Turf Talk Newsletter – 23 September, 2026

Legal Counsel proved himself a highly effective handy to front-running sort last season and the course and distance of the Matchem Stakes should suit him on his seasonal reappearance (Picture: Wayne Marks)

The Gr 3 Matchem Stakes over 1400m is a traditional curtain raiser to the Cape Summer season and the meeting on Saturday should attract a big crowd to the country course, Hollywoodbets Durbanville, as the Potje Competition held on Matchem day is always popular.

Champion trainer Justin Snaith looks poised to land a black type treble on the day.

The horse to beat in the Matchem could be the classy Snaith-trained Legal Counsel. He proved last season he is a very effective front runner and his style should be perfectly suited to the Hollywoodbets Durbanville 1400m course and distance. He proved in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m he has the speed and class to contest races over a mile at the highest level and running over 1400m should be a suitable start to the season for him. He has a fair draw of five and has leading jockey Keagan De Melo up. He is officially the best weighted runner being half-a-kilogram well in with Jet Force and at least 3kg well in with the rest of the field.

The gallant old warrior Sugar Mountain proved in his last start that he has the speed to be effective over 1200m and he has proven class, so this 1400m trip should be ideal for him. He has the advantage of a fairly recent run, but he does have the disadvantage of a wide draw of 8 out of 10. However, he proved last time out that he can come from off the pace with a strong finish.

Jet Force proved his class last season in the Gr 2 Post Merchants over 1200m and his two most recent wins before that were both over 1600m, so he should also be ideally suited by this course and distance.  He has a tricky draw of 7, but should be finishing strongly.

Cafe Culture was a 2,75 length runner up in the Matchem last season to the horse subsequently named the Equus Champion Miler i.e. Questioning, so from pole position this stalwart should make his presence, despite now being a seven-year-old.

Outlaw King was third last year when staying on well and from draw 4 he will be a threat.

O’Tenikwa has fine gatespeed, but that is also his problem as he then often takes a bit of a hold. However, he could be a threat if he settles in front. He did finish third in the Gr 3 Byerley Turk over this trip at Hollywoodbets Greyville as a three-year-old, so he could earn here.

La Pulga is drawn well and as one who prefers further he could do well over this trip running fresh, although he is officially 7kg under sufferance with Legal Counsel, so has a tough task.

Gold Giboski is distance suited but is also 7kg under sufferance with the best weighted and his draw of 6 is not straight forward.

Chasing The Rainbow has done very well for Robert Barrett, but this is a different ball game and he not only has a tough draw of 9 but he is also 7kg under sufferance with Legal Counsel.

Magma Flow has the widest draw of 10 and looks outclassed in this line up.

The Gr 3 Diana Stakes over 1400m is also being run on the day and should be at the mercy of the Snaith-trained Double Grand Slam as this superstar champion mare is 5kg well in with the rest of the field and the distance is roundabout ideal. Her draw of five should not pose a problem as she can lead or come from off them.

The Listed Settlers Trophy over 2000m could see the Snaith-trained Miami Summer fighting it out with his stablemate Prairie Dawn and the former is preferred due to his plum draw of two.

The fields for the three features are shown below:

GREATOREX (1900: Carbine – Mrs Butterwick by St Simon), an impeccably bred horse by the great New Zealand-bred Melbourne Cup hero Carbine out of an Oaks winner. He was a leading juvenile in England, but wind problems curtailed his racing career which included being at a short price for the 1903 Epsom Derby. He led the South African Sires List for ten seasons from 1910/11 to 1913/14 and 1916/17 to 1920/21. He was in the top three for thirteen consecutive seasons from 1909/1910 to 1920/21. He stood at the famous Dwarsvlei Stud of Henry Nourse. Today’s successful SA-bred Gr 1-producung stallion Act Of War has Greatorex’s dam Mrs. Butterwick as a bottom line female.

