Turf Talk Newsletter – 25 September, 2025

Three-year-olds Can Tell A Story In The Matchem

Absolutely Yes wins the Langerman and will be out to emulate the great Variety Club by adding the Matchem (Picture: Wayne Marks)

The Gr 3 Race Coast Matchem Stakes is one of the early season open Graded races where the three-year-olds can give an inkling of how strong their crop is.

The last three-year-old to win the Matchem Stakes was the great Variety Club way back in 2011, which shows just how difficult a race it is to win for a sophomore. Variety Club’s crop was one of the best at the top end this millennium considering it also included Gimmethegreenlight, who subsequently became the first three-year-old to win the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate for 39 years and he beat Variety Club to do it.

The last three-year-old to actually run in the Matchem was the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Cosmic Highway in 2021.

The Gimmethegreenlight colt finished a 2,30 length third.

Kannemeyer has one of the only two three-year-olds in the race this year.

He has entered Aristocratic, while Justin Snaith has entered Absolutely Yes.

Both of these three-year-olds are by the Japanese-bred Deep Impact sire Danon Platina.

It has to be said Danon Platina’s progeny have disapponted when turning three, because a number of them have looked promising as two-year-olds and the way this stallion was first read was that his progeny would improve with age and he was expected by more than a few to become a Champion Sire.

However, that hope has not materialised to date.

So Perhaps trainers are now realising the Danon Platinas must get going early and hence two three-year-old entries in this toughest of races.

Aristocratic is a bay out of the Silvano mare Simply Royal, whose four wins included the Gr 3 Acacia Handicap over 1600m.

Simply Royal is from the family of Triple Tiara heroines Cherry On The Top and Summer Pudding.

Both of those horses packed strong finishing runs and that is what Aristocratic has displayed to date. He has a fine turn of foot and from draw five on Saturday under Serino Moodley it will be interesting to see how much he has matured and whether he can produce a late charge.

If he wins he will stamp himself as a Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas hopeful, a race Kannemeyer has won six times himself, while the yard has won it nine times in all.

Kannemeyer’s biggest miss in the Cape Guineas has been with the great Fieldspring Racing-owned Dynasty, who started at 1/5 odds in January 2003, but was beaten into second by the Mike de Kock-trained Domino Man.

However, Kannemeyer made amends for Fieldspring by winning it with Rabiya in January 2005.

Fieldspring also had a share in the Kannemeyer-trained December 2008 Cape Guineas winner Le Drakkar.

Fieldspring part-own Aristocratic and he races in their colours, so Saturday’s race will tell whether they have a hope of making more Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas history.

Justin Snaith also has a good record in the Cape Guineas, winning it with Solo Traveller in 2010, Double Superlative in 2021 and Snow Pilot in 2023.

On Saturday in the Matchem he runs the Gr 3 Langerman winner Absolutely Yes.

It is interesting to note that Variety Club won the Langerman, so Absolutely Yes will be out to repeat some history.

Absolutely Yes, who is out of Gr 2 KZN Fillies Guineas winner Maybe Yes (Tiger Ridge), is an impressive looking grey and he led from start to finish in the Langerman over 1500m under Muzi Yeni and showed tremendous resolve as well as a nice big action late in the race.

Yeni is aboard on Saturday and will have little option but to go to the front from a wide draw of nine.

Greg Bortz owns Absolutely Yes together with Gina Goldsmith and Leon Ellman.

Bortz will be out to win the race for the second year in a row as he won it last year with the Vaughan Marshall-trained Questioning, who lines up in defence of his title on Saturday.

Aristocratic is officially 5,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted horse, Cafe Culture, and Absolutely Yes is officially 8kg under sufferance.

They have hard tasks, but it would be no surprise if they proved up to it.

Matchem And The Demise Of His Famous Sire Line

Matchem (Picture Supplied)

The Matchem Stakes is named after a famous horse who carried through the sire line of one of the three founding stallions of the thoroughbred breed.

The three founding stallions were the Darley Arabian, the Byerley Turk and the Goldolphin Barb and their sire lines were carried through by the famous racehorses Eclipse, Herod and Matchem respectively.

