Turf Talk Newsletter – 09 October, 2025

The NHA have sent out a press release (see it at the bottom of the article) about Gavin Lerena’s unsuccessful urgent application to the high court for an interdict, but some might be misled into believing the high court therefore agreed with the NHA’s verdict on the case.

That belief would be incorrect, because in actual fact the judge struck the case off the roll due to a lack of urgency – he did not dismiss the case.

An urgent application has the intention of getting a case heard without having to wait in the normal queue.

Lerena launched an urgent application against the National Horseracing Authority and others in the Gauteng division of the High Court in order to have his recent penalties suspended pending review proceedings being brought in the High Court.

So the matter of urgency here was not a review of the case, but rather a suspension of the penalties.

The judge struck it off the roll as he did not believe it deserved to jump the queue, but no review of the case has been done.

The review remains before the court.

In layman’s terms Lerena is still entitled to join the normal queue for a review if he wishes.

His attorney Kajal Ghaheri, Associate Attorney of Witz Incorporated, responded to the press release sent out by the NHA and a link to that statement can be read at the bottom of this article below the NHA’s press release.

Grant van Niekerk’s urgent application for an interdict might have a better chance of success than Lerena’s, because his suspension has now become a 90 day one considering he has not apologised. He was given a 90 day suspension  of which 60 days were suspended subject to him making a public apology.

The judge might decide it is worth suspending the 90 day suspension until a review is heard.

The NHA’s press release on the Lerena case can be read below and underneath that is a link to the response of Lerena’s Legal Counsel:

Click for Lerena’s Legal Counsel’s response to the NHA press release

Atticus Finch wins last year’s Betway Summer Cup

One of the most eyecatching recent performances on the South African turf was that of the reigning Betway Summer Cup champion Atticus Finch, who flew up late in the Gr 2 Betway Joburg Spring Challenge to be narrowly denied.

He duly appeared among the first entries of the 2025 Summer Cup, which can be seen at the bottom of this article together with the sponsor’s ante-post betting.

Alec Laird said, “In the Spring Challenge Atticus Finch was handicapped to beat the third and fourth horses (Busstopinhounslow and Choisaanada) comfortably anyway, but I thought the Inside track 1450m would be too sharp for him.”

He continued, “He is in a good space,” which is good news because he suffered epistaxis in his last start last season when trailing in last in the  Hollywoodbets Durban July, beaten 18,85 lengths.

Alec added, “He has actually furnished, horses can still grow at his age (six years old). At six horses are not improving, but he seems a bit stronger and I think he’s a fully furnished horse now.”

Hic class was evident on Saturday and he could step up on his performance in last year’s Summer Cup, although on paper he will not need a big step up to defend his title.

Last year he carried 54kg off a 112 and was actually 3,5kg under sufferance and he won by 1,10 lengths, so he ran to a 121 rating and that is what his merit rating is today.

In theory, at first glance, he would not have to improve to win narrowly (by a head) off that mark, despite the fact he will now be carrying 58kg as things stand.

However, he will have to improve relative to one of the topweights, See It Again.

The two highest rated horses in the race are See It Again and Royal Victory on 125, so they will carry joint topweight of 60kg as things stand.

Comparing Atticus Finch to that pair from last year, he beat Royal Victory by three lengths and is now only 1kg worse off, so has the latter’s measure by two lengths on paper, and he beat See It Again by 2,50 lengths and is 4kg worse off, meaning See It Again emerges 1,5 lengths ahead of him on paper.

Alec has also entered Parisian Walkway (117), Greeting My Master (110) and Aristotle (109).

The sponsor have made the Fabian Habib-trained Gr 1 SA Classic winner Confederate the favourite.

Confederate also ran last Saturday, in a Conditions Plate over 1450m, and bounced back from his disappointing run in the Hollywoodbets Durban July with an easy 2,30 length victory carrying 57kg.

His time was quicker than the Joburg Spring Challenge time too.

He is merit rated only 117, so will be carrying a nice galloping weight of 56kg and looks to be a worthy favourite.

The field and the sponsor’s ante-post betting is shown below:

Gauteng’s premier race day will host the theme, Jozi Rising, which symbolises a renewed purpose.

Royal Victory powers to victory in the 2023 Betway Summer Cup (JC Photos) 

The 2023 Betway Summer Cup winner Royal Victory has been worked on by renowned “horse whisperer” Glyn Redgrave in response to the habit he had developed of “sticking up.”

