Turf Talk Newsletter – 26 May, 2025

Eighteen Raised To 129 But July Weight Unaffected

Eight On Eighteen is eased down at the line by Richard Fourie (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Jonathan Snaith has shared that Eight On Eighteen, on initial observations, has come out of his highly impressive win in the Daily News 2000 very well indeed, but a decision on whether he will run in the Hollywoodbets Durban July has not yet been made by the connections.

Jonathan said, “It is like he never had a race.”

The handicappers have raised Eight On Eighteen two points to 129 and handed big raises to the third and fourth-placed runners Okavango and Native Ruler.

It appears they have used the filly Spumante Dolce as the line horse.

Eight On Eighteen beat the 117 rated runner up Spumante Dolce by 3,80 lengths and gave her 2,5kg.

That amounts to a 12,6 merit rated points better performance than the filly and they look to have rounded it down to 12 points and hence raised him by two points.

Spumante Dolce beat Okavango by 0,25 lengths when receiving 2,5kg so that amounts to a 4,5 point better performance than the filly.

That would take Okavango up to a 121.5, which would fit in with the 129.6 of Eight On Eighteen as he was beaten 4,05 lengths by the latter, which equals 8,1 points.

However, they have given Okavango a 120 rating and the reason might be due to the ease of Eight On Eighteen’s victory, meaning the placed horses were flattered.

Native Ruler finished just 0,30 lengths behind Okavango and has been given a 119 merit rating.

Okavango and Native Ruler were thus raised 15 and 16 points respectively from their previous marks of 105 and 103.

Parisian Walkway was beaten 8,75 lengths and was dropped two points to 119.

Makazole was beaten 13,55 lengths and remained on 98.

Spumante Dolce was number 13 on the first Hollywoodbets Durban July log and Okavango and Native Ruler’s proximity to her in the Daily News and their better performance than her at the weights might give them a chance of getting on to the log.

The contradiction comes in that both of them performed worse than the WSB 1900 winner Selukwe in the 1900 and the latter is number 14 on the log and only rated 111.

However, handicapping measures the performance of a particular race and the horses are rated accordingly regardless of their previous performances.

The Daily News 2000 time was exceptional, while the 1900 was a bit of a messy race that did not pan out well for the two three-year-olds.

They performed much better in the Daily News and are likely worth their high ratings.

The other anomaly is that although Eight On Eighteen beat Okavango by a comfortable four lengths in the Daily News, he is only going to carry 2,5 kg more than him in the July and will only carry 3kg more than Native Ruler.

Eight On Eighteen, due to the rule about three-year-olds not being able to carry more than 57kg, will be 2kg well in on handicap terms, presuming See It Again will be the topweight off his 127 merit rating.

Eight On Eighteen, as it stands, would have had to carry 59kg if the three-year-old limit did not exist.

Furthermore, carrying 57kg will mean he is 1kg better off than weight for age with See It Again.

The weights might convince the connections to run Eight On Eighteen in the July.

However, Justin Snaith’s words in the winner’s enclosure on Saturday made it clear that the fear of running such a good horse in the July is the roughness of the race … it can have a detrimental effect on a horse’s long term future.

Another July carrot would be Eight On Eighteen potentially becoming only the eighth horse to win both the July and the Met and he will become the first in history to complete that double as a three-year-old.

However, Jonathan Snaith countered this by saying, “I don’t think any three-year-old has won the Derby, Met, Daily News and Champions Cup in the same year.”

He added, “No decision has been made yet. His connections will evaluate how he comes out of the Daily News and make the right decision based on what is best for the horse while also considering his future breeding career.”

The Hollywoodbets Durban July weights as they stand at present are shown below, although it must be pointed out that these are not the official weights and are just a guideline:

