Mike de Kock had an annual presence in big Dubai races for much of this millenium and could well be there in force again next year (Photo: Shamela Hanley) 

The glory days of Mike de Kock and other SA trainers winning big races in Dubai with South African horses and jockeys might be back soon thanks to direct flights to the EU for equine exports being re-instated.

De Kock was full of praise for the team that made it happen and wrote the below article on his website:

It would be remiss of me not to extend my sincere thanks to the individuals involved in finally getting South Africa past the winning post for the reinstatement of direct exports of our bloodstock to the EU and elsewhere. Monday, 25 March, 2024 was a most exciting day for our industry with this breaking news and it may well go down as an historic turning point for our embattled industry.

There are a number of breeders who made contributions to the South African Equine Health and Protocols (SAEHP). At the risk of leaving someone out, I am just going to express my heartfelt thanks. They know who they are. I am sure a list of names will be published soon in their recognition.

I’d like to give my thanks and appreciation to four individuals that deserve the most accolades.

Firstly, Chris van Niekerk, with whom I had the privilege of serving with on the original board of SAEHP when it was formed to address the export protocol issues with increased vigour in 2018. Six long years later, SAEHP has succeeded in what it had set out to do – after having to overcome a series of major obstacles and unforeseen delays. But the task has been done, and I want to tell you that there were months that Chris had to fund SAEHP from his own pocket. We owe him a debt of gratitude.

Adrian Todd, often maligned in this period, kept his head down and continued to press on. I, too, had words with Adrian a few times, especially about the frustrating issue of the movement of horses inside South Africa. He faced a battering of criticism and sarcasm in the media, but he persevered and deserves kudos for that.

Adrian built a top team around him. He carried the flag at dozens of sensitive meetings with high-raking officials here and abroad that were never reported on. He kept digging and digging to get to the right people, knocked on doors all over the world and had to endure some demoralising brush-offs. Well done, Adrian!

David Abery took the reins when Chris stepped down. There was a stage, not too long ago, when SAEHP was on the verge of collapse, but David came up with the masterstroke to approach the Hong Kong Jockey Club for financial assistance through a percentage of the World Pools.

Lasty, a word of thanks to Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the long-serving Chief Executive of the HKJC, an administrator of celebrated stature whose belief in the South African thoroughbred stems from his witnessing of the exploits of horses like Variety Club and was fundamental to his assistance in allowing for monies to be assigned to our cause.

Personally, I have what can be described as fire in my belly today. I know that South Africa produces thoroughbreds that can compete around the world. Now that the playing fields are level, we can return to international competition. My son Mathew tells me every day of his belief that our runners will hold their own in Australia, especially over a mile and up. I look forward to seeing our runners take on the Aussies in their backyard.

And then there is Dubai, where our former infrastructure remains accessible to us. We have stables and equipment, and now we can return with our horses to fill those stables. In recent seasons the Dubai Carnival has lost its competitive edge and with that some of its glamour. This issue was dealt with in a recent Racing Post article. Perhaps the time has come for us to send some runners to the UAE again, to restore healthy competition, international flair and traditional rivalries.

There are interesting times ahead!

Richard Fourie’s stalwart agent Ken Nicol confirmed the record-chasing jockey would be out of action until Friday’s Fairview meeting and revealed he will be enjoying himself over the next few days partaking of his favourite hobby, fishing.

Ken said, “He’s slightly ahead of the curve and he needed to take a few days off before we make a big push again, because he’s been working helluva hard. There’s nothing wrong with him, he’s just gone fishing for a few days.”

The curve he was talking about was the projected number of wins Richard has for the season compared to the record for a season of 334 he is chasing.

His projected number today (Tuesday) stands at 351 and by the end of Thursday will be down to 348.

So he is comfortably ahead of the curve at present.

He has had 1041 rides this season and 229 wins.

At start of play on Friday there will be 135 days left in the season and he will need 106 more wins to reach a new record mark of 335.

