Future Pearl makes it a fourth career Graded staying race win when landing the Gr 3 Tabgold Derby over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

The Sean Tarry-trained Future Pearl and the Mike de Kock-trained Aragosta threw a spanner into the Hollywoodbets Durban July works when finishing one-two in the Gr 3 Tabgold Derby over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday, although the task of the final field panelists was alleviated to some extent when Dave The King was scratched today (Tuesday).

The minds of racing fans around the country are starting to turn towards the Hollywoodbets Durban July final field announcement on June 25.

Both Future Pearl and Aragosta are July entries and neither was in the top 20 on the final July log.

Dave The King is now one of three top 20 final log incumbents who have been scratched from the big race, joining Main Defender and Royal Aussie.

Future Pearl was not even in the five outside horses looking in on the final log after finishing unplaced in his first four starts this season. However, he won the unofficial stayers triple crown last season and finished strongly from off the pace to win by a length on Saturday, despite giving 1kg to his contemporaries and 4kg to the two three-year-olds.

He made a good case for himself to be put into the top 18.

Aragosta was in the five horses looking in on the final log and if Future Pearl indeed goes into the top 18, that will leave him needing to leapfrog at least one horse in the top 20 on the log to get into the top 18.

The 19th and 20th places in the final field are the first and second reserves and are unwanted positions, as they have to rely on a scratching before 8 a.m on the Friday before the big race.

Aragosta won a Listed race over 2500m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth earlier this season and was recently a 3,75 length third in the Gr 1 wfa Premier’s Champions Challenge. He was beaten 2,40 lengths by Future Swing in the Gr 3 Glorious Goodwood Chairman’s Cup over 2500m when giving the latter 10kg, but he was beaten 3,30 lengths on weight for age terms by Hotarubi in the Colorado King Stakes over 2000m and finished last in the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m. He was earlier also well beaten by Shoemaker in a Pinnacle over 1800m.

Cape Eagle and Without Question, both July entries, started joint bookmaker favourites at 28/10 in the Tabgold Derby, but were short-heads apart in 6th and 7th, beaten close to five lengths, after finding nothing in the straight.

Cape Eagle’s chances of making the July field look to be gone unless there are a lot of scratchings.

At the time of writing there were 28 horses standing their ground.

Without Question was caught without cover one out and one back on Saturday and after quickening at the top of the straight had soon cried enough. He either didn’t stay or the effect of not having cover took its toll.

The problem with his form is that he was beaten 11,65 lengths into 16th in last year’s July and his Gr 1 wfa WSB Met third place finish is his only place in six runs this season.

In his favour is that he was 16th on the final July log

Meridius, who was also in the five outsiders looking in, won a traditional July pointer, the Gr 3 Jubilee Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein Standside. His connections will be hoping he squeezes into the top 18 after the scratchings of Royal Aussie, Main Defender and Dave The King. Against him is his only run to date over further than 1800m was below par i.e. a 19,25 length tenth in the Gr 1 wfa Premiers Champions Challenge over 2000m.

Meridius’ 1800m form is at least on a par with Shoemaker.

However, in Shoemaker’s favour is he ran a four length fifth in the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup over 2000m at level weights with the winner Royal Victory.

Shoemaker was 19th on the final log and in 20th was Son Of Raj, who was a one length third in the Jubilee, but he was giving 4kg to Meridius, which is likely why he ended up ahead of him on the log. Furthermore, Son Of Raj finished a decent fifth in the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m. He was beaten 27 lengths in the Premiers Champions Challenge, but on the other hand is a former SA Derby winner, so has no stamina doubt over the July trip.

Silver Sanctuary and Frances Ethel were 17th and 18th on the final log and as the respective Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks winners they should get into the top 18 as things stand.

Hluhluwe, who was among the five horses looking in, won the Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup over 1600m, but failed to shine when stepped up to 2000m in both the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby and Gr 1 Daily News 2000, despite it being believed he was looking for that step up in trip.

Hotarubi, also among the five outsiders looking in on the last log, was narrowly behind Hluhluwe in the Daily News, when suffering a nightmare wide trip. However, he had earlier finished a three length fifth and a 2,5 length fourth in the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m and Gr 1 SA Derby over 2450m respectively and followed that with a narrow second in the Gr 2 Colorado King Stakes over 2000m. He was also third in a Gr 3 over 1400m and second in the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas.

Mucho Dinero, also among the five looking in, was one of the most fancied horses in the early July betting after four wins on the trot in Cape Town, including a Listed event over 2400m and a Gr 2 over 1800m. However, he has run unplaced in all three of his subsequent KZN starts, and this saw him dropping out of the top 20 on the log.

See It Again, Royal Victory, Winchester Mansion, Double Superlative, Green With Envy, Flag Man, Cousin Casey, Oriental Charm, Purple Pitcher, Barbaresco, Future Swing, Master Redoute, Silver Sanctuary and Frances Ethel look to be 14 solid choices for final field positions.