Age Sex Horse July Weights HCP MR NettMR Points Under/Well in

5 G SEE IT AGAIN 60 60 127 127 0

5 G ROYAL VICTORY 59 59 125 125 0

5 H COUSIN CASEY 59 59 125 125 0

4 C ORIENTAL CHARM 59 59 125 125 0

4 C PURPLE PITCHER 58 58 123 123 0

5 G GLADATORIAN 58 58 123 123 0

3 C EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN 57 59 129 125 4

3 C SAIL THE SEAS 57 58 127 123 2

5 G ATTICUS FINCH 57 57 121 121 0

4 G THE REAL PRINCE 56,5 56,5 120 120 0

5 G SON OF RAJ 56 56 119 119 0

6 G PACAYA 55,5 55,5 118 118 0

6 G POMODORO’S JET 55,5 55,5 118 118 0

5 G FUTURE SWING 55 55 117 117 0

3 G OKAVANGO 54,5 54,5 120 116 0

3 G PARISIAN WALKWAY 54 54 119 115 0

3 G NATIVE RULER 54 54 119 115 0

5 G MUCHO DINERO 54 54 115 115 0

4 G MADISON VALLEY 54 53 113 113 -2

4 G MAGIC VERSE 54 53 113 113 -2

6 G LITIGATION 54 53 113 113 -2

4 G MARAUDING HORDE 54 52,5 112 112 -3

4 G SHOOT THE RAPIDS 54 52,5 112 112 -3

4 G HOTARUBI 54 52,5 112 112 -3

5 G SELUKWE 54 52 111 111 -4

4 C THE EQUATOR (IRE) 54 51,5 110 110 -5

4 G HOLDING THUMBS 54 50 107 107 -8

5 G NARINA TROGON 54 49,5 106 106 -9

4 C THUNEE PLAYA 54 49 105 105 -10

4 G NAVAJO NATION 54 48,5 104 104 -11

7 G INFINITE WONDER 54 46,5 100 100 -15

4 G WINTER GAMES 54 45,5 98 98 -17

3 G CONFEDERATE 53,5 53,5 118 114 0

3 F SPUMANTE DOLCE 53 53 117 113 0

3 C LEGEND OF ARTHUR 53 53 117 113 0

3 G ON MY HONOUR 53 52,5 116 112 -1

3 G WILD INTENT 53 52,5 116 112 -1

4 F BEATING WINGS 53 53 113 113 0

4 F LET’S GO NOW 53 53 113 113 0

3 G MUSICAL SCORE 53 50,5 112 108 -5

5 M INDIAN OCEAN 53 52 111 111 -2

4 F RAINBOW LORIKEET 53 52 111 111 -2

4 F JOY AND PEACE 53 52 111 111 -2

3 G MY BEST SHOT 53 50 111 107 -6

3 G IMMEDIATE EDGE 53 45,5 102 98 -15

3 C ZEITZ 53 43 97 93 -20

3 G REGULATION 53 41 93 89 -24

3 F OLIVIA’S WAY 52 50,5 112 108 -3

3 F REGENERATION 52 48,5 108 104 -7

3 F MOCHA BLEND 52 45,5 102 98 -13

Eight On Eighteen's Performance Will Live Long In The Memory

On Saturday the Hollywoodbets Greyville crowd witnessed a superstar in action as Eight On Eighteen sauntered to a 3,80 length victory in an exceptional time in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 despite only being ridden hands and heels by Richard Fourie and being eased before the line.

The time was the second fastest the race had seen since the narrowing of the track and was more than two seconds faster than the Woolavington 2000 on the same day.

It was the third time Justin Snaith had won it and the second time owner Nick Jonsson had won it, although he owns Eight On Eighteen in partnership with Johann Rupert.

Drakenstein Stud bred the winner for the second time as they also bred Jonsson’s first Daily News winner, the Michael Roberts-trained See It Again.

Richard Fourie won the Daily News for the second time, his first win having been in 2014 on another superstar, the Drakenstein Stud-owned Legislate.

Eight On Eighteen’s stablemate Makazole, who runs in the same Nick Jonsson colours, did his job superbly on Saturday as he set off at a pace more suited to a sprint.

Parisian Walkway was in second but was trapped wide without cover, while Spumante Dolce sat on the rail in third. The Snaith-trained Jonsson-owned Okavanga was behind Spumante Dolce and Native Ruler was behind Parisian Walkway.

Eight On Eighteen was initially tailed off as he was eased from the widest draw of all to ensure cover behind the field and the pace Makazole set off at thus saw him out of his ground.

However, he was soon on their heels and he rounded the field just before entering the straight.

Such was his phenomenal turn of foot that he had hit the front by the 400m mark and it was just hands and heels from them on.

Spumante Dolce stayed on well to stave off Okavango and Native Ruler, who were beaten 4,05 lengths and 4,30 lengths by the winner respectively.

Okavango and Native Ruler both ran on well although Native Ruler did hang in and had to be straightened when getting close to Spumante Dolce.

Parisian Walkway was beaten over eight lengths and it was a pity he was without cover because whether he stays beyond a mile is probably still unknown.

Makazole was beaten over 13 lengths.

The race emphasised what a loss as a stallion Lancaster Bomber has been. The late stallion has had five individual Gr 1 winners of eight Gr 1 races in just the two crops he produced and has had ten stakes winners overall.

His legacy willl live on through potential stallions like Eight On Eighteen, Snow Pilot and Legend Of Arthur.

The post race comments can be read below:

RICHARD FOURIE : “He’s a beautiful horse. He was just a bit ring rusty last time. He’s tightened up nicely. He’s an absolute pleasure to ride and showcased his true ability. It was a nice even run race. Once I said ‘let’s go home’, he quickened up and I didn’t have to do too much. He needed the run still, which is great news. Fantastic horse. Watch this one!”

JUSTIN SNAITH : “I know how much is still in the tank … that’s the frightening thing … it’s like watching the 100m athletes at the Olympics in the semi-final and they’re all jogging, looking at each other. You get that feel about him. There’s an engine in there … it’s flickering, but it’s not on full yet. Committing to the July … we had a lot of horses go wrong in the race … it’s the most interesting race in South Africa as when the starting stalls open, the jockeys completely lose their heads … and their brains. It’s importance, history … there’s so much as play in a race like that and you also have to think about is well-being. It’s a decision that will be made a little later, but when you have a horse of this ability, it’s very hard not to go for a race like that. We will put it all in and make the call. It was very important to have a horse to insure that there was an honest pace … the last thing for the punters is to see a slow pace and a 4-10 in a group 1 go missing. I thank Nick for making that effort. It’s a privilege and honour to train for Johan and Nick is one of the few owners I have that’s a better horseman than me … so he’s a very easy person to talk to. Well done to Drakenstein on the double.”

NICK JONSSON : “He’s a helluva horse. The pressure on Justin with a horse like this is enormous. I’m just lucky enough to own him in partnership with Johann. It’s wonderful fun and why we do it … to win races with horses like this … so it’s a real thrill. I think Okavango ran a really good race. He ran a short head 3rd, which was impressive. Makazole did well in setting the pace. We were really worried about there being not enough pace, so it was clever for Justin and Jonathan to arrange that. If you want to win, you can’t leave a stone unturned. It’s quite straight-forward really. Another Drakenstein-bred. Gaynor keeps churning out these amazing horses and no one deserves to breed good horses more than she does. The effort put in is quite extraordinary. Well done to Richard as it was a wonderful ride … to jump the horse out so slowly … let him enjoy his race and to come around the turn … he went from last to first in a matter of strides. I think he’s probably going to get better than this. He’s a superstar.”