His number-of-rides-per-calendar-day-rate at the beginning of Friday will stand at 4,32.

If he keeps up his rides-per-calendar day rate he will have 540 more rides this season.

If he keeps up his current strike rate of exactly 22% for those 540 rides he will have 119 more wins and that will take him to 348 wins for the season.

Ken concluded, “Obviously if he stays injury free we’ve got a chance.”

Dave The King – will he go for the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes or the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge?. The Global View gelding is one of a number of horses with multiple entries on Champions Day, whose final fields come out on Wednesday this week (JC Photos)

Many questions will be answered when the final fields for Turffontein Standside’s big Champions Day meeting come out tomorrow (Wednesday).

For example, Dave The King has improved with gelding, so will he go for the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge over a 2000m trip which had likely became a bit problematic when he was a colt, because he started travelling a bit too hard in front, or will he go for the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m,. The tough Turffontein Standside 1400m could be an ideal trip for him.

Sandringham Summit has also been entered in both of those races. The connections questioned whether he had quite stayed the 1800m trip of the Gr 1 SA Classic , so the Hawaii Stakes might be the best option.

The SA Classic winner Purple Pitcher was said by trainer Robyn Klaasen of having 90% chance of going for the Gr 1 SA Derby over 2450m as opposed to the Premier’s.

The unbeaten Almond Sea has drawn better in the Gr 2 SA Nursery than in the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery, if the trend of higher draws being favourable is the measure. However, she will be up against her unbeaten stable companion Pistol Pete in the former race and has been so superior in all of her races to date that a low draw of three should not bother her in the fillies Nursery.

Their Gr 1-winning stable companion Bavarian Beauty is in both the Hawaii and the Gr 1 Empress Club, but has drawn well in the latter. However, she will be up against the seemingly invincible Gimme A Nother in the latter race.

Gimme A Nother remains among the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks entries, but the connections have said she will forego the chance of becoming the sixth filly to land the Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara by going for a CV-enhancing Gr 1 win instead.

Last season’s Equus Champion Two-year-old filly Mrs Geriatrix is entered in all of the Empress Club, the Hawaii and the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint. She had a most disappointing Cape Town campaign and will hopefully bounce back to her best on the Highveld.

Humdinger is in the Hawaii over her ideal 1400m trip, but is also in the Empress Club, which is limited to her own gender.

Crack stayer Zeus in in the Listed 4Racing Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850m, but considering he came fourth in the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup over the course and distance of the Premier’s will a tilt at the latter Gr 1 race be too tempting.

Former SA Derby winner Aragosts is also in both races.

However, last year’s SA Derby winner Son Of Raj and last year’s Gold Cup winner Future Pearl are committed to the Premier’s, the only race either of them holds an entry in on the day.

The former SA Classic winner Anfields Rocket has won four races over sprints in his career and is in the Computaform as well as the Hawaii. The latter looks more likely considering he is drawn six out of  24, while he has drawn an unfavourably low three in the Computaform.

So the final fields are awaited with plenty of interest, especially for those who might have ante-post wagers riding on horses with more than one entry.

The tiny Territories colt Zminiature wins the Brocklesby for former Summerveld trainer Dylan Cunha at Doncaster on Saturday (via Meta)

Dylan Cunha had a fine start to the British flat season on Saturday, winning the Brocklesby Stakes, and he followed up with a winner on the all weather on Monday at Newcastle.

Cunha also had a win last Friday on the Lingfield all weather, so his hard-working yard is in fine form.

His Brocklesby winner Zminiatire has a fine story behind him and the indirect reason for him being in the yard was due to Cunha’s kindness to a stray cat.

One of the first horses he acquired in the UK, a horse called Moliwood, was sent to him because a family called the Sarkars were touched by him having adopted a rescue kitten with a skew leg, which Dylan called a “lucky leg”.

