Turf Talk Newsletter – 30 July, 2026

Buffalo Storm Cody defends his Gr 1 Mercury Sprint crown (Picture: Race Coast)

The Tony Peter-trained Buffalo Storm Cody looked to be one of best bets of the day at the World Pool Gold Cup meeting on Sunday and he duly obliged, defending his Gr 1 Mercury Sprint title and landing his third career Gr 1 victory in the process.

He looks a certainty to be named Equus Champion Sprinter, having landed two Gr 1 wfa Sprints in the season, and the question now is whether he will follow the example of Kingdundee, who beat him in the Gr 1 wfa Cape Flying Championship, and head overseas.

His owner Kenneth Pillay of Kestorm Investments said after the race on Sunday, “We are not thinking of it right now, but we will talk to Mr Peter and see what he thinks and in the future it is definitely something we will think about. The exports are open for us now, which is great.”

Kenneth has an incredible strike rate as an owner.

This season he has had 131 runs for 37 wins, a strike rate of 28.24%, which is the highest in the country for any owner who has had over 100 runs, the second highest being Mervin Govender, whose 30 wins from 126 runs equals a strike rate of 23.81%.

It was thus fitting that the latter also had a big win on the day with the Kelly Mitchley-trained Malmoos filly raiding from the East Cape and slamming the field by 3,30 lengths in the Gr 2 Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes over 1600m, a race which has unfortunately only just been downgraded from a Gr 1.

Kenneth explained his racing strategy, which allows him such a high strike rate.

He said, “We invest heavily in the game and we race for fun too with the family, so we look forward to winning big races. Our aim is to win Gr 1s.”

Buffalo Storm Cody is his third Gr 1 winner and has won him three Gr 1s to date.

His first Gr 1 winner was the Gareth van Zyl-trained Vernichey, which gives Kenneth a feather in the cap because that filly gave the stallion phenomenon Vercingetorix his first Gr 1 winner when landing the Allan Robertson Championship for two-year-old fillies. Vernichey, who was bred in a partnership by John Koster and Birch Brothers, was from Vercingetorix’s second crop and went through the ring unsold at the KZN Yearling Sale. Gareth van Zyl then put together a partnership to buy her for R125,000.

The Sean Tarry-trained Bless My Stars was Kenneth’s second Gr 1 winner, winning the SA Fillies Classic. He bought this Varsfontein Stud-bred Gimmethegreenlight filly for R250,000 at the BSA National Yearling Sale.

Kenneth admitted he could not take any credit for the purchase of Buffalo Storm Cody.

He said, “This horse was not actually meant for us but Mr Peter phoned and said he had found this nice Buffalo Bill Cody. So we decided to go for it. We hadn’t even seen the horse and we got him for R410,000.”

Kenneth has two full-brothers to Buffalo Storm Cody, the three-year-old Geostorm and another one he purchased at this year’s BSA National Yearling Sale.

Geostorm is taking time to find his feet, but Buffalo Storm Cody was similar. After winning on debut Buffalo Storm Cody took another seven runs to have his second win. However, in his last 14 starts he has won ten times.

Like last year, Buffalo Storm Cody was eyecatching in his preparation run for the Mercury Sprint in the Gr 3 Post Merchants, which is over the same Hollywoodbets Greyville 1200m. He finished fast with long strides for second place in the latter race and in the Mercury had a 2kg weight swing in his favour for a 0,50 length beating by Jet Force. However, he was going to face Tenango on the same terms and had only beaten him by a short-head.

Buffalo Storm Cody jumped from draw four in the Mercury and Gavin Lerena managed to get him onto the rail in behind the horse who was always going to be the obvious pacemaker, O’Tenikwa. Tenango was sitting behind Buffalo but was the victim of a rare bit of poor riding by Richard Fourie. The latter got ten days for cutting in front of Jet Force when not far enough clear and the knock on effect saw Tenango having to be snatched up.