Halcyon Weekend Around The Globe For The Ruperts

Little Suzie becomes the fourth successive Drakenstein Stud homebred to win the Woolavington 2000, although it was downgraded to a Gr 2 this season. (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Gaynor Rupert enjoyed what must be one of the finest weekends in the increasingly illustrious history of her Drakenstein Stud and British-based Cayton Park Stud operations and to add to the sentiment her husband Johann was involved in the success.

Gaynor had five stakes wins around the world over the weekend, three in South Africa, one in Ireland and one in the USA.

Fittingly, Johann was involved in the only one of the stakes wins that was of Gr 1 status.

The Drakenstein Stud ball got rolling when the Justin Snaith-trained Trippi filly Little Suzie won the Gr 2 Woolavington 2000.

It was an incredible fourth time in succession a Drakenstein homebred had won the Woolavington, which might well be a South African record for a major race if wins by the same horse are excluded.

The Woolavington was changed this year to a Gr 2 having been a Gr 1 for many years.

It was the sixth time Snaith had won the race and the fifth time overall that a Drakenstein Stud homebred had won it.

Little Suzie’s win was particularly gratifying for the Snaith and Drakenstein Stud racing teams as she is a daughter of the great Oh Susanna, who won this race for the partnership in 2018.

Little Suzie ran on well from a handy position under Sean Veale, although the latter will likely get a holiday as the filly hung inward and interfered with Rainbow Lorikeet, who was an unlucky 1,70 length fourth carrying topweight.

Little Suzie would have had to be supplemented for the Hollywoodbets Durban July if she is going to run and Jonathan Snaith said after the race on Saturday, “She is progressive, she was a very immature two-year-old and is a late three-year-old and she has always been unlucky throughout her career. If you look at her her last run it was an incredible run if you watch the replay and that is why we fancied her so strongly today knowing she would relish the step up in trip. We will discuss it with the connections about supplementing her.”

Little Suzie only carried 54kg and was raised two points to 108.

The Woolavington 2000 winner often makes the July field, but that was when it was a Gr 1 and a filly with a merit rating of 108 might be passed over by the final field panellists as the competition for berths is intense. She has duly not been supplemented.

In the next race on Saturday the Drakenstein Stud-bred Lancaster Bomber colt Eight On Eighteen proved himself a superstar by sauntering to an easy victory in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000.

The big question is whether he will run in the July.

Both Justin and Jonathan Snaith said a decision would be made by the connections based on what was best for the horse although on Saturday after the race Richard Fourie seemed confident he would run in the July and said, “He is going about his business the right way and setting himself up nicely for the July. I think the July would be the ideal target, because he’s won the Met as a three-year-old already and is capped at 57kg in the July. He’s a quality horse and a big strong horse and can carry the weight.”

A couple of hours later in Ireland Ryan Moore rode the Ed Dunlop-trained Blue Point colt Skukuza, a home bed of Gaynor’s Cayton Park Stud operation in the UK, to an easy 2,25 length victory in a big Premier Handicap race over one mile that was worth €59,000 to the winner. This saw more success for the stallion that made Drakenstein Stud what it is today i.e. Trippi, as Skukuza is out of the Trippi mare Shingwedzi.

Then later on Saturday in the USA Cayton Park Stud homebred Marksman Queen asserted herself early and led every step of the way under Frankie Dettori to defeat Dreaming of Mo by a half-length in the 12th running of the $219,665 Listed Keertana Stakes at Churchill Downs.

It was a red-letter day for Drakenstein Stud’s beautifully bred stallion Sharp Frank who gained a handsome update to his pedigree in the process as he had done with Little Suzie’s win too.

Sharp Frank is by Frankel and is a half-brother to Oh Susanna.

Marksman Queen by Dubawi is also a half-sister to Oh Susanna.

A five-year-old daughter of Dubawi, Marksman Queen picked up her first black type win when she stormed home, under Frankie Dettori, to land Saturday’s feature by half a length.

Marksman Queen is one of four stakes horses produced by the top-class Sharp Susan, winner of six races including the Gr2 Lake Placid Stakes.

Sharp Frank’s outstanding sire Frankel also enjoyed black type success on Saturday with Frankel filly Victoria Harbour landing the Listed Betgoodwin Height Of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood.

Marksman Queen (GB) stopped the clock in a stakes record 2:26.74 for 2400 over firm turf under Frankie Dettori, who rode the winner for trainer Graham Motion and owner/breeder Gaynor Rupert’s Clayton Park Stud.

Marksman Queen (GB) eclipsed Miss Yearwood’s Keertana time of 2:27.45 in 2023.

“I had two starts with her and I know her better,” Dettori said. “It’s all about the mentality with her. If she’s in a good rhythm, she can do that.”

Marksman Queen (GB) broke well from post No. 5 in the field of eight fillies and mares and dictated the pace of :24.16, :49.27, 1:14.37, 1:39.02 and 2:02.85. Strikingly Spun, the 5-2 favourite, put in a challenge around the final turn to come within a neck of Marksman Queen (GB) but she put that rival away in mid-stretch and held the rest of the field at bay in the final stages for the win.

“When she’s behind horses, she pulls too hard,” Dettori said. “Sometimes when she’s in front, and the outside horses take her on, she gets burnt out. I think today with the smaller field, there wasn’t much speed in the race. So, when she was able to get to the front, she was able to relax. When I got to the three-eighths pole, I thought it’ll be hard to catch her.”

