Turf Talk Newsletter – 28 April, 2026

Jerusalema Rain, between Buffalo Bill Cody (far side) and Cosmic Speed), stays on to win the Gr 2 Senor Santa Stakes (JC Photos)

The betting odds suggested there had been an upset in the Gr 2 TAB Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m at Turffontein Standside today (Tuesday), but on closer inspection of the form the winner Jerusalema Rain had a better chance than his 14/1 odds suggested and Buffalo Storm Cody was more vulnerable than his 5/10 odds suggested.

The Sean Tarry-trained Jerusalema Rain prevailed by a neck under a fine ride by Mickaelle Michel from the Tony Peter-trained dual Gr 1-winning sprinter Buffalo Storm Cody and the Tarry-trained Cosmic Speed proving his suitability to sprints by running a head further back in third.

Jerusalema Rain had finished just half-a-length behind the smart Questioning last time out over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville when receiving 7,5kg plus Michel’s 1,5kg gender claim (i.e. 9kg in all) and he was now receiving 10kg from Buffalo Storm Cody with the gender claim not applying due to the race’s black type status.

That is not to mention Jerusalema Rain’s smart juvenile form when trained by Ashley Fortune, beating Sandringham Summit at level weights on one occasion and finishing second to Lucky Lad in a Gr 2 and second to Main Defender in a Sales race.

Cosmic Speed only recceived 2kg from Buffalo Storm Cody, so proved himself capable of mixing it with the best over sprint trips, although Sean Tarry had said beforehand that this was a preparation race for the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m.

Buffalo Storm Cody is the highest rated horse in the country on 132, so was officially 4kg better off than any other runner.

However, the 100-rated Jerusalema Rain had found his form in Cape Town with Candice Bass at this time last year before moving up to the Tarry yard and he was clearly on the up again on the Highveld, so as he was once rated 109 he had plenty of room for improvement.

Cosmic Speed, rated 120, has had a high rating of 126 and his four previous sprints yielded two wins plus a close second on debut to subsequent SA Nursery winner Fire Attack and a close second to stablemate Proceed in the Gr 1 Gold Medallion, so he too could have had a better chance in reality than his odds of 16/1 suggested.

Richard Fourie had reportedly stated before the race that he felt his chief threat was Jerusalema Rain.

The high draws appeared to be favourable on the day and Buffalo Storm Cody was drawn eleven out of 11.

Buffalo Storm Cody broke well, but none were better away than Jerusalema Rain from draw six.

He pinged the gate and with long strides he led, but looked to be going within himself.

Buffalo Storm Cody was on the outside about three lengths back and Cosmic Speed was looking comfortable in the running just behind him on his inside.

Jerusalema Rain stretched further clear at the 500m mark, but Buffalo Storm Cody had him in his sights.

Buffalo Storm Cody got going at the 300m mark and ranged up looking the winner.

However, Cosmic Speed was also flying up on the inside of Jerusalema Rain.

Both challengers headed Jerusalema Rain, but their big weights began to tell.

Jerusalema Rain, on the other hand, showed no signs of wilting and stayed on, coming back to pip them.

Jerusalema Rain is by Captain Of All and was bred by Keivan Stud. This was his fourth career win and the first time he had earned bold black type.

He put up his hand for a place in the Gr 2 Golden Horse Sprint.

Sean Tarry might consider Cosmic Speed for the Golden Horse Sprint considering he would likely have a better chance in that race than in the Gold Challenge and it is run two weeks before the Challenge anyway.

Buffalo Storm Cody would have to carry 65kg to run in the Golden Horse Sprint, so he might avoid it and rather wait for the Gr 1 weight for age Mercury Sprint.

The first three in the Senor Santa were in a different race to the rest with Anfields Rocket, carrying just 52,5kg, beaten 3,20 lengths into fourth.

Charming Cheetah was a shorthead behind him in fifth and next best was Ziyasha, who looked over-priced out at 40/1 as the race approached before shortening into 14/1, but he unfortunately over-raced in the running.

Fire Attack produced his usual resolute finish to win the Gr 2 TAB Colorado King Stakes (JC Photos) 

The Alec Laird-trained Fire Attack and the Sean Tarry-trained Callmegetrix are both Hollywoodbets Durban July entries and they showed their credentials today (Tuesday) at Turffontein Standside by winning the Gr 2 TAB Colorado King Stakes and the the Gr 2 TAB Igugu Stakes respectively, both over 2000m, and both carried topweight.

Fire Attack’s run in the Gr 1 wfa World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge could be ignored as he was caught wide and over-raced.

He was duly backed in to 2/1 favourite for the Colorado King, which had a field of just six runners.

The 124-rated Fire Away colt produced his usual strong finish from off the pace to beat Choisaanada, to whom he gave 3,5kg under the weight for age plus penalties conditions, by 0,60 lengths, with The Ultimate King, Copper Eagle and Field Marshal next best, while Atticus Finch was a disappointing 5,75 length last.