Fourie was aboard Questioning, who was joint second favourite with Jet Force at 7/2 while Buffalo was the 5/2 favourite.

The 5/1 shot Tenango was supported by many but that incident was costly to his chances.

Buffalo kicked well at the top of the straight after a gap had opened between O’Tenikwa and Kenneth’s other runner Taxi To The Moon.

Questioning and Jet Force chased but were clearly not making inroads quickly enough.

Buffalo Storm Cody kept going well all the way to the line.

The horse who could have caught him had she not been hampered was Asiye Phambili, whose tank-like features were charging through late. The powerfully built filly made up a lot of ground in the last 100m, but she had to settle for a 1,40 length third.

Jet Force was a 0,90 length second, meaning the form of the Post Merchants had stood up.

Questioning has been the form horse of the country recently, but he has had a tough campaighn and this was likely a bit of a flat run. He finished a 1,50 length fourth.

Cosmic Speed came from the widest draw for a 2,60 length fourth.

The sprinting division is relatively weak in Europe at present and it will be interesting to see if Buffalo Storm Cody does go overseas.

However, witrh Kingdundee soon to depart overseas, the Gr 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship will now be at Buffalo Storm Cody’s mercy, although not if Asiye Phambili is still racing.

Marchland is well clear at the line under Muzi Yeni (Picture: Race Coast)

For a second year running the Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes was won by an East Cape raider, with the unbeaten Kelly Mitchley-trained Malmoos filly Marchland doing it this year under Muzi Yeni by an easy 3,30 lengths from Doesyourmotherknow (Master Of My Fate) with Royal Tiara (Rafeef) next best.

In Sunday’s 1600m race at Hollywoodbets Greyville on World Pool Gold Cup day the hot favourite Alice B Toklas (Master Of My Fate) was viewed as a banker by many but after being held up she ended up too far back behind a slow pace and had too much to do in the straight. She finished a 4,25 length fourth, but a line can be drawn through the run and she will bounce back.

The fifth-placed horse Hoc Est Vista (Canford Cliffs) also ran on well, despite odds of 125/1, and was only beaten 5,95 lengths.

Malmoos will be crowned Champion Freshman Sire with nine winners of 14 races with just one day of the season remaining, but the pity is that had the race not been downgraded he would have already had a Gr 1 winner.

This was Mitchley’s first ever raid to Durban.

It follows that with Listed races being the highest class of race in Gqeberha this Gr 2 win was her biggest ever win.

It was a fine training feat by Mitchley considering she generally only had the poly track available to work on in recent weeks due to the continual rainstorms.

Owner Mervin Govender’s son and daughter led Marchland in.

The Lammerskraal Stud-bred filly looks capable of training on.

In Sunday’s race, after jumping from draw 6, Muzi Yeni got Marchland handy early and managed to ease her on to the rail into third place behind the pace set by Doesyourmotherknow with Impressive in second.

Marchland slipped through on the rail in the straight, showing an impressive turn of foot.

She had put the race to bed by the 100m mark.

Golden Palm was touted to go on to big things after her impressive two-year-old season and it hasn’t materialised, so there has to be caution excercised in making bold predictions about Marchland.

However, there is little doubt she is going to be a force to be reckoned with.

She is out of the one time-winning Western Winter mare Marcheline and is a half-sister to Field Marshall, who had gone within 0,80 lengths of winning the first race on World Pool Gold Cup day, the Listed Tote Stakes Darley Arabian over 1600m.

At The Races

Diamond Necklace lived up to her billing when extending her unbeaten record with a dominant display in the Gr 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.

Having rounded off a perfect juvenile campaign with victory in the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp, Aidan O’Brien’s filly returned to France to secure back-to-back Classic wins this year, in the French 1000 Guineas and French Oaks.

She was the 4-6 favourite at Goodwood to make it six from six as she faced her elders for the first time and while Friendly Soul did her best to shake her off, Ryan Moore always looked ultra-confident in the saddle aboard Diamond Necklace and she pulled two and three-quarter lengths clear with the minimum of fuss.