That leaves four places to be fought out by Future Pearl, Aragosta, Without Question, Shoemaker, Son Of Raj, Hotarubi, Mucho Dinero, Meridius and Hluhluwe.

The other five entries still standing, Cape Eagle (merit rated 105), Imilenzeyokududuma (105), Narina Trogon (100), Indian Ocean (95), Pomodoro’s Jet (93) would be way under sufferance in the big race and have not done enough to warrant inclusion in the final field.

There could still be scratchings though.

The final supplementary stage closed today (18 June) and there were no further supplementary entries.

Red Maple (Silvano) flies through late under Craig Zackey to deny Saartjie in the Gr 2 Tabgold Oaks over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday, thus completing a Graded staying race double for the Sean Tarry yard (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Seantarryracing.co.za

The Tarry yard had already enjoyed plenty of KZN feature race success this season heading into Saturday, and Sean’s great strike rate in feature races continued when his charges Future Pearl and Red Maple won Saturday’s G3 Tabgold Derby and G2 Tabgold Oaks, respectively.

Last season’s Equus Champion Stayer Future Pearl put up a superb performance when he won Saturday’s Tabgold Derby at Hollywoodbets Greyville. Under a confident ride from the record-breaking Richard Fourie, the gelding flew up from the back of the field to hit the front 200m from home. Despite his jockey losing his crop and the horse having to carry a 1kg penalty, Future Pearl proved a cut above his rivals and drew off to post a convincing one-length win.

On this effort, Future Pearl looks to have stamped his ticket to the upcoming G1 Hollywoodbets Durban July, with Future Pearl having a superb record at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Bred by Drakenstein Stud, the top-class four-year-old is owned by Antony and Angela Beck. Future Pearl is a son of the Drakenstein-based champion Futura and former G1 Woolavington 2200 runner-up Arabian Pearl.

His stablemate Red Maple picked up her first graded stakes win when she landed the Tabgold Oaks on Saturday. Under Craig Zackey, the Wilgerbosdrift bred and owned filly weaved her way through the field to get up and land the 2024 Tabgold Oaks by a neck.

It was a courageous effort from Red Maple, with the filly having been interfered with at the start of Saturday’s race. The four-year-old, whose poor recent efforts over further than 2400m were down to a lack of stamina, is a daughter of six-time South African champion sire Silvano and the Fastnet Rock mare Cherry Tree Lane.

The well-bred Red Maple, who will be a valuable addition to the Wilgerbosdrift paddocks when she retires to stud, has now won four times, with the filly having also triumphed in the 2023 Listed World Sports Betting Spook Express Handicap.

Expert Eye won the Gr 1 Breeders Cup Mile turf (Edward Whitaker (Racing Post)).

Paardeberg Stud’s new stallion, Expert Eye, made a significant impact at the glamorous pre-Royal Ascot Sale held at Kensington Gardens on Monday. Rock Hunter, a two-year-old colt consigned by Amy Murphy, drew substantial interest but ultimately was bought back by his group of owners for £300,000.

Rock Hunter has shown impressive form, making a sparkling debut at Chantilly followed by strong second-place finishes at Ascot and in the Listed National Stakes at Sandown Park. With an entry in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes on Thursday, his owners are clearly optimistic about his chances.

Expert Eye, the stunning bay son of Acclimation, is now standing at Paardeberg Stud. In his first season in South Africa, he is already attracting a high-quality book of mares, reflecting his growing reputation and potential as a leading sire.

Rock Hunter is pictured winning at Chantilly (jourdegalop.com)

By Brian Sheerin (TDN)

You’ve heard of their horses and are familiar with their double blue silks, but who exactly are the owners behind what seems to be a never-ending supply of Amy Murphy-trained winners in France (including Rock Hunter, an exciting son of Paardeberg Stud-based stallion Expert Eye?)

Daniel Macauliffe and Anoj Don are similar to the majority of people who have ever got involved in the ownership game in that their initial interest was very small.

What started out as a good idea in the pub has exploded into the business partners owning their own racing stables in County Mayo, over 20 horses in training across Britain, Ireland and France as well as a small broodmare band and their own stallion.

But it is farming juvenile races in France that the pair have become most noteworthy for and Hot Darling (Ire) is the latest example in that success story. Bought for just 25,000gns by Rodrigo Goncalves during the Book 3 session at Tattersalls last year, Hot Darling has already repaid that investment with back-to-back wins in France.

The daughter of Too Darn Hot (GB) followed up her hard-fought debut success at Chantilly with a Listed victory at Vichy, leaving just shy of £40,000 in prize-money in her owners’ account.

