedics and the course medical doctor, and subsequently airlifted to hospital.

The Board adjourned to give further consideration to this incident.

Such an adjournment takes place when the incident is not immediately clear or is serious enough to warrant detailed analysis so that nothing is overlooked.

Hierarchy wins comfortably under Callan Murray (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)

The Duncan Howells-trained Erupt filly Hierarchy was the most impressive winner at the Hollywoodbets Scottsville meeting on Sunday and both she and the runner up, the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Premiers Champion Stakes winner Erik Dubois (Erik The Red), have feature race campaigns ahead of them.

The four-year-old Hierarchy was officially 5kg better off with the second best weighted runner and 8kg better off with the third best, so started at generous odds of 4/1 in the Progress Plate over 1200m.

The odds were particularly generous when considering she had finished just 2,65 lengths back in fourth in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint over the same course and distance, a race which was won by her Champion stablemate Asiye Phambili.

Hierarchy was running in a compression mask for the first time.

Duncan said, “She has tended to want to over-race. We had a problem with that in Cape Town and we’ve now got her learning to relax a little bit more in races. That is why I actually put the compression mask on, because I felt there was not a lot of pace in the race.”

He explained, “The headgear works on pressure points on the head and just gets them to relax a little bit.”

He continued, “What I found with her is she jumps out and them just wants to race. She is too small to race like that.”

He added, “In the SA Fillies Sprint she raced with a bit of cover and finished well. That run in the SA Fillies Sprint was her second run after quite a long break and she possibly needed it a bit. She is also not an easy horse to train, you have to go very slowly with her, but if you pick her races, she will do well.”

Duncan had discussed tactics with Callan Murray and they had agreed to not go inward, but to rather hold position from the wide draw of six out of seven. Murray took it to an extreme, by keeping her way wide of the pack and he said afterwards he had done this to prevent her from over-racing when next to other horses.

She relaxed superbly whilst going at a high cruising speed and then displayed a superb turn of foot when asked the question that quickly put the race to bed.

She went on to win by 1,70 lengths from a running on Erik Dubois with Banff (The United States), having his second run for Frank Robinson, proving he is a horse to follow by finishing a 2,20 length third.

Duncan said he had initially mistaken Hierarchy for being a precocious horse who would not train on, whereas what she had shown early was actually due to ability, so that had worked against her last season.

He said, “Unfortunately when training Group level fillies it is very difficult to place them, because there is only one weight for age Gr 1 race.”

He continued, “She has run fourth in a Gr 1 already but I feel on Sunday’s run it looked like she had improved on what she had shown before.”

He added, “I’ve always thought she was a very good filly. She does not have the substance of a horse like Asiye Phambili and she’s taken a lot longer to mature.”

He said there might be a race or two for her in Johannesburg and they “will play it by ear.”

Duncan’s partner Cathy Rymill does the selecting for him at the Sales and she spotted this Avontuur-bred filly at the National Yearling Sale and Duncan had purchased her on behalf of Heinrich and Hester Kuhn for R400,000.

She is out of a mare by Windrush, who is known as a speed influence.

The mare, A Daughters Legacy, was a three-time Gr 3 winner from 1600m to 1800m and Hierarchy is a half-sister to Gr 2 Debutante winner A Womens Way (Var).

Erupt by Dubai has a stamina pedigree, but a lot of his progeny in SA are sprinters.

Duncan said he had trained a number of Erupts and said, “I have never had one who is useless. They are hard-knocking, sound horses.”

Meanwhile, Louis Goosen was very pleased with Erik Dubois’ comeback run.

He said, “He lengthened his stride beautifully in the final stages.”

He said, “We’re going to nominate him for the Spring Challenge and should we not run there we will go for the Graham Beck. Then it will be the Dingaans and then the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas.”

Louis said that due to the Dingaans and Guineas being close together he would likely keep him in Jo’Burg for his campaign and then travel down from altitude in Johannesburg rather than going backwards and forwards between Durban.

However, he added that the draws he landed would also dictate the plan.

