Turf Talk Newsletter – 17 September, 2026

The NHA Boardroom (Archived Picture)

The National Horseracing Authority of South Africa has confirmed that the Peters disciplinary inquiry will continue after news this week that the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, had earlier dismissed an application by Paul Peter and his sons, Anthony & Marc Peter, to have the evidence of a senior NHA special investigator struck from the records of their disciplinary inquiry.

The initiation of civil proceedings by the Peters effectively delayed the conclusion of disciplinary inquiry proceedings dating back to 2023.

Acting Judge JC Prinsloo delivered judgment on Monday finding that the applicants had not established the exceptional ‘grave injustice’ required for a court to intervene before the disciplinary proceedings had been finalised.

The Peters’ review application related to an incident where the regulator’s Special Investigator Paul O’Sullivan, whose services were being utilized by the NHA, was alleged to have been coached by a key NHA witness during inquiry proceedings

The review application centred on Riaan Janse van Rensburg, an NHA senior special investigator and a key witness for the NHA. The applicants challenged a ruling by the inquiry board refusing to strike his evidence from the record.

The NHA disputed that the exchange constituted witness coaching and the court accepted the racing regulator’s version of what had taken place.

The High Court ultimately dismissed the review application, finding that the applicants had failed to satisfy the exceptional threshold of ‘grave injustice’ required for judicial intervention before the inquiry had been finalised. The court held that the board’s ruling was legally sound, procedurally fair and based on a rational assessment of the facts available to it at the time.

The application was dismissed with costs on scale C.

It is important to note that the High Court ruling of this week does not impact on the merits of the disciplinary charges against Paul Peter, Anthony Peter and Marc Peter.

For now, the High Court’s decision removes the attempt to halt the disciplinary process at this stage, leaving the NHA inquiry to continue. There is also a possibility that Acting Justice Goosen’s decision will be taken on appeal by the applicants

The Sporting Post approached NHA CEO Vee Moodley on Thursday afternoon for direction on whether the inquiry will continue.

Mr Moodley said that the NHA would proceed with the inquiry, but that specific dates would depend on the availability of the inquiry board and the respective legal counsel. He said that the NHA would advise when further information was available.

Champion Sprinter Buffalo Storm Cody is possibly going to be aimed at features over a mile (Picture: Race Coast)

As Gauteng moves into its 2026 spring/summer racing season, we caught up with trainers across the 4Racing regions for a brief update on their principal feature contenders and the plans being mapped out for the months ahead. They reveal some interesting information – and, for astute punters, a few names worth putting in the notebook.

There is no better place to hear about the actual ability of horses than from the trainers themselves. Those closest to the coalface often provide clues that don’t necessarily appear in the form guide – and for those who listen with intent, that information can be particularly valuable when assessing race prospects and structuring exotic bets.

We’ll start with Turffontein-based Tony Peter, presently third on the National Log with a 28% winning strike rate from his first 60 runners. Peter and his father Paul have made recent appearances on Racing Today’s Saturday morning tipping show, where their insights into their runners have proved most useful to punters.

Peter’s Equus Champion Sprinter, Buffalo Storm Cody (Buffalo Bill Cody), has not had his season officially mapped out for him, and this is quite interesting because there is a chance that we’ll see him racing up to 1600m.

Peter explained: “Richard Fourie and Gavin Lerena are both adamant that Buffalo Storm Cody will be at his best over a mile, so a race like next season’s Horse Chestnut Stakes could become our prerogative to build towards this term.

Click here to read the rest of Charl Pretorius’ Article

The first winner is always the most memorable for a jockey and this picture tells that story as Quaada Leung scores on the Garth Puller-trained Your Ladyship (Candiese Lenferna)

Quaada Leung had a magnificent day last Sunday and achieved the rare feat of riding a winner in her first day at the races.

The Hong Kong apprentice had four rides in all at he Hollywoodbets Scottsville meeting and was a 2,30 length second on the Garth Puller-trained Arkadin (New Predator) in her first ride, then a 5,15 length seventh on the MJ Odendaal-trained Clickbait (Canford Cliffs), a 1,05 length fourth on the Stuart Ferrie-trained Luneluck (Act Of War) and she then won on the Garth Puller-trained Your Ladyship (Mambo In Seattle).