At the Hollywoodbets Durban July Gallops the Nathan Kotzen-trained Pathfork gelding stopped at about the 1600m mark and refused to move.

He did the same on the way to the start of the Gr 1 HKJC Champions Cup and had to be scratched.

Redgrave had a few sessions with him and he was then taken during a nigh race meeting to Hollywoodbets Greyville.

On that occasion he paraded fine and went down to the gates fine, but for some reason did not jump.

He was then taken to Hollywoodbets Scottsville during a meeting.

Nathan said, “He went down easy, he jumped well, all went good.”

Nathan added, “He is showing nice work.”

Nathan will give the six-year-old his reappearance run in a Conditions Plate over 1400m on October 19 at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

He then intends running him again on November 7 in a Conditions Plate over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

The Betway Summer Cup is three weeks later on November 29.

Royal Victory was last seen running a cracking 2,85 length fourth in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July in which he jumped from draw 17 and ran on strongly from way back.

He will have his normal traveling arrangements to Johannesburg and will be out to enhance his Gr 1 2000m record at Turffontein Standside of four starts, two wins, a shorthead second (unsuccessful objection) and a three length sixth.

Legislate gelding Good For You gives Chad Little his first Gr 1 victory in the Gold Medallion at Hollywoodbets Scottsville

Glen Kotzen is excited about the Gr 1 Gold Medallion winner Good For You’s season considering the fine comeback he made at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Wednesday in a 1250m Progress Plate.

The Legislate gelding drifted right out from 14/10 to 7/1 but failed by just 0,30 lengths at the expense of a horse who went into many watchers’ notebooks as a three-year-old to follow, the Candice Bass-trained Rafeef colt All The Rage.

Glen said, “Good For You had a long layoff, because he had raced quite hard as a two-year-old and you’ve got to fit in with the program. I didn’t want to run him straight into the Gr 2 (The Punters Cup on November 22), so I was looking for a prep run and this was the right race being a Progress Plate. He had only had a little half pace on the grass, so he was underdone, but his class prevailed and he went and ran a super race.”

Good For You bounced out of the pens well from draw five in the eight horse field and Chad Little took him to the front. His natural speed saw him opening up a three length lead in the straight, but All The Rage showed a fine turn of foot in effortless fashion to haul him in. Good For You did not go down without a fight though and All The Rage had to be driven to get past him.

Talking about having a crack at the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas Glen said, “He’s bred to go further. If he can get the Guineas trip, he will be brilliant. But we don’t know, because he’s just got loads of natural speed at the moment. Our jockey said if he had gone harder he probably would have beaten the other horse, but having a prep run, we didn’t want him to fall in a hole halfway up the straight. However, Chad felt in retrospect if he had not eased him and allowed him to come back he probably would have beaten the other horse.”

Glen continued, “In the Punters Cup he will have to carry a 2kg Gr 1 penalty But it’s more that we’re not there to win that race, we’re there to see if he gets the trip.”

He added, “We’re probably going to have a chat to the owners and probably take the blinkers off. Or we can keep him sprinting while he’s got this natural speed and have a look at the sprint program. So that’s all to be decided and discussed.”

Glen concluded, “But everybody wants to have a crack at the Guineas when you’ve got a good one.”    

East Cape trainer Kelly Mitchley (pictured) has been given a R250,000 fine for a positive test for O-Desmethyltramadol.

However, positives for this drug in horseracing are problematic because it is possible for it to appear in racehorses due to indirect transfer from human grooms or stable staff who have been taking the opioid analgesic tramadol, which metabolizes into O-Desmethyltramadol.

Click here to read the NHA press release on the positive

O-Desmethyltramadol is classified as a Class-2 prohibited substance under NHA rules and is banned because it:

1. it can alter pain perception, potentially allowing a horse to perform despite injury or discomfort.
2. it can enhance performance by masking pain.
3.  it poses safety and welfare risks due to its powerful opioid effects.

Glen Kotzen and Richard Hannon are two trainers who were shocked to receive a positive for this drug and traced it to staff usage of tramadol as is described in this article: Click here to read the article  

Mitchley offered a comprehensive explanation of her case too:

Click here to read Mitchley’s explanation

Trainers and jockeys are also becoming mystified by the sizes of the fines. A class 2 first offense used to have a guideline punishment of R69,000 to R115,000. The guideline was changed recently to R250,000 plus a six month suspension. That is more than just a slight increase.

Consistency of fine amounts is also questionable.

