Adrian Todd, MD of South African Equine Health and Protocols (SAEHP), has worked tirelessly on SA’s equine export problem and released some positive news for the SA racing industry today.

SA One Step Closer To Direct Export!

The European Union have published their report on Equine Disease Control Measures In South Africa after their audit of late last year and are happy that the shortcomings identified in 2013 have been addressed.

They are also happy that the only quarantine station from which horses are exported in SA is of such a high standard that it assures horses exported from this station do not carry relevant disease at the time of their export from South Africa.

The EU Commission will now review the report after which the EU Commission will make a decision on the relisting of South Africa as an eligible country to export registered horses.

There are some recommendations for improvement in the report.

The next steps will involve some improvements to the existing system, guided by the recommendations

Adrian Todd, MD of South African Equine Health and Protocols (SAEHP), has sent out the following press release explaining the good news in more detail. The EU report is also attached below it.

EUROPEAN UNION REPORT ON EQUINE DISEASE CONTROL MEASURES IN SOUTH AFRICA

The EU Food and Veterinary Office report to evaluate the animal health controls in relation to the export of registered equine animals to the European Union has been finalised and published by the European Commission on the 9th of August 2023.

We would like to extend our thanks to the auditors for their extensive and detailed report as well as to all the stakeholders in South Africa who have made it possible to reach this stage.

The audit was conducted between the 11th and 26th of October 2022. The first draft of the report for comment was received by the South African veterinary authorities in March 2023 and the requested response to the report was submitted to the EU by the SA vet authorities within the allotted time period, in April 2023.

The professionally managed and well maintained Kenilworth Quarantine Station is a credit to Cape Racing who have left no stone unturned in taking all the necessary steps to ensure that the KQS is a world class facility.

The publication of the EU Report is one step further towards the finalisation of the process. The EU member states, and the EU Commission will now review the report after which the EU Commission will make a decision on the relisting of South Africa as an eligible country to export registered horses directly to the EU.

This process will involve further negotiation between the EU and the South African veterinary authorities. The report confirms that the shortcomings identified in the 2013 audit have been addressed and makes three recommendations. The next steps will involve some improvements to the existing system, guided by the recommendations, and taking the following summarised audit finding into account, i.e., ‘Currently, the competent authority designated only one quarantine facility used for export of horses, which is located in the free zone and it is used for this purpose only. This facility is vector-proof and well managed, and this assures that horses exported from this station do not carry any relevant disease at the time of their export outside South Africa.’

Specific timelines on this period of negotiation are not possible to commit to at this stage, although stakeholders can be assured that the conclusion of this process is a priority for all concerned.

CLICK HERE to read the EU Report

Gimmethegreenlight, Varsfontein’s record-breaking son of More Than Ready (Supplied).

Gimmethegreenlight Defied At Least 53 Years Of History

Gimmethegreenlight was recently crowned champion sire for the second time and it has been discovered that last season he achieved what no other South African sire had done for at least 53 years and he might possibly have been the first to do it in history.

The Varsfontein-based son of More Than Ready was not only National Champion Sire, but was also the leading sire of three-year-olds and the leading sire of two-year-olds.

Carl de Vos, stud manager of Varsfontein Stud where Gimmethegreenlight stands, said, “Charles Faull looked through the records, which go back 53 years, and said Gimmethegreenlight is the only stallion to have won all three of those titles in the same season.”

Gimmethegreenlight, despite it possibly being a first, achieved this remarkable feat with ease as he was well clear in all three categories.

The championships are decided on the stakes accumulated by the progeny of the sire.

However, Gimmethegreenlight also had the most winners in all three categories as well as the most stakes winners in all three categories.

Gimmethegreenlight was about R5.3 million clear of second-placed What A Winter in the national sires championship with his progeny having accumulated stakes of R23,030,650 compared to What A Winter’s R17,331,563.

He had 109 winners of 160 races and a winners to runners percentage of 48.2%.

The second most number of winners was the 102 of What A Winter.

Gimmethegreenlight had 14 stakes winners of 21 races.

Of those, four were Gr 1 winners.

Gimme A Prince won two Gr 1 races, Bless My Stars won one Gr 1 race, Lucky Lad won one Gr 1 race and Sandringham Summit won one Gr 1 race.

Second on the log for stakes winners was the 13 individual stakes winners of 15 races of the late Dynasty (who produced two Gr 1 winners of four races, Make It Snappy and Desert Miracle both winning two Gr 1s).