The win was worth $120,280 and improved Marksman Queen (GB)’s career earnings to $232,424 with a record of 4-3-2 in 16 starts.

This was the first stakes win for Marksman Queen (GB), whose 2025 campaign also includes a 10th place finish in the $150,000 La Prevoyante (GIII) at Gulfstream Park in January and a fourth-place effort as the mild 7-2 favorite in a Keeneland allowance on April 18.

Marksman Queen was bred by Gaynor in Great Britain.

The great weekend for the Ruperts and the Snaiths and for Lancaster Bomber was capped when the Snaith-trained Drakesnstein Stud homebred filly Beware The Bomb won the Listed Stormsvlei Stakes over 1800m under Richard Fourie at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

Beware The Bomb was Drakenstein’s 19th stakes winner of the season which leaves Drakenstein just two short of breaking their own South African record of number of stakes winners in a season.

Otto Luyken Proves He's No One Hit Wonder

Otto Luyken only just gets up and secures a third win on the day for owners Greg Bortz and Gina Golsmith. (Picture: Wayne Marks).

Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle)

Garrix, seeking a clean sweep of the Winter Series, looked to be on his way to a champagne-popping victory when Gavin Lerena made his move between runners from off the pace in yesterday’s R350 000 Pocket Power Stakes (Listed) over 1950m. But the 3yo son of Vercingetorix failed to sustain his effort all the way to the line and Otto Luyken rallied strongly over the final 50m to deny Garrix by a whisker.

A short-head separated the pair in the Legal Stakes over 1800m three weeks ago and at the revised weights Otto Luyken had a clear chance of gaining revenge, but consistency has never been Otto Luyken’s strong suit and the 5yo son of Flower Alley was allowed to start at 14/1. Racing for the partnership of Greg Bortz and Gina Goldsmith, Otto Luyken has clearly benefitted from the addition of blinkers to his racing equipment, and it was pleasing to see James Crawford’s charge string two good runs together under a driving ride by Louis Mxothwa. Garrix was beaten but by no means disgraced, and a good summer in the Cape beckons for his connections.

Beware The Bomb (33/10) ran her opposition ragged when storming to an easy start-to-finish victory in the supporting feature, the Listed R200 000 Stormsvlei Stakes (F&M) over 1800m. Beware The Bomb tends to over-race and Richard Fourie opted to allow her to stride from the jump, setting decent fractions throughout. The favourite Time For Love was perfectly poised to have a crack at the leader at the top of the stretch, but Gavin Lerena’s mount failed to respond, and it was left to Gold Poker Game (3/1) and Fun Zone (8/1) to chase Beware The Bomb home.

Beware The Bomb, a 3yo daughter of Lancaster Bomber trained by Justin Snaith for Owner-Breeders Drakenstein Stud, has now recorded three victories from only seven starts and may prove capable of scoring at a higher level in the future.

Richard Fourie edged ahead in the race for the Jockeys’ Championship registering his 214^th seasonal victory on the 14/1 newcomer, In A Timely Manner, in the first race, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m. Trained by Justin Snaith the 2yo son of Legislate accelerated smartly from off the pace to beat Sardinia Bay (13/2) going away by a length. The favourite Chance Encounter, also on debut, was all at sea during the first half of the race but he finished powerfully to grab third spot and looks to be a winner in waiting.

Hollywood Racing recorded their 100^th winner for the season, and Sean Veale his 99^th, when Inside Voice (5/4) justified solid market support with a comfortable victory in the second race, a Maiden Juvenile (Fillies) over 1000m. Inside Voice was quickly into stride and kept on strongly to hold out Du Maurier (3/1) and Marketa (10/1) by a little more than a length.

For all the money in the world it appeared to the naked eye as if Dawn Till Dusk (25/1) had snared Air Raid (14/10) on the line in the opening leg of the Pick 6, a B Stakes over 1400m, but the official photo-finish showed otherwise with Air Raid prevailing by the narrowest of margins. Trained by Candice Bass-Robinson and ridden by Aldo Domeyer, Air Raid has now won three races from eight starts and leaves the impression that further improvement can be expected.

The juvenile Happy Verse showed himself to be a smart horse in the making when scoring an emphatic victory in the fifth race, a Class 5 Handicap over 1400m. Yes, the opposition was limited, but for a two-year-old to win so convincingly in open company under 60kgs in only his second racetrack appearance augurs well for this future. Now unbeaten in two starts to date, Happy Verse is an imposing son of Vercingetorix with a potentially bright future, possibly even a Classic contender in the making.

Happy Verse was the first leg of a race-to-race double for Andrew Fortune as recent maiden winner, English Mistress, followed up with a last-gasp victory in the sixth race, a D Stakes over 1800m. Just as the heavily supported Baton Rouge (18/10) gained the upper hand over Midway (13/2), Fortune produced English Mistress (6/1) with a late charge to nail the favourite in the final few strides. Fortune added a third winner in the ninth race as Flying Finley (33/1) proved too quick for his eight rivals in the C Stakes over 1000m, with the Paul Reeves trained 3yo son of Oratorio ensuring a massive R304 000 Pick 6 dividend.

Fortune made it a fourth in the last race on the Ricky Maingard-trained Thomas Jenkins (Buffalo Bill Cody) and fittingly the runner up was called What A Fortune.

Frank Robinson Looks Forward After Success On Saturday

Field Marshall gains more black type for his late sire Lancaster Bomber (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Frank Robinson might opt for the Gr 3 Tote Derby and the Gr 3 Gold Vase as the respective targets of his Listed Lonsdale Stirrup Cup first and third-placed Field Marshall and Shoot The Rapids.

