Turf Talk Newsletter – 18 June, 2026

Proceed winning the Gr 1 Gold Medallion (Picture: Candiese Lenferna) 

One of the best two-year-old performances put in this season was by the Sean Tarry-trained Turn It Up (Querari) when coming from second last in the Race Coast Sales Slipper to accelerate past the field in effortless style for a 2,20 length victory and it was good timing, because his Gr 1-winning half-brother Proceed (Gimmethegreenlight) has just joined the stallion ranks.

The Gimmethegreenlight colt will only turn five years old just before the breeding season and will be standing at Blue Sky Thoroughbreds in the KZN Midlands.

The Laurence Wernars-homebred Proceed won the Gr 3 TAB Protea Stakes over 1100m in his fifth career start and followed up by winning the Gr 1 Gold Medallion over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville by 0,75 length from stablemate Cosmic Speed (Querari), who was to go on to be a Gr 1 wfa winner over a mile.

An amazing fact about Proceed and Turn It Up is that they both made their debuts in the same event, albeit two years apart, i.e. the traditional first juvenile race on the Highveld i.e. the Maiden Juvenile Plate over 800m on Betway Summer Cup day and they both finished running on seconds to lightning fast Tony Peter-trained speedsters.

Proceed was beaten 5,25 lengths by the filly Almond Sea (Canford Cliffs), while Turn It Up was beaten 3,50 lengths by Heath House (Erupt).

Both Almond Sea and Heath House have gone on to prove themselves useful sorts and in fact the latter made it four wins from five starts when winning over 1000m at the Vaal today (Thursday).

Proceed and Turn It Up do not just possess cheap speed despite their precociousness.

Both strike more as being classic types than sprinters.

Proceed followed his Gr 1 win with a 2,10 length second to Cosmic Speed in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m. He ran a cracker there because he was drawn 14 out of 14 and ran on strongly after being dropped out.

Proceed did not race as a three-year-old, but was reported by Gavin Lerena to be in fine form on the training tracks earlier this season and the champion jockey had been looking forward to his comeback.

Unfortunately, it was not to be.

Howewever, the racetracks’ loss is a stud farm’s gain.

He is out of the Captain Al mare Xplosive Kiss, who won by five lengths over 1000m on debut after being backed in to 5/10.

She was disappointing thereafter but has proved to be a fine broodmare.

Xplosive Kiss is a half-sister to Second Base (Gimmethegreenlight), who won the Gr 2 Colorado King Stakes among other races and was second in both the Gr 1 SA Classic and Gr 1 wfa Premier’s Champions Challenge and third in the Gr 1 SA Derby.

There is plenty of black type further down in the pedigree and Proceed is from the family of the like of Gr 1 Cape Guineas winner Kilindini (Silvano) and this year’s Gr 1 SA Classic winner Grand Empire (Vercingetorix).

Turn It Up was being targeted at the Gold Medallion like his half-brother, but it was then discovered he had “a fragment that needed to be removed.”

His three-year-old season is going to be very exciting for the Wernars family and for racing fans.

His half-brother Proceed looks sure to be well supported at stud considering the class both he and Turn It Up possess.

Ombudsman was awarded a Timeform rating of 134 for his stunning performance in the Gr 1 Prince Of Wales Stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting on Wednesday, which makes him the highest rated horse in Europe and another step up from there could see him in rarified territory with only 16 horses this millennium having been Timeform rated 135 or higher (Picture: Skysports Racing) 

Cape Breeders

Outstanding five-year-old Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder), a close relative of Klawervlei Stud’s four time G1 winning stallion Twice Over (Observatory), once again showed his considerable class when he won the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

In the process, Ombudsman made it back to back wins in the Ascot showpiece.

A quality field of eight runners went to post for the 10-furlong G1, with John and Thady Gosden’s Ombudsman the 11-10 favourite to become the first horse to go back-to-back in this event since the Gosden-trained Muhtarram (Alleged) in 1995.

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Daryz (Sea The Stars) and multiple Group One-winning filly Minnie Hauk (Frankel) were both in there pitching as the pacemakers faltered, but neither could resist the electric turn of Ombudsman, who powered clear late on to win in hugely impressive fashion by four lengths from Minnie Hauk.

