Sandringham Summit can tick off one leg of the SA Triple Crown as he saunters to victory in the Gr 2 TAB Gauteng Guineas (JC Photos)

Sandringham Summit has been declared for the Gr 1 TAB SA Classic over 1800m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday, as expected, meaning he and main Defender have managed to avoid one another once more as the latter lines up in the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m.

It is becoming difficult to refer to them as arch rivals, because they have actually only clashed twice.

Sandringham is a shoe-in on paper in the SA Classic, but the one question mark is the trip. which will be new territory for him. His sire Gimmethegreenlight was ostensibly a miler, who was effectgive over 2000m, and his dam Townsend by Captain Al won a Gr 2 and a Gr 3 over 1400m and a Listed race over 1600m. The other Gr 1 winner she has produced has been the sprinter Eden Rocc, but she has produced a horse by Dynasty who won over 2400m.  Sandringham did take quite a hold early in the Gauteng Guineas, but can be forgiven for that because he was relatively fresh. He should stay the extra 200m, although it won’t be easy to find a nice position from draw ten.

William Iron Arm is by William Longsword out of a Galileo mare and will relish the step up in trip. This long-strider has scope for further improvememt and is drawn quite well in five.

Storm Brasco’s Gauteng Guineas sixth place finish is better than it looks on paper, because he was one of the group at the back who were caught behind Mondial, who apparently couldn’t go the pace. Storm Brasco ran on very well in the straight. He is by Pathfork out of a Fort Wood mare and is drawn well in four and could be the dark horse.

Barbaresco will also relish the trip being by Gimmethegreenlight out of Fort Wood mare Negroamaro, who was runner up in both the Gr 1 SA Filllies Classic and Gr 1 Woolavington 2000.

Gimmeanotherchance was another one caught in the back group in the Guineas and he also ran on well. He was nearly caught by Storm Brasco and this is 200m further.

Navajo Nation also stayed on well from that back group.

Pure Predator caught the eye running on in the Gr 3 London News over course and distance and from draw two he could be in the shake up.

Purple Picther is proven over the trip and this Jonsson Workwear  Dingaans winner should have come on from his Guineas fourth place finish. He is drawn in pole and should make his presence felt.

Hotarubi stayed on well from a handy position to finish runner up in the Guineas and his below par run over 1700m earlier might have just been a flat run rather than him not staying. However, this Vercingetorix gelding is out of a Var mare, which does create a question mark over the 1800m trip.

Guy Gibson has some class and should enjoy the step up in trip, so can’t be ignored under Piere Strydom, although he has a tricky draw of nine.

Mondial should relish the trip, but will need to step up on his Guineas performance.

In the Horse Chesnut Main Defender is not rated by the bookmakers and is out at 10/1. They must be concerned by his recent hanging antics and he is yet to prove he stays this trip.

Princess Calla is the one to beat if at her best.

Cousin Casey should be cherry ripe and will enjoy the course and distance, but he has a tough draw.

Melech is on the up and should make a bold bid.

Puerto Manzano can never be ignored at this track.

Safe Passage can’t be ignored either, but these days this is a touch sharp for him.

At My Command has proven class and is in good form and is distance suited.

Dave The King could be right there if it pans out well for him from draw ten under Piere Strydom.

Winchester Mansion has only had one run this season and might need this.

Cosmic Highway is interesting as one who placed in the Gr 1 Cape Guineas as a three-year-old.

MK’s Pride is a former winner of this race and has his first run back with the yard who trained him to that win. He will need to bounce back from some below par recent form though.

Sugar Mountain has some decent Cape Town form and can’t be ignored.

Son Of Raj will find this a bit sharp.

Back In Buiness is well regarded, but this is a big step up in class in his first try at this trip.

See the fields for the two big races below.

Fish Eagle secured a four-timer for both the Hollywood Syndicate and Richard Fourie and clinched a big payday for a Hollywoodbets team member (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

The Hollywood Syndicate scored the first four-timer of their owning career on the Hollywodbets Greyville poly today and a team member of theirs won a life-changing amount when selecting eight of eight winners for the Hollywoodbets Punters Challenge.