Garth said, “She is very competent for her size. She arrived at the Academy and weighed 46kg. She has lost weight and walks around now at 42kg, which is far too light.”

He continue, “So they have obviously got her on protein meals and protein shakes or whatever to try and pick up weight. So it is not easy for her on the big horses.”

He added, “She rode for me in the first race from draw 5 and the horse was a little bit green for her, he ran to the left and she didn’t change her stick and ended up running second.”

He continued, “However, she is nice and balanced and she is quite self confident.”

He added, “In the last race she rode for me again. She was drawn 5 again and I told her that this time she must stay in that lane and said, ‘So if you start to drift away from the stick on the right, put it in your left hand.’ I had also told her to ride exactly as if she is at track, so if something is going faster than you then you just sit and follow it, you don’t let her run herself into the ground. The horse was well weighted and she rode it exactly like I told her. When she started drifting to the left she switched her stick into the left and she rode the horse competently with the left considering it was her first day in race-riding.”

Quaada looks at home on a horse and not many who didn’t know would have guessed it was her first day at the races.

She only briefly lost her rhythm when changing stick hands, which Puller attested was a tricky task.

He said, “It is not easy to change sticks smoothly when you are on your first race-riding day and your horse is in front. It doesn’t often go down well and a lot of things can go wrong, you can end up dropping the stick or dropping your reins and losing the race, but she did a good job.”

Garth drew an analogy of the difference between changing whip-hands on the equisizer compared to doing it in a race and said, “You can sing in the shower, but put on a stage it will be a bit different!”

Garth concluded,  “Quaada has got a nice future if she just keeps going.”

He added, “Felix Coetzee sent both her and Chester Choi out here. He is a hard taskmaster and a good friend of mine and just asked me to keep an eye on them and I think both of them will do well, they will be worth their claim and as they get experience and get stronger they will make it. They will probably ride all over the place before they are allowed back into Hong Kong.”

Chester Choi rode a place on his debut.

Quaada’s parents watched live from Hong Kong and were justifiably proud.

Gimme A Fireball after making it two from three (JC Photos)

De Kock Racing

Three-year-old Gimme A Fireball arrived at Turffontein with a reputation on Saturday, had to fight for his win in a proper horse race, and left with it intact – along with high hopes for the season ahead.

There were three other well-performed and more experienced contenders in a six-horse field of such quality that Mike de Kock described it as ‘almost a Listed race’. The fact that Gimme A Fireball won the 1200m contest right after his maiden win – and first time on the bend – is most encouraging for his future.

The connections of Bisou Bisou, Whatsdamatterwithu and Rivera knew what they were up against and, admirably, took on the recent Hollywoodbets Scottsville winner fearlessly and with purpose. A fourth, Kudikuran, also got into the brawl late with a committed run, but his unfortunate clipping of heels and subsequent fall put a damper on what could have been a race to watch over and over.

Gimme A Fireball raced a bit green when the combat intensified over the last 200m, but pleasingly stuck to his task, changed legs and geared down to seal the battle by half-a-length.

Mike felt that jockey Sean Veale would have been better off finding cover on the fence early, though Sean did note that he had to push Gimme A Fireball for a few strides so he could hold the bit. If his early rush indeed made his task harder, the win carries even more merit.

“It is no secret that we rate Gimme A Fireball highly. He is green, a bit of a handful, but if he keeps his head, he is a horse that’s going places.”

Gimme A Fireball, like his older stablemate I’m A Fireball, was named in happy consideration of a popular beverage consumed on Hollywood Racing’s annual trips to the Breeders’ Cup in the United States.

Hollywood’s Devin Heffer explained: “‘Fireball’ is the name of a cinnamon whiskey in the USA. When we go to the Breeders’ Cup, we always have a bucket of mini-Fireballs on the bus.

“Here at home the same drink is called ‘Firewater’ and it’s become a tradition to celebrate with a shot (or two?) whenever we have a winner at the racecourse or if we win at a Hollywood Sharks or Hollywood Dolphin game.”