And yet it looks likely that only the the Darley Arabian/Eclipse sire line will survive due to the modern dominance of this line through the like of Nearco, Northern Dancer and Mr Prospector.

In South Africa today there is not a single sire still standing which does not come from the Eclipse sire line.

The last SA-based sire to not be from that line was the recently late Irish-bred KZN-based stallion Linngari, who was by the last major stallion of the Byerley Turk/Herod line i.e. Indian Ridge.

The demise of the Goldolphin Barb/Matchem line is surprising in that it produced the horse who is generally regarded as one of the two greatest thoroughbreds in history i.e. Man ‘O War, who generally competes for that title with Secretariat.

Man O’ War’s owner limited his coverings and he only produced 386 registered foals, although 64 of them were stakes winners, including the great War Admiral.

War Admiral was the leading American sire in 1945, the leading juvenile sire in 1948 and he sired 40 stakes winners. However, his infuence was to ultimately come through his daughters and his sire line faded.

There was recent hope that the Man O’War sire line would survive due to the great racehorse Tiznow, the only horse to have won the Breeders Cup Classic twice. He hails from a son of Man O’ War called War Relic.

Tiznow proved to be a great stallion, siring over 80 black type winners, including 14 Gr 1 winners. However, he was retired in 2020 and his only stallion sons, Tourist, Colonel John and Tizway, stand in Turkey, Korea and Turkey respectively having not made it in the USA.

So the Matchem line looks likely to be buried with Tiznow, who is still enjoying his retirement.

With Indian Ridge having failed to produce a top stallion the Herod line also looks unlikely to survive.

Matchem himself won ten of his 12 races and was Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland from 1772 – 1774.

Click here to read about Matchem

Top Sires Represented In Hopes And Dreams’ Two-year-old Sale Draft

Hopes And Dreams Stud have quickly become a force at the sales (Picture Supplied)

Vercingetorix. Master Of My Fate. Rafeef. One World. These are just three of the top-class stallions represented in Hopes And Dreams Stud’s Two-Year-Old Sale draft. With two-year-olds hailing from some outstanding families, there is much to like about this consignment! Likely standout two-year-olds here include:

Lot 4: One World – Glory Days (colt):
By the same sire as top-class performers including One Stripe, All Out For Six, and Dreamworld, this colt is out of a stakes placed daughter of Vercingetorix. This colt, whose granddam was sired by Sadler’s Wells, hails from the same family as outstanding performers Generous, Moonlight Cloud, Triptych and Imagine.

Lot 57: Contrary Mary – Master Of My Fate – Princess Thiana (filly):
By the red-hot sire of current champions Golden Palm and Jan Van Goyen, this filly is out of a full-sister to dual Horse Of The Year and eight-time Gr 1 winner Legal Eagle.

Lot 110: One World -Abbey Wood (filly):
Out of a winning daughter of champion sire Vercingetorix, this filly’s granddam is a Gr 3 placed daughter of seven times champion sire Jet Master. This filly traces back directly in female line to Soho Secret, ancestress of stars like Malmoos, Master Of My Fate and Pluck.

Lot 123: Rafeef – Before The Dawn (filly):
By the sire of Thunderstruck and fellow Gr 1 winners Master Archie, Aragosta and William Robertson, this filly is out of a seven-time winning half-sister to Equus champion and sire Thunderstruck, making her a three-parts sister to the Ridgemont based Equus champion. This filly’s granddam is Var sired Gr 2 Post Merchants winner Varikate.

Lot 147: Gallic Flight – Vercingetorix – Flight Zone (filly):
Bred on the same Vercingetorix/Jet Master cross as the likes of African Warrior, Rascallion and Quickstepgal, this half-sister to a four-time winner is out of a six-time winning half-sister to globetrotting champion, and Gr 1 Vodacom Durban July winner, Bold Silvano. The latter, like Vercingetorix, was sired by Silvano.

For more information on this draft, please contact Furdy Swartbooi on (073) 919 6285.