The late racing guru Jay August rejuvenated a lot of past articles on to an online site and these have become valuable archives.

With Heritage Day falling on Thursday this week it is appropriate to publish this article about South Africa’s earliest racing history as described by the late, great administrator, owner, breeder and world renowned authority on thoroughbred bloodstock, Allan Robertson.

by A.L. Robertson – SA Bloodstock Breeders Review 1945

The first recorded race meeting in South Africa was held at Green Point Common near Cape Town on Monday the 18th of September, 1797, and was won by Colonel Hope’s brown horse Zemman Shaw, a five-year-old who, starting at 5 to 4 on, launched the indefatigable army of punters to a winning start. The races were run in heats as was the custom in Europe in those days, and the race won by Zemman Shaw was the final of the Turf Club Purse, a weight-for-age event, value 60 pagodas in the currency of those days. The contestants were not Thoroughbreds and their daily avocation was no doubt under saddle or in harness.

Allan Robertson

It was not, however, till the despotic Lord Charles Somerset arrived in South Africa as Governor that the racing of Thoroughbreds was established and in 1814 he appears to have been instrumental in getting certain Rules and Regulations laid down to govern the races held under the auspices of the South African Turf Club, which exists to the present day. These “Rules and Regulations” were the prelude to the present Jockey Club of South Africa which, however, came into existence at a much later date.

Membership of the South African Turf Club was limited to eighty and was open to Officers of the Navy and Army and respectable Inhabitants of the Colony. Six years later in 1822 the Burgher Senate, the first Parliament of the Cape, donated a purse value 400 Rix- dollars for the Annual Autumn Races for Horses bred in the Colony. In addition, a very handsome floating trophy was presented by the Burgher Senate.

About this period race-meetings were being held in other centres. Paarl started in 1815, followed the next year by Uitenhage and Stellenbosch. Five years later in 1821 there was a race meeting at Graaff Reinet, two years after that in Grahamstown and in 1825 Somerset East and Swellendam followed suit and George was added to the list in 1827. The moving spirit in Graaff Reinet was Sir Andries Stockenstroom whose descendants still live in the Eastern Province.

A COMPLETE CHANGE

Despite these country meetings, racing was only carried on with some regularity at the Cape, but with the discovery of diamonds and gold there was a complete change in the racing venues. With Port Elizabeth the nearest port to Kimberley, that seaside town prospered and the Port Elizabeth Turf Club became the premier racing club in what was later to become the Union of South Africa, and the Headquarters of the Jockey Club of South Africa was in that centre.

On the 17th of October, 1885, the first South African Derby, value £400, over nine furlongs, was run at Port Elizabeth and won by Mr. H. Hilton- Barber’s b.c. Oxygen by Plunger out of Ozone, who started at 7 to 2 on and won from Mr. P. J. Marais’s Quidnunc by Student and Mr. F. J. van Zyl’s Reliance by Agar. The winner was ridden by “Curly” Longhurst, the father of C. L. Longhurst who, in July, trained St. Seiriol who won the latest Durban July Handicap.

Oxygen was bred in the Western Province by Mr. J. A. Faure. His sire the imported horse Plunger was by Adventurer out of Linn, by Stockwell, so bred in the purple, while his dam Ozone was by Mercury. Plunger was by Adventurer out of Sophia Laurence by Stockwell. It was this meeting that the “Tote” was first operated.  On the first day when it was a rather mysterious new invention only £700 passed through the machine, but on the second day this was doubled and on the third day nearly trebled, so that about £4000 was handled.

Jockey Club decisions and reasons were published in the “Racing Calendar, Sporting Journal, and Breeders’ Gazette,” a fortnightly journal which, as its title indicates; was the official organ of the Jockey Club as well as a sporting newspaper. It was certainly much superior as a racing journal to anything now published in this country. In the correspondence columns one finds most of the same controversies that rage at present, such as arguments for and against a Board of Handicappers, the severity of Jockey Club penalties, the sins of commission and omission of jockeys and others.