Gimme A Fireball is an Avontuur-bred colt by Gimmethegreenlight out of Dream De Ra, by Oasis Dream.

The Dylan Cunha-trained Asgard’s Captain (pictured above) led home a British 1-2 and denied Claymore in brilliant Kincsem Dij win for Dylan Cunha in Hungary on September 6

Racing Post (Matt Rennie)

Dylan Cunha’s audacious adventure to Hungary with Asgard’s Captain paid off handsomely in a thrilling Kincsem Dij, in which the six-year-old held off last year’s winner Claymore in a photo-finish.

Asgard’s Captain and the Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained seven-year-old were the British runners in the 1m4f local Group 1 at Kincsem Park in the country’s capital, Budapest.

It looked as if Claymore was going to successfully defend his title when well clear in the home straight under Saffie Osborne. However, he drifted to the centre of the course in the closing stages and Asgard’s Captain nabbed his rival on the line under Marco Ghiani and scooped the first prize of more than £47,000.

Cunha said: “This means a lot. It’s a long way and was an expensive trip, but he’s been a great horse. This was the plan since Claymore won this last year. They’ve faced each other so much before, and this felt like it was the decider.

“It was very brave of the owners [Quest Thoroughbreds] to come here, because it’s a risky journey, but they were game and that made a big difference.”

It was another notable success with Asgard’s Captain for the trainer, the son of Make Believe having won at last year’s Ebor meeting and the Shergar Cup last month.

The gelding is set to go on his travels again, and Cunha is already eyeing a return to Budapest for the 2027 Kincsem Dij.

He said: “Kincsem Park has been amazing. The stables are lovely and the track was beautiful. We’ve had a great time in Budapest. We’ve been here for a few days, and we can’t wait to be back.

“Asgard’s Captain will now go back to Britain and have a rest before going to Dubai for the winter. The racing fans of Hungary can follow him there.”

Master De Rouvray is coming off a hattrick but can defy the handicapper again (Picture: Race Coast) 

Andrew Harrison (Race Coast)

Winning three on the bounce is difficult enough, four with the handicapper on your tail is even more difficult but Mark Dixon’s gelding MASTER DU ROUVRAY has made the step up on each occasion and can take another step up when he lines up in the Middle Stakes that heads the card at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Friday evening, which he been switched from turf to poly due to the amount of rain.

He does switch courses from Hollywoodbets Scottsville but does look to be a late maturing gelding who is finally finding his way.

However, he does face strong opposition, and victory will be no gimme. UZWANO franked the MASTER DU ROUVRAY form when winning next time out, and they now meet at level weights while MOHAVE PRINCE is smart and has had the measure of UZWANO on two recent occasions. He has the best of the draw and will be a strong contender. TUNGUSKA and Dixon’s other runner CLEARTHERUNWAY come in with handy galloping weights, so there is nothing between the two, and both have strong winning chances. The betting may be your best guide.

In the card opener, TRIP TO VENUS has been making steady progress and makes his debut over 2000m for the first time, but it may be telling that Keagan de Melo has deserted Tienie Prinsloo’s runner JUDICIARY in favour of Yogas Govender’s runner. JUDICIARY has been a touch disappointing since making an eye-catching debut, but he may be better suited to this trip.

In the second, PREDATOR’S CROWN has yet to run a bad race in four starts and was close-up over the distance last time out. However, she does have the widest draw to contend with and will need some luck in running. YEAH BABY was a touch disappointing first up on the turf after two promising efforts on the poly. That last run may best be ignored. BLAZING BELLE should enjoy this step up in trip, and her last run is best ignored.

The opening leg of the Pick 6 is a competitive apprentice handicap. FORT USHER is lightly raced and was a beaten favourite last time out. The Darryl Moore’s stable apprentice stays aboard and he could be the pick of the stable runners. Stablemate DANUBE has run well in his last three starts over this trip. NILE THE BOSS is overdue another win and only has 48kg to shoulder. The step up in trip will make her dangerous.