However, while Macauliffe and Don are both successful businessmen in their own right, sustaining a string over over 20 horses does not come cheaply and on Monday it was announced that Hot Darling would be offered for sale by Tattersalls on June 12–just in time for Royal Ascot.

Don, a native of Sri Lanka, explained, “It is of course exciting and it is special to be selling a horse with Royal Ascot claims. We have a price in our minds and won’t let her go unless she makes that figure. She has achieved black-type already and the sire won two Guineas in the one day [with Fallen Angel and Darnation] so we said why not bring our filly to the market now rather than later. Even since Monday, when Tattersalls announced that she would be for sale, we have received many calls from people who want to book time slots to view Hot Darling, so that’s very exciting.”

He added, “We have had plenty of offers for her already but we thought that the best thing to do in order to get her value right was to offer her online with Tattersalls. It is a good time to sell because everybody wants to have a runner at Royal Ascot and she looks like she will go there with a big chance. She will be sold with an entry in a Group 3 race on June 16 in France as well and that could also be a nice option for her.”

* Hot Darling fetched a whopping 460,000 gns, which must have pleased both Macauliffe and Don. New owner Nurlan Bizakov has kept her with Amy Murphy and she avoided the France race and runs in the Gr 3 Albany Stakes over six furlongs at Royal Ascot on Friday.

Macauliffe and Don are the proud owners of Killala House Stables in County Mayo. Diehard fans of the all-weather action at Dundalk will remember the purple patch that the pair enjoyed in 2017/18 with trainer Fergal Birrane, who operates from that training establishment, courtesy of stalwarts like California Lad (GB) (Aussie Rules), Rock On Dandy (Fr) (Rajsaman {Fr}) and more.

Targeting races in France is something of a more recent development, with Manhattan Jungle (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) being the filly that forged the pair’s relationship with Murphy and her husband Lemos de Souza.

Don explained, “The early-season races in France are a bit weaker than they are in Britain and Ireland. Most of the French-bred horses are best over seven furlongs or maybe a mile. We can’t go over to France with a mile-and-a-half horse, but we can go over there with a fast two-year-old, and thankfully we have had some success over the past three or four years doing this.

“The first one was Manhattan Jungle–she won her first three starts in France and was second in a Group 3 out there. This year we have had three separate winners in France, so it’s so far so good.”

He added, “We only have a small budget to buy these horses and we work as a team. If you work as a team, you will have more success. Matt Coleman does a lot of our work and he introduced us to Amy. Nirodha (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) was the first horse we had with her. She won four races for us and we still have her. We also have horses with Ivan Furtado, Charlie Fellowes and Kevin Philippart de Foy in Britain while in France we have horses with Gavin Hernon and Francois Monfort.”

Macauliffe is an entrepreneur by day. Along with Don, he is heavily involved in property, with the two men the driving forces behind Danoj Developments.

Recalling how the business partners first got the bug, he said, “It was in the pub! One of our friends in Lambourn said ‘why not come in on a horse’ but unfortunately he turned out to be no good. But it just started from there. Then we bought California Lad (GB) (Aussie Rules) with Harry Dunlop and he went on to win three or four races with Fergal Birrane in Ireland. We have some nice two-year-olds this year; Convo (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) won first time out and was second in a Listed race in France, Rock Hunter (GB) (Expert Eye {GB}) also won first time out and has placed in his last two starts and then Hot Darling as well.”

He added, “Pride Of America (Fr) (American Post {GB}), who was in training with Harry Dunlop before going to Amy Murphy, gave us our first big win at York a couple of years ago. We’ve also been lucky enough to own Fighting Irish (Ire), who won a Group 2 in France, and is now based out there [at Haras d’Annebault] as a stallion. We supported him with about eight mares and now some of his progeny is starting to come through.”

But just like in business, there is always a bottom line. While there is huge fun to be enjoyed in the ownership ranks and in breeding, it’s the same principals that has sustained Macauliffe and Don in business that has helped them reach the winner’s enclosure.

“The wheel is always turning,” Don said. “For example, we purchased a lovely New Bay (GB) colt at Arqana and he cost a lot of money [€285,000]. We also bought an Arizona (Ire) colt at Tattersalls Ireland [€60,000] as well. In order to pay the bills, we have to sell some of the horses and make sure that some money comes in.”

With that in mind, connections are already planning to send Rock Hunter, who, like Hot Darling, has done extremely well in France this year, to the Goffs London Sale on the eve of Royal Ascot. It begs the question; with all of these classy two-year-olds off to the sales, might Macauliffe and Don end up turning a profit this year?

(See above article about Rock Hunter attracting a lof of interest but them ultimately buying him back).

“I don’t know about that,” Don laughed. “As I said, we need the money to pay the bills. But I like going to the sales and buying and selling the horses. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. But we have had some great luck with Lemos and Amy and hopefully we get a good payday together soon.”