In 2023 a trainer was fined R125,00 for a substance called Mephentermine, which is not contained in any local pharmaceutical product registered for use in human or veterinary medicine, but in the rules of the IFHA (International Federation Of Horeracing Authorities), of which South Africa is a member, it is a completely banned substance, which is the equivalent in the NHA rules of a class 1 substance i.e. a forbidden substance.

The NHA guidelines for penalties for the first offense on a class 1 substance are . currently a one year suspension + a minimum fine of R500 000.

However, Mitchley’s fine for a class 2 substance was double the amount of the fine for a forbidden substance.

Anton Shepherd brings a fine draft to the 2YO Sale (Picture Supplied) 

Beaumont Stud is a farm which continues to punch above its weight. The latest smart performers bred by Beaumont (famous as the breeders of champion Variety Club) are Inside Voice and Jet Force. Progressive filly Inside Voice has won her last two, while Jet Force has won three of just four starts.

Anton Shepherd will be bringing an eight strong string to this year’s Two-Year-Old Sale. His draft is made up of two-year-olds sired by all of Pathfork, One World, Futura, Erik The Red, Malmoos and the always popular Rafeef. Potential standout lots in this draft include:

Lot 3: Unnamed – One World -Gimme Gimme Gimme (filly):

By sire sensation One World, this filly is out of a three-time winning daughter of multiple champion sire Gimmethegreenlight, who has already enjoyed notable success as a broodmare sire. This filly’s granddam, Ki Magee, is a stakes placed daughter of champion sire and outstanding broodmare sire Royal Academy.

Lot 36: Wicked World – One World – Master Keys (filly):

By the Leading Second Season Sire in South Africa last season, Wicked World is out of Gr 3 Poinsettia Stakes runner up Master Keys, a daughter of the red-hot Master Of My Fate. This is the family of Hong Kong superstar Able Friend – who was thrashed by the Beaumont bred champion Variety Club when second in the Gr 1 Champions Mile of 2014.

Lot 43: Unnamed – Erik The Red –Moneycantbuymelove (colt):

This colt is a son of the Leading First Season Sire in South Africa in 2024-2025. His dam ran third in the Gr 3 Fillies Mile and she has produced five winners including Gr 1 SA Classic third place finisher Youcanthurrylove and the speedy six-time winner Garibondy. This is the family of champions Jay Peg and Kochka.

Lot 140: Unnamed – Pathfork -Elusive Spirit (colt):

By the sire of Royal Victory, Main Defender and the aforementioned, Inside Voice, this colt is a half-brother to four winners, notably the smart performers Elusive Winter and Empire State. From the famed E family, his dam is a five-time winning half-sister to Gr 2 Betting World 1900 winner Elusive Silva.

Lot 15: Own My Own – Rafeef -It’s My Life (filly):

By the same sire as top-class fillies Frances Ethel, Mon Petit Cherie and Mrs Browning, this half-sister to the smart Open Highway is out of a Silvano half-sister to top-class fillies Cold As Ice and Live Life.

For more information on this draft, please contact Anton on (082) 652 7006.

All horses purchased off the RCS Two-Year-Old Sale qualify for the RCS Slipper. The Slipper is run over 1200m for qualifying 2yo graduates of Race Coast Sales. This lucrative race will be run in mid-April for a purse of R3 Million in 2026 at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Ice Dragon wins impressively under Philasande  Mxoli (JC Photos)

The St. John Gray-trained three-year-old Lance gelding made his debut over 1200m at the Vaal today (Thursday) and was an unconsidered 50/1 shot as he was up against two first-timers who were full brothers to Gr 1-winning sprinter i.e. Geostorm, a full brother to Buffalo Storm Cody, and Stoneywood, a full brother to Dyce.

There were also some runners who had shown a bit in previous races.

However, Ice Dragon jumped well and led from start to finish.

He showed a fine action under Philasande Mxoli and when the challenges came he changed legs and lengthened his stride impressively.

He pulled away and won by 1,75 lengths, although he was green and wandered around when clear so the margin might have flattered the opposition.

He looks to be one to follow.

Gray had a double at the meeting.

There were also individual doubles for Serino Moodley and Sean Tarry.

Gray goes to eleven wins for the season and has done it at a strike rate of 15.28%.

Tarry is on nine wins at 11.69%.

Moodley goes to 31 wins at 13.72% and is in joint third place on the national jockeys log together with Calvin Habib.

Why was the Jamieson Raid postponed for a week? Click here to read about the Jamieson Raid 

The picture gives a clue to the answer