Beeechamwood Boy cruises to victory over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville today (Wednesday) to record a hattrick, all under Keagan de Melo, and a fifth career win overall (Candiese Leneferna).

From Smuts To Beechamwood Boy – Lovely Racing Story

The Wendy Whitehead-trained Beechamwood Boy made it a hattrick at Hollywoodbets Scottsville today (Wednesday) when winning a handicap in highly impressive style over 1200m to write another chapter in a wonderful racing story, which starts way back in the 1930s.

Leading in Beechamwood Boy was nonagenarian Ian Gibson together with his wife of well over sixty years standing Helen.

Ian grew up in Mount Frere in the Transkei and both his father and Uncle enjoyed horseracing.

The latter both owned a horse or two and their trainer was an Englishman called Russell, although it is not clear which Russell he was.

Racing rubbed off on Ian and he became such a fan he used to dress up as a jockey for fancy dress parties and arrive on his horse called Smuts.

The picture above shows Ian in his jockey outfit together with Smuts before a fancy dress party in 1936.

Ian’s dream of owning a racehorse came true in 1970 when he and fellow school teachers Doug Campbell and Scotch Ferrie bought a horse together called Silver Sovereign.

This grey by Sovereign Edition was trained by Hennie Coetzee at Summerveld and was fancied for a few races, but retired from the professional ranks as a maiden.

However, the knock on effect of the many visits to Hennie’s yard at Summerveld to see Silver Sovereign saw a couple of youngsters developing a lifelong passion for racing, Ian Gibson’s son Peter and Scotch Ferrie’s son Stuart. In fact, Stuart will have his own training license at Summerveld from the first of next month and will be training a horse for Peter too!

Peter Gibson together with sisters Janet and Phillipa on Hennie Cotzee’s pony called Jolly Boy back in the early 1970s.

Doug Campbell later took over as trainer of Silver Sovereign, preparing him for the amateur racing circuit at such gymkhana racecourses as Richmond, which was close to where Doug’s present day private training estate is situated.

Richmond racemeetings were memorable days for Silver Sovereign’s owners and their offspring and Peter and Stuart’s passion grew.

Richmond also heralded the starting point of the race-riding career of Hennie Coetzee’s son, Felix. His first winner was at a Richmond gymkhana racemeeting on a quarter horse called Middleberg. Felix went on to become one of South Africa’s all time great jockeys.

In 1972, Ian noticed an attractive set of all maroon colours had become available, previously owned by a trainer called Stephenson.

He showed them to Hennie, who advised he should go ahead and acquire them.

It was a decision of great foresight, because these days it is considered most prestigious to own solid colours.

The solid dark blue colours worn to Epsom Derby victory by Galileo, Pour Moi and Ruler Of The World cost John Magnier 25,000 pounds at a Sotheby’s auction, whilst the solid pink colours of his wife cost 69,000 pounds at another auction and big prices were also fetched for solid grey, solid mauve and solid burgundy.

The solid Burgundy colours are owned in the UK by Lady Bamford and are hard to separate from the solid maroon of Ian’s colours.

The first good horse to wear Ian’s all maroon colours was called Aberconway, by Port Merion, who won four races and placed 17 times.

He provided Ian’s family with a thrill shortly after TV had started in South Africa by appearing in one of the Saturday afternoon TV races for a big meeting at Greyville. In a day in which horseracing had plenty of mystique due to an entrance fee, a strict dress code, plush exclusive areas on course for owners and trainers, exclusive access to the parade ring and a strict age restriction, it was a momentous occasion for Ian’s children to watch the race from his lounge in Hillcrest. Ian was of course on course and Aberconway ran a place.

Doug Campbell, who had in the meantime attained a professional license, became Ian’s trainer after the passing of Hennie Cotzee. Ian also became something of a father figure to young Felix. He and Felix still stay in touch today.

Doug trained such horses as Next Move (Really and Truly) and John Dudley (Harry Hotspur), who ran in the all maroon colors, while latterly Mark Dixon has trained the like of Timeforatiger (Eyeofthetiger).

The probable best horse to run in Ian’s all maroon colours to date has been the Diane Stenger-trained Danzig’s Mast, whom Ian owned in partnership with prolific Highveld owner Peter White.

This son of Qui Danzig won five races, but also had a number of notable places such as second in a Highveld Grade 3 to Glamour Boy, beating Clifton King, second in another Grade 3 to Major Hero, beating the like of Celtic Grove, as well as fourth in the Grade 3 King’s Cup.