Richard Fourie also scored an individual four-timer and was aboard three of the Hollywood winners.

The MJ Odendaal-trained three-year-old Querari gelding Griffin Park is an effective front-runner, so the writing was on the wall for the others when Richard Fourie managed to get to the lead from a pole position draw. He kept him going to score by 0,60 lengths from another Hollywood runner, Purple Powahousehorse. Griffin Park converted odds of 15/10.

In the fourth race the Gareth van Zyl-trained Zinikele drew a good comment from her trainer in the morning, who said on his much appreciated social media racemeeting comments message:  “Zinikele is one to consider. With the blinkers off there is a chance that she goes well over the 1800m trip.” The Gimmethegreenlight four-year-old jumped from draw three and was settled in the last three of the nine horse field by Ant Mgudlwa. She turned for home still in the last three, but the tall filly did indeed enjoy the trip and galloped strongly down the inside to win by half-a-length at 16/1 odds from Danse Milord with the favourite Petit Verdot in third.

In the fifth race over 1900m the five-year-old gelding Allaroundtheworld has been an overall disappointment considering his breeding, by Oasis Dream out of Gr 1 winner Same Jurisdiction. Hollywood took over the ownership from his breeders Drakenstein Stud after he had had seven runs and he eventually won a race about nine months later. Today the Gary Rich-trained gelding  made it three career wins and a second win in succession as he led from start to finish under Fourie to win by 3,50 lengths. He is a nice looking horse and has a nice actio and the apparent key to this new lease on life has been a step up to middle distances so he should have more to come.

When the eighth race started there was one man in KZN whose adrenalin would have particularly been surging. “SthaXulu”, had selected seven out of seven winners in the Hollywoodbets Punters Challenge and stood to win a cool R385,000 if he got an 8th. The jackpot for a team member has a pool made up of 5,000 for each of the runners at the meeting, as opposed to R10 per runner for the public pool.

SthaXulu was on the Clinton Binda-trained Fish Eagle in the last over 1400m and Fourie was up. Fourie managed to get the blinkered four-year-old Rafeef gelding on to the rail in front from draw three. In the straight he was challenged by Lucky Dollar but Fourie kept him going to win by 0,40 lengths to make it a life-changing day for SthaXulu.

It was fitting a Binda-trained horses clinched the milestone four-timer for Hollywood, because he has been their winning-most trainer.

Hollywood have as usual had the most wins this season on the owners table,’

They are now on 73 wins for the season and should pass the record they set last season of 124.

However, in their bid for a first owners championship they are about R1.8 million behind title holders Drakenstein Stud.

Picture: Gimme A Nother (JC Photos)

Gimme A Nother should make it six out of six in the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrif SA Fillies Classic on Saturday at Turffontein Standside.

Her sire Gimmethegreenlight was ostensibly a miler who was effective over middle distances, but her mother Nother Russia, who was also a miler, did win over 1800m and her grandmother Mother Russia won the Gr 1 Paddock Stakes and a Gr 2 over 2000m, among other big race victories. So Gimme A Nother should stay the trip and should mow them down again.

Silver Sanctuary will enjoy the trip being a full sister to Safe Passage.

Bavarian Beauty, Let’s Go Now and Champagne Cocktail could make their presence felt too.

Final field below:

Picture: Erik The Red was top stallion by aggregate at the BSA Cape Yearling Sale on Sunday  

Off The Record with Charl Pretorius 

The South African thoroughbred industry has long faced challenges that threaten its vitality. Economic downturns, prohibitive bloodstock export protocols and the impact of global events have all played a part in creating a landscape where revitalisation is not just desired, but urgently needed.

At the heart of a possible revival sits authorities from the European Union, generally willing to see through a detailed auditing process to stamp-of-approval stage, but for the last few political hurdles reportedly close to being resolved. Export protocols may be relaxed overnight to signal a new birth for South African breeding and racing, but the decision lies in the hands of a select few.

