Turf Talk Newsletter – 10 June, 2026

Chad Schofield pictured during his high-flying Hong Kong riding days (HKJC)

KZN’s reigning champion trainer Gareth van Zyl has announced the rider for his Hollywoodbets Durban July contender King Pelles and it will add further international flavour to the big race.

Chad Schofield will join his cousin Zac Lloyd as a rider in the big race with Zac having been announced earlier this week as the rider for the Justin Snaith-trained Happy Verse.

One factor which will give 31-year-old Chad an advantage over 22-year-old Zac is he has ridden in the July before, partnering The Conglomerate in 2015 and finding himself stuck behind a wall of horses when trying to find a path down the outside.

He will have that in mind when planning his race this time.

(*The Joey Ramsden-trained The Conglomerate went on to win the race the following year in 2016 under Piere Strydom)

Chad and Zac are the respective sons of two world class former Durbanite jockeys who both married daughters of former trainer Aubrey Roberts.

Chad is the son of Glyn Schofield, while Zac is the son of the legendary Jeff Lloyd.

Glyn was not considered a top echelon jockey in South Africa until the first decade of this millennium when returning from overseas.

His overseas campaigns included a stint in Hong Kong where he rode 151 winners between 2003 and 2006.

Upon his return to South Africa it soon became apparent he had transformed into a world class jockey and often outrode his weighing rooom colleagues with his fine hands and quite incredible judgement of pace. He not only became one of the most sort after jockeys in South Africa but went on to become, like Jeff, a highly sort after jockey in Australia, where he rode 18 Gr 1 winners.

Chad rose to prominence after winning Australia’s greatest weight for age race, the Cox Plate, in 2013 on maiden Shamus Award at the tender age of 19, the youngest to ride the winner in that iconic race since Brent Thomson won it at the age of 17 in 1975.

He then followed in his father’s foootsteps by riding in Hong Kong where he had 208 wins in a seven year stint.

He continued to be a sort after jockey when returning to Australia and has had nine Gr 1 wins in his career.

Gareth was left without a jockey when Gavin Lerena jumped ship from King Pelles on to the latecomer in the top 20 on the log,  Minogue, but this paved the way for further international presence in the big race.

Ormond Ferraris pictured during his heyday when his name was seldom far from the headlines  

The South African racing fraternity woke up to the sad news on Wednesday morning that the legendary Hall Of Fame trainer Ormond Ferraris had passed away after a short illness.

He passed away peacefully at his retirement home in Plettenberg Bay yesterday morning, 10 June, surrounded by people he loved dearly, his sons David and Paul, grandson Luke, granddaughter Caroline and stepdaughters, Kim and Leigh.

Ormond was inducted into the South African Hall of Fame on Champions Day at Turffontein on Saturday, 29 March 2025, two days before his 93rd birthday.

He had saddled no fewer than ten Oaks winners, including Pretty Border, St Just and Lambarina.

He also prepared eight Derby winners, including the outstanding Distinctly, Newmarket Triple Crown winner Fine Regent, and The Monk, and he won the 2013 Triple Tiara with Cherry On The Top.

Another of Ferraris’ great legacies will be the role he played as a mentor. He played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of champion trainers David Ferraris, Mike de Kock, and Michael Clements, as well as leading trainers Weiho Marwing, Weichong Marwing and Sharon Kotzen.

Yet, what he held dearest was his founding of the Trainers Benevolent Fund, which he personally managed from 1970 to 2022 before handing it over to a private accountant.

Ferraris said about the fund just over a year ago, “The saddest thing I’ve seen in all my years in racing is the passing of many good horsemen without a penny to their names. We tried to help as many as we could, despite limited funding from racing authorities. Resources are now at a minimum, but we built a reserve that I hope will last a few more years.”

Ferraris briefly worked as a trainee antiques dealer in downtown Johannesburg before becoming workrider and then assistant trainer to George Weale in 1949 and 1950 respectively.

In 1954, he was granted his own trainer’s licence and saddled his first winner, Shenandoah, at Gosforth Park on 14 August of that year.

Ferraris went on to train approximately 2,600 more winners before retiring in May 2019, never handling a string of more than 60 runners.