Beechamwood Boy might usurp Danzig’s Mast from that honour, such is the rate at which he is improving.

Ian’s son Peter bred and part-owns Beechamwood Boy, which has made the association with this remarkable horse all the more rewarding.

Peter left his profession of optometry to work for Wayne Aldridge’s Delta Bloodstock agency in the late 1990s and later became the head of Racing South Africa.

He has returned to optometry and lives in the UK now, but a lot of his waking hours are spent on racing meaning his friends are inundated with whatsapp tips and racing information on a daily basis!

He was at one stage the racing manager for Mr Guo from China, whose ownership and breeding operation in South Africa was called Hartley SA.

Included in the deals Peter did on behalf of Harley SA was the purchase of the stallion Eightfold Path from the Niarchos family.

The Group 3 winner in France was retired after having four unplaced runs in SA for Mike de Kock.

However, Eightfold Path was superbly bred, being by “the iron horse” Giant’s Causeway out of the brilliant five-times Grade 1-winning mare Divine Proportions (Kingmambo), whose only career defeat was to Dubawi in her tenth and final start.

He seemed worth taking a chance on at stud.

Peter noticed one of the best cross’s with Giant’s Causeway was provided by Seeking The Gold mares.

Therefore, he deliberately sought a Windrush (Seeking The Gold) mare to buy for himself to send to Eightfold Path.

He found one called Time To Laugh and bought her for a mere R2,000 from Midlands thoroughbred stalwart, Jill Fox.

Time To Laugh’s first and only win in her seven start career had been on debut and she did it by 4,75 lengths over 1200m at the Vaal trained by Erico Verdonese after being backed in to 33/10.

Time To Laugh was in foal to The Apache at the time of purchase, but the foal unfortunately passed away.

Peter then sent her to Eightfold Path and she produced a colt, which Peter called Smuts, the same name as Ian’s first childhood horse.

Smuts showed promise and after a close second in his sixth start he was sold to Mauritius where he has won one race.

The next foal of Time To Laugh was named Beechamwood Boy after a Transkei fishing camp Peter has a share in.

Beechamwood Boy as a well balanced yearling.

Beechamwood Boy, born and raised at Bruce le Roux’s Blue Sky Thoroughbreds farm, showed immediate promise, running on strongly on debut on the Greyville poly for a close third despite starting odds of 67/1.

He won on his fifth start and was never far off in his first few handicap starts. However, he was proving to be a bit quirky and a winless streak of seven starts yielded just one place.

However, Peter wanted him to reap the full benefit of being an entire, so a gelding operation was delayed until the beginning of this season.

The owners, Ian and Peter as well as Irishman Matt Sharkey and Michael Sinnema, reaped immediate reward for their patience.

Returning from a three month layoff in November he won over 1200m on the Greyville poly off a 72 merit rating.

Today’s win saw him recording a hattrick and made his record since being gelded as six starts, four wins, a second and a third.

Nonagenarian Ian Gibson and wife Helen are among the connections leading in Beechamwwood today after his impressive victory (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

He has certainly been more relaxed in the running, but has retained the strength he had as an entire.

He clearly gets on well with champion jockey elect Keagan de Melo, who has been aboard for all three of his hattrick of victories.

Being slowly away last time out over 1200m on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf has also proved to be a blessing in disguise, because he relaxed well with cover and then produced a fine turn of foot to win comfortably.

“He’s the type of horse you don’t know how much he is improving … it is scarey, he is just getting better and better,” said De Melo after the win today.

In his run before the hattrick sequence, he ran in behind a horse on the poly, otherwise could well have won that one too.

Keagan is well aware of this bad habit of Beechamwood Boy’s and said he had wanted to run into Putin’s Promise today when sitting on the latter’s outside.

He added, “So, I took a bit of a hold on him and he then just wanted to go right on to the fence. So I allowed him to do that. He then quickened up beautifully. He hits a bit of a flat spot at the 400m and thinks he’s done enough. But when you really get into him he gives you quite a bit and, wow, I was just blown away today!”

A thrilled Wendy Whitehead said about the gelding, “He is a little chubby chap, you would never think he is as small as he is when he lengthens that stride.”

Ian praised Wendy for all she had done for the gelding.

He said, “I really can’t believe the way he won today.”

He quipped, “I told the Receiver Of Revenue to back him, because I hope he won’t hit me too hard!”