We have a small horse population today, resulting from fewer active breeders than there were 15 years ago. We’ve lost the foundation of what once seemed an almost invincible band of stallions in Captain Al, Jet Master, Dynasty, Var and Silvano and more recently potential stars Lancaster Bomber and New Predator. There are fewer mares going around, and it follows that a smaller number of black-type mares are available to a smaller group of select stallions. New stallions have fewer mares to cover, which makes it harder than ever before to prove themselves at stud.

“Good, new blood is much needed to inject fresh life into the veins of South African breeding,” said bloodstock authority John Freeman this week. Freeman, like most others from the breeding community, is positive that we can face challenges with new stallions to stabilise and revitalise our cherished traditions.

There were three freshman stallions and four first-crop stallions represented at Sunday’s Bloodstock SA Cape Yearling Sale at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. They’re seen as a strong, up-and-coming group with the potential to bolster the ranks. Among them is this season’s leading freshman One World, the son of Captain Al, who had 11 lots catalogued. He is, arguably, the natural heir to the throne of his prolific sire, who died in 2017.

Said Freeman: “One World has Captain Al’s beautiful temperament and his foals are similarly big, scopey and plain. He is not supposed to be throwing sprinters, but he’s already had five individual winners from 24 runners, including the promising One Stripe, Lion Rampart and Sahara Cat.”

“One World is second on the two-year-old sires log to the national, older champion Gimmethegreenlight, who has had six winners up to 19 February. That is already a very good achievement. Captain Al and Jet Master were both freshman sires in 2005. They were neck-and-neck for the title and Jet Master won it on stakes earned by his runners. Captain Al led by winners, 21 to 20, in a time when there were more two-year-old races.

“One World, as a specimen, was already regarded as an outstanding prospect when he was introduced at Drakenstein Stud’s stallion day three years ago. He had much talent as a racehorse, his extraordinary courage was evident in his Cape Met win in 2020. Most of the country’s top breeders own a share of him now alongside Ken Truter, Etienne Braun and Braam van Huyssteen, his original owners. I’d like to predict he’ll be a future champion stallion of South Africa.”

One World has enjoyed full books for each crop sired so far – up to 118 mares per term.

Wilgerbosdrift’s freshman Buffalo Bill Cody (Redoute’s Choice) has had an explosive start to his career courtesy of Tony Peter-trained Pistol Pete, a most impressive winner of two career starts. Buffalo Bill Cody, like One World, had breeders gasping for his good looks when he was introduced at the farm’s stallion day in 2021. However, with no G1 wins to his name, there was little support forthcoming. He covered less than 20 mares in his first two crops and 30 in his third crop after breeders and buyers had seen the high quality of his foals, including Pistol Pete, an eye-catcher at the 2023 BSA Cape Yearling Sale.

Form Bloodstock’s Jehan Malherbe, who bought Buffalo Bill Cody at the 2016 Tattersalls Yearling Sale at Newmarket, commented: “He won four in a row and was then a short-priced favourite for the 2019 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate. But he got very sick on the journey from Johannesburg to Cape Town and had to be scratched. He was never the same after that.”

Malherbe asserts: “Ordinary racehorses don’t generally make good sires (there are always exceptions), but horses who had racing class, but for various valid reasons didn’t win G1 races, have to be respected.” In South Africa’s breeding history, sire-of-sires Al Mufti, Persian Wonder, New South Wales, Royal Prerogative and National Assembly fall into this category. Elsewhere, the likes of Mr Prospector, Red Ransom and Pulpit went to stud without G1 wins on record.

Buffalo Bill Cody was represented by nine yearlings at Sunday’s Sale.

Another freshman who hasn’t started his journey on a pre-paved path is Avontuur’s Talk Of The Town (VAR), but he, too, is producing offspring of exceptional quality. Talk Of The Town won three of just five starts before a career-ending injury. He shares his sire with a host of high-class performers including champions Variety Club, Val De Ra, Via Africa (dam of Australian G1 winner In The Congo), Vardy and Anything Goes. Talk Of The Town hails from a potent sire-producing female line and his pedigree shows a notable similarity to Var’s superstar son, Variety Club.