He also has news about his best Hollywoodbets July hope, Madison Valley, and about his smart Woolavington 2000 third-placed filly Mocha Blend.

The three-year-old gelding Field Marshall gave the late sire Lancaster Bomber the first of two stakes victories on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Greyville and put more emphasis on just what a big loss he has been to SA breeding, although his legacy will fortunately continue through the like of potential stallions like Eight On Eighteen and Snow Pilot.

Frank had felt before the race, and had told many who had asked him, that he did not feel Shoot The Rapids could give Field Marshall 8,5kg and still beat him.

He said Field Marshall was an improving horse and his below par previous start had been a flat run following a bout of anti-biotics.

He said most of the Lancaster Bombers stayed and he was confident Field Marshall would stay.

So it proved.

The gelding got a good position in midfield one wide with cover in the small eight horse field having jumped from draw eight under Kabelo Matsunyane.

In the straight he ran on well to beat the pacemaker Future Swing by 1,40 lengths.

Shoot The Rapids stayed on well from midfeild on the rail to be beaten just a short-head by Future Swing, so owner of both hores Sid Moodley went close to getting the exacta.

Frank bought the Lammerskraal Stud-bred Field Marshall on behalf of owner Sid at the BSA Cape Yearling Sale for R325,000.

He said, “He was a magnificent yearling, I thought he was the nicest on the Sale. I also remembered his mother, the Western Winter mare Marcheline. She won second time out for Alyson Wright in impressive style and I remember saying to Alyson, ‘wow that is a nice filly’ and she agreed. But then she unfortunately got injured. She ended up just a one-time winner but I remembered the potential she had.”

Frank has Field Marshall in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, although he admitted it might be too much for him to get in.

He has him entered in the Gr 3 Cup Trial but his merit rating has increased to 105, meaning he woud have to carry 53,5kg as opposed to he orginal 52kg he had upon being entered.

He added, “So what I am thinking is maybe the Derby. He has won at Pietermaritzburg and its quite a nice race to win. He will come in with 54kg and will be a massive runner.”

Frank pointed to Shoot The Rapids’ tremendous run in last year’s Gold Cup as a sign of his stamina capacity and class. He was the one of the three in the front vanguard who had broken away from the rest and yet stayed on very well and was unlucky not to win. He was bumped and carried in by Future Swing and yet was only beaten a neck. Frank decided there and then to give him a deserved five or six months off recognising what a halcyon effort he had put in. The race would have taken a lot out of him.

Frank said Shoot The Rapids should be cherry ripe for the Gr 3 Gold Vase over 3000m on Hollywoodbets Durban Juy day, a race he finished a narrow second in last year to his stablemate Madison Valley.

Frank said, “Shoot The Rapids is not a bad horse. If you watch him in the WSB 1900, he was so unlucky, as he was coming into that gap he was squeezed out, he should have run second, definitely. I wasn’t going to run him in the Lonsdale, because he was going to have to carry 61kg. But then what happened was there were only six acceptors and they were humming and haaing, so I thought just put him back in. But he hadn’t really had a proper prep and I think that’s what found him out in the last bit of the race. He got a little bit tired towards the end. He has come out of the race well though.”

Frank’s best July hope is Madison Valley and he said he had just not “found himself” after gelding, which had happened after his tremendous Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup run, in which he came from the tail of the field to run a 2,35 length fourth.

He did have an excuse for his last run in the WSB 1900 as he had acquired a nick on his back and the infection caused his leg to swell up. A course of anti-biotics had thus been necessary.

Frank said, “He should have won the Summer Cup. flying for fourth from draw 20. Then after that, I thought I’ve got to do the right thing, because he was rigged, one of his testicles was in his stomach, so had the op and left him on the farm for three months. Then I started prepping him and there were to 1600s I gave him just to get him up to speed and the 1900 was the one where he would qualify. Unfortunately, the anti-biotics, you think you can get way with it but you can’t, and they just flattened him for the race.”

However, there was good news this week about Madison Valley.

“I galloped him this morning (Monday) and he galloped like a superstar and looks unbelievable. I have him in a good space and I think he will win that race.”

Frank has decided to wait until the Gr 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m on Gold Cup day before running his smart Ideal World filly Mocha Blend again. She finished a good 1,50 length third in the Gr 2 Woolavington 2000.

He said, “I think she needs to develop still, she’s a big baby in my opinion. The penny hasn’t really dropped with her. She’s still growing, she’s a big filly, a long filly and she just needs to grow into her frame. I think she can be a very good filly for next year. I will look at Turffontein towards the end of the year, those feature races there. Next year will be her year.”

Top Class Fields For Festival Of Speed Meeting

One Fine Winter could become Sean Tarry’s 21st Festival Of Speed Gr 1 winner and could set the ball rolling for the King Of Pietermaritzburg. (JC Photos)

A R500 000 Carryover to Jackpot One, which is expected to reach R1,5-million, adds sparkle to the annual Golden Horse Festival of Speed race meeting at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday 31 May.

Gold Circle report that the fifth race, the R1-million Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship for 2yo Fillies over 1200m, is the opening leg of Jackpot One which sees the unbeaten Alan Greeff-trained East Cape Star, Direct Hit, go head-to-head with Sean Tarry’s One Fine Winter.