About this time there was much racing in the country districts and one finds in 1886 no less than £720 distributed over a two-day meeting at Aliwal North, £700 over the same period at Bedford and even unpretentious little Sterkstroom gave stakes to the value of £300 for a one-day meeting and at Barkly East £400 was distributed over two days.

JOHANNESBURG TURF CLUB

With the discovery of gold in the Transvaal, horse racing soon made its appearance in that Republic, and the Johannesburg Turf Club held its inaugural meeting on the 15th of June, 1887, described in the “Racing Calendar” in the following terms:

The first Johannesburg Handicap was won by Mr. A. T. Allison’s br.h. Second, a five-year-old, carrying 9st 61b. The Chairman of Stewards was the famous Landrost of Johannesburg, Captain von Brandis, while among the Stewards were Mr. Jan Meyer whose son breeds horses in the near vicinity of Johannesburg. There was also the subsequent mine magnate, Sir George Farrar (then plain Mr. Farrar), the well-known Col. Ferreira and Messrs. We Wainwright, J. G. Maynard, W. de Vos, J. Gammie, W. Green, W. K. Dow, H. Baillie, C. T. Ross, G. du Fred Barber (of Barberton fame), M. Donovan, S. Fox, D. J. Morton and J. S. Harrison.

The rise of Johannesburg as the chief racing centre coincided with the diminution of racing in the smaller country towns, who have never again been able to establish themselves on any regular basis. Racing never really took hold in the Orange Free State as in other purely rural areas, though Bloemfontein has usually managed to keep going on a modest scale. It is interesting to note that one of the early Stewards of the Bloemfontein Turf Club was Mr. M. T. Steyn, who subsequently became President of that model Republic, and is the father of Dr. Colin Steyn, the present popular Minister of Justice.

A SERIOUS THREAT

The first real fillip to the production of Thoroughbred horses occurred when that Martinet Lord Charles Somerset was appointed Governor of the Cape. His idea of a Governor was to “govern” and this idea he implemented to the full, falling foul of those he governed. One of his passions was horse breeding and horse racing, and it is to his credit that he did much to establish both in his Colony. He imported the stallions Kutusoff, Cottager, Cricketer, Vanguard and Walton and was accused of taking advantage of his position as Governor to sell horses to the Government imported by himself. What he is to be commended for was the fact that in racing, his influence was constantly exercised in making the sport a means of improving the breed.

My Lord. In answer to Your Lordship’s Dispatch of the 14th December I have to state that altho’ Horse Racing has existed in this settlement during the last eighteen years it is not carried, as Your Lordship has been given to understand, to any considerable extent, altho’ my predecessors in this Government (and particularly Sir John Cradock, I am informed) thought it expedient for the improvement in the breed of horses to give it every encouragement.

I am happy to inform Your Lordship that I find from the most minute enquiries, that since I have been in the Colony no tendency whatever to a spirit of gambling has existed. Should any appear, Your Lordship may be assured that I shall of course discountenance it by every means in my power.

The Horse Racing here remains upon the same footing it did during the administration of Sir John Cradock, and it is evident that it has contributed greatly to the Improvement of the Horses in the Colony, which is very peculiarly adapted to the breed of the animal. If however it be the pleasure of His Majesty’s Government to direct that Races shall be altogether forbidden, I shall be ready to obey Your Lordship’s Instructions on that head, although I am of opinion that such a measure would be extremely disadvantageous to the Interests of the Colony, and give great dissatisfaction to the Dutch Landed Proprietors.

 Thus ended the first serious threat to the continuance of racing in this country, due perhaps to the Governor’s reassuring statement about the prevalence of gambling, at a period when bookmakers did not operate and all bets were between individuals.