From Smuts to Beechamwood Boy, it has been a wonderful ride and who knows how much further the latter can take the Gibsons on their enjoyable horseracing journey.

Picture Credit: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport

EU AUDIT UPDATE

In order to update stakeholders on the EU audit process, DALRRD (Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development) and SAEHP (SA Equine – Health and Protocol Exports From South Africa) can confirm that the draft EU report for the audit conducted in October 2022 has been received.

DALRRD is currently reviewing the report and will provide comments on the report’s findings to the EU auditors.

Once the final report has been received, an Action Plan will be drawn up to address the resulting recommendations for any corrective action.

This is the next step in the finalisation of the audit process.

DALRRD and SAEHP are pleased with the progress to date.

Golden Ducat (tab4Racing.com)

Golden Ducat, Trip Of Fortune Among Derby Day Entries at Turffontein

Jack Milner

Cape Town-based trainer Candice Bass-Robinson has nominated Grade 2 Green Point Stakes winner Trip Of Fortune for the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday 1 April.

The four-year-old Trippi gelding last ran in the Grade 2 Diadem Stakes over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and finished a 1.40-length third behind Bereave.

Also among the entries is two-time Grade 1 winner Golden Ducat who is now with Mike de Kock.

Golden Ducat, a half-brother to both Hawwaam and Rainbow Bridge, was out of action for a year due to an injury but the son of Philanthropist appears to be coming back to form and finished just 2.90 lengths behind Jet Dark in the World Sports Betting Cape Met.

One would imagine the R2-million Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m on Saturday 29 April is his main mission.

Three-year-old Anfields Rocket, winner of the Grade 1 WSB SA Classic over 1800m at Turffontein, is not among the entries for the Grade 1 WSB SA Derby over 2450m but Grant Maroun’s charge has been nominated to run in the Horse Chestnut Stakes.

There are 14 entries for the SA Derby, including Billy Bowlegs who finished third in the SA Classic and Listed Derby Trial winner Son Of Raj.

Winners of both the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas and Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic, Lady Of Power and Bless My Stars respectively, are among the nominations for the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks.

The Derby and Oaks are the final legs of the WSB SA Triple Crown and the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara but with different winners of the first two legs in both events, neither will be won this year.

Supplementary entries close at 9am on Monday 27 March with declarations by 11am on Tuesday 28 March.

WSB SA DERBY (Grade 1)(3 year olds (3rd Leg SA Triple Crown)) R1,500,000 2450m
9 AFRICAN TORRENT (M/A Azzie) 60.0
11 BILLY BOWLEGS (A G Laird) 60.0
6 EAST COAST (M F De Kock) 60.0
7 ELECTRIC GOLD (S G Tarry) 60.0
10 EYE OF THE PROPHET (P F Matchett) 60.0
1 FUTURE PEARL (S G Tarry) 60.0
12 GOOD COUNCIL (A B Fortune) 60.0
13 GREENBACKCURRENCY (W H Marwing) 60.0
2 JET DYNASTY (S G Tarry) 60.0
5 PARIS PIKE (R A Hill) 60.0
4 RIVER ROMEO (P F Matchett) 60.0
3 RULE BY FORCE (J A Soma) 60.0
14 SON OF RAJ (W H Marwing) 60.0
8 TOP SAIL (P F Matchett) 60.0

HF OPPENHEIMER HORSE CHESTNUT STAKES (Grade 1)(Weight for Age) R1,000,000 1600m
1 BINGWA (J J van Vuuren) 60.0
9 GOLDEN DUCAT (M F De Kock) 60.0
5 IRISH TRACTOR (B Crawford) 60.0
7 MK’S PRIDE (R R Sage) 60.0
8 PUERTO MANZANO (J J van Vuuren) 60.0
12 RED SAXON (J A Soma) 60.0
10 TRIP OF FORTUNE (C Bass-Robinson) 60.0
3 VANDERBILT (A P Peter) 60.0
11 WILLIAM ROBERTSON (C Spies) 60.0
2 ANFIELDS ROCKET (G J Maroun) 57.5
13 SPARKLING WATER (M F De Kock) 57.5
4 THUNDERSTRUCK (S G Tarry) 57.5
6 UNDER YOUR SPELL (S G Tarry) 57.5