Ombudsman, whose fifth dam Lost Virtue (Cloudy Dawn) ranks as the third dam of Twice Over, has won nine of 12 starts and he has earned £4,722,048. He has now won four G1 wins including this year’s Dubai Turf.

His four-time G1 winning relative Twice Over has been in the news this season as the sire of G1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met/G1 HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge winner See It Again.

The latter currently heads the log for the title of Horse Of The Year for 2025-2026.

Twice Over stands at Klawervlei Stud should surely attract some support.

Moonfall wins the Brittania Stakes under Zac Lloyd. Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Racing Post

Australian riding sensation Zac Lloyd, who is the son of former Durban-based South African legend Jeff Lloyd, advertised his star potential on the international stage with a first Royal Ascot winner aboard Moonfall (Starman) in the Brittania Stakes.

Lloyd, who has been riding in Britain since the start of the month in preparation for the royal meeting, made the most of a favourable high draw on the 13-2 shot to come home three-quarters of a length clear of Outback Heat in a finish dominated by those on the near rail.

The 22-year-old was lured over by trainer George Boughey and repaid the faith shown in him by winning for the trainer in the Bow Echo silks of the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid.

“It’s unreal – to ride a winner here is very special,” said Lloyd. “Everyone kept telling me that if you think you’re going well, wait another five seconds, and that’s all I was thinking about. I enjoyed that because he was holding off the others quite comfortably.”

Lloyd is a multiple Group 1 winner at home and boosted his growing reputation when landing the Golden Slipper, the world’s richest two-year-old race, in March. He is the son of Jeff Lloyd, who was born in Britain and enjoyed a hugely successful international riding career.

“I was asked to come over here by George Boughey,” Lloyd explained. “Billy Loughnane is an absolute star and I was under no illusions I was going to take his rides, but I can ride light, which helps.

“I’m good friends with Billy and when he came over to Australia I looked after him. He probably could have ridden this horse, but he wanted to throw me a bone, so I owe him a bit.

“He was probably my only bullet of the week and I’m very happy to have got the job done. I wanted to come here, not expecting a winner but hoping to make connections. Next year, if I come back, it will grow and then the year after.”

Boughey praised Lloyd for his role in the success with Moonfall, who was thought good enough to contest the Group 2 Superlative Stakes last season and had been gelded for his three-year-old campaign.

“He’s a beautiful rider,” the trainer said. “He’s been riding out quite a lot and we were very keen to get him over as he’s taking Australia by storm. It’s great to give him his first Royal Ascot winner.

“We thought the horse had a bit in hand and it’s nice he’s been able to pull it off. He was one we were pretty hopeful for this week and when we got the high draw, it all fell into place.”

Lloyd had to give back some of the winning prize-money after he was fined £140 by the stewards for not ensuring his helmet was correctly fastened at all times while mounted.

Heath House pulls off a fine win over 1000m at the Vaal (JC Photos)

The lightning fast Tony Peter-trained two-year-old gelding Heath House (Erupt) proved himself more than just a tearaway when keeping the challengers at bay today (Thursday) in a handicap over 1000m at the Vaal and landing the spoils by 2,20 lengths, despite carrying topweight of 62,5kg.

The 1,5kg claim of Blaine Marx-Jacobson alleviated the welter burden to some extent.

Heath Hose started 11/10 favourite and was soon out on his own in front.

He stuck to his station towards the inside having jumped from draw four which was not viewed as the favourable side on the day.

The outside horses looked threatening as the business end was reached, but Heath House kept going in admirable fashion.

It was a fine feat for a two-year-old to carry such a weight to victory over some decent older horses.

He could be an interesting feature race prospect next season with the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint being an obvious long term target for him.

Heath House has won four out of five and his only defeat was when being tried over further than 1000m and finishing a 2,30 length third over 1160m in the 4Racing SA Sales Cup.