He is still a doting parent to the cat and the Sarkars are not only still owners in they yard , but can now say they have won the Brocklesby. They are the owners of Brocklesby winner Zminiature.

Dylan’s winner at Newcastle on Monday, Make Believe gelding Asgard’s Captain, made it two wins this month over the one mile and two furlong course and distance.

His winner last riday on the Lingfield all weather was the Havana Grey filly Gogo Yubari.

He has now had 25 wins overall in the U.K.

Rhys Clutterbuck has become his stable jockey and has ridden all of the winners mentioned above.

Cunha was bullish about the chances of Zminiature in the Brocklesby on Saturday and the small Territories colt duly won the traditional race which has been going since 1849.

It is the first two-year-old race of every British flat season and was usually the first race of the season too, but on Saturday was the second race.

Zminiature beat a field of 15 and landed odds of 16/1.

Sportsmax wrote the below article about Cunha’s victory:

Dylan Cunha put a feather in the cap of his training career in Britain as Zminiature landed the William Hill EBF Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster, which carries a first stake cheque of £20,616.

Traditionally the curtain-raiser for the Flat season, this time the juvenile contest – won 12 months ago by Persian Force, who went on to prove very smart – was the second race on the Town Moor card.

A Group One-winning handler in his native South Africa, Cunha is now based in Newmarket, and in this 16-1 winner he looks to have a nice colt on his hands.

Given a patient ride by Rhys Clutterbuck, the Territories youngster moved smoothly through runners to pick up long-timer leader Paddy’s Courage inside the final furlong, before keeping on nicely to hold Bob The Bandit and Indication Ember by a length and a short head.

Cunha said: “It was expected. We really fancied him. He’s small but he’s tough and does everything right. It’s nice to get a good early two-year-old winner.

“I said to the owners halfway through the race ‘it’s been a great experience, he’s learning to race’, as it looked like he was going to be fourth or fifth.

“We took him to Chelmsford for a gallop last Monday, we did all the work that needed to be done.

“I’ve got to thank the Sarkar family, they were the first owners in the UK to support me, so to pay them back with a Brocklesby winner is massive.

“His name is Zminiature because he’s tiny, he’s only up to my chest!

“We started with three horses 18 months ago but we’re up to 50 now, 25 of those are two-year-olds. It’s been hard work, 18-hour days, but I’ve got to thank the team at home, I just conduct it all.

“There’s a conditions race at Chester and a Listed race at Sandown, then after that we’ll take stock.

“I’m pleased for Rhys, I don’t think he gets the opportunities he deserves but he’s quite softly spoken and in this game you’ve got to make a bit of noise and talk yourself into jobs, but it meant I was able to get him. He’s a great jockey, I love him.”

The Nick Jonsson-owned grey Twice Over gelding Triple Time will be Justin Snaith’s first KZN runner ahead of the Champions Season (Picture: Wayne Marks)  

Andrew Harrison (Gold Circle)

Justin Snaith saddles his first runner of the KZN season with Triple Time in the third at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Wednesdsay.

Triple Time has been close-up at his last two at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and has smart form over further. He may find this a touch on the sharp side, so the filly Sign Of Fate could be the right one in this Conditional Progress Plate.

Robbie Hill’s filly came up against a brick wall in the unbeaten Gimme A Nother in the Gr2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas but even so ran well below her best form. That run is best ignored and with a handy weight she looks classy enough to give the boys a run for their money.

Frank Robinson has earmarked the Gr 1 SA Derby (in just ten days time) for his two runners, Shoot The Rapids and Madison Valley. Both are progressive with Shoot The Rapids having won two of his four starts. He has a handy weight and this should be the ideal warm-up. The same goes for Madison Valley who took on a useful field last start and a light weight will help his chances.

In the first it will be interesting to see how the form behind recent winner Connoisseur works out with many of the runners involved in that race. That race was run at a good pace and Global Movement stayed on best of all for second. Ibiza Night and Torix Night were well beaten in the minor placings. Chilli Chacha steps up in trip and may be worth following in a weak field where anything can happen.

