Turf Talk Newsletter – 4 May, 2026

Star Major produced a scything run through the middle of horses to win the Gr 2 WSB Guineas full of running under Mickaelle Michel, displaying his Hollywoodbets Durban July credentials in no uncertain terms (Picture: Chase Liebenberg)

Star Major raised to 118, One Eye On Vegas to 114

Ravi Naidoo has another chance of achieving his dream of winning the Hollywoodbets Durban July, a dream he went so close to in 2024, but instead it went to another Durban-born owner, Greg Bortz, as Oriental Charm hold on by 0,30 lengths from Cousin Casey.

Ravi is a part-owner in the James Crawford-trained Querari colt Star Major, who won Saturday’s Gr 2 WSB Guineas and this gave the passionate owner a third win in this iconic event, which used to be a Gr 1 race known as the SA Guineas.

Star Major’s win also converted a Guineas double for both Jonathan Bloch and Maine Chance Farms.

Bloch is a part-owner in both Gr 2 WSB Fillies Guineas winner Wish List, as well as in Star Major, and Maine Chance Farms bred both horses.

Mickaelle Michel scored her first feature win in KZN, but it was in fact the French jockey’s second Gr 2 victory of the week, because she won the Gr 2 TAB Senor Santa Stakes on the Sean Tarry-trained Jerusalema Rain last Tuesday.

Ravi Naidoo was a part-owner in 2022 WSB Guineas winner, the Brett Crawford-trained Zapatillas, and in last year’s winner, the Justin Snaith-trained Sail The Seas.

He has thus pulled off three wins of this important three-year-old classic in the space of four calendar years, or in other words he has won three of the last five renewals.

He was also a part-owner, of course, in the 2023 fourth-placed Cousin Casey.

Naidoo made no secret from day one of the regard Star Major was held in and his victory on Saturday’s  made the three-year-old look like the real deal.

The good looking bay colt has duly shortened in the Hollywoodbets Durban July ante-post betting to about 17/1.

Naidoo, who races under the name Kalinga, part-owns Star Major together with Bloch, Neville Isdell and Prakashni Pillay.

Star Major began to show what he was capable of after the New Year, first by winning the Gr 3 HKJC World Pool Politician Stakes over 1800m at odds of 33/1 having finished fifth in the Race Coast Punters Cup and a 3,45 length sixth in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, and he followed with a good fourth in the Gr 1 Lucky Fish Cape Derby.

On Saturday the Sean Tarry-trained Tin Pan Alley was all the rage in the WSB Guineas market, having won the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Stakes by 3,75 lengths, beating six Gr 1 winners in the process, including WSB Met winner See It Again.

However, Tin Pan Alley lost the race at the start.

He was officially “slow into stride” and after finding a position on the rail further back than he would have liked to have been he began over-racing, which ultimately made him a sitting duck in the final stages.

Star Major settled well from the off and sat in joint last place with cover from Happy Verse, who was sitting outside of Tin Pan Alley.

In the straight Tin Pan Alley’s class enabled him to hit the front at about the 50m mark, overtaking One Eye On Vegas who was unable to go through with his dangerous looking run.

However, Tin Pan Alley’s earlier exertions meant his finish was laboured compared to his finish in the Horse Chestnut. In the latter race he had been able to stride out throughout and had thus reserved his energy more efficiently.

Star Major, rated 114, scythed through the field with long strides under a fine ride by Mickaelle Michel to beat the favourite by 0,90 lengths.

One Eye On Vegas (107) was beaten two lengths into third, while Happy Verse (113) ran on quite well and was beaten 2,50 lengths into fourth.  Malmesbury Missile (110) was beaten 3,30 lengths into fifth.

One Eye On Vegas was the only horse in the top six officially rated below 110, although it should be pointed out the handicappers initially had him at 115.

The last five horses were all rated 106 or below.

The handicappers used Happy Verse as the line horse and raised Star Major to 118.

Tin Pan Alley remains on 128.

One Eye On Vegas has been raised to 114.

The 3,30 length fifth-placed Malmsbury Missile has been raised from 110 to 111.

The 4,70 length seventh-placed Touched By Angels has been raised from 103 to 108.

The 4,80 length eighth-placed Aristocratic has been raised from 101 to 105, while 7,45 length eleventh-placed Intensiry has been lowered from 106 to 101.

Star Major was a R500 000 National Yearling Sale purchase and is now a winner of three races. His ten starts have also yielded five places and he took his stakes total to R880 295.