All horses purchased off the RCS Two-Year-Old Sale qualify for the RCS Slipper. The Slipper is run over 1200m for qualifying 2yo graduates of Race Coast Sales. This lucrative race will be run in mid-April for a purse of R3 Million in 2026 at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

NHA Give An Official Explanation Of Monday's Dead-heat Decision

All of the horses who could have a line placed on their nose in the positive image have their noses through the line on the mirror image which proved that the latter was not correctly aligned

The NHA have sent out a press release to explain why Race five at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Monday was declared a dead-heat, an outcome that was questioned by many.

NHA Press Release:

On Monday, 22 September 2025 at Hollywoodbets Durbanville in Race 5, a dead heat was called between the two declared winners, SAUDI CAT (ARG) and WHAT A FORTUNE. The National Horseracing Authority (“NHA”) has received numerous enquiries on this particular race, and in the interests of transparency, wishes to share with the public the decision-making process behind declaring the dead heat.

In circumstances involving a close, compact finish, photographic evidence is used to determine the winner. The photo-finish camera, lined up to the finish post, is used to generate the photo for the Judges. After examination of this image (the “positive image”), neither SAUDI CAT (ARG) nor WHAT A FORTUNE could be separated. As a result of this, the Judges called for the mirror image (or “negative image”) to obtain the view from the opposite angle. Based on the view from the negative image, the outside horse SAUDI CAT (ARG) appeared to be marginally in front of the inside horse WHAT A FORTUNE. In order to satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of the negative image, the Judges reviewed the positive and negative images for the 3^rd and 4^th placed horses in the same race (BOOGIEFIED (AUS) and STAR MAJOR, respectively. It was noted from this image that the lines superimposed on the negative image were not aligned with the horses’ noses, indicating that the mirror used for creating the negative image was not properly aligned with the winning post.

Based on this evidence and following consultation between the Judges and the Stipendiary Stewards, a decision was made to use only the positive image for the purpose of rendering the decision and to disregard the negative image.

There was no discernible difference between the horses’ noses, and the decision was therefore made to award the dead heat under Rule 65.5. This rule states that “Except where a HORSE’S nose is not visible, the judge shall base his decision exclusively on the HORSE’S nose and if there is a discernible difference, he shall not give a dead heat”. This rule applies to the positive side of the image, and not the negative side. Based on this rule and the Judges’ determination after reviewing the positive image, a dead heat was awarded.

The NHA has requested that the Racing Operator have the mirror professionally realigned with the finish post before the upcoming race meeting on Saturday, 27 September 2025. In the event this is not completed, the Judges will continue only to use the positive image, until confirmation of the completion of the realignment and stability of the structure is guaranteed.

A D Hyde

Racing Control Executive

Mercantour Looks Hard To Beat

Mercantour has been tipped to win the seventh race (Pauline Herman Photography)

Fairview Poly Friday Formguides And Selections

R1 (2) PIBE DE ORO has been consistent and will have a big chance, although he is a well tried maiden he gets the claimer up and this could be a game changer. (4) STAND UP is another who is knocking on the door and will be a lively challenger, include in everything. (5) RIVER FERN has been in the frame in the last two starts and shouldn’t be far, he has scope to improve. (1) PLAYMAKER was well beaten on debut and is open to improve. (Devonne Govender 2-4-5-1).

R2 (7) ELUSIVE BOMBA has made solid progress in her second start, she will go close if repeating that good last run. (3) AMANATTO has been racing well in the last two starts and will be a big challenger here, must include in all bets. (1) ROYAL MERMAID represents KZN form and will be factor, she gets a top rider up and should be respected. (2) MIDNIGHT MUSIC is never far back and can make the quartets. (Devonne Govender 7-3-1-2).

R3 (2) SILVA CITY has run cracking races in features, she will take a power of beating against this lot respectfully. (5) SWISS WALT has been consistent and will be in the firing line here. (4) DONNY TEE is capable of popping up here on best form so include in larger perms. (1) SPEED RACER hasn’t been in the best of form however is capable on his day, throw into larger perms. (Devonne Govender 2-5-4-1).

R4 (2) FEW DOLLARS MORE ran a cracker in the province in his last start and represents good KZN poly form, he is capable of doing work in a race and still produce a big finish hence the draw won’t be a concern so he will be a strong contender. (8) ROLL OF THE DICE is holding top form and another huge run is expected. (6) LOTUS ISLAND has been running in features, on best form he will blow this field away so must go into all bets. (5) GEORGE HANDEL is another who is in top form and will be a big factor. (Devonne Govender 2-8-6-5).