WILGERBOSDRIFT BRIDGET OPPENHEIMER OAKS (Grade 2)(For 3 year-old Fillies (3rd Leg of SA Triple Tiara)) R750,000 2450m
12 BLESS MY STARS (S G Tarry) 60.0
13 EMIRATE GINA (R R Magner) 60.0
6 HIGH ROLLER (C Binda) 60.0
4 IPSO FACTO (A B Fortune) 60.0
2 LADY OF POWER (M/A Azzie) 60.0
5 LIGHT OF DAY (P F Matchett) 60.0
11 LITTLEMARYSUNSHINE (M F De Kock) 60.0
10 NAMAQUA BLOSSOM (M N Houdalakis) 60.0
8 NONE OTHER (M N Houdalakis) 60.0
3 RARATONGA ROSE (M N Houdalakis) 60.0
9 RED MAPLE (S G Tarry) 60.0
1 RENY (B Crawford) 60.0
7 SILVER HILLS (S G Tarry) 60.0

Country Grammer works with Antonio Fresu onboard (Liesl King)

Baffert ‘Was Hoping For Inside Draw,’ But Grammer Draws 14 In World Cup

by Dubai Racing Club

The cards fell wildly for the favored horses at the barrier draw for the 27th Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates.

There were audible gasps early in the ceremony as defending champion Country Grammer drew gate 14 of 15, leaving Frankie Dettori with a tactical headache on what will be his final start in the race.

Saudi Cup hero Panthalassa will break from the widest stall of all in 15, with the added intrigue that Yoshito Yahagi’s representative is a confirmed frontrunner.

And the drama didn’t end there, as Algiers, winner of the first two rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge, drew stall 13.

A trio of fancied Japanese-trained runners are housed inside, with Jun Light Bolt in stall three, Vela Azul in five, and Ushba Tesoro in eight.

Connections reactions to the draw:

Algiers, drawn 13

Owner Hamdan Sultan Ali Alsabouli said: “It was very special to be the youngest owner in the Dubai World Cup and it is great to be back again. It is a battle between some great horses and I hope we can win it. Gate 13 is fine but I was hoping to get five or six.”

Co-trainer Simon Crisford added: “He has drawn wide in both prep runs and so it’s no real concern.”

Bendoog, drawn 7

Mohammed Khaleel Ahmed, owner of Bendoog, said: “Of course it’s a dream come true and I think number seven is a pretty good number. It’s a fantastic race and every horse deserves their place so it should be a good race and may the best horse win.

Cafe Pharoah, drawn 10

Adam Harrigan, representing trainer Noriyuki Hori, said: “The horse was in Saudi Arabia and travelled over well, so we are all set. I’ll let connections speak with Joao (Moreira), figure out what’s drawn around us and we will come up with a plan.”

Country Grammer, drawn 14

Trainer Bob Baffert said: “I was hoping for inside draw. Frankie knows him well.”

Crown Pride, drawn 12

Masafumi Matsuda, assistant trainer to Koichi Shintani, said: “We’re not upset at all. After the race we will be hopeful that stall number 12 will be the lucky one for us. We will go over the tactics with the jockey, but Crown Pride absolutely loves Dubai so we hope it will be lucky for us.”

Emblem Road, drawn 2

Saad Abdulwahed, assistant trainer to Ahmad Abdulwahed, said: “I was hoping for number seven, but my lucky number for today is this number.”

Geoglyph, drawn 9

Trainer Tetsuya Kimura said: “It’s my lucky number so I’m happy with that.”

Jun Light Bolt, drawn 3

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer of Jun Light Bolt, commented: “He has been training very well in Dubai. We will not run like we did in Saudi, he wants to come off a fast pace.”

Panthalassa, drawn in stall 15

Trainer Yoshito Yahagi said: “Even if he misses the jump, he still has to go forward, so it’s really no concern. We have only one tactic with him so it doesn’t change. He won the Dubai Turf last year so we know he loves it here, all is good.”

Remorse, drawn in stall 1

Bhupat Seemar, trainer of Remorse, said: “It’s the shortest way round so it’s fine. We had the pick of stall one or six but either was good.”

Salute The Soldier, drawn 4

Trainer Fawzi Nass said: “I might look happy but I’ll be happier once the race is over! He is well named, he is an absolute soldier. If we’ve got any tactics from this gate, I won’t be telling you!”

Super Corinto, stall 11

Amador Sanchez, trainer said: “Not the best. But it’s ok.”

