Turf Talk Newsletter – 1 December, 2025

Robinson's Horsemanship Wins The Cup For The Jells

Tristan Godden is elated to have won his first Gr 1 (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Frank Robinson’s patience with the Mauritzfontein-homebred Ideal World filly Mocha Blend has ultimately paid a big dividend as he landed his first career Gr 1 and it happened in a major race, the R6 million Betway Summer Cup, Johannesburg’s biggest race and the richest race in the country.

The win also gave Tristan Godden his first Gr 1 win and it was thoroughly deserved as he gave the 100/1 chance a magnificent ride.

Patience can only happen with understanding owners and Frank described Jessica and Steven Jell as the best owners he had ever trained for as they allow the trainer the time to do what he or she believes is best for the horse.

Frank gave Mocha Blend three runs during the Champions Season, but was easy on her and actually didn’t gallop her at all in that period.

He said she did not have the best conformation as she turned in slightly and last winter everything about her was still a bit too soft to put her under any pressure.

He therefore took his time with her to allow her to become harder and stronger.

He said lately when feeling her legs in the morning they were ice cold and he thus knew they had improved strengthwise and he could prepare her properly.

He said before her participation in the Listed Betway Summer Pudding Handicap over 1600m at Turffontein Standside on Sunday November 9, “The fittest I have ever had her is going to be Sunday. She comes in with a proper preparation.”

She ran a 0,30 length second in that race, off a 104 merit rating, to joint topweight Kisshoten,who was also running off a 104.

Frank said afterwards she had only lost because she had walked out the pens.

She had done that in her previous start too, so the last thing he did with her before she departed for the Summer Cup was to school her at the pens.

She said the slow starts were likely due to her being very relaxed and almost asleep, or what he described asher having “an unbelievable temperament.”

He knew that would stand her in good stead for the journey up to Johanneburg and for the big race buzz.

Frank told Tristan to just leave her to jump out and be placed wherever she was comfortable and then he could ride his race from there.

Tristan duly left her alone after she had jumped well and she was shuffled back to near last.

This ultimately played in her favour as Tristan was able to take her across and claim the rail.

He must have been 15 lengths behind the good pace set by Navajo Nation.

However, she then turned it on in devastating style in the straight, which showed she had come on from her previous run.

Both trainer and jockey had been confident she would finish in the first four, but were more expectant of a backend of quartet finish.

However, even Frank could scarcely believe what he was seeing when she swept along the rail to be on top of the handy horses in matter of strides and was still hard on the bit.

The Ultimate King and The Equator shifted in and the gap on the rail closed, momentarily inconveniencing Mocha Blend.

However, Godden was able to switch her outward into a gap and she burst through on the inside.

Meanwhile, the 40/1 outsider Olivia’s Way, one of two other females in the field, had run on strongly on the outside, although she was running a bit in and out. Mocha Blend went over to join her and scythed her down to win by half-a-length.

Mocha Blend was 5,5kg under sufferance, so her 100/1 odds were not surprising.

It was a boil over result as the next three past the post, Olivia’s Way, The Ultimate King and Busstopinhounslow were 2kg, 2,5kg and 2kg under sufferance respectively and started at odds of 40/1, 8/1 and 100/1 respectively.

The fancied The Equator finished a 4,80 length fifth and was not able to quicken effectively enough to be a threat.

The favourite King Pelles was caught wide from draw eleven and never found good cover and his run petered out at the 400m mark.

The quartet paid a massive R355,689.60.

It would be a surprise if this ride by Gooden did not boost his career to a new level as he has for a long time been underrated and that was also shown in his Hollywoodbets Durban July ride on the 100/1 shot Native Ruler from draw 18 of 18, where he could have done better than sixth place were it not for some traffic problems.

Frank described the feeling after the big win, saying, “It is surreal, it is the wierdest feeling. I am funny with things like that though, I don’t let them get to me and don’t start jumping around. I just want to go home and see my dog!”