Muzi Yeni is an interesting booking on the Stuart Ferrie-trained Gladatorian (Vercingetorix) for the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

Yeni has never won the July before, but has shown himself to have the mettle for the race by finishing in every position from second to fifth, and some of them more than once.

He finished 2nd with Got The Greenlight (Gimmethegreenlight) in the 2020 July, 3rd with the same horse in 2021, 3rd with Safe Passage (Silvano) in 2022, 3rd with Royal Victory (Pathfork) in 2024, 4th with Royal Victory in 2025, 4th in his first July ride on Thundering Star (Fort Wood) in 2009, 5th with Happy Valley (Alphabet Soup) in 2010 and 5th with Solo Traveller (Western Winter) in 2012.

Yeni has become a sort after big race rider with 16 career Gr 1 to his name.

Fifteen of those were in South Africa and he rode the winner of the last ever race in Singapore, the Gr 1 Grand Singapore Gold Cup, on the outsider Smart Star (Star Witness).

He is known for his expertise in finding cover from difficult draws.

He will thus be an asset to Gladatorian who is capable of a devastating late run, but in a big field he might need to be handier than usual.

Sean Veaale is the regular rider for Gladatorian. but he is contracted to Hollywood Racing and will be aboard Isivivane (Erupt).

Scandinavia got up late to deny Trawlerman in the Gold Cup after an epic duel down the straight which will ensure it goes down in history as one of the great Gold Cups. (Picture: Sky Sports Racing)

At The Races

A famous century of winners at Royal Ascot for Aidan O’Brien.

Aidan O’Brien brought up his 100th career winner at Royal Ascot in the meeting’s feature race, as Scandinavia (Justify) got up in the final strides to win a thrilling renewal of the Gold Cup.

It appeared for much of the final furlong that last year’s winner Trawlerman (Golden Horn) – who wore ski goggles in the paddock to protect his sensitive eyes from the sun – was going to hold off his younger rival.

However, having not had a run so far this season, the last 50 yards of the stamina-sapping two and a half miles caught up with Trawlerman, with last season’s St Leger winner Scandinavia (11-8 favourite) wearing him down under Ryan Moore to win right on the line.

It was certainly not a result the bookmakers were cheering, with Star Sports reporting a £120,000 win bet on O’Brien’s four-year-old at odds of 5-2.

“It’s very special, it’s a very special day for myself and everybody in Ballydoyle,” said O’Brien, whose first winner at the meeting was Harbour Master (Bluebird) in 1997.

“There are so many people involved to help a horse get this far. Ryan gave him an absolute class, peach ride.

“That’s just incredible really (100 Royal Ascot) winners, it’s something that we wouldn’t dream of thinking about because for that to happen you could not believe.

“Even this week, it’s literally one race at a time and you don’t even think what it could be or whether it could happen because it’s so competitive, so hard to win races here.”

He went on: “We knew the second horse was a great horse, very brave. He joined him and you don’t know until you go past that two furlong marker what’s really going to happen but we felt he was very brave, he always showed that in every race, he’s relentless, he cruises.

“It’s an honour and a privilege for me to be involved with the team and be the small part that I am with everybody. The reality is everyone puts in the work and we watch it going on and I can’t tell you how grateful we are to everybody.”

On the future for Scandinavia and in further reflection of the milestone reached, O’Brien – who was presented with his prize and a commemoration ‘100’ saddle cloth by the King and Queen – added: “He’s only a baby stayer, only a four-year-old.

“The second horse is a good horse and we know how brave he is, he’s eight so he had plenty of age on his side when it got tough, and it (Gold Cup) is tough on a young horse.

“It was brilliant, what can I say? It’s such a privilege for me, for Anne-Marie (wife) and everyone in Ballydoyle to be working with these horses for the lads (Coolmore owners).

“I’m not taking it for granted in any way, it’s so special. It’s a day we never thought would happen. Every race is so hard to win here; you never expect anything and you always hope. What a special day.”

Moore added: “Aidan had him in a great place. Since he got beat here last year (fifth in Queen’s Vase) his record’s been incredible.

“He’s done well because everything was going smooth until they first went past the winning post, Oisin (Murphy, on Caballo De Mar (Phoenix Of Spain)) took me back then I had to make up two lengths.