The first leg of the PA is a wide open handicap. Roy’s Rocker steps out for the 41st time but her last win was over course and distance and her recent form on the poly has been encouraging. Drive By has the best of the draw and is way better than her last run. This trip will suit. Nonoti is never far behind and steps up in trip while True Love’s Kiss has a wide draw but has improved with every run culminating in her recent maiden win. She has only had four starts. Columbia Road has not been far back at recent starts and should feature prominently in this company.

Kind Judy has been a soldier for Barend Botes as she tries for her eighth win in the fourth. She may just have needed her first local outing and can improve. Lillybelle took on stronger last run but she does appear to be better on the turf. Andre Nel’s mare is down in class and must rate a strong chance. Escapologist is never far back and is way better than her last effort.

It will be tough going to the end. Release Me has been trying further for Paul Lafferty but never far back. The drop in trip could suit. Master Josh is always game and was narrowly beaten over course and distance last start. He has a big weight but has a 1.5kg claiming apprentice up. Wiccan Warrior has been disappointing of late but back on home ground and a drop in the handicap could see him back to his best. Parmenion found good market support when winning last time out and is clearly in a good space.

The sixth is another wide open handicap but Scampton showed good pace before weakening late last run over further. He drops to what may be a more suitable trip. Mr Molony has been holding form and goes well this course and distance and must have a strong chance while veteran Quick Star seldom puts in a bad days work. He is due another win.

The seventh is another competitive fillies handicap where Sky Café has been battling for her second win but her best recent form has been over this trip and she should be right there. French Princess needed her last run from a tough draw and has a lot in her favour this time around. Rugger Lover made sudden improvement second time out for her new stable. That was on the poly and if she can convert on the turf, she must have a good chance. Flying The Star is over her best course and distance. Her consistency was rewarded last run and she can follow up in this company.

Buster Keaton can round off what could be a difficult day at the office. He has his second run after a break where he showed up well in a competitive handicap. He should have benefitted from that run. Veteran Purple Powahouse has run up a string of placings on the poly but the switch to turf should not bother him in this company. Happy Wanderer is always dangerous while Northern Warrior is over his best course and distance and a must inclusion in all calculations.

Marco van Rensburg returns to the winner’s enclosure on the smart colt Marauding Horde on Saturday (Picteure: 4Racing)

Neil Andrews (The Citizen)

Whether together or not the future looks bright for Marco van Rensburg and Marauding Horde

Marco van Rensburg partnered Marauding Horde for the horse’s last two wins.

Marauding Horde, a son of Vercingetorix, completed a hattrick of victories on Saturday afternoon and I liked what I saw.

Although historically the Gallic king Vercingetorix surrendered to Julius Caesar in October 52 BC, the delightfully named Marauding Horde took a leaf (or perhaps a laurel wreath) out of the book of his sires vanquisher on the weekend. For he mostly certainly came, saw and conquered Turffontein for a third time.

Although there are multiple reasons to be impressed by Marauding Horde – for starters witness the six-part owners of the Main Chance bred colt – it was the manner in which he accelerated and put the race to bed that caught the eye.

His trainer Mike de Kock also thought he won well remarking in his post-race interview that for him to quicken off such a slow pace with 60kg on his back was more than encouraging.

From the commentary box, my Clocking The Gallop colleague Nico Kritsiotis was judiciously complimentary in his assessment of Saturday’s win, saying “he seems to be well above average with a lot of scope and is clearly on an upward trajectory. I have been surprised with the immense improvement in his last two wins”.

In those last two wins the colt has been partnered by jockey Marco van Rensburg.

Van Rensburg is currently back in South Africa and to my mind riding as best as I’ve ever seen him ride.

I phoned Marco to catch up with where he’s at, how his career is going and what he makes of Marauding Horde.