He did have some difficulty staying out of the limelight because on the aroplane home the pilot announced that the airline was lucky to have the Summer Cup’s winning trainer traveling with them tonight to which all of the passengers burst into applause. To that Frank sunk further into his seat with Sean Veale laughing alongside him.

Frank also mentioned the Gold pendant all Summer Cup winners receive which basically gives them the freedom of Turffontein on Summer Cup day – having received it he noticed former winning trainers Mike de Kock and Joe Soma wearing theirs.

Frank said Mocha Blend was back home at Summerveld and had pulled up well.

She is the second Mauritzfontein homebred filly to win the Summer Cup this decade, the other being the Paul Peter-trained Summer Pudding in 2020.

Coincidentally Frank had just been sent Summer Pudding’s first foal, a Rafeef filly.

Mocha Blend became the second Summerveld raider to win the Summer Cup in the last three years and she jumped from the same draw of 13 that Royal Victory jumped from two years ago.

The race was marred by a fall and although the two horses involved were reported fine the jockeys, Serino Moodley and Jarryd Peny, sustained injuries.Moodley has a cracked vertebrae in his neck that will not require surgery, he will just have to wear a brace, while Penny has a fractured rib and a small puncture on his liver but the good news is that the prognosis is better than was initially thought.

Trust Looks To Be All Class

Serino Moodley’s fine season reached a pinnacle when he won the Gr 2 Jackpot City Dingaans on Trust, but just one race later it hit rock bottom when he suffered a terrible fall and fractured a vertebrae in his neck. Fortunately he will not require surgery and will just have to wear a neck brace, but nevertheless it has put a temporary halt to his season (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

The Candice Dawson-trained Heavenly Blue colt Trust wowed onlookers in the preliminaries of the Gr 2 Jackpot City Dingaans over 1600m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday and shortened from 7/1 to 2/1 favourite as last season’s Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes winner and Equus Champion Two-year-old colt, Jan Van Goyen, drifted out from 9/4 to 28/10.

The Tawny Syndicate-bred full-brother to 2025 G3 4Racing National Currency Sprint winner Truth duly made it two wins from just three starts.

He came into the race as a somewhat unlucky runner up in the Gr 3 Betway Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m to Tin Pan Alley, although he was receiving 2kg from Tin Pan Alley in the latter race.

Tin Pan Alley started 5/2 second favourite with bookmakers for the Dingaans.

Trust broke well from draw four and from a handy position initially kept Jan Van Goyen wide, with the latter having broken well from draw ten.

Serino Moodley allowed Jan Van Goyen to slot in front of him halfway around the turn.

Jan Van Goyen produced an impressive burst in the straight to hit the front at the 200m mark, but Trust was on his quarters and then wore him down in a stirring tussle to get up by 0,70 lengths.

The Dean Smith-trained East Cape raider All Systems Go (Gimmethegreenlight) turned for home inside of Jan Van Goyen but could not match his or Trust’s turn of foot and Shadowfax also overtook All Systems Go.

However, All Systems Go stayed on strongly late to overtake Shadowfax and finish a 5,10 length third with Shadowfax next best and Copper Eagle fifth.

Tin Pan Alley was a bit keen early after not breaking too well and then being dropped out.

He was jostled in the straight a little and found no extra to be beaten 8,65 lengths into ninth.

He remains an entry in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas along with Trust and Jan Van Goyen.

Whispering Death also remains a Cape Guineas entry despite having finished second last in the Dingaans and being well beaten.

Bred by the Tawny Syndicate, the promising Trust races for Messrs L M Nestadt, Gary Player Stud Farm (Pty) Ltd & Ralphs Racing (Pty) Ltd.

Trust is out of the Frankel mare Frankly, who was out of a Fastnet Rock mare. Frankly raced in South Africa for her whole career and only won one race.

Trust’s G1 SA Classic winning sire Heavenly Blue shares his four times Australian champion sire Snitzel with, among many others, dual Australian G1 winner Russian Revolution. The latter is responsible for Saturday’s G1 MCA Polytrack- Winterbottom Stakes winner Libertad.