Avontuur’s Pippa Mickleburgh commented: “Talk Of The Town has the blood, size and height to become a good sire. He has no fewer than 10 stallions in his first three dams, including Redoute’s Choice, Manhattan Rain and Hurricane Sky. It’s hard, however. Support hasn’t been great due to his track record lacking a Graded win, but he did post a hat-trick up to a mile before he was injured. Who knows what he could have been?”

Talk Of The Town’s first runner, Famous Lady, was a well-backed winner over 800m for trainer Alson Ndzilana at Turffontein first time out, just before Christmas Day last year. He had two colts and two fillies on offer at Sunday’s Sale.

There are no G1 worries for Form’s first-crop sire Hawwaam (Silvano), also from Wilgerbosdrift Stud. He won eight Graded races, including five G1’s, and buyers’ early confidence reflected in Hawwaam’s nine 2024 Cape Premier Yearling Sale foals yielding a R566,000 average. “Among the new sires, I was impressed by the offspring of the new Silvano stallion, Hawwaam. I didn’t know much about him; I just saw his yearlings walking by, and they were eye-catching,” noted yearling inspector Ric Wylie when doing his rounds in 2023.

“I can’t add much more than that,” said Malherbe, who’d probably challenge Freeman’s prediction about One World, but only after a glass of good wine.

Another freshman stallion is Soqrat (Epaulette), whose early progress was stunted by the death of Shadwell’s Sheikh Hamdan, who sent him to James Armitage at Sandown Stud. Armitage said: “Shadwell reduced their interests over time, sold most of their mares.”

A triple G1-winning champion from the dominant Danehill male line, Soqrat only covered 30 mares in his first two seasons.

“We got 55 mares in his third crop after breeders saw his first foals, which is encouraging, but he will have to prove himself the hard way,” said Armitage. Soqrat’s pair of yearlings at the Cape Premier Sale fetched R400,000, and his single runner so far finished just five lengths off in a Maiden Juvenile Plate. His colt and filly at Sunday’s sale were nice, strong specimens and they’re going to present good pin-hooking value. By the time the Ready To Run Sale rolls on in October, Soqrat is likely to have a few winners on the board.

The first crop of Declaration Of Peace (USA) are now yearlings and while he did cover 82 mares in his first season at Mike McHardy’s MacRath Stud in Nottingham Road, KZN, he only arrived in October of 2021 and most of that crop consisted of late foals. “There is one colt on the BSA Sale, the rest have been held back for sales later this year when they will have matured more,” said McHardy.

As a G2 Breeders Cup Juvenile winning son of star sire War Front, Declaration Of Peace has had two excellent South African flagbearers in his sire’s other sons Fire Away and Lancaster Bomber and McHardy said: “It’s all about speed, that is what breeders want and the support for Declaration Of Peace has been amazing, especially from Cape Breeders, who have made up about 55% of his covering books so far. He had 126 mares to follow the ‘late’ 80, and then a further 101 for his third crop. His first bunch of foals will catch up, we are excited about his future.”

Varsfontein Stud’s first-crop stallion Erik The Red is another promising son of Captain Al, from the illustrious Secret Pact female line. He has a lot going for him as a career-interrupted G2 winner, six times successful from just nine starts. Erik The Red, described by his trainer Justin Snaith as a horse with tremendous heart, had a beautiful action, lightning acceleration and the will to win. These are traits John Freeman believes he is passing to his progeny.

He said: “Erik The Red was the first three-year-old to win the Cape Merchants in 22 years, but had to retire due to injury. He has it all, including a beautiful temperament. I bought one of his colts for R300,000 at the Premier Sale in January and I’ll be buying more at the BSA Sale.”

With the support of his powerful home base, it’s hard to see how Erik The Red can go wrong. He had 17 yearlings to go through the ring on Sunday, 12 of whom will be presented by Varsfontein.

Erik The Red, One World and Buffalo Bill Cody were in fact the top three sires at the BSA Cape Yearling Sale.

READ THE SIRE STATISTISTIC FOR THE BSA CAPE YEARLING SALE HERE 

https://news.4racing.com/off-the-record-15

Lady Christine Laidlaw leads in her homebred Gr 1 Splashout cape Derby winner, Green With Envy (Picture: Wayne Marks)

The handicappers have reacted to Green With Envy’s dominant performance in the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby by raising him nine points to 119. However, they admitted, with the race being run in a time six second slower than the class average, that it had been a difficult race to assess.