Trippi equaled Gimmethegreenlight in the Gr 1 wins statistic. He also had four individual Gr 1 winners of five races (Charles Dickens winning two Gr 1s and Jet Dark, Trip Of Fortune and Winchester Mansion each winning one).

Gimmeagreenlight was a dominating R3,681,388 clear of Varsfontein colleague Master Of My Fate on the three-year-old log with his progeny accumulating R10,358,588 compared to the latter’s R6,677,200.

He had 50 three-year-old winners of 75 races and had a fine winners to runners percentage in the three-year-old category of 62.5%.

He had five individual three-year-old stakes winners of six races.

‘

The second most individual three-year-old winners was the 47 produced by both Master Of My Fate and William Longsword.

The sires who produced the second most individual stakes-winning three-year-olds were Dynasty and his son Futura with four apiece and the latter’s progeny matched Gimmethegreenlight in number of stakes wins on six.

Gimmethegreenlight was also dominant on the two-year-old log with the stakes earnings accumulated by his progeny of R4,428,925 being R1,566,762 clear of the R2,862,163 of What A Winter.

He had 21 individual two-year-old winners of 30 races as opposed to the 19 individual winners of 23 races of the champion freshman sire, the late Lancaster Bomber.

Gimmethegreenlight had four individual two-year-old stakes winners of seven races as opposed to the three individual two-year-old stakes winners of three races of Quearari.

All in all it was a dominant season by the stallion with the movie star looks.

Rain In Holland won the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 in her penultimate start. (Picture: Sean Tarry Racing)

Rain In Holland Has Been Retired

Sean Tarry-trained Gr 1-winning female pair Rain In Holland and Sweet Pepper have both been retired.

Sean Tarry Racing

Dual Equus Champion, and Triple Tiara winner, Rain In Holland has run her last race and will be retired to stud. One of the best and most charismatic fillies to grace the South African turf in recent years, the Drakenstein Stud bred and owned mare retires to Drakenstein having won 11 of her 22 starts and earned R3 528 500 in prize money.

An Equus champion at both two and three, Rain In Holland won G1 races at two, three and four, and won a total of seven graded races during her illustrious career. Rain In Holland was crowned Champion 2YO Filly after she won five races in a row, and five from six in total, at two with her juvenile campaign culminating in a courageous win in the G1 Thekwini Stakes.

She proved even better at three when Rain In Holland claimed the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara before going on to land the G2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes on her final start at three. Her wins in the G2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, G1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic, and G2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks provided Rain In Holland with the Equus Award of Champion 3YO Filly for 2021-2022.

She once again underlined her class when she came back to down champion stablemate Nebraas in the 2023 G2 Colorado King Stakes, before running out a convincing winner of last season’s G1 Woolavington 2000.

A daughter of former Cartier Champion Duke Of Marmalade, who is fast becoming an outstanding broodmare sire, Rain In Holland is one of three black-type horses produced by the Aqlaam mare Imvula. The latter is also the dam of last season’s G3 WSB Legal Eagle Stakes winner Itsrainingwilliam and G3 Final Fling Stakes runner-up Rain In Newmarket. Safe to say, Rain In Holland looks to have everything it takes to become a top-class broodmare.

Rain In Holland as a foal with her mother Imvula, who is by Aqlaam and is a half-sister to July winner Dancer’s Daughter. (Picture: Sean Tarry Racing).

Rain In Holland’s stablemate Sweet Pepper will join Rain In Holland in the Drakenstein paddocks. A daughter of champion sire Trippi and speedy G3 Magnolia Handicap winner Green Pepper, Sweet Pepper won her first three starts culminating in an impressive win in the G1 Allan Robertson Championship. In landing the 2022 Allan Robertson Championship, Sweet Pepper accounted for such high-class fillies as River Queraress, Ekoria, and multiple graded stakes winner Ameena.

Hailing from the immediate family of dual G1 Summer Cup winner Master Sabina among many others, Sweet Pepper also looks like an exciting broodmare prospect.

Left to Right: Homely Girl, Sprinkles and Big Burn are back home at Narrow Creek Stud. (Meta).

Narrow Creek Welcome Graded Winning Mares Back To Their Place Of Birth

Narrow Creek Stud did not quite match their phenomenal nine individual stakes winners of 12 races return of the 2021/2022 season in the season just past, but are nevertheless a stud farm on the up.