Race-5 (Turf / Stand) R1 000 000 1200m
1st R593750, 2nd R190000, 3rd R95000, 4th R47500, 5th R23750, RCIS R50000
ALLAN ROBERTSON CHAMPIONSHIP (Grade 1)
For 2 yo f R100 000 Win BSA / CRS Bonus Series
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
1 1 Glastonbury 60 0 A Andrew Fortune Paul Matchett
2 2 Wild Wild Green 60 0 A Muzi Yeni Justin Snaith
3 3 Eight Hats 60 0 A Philasande Mxoli Paul Matchett
4 4 Comic Relief 60 0 A Tristan Godden Michael Miller
5 5 One Fine Winter 60 0 A Craig Zackey Sean Tarry
6 6 Limitless Sky 60 0 A Calvin Habib Wendy Whitehead
7 7 Elegantrix 60 0 A Gavin Lerena Corne Spies
8 8 Instaworthy 60 0 A Gareth Wright Gavin Smith
9 9 Hierarchy 60 0 A Kabelo Matsunyane Duncan Howells
10 10 Direct Hit 60 0 A Richard Fourie Alan Greeff
11 11 Keukenhof 60 0 A Sean Veale Dean Kannemeyer
12 12 Polar Light 60 0 A Callan Murray Paul Lafferty
Same Trainer
(1,3)

One Fine Winter was beaten by another Greeff filly, Golden Palm, in the Gr2 SA Nursery a month ago, but Tarry’s stellar record at the Golden Horse Sprint race day is unrivalled and he will fancy gaining revenge on Gqeberha’s Champion Trainer.

The R1,5-million Gr1 Gold Medallion for two-year-olds over 1200m forms the second leg of the carryover Jackpot and here Tarry has declared Green Diamond, the sole filly in the race, to go against nine colts and geldings.

Race-6 (Turf / Stand) R1 500 000 1200m
1st R890625, 2nd R285000, 3rd R142500, 4th R71250, 5th R35625, RCIS R75000
GOLD MEDALLION (Grade 1)
For 2 yo R100 000 Win BSA / CRS Bonus Series
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
1 1 Zalatoris 60 0 A Muzi Yeni Paul Matchett
2 2 Good For You 60 0 BA Chad Little Glen Kotzen
3 3 Green Diamond 58.5 0 A Craig Zackey Sean Tarry
4 4 African Pride 60 0 A Gavin Lerena Corne Spies
5 5 Intensity 60 0 A Marco V’Rensburg M J Odendaal
6 6 Little Boy Blue 60 0 A Jabu Jacobs Peter Muscutt
7 7 Military Command 60 0 A Serino Moodley Peter Muscutt
8 8 Charming Cheetah 60 0 A Kabelo Matsunyane Robyn Klaasen
9 9 I’m A Fireball 60 0 A Sean Veale Mike / Mathew de Kock
10 10 Kaalvoet 60 0 Calvin Habib Clinton Binda
Same Trainer
(6,7)

Green Diamond has won her last two starts by wide margins but she takes on a competitive field which includes the Peter Muscutt stable companions, Military Command and debut winner Little Boy Blue.

On Nursery form, Robyn Klaassen’s Charming Cheetah seems well held by Green Diamond, but Charming Cheetah won first up as a gelding following the Nursery and he could make a big impression here.

Zelatoris was a close second behind Charming Cheetah last time and appears to be well above the average.

Grade 1 winners, Double Grand Slam and Rascova, head the 15-strong line-up in the seventh race, the R1-million Gr1 South African Fillies Sprint (F&M) over 1200m, but it could be argued that neither are at their absolute best over the trip.

Race-7 (Turf / Stand) R1 000 000 1200m
1st R593750, 2nd R190000, 3rd R95000, 4th R47500, 5th R23750, RCIS R50000
SOUTH AFRICAN FILLIES SPRINT (Grade 1) brought to you by The Witness
For Fillies and Mares at Weight-For-Age
WFA: 2yrs-9.5kgs 3yrs-1.5kgs
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
1 1 Double Grand Slam 60 122 A Richard Fourie Justin Snaith
2 2 Frozen Fantasy 58.5 99 A Kabelo Matsunyane Robyn Klaasen
3 3 Symphony In White 58.5 105 T A Andrew Fortune Candice Bass-Robinson
4 4 Just Be Lekker 60 109 A Serino Moodley Candice Dawson
5 5 Rascova 60 122 THAe Gavin Lerena Sean Tarry
6 6 Chasing Happiness 60 112 A S’manga Khumalo J A Janse van Vuuren
7 7 Mrs Browning 60 113 A Luyolo Mxothwa Sean Tarry
8 8 Mia Moo 60 115 A Callan Murray Sean Tarry
9 9 Whistle The Tune 58.5 105 A Calvin Habib Candice Dawson
10 10 Asiye Phambili 60 116 T A Sean Veale Duncan Howells
11 11 Gimme A Shot 60 110 A Muzi Yeni M G Azzie/A A Azzie
12 12 Mai Sensation 58.5 105 A Juan Paul v’d Merwe Lucinda Woodruff
13 13 Chrome Tourmaline 60 106 A Diego De Gouveia Fabian Habib
14 14 Gimmie’s Countess 58.5 107 A Craig Zackey Dean Kannemeyer
15 15 Convocation 60 92 A Athandiwe Mgudlwa Gareth van Zyl
Same Trainer
(4,9) (5,7,8)

Candice Bass-Robinson won this race last year with October Morn and she will be hoping that Symphony In White can deliver back-to-back victories for the stable.

However, both Symphony In White and Mai Sensation will be hard pressed to confirm the Poinsettia Stakes form with Asiye Phambili, who meets each of these talented fillies on far better weight terms.

Asiye Phambili suffered the misfortune of losing her rider at the starting stalls a year ago, but Hollywood Racing’s 5yo daughter of What A Winter deserves a victory at the highest level and it could be pay-back time for Duncan Howell’s inmate.