“I didn’t really need to to get to Trawlerman, and Trawlerman digs in, he’s a good horse. But it worked out – he’s class.”

Of O’Brien’s 100-winner feat the rider – himself on 96 Royal Ascot victories – added: “Aidan will be thinking about the next 100, but I’m sure he’ll be delighted it’s done.”

Dupont Emerald is in fine form and has been tipped to win the 5th and thus claim a hattrick (Pauline Herman Photography) 

Trevor Reid formguides and selections for Fairview Poly Friday

RACE 1

FYFIELD LEGEND deserves a winning turn after three runner-up performances in a row. GIMMETHATWORLDCUP has already been gelded and makes his debut for the formidable team of Richard Fourie and Alan Greeff. J LORDI showed improvement second time out and has a place chance. CARNIVAL made a good debut and would not be a surprise winner. Stable companion NIGHT VISION does have stable jockey Craig Zackey in the irons.

RACE 2

Trainer Justin Snaith is raiding with a couple of runners. NOBODY’S PERFECT has not run badly in two of three starts and should be up to beating these rivals. STONE OF SCONE returned to form with a solid runner-up performance and can contest the finish again. TIPSY has room for improvement and is not out of it. WAIT FOR ME makes her local debut and should fight out the finish. FOCAL POINT has improved of late and could be having a winning turn.

RACE 3

REDLIGHT LANE has had her fair share of chances to win a race in the Western Cape. She got close a couple of times and could win a race of this nature. TURBULENT has been consistent since moving to this centre and should be right there at the finish once again. HALF MOON ISLAND returns from a break but might earn some money. MASTEROFTHEBAROQUE has only been fair so far but could improve for trainer Alan Greeff. PRETTY BOY showed some improvement and could have more to offer.

RACE 4

A very open race and it could be worth going very wide in the Pick 6. TASTE THE RAINBOW showed some improvement on local debut and could have more to offer. BUGLE and MONKEY’S WEDDING are both carded to run prior and those runs will need to be looked at. Both do hold fair chances of winning a race at this level. ALAKAZAM disappointed last time out but is clearly not out of it. LUCA DA WHEELS, MATT’S WARRIOR and JET O WAR are all capable of improvement and could be included in perms.

RACE 5

DUPONT EMERALD is still improving and has won twice in a row. She has every chance of completing the hat-trick. YOU’RE SO SPECIAL has ability but is trying to work off her high merit-rating. MOUNTAIN HIGH is capable of improvement and has a place chance. TOO LATE MY MATE showed promise on local debut and should be having a winning turn. SUPREME FATE has made the trip from Cape Town and would not be a surprise winner. POMEROL and UMZOLOZOLO are two others to consider.

RACE 6

Another open looking race. HELIOTROPE was a solid winner last week on this surface and could follow up. GLOBAL ALLY is consistent and clearly not out of it. JUAN CARLOS is better than his last run suggests. MAKHACHEV has struck form with two polytrack wins and must be respected for that. GEORGE HANDEL, ABOVE THE HORIZON and HOLLANDIA BAKKERIJ are all capable of getting involved.

RACE 7

PINK PIGEON is consistent and could be the right one for this particular race. SONG OF MYSELF has had a very good season and is not out of it. DOITWITHDIAMONDS makes her local debut and could make the frame. Her stable companion VIRGIN RIVER is in very good shape and should contest the finish yet again. UNCONQUERABLE LADY and KINGS AGAIN are both recent winners and could play minor roles tackling stronger this time. SPORTS FAN is better than her recent form and could be the surprise package of the race.

RACE 8

A very tricky race and it is best to go very wide in all the exotics. MY DEAR FRIEND tried her luck in a better race last time out and was not disgraced. She has changed trainers since and could score. SPEED RACER and stable companion THE WINTER LAKE are speedy so quite capable of upsets on their best form. WAROFDYNAMITE is in good form and could make the frame. OVERTURE is talented but might be at best over further. WARRIOR OF ROYALTY and CAN YOU DANSE are both better than their latest runs suggest and have to be considered possible winners.