The late Snitzel himself enjoyed feature race success on Saturday with his son Yorkshire victorious in the G3 Gitani Stone Festival Stakes at Rosehill.

Vercingetorix Treble At Summer Cup Meeting

Mia Moo jumped from an unfavourable draw of one in the Listed Blue Voucher Carry On Alice Stakes over 1160m but that did not stop her winning it under Richard (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Cape Breeders

South Africa’s reigning champion sire Vercingetorix had a notable treble at Turffontein on Saturday and with another winner on Sundat on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly he had accumulated eleven winners in just six days of racing.

Vercingetorix sired runners won races two, three and four on Saturday, with Vercingetorix’s champion son Nebraas running second in Saturday’s Racehorse Owners Association Stakes.

Another son of Vercingetorix, The Ultimate King, finished a creditable third in the same day’s G1 Betway Summer Cup.

Exciting three-year-old Splittheeights got off the mark at just the second time of asking when he won Saturday’s R300 000 TAB Conditional Maiden Plate (1160m).

A close up fourth on debut, the Mathew and Mike De Kock trained colt turned Saturday’s race into a one-horse contest, with Splittheeights romping home to score by more than two and three quarter lengths.
Bred by Ridgemont Highlands, Splittheeights races for Mr Murugasa.

Out of the Trippi mare Massachusetts, Splittheeights was a R600 000 buy from the 2024 August Two Year Old Sale.

Vercingetorix mare Minogue provided her sire with a quick double when she won Saturday’s Betway Pinnacle Stakes (Open) (1400m).

Trained by Candice Cawson, the Muzi Yeni ridden five-year-old made the most of the 52kgs she had to carry to score a courageous win. Bred by Blue Sky Thoroughbreds, Minogue races for Itssa It & Business Solutions.

Out of the Go Deputy mare Kileigh, Minogue has won five of 18 starts.

Vercingetorix is also the sire of top-class five-year-old Mia Moo, winner of Saturday’s Listed Blu Voucher Carry On Alice Stakes (1160m). In the process, the Klawervlei Stud bred mare claimed the fourth black type win of her career, with Mia Moo having also won all of the G1 South African Fillies Sprint, G2 TAB Camellia Stakes and G3 4Racing Sycamore Sprint last season.

Under Richard Fourie, the Sean Tarry trained mare came from near the back of the field to claim Saturday’s R400 000 feature by nearly three-parts of a length.

Now racing for Drakenstein Stud, MIa Moo has won seven of 18 starts.
The mare, who is out of the Captain Al mare Leeward, is bred on the same cross as fellow G1 winners Double Grand Slam and Vernichey.

Hazy Dazy Back On Track With Impressive Victory

Trent Mayhew salues as he his 50th win is in a Gr 3 on the promising filly Hazy Dazy (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

The Corne Spies-trained Act Of War filly Hazy Dazy had always looked a highly progressive sort and those who forgave her for her previous start, when inconceivably running unplaced in a MR84 handicap for fillies and mares over 2000m, reaped the rewards as she got back on to the tracks of an upwardly mobile career by winning the Gr 3 R500 000 Ducat Africa Fillies Mile at Turffontein on Saturday in eyecatching fashion.

Spies’ loyalty to the young rider Trent Mayhew also paid dividends and he gained his 50th career win in the process, while Hazy Dazy made it four wins from six starts and the onlt time she has missed the frame was in the aforementioned last start, a race in which lightning delayed the start and that might have been part of the explanati0on.

Mayhew produced the Breedon Stud Close Corporation-bred daughter of Act Of War (Dynasty) with a sustained effort at 17-2 to resist a late challenge from 100-1 outsider Charge It, a raider from the Alyson Wright yard, by a length in a time of 101,73 secs.

The 66-1 Merryweather capped a healthy trifecta, a further 1,50 lengths back in third.

Out of the once winning Eightfold Path mare Rabbedoe, the winner looks a decent sort in the making.

Only 5411,41 tickets survived the third leg of the Pick 6, which ultultimately paid R 1179299.00.