Racing scribe Charl Pretorius ghost wrote Ormond’s autobiography “Thoroughly”.

The book reaffirmed Ferraris’ reputation as a dedicated trainer who put his horses first.

Ormond developed expertise in all facets of training and his most rewarding finds at the Sales ranged from a R200 purchase to the brilliant Australian-bred Tracy’s Element.

His dedication to his profession was in fact emphasised on the day he spotted Tracy’s Element.

It followed an exhausting flight to Australia, but rather than rest in the hotel and wait for the next day he went straight to the Sales grounds where he spotted the filly walking by soon after arriving there.

He was beside himself with excitement and upon returning to the hotel he informed owner Paddy Hinton that he had seen perfection. His expert eye and intuition proved to be a hundred percent correct. Tracy’s Element had 19 starts for 11 wins, four of them Gr 1s and three of those were against the boys, the Gold Medalliom, the Computaform Sprint and the Star Sprint and she also won the SA Fillies Sprint.

The book confirmed Ormond to be a forthright man.

The first time a wealthy owner pushed him too far the twenty-seven year-old Ormond drove to the latter’s office, jumped over the receptionists desk and barged into his office.

“Get your horses out of my yard!”, or something to that effect, were the last words he said to a few owners, including that one.

However, this never stopped him progressing steadily and the reason for this was emphasised through another incident.

Ormond was warned by a colleague, after he had given one particular owner the “Get out!” command, he should perhaps have been more circumspect because this particular man had a reputation as one not to be messed with.

Ormond believed his end might be nigh when he came to a lonely bridge on the way to the track early in one of the ensuing mornings to find this man’s car blocking the path.

However, after approaching the car with trepidation, it turned out the owner was only there to beg Ormond to take his horses back.

Ormond was training at The Vaal at the time of that incident and had moved there after a stint at Newmarket.

His career in fact truly took off at the Vaal.

His reasons for the move, i.e. the training tracks had no clay underneath them and thus drained well, proved spot on.

Ormond had up and down relationships with jockeys, but developed flourishing partnerships with the good ones, with fierce loyalty being a determining factor.

The pressure was high on trainers in the old days when they did not get a percentage of the prize money and had to rely on betting. In fact this pressure was so great that in the mid 1960s Ormond packed up training and turned to sheep farming.

Luckily for SA racing, the latter stint did not last long!

There were then the boom years of the 1970s,1980s and first part of 1990, when massive crowds attended the races and the quality of the thoroughbreds competing was outstanding, as it had also been in the 1960s.

They horses were bred tougher in those days and this is emphasised when Ormond states matter-of-factly that his top class colt Distinctly made his debut over 800m on October 10 of his two-year-old season!

Of course Distinctly is at the centre of Ormond’s most disappointing day on a racecourse in the 1975 July, where he believes, but for interference from Gatecrasher, Distinctly would have won by four to five lengths.

Another aspect mentioned by Ormond is that throughout the dark days of apartheid peace and harmony existed between the various races of South Africa on the racecourse, even in the times when they were forced on to separate grandstands.

Former jockey and now Summerveld trainer Dennis Bosch summed up Ormond is one sentence on Wednesday morning.

He said, “In racing Mr Ferraris said it as it was, there was no beating around the bush, but out of racing he was the nicest, kindest man you could ever meet. He not only started the benelovent fund for trainers. but I believe he also built a beautiful church for the previously disadvantaged. He was a super guy and a great trainer.”

Ormond was still active into his 90s assisting trainer Weichong Marwing at Turffontein, where the pair once formed a lethal partnership with Ormond as trainer and Weichong as jockey.

Ormond operated out of the same yard at Turffontein for 40 years.

His legend will not fade as he has a race named after him in South Africa and his grandson Luke is keeping the Ferraris name alive as one of the top jockeys in the highly competitive environment of Hong Kong.

Today heralded the end of a fairytale story as S’Manga Khumalo, who had risen from a poverty-stricken background in Umlazi to become the first black jockey to win the country’s biggest race and to become a twice SA Jockey Champion, was sentenced to a 15 year ban for a serious integrity breach with five of those years suspended.