All six of the horses are July entries.

Fire Attack has now had five career wins but four of them have been at Graded level, a Gr 1 wfa win, two Gr 2s, including the Gr 2 SA Nursery over 1160m as a two-year-old, and a Gr 3.

He cost R450 000 at the BSA National Yearling Sales and has earned R2,619,050.

He was bred by Applewood Trading (Pty) Ltd T/A Ndoro Stud and is owned by Messrs G A Basel, G C Cornwall, L Clark & Canine Solutions CC (Nom: Mr D C O’Driscoll).

Earlier in the Igugu Stakes the Vercingetorix filly Callmegetrix won her second Gr 2 of the seasson, having also prevailed in the Gr 2 Betway Jo’Burg Fillies And Mares Spring Challenge over 1450m.

She proved she gets a trip by staying on from a handy position to win the 2000m Igugu Stakes under Craig Zackey by a length from Minogue with the favourite Olivia’s Way staying on strongly late for a 1,10 length third.

Callmegetrix was bred by Rathmor Stud (Nom: Mr M J A Ferreira) and has won eight races for earnings of R 1,629,875.

She also cost R450,000 at BSA Nationals and is owned by Mr M J A Ferreira & Camargue Stud Syndicate (Nom: Mr Brett van Laun).

Fire Attack is now a 40/1 shot for the July on Hollywoodbets ante-post betting and Callmegetrix is 50/1.

Asiye Phambili powers clear under Sean Veale to land her second Gr 3 Dennis Drier Poinsettia Stakes (Picture: Julia Marnewick)  

Asiye Phambili toyed with the opposition in the Gr 3 Dennis Drier Poinsettia Stakes over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday despite giving away lumps of weight and if ever a filly deserved to win the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint, which will be her next assignment, it is this six-year-old daughter of What A Winter.

Two years ago trainer Duncan Howells was supremely confident of winning the SA Fillies Sprint only for Asiye Phambili to peck badly at the start and lose her jockey. Last year she was beaten a short-head in the big race when coming with her run just a touch too late.

Sean Veale was up on Sunday and the What A Winter filly showed she had blossomed into the finished article, because she carried the same weight of 62kg that she did last year and instead of being beaten 0,40 lengths she doddled it and ran out a 3,70 length winner.

By contrast she gave Symphony In White 7kg last year when the latter was still a three-year-old and beat her by 0,30 lengths and this year gave her 3,5kg and beat her by 4,50 lengths.

Asiye Phambili did actually win this race two years ago by an even bigger margin than Saturday, by 4,20 lengths, but she was carrying 55,5kg that year as opposed to 62kg in this year’s renewal of the conditions event.

Veale rode a fine race from draw five in the eleven horse field, sitting just off the pace with cover.

He switched her in for a run at the halfway mark and crept into the lead under the hands. After giving her a couple of shoulder slaps at the 150m mark she draw clear to win as she liked.

Howells said he had not had to do much with her as she had arrived back from her successful Cape Town campaign with Lucinda Woodruff a fit horse and he said she had gone into the Poinsettia fitter than she had been last year.

Asiye Phambili won three successive races over 1600m early in her career, but Howells said as a heavy horse she was better suited to the fast pace of sprints, explaning that it was hard for such a heavy horse as her to get going again after being slowed down, a scenario which was more likely to happen in a 1600m event.

He praised her owners Hollywood Racing for their handling of her, which has enabled her to get better and better.

She will face much stronger opposition in the SA Fillies Sprint, including Double Grand Slam, who was most unlucky in the race last year, and the like of last year’s winner Mia Moo and her decent young Sean Tarry-trained stablemate Green Diamond.

However, she thoroughly deserves to add a Gr 1 to the four Gr 3s and a Gr 2 she has collected on the way to ten career wins in total.

Second on Sunday was the Dean Kanemeyer-trained three-year-old Vercingetorix filly Tulip Fields with the Wendy Whitehead-trained What A Winter filly Buttercup Baby next best ahead of Symphony In White and Serengeti Sun.

Asiye Phambili was bred by Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud and her Rambo Dancer dam Cast A Spell has six black type earners among her nine winners from nine runners. Cast A Spell has a fine pedigree being by Rambo Dancer (Northern Dancer) out of the Hansel mare Flying Magic, who was in turn out of the top Danzig mare Magic Gleam, who won a Gr 2 in England as well as finishing second in the Gr 1 Coronation Stakes and fourth in the Gr 1 Juddmonte International.

The Listed In Full Flight Stakes over 1100m was also won by a Hollywood Racing-owned horse. The Clinton Binda-trained Elusive Fort gelding Kaalvoet defied 33/1 odds under Calvin Habib, producing a late run from a high draw to cut down the Sean Tarry-trained 18/10 favourite Speedman, with the in-form Glen Kotzen-trained Circumbendibus next best. There was an eyecatching run from a Binda-trained Hollywood-owned horse in fourth place too, with Richard Fourite producing a flying finish from Chapbook, who will be one to watch for the Gr 2 Golden Horse Sprint if he gets in off his 106 merit rating. The first three in the In Full Flight were merit rated 102, 102 and 103, so were also borderline horses for the latter race, although the In Full Flight winner usually gets into the Golden Horse Sprint. The local horse, the Peter Muscutt-trained 91-rated City Of Love, was fifth, just pipping the 92-rated Doug Campbell-trained Magic Surprise. Four-year-old Circumbendibus was the only one in the first six who was not a three-year-old.