The fourth is a wide-open handicap. QUEST OF VALOUR has been rested, but Doug Campbell’s runner took on feature company first run out of the maidens. He has a light weight and can go close. PRIZED POSSESSION was a recent maiden winner at just his second start but had shown promise in useful company leading up to the win and can follow up. DRICUS is over his optimum trip and rarely runs a bad race. He has drawn well and cannot be left out of any calculations.

In the fifth, BEYOND ALL DOUBT is lightly raced and has shown up well against stronger since shedding his maiden. He has a wide draw and a big weight but may still be on the up. On the up is BANGKOK MAGIC who steps up in trip, but both wins have come on the poly, but the stable is in good form and if he takes to the turf, he will be a big runner. BLUE STEEL is not the easiest ride but has the best of the draw and is more than capable on his day while RUN FOREST RUN was long overdue his recent win but he got a four-point raise in the handicap which could put paid to his winning chances.

In the sixth SILVER SALUTE is seldom far off. PRETTY KARA has not been far off at recent outings and gets first time cheek pieces. She is one to watch in the market. ARCTIC FURY has been disappointing but only has 48kg to shoulder in a small field and can surprise.

In the last, an apprentice handicap, the HURRICANE FLIGHT formline will be what most punters will rely on however; she did start at 25-1 so the result was not widely expected. She also got a 10-point hit in the handicap for that win. Favourite on the day was ZENA ROSE, and Duncan Howells has booked a non-claiming apprentice which could be telling. SPLASH OF LOVE has been close-up in three starts since her last win and with a useful claimer up she should be in the mix. HEAVENLY MAFIA has an almost identical record to SPLASH OF LOVE. Both step up in trip, but Glen Kotzen’s filly may be the better option.

Anotherdanceforme can add another feature to her CV (Pauline Herman Photography)

2026 BETWAY FRIENDLY CITY STAKES (NBT)

Johannesburg, South Africa – Racing this Friday at Fairview was due to be conducted on turf, but rain during the week has seen it moved to the Polytrack.

The day’s feature is the Betway Friendly City Stakes, run over 1800m for a stake of R175,000.

Alan Greeff boasts an impressive record in this race with six wins to date. He looks to hold the aces again in this year’s renewal with four runners, including Mr P J Moor’s Anotherdanceforme (Master Of My Fate – Destiny Dancer). The recently crowned East Cape Champion Three Year Old Filly and Champion Polytrack Filly/Mare has won eleven of her thirteen starts and is unbeaten in two starts on the Polytrack. She also has regular rider Richard Fourie in the irons and the pair will jump from gate 2.

Dean Smith, following a career-best six winners on the card last Friday, will be hoping for his first win in the race and saddles Messrs Dennis Armstrong, F du Toit, M B Manthe, A Puggia, P M Chetty, R Chetty, B D Dawson & J Mento’s stalwart Zatara Magic (Rabada – Maritime Mist). The 7yo gelding has drawn pole position and has the services of jockey Craig Zackey.

The only other trainer to throw his hat into the ring for this year’s renewal is Cliffie Miller, who sends out Mr W H Ackerman’s Lanciafiamme (Fire Away – Abelie). The 5yo gelding had the measure of Zatara Magic the last time the two clashed over 1800m, in a Pinnacle Stakes back in February, but that was on the turf track and Lanciafiamme had the benefit of the one draw.

This Friday, the pair meet on the Polytrack and Lanciafiamme has an extra 0.5kg to shoulder and jumps from the outside draw of six. Muzi Yeni rides him for the first time.