A highly competitive renewal of the R1-million Gr2 Golden Horse Sprint over 1200m completes Jackpot One and pin-pointing the likely winner is no easy task. ‘Lady Luck’ will play her part but Future Variety has been teed up for this race and he should be doing his best work over the final 200m.

Race-8 (Turf / Stand) R1 000 000 1200m
1st R593750, 2nd R190000, 3rd R95000, 4th R47500, 5th R23750, RCIS R50000
GOLDEN HORSE SPRINT (Grade 2)
Handicap
WFA: 2yrs-9.5kgs 3yrs-1.5kgs
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
1 1 Winds Of Change 58 121 T A Gavin Lerena M G Azzie/A A Azzie
2 2 Cats Pajamas 55 115 A Callan Murray Frank Robinson
3 3 Pistol Pete 55 115 BA …………… Tony Peter
4 4 Future Variety 55 112 A Juan Paul v’d Merwe Candice Bass-Robinson
5 5 Outlaw King 54 110 A Craig Zackey Dean Kannemeyer
6 6 Anfields Rocket 55 112 BA Tristan Godden Trevor Brown
7 7 Fairy Knight 58 118 BA Richard Fourie Alan Greeff
8 8 Truth 55.5 116 A Muzi Yeni Candice Dawson
9 9 King Of The Gauls 53.5 109 A S’manga Khumalo Tony Rivalland
10 10 Cruise Control 58 118 HA Sean Veale Gavin Smith
11 11 Melech 58.5 119 T A Kabelo Matsunyane Roy Magner
12 12 O’Tenikwa 52.5 110 A Serino Moodley Andre Nel
13 13 Ziyasha 58.5 119 T Raymond Danielson Clinton Binda
14 14 Mount Pilatus 55.5 113 BA Calvin Habib Fanie Bronkhorst
15 15 Surjay 61 124 A Luyolo Mxothwa BJ Crawford/JI Crawford
16 16 Tenango 58 118 A Andrew Fortune Candice Bass-Robinson
17 0 King Regent 56 114 A Reserve 1 Glen Kotzen
18 0 Dantonfromsandton 52 108 TBA Reserve 2 Sean Tarry
Same Trainer
(4,16)

His stablemate, the exciting Tenango, will be partnered by Aldo Domeyer which appears to suggest he is the stable elect.

Alan Greeff saddles Fairy Knight, a winner of ten races from only 18 starts, but he may have to play second fiddle to fellow East Cape raider Cruise Control from the Gavin Smith yard.

Cruise Control forms part of a strong Hollywood Racing presence, as they will also harbour high hopes for recent winner Ziyasha.

Surjay jumps from the stand-side stall but he is already a Grade 1 winner and was runner-up in the Cape Flying Championship behind Gimme A Prince in January.

With a full field of 16 runners, this year’s Golden Horse Sprint should be another nail-biter and is arguably the toughest leg of the carryover Jackpot.

Field Of Gold Secures Redemption In Ireland

Field Of Gold bolts up under Colin Keane in the Irish 2,000 Guineas (Picture: Sky Sports)

Irish 2,000 Guineas: Field Of Gold flies home to secure redemption for John and Thady Gosden at the Curragh

After disappointment in the British equivalent at Newmarket, Field Of Gold showed his class with a dominat performance in the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh; also on the day, Brussels followed in the hoofprints of Henri Matisse with a taking victory

Sky Sports Saturday 24 May 2025 17:52, UK

Field Of Gold made full amends for his narrow Newmarket defeat with a stunning victory in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the son of Kingman was beaten half a length after finishing fast and late under Kieran Shoemark in the British mile Classic three weeks ago.

Sponsored link
👟Join us as we gear up for the Comrades Marathon, raising funds for the Thuthuka Bursary Fund and supporting future Chartered…
SAICA
Sent off the evens favourite for the Irish equivalent, new pilot Colin Keane never had a moment of worry aboard Field Of Gold, who made smooth progress with a couple of furlongs to run before fairly sprinting clear.

Field Of Gold came home a cosy three-and-three-quarter-length victor over his fellow Juddmonte-owned runner Cosmic Year, with Hotazhell a further three-quarters of a length back in third.

The winner was following the same route as his sire Kingman, who was also trained by John Gosden and suffered a half-length defeat at Newmarket in 2014 before going on to triumph at the Curragh as part of four subsequent Group One strikes.

“We did it with his father but I do remember coming here years ago with The Minstrel, when I was working for Vincent O’Brien, and it doesn’t always work out that way,” said John Gosden.

“He’s right up there with his father, I think he’s as good as his father right now.

“Juddmonte have wonderful farms here and rear great stock and have a lot of people employed here. They are beautifully managed and controlled by (European racing manager) Barry Mahon.

“To that extent, we have to be thankful to them, because good horses don’t drop out of the sky. He had to come back here to win because this is his home turf.

“The Irish Guineas is on a very fair track and I wanted to come here and prove he was a Classic winner, so it was very important to come here.

“We came here with Too Darn Hot and he finished second, so it doesn’t always happen. I was sorry we got beaten in the English Guineas but he finished so well.”

Gosden feels the experience of travelling will stand Field Of Gold in good stead and also praised Keane’s ride, with the jockey replacing Shoemark as part of a new ‘best available’ policy.

He said: “To get on a plane and come here and see something different, they are young horses only three, so he would have learned a lot from this. They grow in stature and in mentality.

“It’s probably a very good thing he came here and Colin rode him beautifully.

“He seemed very fresh saddling and then we couldn’t find a shammy, so we were late to the parade ring.