An impressed Moore said: “That’s the best she’s felt, she’s improving with her racing. Aidan said she was up in her weight a bit today so she’s obviously thriving.

“She’s classy, it was very easy really. She travelled smoothly and quickened up well, she’s a little bit idle in front still, but she’s a proper racing machine.

“She gives you a classy feel, every time I’ve ridden her she’s travelled with loads of pace, loads of enthusiasm and she has a turn of foot; that’s what her father (St Mark’s Basilica) had, a real good turn of foot and that’s what’s evident with her.”

O’Brien was delighted to see Diamond Necklace enhance her unbeaten record and said: “She’s lovely and she’s progressing and she was heavier today, but Rachel (Richardson, work rider) was confident that was just strength she was building rather than just being heavy and it was the way she went through the line.

“There’s a lot of people around her who help her and she’s a lovely filly. This was a mile and a quarter against older fillies and we didn’t know what was going to happen. We put in a lot of pace as we didn’t want a Mickey Mouse race and she has options now.

“You can see her quality the way she travels through a race and Ryan was hoping they would lead him longer and he just had to go on as her stride was getting broken. She is a great cruiser and she has a lot of quality and is progressing great so I’m over the moon.”

Diamond Necklace was shortened to 8-1 from 14s for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe by Paddy Power, but O’Brien is yet to commit on stretching her stamina any further than the 10 furlongs, with the star filly holding a multitude of options for later in the season.

He added: “Constitution River is the boss and everyone has to fall into line behind him. At the moment he is going to York and we’re looking forward to that.

“She could stay at a mile and a quarter and go to the race at Leopardstown (Irish Champion Stakes), or France for an Arc trial, she has all those races open to her and she does handle soft ground as well as she handles fast ground.

“The Arc is possibility and she could be a Breeders’ Cup filly, it will depend how far we ask her to go. Her next run will tell us where she is going to go and she has a long stride on her and loves nice ground and a fast track, she has a lot of options.”

Friendly Soul has endured her fair share of drama since returning from injury this year, being the horse who put a foot in a hole at Haydock before a luckless run in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“She’s run a fine race against a top class three-year-old who is unbeaten,” said Thady Gosden, who trains the five-year-old alongside father John.

“It was a very good effort and we will now in consultation with George and Julia (Strawbridge, owners) look at the programme ahead in which there are some good opportunities for older fillies.”

Heversham Park Farm is home to a growing and eye-catching line up of stallions.

This fact can be clearly felt in the farm’s draft for this year’s August Two Year Old Sale, where Heversham’s resident stallions dominate proceedings.

Jet Master’s versatile July winning son Pomodoro is a proven source of stakes winners, with his tally of black type winners including dual G1 winning champion Return Flight and G1 Cape Racing Presents The Cape Guineas winner Russian Rock.

Pomodoro has five well bred lots in Heversham’s August Sale draft. This group includes a half-sister (Lot 43) to G1 Premiers Champion Stakes runner up Honokalani, a filly (Lot 91) out of G3 Betting World Fillies Nursery winner Madrisa, and a half-brother (Lot 335) to the dam of Equus Champion Nebraas.

Heversham’s triple G1 winner, and former National 2YO Sale graduate, Jackson, is the sire of a filly (Lot 108) whose dam is a stakes placed daughter of world class broodmare sire Var, while the late Time Thief is the sire of a filly (Lot 318) whose stakes winning dam is a half-sister to G3 Gold Bowl winner Don’t Look Back.

Mauritzfontein’s promising young stallion Digital Age is another G1 winning sire represented here. The son of Invincible Spirit is the sire of a filly (Lot 275) out of a daughter of legendary racehorse and sire Frankel, with this filly hailing from the immediate family of G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Imperial Monarch (sired, like Frankel, by Galileo).