Hazy Dazy was purchased on a BSA December online auction for R37,500.

She is owned by Mr D Dasrath & Mrs C Dasrath, Messrs R P Macnab, S Poriazis, Vikash Sobaren, X Spies & D Vayapuri.

Patel Punished For Ride On King Pelles

Nicholas Patel is pictured finishing second on King Pelles in a Coinditions Plate event over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on November 7 (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Nicholas Patel has been punished for a ride on King Pelles which lacked vigour .

On Saturday King Pelles was favourite for the Betway Summer Cup and, after being caught wide and then being sent for home early, he was gone by the 400m mark.

Two separate races over different distances, but will King Pelles’ Summer Cup run provide Patel with the grounds to appeal his punishment, considering the fine turn of foot King Pelles displayed with Patel aboard after being left alone in the first half of the straight?

The details of the inuiry are shown below:

The National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa (NHA) confirms that at an inquiry held in Durban on 20 November 2025, Jockey N Patel was charged with a contravention of Rule 62.2.2. The particulars being that, as the rider of KING PELLES, he failed to ride this horse in a competent and professional manner, when he delivered a ride that lacked sufficient vigour, determination and urgency from approximately the 350m to the 200m in Race 2, at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse on 7 November 2025.

Jockey Patel pleaded not guilty but was found guilty of the charge.

After considering the evidence and mitigating factors presented, as well as taking Jockey Patel’s record pertaining to this type of contravention into account, the Inquiry Board imposed a suspension from riding in races for a period of forty-five (45) days, of which twenty-four (24) days are suspended for a period of one (1) year. The suspended portion of the penalty is conditional upon Mr Patel not being found guilty of a contravention of Rule 62.2.2 within the stipulated period.

Jockey Patel has the Right of Appeal against both the finding and the penalty imposed.

The Inquiry Board after interviewing Trainer Gareth van Zyl and carefully considering the particulars of the matter, decided not to proffer a charge against him.

Enquiries:

A D HYDE

Racing Control Executive

New Director Appointed To NHA Board

Matshediso Marota has been appointed as a director on the NHA board (Picture supplied)

In terms of Chapter 5 of the Constitution of The National Horseracing Authority the Nominations Committee, consisting of Messrs Gregory Bortz (Chairman), Mark Currie, Gayasuddin Ahmed, Bradley Ralph and Anthony Rivalland, has appointed Ms Matshediso Marota, as an independent person in terms of Clause 16.1.2 of the Constitution, to fill the vacant position on the National Board.

Ms Marota holds a Master of Business Administration in Executive Management degree, a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Management Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. Ms Marota has over 20 years of experience in the petroleum industry and 5 years in Fast Moving Consumer Good (FMCG).

The National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa welcomes Ms Marota to the National Board.

This appointment is effective immediately.

Vee Moodley

Chief Executive

Mastership Should Make A Bold Bid

Mastership is a telented sort who has a chance on Tuesday at Turffontein Inside if able to overcome a wide draw (JC Photos)

A Middle Stakes event over 1600m is the highest rated race at the meeting today which has been switched from the Vaal to Turffontein Inside and it could be won by the talented Dianne Stenger-trained Mastership, although he officially does not have an easy task at the weights.