The latest handicapping updates are below:

SplashOut Cape Derby (Grade 1)

GREEN WITH ENVY had his rating increased from 110 to 119 after impressively winning the Grade 1 SplashOut Cape Derby over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. It was HLUHLUWE who was deemed to make for the most suitable line horse here and his rating remains on a mark of 111.

The Handicappers opted to use HLUHLUWE to the net 99 performance which he achieved in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas rather than his gross rating of 111. This has the effect of keeping the race to a level of 119 and not 121 as would be the case if HLUHLUWE’s gross rating was used. The Handicappers noted that the race was slowly run in the early stages and felt that this lack of a true test may have resulted in a more compact finish which could have the effect of flattering some of the lower rated horses in the Derby. Accordingly, a slightly lower level seemed to be the prudent choice here.

BEACH BOMB was not deemed to make a suitable line horse for this race as she was weighted to win comfortably off her rating of 117 and using her would mean an 8-point increase to the current level of 119. BEACH BOMB remains unchanged on a rating of 117. The Handicappers also rejected the 87 rated ORIENTAL CHARM as a probable line horse as this will reduce the level of this Grade 1 race to nothing more than a Class 4 Handicap.

Third placed ORIENTAL CHARM who beat the 111 rated line horse HLUHLUWE at level weights by 2 lengths and 4th Placed COASTAL COMMANDER who beat the 111 rated line horse by 0.50 lengths at level weights were raised to 113 and 111 respectively. This ensures that they will meet at correct handicap-terms in future and as such give effect to the rules of “Merit Handicapping”.

INFRARED and WILLIE JOHN were given partial increases from 94 to 99 and 88 to 98 respectively.

No horses received a drop in ratings for this event.

Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes (Grade 2)

Best weighted, THUNDERSTRUCK remained on a rating of 124 after narrowly winning the Grade 2 Diadem Stakes over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. The ever consistent BEREAVE was deemed to make for the most suitable line horse here and he remains on a rating of 122. In rating the race this way 5th place RIO QUERARI runs to his mark of 118 and also serves as a line horse.

2nd placed FUTURE VARIETY received an increase from 106 to 118. This 3-year-old was rated to run last so there is no disputing his improvement and considering the quality of the line horses for this race the Handicappers believed there is no reason to entirely doubt the improvement showed in this Grade 2 race.

COSMIC HIGHWAY confirmed the recent improvement he displayed in the Grade 1 LÓrmarins King’s Plate by running 0.05 lengths behind the line horse BEREAVE, rated 122, and he was adjusted accordingly to a rating of 121.

The only other horse to receive an increase was WE’RE JAMMING who was raised from 110 to 113 to ensure he meets the 112 rated WATERBERRY LANE at correct weight terms in future handicaps.

No horses received a drop in ratings for this event.

SplashOut Prix Du Cap (Grade 3)

DOUBLE GRAND SLAM was adjusted from 115 to 117 after emphatically winning the Grade 3 SplashOut Prix Du Cap over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. RASCOVA was deemed to make for the most suitable line horse here and remains on a rating of 115. Second place finisher, OCTOBER MORN was increased from 112 to 115 which makes her equal to RASCOVA who she beat here at level weights. Fourth placed MRS GERIATRIX was increased to 115 from 112 due to the fact that she actually carried more weight than the first three finishers.

No other horses received increases in the race. The following horses received drops of 3 points each to their ratings. HAPPY CHANCE was dropped from 116 to 113, ASIYE PHAMBILI from 111 to 108 and GOLDEN HOSTESS from 115 to 112.

Pongracz Jet Master Stakes (Listed)

Best weighted, ROYAL AUSSIE remained unchanged on a rating of 124 after winning the Listed Pongracz Jet Master Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.

The Handicappers were of the opinion that QUASIFORSURE made for the most suitable line horse and his rating remains unchanged on 115. In rating the race this way both the winner, ROYAL AUSSIE and the runner-up GOLD POKER GAME, actually run below their ratings in this event. PONTE PIETRA was the only runner in the event to receive an increase and was adjusted to 103 from 100.