“In truth, I was concerned he might overrace with no cover on the outside, but I told Colin if he relaxes going down, he should relax coming back and he rode him just right.

“I told him ‘you have no instructions, ride it as you find it’.

“He rode him beautifully, he’s the best horse and he quickened up well and a very good horse was second to him and Hotazhell was third.

“When he quickened, he went – he takes two or three strides and he’s off.”

Field Of Gold is now the 5-4 favourite for the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, with his Newmarket conqueror Ruling Court on course to step up in distance for the Betfred Derby – with a longer trip not ruled out for the Gosdens’ charge either

The trainer added: “It’s good, solid form, it was a proper race, as good as the English Guineas. No doubt about that at all, probably in the end equal, if not better.

“The winner of the English Guineas goes to the Derby, so that makes it very exciting.

“Let’s hope the owners want to go to Ascot and have a look at the St James’s Palace there. That’s what Thady told me to do, so I’ll listen!

“Prince Saud is keen to go a mile and a quarter, so we’ll hang on a little.”

Shoemark lost his position as the Gosden yard’s first-choice jockey in the wake of Field Of Gold’s Newmarket eclipse, with Irish champion jockey Keane delighted to “step in” this time.

He said: “From the minute I got on him, he was a gentleman. Talking to John, Thady and Kieran this morning, they couldn’t say how straightforward he was, to be fair to them.

“He jumped, he didn’t really need to get in cover. I was on Gavin’s (Ryan on Comanche Brave) girths and he was lobbing, so I was happy to stay there. We didn’t go mad, we went even, but when I asked him, he didn’t half quicken.

“When he went through the line like that, that was as good of a feeling as I’ve got off a horse for a long time. Just so straightforward and powerful to sit on.

“Kieran said he used to be keen and fresh last year. He has done a marvellous job getting him to relax, to be fair now. I’ve just stepped in for today.”

Delight for British raider with gutsy Greenlands victory
James’s Delight swooped on the line to take home the Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes.

Trained by Clive Cox, James’s Delight was settled on the heels of pacesetter Lethal Levi by Oisin Murphy, who was hard at work as the field entered the last of the six furlongs.

The 22-1 winner kept responding for pressure though and edged a short head victory over Lethal Levi on the line, with Big Gossey a further neck back in third after struggling to find a gap at a crucial stage.

Australian import Storm Boy was sent off the 6-4 favourite on his European bow for Aidan O’Brien, but he dropped away after racing prominently early on and was also slightly hampered in the finish, eventually ending up last of the nine runners.

Murphy said: “Clive was very happy with him. The plan was actually to get a bit of cover, but the speed wasn’t very fast and he broke well. He is a tough, game horse for very good owners, the Rooneys.

“Jason Maguire (the owners’ racing manager) does a top job and it’s fantastic they have kept this guy in their colours and he can pick up valuable prizes like today.”

James’s Delight was continuing a recent British domination of the race, with Cox’s winner a fourth successive triumph for the raiding party.

Asked why British runners have been so successful of late, Murphy added: “We generally have quite a lot of them and the handicap system is quite tough on them.

“They really have to perform in those big Saturday class two races. This guy came through that system and the guys have done a great job bringing him over here and preparing him for such a big day.”

The subsequent French 2000 Guineas victor landed the six-furlong contest on his juvenile bow 12 months ago, while Unquestionable won for O’Brien in 2023, and Brussels (11/4) ensured a third successive win for the handler.

The Wootton Bassett colt was the pick of stable jockey Ryan Moore and duly proved too good for another Ballydoyle runner in Kansas, coming home three-quarters of a length in front, with the Ger Lyons-trained favourite Learntodiscover a further length and a quarter back in third.

He said: “Ryan was very happy. He said he was very green, he was very babyish when he got on and going down. He said he will come forward a lot from it.

“All these horses are running with Ascot in mind, but Ryan said that he was so babyish that it might come too quick. We’ll see how much he comes on.

“He said that he thought he would have no problem getting seven. He’s very big, a massive, big, powerful horse.

“The second horse ran lovely. I’m not sure if he’s quick and six is far enough for him. It was five in Naas and he might be a fast horse.”

O’Brien’s son Joseph was also on the scoresheet as Trustyourinstinct (5/4 favourite) made the most of a drop to Listed company as he beat Romzina by four lengths in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Orby Stakes.

The JP McManus-owned five-year-old was running over hurdles at this point 12 months ago, but O’Brien plans to stick to the level now.

He said: “He’s a lovely horse, very consistent and he loves it here at the Curragh. I’m delighted to have a nice winner for JP.

“He’s well enough handicapped over hurdles but he doesn’t really jump with great fluency. He’ll probably stick to the Flat.

“He’s a very solid Listed/Group Three horse and he pays his way every year. We’ve ran him internationally a few times as well and we might look at that again at a later date.”

Today's Question

Which two sets of brothers have ridden July winners?

Picture: The picture gves away part of the answer.

FIELDS, Wednesday, 28 May

Hollywoodbets Greyville Poly

Today’s Question Answer

Picture: Stanley and Cookie Amos in their retirement years.

George “Titch” Lariviere and Ernest “Tinkie” Lariviere and H.E. “Cookie Amos and Stanley Amos are believed to be the only two pairs of brothers to have both ridden a July winner.

George Lariviere won on Gifted in 1929 and Ernest Lariviere won on Legacy in 1933.

Cookie Amos won on Full Dress in 1930 and Stanley Amos won on Sadri II in 1941, both horses trained by the great Syd Garrett.

Editor: Granville Gorton won the July in 1927 and Arthur Gorton in 1940, but were they brothers?