The three charges he had been found guilty of were:

1. Corrupt / dishonest practice – improper communication of non-public race information
2. Charge 2: Corrupt receipt/acceptance of money or benefit (gratification) connected to race activity
3. Charge 3: Conduct affecting the performance of a horse / failure to ride on the merits (race fixing)

Click here to read the details of the charges

The NHA press about Khumalo’s sanction can be read below.

The Inquiry into Jockey S’manga Khumalo concluded before an appointed Inquiry Board on 10 June 2026 for the delivery of sanction following his finding of guilt.

Accordingly, the following sanction was imposed in terms of the Rules of the NHA:

1. Mr Khumalo’s current jockey licence is cancelled with immediate effect.

1. Mr Khumalo is precluded from applying for, renewing, holding, or being issued any jockey licence for a period of fifteen (15) years, commencing 23 March 2026, of which five (5) years are suspended for 15 years on the conditions as set out by the Inquiry Board, as attached.

Mr Khumalo has the right of appeal.

Click here For Inquiry Board Sanction (in detail)

Michael Shackleton

Legal Executive

Picture: Ilustrador after winning the July under Felix Coetzee

Sarah Whitelaw

During 1990, South African racing fans were treated to a remarkable display by the uber-versatile gelding Ilustrador. (The latter commenced his career as Illustrador but his name was eventually changed to Ilustrador).

The latter went from winning the G3 Rupert Ellis Brown Plate (1200m) to capturing the G1 Gold Cup over 3200m while displaying a level of versatility and class rarely, if ever, seen before in a single South African season.

Ilustrador was bred in Argentina by Haras “La Irenita”. He was sired by Cipayo, Argentine’s Champion 2-year-old male of 1977, who was Argentina’s Leading Sire on three occasions.

Among Cipayo’s more than 60 stakes winners were G1 Santa Margarita Handicap winner Toda Una Dama, Argentine top level winners Cautin, El Asesor, Generadora, and successful sire Fitzcarraldo.

Cipayo, who headed the Leading Broodmare Sires premiership on five occasions, also ranks as the broodmare sire of El Picha, the Joint Horse Of The Year in South Africa in 1999. Cipayo also appears in the pedigree of champion, and once beaten G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, Invasor. (Invasor’s fourth dam Twins was the granddam of Ilustrador).

Ilustrador, who was directly descended in female line from the mighty Pretty Polly, was produced by the winning Vervain mare Disy. Disy was an outstanding producer whose progeny included not only Ilustrador but a pair of Argentine G1 winning full-brothers to that champion in the form of Indalecio and Ishkra, as well as useful South Africa gallopers Agapanto and Vladimir.

Ilustrador, one of a long string of Argentine bred horses to excel for his trainer Terrance Millard, broke his maiden at the third time of asking when victorious over 1600m at Kenilworth. A well beaten second next time out, Ilustrador went on to win two in a row before finishing fifth, beaten seven lengths by Pas De Quoi, in the G1 Cape Derby of 1990.

Subsequently gelded, Ilustrador duly made his way to KwaZulu-Natal where he would rewrite the record books.

Sent off a rank outsider for the G3 Rupert Ellis Brown Plate (over 1200m), and making his first start as a gelding, Ilustrador made a mockery of his starting price when storming home to win going away by a widening two lengths.

He would confirm that result was no fluke when taking on an outstanding field next time out in the G1 South African Guineas. The favourite Face North appeared to have the race won turning into the straight, only for Ilustrador, under a fine ride from Mark Sutherland, to get up in the closing stages and win by a short-head. Further back in running came the likes of Bluffing, Spanish Galliard and Kick The Habit.

Now firmly established as one of the best horses of his genertion, Ilustrador made it three graded wins in a row when he won the G2 Natal Derby. Sent off a well backed favourite, Ilustrador was made to work hard for victory and just bested runner up Dramatic Verve by a neck. It was not an impressive performance, and Ilustrador lost a few supporters following his hard earned Natal Derby win.

However, the Argentine bred proved the doubters wrong when he won the G1 Rothmans July next time up.