One of the first Thoroughbred mares imported was Miss Whipthong in 1815. She was a granddaughter of Editha, the maternal ancestress of the great racehorse and sire Galopin (sire of St, Simon), and there are direct descendants of her still at stud in South Africa, for Magic Maid standing in the name of Mrs. C. M. Beckett, goes all the way back in tail female to Miss Whipthong.

THE EARLIEST STUDS

The earliest Thoroughbred Studs were in the vicinity of the Cape where the Melcks, Van der Byls, Cloetes, Versfelds, Van Bredas, and Kotzes bred the best horses of those days. Later on these breeders were hard put to hold their own against the new studs springing up in the Cape Eastern Province, where H. van Zyl at Hanglig and Mr. D. J. Oosthuizen at Vlakfontein both in the Hantam ward of Colesberg bred some of the best horses of the day, and to all intents and purposes put the Western Province breeders out of commission. These breeders imported very good sires but relied on mares on mares of their own breeding, so they were in turn superseded by breeders like Mr. Hilton Barber at Halesowen in the Cradock district, Mr Charles Southey at Culmstock in the Middelburg district ad Mr Alex Robertson at Stormfontein in the Colesberg district, while in the Orange Free State Mr. Frans Schimper in the Winburg district was turning out good horses.

About this time too Mr. Arthur Forbes founded the well-appointed Temple Farm Stud in the Middleburg district and in the Dordrecht district Mr E. V. Birch started on his Vogelvlei Stud which has risen to be the present premier Stud in the country.

In the Robertson district Mr. Danie de Wet also started making his presence felt at the Prospect Stud where his sons are successful breeders to the present day.

Despite various setbacks such as the First World War and the subsequent economic depression, the production of Thoroughbreds has continually developed and has received considerable protection from the Union Government and from the Jockey Club of South Africa. During the period of the Second World War no importations were possible after 1940 so that the local products have had the full advantage of the inflated prosperity which has obtained, and the result has been a record crop of new breeders all over the Union. How many of these will survive as serious contenders in the best class, remains to be seen, but inexperience, unsuitable horse country and inferior breeding stock will doubtless take a heavy toll in the not-too-distant future.

Allan Robertson (1889-1974), the author of this short article, was a prolific writer and administrator who helped form the modern period in South African racing. He wrote a series of articles titled “Giants of the South African Turf” which surveyed the best horses to run in South Africa from 1900 to 1954, and which is the only such survey ever written. The premier two-year-old race, the Allan Robertson Fillies Championship is run annually at Scottsville in his honour. The following was his obituary in the 1974 Bloodstock Breeders’ Review.

ALLAN ROBERTSON was one of the world’s foremost authorities on bloodstock. Not only did he enjoy world acclaim, but in his own country he was Life President of both the Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Breeders Association, a demonstration of the respect in which he was held.

Born at Colesberg in 1889, Robertson was educated in England. In his youth he won a competition, internationally contested, and sponsored in Britain, judged by William Allison (the Special Commissioner of the Sporting Life). This brought him to notice beyond the borders of South Africa and he was invited to become a member of the International Racing and Breeding Organisation, with its headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

Robertson served as the Head Executive of the Jockey as we Club of South Africa for 40 years, was chairman of that board there and then life president. In 1921; he founded the Thoroughbred Breeders Association of South Africa, himself serving as secretary. He was then elected chairman, a post he held for 40 years before becoming life president.

Robertson was a well-known contributor to the leading bloodstock journals of the world, including the Bloodstock Breeders Review. He married Louie Oosterhuizen of Vlakfontein Stud, where their only son Alex is now a highly successful breeder.

N.B. Allan Robertson bred the 1957 July winner Migraine and his son Alex bred the 1961 July winner Kerason and the celebrated 1973 July winner Yataghan, who is one of seven horses in history to win both the July and the Met. Alex’s son HA McLean Robertson was the woner of the 1982 July winner Jamaican Rumba. (Editor)

Personal Filly wins the Gr1 Gran Premio Seleccion de Potrancas (Pic – Supplied)

Leading South African owner and breeder Mary Slack’s silks have won on four continents this year.