Marco van Rensburg describes himself as a farm-boy who always loved animals and as such there was an inevitably that he would gravitate towards working with horses. One of his mother’s employers owned a few racehorses and following his suggestion Marco applied and was accepted at the South African Jockey Academy.

He began in 1998 and left the academy in 2003.

From early doors Marco has been successful. As an apprentice he rode 149 winners and during his career, which has been characterised by consistency and drive, his talent has afforded him the opportunities to be associated with some good horses.

When I pressed him to name-drop a few racehorses he has won on, ridden or been associated with, I knew every one of them.

He won races on the likes of Greys Inn, Lizards Desire, Mr. Flood, Hinterland and Nhlavini to name but a few.

Equally impressive are the horses that he has been associated with, the impressive list includes Ipi Tombi, Victory Moon, El Picha, Domino Man, JJ The Jetplane and Surcharge.

I mentioned to Marco that since his recent return from Dubai I couldn’t help but notice he’s been getting some chances from the De Kock stable and the partnership is working well.

He responded by saying: “Yes, actually the whole idea of me going to Dubai to take my chances was Mr. De Kock’s idea, so he understands the circumstances of my return.”

Marco told me that as a freelancer his first few months overseas had been really tough. Without a salary he had to pay his own way for two months until he landed a job with trainer Fawzi Nass.

Sadly Marco lost his father to cancer earlier this year and it was his father’s worsening health that led him to decide to cut short his first Dubai season and return home to spend some time with his dad before he passed.

Marco will be returning to Dubai in September this year and picking up on the “good experience” he has already enjoyed riding for Fawzi Nass. From the sounds of things the second stint will offer a smoother transition and less hardship and perhaps some opportunities to ride in Bahrain.

Getting back to Marauding Horde, what does Marco van Rensburg think of the colt.

Marco, like De Kock, Kritsiotis and yours truly isn’t getting too ahead of himself but during our chat he dropped a few terms that suggest whilst he might be “quietly optimistic” about the future the emphasis could be on the second word in that phrase.

He referred to Marauding Horde as “smart” and “decent” but the description that stuck with me was “he’s proper”.

Whether together or apart, both horse and rider can expect a few good months ahead.

The Marco van Rensburg stock is rising and if, as he intends, he can get his race riding weight down to 51kg, I have more than a sneaky feeling that he’ll be riding many more winners for Mike de Kock, Corne Spies, Cliffie Miller and a good few other racing stables before he departs for Dubai in September.

Above: Hot team: Kelly Mitchley (right), with Kyle Paddock and S’Manga Khumalo (photo: Pauline Herman)

Off The Record with Charl Pretorius

In the world of thoroughbred racehorse trainers, where experience and tradition often dictate success, youthful trainer Kelly Mitchley (27) has emerged as a rising star, shining against the backdrop of the established hierarchy. She’s ignored earnest warnings not to pursue her chosen career and she’s defied low expectations from the racing fraternity. With odds stacked against her, Kelly has made a quick name for herself in Gqeberha, where the Greeff and Smith racing families have dominated the region for more than twice the number of years she has been alive!

Fellow lady trainers Yvette Bremner, Tara Laing and Sharon Kotzen have all made their mark in Gqeberha in the last two decades, but Kelly’s announced herself with an especially notable bang. She has proved, again, that age and gender are no barriers to success in our demanding and exhilarating sport.

Kelly started with a single horse, the filly Hilarity, in July 2022. She finished second in her first start for the stable, giving her trainer one place on record in the 2021/2 season. A year later, at the end of the 2022/3 season, Kelly had 60 horses in her care, with 40 winners and 146 places to show. Another seven months on, at the time of writing, she’s built her string to 94, including some yearlings still spelling at the family farm, and six unraced two-year-olds. Kelly’s winning tally on 21 March, 2024, was 46 winners with 210 places, already an improvement on her good second season, and reflected in a Top 20 position on the National Trainers Log.