Under Felix Coetzee (who had set a new record for numbers of winners ridden during the 1989-1990 season), Ilustrador swept into contention after crossing the subway. From there he stayed on strongly to register a 1.3 length victory.

Remarkably, trainer Terrance Millard saddled the first three home in that year’s July, with Ilustrador vanquishing stablemates Olympic Duel and Jungle Warrior into second and third spots respectively (Jungle Warrior dead-heated with Respectable for third).

Ilustrador was not disgraced when finishing third in the G1 Mainstay International when conceding weight to the two horses who finished in front of him. It was a fine effort in defeat by Ilustrador, with the latter being slowly away and was 15 lengths off the front runners as the field turned for him. Nonetheless, Ilustrador unleashed his customary turn of foot which saw the gelding get up to take third, beaten just over a length by Face North.

Just one week later, the remarkable three-year-old was sent out in the G1 Gold Cup. Under Felix Coetzee, Ilustrador made his move early in the straight and kept going gamely to hold off the lightly weighted Hula King and win by half a length.

Following his remarkable season, Ilustrador was named ARCSA Horse Of The Year, Champion 3YO Colt/Gelding and Champion Stayer for 1990.

Unfortunately, a tendon injury sidelined Ilustrador for 18 months following his Gold Cup win, and he would go on to make just three more starts.

Few, if any horses, have accomplished as much as Ilustrador did in such a short space of time and he will long be remembered as one of the most versatile thoroughbreds to grace the South African turf in the twentienth century.

Vapour Trail (Erik The Red), a half-brother to the world class One World colt One Stripe, wins readily on the poly today under Keagan de Melo (Wednesday) (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Race Coast

Keagan De Melo will have learned plenty about pace in Hong Kong, one of the most competitive racing jurisdictions on the planet, and he put that knowledge to good effect as he got Vapour Trail home in the Progress Plate that headed the poly card at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday.

Blinkered for the first time, De Melo had Vaughan Marshal’s charge quickly out of the gate and into the lead but setting a sedate gallop as the gelding settled comfortably into the bridle.

Powerandtheglory was always in contention but favourite Hah Lah Lah was giving Craig Zackey a torrid time. Dropped in off the pace as is the want with Dean Kannemeyer-trained runners, Hah Lah Lah was having none of it, fighting for his head and eventually forcing Zackey to track wide to prevent him running into the heels of the opposition.

De Melo quickened up the pace off the false rail and Vapour Trail was not for the catching as he kept rolling. Powerandtheglory tried gamely to stay in touch but was unable to make up the leeway and as a half-brother to WSB Cape Town Met winner Double Superlative a trip further than yesterday’s 1400m must be on the cards.

Hah La La blew his chances in the early fight with Zackey and his powder was damp come the chase for home.

Louis Goosen’s filly Meeksha was a popular choice in the card opener but the result boiled down to a successful objection. Meeksha and Tiger Cody were involved in a desperate finish but did come together a couple of times. There was a nod of the heads at the line with Tiger Cody on the right side of the photo finish but on the wrong side of the objection and the result was reversed.

Master Of My Fate is the hottest stallion in the country of late and the white-faced Splash Of Love added another to his growing tally of winners as Paul Lafferty’s filly made short work of her opposition in the second.

Greek Heiress made most of the running but she quickly ran out of gas in the straight leaving her challenger in the market, Gimme The Power, racing into the lead. However, her challenge was also short lived as Splash Of Love shot clear crossing the subway and went on to win unchallenged with Indignation running on late to relegate a tiring Gimme The Power into third.

It was a day of close finishes with little more than a piece of paper separating Shiny Bob and Circle Of Grace in the D Stakes. Circle Of Grace came off a win at the Vaal and got a five-point increase in the handicap while Shiny Bob’s jockey was replaced by a 4kg claimer. Circle Of Grace made the running and tried gamely to hold on to his advantage but the weights told a tail.