Africa, Europe, Asia, and now South America have hosted Slack winners after Personal Filly won the Gr1 Gran Premio Seleccion de Potrancas at Hipodromo La Plata.

Sporting Post

The daughter of Dabster reasserted her absolute dominance by defeating Siesta by 5 lengths in another triumph for Juan Saldivia and William Pereyra, in a race that starting in 2027 will sadly lose its top-flight status.

The absolute dominance she had displayed in the Gr2 Polla de Potrancas found a resounding confirmation over the 2000 meters of the Gran Premio Selección de Potrancas where she once again left Siesta (Cityscape) as her runner-up, this time by 5 lengths.

Her crowning glory also carried a historic significance that will endure: she became the last winner of the traditional test while holding Gr1 status. Starting in 2027, the Selección will be downgraded to Gr2, leaving the Gran Premio Dardo Rocha as the sole top-flight event of the La Plata season.

The representative of South African outfit Wilgerbosdrift, a daughter of Dabster and Pure Doris, delivered exactly as expected from such a clear favourite. William Pereyra settled her in fourth through the early stages, letting the race take shape up front while conserving the energy that would later prove the difference-maker.

By the far turn, the chestnut filly began closing in on Everose (Uncle Chuck), who had been tasked with calling the running. Her advance was continuous and, as they straightened for home, she took command. The moment to decide the race had arrived, and Personal Filly handled it with the effortless grace of a true star.

Siesta tried to close the gap and briefly put the leader to the test. It was then that the favorite re-engaged, lengthening her stride and turning that threat into a futile pursuit. The 5-length margin at the wire accurately reflected the contest: a filly running with plenty in reserve and another doing everything possible to keep up.

The timer stopped in 2:06.50 for the winner, who elevated her record to 3 wins from 5 starts. Siesta, who had also finished second in the Polla and fifth just a week earlier in the Gr2 Clásico Federico de Alvear at San Isidro, turned in another honest effort, though once again forced to acknowledge an indisputable superior.

Medium-built at 442 kilograms, Personal Filly packs far more than her frame suggests. She possesses the patience to wait, the resolve to go after the race, and a final kick that enables her to sustain her effort. Over two kilometers, those virtues aligned to yield the most important victory of her career.

For Juan Saldivia and William Pereyra, the victory extended an extraordinary vein of form.

The horizon now presents a particularly enticing possibility for Personal Filly. The Gr1 Gran Premio Selección Palermo is one.

There, she could cross paths with her paternal half-sister Look At To Me, also trained by Saldivia and a dominant recent winner of the Polla. It will be a decision for the coming days, but the manner in which she handled her first test over 2000 meters suggests a bright future.

Time Of Our Lives wins in good style at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Wednesday (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Dean Kannemeyer scored an interesting double at Hollywoodbets Durbanville today (Wednesday) as they were ridden respectively by his former stable jockey, Keagan de Melo, and his current stable jockey, Craig Zackey.

De Melo was given the ride on the three-year-old Querari colt Time Of Our Lives in a Maiden Plate over 1250m because he is retained by one of the part-owners Laurence Wernars.

He rode a cracker of a race as he was able to get the three-year-old colt over from he widest draw of all, eleven out of eleven, into the box seat behind the pacemaker Gimmethejackhammer, although the colt’s fine gatespeed helped him out.

The colt relaxed well in behind the pacemaker and ran on well in the straight to win by an easy 2,75 lengths, converting 87/100 odds.

It was only his third start and Keagan said, “He is not going to stop here.”

Time Of Our Lives is owner in partnership by Wernars together with Mukund Gujadhur and Harry Willson.

He was bred by James Armitage’s Sandown Stud and being out of Listed winning Second Empire mare Miss Scaramanga makes him a half-brother to the Paul Lafferty-trained Pathfork mare Forward Motion, who finished third in the Listed Flamboyant Stakes.