Andrew Fortune salutes after converting his confident predictions into victory (Picture: Chase Liebenberg)

Wish List, Quickstepgal Stay on 117 and 116 Respectively, Keukenhof 115, Princess Of Gaul Unchanged 115, Beach Verse 110

Andrew Fortune was confident of success on the Justin Snaith-trained Wish List in the Gr 2 WSB Fillies Guineas at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.

The dual Gr 1 winner seemed a bit short in the market at odds-on, as the trip was on the sharp side and she had a wide draw, and she duly drifted out to 13/10.

However, she has transformed since her early three-year-old year from a hard knocker into a filly of true class, who just gets better and better, and she won cosily.

Fortune had her covered up near the back in the running.

Fortune complained afterwards about an apprentice rider getting in his way during the race, but the stipendiary stewards report only mentions Blaine Marx-Jacobson’s mount Daisy Jones running on to and clipping the heels of Keukenhof at the 1300m mark.

However, Wish List did get close to Daisy Jones at about the 800m mark and Wish List had to check slightly. Perhaps it was due to the latter dropping back on to him, but there was no mention of it in the stipes report.

Fortune got the gap he was looking for between Limitless Sky and Daisy Jones as they approached the straight as Marx-Jacobson opted to switch out and follow Keukenhof.

This enabled Wish List to accelerate coming into the straight and build momentum on the heels of Princess Of Gaul.

However, Wish List’s run did not appear to be making enough progress as they approached the 200m mark.

She looked in danger of defeat as the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas winner Quickstepgal was going well in front and so was the main challenger Keukenhof.

However, Fortune knew otherwise and was just reserving his mount.

At the 150m mark he switched inward, aiming for a gap between Princess Of Gaul and Quickstepgal, and the Legislate filly took off.

Another reason for going inward, might have been to keep the filly away from the Grandstands, which can be intimidating to a young horse who has not experienced them before.

Wish List burst through the gap and Fortune was able to pose for the last stride, winning by 0,30 lengths from Quickstepgal with Keukenhof, Princess Of Gaul and Beach Verse next best.

Wish List has stamped herself as a dominant force and will be a factor in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, for which she is now a 10/1 shot in the sponsors’ ante-post betting.

She has stayed on a rating of 117 as she and the 116-rated Quickstepgal presented themselves as obvious line horses.

Keukenhof being raised from 110 to 115 and Beach Verse being raised from 97 to 110 were the only changes to the merit ratings.

There will be no allowance for females in the July this year so she will not have an easy task carrying 53,5kg as things stand and giving weight to some of the best Highveld three-year-olds males.

Wish List, bred by Maine Chance Farms,  is owned by Jonathan Bloch together with Nancy Hossack and she has earned R2 023 738 in stakes.

Questioning stamped his authority on the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m (Picture: Chase Liebenberg)

 

Vaughan Marshall has done an incredible job with Questioning, who as a five-year-old has blossomed into a magnificent athlete.

This Querari gelding was never as noticeable as he is right now and is a stand out in the preliminaries, looking magnificent and exuding professionalism i.e. he carries himself proudly and clearly looks like he is relishing being at the races.

Consequently, he has become the best 1400m horse in the country and might also be the best sprinter and even the best miler.

The AN Foster-bred Querari gelding, owned by the Bortz’s, Wernars and Mukund Gujadhur, was handily placed from pole position in the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes on Saturday and despite being a touch hampered at the top of the straight he powered clear under Richard Fourie to beat last year’s winner Gladatorian by 1,60 lengths.

Great Plains was a head further back, repeating his third place of last year.

Questioning’s next target is likely to be the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, where he will face the country’s best milers, and at the end of season he could run in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m against the country’s best sprinters.

Both Questioning and Gladatorian stayed on 127 merit ratings.

The only changes the handicappers made were raising the 2,15 length fifth-placed Cats Pajamas from 119 to 122 and the 3,95 length eight placed Roland Garros from 112 to 114.

In the other stakes feature of the day The Sean Tarry-trained Gerbera (One World) got up late under a typically well timed ride by Craig Zackey to win the Listed IOS Insider East Coast Cup over 2000m.

Mano Panadaram, raiding from the Highveld, scored a double on the day.

Andrew Fortune and Richard Fourie both rode doubles and Louis Goosen claimed the exacta in the Durban Dash with Arverni Princess and Donquerari.

Three winners on the day were by Querari and two were by Vercingetorix.