R5 (6) TAKE YOUR TIME is holding decent form and should be a strong contender especially with the apprentice claiming valuable weight off. (5) CHRONICLESOFNANIA won a gutsy race in her last start and is very capable of winning again. (4) WISHES AND DREAMS has plenty of scope to go well, she was very impressive in her maiden win and should be respected here. (8) COLORAMA gets a much better draw this time and is expected to get much closer. (Devonne Govender 6-5-4-8).

R6 (4) READY is holding consistent form and will be the firm first choice, he gets a top rider up and will be a big factor. (6) COASTAL PATH won a gutsy race in his last start, he has been holding his form well and will be a big challenger. (1) DOWSER is very capable on his day. He gets the claimer up which brings him right into this. (8) GRAND ALLEGRO is capable of much better, he goes well on the poly so include in larger perms. (Devonne Govender 4-6-1-8).

R7 (1) MERCANTOUR is in great form and looks hard to beat here, although he shoulders a big weight he has shown he has no issue with that so will be the firm first choice. (4) GUY GIBSON was narrowly beaten in the last start and a repeat performance will see him in the finish. (7) CHAMPONELLE has a good draw and will be in the firing line, his form is solid so don’t ignore. (Devonne Govender 1-4-7-5).

R8 (4) PRINCE ANTONIO ran well in the last start and has scope to go well so needs to be respected. (6) MANEKI NEKO ran a cracker at huge odds and a repeat will see him in the firing line. (1) THUNDER MASTER is holding consistent form and should go very well here. (5) KING’S SAILOR was narrowly beaten in the last start and should be there once again. (Devonne Govender 4-6-1-5).

Infinity Edge Could Have The Edge of Miller Trio

Infinity Edge has been tipped to win the 8th race (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Hollywoodbets Greyville Turf Friday Formguides And Selections

R1 Summary: BELLIGERENT (2) takes on males but has not been far back in her last three and has a handy weight what with her sex allowance and Rachel Venniker’s extra 1.5kg allowance. CAPTAIN’S DYNASTY (9) improved second time out from a wide draw and could possibly show more. HEART TO HEART (8) is a four-year-old with only one run to his name and can improve on a fair debut. Hollywood Racing’s stable rider Sean Veale will have had the choice of three first timers and goes with GREATEST HIT (5) for Vengi Masawi. (Andrew Harrison: 2-9-8-5).

R2 Summary: Competitive start to the Bi-Pot. TARGARYEN (1) looks to be the pick of Wendy Whotehead’s three runners. He was a close-up second on this course last run and has the best of the draw. Paul Matchett raids with CARNARVON (3) who shows steady Highveld form and has run well on the Greyville poly. BOURBON’S BEAST (6) has been consistent and was not far back in a competitive maiden last time out. EASTERN HIGHLANDS (7) returns from a lengthy break but showed up well on debut and is one to watch in the betting. (Andrew Harrison: 1-3-6-7).

R3 Summary: MISS TWINKLE (7) has improved with each outing and looks ripe for this event. MS GALORE (6) showed good speed before being out-paced late last time out. This is her third run after a break and the step up in trip should suit. REJUVENATE (10) has been knocking on the door. She has gone close on the poly so should be familiar with her surroundings. RED LHASA (1) enjoyed the step up in trip last run on the poly. She has the best of the draw back on turf. (Andrew Harrison: 7-6-10-1).

R4 Summary: Wide open first leg of the Pick 6. SPRING KISS (2) seldom runs a bad race and was not far back last run. She is over her optimum trip. BEAUTIFUL RANIA (5) has shown recent improvement in blinkers and is down in class. SALLY PORT (9) was a recent maiden winner but is lightly raced and has improved with each outing. Further improvement can see her home again. LAST GINGER (4) has steady Highveld form and can feature prominently in this line-up. HOT STRIKE (6) is not the easiest to catch right but is smart on her day. Serino Moodley stays with the ride. (Andrew Harrison: 2-5-9-6).