Time Of Our Lives cost R750,000 at the BSA August Two-year-old Sale.

Craig Zackey rode the three-year-old Rafeef colt Big City Roller in a maiden over 1250m and, having finished second in both of his first two starts, he started at odds of 91/100.

Zackey went forward from draw five and found himself in the box seat after the widely drawn Cracker had come around him to take the lead.

Zackey went down the inside in the straight and the colt ran on readily to win by 1,50 lengths.

Big City Roller was also bred by Sandown Stud and is out of the unraced Var mare Dilalah.

He cost R500,000 at the National Yearling Sale and is owned by Messrs P Govender, G M Grant, M H Holland, L I F Meaker & Michael Mouat.

It was Michael Mouat’s first winner.

Big City Roller is from the family of the Gold Cup winner Nebraas and his fourth dam is Miesque, a Breeders Cup Mile winner who was a champion in both Europe and the USA and she was the dam of the multiple Gr 1 winner and champion sire Kingmambo.

Zackey said, “He is on the up and is only going to come on from here.”

Keagen de Melo is the leader in the Lucky Fish Jockeys Championship and is the favourite too at 9/10, but Zackey looks better value at 3/1 considering how quicky he has come from nowhere into second place and he also has a strong yard supporting him in the East Cape.

De Melo is on 39 wins at a strike rate of 23.08%, while Zackey is on 27 wins at 20.45%.

Richard Fourie is also a 3/1 chance and at present he is in 9th place on the table with 15 wins at 21.74%.

Dean Kannemeyer was the only double-scorer at today’s meeting and has had seven wins so far this season at a strike rate of 16.67%.

Multiple SA champion jockey Gavin Lerena will visit a specialist on Friday after it was confirmed that he suffered a fracture in his left foot after being dislodged prior to the first race at the Vaal on Tuesday, writes The Sporting Post.

His mount Blunderbore reared en route to the start of the opening race at the Vaal, dislodging the Hollywood Racing rider.

After being attended to by paramedics and transferred to the medical centre for attention, Lerena was stood down for the rest of the racemeeting.

He had x-rays on Wednesday afternoon and will now see a specialist on Friday.

It has been an unfortunate year at the Vaal for Lerena who fractured his calcaneus and tore the calcaneonavicular ligament at the course on 31 March when his mount sadly broke down.

That injury landed up costing Lerena the ride on the Graham Motion-trained One Stripe in the Gr1 Maker’s Mark Mile, which was run at Keeneland the following week. One Stripe was narrowly beaten by Zulu Kingdom.

The 2024/25 SA champion enjoys a top 5 position on the national log with 20 winners at a win strike-rate of 17,1%.

He will hopefully be back in time ahead of the Cape summer season and the Highveld season build-up into the Betway Gr1 Summer Cup.

Bison Warrior has been tipped to win the fifth race (Picture: Race Coast)

Andrew Harrison (Race Coast)

A C Stakes over 1000m heads a low-key meeting on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Thursday, the start of a long weekend.

It is a tricky race, but the progressive three-year-old BISON WARRIOR could fit the bill as he takes on older horses in a seven-horse contest. Wendy Whitehead made sure that the race stands its ground with three runners in the race with BISON WARRIOR possibly the best of her trio of runners.

BISON WARRIOR shed his maiden in good style when making his poly debut and was then rested. He started at long odds in his comeback run and may have needed it but he looks progressive and could prove too smart for his older rivals.

B FIFTY TWO has come well since Kom Naidoo has fitted him with blinkers and is unbeaten in two starts. He is up in class but must have a chance of a hattrick. Veteran galloper CHARA SANDS is back on his preferred surface in spite of his last win on the turf. He has the widest draw but can go in again. The filly RUBY RISING has patchy form but has done well over course and distance. On her day she can prove dangerous.