La Pulga, ridden by Serino Moodley, beats his Candice Bass-trained stablemate Viva’s Liberte (Craig Zackey) in the Gr 3 Legal Eagle Stakes over 1800m at Hollwyoodbets Kenilworth on Monday (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Mark Van Deventer (Race Coast)

Candice Bass saddled a stable exacta in the Legal Eagle Stakes Gr 3 over 1800m as 4YO LA PULGA narrowly outdueled year-younger companion, VIVA’S LIBERTE.

Hollywoodbets Durban July Gr 1 entry, LA PULGA made his move in the center of the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth track, then quickened clear as OTTO LUYKEN faded late, but had to dig deep to stave off VIVA’S LIBERTE’s rally.

FORTUNE FREE made ground on the inside to sneak third ahead of another one of the handy runners, MAGIC VERSE.

The final time was 115.00 seconds. LA PULGA hails from Millstream Farm.

Said Bass of her Pomodoro gelding, who is making incremental progress this year, “LA PULGA has a beautiful action and a nice turn of foot – he just needed to strengthen and put it all together as he matured. He will truck up to Durban on Tuesday, maybe go for the Cup Trial, then try for the July off a nice weight.”

VIVA’S LIBERTE may have come off second best yet retains serious potential. He will reach a peak in time over middle distances, the natural ability already evident having placed 3^rd behind brilliant filly, WISH LIST in the Lucky Fish Cape Derby Gr 1 over 2000m in February.

TAG AND RELEASE raced prominently, then kicked clear to take out the Winter Nursery Gr 3 over 1100m, holding off the closing surge of rival 2YO Rafeef filly, SHEZARIPPER.

The winning juvenile is a son of Canford Cliffs ex Dad’s Catch, bred at Ten Einde Farm. The bay colt is trained by veteran conditioner, Greg Ennion, and was ridden by experienced jockey, Corne Orffer.

Speedy 40/1 longshot, MAGMA FLOW kept on resolutely holding third, with deep odds-on favourite, KALAHARI KING never looking likely, back in fourth.

Ennion who has a reputation for being an extremely sharp judge of horse flesh and has picked out star thoroughbreds at bargain basement prices, said. “I don’t look at top drawer horses, instead go for bottom- draw horse at the sales. It’s uncanny – the first horse I look at the sales, I usually buy; and this is the fourth or fifth time it has worked out, and they’ve turned out to be really good horses.”

TAG AND RELEASE, a 6/1 chance, completed the 1100m journey on a soft track in 66 seconds.

STORMWATCH blasted way clear of the opposition in the Ladies Mile Listed. Trained by Eric Sands and ridden with perfect judgement by Keagan de Melo, the 3YO daughter of Vercingetorix was restrained in fifth on the rail before only changing gears in deep stretch.

Hold up tactics were the riding instructions issued by Sands, who believes that STORMWATCH, with her potent burst of acceleration, is best constrained till the last possible moment. De Melo executed perfectly, saying, “I just needed to save her given her short run. She was always going a winner down the straight and bolted home.”

VIVA LA VIDA edged QUEEN REGENT for second spot. But they were left toiling 3.5 lengths adrift of STORMWATCH. The final time for the Ladies Mile Listed was 102.3, understandably well outside standard, given the yielding surface.

Billy Loughnane, who broke Kieren Fallon’s 2003 record by reaching 222 wins in a single calendar year in 2025, wins his first British Classic (Picture: Sky Sports Racing)

2000 Guineas

By Craig Nelson (BBC)

Billy Loughnane rode Bow Echo to victory in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket to win his first Classic at the age of 20.

The Irish-born jockey became the youngest winner of the 2,000 Guineas since Donnacha O’Brien triumphed on Saxon Warrior in 2018, aged 19.

Loughnane guided the 9-2 chance – bred by the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid – clear of 3-1 joint favourite Gstaad in the closing stages to win by two and three-quarter lengths, with Distant Storm (also 3-1) a further eight lengths back in third.

Victory meant 34-year-old George Boughey became the youngest trainer to win both the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas in the post-war era.

“I’ve wanted to be a jockey since the day I was born,” said Loughnane, who took the Flat racing scene by storm when making his debut aged just 16 in 2022.

“To be competing in these races is what you want and to find a horse like this at 20 years old is a dream come true. I can’t put it into words, I’ve never had a feeling like that in my life.

“I’ve been riding out for George since I was 16 and he’s really pushed me to the next level. What a trainer.”

Almost 18,000 spectators were present in Newmarket hoping to see something special in the first Classic of the British Flat racing season.