Three of their Graded-winning stalwarts from that 2021/2022 season returned to their place of birth last week and will assume stud duties.

Big Burn (Elusive Fort) won seven races including a Gr 2 and a Gr 3 and she was placed in three successive Gr 1s.

Homely Girl (Querari) won three races, including the Gr 2 East Coast Radio Tibouchina Stakes and she finished third in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas.

Sprinkles (Elusive Fort) won three races including a Gr 3 and she was placed in a number of Graded races including in two Gr 1s.

Hero or zero. That is the daily lot of jockeys as is graphically illustrated in the above picture shortly after the legendary Tiger Roll (Davy Russell) had been denied a glorious swansong when beaten narrowly by stablemate Delta Work (Jack Kennedy). (Picture: Patrick McCann (Racing Post)).

Thesis On The Stress Of Jockeyship – Jockeys Called On To Participate

The Sporting Post

The dangers of riding racehorses at high speed, combined with possible criticism from owners, trainers and punters, and often the need to maintain the weight necessary to establish a career and earn a living, means that the life of a professional jockey is hardly as glamorous as many of us would believe.

Racing is often seen as having lagged behind other sports in accepting the importance of jockeys mental health.

But there is always always hope that research and renewed conversation about it can bring about real change.

As part of her MSc in Psychological Sciences at Brunel University, London, well-known horseracing media personality Michele Wing is currently looking for volunteers to take part in a confidential research study about the perception of stressors and coping strategies used by South African jockeys.

Michele’s study has received ethical approval from Brunel University College of Health, Medicine and Life Science Research Ethics Committee, London.

Participation in this research is entirely voluntary, anonymous and confidential and participants can withdraw at any point without having to give a reason.

Jockeys keen to contribute can email 2207711@brunel.ac.uk in strict confidence.

Richard Fourie kicks off his bid for the national championships at Fairview on Friday where he has nine rides for Alan Greeff (Pauline Herman Photography).

Two good Suggestions at Fairview

Jack Milner (Tab4Racing)

Overall it is a tricky card for punters to navigate on the Polytrack at Fairview on Friday but there could be two decent bankers to heal ease matters.

Amazing Colours in Race 2 is the first of them. The Heavenly Blue filly has been knocking hard on the door and it could be her turn to win.

A well-beaten third on debut on turf over 1000m suggested she needed a bit further and she has responded to that by improving and finishing runner-up in her next four starts.

She has been getting further away from the winner each time, but trainer Sharon Kotzen could have sorted out that problem by adding blinkers this time.

Jockey Louie Mxothwa has ridden her in all her races so far and hopefully the blinkers will sharpen her up and she can use her good finishing kick to score.

In the past it was considered a “punter’s crime” to go against the best-weighted runners in Plate races but the past season has shown you can do that and still find a winner.

Central City is the second-best weighted runner in Race 5, a Novice Plate over 1600m, and well behind Zatara Magic on ratings.

He has been a rare recruit to the Alan Greeff yard in that has yet to win but that can change today.

Central City is best around 1600m and was runner-up over the course and distance in April and has run well twice under current rider Richard Fourie.

The main threat could come from Knights Table who will be making his debut in Port Elizabeth for trainer Zietsman Oosthuizen.

The four-year-old Captain Of All gelding comes from the Highveld where he performed. Interestingly, his lone win came over 1600m at the Vaal where he thumped US Open, who runs in Race 3, by 3.25 lengths.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 5 Principessa Mia, 3 Bridgerton, 1 Miraculous Man, 4 Maldano