The long-striding Master Of My Fate gelding was supplemented for the Betway Summer Cup,which gives an indication of how highly he is regarded. However, it was shown in his last start that he prefers a mile to middle distances. Last time over 1800m he was caught wide without cover but still managed to quicken into the lead in the straight before finding no extra. In the race before that he led from start to finish over 1600m and still looked to have extra at the line when winning by two lengths. He copped a five point merit rating raise for that win and off his new 96 rating he is half-a-kilogram under sufferance with the 107-rated Argo Alley, who, furthermore, has 4kg claimer Savanna Valjalo aboard. On the downside Masterhip has to overcome a wide draw of nine. The versatile Bob’s Your Uncle is also half-a-kilogram under sufferance, but must be respected considering in his penultimate start over 1450m he defeated a good field which included beating Aladdin’s Lamp by 2.05 lengths. It was admittedly Aladdin’s Lamp’s seasonal reappearance, so he might have needed it, but Aladdin’s Lamp not only beat Mastership in the aforementioned 1800m race but he then won the Betway Summer Cup Consolation on Saturday in a fractionally faster time than the Summer Cup itself, albeit by just 0.01 seconds. Argo Alley has won three times down the Vaal straight and should be a big runner. Both Bob’s Your Uncle and Argo Alley copped three point raises for their last wins and Bob’s Your Uncle has subsequently disappointed over 1200m. Dylan’s Champ is in fine form and won easily last time over this course and distance. He was given the maximum eight point plus one more point because the jockey was riding half-a-kilogram overweight. He goes for a hattrick, but this is tougher. The best weighted runner is the filly Gerbera and if she reproduces her penultimate start when just 1,75 lengths behind the talented Gr 2 winner Chronicle King then she has a shout. Last Car To Pass was beaten 3,65 lengths by Dylan’s Champ last time out over course and distance and is now 5,5kg better off, which actually puts her ahead of the latter on paper, so she can’t be ignored either.

In the first leg of the P6 over 1800m Dark Silver is two points higher for his win last time and has a wide draw to overcome, but he should relish the step up in trip. Kudzu has some eyecatching recent form over 2000m and should enjoy the step down in trip, considering his last win was over 1600m, and he has Lerena up. Jordan’s form shows that he will enjoy the step up in trip and he has a reasonable draw of seven with leading jockey Craig Zackey up. Mount Darwin is perfectly distance suited and he is represented by a combination who scored a double together at the last Highveld midweek meeting, so he has a chance from a good draw, although he is off a mark three points higher than his last win which was over a year ago. Robert Browning has won both of his last two attempts at this distance and is a runner from a good draw, despite copping a five point raise for the last win.

In the fifth race over 2000m Peace Treaty is knocking on the door and has Lerena up, but he does have to overcome a tricky draw. Majalun is knocking hard and over a suitable trip has 4kg claimer Valjalo up, albeit from a wide draw. Take No Prisoners,who is by Vercingetorix out of Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic winner Takingthepeace, has to be respected from a plum draw as she relished the step up to 1800m last time and should enjoy a further increase in trip.

In the sixth over 1200m Captain Efficient is a consistent sort who has a chance from a middle draw under Lerena. Misty Metal is off a competitive mark and should go close. Kotinos did well off this reduced merit rating last time.

In the seventh over 1200m Mister Wilson looks to have potential for progression and could be the one to beat, although a wide draw is going to make it tough. Red Penny looks to be off a competitive mark having dropped from a 94 to an 87 and he was not far off them off an 89 last time. Romilly has been disappointing since an easy debut win, but he could be in the shake up if producing his best off a merit rating which has come down from a 93 to an 86. My Lucky Charm is interesting coming down in trip, being by Master Of My Fate out of a Seventh Rock mare whose three wins were over 1400m. Cian The Conueror will enjoy the step down in trip and has a fair draw.

In the last race over 1600m The Mightiest has the form to be a contender here as he was second last time out off this mark over 1700m and his only career win has been over this trip. However, he has a very wide draw to overcome. Oklahoma Twister has two wins in his last three starts and looks to be finding consistency, although he does have to overcome a seven point raise and he has a wide draw. Guerilla Warfare has plenty of potential and is very consistent, so he should be in the shake up over a suitable trip from a good draw. Gamer is capable of earning here from a fair draw. Michael Faraday has the ability to be a contender, but he needs to bounce back.

In the first leg of the PA over 1800m Frangipani has plenty of ability and is a big player here. Blood Of Eden is knocking hard and looks to be the chief threat.

In the first race over 1000m Plumbago Park looks hard to oppose.

In the second race over 1000m Seed Seeker is a long-striding sort with scope for improvement and he should confirm form with Tempranillo. Look for some improvement from Stoneywood, who is a full brother to Gr 1-winning sprinter Dyce.