R5 Summary: RANI TARABAI (7) has hard put a foot wrong in her seven starts. The form of her last win has been soundly franked and a repeat should see her close in a competitive field. There should be very little between RADU (5) and GREENHOUSE (8) with a neck between them when last they met. The meet on the same weight terms. PRINCESS PALACE (1) held on gamely to win last time out. This shorter trip could be more to her liking. (Andrew Harrison: 7-5-8-1).

R6 Summary: Competitive handicap. BLAZING LIGHT (1) has not been far back at recent outings. He is down in class and also takes a slight drop in the ratings. MOHANDAS (6) was much improved in blinkers last run and this shorter trip should be more to his liking. SLYTHERIN (2) caught the eye last run and he should appreciate the rise in trip. ATTABOY (11) has been consistent of late and the step up in trip could finally see him home to his second win. (Andrew Harrison: 1-6-2-11).

R7 Summary: CONTINENTALEXPRESS (4) won well over the distance last time out. He was jump9ng in trip but was well supported in the market. He is up in the handicap but looks capable again. ESCAPOLOGIST (2) is something of a Hollywood Scottsville specialist but stays well. However, she meets her rival on exactly the same weight terms. DANCING ON A CLOUD (5) was just over three lengths back to Continentlexpress last time out but is 3kg better off so should finish a little closer. CORRUPT (6) goes this trip for the first time but won well enough last time out and is relatively lightly raced. (Andrew Harrison: 4-2-6-5).

R8 Summary: Mike Miller holds a strong hand with three runners, best of which could be the lightly raced INFINITY EDGE (4) the choice of stable rider Tristan Godden. She was a beaten favourite last run behind two stable companions but can make amends given expected improvement. However, stable companion SOVEREIGN GRANT (1) was a length in front of Infinity Edge when last they met and is now 2.5kg better of at the weights and has the best of the draw. ONE SMART COOKIE (10) is always dangerous and improved back in blinkers. MALCOLM’S DREAM (11) is likely having her last outing before heading to stud but did put in a strong should behind One Smart Cookie last time out. (Andrew Harrison: 4-1-10-11).

R9 Summary: THE SHEPHERD (10) has his third run after a lengthy break and was not far back in both starts. He has a big weight but is down in class and looks primed for this. ROSH KEDESH (8) did not get the best of passages last run and the outing is possibly best ignored as he had consistent form prior to that run. IMPOSING (6) ran out a comfortable winner if his last start over course and distance and can feature again carrying just 1kg more. VOLDEMORT (5) is seldom far off. He is up in class but does have a corresponding drop in the weights. (Andrew Harrison: 10-8-6-5).

Matsunyane Treble, Doubles For Klaasen And Two Sires

Daring Act clinches a treble for Kabelo Matsunyane and doubles for both trainer Robyn Klaasen and sire Act Of War (JC Photos)

Kabelo Matsunyane rode a treble at the Vaal today, while Robyn Klaasen scored a double and the sires The United States and Act Of War also had doubles.

Matsunyane goes to 11 wins for the season and has achieved it at a strike rate of 10.28%.

Craig Zackey still leads the log with 33 wins, one ahead of Richard Fourie, and he has achieved it at a strike rate of 13.69%. Zackey has hit a bit of a win drought, but not for want of being competitive. In his last 50 rides he might have only had two wins, but he has had 13 seconds, including two today, which constitutes a second place strike rate in that period of 26%.

It was Klaasen’s third win of the season and she is going along at a strike rate of 7.69%.

The United States has had 13 winners this season of 13 races from 58 runners who have had 99 runs.

Act Of War had had seven winners of seven races from 49 runners who have had 83 runs.

Today's Question

What betting machine did Durban Turf Club buy for £65,000 in 1960?

The picture gives a clue to the answer

FIELDS, Friday, 26 September

Fairview Poly

FIELDS, Friday, 26 September

Hollywoodbets Greyville Poly

Today’s Question Answer

The Durban Turf Club’s most important investment in 1960 was in a new £65,000 mechanical doubles tote machine, which took in duplas (first two in any order) and forecasts (same as exacta).

With the drop in nomination fees and with catering and gate money down, the totalisator very soon became “the lifeblood of the club”. Within a few years it helped reduce totalisator wages by £16,425.