There was an appropriate winner of the race before the Poinsettia, the progressive Lucina Woodruff-trained Sommerstein, as that Gimmethegreenlight-trained gelding is out of the Var mare, Sommerlied who was trained by Dennis Drier and scored one of the twelve Gr 1 sprint victories the maestro trainer had at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.

Picture: Perfect Miracle runs out a comfortable winner under Marco van Rensburg and has now won both of the Graded races she has contested (JC Photos)

Hawwaam’s progeny have always given the impression they would improve with age and this seems to be the case with his first Graded winner, the Tony Peter-trained Perfect Miracle.

The Klawervlei Stud-bred three-year-old gelding became Hawwaam’s second stakes winner and first Graded winner last month when landing the Gr 3 WSB Sycamore Sprint over 1160m at Turffontein Standside and she followed up on Tuesday over the same course and distance and under the same jockey, Marco van Rensburg, by winning the Gr 2 TAB Camellia Stakes, despite being officially the worst weight runner in the field.

She was handy throughout and converted odds of 14/1, beating Rodeo Drive by 0,75 lengths with Rachel Wall next best.

The win gave the Peter yard some compensation for their loss in the previous race, the Gr 2 TAB Senor Santa Stakes, which Buffalo Storm Cody was expected to win.

Perfect Miracle has a lovely big action and converted odds of 14/1.

She should continue to progress.

She is owned by Suzette Viljoen.

She is out of the Tiger Ridge four-time winner Freddy’s Sister, who is a half-sister to Silvano Graded winner Bulsara and to the Fort Wood dam of July winner Marinaresco and there is plenty of other black type in her pedigree.

She was purchased for R425,000 at the BSA National Yearling Sale.

Firestorm capped a fine day for Sean Tarry and Craig Zackey with an ultra impressive win in the last race (JC Photos)

Sean Tarry’s yard usually comes into its own during the Highveld February through April feature season, know today as the Championship series, and he clinched a four-timer at the Championship Finale, including winning two Grade 2s.

Possibly his most impressive winner of the day came in the last race as the gigantic Firestorm, a Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud-bred Pathfork three-year-old gelding, made it three wins from five starts when leading from start to finish under Zackey to win a MR 84 Handicap over 1600m by six lengths.

Zackey also had four winners on the day, one for Lucky Houdalakis and three for Tarry.

Zackey is now on 212 wins for the season and has achieved it at a strike rate of 17.48%.

He has pulled 53 wins clear of Richard Fourie in the championship, although the latter’s 159 wins have come at a strike rate of 21.49%.

Tarry is now on 95 wins for the season at 15.50%.

However, he is more than R11 million behind Justin Snaith in the national Trainer’s Championship.

Cafe Culture Holds On In the Gr3 Champagne Stakes under Callan Murray (Picture: Wayne Marks)

The Lucinda Woodruff-trained six-year-old Var gelding Café Culture landed the second Graded win of his career when winning the the R250 000 Gr3 Champagne Stakes at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on the Freedom Day public holiday on Monday.

Mike Fullard and James and Lee-Ann Drew are closing in on 500 career wins and Cafe Culture has carried their familiar white, gold diagonal stripes, blue sleeves and cap colours with pride, winnning eight times for earnings of R1 329 360.

That is a fine return on a A R50 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale purchase, although that was a steal considering he is out of a five-times winning mare (Put The Kettle On).

It was his first victory since storming to a career peak success in the Gr2 Post Merchants on Hollywoodbets Durban July day 21 months ago!

Looking hemmed in at around the 400m, after She’s My World had led the charge, the gaps opened and SplashOut-sponsored Callan Murray guided Café Culture (10-1) to a well-deserved victory in a race where no time was taken.

The supremely consistent US Of A (6-1) looked dangerous and seemed to catch a second breath late and he chipped away, getting to within 0,30 lengths of the winner.

The grey Dumbledore (25-1) finished well for third, a further 1,75 lengths back, with King Regent (20-1) capping the quartet in fourth.

South Africa’s most experienced Assistant Trainer, Lucinda’s Dad Geoff Woodruff was doing duty and gave the kudos to his daughter, who enjoyed a smart winner in the KZN Capital City on Sunday, and is up on the East Coast for the SA Champions Season.

Geoff Woodruff saddled the penultimate winner of the day when the progressive Give It Laldy stayed on under Richard Fourie to win well for Hollywood Racing. He looks a fair 3yo, and could be an exciting sort in the Cape summer.