Tempranillo has been tipped to win Race 7 (JC Photos)

Brendan Gailard’s selections for Turffontein Inside Thursday 

RACE 1

SNOWBLADE made an encouraging 1000m debut and is open to any amount of improvement over this distance. EXPERT WITNESS and KNIGHT HEIST also made pleasing sprint introductions and should, on pedigree, be better suited to this extended trip. WARTRAX BLAZE, POGINI GREINE and CRIMSON RANGER will know more about it too after much-needed educational outings. Newcomer RAFE’S ORACLE is bred to be useful so warrants consideration – watch the betting.

RACE 2

Well-related FREESTYLE DANCE finished more than 4 lengths ahead of FOREST ACT on debut and, while the latter should improve with the benefit of that experience, FREESTYLE DANCE should have the measure of that rival as well as re-opposing EMPRESS OF PEACE over this extended trip. However, it could pay to side with well-bred FEAST OF BERRIES whose 1160m debut was encouraging. Her pedigree also suggests that this distance will be more to her liking.

RACE 3

HEROIC ACT, COMIC ARTIST and the returning INCLUSION all have the form and experience to acquit themselves competitively but are vulnerable to less-exposed rivals. Both DOCTOR STRANGELOVE and EVENING NEWS fall into that category and have shown enough over shorter distances to suggest that they can fight out the finish if making the expected improvement over this extended trip. EPIDAURUS has earning potential too.

RACE 4

Progressive FUTURE GAMBLE has thrived on the Highveld. She recently reeled off a hat-trick of 2000m victories, each win more impressive than the last, and the 8-point penalty for her latest wide-margin beating of male opposition may not be enough to prevent her from following up. Consistent last-start scorer INTO DANCING remains competitive off a career-high mark and will keep the selection honest. Hard-knockers AVOONTOAST, MOUNT ETNA and AZALEAS FOR ALL are proven at this level and likely to make their presence felt too. BAKWENA and SURPRISE PARTY also have the means to get involved.

RACE 5

APOSTROPHE, PLAY WITH FIRE and ROSY LEMON are closely matched on the form of an 1800m meeting last month and there shouldn’t be much separating them on revised terms. The latter was too far out of her ground on that occasion so will appreciate the extra 200m and could turn the tables over this trip. FALCONFLY should also enjoy stretching out to 2000m after a pleasing 1600m comeback, while recent scorer INSTANT ATTRACTION is distance suited and likely to remain competitive under a resultant penalty.

RACE 6

JUST THE TWO OF US has found her niche racing with cheekpieces fitted. She was a good 3rd against male opposition at a higher level last time and a repeat of that performance could suffice in same-sex company. ANCHORAGE, BRIGHT AND BRAZEN and VERSACE ONTHETRACK are closely matched on the form of recent meetings, so they should be in the shake-up. DAME OF TRIX and MISS ARGONAUT are others with earning potential.

RACE 7

TEMPRANILLO returns from a rest but is open to improvement and unbeaten over this track and trip. BLINDFIRE, DUCHESS ZAHRA and KIA KAHA should have more to offer back in same-sex company off reduced ratings, while POWER OF PEARLS is another to consider on her handicap debut under a 1.5kg claimer. JAZZ PIANIST has dropped to a career-low mark in her peak outing and a repeat of her latest performance (3rd) at a higher level should be good enough in this grade.

RACE 8

RINGA RINGA ROSES is course-and-distance suited and has remained competitive off her current mark at a higher level. TRAIL RUNNER and VAMANOS are better than their recent 1200m efforts suggest and a return to this trip should suit both fillies. PRINCESS KEIRA and PRINCESS ILARIA will be involved if building on improved recent performances. BLUSHING BLOOM and SAKURA HANAMI also have earning potential.

RACE 9

Maturing TRACKSUIT DAVE was beaten by a well-handicapped older rival at this level last time and a similar performance off an unchanged mark, even under top weight, will see him go close to winning. ELUSIVE RED and LONGSWORD are closely matched on recent form. Both made eye-catching late headway in a stronger 1400m contest last time and will be competitive if reproducing those efforts. Hard-knockers LEGENDARY, MICHAEL FARADAY, MATTIAZO and BLOOMINGTON can never be ignored at this level either.