T O Keynes, drawn 6

Trainer Daisuke Takayanagi said: “We wanted this number so we are thrilled. It makes it easier for us to come up with a race plan and to devise tactics. This year, he is mentally stronger so I think he will run well.”

Ushba Tesoro, drawn 8

Trainer Noburu Takagi said: “Number eight gives us a lot of option.”

Vela Azul, drawn 5

Trainer Kunihiko Watanabe said: “I wanted the inner so I’m happy, it’s perfect. He travelled over well and he is in good shape.”

HAIL THE CHAMP: Galopin Des Champs with owner Audrey Turley and trainer Willie Mullins during Tuesday night’s homecoming parade through the Carlow village of Leighlinbridge. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

Hero’s welcome for Galopin Des Champs

The Cheltenham Gold Cup hero enjoyed a homecoming parade through the Carlow village of Leighlinbridge on Tuesday evening.

Damien Maguire (Irish Examiner)

Galopin Des Champs was given the reception he so richly deserved as the Cheltenham Gold Cup hero enjoyed a homecoming parade through the Carlow village of Leighlinbridge on Tuesday evening.

For a long time it looked like Willie Mullins — the most successful trainer in Festival history — was destined to never claim the showpiece meeting’s most prestigious prize after saddling the runner-up on no less than six occasions.

Al Boum Photo put that to bed with victory in 2019, though, and for good measure successfully defended his crown 12 months later.

Galopin Des Champs lined up for this year’s renewal as a red-hot favourite, with his only defeat in six previous outings over fences coming at last year’s Festival when he came to grief at the final fence with the Turners’ Novices’ Chase at his mercy.

Following previous wins this season in the John Durkan at Punchestown and the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown, the seven-year-old stamped his class on his return to Prestbury Park with a comprehensive defeat of King George winner Bravemansgame under an ice-cool ride from Paul Townend.

Just as they did after Al Boum Photo’s first triumph four years ago, the Leighlinbridge locals turned out in force to give Galopin Des Champs a hero’s welcome, with Mullins, Townend, and owner Audrey Turley also on hand to receive the acclaim of the crowd.

Mullins said: “We’d had six seconds before (Al Boum Photo), and I was resigned to never winning it.

“Al Boum Photo did that job for us, then he won another one. It was fantastic to get Galopin Des Champs for Audrey and Greg Turley.

“We thought when he won the Martin Pipe (at the Festival in 2021) that we had a really good horse and he could be Gold Cup material. It was more hope we had a Gold Cup horse than thought we had one.

“His novice hurdling career went very well and his novice chasing career went very well, albeit the slip-up at the last fence in Cheltenham last year. He came back and won the Grade One Ryanair at Fairyhouse — every time we asked him a bigger question, he answered it.

“He’s a horse who was improving all the time and at his age we knew there was a lot more improvement to come.”

The three and a quarter miles of the Gold Cup was unchartered territory, but Mullins said: “I didn’t (doubt his stamina), he showed me as a novice hurdler over three miles at Punchestown — if a horse of that age can do that over three miles, there’s every chance he will go further as an older horse.

“I had faith in the horse, that he wouldn’t burn himself off too early — he was inclined to over-race a little bit as a younger horse, but we’ve concentrated on settling him and Paul has done a great job.

“We had a lot of things going for us going into the race, we (just) needed a bit of luck — everyone needs that.”

Lovely Photos From Wilgerbosdrift Stud Farm

Pictures Above and Below taken at Wilgerbosdrift Stud farm (

Keagan de Melo scores the first of his treble on the Peter Muscutt-trained Canford Cliffs gelding Johnny’s Hope (Candiese Lenferna).

De Melo Hattrick

Keagan de Melo reached the 200 wins-for-the-season mark at Turffontein Inside on Tuesday with double.

Today he rode a treble at Hollywoodbets Scottsville to move to 203 wins for the season at 21.10%.

The subject horse enjoying his retirement (wikipedia).

Today’s Question

Which famous horse won the first Dubai World Cup, thus putting it on the map immediately?

Vaal Classic Fields, Thursday, CLICK HERE

Cigar wins the inaugural Dubai World Cup in 1996. (America’s Best Racing).

ANSWER TO TODAY’S QUESTION:

In 1996 Cigar won the inaugural running of the US$4 millionDubai World in 1996 trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Jerry Bailey and it made him the world’s richest racehorse and also took his winning streak to 14.

He late equalled Citation’s winning streak of 16.

Turf Talk Newsletter – 22 March 2023