Small fields but not always easy but FUTURE PROSPECT has been knocking at the door for some time now and can prevail in the card opener. She stays the trip and should be in the firing line. INDIGNATION steps up to this trip for the first time but has improved as she has gone further at recent outings. AMERICA FIRST also steps up in trip and has made steady improvement and could be up to the task.

The second is a modest Apprentice Handicap where THE WOLF shoulders top weight but he does go well on the poly and the step up in trip will suit. RAGNAR THE KING has improved in his last two and takes a drop in class so should have a good winning chance. VENCEDOR has run two smart races on the turf at recent outings but has done well on the poly and gets a useful claimer aboard.

TREASURE ISLAND can get the Pick 6 off to a winning start as Mike Miller’s charge is overdue and gets first time blinkers. Main danger could be HEAVENLY MAFIA who has solid current form over the distance on the turf. She has the best of the draw and a light weight. RED CORAL has useful form and goes well on the poly and is distance suited and has De Melo to help her cause. PEACE ROSE showed up well first run back from her maiden win and a lay-off from a wide draw. She shed her maiden on the poly and is not without a prayer.

The fourth is an open handicap but HEARTS ON FIRE made good improvement last run. She has come to hand again and has the best of the draw. SHESHA NTOMBI is way better than her last run and switches to the poly but has a handy weight and first-time cheek pieces. ONE PATH has been much improved in pacifiers and was narrowly beaten over course and distance last time out. She has the same apprentice aboard but a tough draw. PRAISE DE LA REY has consistent recent form and goes well on the poly. She should be right up there.

Cape form is often stronger than local and SCANDALIZE makes her local debut off some steady form. She shoulders a fair weight but looks the part. YOUR LADYSHIP won well under a lightweight last start. She is back in a competitive Class 5 but she has gone well over course and distance for this apprentice. MYSTIQUE ROUGE may have found her last start a touch short but her previous form over course and distance was solid and will be a threat.

The seventh is a small but wide-open race. Canny trainer GARTH PULLER has taken the blinkers off IZIBULO but she has useful form over course and distance and a good draw. ROYAL CREST steps up in trip but has a handy weight and has not been far back in her two post maiden efforts. Hollywood stable rider Sean Veale has opted to ride QHAWEKAZI who won over course and distance at her penultimate start that was not before time. She got a four-point raise in the handicap which could be telling. COME TOGETHER has improved with her new stable and shed her maiden over course and distance last run. She too got a four-point raise in the handicap.

In the last, MUSTANG HIGHWAY ran a cracker from a tough draw last time out when making the running. He goes well on the poly and should run another forward race with first time blinkers. ROYAL JACKET is a long-time maiden but has been knocking at the door of late. The visiting stable only has two runners on the day. ETZEBETH has a change of stables. He has been tricky but is one to watch in the betting along with MASTERCRAFTER who takes to the poly for the first time and another to watch in the market.

Vincent Ho drives Fortunate Son clear in the Class 3 Tai Hang Handicap (HKJC)

The slow start to the season for the South African ex-pats in Hong Kong continued with Luke Ferraris remaining on two wins (from 15 rides), Lyle Hewitson on one win (from 16 rides) and Brett Crawford is now 0 from 19. Doug Whyte is 2 from 22 runs and Karis Teetan is 2 from 32 rides.

However, the South African Jockey Academy-trained Nichola Yuen had her first victory at the Happy Valley to make SAJA proud.

The below report was written on the meeting:

Leo Schlink (HKJC)

Continuing a strong start to the 2026/27 season, Cody Mo cemented his place at the top of the Hong Kong trainers’ championship as Fortunate Son (126lb) confirmed his status as a Happy Valley specialist by sweeping to the lead in the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge on Wednesday night (23 September).

Making it two wins from two starts this campaign at Happy Valley, Fortunate Son seized top spot in the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge and took his tally to 30 points after Vincent Ho sealed a double with success in the Class 3 Tai Hang Handicap (1800m).