Race 2: 6 Amazing Colours, 10 Hasta Lavista Baby, 9 Quirk Of Fate, 8 Josi Mo

Race 3: 1 US Open, 5 Regazzo Grande, 6 Launch Code, 9 Future Africa

Race 4: 1 Rose Of Bayeux, 7 Fur Baby, 6 For All We Know, 3 Demigod

Race 5: 3 Central City, 6 Knights Table, 2 Zatara Magic, 4 Last Storm

Race 6: 9 Mingshi, 1 Jaspero, 4 Essos, 5 Silver Stardust

Race 7: 6 Hey Siri, 5 Dame Of Flames, 3 Phoenix, 4 Chroniclesofnania

Race 8: 2 Daleel, 3 Fiery Duke, 6 Arturo, 1 Sirnihaallongsword

Race 9: 2 Mon Tresor, 7 Global Goddess, 3 Grue Of Ice, 5 Open Secret

BEST BET

Race 5 No 3 Central City

VALUE BET

Race 8 No 2 Daleel

BEST SWINGER

Race 1 3×5

BIPOT

R108

Leg 1: 6

Leg 2: 1, 5, 6

Leg 3: 1, 3, 6, 7

Leg 4: 3

Leg 5: 1, 4, 9

Leg 6: 3, 5, 6

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 1, 5

Leg 2: 1, 6, 7

Leg 3: 3

Leg 4: 1, 9

Leg 5: 5, 6

Leg 6: 2, 3, 6

Leg 7: 2, 3, 7

PICK 6

R2000

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7

Leg 2: 3

Leg 3: 1, 4, 5, 9

Leg 4: 3, 4, 5, 6

Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6

Leg 6: 2, 3, 5, 7, 8

JACKPOT 1

R80

Leg 1: 3

Leg 2: 1, 4, 5, 9

Leg 3: 3, 4, 5, 6

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6

JACKPOT 2

R400

Leg 1: 1, 4, 5, 9

Leg 2: 3, 4, 5, 6

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6

Leg 4: 2, 3, 5, 7, 8

Kobus Roux shows his appreciation to Lulu’s Boy after the seven-year-old had clinched a treble for his yard (Picture: JC Photos)

Schwarz/Roux Treble At The Vaal

Dennis Schwarz rode a treble for Kobus Roux at the Vaal straight course today.

Roux, who only had seven wins the whole of last season, turned his horses out in mint condition.

His day kicked off in fine style when Dakota Cat (Lancaster Bomber) made a mockery of his bookmaker odds of 9/4 by romping in by 6,50 lengths over 1200m. Dakota Cat looked a shoe in on form, but vied for favouritism with the long-time maiden Wilkies.

Later Roux’s New Predator filly Leonessa won a maiden by an easy three lengths over 1600m.

In the last race seven-year-old Byword gelding Lulu’s Boy just lasted long enough after carving out a big lead under a well-judged ride by Schwarz.

Those were Schwarz’s first three wins of the season and he lies five wins off the pace on the national log, which is being set by Gavin Lerena and Muzi Yeni with eight wins apiece.

Those were also the first three wins of Kobus Roux this season and he is going along at a 30% strike rate.

Fairview Poly Fields – Friday

The jockey in the centre of this picture was said to be the first to have great success using the short stirrup style that is used by all jockeys today. (Keeneland Library Photo).

Today’s Question

Why do jockeys ride with such short stirrups and who was the first jockey to have success with this method?

Question answer at the bottom of the newsletter

ANSWER TO TODAY’S QUESTION

The short stirrup lifts the rider over the horse’s withers (the ridge between the horse’s shoulder bones) and thereby allows the animal better balance.

Willie Simms, (born January 16, 1870, near Augusta, Georgia, U.S.—died February 26, 1927, Asbury, New Jersey) was an American jockey who is the only African American to have won all three of the races that compose the Triple Crown of American horse racing: the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes, and the Preakness Stakes.

Simms began racing in the North in 1887 and became the most-successful rider to adopt the short stirrup since the antebellum slave and rider Abe Hawkins. The short stirrup, which is now ubiquitous, lifts the rider over the horse’s withers (the ridge between the horse’s shoulder bones) and thereby allows the animal better balance. In 1895 Simms became the first American jockey to win in England. The short stirrup, however, earned more esteem after the white American jockey Tod Sloan used it to win English races in 1897, and it soon came to be known as the “American seat.”

Simms competed at a time when horse racing was dominated by black jockeys, who were the leading riders and often the highest-paid athletes of their day. African American jockeys won 15 of the first 28 runnings of the Kentucky Derby, the most-prestigious event in American horse racing, but they also faced much racial discrimination. Simms himself won the Derby in 1896 and 1898; he also won the Belmont Stakes in 1893 and 1894. When he won the Preakness Stakes in 1898, he became the only African American to have won all the Triple Crown classics. Simms was the leading American jockey (on the basis of number of wins) in 1893 and 1894. When he retired in 1901, he had one of the best lifetime-winning percentages in the sport. By the 1920s, however, African Americans had been pushed out of prominent roles in horse racing, and the accomplishments of Simms and other African American jockeys had been all but forgotten. Simms was inducted into the hall of fame at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1977.

Turf Talk Newsletter – 10 August, 2023