This draft can be found in Block A at the TBA Complex in Germiston.

Hopes And Dreams Stud’s draft for the 2026 August Two Year Old Sale is dominated by the progeny of Grade One winning stallions.

Of the 15 lots catalogued by Hopes And Dream for the August Sale this year, 11 were sired by a G1 winning stallion. This consignment also includes an attractive range of both proven and promising sires, with some of South Africa’s most popular stallions represented.

Exciting US G1 winner Digital Age, who is set to have his first runners in the 2026-2027 season, has three exciting prospects on offer. Digital Age’s trio include a filly (Lot 182) from the wonderful Party Time family and a colt (Lot 220) out of a winning half-sister to G1 Mercury Sprint winner Pearl Of Asia.
Other G1 winning sires represented by members of their first crop in Hopes And Dreams Stud’s string include Eden Roc, Kommetdieding, and Master Archie.
Rose Of Eden (Lot 85) is a filly from the first crop of G1 Gold Medallion winner Eden Roc and she hails from the same female line as Australian star Good Edition, while G1 Computaform Sprint Master Archie’s sole offering is a colt (Lot 136) from the family of champions Carry On Alice, Kildonan and Magnificent Seven.

July/Met winner Kommetdieding is another with a single member of his first crop on offer here -a colt (Lot 219) whose stakes placed dam is a half-sister to G1 Computaform Sprint winner Pacific Trader.

Other enticing two-year-olds to be found in this string include an Erik The Red colt (Lot 151) out of a G3 placed daughter of Querari, a colt (Lot 206) by red hot sire The United States from the family of such standouts as Kooyonga, Kundalini and Roland Gardens, and a Buffalo Bill Cody colt (Lot 222) whose granddam is Listed Syringa Handicap winner Persian Rug.

This draft can be viewed from Block F at the TBA Complex in Germiston.

Gr 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship winner Kingdundee could be named East Cape Horse Of The Year (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Johannesburg, South Africa — The 2025/26 racing season was tough, but the Eastern Cape racing community was tougher.

The worst storms in living memory and on-going weather challenges required resilience, determination, and unwavering sportsmanship, and the community answered every call. With competitive racing at home and outstanding performances by our raiders representing the Friendly City across the country, the season showcased the very best of Eastern Cape racing.

4Racing looks forward to celebrating the season’s achievements – and everyone who helped make them possible – at the 2026 Eastern Cape Regional Awards on Saturday 5 September 2026 in the Bold Silvano Room at Fairview.

The annual awards honour the outstanding equine and human performances of the season while recognising the owners, trainers, jockeys, breeders, stable staff, officials and supporters whose dedication continues to drive racing in the Eastern Cape.

The equine award categories for this year are:-

· Champion Two year old filly

· Champion Two year old colt/gelding

· Champion Three year old filly

· Champion Three year old colt/gelding

· Champion Older filly/mare

· Champion Older colt/gelding

· Champion Sprinter

· Champion Stayer

· Champion Polytrack filly/mare

· Champion Polytrack colt/gelding

The human award categories for this year are:-

· Champion Groom

· Champion Work Rider

· Champion Apprentice

· Champion Local Jockey

· Champion Jockey

· Champion Trainer

· Champion Owner

· Horse of the Season

All nominees qualify for the prestigious East Cape Horse of the Season Award.

“This season asked a great deal of everyone involved in racing in the Eastern Cape,” said Gabriel Soma, 4Racing’s Head of Racing Operations. “These awards give us the opportunity to recognise those achievements and to thank the many people whose dedication ensured the season was a success. We look forward to celebrating with our East Cape racing community on the night.”

Hollywood Racing targeted 180 wins for the season and remarkably are on 179 with one day left of the season. They have six runners at the meeting and can do it.