Wild And Free wins comfortably on debut

Cape Breeders

Moutonshoek’s increasingly successful sire The United States came up with an eye catching debut winner at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.

His three-year-old son Wild And Free made the perfect start to his career when he won the fourth race on Sunday.

Trained by Sean Tarry (who has enjoyed so muuch success with the progeny of The United States), Wild And Free was given a fine ride by Callan Murray in Sunday’s Lucky Fish Plinko Maiden Plate (1400m).
Hitting the front 200m from home, the chestnut Wild And Free kicked on well to win on debut by nearly a length and a quarter.

Bred by Drakenstein Stud, Wild And Free races for L’Ormarins & Friends.

The gelded son of The United States is a full-brother to the speedy Sheela, winner of the 2021 G2 4Racing SA Nursery.

Wild And Free was one of just two runners at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday for The United States, whose son Banff ran third in the Gallop TV Progress Plate.

A G1 winning son of Galileo, and the sire of such stars as Tin Pan Alley and Kingdundee, The United States has nine lots on offer at the October Two Year Old Sale, including a half-brother (Lot 117) to G1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Premiers Champion Stakes winner Erik Dubois.

Dean Smith’s six-timer on Friday put him top of the Lucky Fish Trainers Championship (Pauline Herman Photography)

The Lucky Fish Championships’ are going to add interest to the racing season and this last weekend might well have proven how tight the competition is going to be at the top.

Dean Smith’s six-timer on the Fairview turf on Friday took him to 23 wins for the season and put him four clear of Justin Snaith in the Lucky Fish Trainers Championship, which carries R1 million in prizes for the first ten.

On Saturday Tony Peter had a treble at Turffontein Inside to join Snaith in second place.

Snaith then had a double at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday to close the gap on Smith to two.

Smith is five wins clear of arch rival Alan Greeff in the East Cape Trainers championship.

On Friday Craig Zackey rode a five-timer to go into joint-second place with Kabelo Matsunyane in the Lucky Fish Jockeys Championship, which also carries R1 million prize money for the first ten, and he was at that stage nine wins behind leader Keagan de Melo.

De Melo had a win on Friday night to go ten clear again and he had a double on Sunday.

However, Matsunyane rode all three of Peter’s winner on Saturday, meaning he remains nine wins behind De Melo and he is three in front of third-placed Zackey.

Callan Murray had a treble on Sunday and had also had a single win at Fairview on Friday, but he is only on 14 wins in total, 17 off the pace of 31 wins by De Melo.

The Apprentice Championships, which carried R200,000 in prize money for the first five, is being led jointly by Anaas Mosaheb and Dezahn Louw, who are both on ten wins with Blaine Marx-Jacobson and Damyan Pillay next best on six wins apiece and Divesh Ramkhalawon in fifth place on four wins.

All of the Championships look likely to be keenly fought.

Picture: The Guardian

At The Races

Saffie Osborne was still on cloud nine the day after her historic success in the 250th Betfred St Leger at Doncaster.

In partnering Joseph O’Brien’s Highwayman to victory on Town Moor, Osborne became the first woman to ride the winner of a British Classic.

The 24-year-old was back at Doncaster on Sunday for four booked rides on the fourth and final day of the St Leger Festival.

She admitted the magnitude of her achievement had not yet sunk in.

Osborne told the Press Association: “I let myself dream a bit through the week about how incredible that would be if that happened (winning), but I had to bring myself back to reality and think that’s never going to happen.

“Yesterday was easily by far the best day of my life. A feeling that I will never forget and I’m still on a bit of a high. I had so many people to thank and in front of such a big crowd as well. It was the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. I couldn’t believe it when I crossed the line.

“Yesterday was one of the first days I’ve let myself feel every emotion on a horse. I’ve tried not to get too high or too low as it’s gets to be a very uncomfortable rollercoaster.

“It was the opposite of lying in a hospital bed or getting beaten on a horse in a big race. Yesterday was so special because I’ve been in places where I put so much pity on myself and thinking ‘when is this going to happen’?”