Two horses received drops to their ratings, BARATHEON was dropped from 99 to 98 and RUNAWAY SONG was dropped to 106 from 110.

Schweppes Cape Fillies Classic (Listed)

RAINBOW LORIKEET had her rating adjusted to 96 from 90 after winning the Listed Schweppes Cape Fillies Classic over 1800m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. SUMMER LILY was chosen as the line horse here and she remains on a rating of 92. In rating the race this way CALLMEGETRIX also runs to her mark of 87 which makes her a line horse as well. 3rd placed PRINCESS IZZY was increased to 91 from 90 while the only other increase in this race went to EPIKLEROS who was raised to 89 from 83.

FATAL GEM was dropped from 94 to 92 and FAMILY POWER also received a drop of 2 points from 78 to 76.

Betway National Currency Sprint (Grade 3)

ONE FELL SWOOP remains unchanged on a rating of 99 after winning the Grade 3 Betway National Currency Sprint over 1100m at Turffontein on Sunday 25 February. The Handicappers were of the opinion that 2nd placed ZIYASHA had reproduced his 114 performance which he achieved in his last start and used that mark of 114 to rate this race. Consequently, he goes up to 114 from 112. The only other runner to receive an increase was 3rd placed CLIFF HANGER, who goes up to 108 from 105.

It should be noted that ONE FELL SWOOP ran to a considerably higher rating in her previous run in the Betway Swallow Stakes, but her increase had to be capped. See excerpt from the Betway Swallows Stakes press release:

ONE FELL SWOOP was only increased by 3 points from 96 to 99 despite running to a considerably higher level here due to the specific race conditions that state that placed horses may only receive a maximum adjustment of 3 points. This means that ONE FELL SWOOP will benefit from a 4,5kg swing at the weights with TROPPO VELOCE for a 0.10 of a length beating, and a 3,5kg swing at the weights with CULLINAN BLUE who she beat here, should they meet on Handicap terms in the future.

ONE FELL SWOOP will continue to enjoy the above benefit.

WYZEACT was the only runner to receive a drop in ratings and goes down slightly to 96 from 97.

Ibhayi Stakes (Listed)

FAIRY KNIGHT has had his rating increased to 99 from 93 after easily accounting for his rivals in the Listed Ibhayi Stakes over 1400m at Fairview racecourse on Friday, 23 February. The Handicappers were unanimous in their view that 4th placed UBISIKA made for the most suitable line horse to rate this race and he remains unchanged on a rating of 86.

The winner aside, two horses received ratings increases. 3rd placed WAZ WOUTER goes up to 87 from 85, and LEGAL THRILLER, who finished 0.5 of a length or 1 pound at level weights behind the line horse goes up to 85 from 78.

EMPIRE BLUE was the only runner in this race to receive a rating’s drop and goes down slightly to 84 from 85.

Lady’s Pendant Stakes (Listed)

THREE ROCKS remains unchanged on a rating of 109 following her win in the Listed Lady’s Pendant Stakes over 1200m at Fairview on Friday. It was 3rd placed GOLDEN PACIFIC who was used to rate this race and she remains unchanged on a rating of 101. In fact, in rating the race this way, the winner runs 3 pounds below her official mark hence her unchanged rating.

2nd placed ESTHER, who was rated to finish joint 9th with three other horses, goes up to 104 from 84. ESTHER did concede weight to both the 109 rated THREE ROCKS and the 101 rated GOLDEN PACIFIC so there is no disputing the fact that she has performed to a much higher level than her official pre-race merit rating. SUMMER ODYSSEY, who finished 0.25 of a length behind the 101 rated line horse at level weights, was adjusted to 100 from 87 while 6th place finisher, SISTER LIGHT received a 4-pound increase from 92 to 96 so that she is rated correctly with 7th placed CHERE FOR ME, who she beat at level weights by 5 points. These adjustments are deemed necessary to give effect to the rules of “Merit Handicapping”.

No runner received a drop in ratings in this race.