The final field is below:-

Race 5 R 175,000 1800m 14:35

BETWAY FRIENDLY CITY STAKES (NBT)

Stake Breakdown

Total Stakes: R 175,000.00

1st: R103906.25, 2nd R33250, 3rd R16625, 4th R8312.50, 5th R4156.25

1 – 1 ZATARA MAGIC (D Smith) C Zackey 62.0 – 114

2 – 2 ANOTHERDANCEFORME (A Greeff) R Fourie 59.5 – 113

3 – 6 LANCIAFIAMME (C Miller) M Yeni 58.5 – 102

4 – 5 DON’T CRY FOR ME (A Greeff) K Minnie 58.5 – 101

5 – 3 ENCHANTING CHOICE (A Greeff) K Strydom 57.5 – 105

6 – 4 GLOBAL ALLY (A Greeff) C Ndlovu 57.0 – 98

Formguides for the whole meeting by Trevor Reid
RACE 1 LIGHTSCAMERAACTION looked a very unlucky loser on debut. She was denied what looked a certain victory but hopefully she goes through with her run this time around which she should with improvement expected. DESTREGA showed promise on her debut and should be a real threat yet again. KITANA’S JOY seems better than her last run and could contest the finish. BOLD SKITT showed improvement on local debut and could do even better this time. LOOKING GOOD and ASHIDA need to improve to beat these rivals.

RACE 2 An interesting race. BAD MEDICINE bounced back with a solid win over Wild Fig last month. He has won twice on this surface but is clearly at best on the turf. FIREALLEY is very consistent and from a good draw should fight out the finish. HOME REEF continues to be competitive and there has not been much between himself and BAD MEDICINE when they last met. It is hard to see the other entrants winning at these weights. WORLD CHOICE could be a bit better than CREPUSCOLO and INTUITIVE SPIRIT so could fill fourth position.

RACE 3 A weak race and CAPRANICA could prove to be the best of them. He is in good shape and can go one place better. GIMMETHEGOLD, PEEKABOO and WITCHING HOUR all seem better than their most recent performances and could get involved with the finish. STRAIGHT RED does his best work at the finish and is not out of it. SECRET ERUPTION could like this longer distance and must be respected as well.

RACE 4 A decent race. GIMMETHATWORLDCUP has won his last two starts, including a wide margin win over this course and distance. He can score again. OBSIDIAN STAR has solid form in good fields and will not go down without a fight. JUST CARTER ran on well from off the pace last time out so is a threat. GLOBAL THRILLER represents a very much in-form trainer and jockey so must be respected. GREY EAGLE was a heavily backed winner last time and could have more to offer. ROCKING IN RIO improved after a gelding operation but this is a tougher task.

RACE 5 ANOTHERDANCEFORME has only suffered defeat in two of her 13 starts. One of those defeats was last time out when unplaced at Hollywoodbets Greyville. She was sent out favourite to win but she was not disgraced. Unbeaten on the Polytrack she should beat these rivals. ZATARA MAGIC did too much too soon last time out when returning from a break. Fitter this time he is always a threat. LANCIAFIAMME is very consistent and should hit the frame again. DON’T CRY FOR ME tackles a lot stronger but did run well on local debut. ENCHANTING CHOICE continues to impress and is not out of it.

RACE 6 A very competitive looking race. GOLDEN PALM clearly needed her last run. Fitter this time she is the one to beat. Stable companion SPLICETHEMAINBRACE does not always show her best side, but she is always capable of scoring, especially on this surface. SONG OF MYSELF is a decent sprinter and should be right there at the finish. SPORTS FAN and GENOVEFA remain in good form and should be competitive. IONA CASTLE and ROAMING SPIRIT are also capable of earning some money.

RACE 7 WINTER IN LONDON makes his local debut in a race where he is giving his rivals chunks of weight. He can win for the Dean Smith-Craig Zackey combination. WHATEVER NEXT has not won for some time now but did look unlucky last week and could be ready to pop up. WINTERONTHEGREEN tackles tougher after her last win but is dangerous if allowed a soft lead. CAPE CAPRI seems better than a modest last run. SHORI KAI, LOVELY DANCER and BANDMASTER have place chances.

RACE 8 ENDEARED has won two of her last three starts. This is a lot shorter this time around but she has won over 1200m and from a good draw might score. ICED MARMALADE made all last month over this course and distance and can follow up, but she does have a tricky draw. The three stable companions representing trainer Alan Greeff, MALIBU ICE, FATEFUL LOVE and SPIRIT OF NICAL, are capable of scoring over this track and distance. CLAIRWOOD ROSE, CLARA LUME and JAPANESE GARDEN have done enough of late to be considered possible winners as well.