Osborne does not anticipate facing any problems climbing down off cloud nine and going back to the day job, adding: “We get fairly used to that (dropping back to everyday races) and I feel very lucky to get to do this job everyday and I don’t take it for granted.

“I try not to think about these things and I don’t know when the next opportunities are going to arrive. First and foremost I know this job isn’t forever and I try to enjoy it as much as possible.

“Everyone dreams of being champion jockey. but I want to just keep loving it as much as I do.”

Osborne’s victory on Town Moor has thrust her into the betting for the BBC’s Sports Personality Of The Year, with William Hill quoting her at 10-1 to win.

She said: “Someone sent it to me last night and said ‘you’re sandwiched in between Jude Bellingham and Lewis Hamilton in the betting’ – that’s not a bad place to be!”

The rider was quickly back into the thick of things on Sunday morning and speaking on Racing TV’s Luck on Sunday programme, Osborne earlier said: “Luckily I rode out for Richard Spencer and got back into normality, but it was slightly mental walking into the petrol station and seeing my face on the front page of the newspaper and a couple of people were looking at me and looking back at the paper! I was like ‘oh God, this all feels a little bit much right now’!”

One person who “randomly” came to Osborne’s mind was National Hunt trainer Richard Phillips, who five years ago had a premonition.

She added: “I remember when I started riding and in 2021, Richard said to me ‘Hollie Doyle might be the first girl to be champion jockey, but you’ll be the first girl to win a Classic’. I came back in on Saturday and the first message I saw on my phone was from Richard, just saying ‘I told you’!

“I think I’ve had quite a few near misses at the top level and you sometimes get it in the back of your head that people will think ‘she’s not up to that’ or ‘she can’t get the ball in the back of the net when it really matters’.

“To go and win a Classic for a trainer like Joseph O’Brien means everything to me, because I think everyone goes through spells where confidence isn’t as high as it could be. It’s going to be a day that sticks in my brain forever.”

The Jessica Harrington-trained Too Darn Hot colt Hotazhell (noseband) causes a 50/1 shock in the Gr 1 Irish Champion Stakes (Picture: Sporting Life)

Trainer was frustrated after his runner, A Boy Named Susie, was impeded by winner Hotazhell.

At The Races

Donnacha O’Brien has branded Shane Foley’s ride on Irish Champion Stakes winner Hotazhell as “brutal”, after his own stable star A Boy Named Susie suffered interference on his way to finishing fifth in Saturday’s Leopardstown feature.

Oisin Murphy delivered A Boy Named Susie with what looked a major challenge approaching the final furlong, but he was one of three horses impeded, along with Lambourn and Hawk Mountain, as the Jessica Harrington-trained Hotazhell drifted left under pressure.

The latter claimed the Group One showpiece by a nose from the fast-finishing Wimbledon Hawkeye, after which Foley was given an 11-day suspension for careless riding by the stewards for the “prolonged and continuous nature of the offence”.

A Boy Named Susie was beaten just under three lengths and his trainer was left wondering what might have been.

“I thought it was brutal riding from ‘Dusty’ (Foley) to be honest. If a claimer did that you’d give them a proper telling off. That’s racing and I’m sure he’d know that himself,” said O’Brien.

“Paddy (Harnett) hit a horse one extra in Cork the other day and got a similar ban to what Shane got, so it’s frustrating.

“Oisin thought he was coming to win – he thought he was going better than the winner at the time. I think he had the quickest second-last to last furlong and then he obviously just got wiped.

“He’s a good horse and he seems OK afterwards, so it could be worse. It’s so hard to get horses that good and to get them right on the day. To get to a race like that with a chance is so hard – it is frustrating.”

O’Brien is hoping for compensation before the season is out, with a possible trip to Keeneland in November under consideration.

He added: “We’ll make sure he’s OK and the Breeders’ Cup is an option. I think the Hong Kong Cup would be a nice option for him in December. That’s definitely something we’re thinking about.

“I think we’ll keep him (in training) next year as well, so we have a lot of options.

“He seems A1, so we’ll live to fight another day.”