Rated 71 before slotting his fourth Hong Kong win, the New Zealand-bred gelding is likely to be kept at Happy Valley for a tilt at the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge, which carries a HK$1 million bonus to the best performed horse in Class 3 races or above until 17 February.

Mo indicated the series was a temptation for the improving six-year-old.

“I will just see the program first. The horse is more mature this season. If he has a smooth run with not much pressure, he can finish strong,” Mo said.

“I’ll have to see how many rating points he gets and if he is still in Class 3, then we can make some further planning. The focus is still on Happy Valley.”

Jerry Chau, winner of last season’s Tony Cruz Award as the leading homegrown jockey, matched Ho’s feat with a brace aboard David Eustace pair Red Brick Warrior and Akermanis Gold.

“It’s a very good night. We had some good draws, everything went smoothly with the first two rides, so I am very happy to win for David. He’s given me a lot of support,” Chau said. “It’s always exciting to have the first wins of the season.”

Chau opened his seasonal account with the success of Red Brick Warrior (129lb) in the Class 5 Nam Fung Handicap (1650m) before doubling his haul on Akermanis Gold (122lb) in the Class 4 Wong Chuk Hang Handicap (1650m).

Eustace was delighted with Red Brick Warrior’s display.

“He got a good draw (barrier one) and he was able to make use of the draw. He’s been slow away in most of his races, but we’ve done a lot of work at home to get him to jump, so I’m grateful for the stall’s team to persevere and when he jumped well, we were keen to be positive,” Eustace said.

“He took the race by the scruff of the neck and he’s a fit horse and he hadn’t had a lot of time off in the off-season. It was his first season last season and Hong Kong, as we know, it takes some time to get used to the racing here, so it worked out well today and hopefully he can gain a bit of confidence from it.”

David Hall also posted a double, combining with Zac Purton and Bits Superstar (120lb), who comfortably landed the first section of the Class 4 Deep Water Bay Handicap (1200m) before Brenton Avdulla notched his first win of the campaign aboard Hall’s Brownneedsfurther (131lb) in the second section of the Class 4 Deep Water Bay Handicap (1200m).

Hall lauded Purton’s ride on Bits Superstar as the gelding broke through after a frustrating sequence of placings last season.

“He had three really good seconds last season where he tried so hard and I think he got a bit tired towards the end of the season after giving his all in those efforts,” Hall said. “He didn’t have much luck the other night – Zac got him in a good spot and he was rewarded with the win.”

Hall hopes Brownneedsfurther can continue to progress.

“It was good for him to have a break and a freshen up and he’s come back looking very well, but I think mentally he’s come back a bit better also. So, hopefully he can keep progressing and we might be able to see him over 1400m or even 1650m yet – we’ll experiment a bit more with that as the season goes on,” Hall said.

Nichola Yuen posts her first win at Happy Valley.

Apprentice Nichola Yuen posted her first victory at Happy Valley with a clever tactical ride on Pierre Ng’s Prestige Always (111lb) in the second section of the Class 3 Mount Butler Handicap (1200m).

“I’m very excited to finally get the win,” Yuen, 26, said of her ninth ride at the city circuit. “I’m still getting to know how to ride this track because it’s a very tactical track. I think this track really helped the horse today.”

Happy Smile (124lb) clinched the Class 4 Hong Kong Country Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1650m) with a withering finish for Jamie Richards and Derek Leung before Caspar Fownes-trained Jumbo Blessing (135lb) charged to his third course and distance victory after surging down the outside under Ho in the Class 4 Island Handicap (1000m).

Danica’s Choice (122lb) continued his excellent form at Happy Valley – and gave Manfred Man’s stable its fourth win of the term – with success in the first section of the Class 3 Mount Butler Handicap (1200m) under Andrea Atzeni.

Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday (27 September) with the G3 Celebration Cup Handicap (1400m).