Tycoon Resources and Angus Chung maintained the sprinter’s unbeaten record with a third consecutive victory at Happy Valley

Paul Ryding (HKJC)

Eye-catching three-year-old Tycoon Resources improved to three wins from three outings as he cruised to another victory for trainer Tony Cruz, who secured a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (10 June).

The son of Written Tycoon has been turning heads at Happy Valley, where each of his wins has come so far, as well as in a series of impressive morning barrier trials at Sha Tin.

Angus Chung, previously indentured to Cruz, is in the enviable position of regular rider of the classy sprinter, and was in the saddle again as Tycoon Resources (120lb) eased to a one-and-a-half-length victory in the first section of the Class 3 West Kowloon Handicap (1200m).

“He’s an improving horse; I believe he’s got really good prospects,” Cruz said. “I reckon I’ll run him one more time before the season ends. I believe he’s still got more improvement to come.

“I think he will stay further in time, but for now I will stick with 1200m. He’s only in Class 3 right now, so we’ll see how he makes his way up before making big (Four-Year-Old Classic Series) plans. I believe he can get a lot further than 1200m.”

Caspar Fownes kept his steady march to a fifth trainers’ championship on course when he struck in the second section of the Class 3 West Kowloon Handicap (1200m). Joao Moreira flashed home aboard Target Audience (123lb) in the card-closer to maintain the handler’s run of wins at the last four city track meetings.

Mark Newnham preserved his hopes of a maiden trainers’ championship title with a victory supplied by Zac Purton on Legend Winner (135lb) in the Class 4 Kai Tak Handicap (1650m).

“Getting down in class has helped him,” said Newnham, who moved on to 58 winners for the season, four behind leader Fownes (62).

“I think this horse has got enough talent, he just lacks a bit of confidence, and Zac said the same thing. He said it took him a while to get to his top, and he’s still looking around a bit, so there is more improvement anyway.”

Jerry Chau maintained his lead in the race for this season’s Tony Cruz Award, handed to the highest-ranked homegrown rider, when David Eustace-trained Kyrus Treasure (132lb) delivered the 26-year-old’s 44th win of the campaign in the Class 5 Chek Lap Kok Handicap (1800m).

“The drop in class, right barrier, right trip and back on top of the ground was clearly the formula for him,” Eustace said. “I think he can go on next season and hopefully win in Class 4. I think I’ll probably put him away now, hopefully he’ll get a bit of confidence from the win and mature a bit next season.”

Holmes A Court (124lb) struck first-up following a recent stable transfer in the first section of the Class 4 Stanley Handicap (1200m), to secure a double for Eustace. A front-running Brenton Avdulla ride provided the four-year-old with a first win after 11 outs.

“We were very fortunate to be given the opportunity, and he’s a horse that’s been racing well without a huge amount of luck,” Eustace said. “We gave him a bit of a freshen-up midway through the season – it helps a lot of these horses. He got a good race set up, jumped well and got a good ride.”

Avdulla netted his second of the night when he drove Grand Nova (130lb) to a hard-fought third career win in the Class 4 Tsim Sha Tsui Handicap (1000m) for defending champion trainer John Size, who claimed his 48th win of the season.

Purton grabbed his second winner in the most dramatic finish of the night, after judges took several minutes to separate the finish before handing victory to the fast-finishing, Douglas Whyte-trained Live Wire (127lb) in the second section of the Class 4 Stanley Handicap (1200m).

“He’s only a three-year-old – he’s very immature,” Whyte said. “He’s been a victim of circumstance, but he got it right today. He showed a bit of tenacity and fight and got a good ride by Zac.

“I think he’s done for the season. I just wanted to get the win under his belt; now he’s done that so he deserves a break.”

Viva Firecracker (115lb) was a worthy winner of the evening’s feature contest, the Class 4 Tourism Cup Handicap (1650m). Leading coming off the final bend with Karis Teetan in the saddle, the Cruz-trained gelding never looked like surrendering his lead and scored a first career win in style.

A surging finish from Le Zonda (124lb) under Vincent Ho saw the Pierre Ng-trained Irish import register his first Hong Kong win in the Class 3 Victoria Harbour Handicap (1800m).

Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Saturday (13 June).