Trevor Reid’s Formguides and Selections for Fairview Poly on Friday

RACE 1

ETERNAL SPIRIT is clearly better than she showed last time. From pole position she should get the run of the race. NOBODY’S PERFECT should like this longer distance and can score. BUMBLE BEE makes her debut and could need the experience. QUEEN’S AWAY needed her last run but has been placed over this distance and can play a minor role. ROSES FOR TREX was a disappointment on the Polytrack. SEATTLE GLOW should like this track and trip and can earn some money. SO WELCOME makes her debut and has a place chance.

RACE 2

An interesting race. MADE TO MEASURE has been unlucky not to win a race so far and get another opportunity. KALEESH CYBORG showed improvement last time out and should be a threat this distance. MATTER OF TRUST and CHAMPAGNE BLAZE both seem better than recent Polytrack performances. PRETTY BOY and GIMMETHEGOLD have both done enough of late to suggest they can also get involved with the finish.

RACE 3

JEWEL MULE makes a local debut and it may well be a winning one. HERE COMES JOHNNY, LOVELY DANCER and AMERICAN GEM are all capable of being competitive. ALESIAN BEAU is unreliable but can earn some money. CHIM CHIM CHEREE and stable companion ROCK UP have scope for improvement and can also make the frame.

RACE 4

It might be worth including all the runners in this opening leg of the Pick 6. JOKER MAN is clearly better than his last run and could bounce back to score. BLACK EGRET has been very good on the Polytrack and can score again. TINTAMARRE is better on the Polytrack and has claims. IMAGINABLE is consistent and clearly not out of it. GALILEO STAR could surprise on best form. RAVILIOUS has been a revelation this season and must be respected. WARRIOR OF ROYALTY could surprise on best form.

RACE 5

ALL SYSTEMS GO returns from a break but is the class horse of the race and can resume his winning ways back on his home track. VENTURA BOULEVARD was a wide margin maiden winner on debut. She did not repeat that when trying a Grade 1 race after that but would not be a surprise winner. CAN YOU DANSE has it all to do at these weights but could improve. RIP WHEELER, FARAWAY GIRL and CLAIRWOOD ROSE are fit but this is a tougher task for them.

RACE 6

NEW DAY showed improvement when scoring last time out and could be better than rated. MOSCOW MISS returns from a break but was in good form and must be respected. MARKETA may have just needed her local debut and could surprise. WILD STAR was a well backed recent maiden winner and could have more to offer. WHIRLYBIRD has only been modest of late but is a threat. GREENLIGHT DANCER fought on gamely last time out but is not reliable. WINTERONTHEGREEN is better than her last run and can contest the finish.

RACE 7

A competitive looking handicap. SHOW OFF was backed to win his local debut but did not fire on the Polytrack. He may well bounce back to score. EL ROMIACHI was touched off last time out and cannot be ruled out. RHYDIAN is clearly better than his last run would suggest and is overdue a winning turn. BOSNAY needed her last run and could surprise. BEL CANTO DREAM has improved of late and should be a threat. HOSPICES DE BEAUNE and AMANATTO are often competitive so must be respected for that.

RACE 8

Another very open race and it may pay to go wide in the Pick 6 in this leg. ONCIDIUM has improved of late but does have to give weight away to nearly all of her rivals. BABETTE’S FEAST needed her last run and could surprise. BACK FOR MORE is unreliable but does have Richard Fourie riding this time. POTENZA has some fair recent form and could be a threat. ROYAL KAILANI makes her local debut and could score. FLOWER FESTIVAL, LANA VIEW and QONDANEKUKHANYENI are all usually competitive and clearly not out of it.

RACE 9

Another very open handicap. SAN QUINTIN has had a bleeding issue but is in good form and could win a race of this nature. WOMAN IN GOLD, SATELLITE WORLD and OSMIUM are all recent maiden winners that could be better than rated. SILVANO’S SONG and DRIELANDENPUNT are hinting at form returns and could score. GLOBAL DRUMBEAT, TERMINAL VELOCITY and GLOBAL SPEAK have all shown they are capable of a second success and should be considered possible victors.