Constitution Hill (right) disappoints in a racecourse gallop at Kempton. Photograph: Edward Whitaker/Racing Post Photos

Hot Cheltenham Festival favourite works badly at Kempton

Horse produced mucus in stable scope after workout

Greg Wood (The Guardian)

Constitution Hill’s chance of following up his impressive success in last year’s Champion Hurdle appeared to be hanging by a thread on Tuesday, after Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten hurdler was found to have mucus in his lungs shortly after a lacklustre pre-Cheltenham gallop at Kempton.

Constitution Hill was a general 1-4 favourite for the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday morning, but bookmakers immediately suspended betting on the race, the feature event on the opening day of the Festival meeting on 12 March, as news of the gallop filtered through. State Man, the second-favourite, had shortened from 3-1 to 5-2 with several firms prior to the suspension.

The seven-year-old was exercising with Sir Gino, the favourite for the Triumph Hurdle on 15 March, under his big-race jockey, Nico de Boinville. He was eased significantly towards the end of the gallop, finishing many lengths adrift of his four-year-old stable companion.

“Unfortunately, in a routine gallop this morning, Constitution Hill was very disappointing, and it transpires, after the vet has scoped him, that there is evidence of mucus,” Henderson said on Tuesday.

“We’re taking a sample of it to a laboratory to analyse it, which will tell us about the significance of it and we should know more after that. Last week, he worked brilliantly and he was scoped 10 days ago, but these things happen, just like it did with him earlier in the year [when Constitution Hill missed his intended Festival prep race in late January]. Horses are like humans, look how many people had the awful cough around Christmas that took ages to get rid of.”

Henderson is no stranger to dramas around Champion Hurdle favourites, as Binocular, the winner of the race in 2010, had seemingly been ruled out of the race with a muscle problem a month earlier. The same horse was ruled out of a title defence just two days before the race the following season, as a steroid being used to treat an allergic reaction had failed to clear his system.

Henderson added: “The vets still think it could clear up in a week and all his serious work has been done already, whether he makes it [to Cheltenham] will depend on the severity of it. He would normally go easily with him [Sir Gino], but this morning he couldn’t, so Nico realised all was not well and wasn’t hard on him. Obviously, the mucus was affecting him. He’s not coughing, he’s just got a dirty picture, as we say. I’m not saying definitely either way [about the Champion Hurdle] and I’ll keep hoping. As you can imagine, it has come as a bit of a shock.”

With most firms offering money back on non-runners in their ante-post markets, many lists were in the unusual position of making both State Man and Constitution Hill odds-on shots for the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday evening.

Unibet, however, which sponsors both the Champion Hurdle and Henderson’s stable, is still “all-in”, and makes State Man the new favourite at 4-5, with Constitution Hill available at 5-4.

The firm then quote Lossiemouth, a stablemate of State Man at the Willie Mullins yard and current favourite for the Mares’ Hurdle the same afternoon, at 9-1, with Gordon Elliott’s Irish Point, the second-favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle on 14 March, available at 14-1 to make a successful switch to the Champion.

Wylie Riley clinches individual doubles for both Kobeli Lihaba and Gareth van Zyl (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Richard Fourie had a four-timer on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly today, three of them for the Hollywood Syndicate.

Kobeli Lihaba and Gareth van Zyl had individual doubles.

Fourie goes to 190 wins for the season achieved at a strike rate of 21.37%.

Lihaba is on 38 wins at 12.50%.

Van Zyl is on 35 wins at 11.25%.

Van Zyo has joined Wendy Whitehead on top of the KZN trainers log.

The top ten on the KZN trainers log are: Gareth van Zyl and Wendy Whitehead 29, Garth Puller 28, Alyson Wright and Mike Miller 26, Peter Muscutt 22, Duncan Howells 21, Louis Goosen 20, Frank Robinson 16, Michael Roberts and Tony Rivalland 15.

The blindingly fast Harry Hotspur, whose breeding was advised by Dr Frank Freeman of Boland Stud, has certainly left his mark on the South African stud book. Harry sired 572 foals –of which 386 (67%) won. His offspring included an impressive 56 stakes winners (or nearly 10% of his foals won black type races).