Kelly said: “We’re aiming at doubling last year’s 40 winners. There are four months left, so with a bit of luck we can get there.” With ‘we’, she referred to her training team and her partner, fellow horse fanatic Kyle Paddock, the son of former trainer Grant Paddock, who helps her to place horses in the right races. She’s full of praise for Steven Ngqabuko, her first, and two years ago her only groom, who remains an important cog in the wheel of a team that has since grown to 30 individuals. Megan Guscott, a long-time member of Justin Snaith’s operation in Cape Town, is new on the block in the role of assistant trainer.

Kyle, some friends and patrons, were present at Fairview last Friday when Kelly won five races, including wins by two longshots. At combined multiple bookmakers’ odds, the five-timer worked out to a winning chance of about 20:000 to 1. On the balance of probabilities, according to one source on Google, a ratio of 20:000 to one entailed that there was a much better chance of being struck by lightning, getting a hole-on-one on the golf course or seeing Kim Kardashian as the next President of the USA. (Champion Trainer Justin Snaith will probably dispute those probabilities and be willing to prove them wrong. He sent out an SA record of seven winners at Fairview in March 2013).

Whatever your view of statistical assessments – and while her rival trainers Alan Greeff and Gavin Smith have won five-in-a-day a number of times between them – Kelly’s five-timer will go down in history as a most unexpected achievement at this early stage of her career.

Kelly said: “We were hoping for two winners, Golden Rule and Brenden James (4^th), but five came along. After the third winner, Makhachev, we were over the moon, and then Lady Zultanite won out of the blue at 33-1. It seemed so unlikely that we’d get number five, but we were on a high and we fancied Fiery Duke a bit in the last race. He stormed up late. It was a wonderful feeling, a big moment for all of us at the track and our supporters at home.”

Among her winners on the day, Kelly believes the well-bred Golden Rule will go on to a solid career. He’s a son of Canford Cliffs and the former top race mare Taking The Peace and Kelly said: “He has a boxy foot. We bought him under value for R150,000 at the Ready To Run Sale last year. He’s a talented sort who should be effective up to 1600m.”

Brenden James arrived from Gauteng as a one-time winner; Kelly’s first acquisition from her now leading patron, Brendan Fegan. He’s won a further five races for the stable in just 18 months and Kelly noted: “We were told he wasn’t good enough to earn outside of the MR70s, but he has already won off a MR84 and has been competitive off an MR93. He’s a stable soldier, alongside Polytrack Challenge winner Prince Of Fire and our seven-year-old stalwart, Mount Anderson.”

Reflecting on her early triumphs and the rapid growth of her yard, Kelly said that nobody had waved a magic wand. “I had five or six horses in October 2022, mostly from Suzette Viljoen. I went to the 2022 Ready To Run Sale where I didn’t know many people and had no idea what to expect. My friend Inel Bekker from Volmoed Stud introduced me to a few of her acquaintances from the breeding industry. But I also had to walk around on my own and introduce myself to other people. It was awkward, but it paid off and just after that sale we had nine new horses. I was lucky to meet Gary van den Berg, who is a big supporter of the yard today. He has 12 horses in training with us.”

Her good results have made it somewhat easier to get new patrons and she said: “The other day a truck arrived here carrying five horses from Kenneth Pillay’s Kestorm Investments. And there have been phone calls from other interested owners. Having winners helps a lot, of course.”

Above: Winning races has many benefits! (photo: Pauline Herman)

Kelly has not escaped racing’s notorious rumour mill and its jealousy factor and she said: “As always, when a trainer has a good run of success, people want to know, ‘what is she injecting?’, or ‘what dope is she using’? Those rumours have reached me and it’s annoying. Even worse is when fellow-trainers talk behind your back or try to pinch horses by phoning your owners. That is nasty and unprofessional conduct and something I would never do.”

It’s mostly good, however, she said. There has been support from most of her colleagues. “Alan Greeff is always helpful and he enjoys competition. He came up to congratulate us last Friday and gave me a hug, it was something I appreciated. We’re all trying our best in the same hard game and the wheel turns all the time. I see no reason not to be envious of another’s success.”

While she trains from the Fairview centre, Kelly has access to a long strip of beach about 20 minutes away from De La Ranch, the family’s rehoming centre. In the first reports written about her, she was said to have made good use of it. Is she doing anything different from what her rival trainers are doing? Does she get her horses fitter on the beach?

Kelly, who has had working spells with Snaith, Yvette Bremner, Corne Spies, Johan Janse van Vuuren and Gavin Smith, commented: “I learnt different things from all the trainers I worked for. It has not been about trying to copy what they do so well. Training is not a module you can repeat for exactly the same results. It doesn’t work that way. I’ve tried to incorporate the knowledge I received from all of them into a routine that works for me. The way trainers feed, for example, differs significantly in terms of the nutritional composition of the feed and the number of times they feed in a day. And there are many other factors involved. The specific needs of individual runners are primary.

“The beach has been an extra training tool, it is not our main training base. Every day I train on the same sand track as Alan and Gavin. We haven’t been to the beach at all this year because the trucks have been fully booked. Normally we take 16 horses at a time on a New Turf truck. The beach, the sea water as we know is good for sore legs, but importantly it also does wonders for temperament. Troublesome horses go there all hot and bothered and come back beautifully relaxed. Mount Anderson is one of them. He just loves it there. He always gets to go for a stretch on the beach and in the water with our two other ‘senior’ runners, Prince Of Fire and Brendan James.

“We’re also fortunate to have the services of professional jockeys who ride work and this makes a huge difference. Sandile Khati is on the track every morning and Donald Geerthsen has joined us from Gauteng. Julius Maphanya is also on the team. He is a very good work rider, he’s trying to get his licence back. And a big plus has been securing S’Manga Khumalo as our stable jockey. He’s getting the first choice of our mounts.”

Kelly’s approaching R4-million in gross stable earnings this season, without standout stakes runners in her string. The aforementioned older horses and two-year-old filly Public Benefit are the only ones to have raced outside of handicap level. She said: “The major owners tend to stay away from Gqeberha as a first port of call. Among the big breeders, only Maine Chance has given us support. We are very much willing to travel if we have a horse that is good enough. A talented horse in my stable won’t get stuck at Fairview for the sake of it. I’d love to travel more, to compete in the major races.”

While she doesn’t lack ambition and is open to a future move to a bigger centre, Kelly’s focusing on what is happening in her life right now. “Moving away and re-establishing a stable elsewhere is easier said than done. The pool of owners is limited and trainers in the Cape, for example, charge a lot more than we do here in Gqeberha. There’s a different fabric to it. I will raid whenever I can and we’ll see how things unfold.”

Kelly Mitchley has a good thing going, and we’ll be watching!

https://news.4racing.com/off-the-record-19

Silvano filly Grandiosa gives Aldo Domeyer a treble and Candice Bass-Robinson a double (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Aldo Domeyer rode a treble at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth today, two of them for Candice Bass-Robinson.

Craig Zackey rode a double for Dean Kannemeyer and Bernard Fayd’Herbe had an individual double.

Domeyer goes to 48 wins for the season at a strike rate of 22.02%.

Zackey is on 90 wins at 10.14%.

Fayd’Herbe is on 26 wins at 15.03%.

Bass-Robinson is on 62 wins at 13.19%.

Kannemeyer is on 26 wins at 9.59%.

Horse racing has been around for centuries in Britain (mutualart.com)

When was the first recorded horse race meeting in Britain?

The first recorded race meetings were during the reign of Henry II at Smithfield, London, during the annual St Bartholomew’s horse fair. The event is attested by William Fitzstephen writing at some time after 1174 and by the poet Drayton.