A 14-strong field were spread across both sides of the mile-long track and with the going good to firm kept up a strong pace before Gstaad, on the right of the track, and Bow Echo, on the left, came to the fore.

It looked as if they would go neck and neck to the line before Bow Echo pulled away with a stunning late burst, the Night Of Thunder colt realising his promise after going unbeaten as a two-year-old.

“He was good, wasn’t he… I thought he might do that to be honest,” Boughey told ITV Sport, after adding the 2,000 Guineas to the 1,000 Guineas he won with Cachet in 2022.

“His work has been incredibly good and yes, I don’t really know what to say, I’ve said quite a lot running up to it and it’s lucky he’s as good as what we thought he was.”

 

1000 Guineas

True Love claimed an impressive victory in the 1,000 Guineas to hand Irish trainer Aidan O’Brian an eighth winner in the fillies’ Classic at Newmarket.

The 5-1 chance pulled away in the final furlong of the one-mile race to give jockey Wayne Lordan a third win, following victories on Winter (2017) and Hermosa (2019).

Lordan expertly plotted a path from the nearside rails to hit the front in the centre of the 19-strong field before finishing one and three quarter lengths clear of Evolutionist (16-1) in second place.

Venetian Lace sealed third place at 33-1 while 9-5 pre-race favourite Precise – another O’Brien runner – finished well down in seventh.

“Stepping up to the mile was a little bit of a question mark for her because she is a filly with loads of pace, but I got into a nice position and she settled really well – then it was just a matter of time before letting her move forward,” Lordan told ITV Sport.

“She’s got everything about her. She is progressing all the time.”

Owner and breeder Michael Tabor admitted that O’Brien had his doubts about True Love’s stamina, but that he “inspired him” to give the 1,000 Guineas a shot.

“I am speechless, I am not going to say a word,” said Tabor, after True Love’s impressive victory in the 213th running of the Classic.

“This morning, speaking to him [O’Brien], he wasn’t over confident to say the least, either about True Love or Precise.

“We thought there was a doubt about True Love getting the trip… but year in, year out he [O’Brien] produces the goods.”

Precise had all the backing before the race after winning four of her five juvenile starts, including the Fillies’ Mile over the course and distance, but she was never in the running on the far side of the course.

But True Love, also a Group One-winning two-year-old at Newmarket in the Cheveley Park Stakes, produced the goods for O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stable.

The Irish trainer said: “You couldn’t be sure she was going to get a mile, she’s a Queen Mary winner and it’s very unusual for a Queen Mary winner to get a mile.

“But Wayne gave her a beautiful ride.”

Golden Tempo (Curlin) makes conditioner Cherie DeVaux the first woman in history to train a Kentucky Derby winner and gives Jose Ortiz a first win in the big race (Pic – Kentucky Derby.com/Horsephotos.com)

Myra Lewyn (The Paulick Report)

The Phipps family’s famed black silks and cherry red cap, synonymous with an elite breeding program and a galaxy of champions since their registration in 1932, flashed across the finish line to victory in the Kentucky Derby for the first time Saturday when Golden Tempo scored an emotional win under Jose Ortiz.

The homebred Curlin colt, campaigned in partnership with Vincent and Teresa Viola’s St. Elias Stable, was not the first Derby winner for the family but was historic for his conditioner, Cherie DeVaux, who became the first woman trainer to take home the roses.

Golden Tempo’s thrilling 23-1 triumph over Renegade was the second for the Phipps Stable in America’s most iconic horse race. In 2013, homebred Orb won for the family, then helmed by Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps, but toted the red and white colors of his first cousin and business partner, Stuart Janney III. Orb was trained by Shug McGaughey.

Dinny Phipps, chairman of the family’s private investment enterprise Bessemer Trust and who for 32 years was chairman of The Jockey Club (1983-2015), died in 2016, but son Ogden Phipps II and daughter Daisy Phipps Pulito are ensuring the family’s rich racing tradition continues. Pulito is racing manager of Phipps Stable.

Odgen Phipps II along with Pulito and his four other sisters, his three children, and a host of nieces and nephews were all in eager attendance at Churchill Downs’ post-race press conference following Golden Tempo’s thrilling win in the first jewel of the Triple Crown.

Phipps said racing has been the family’s passion since 1926 when the stable was founded but stressed their enthusiasm for Saturday’s Derby win was unmatched.

“It’s a family hobby. It’s a family business for us. And we love it. … And I’m not sure I have ever seen them so excited as today.”

And over the years, there have been plenty of horses to be excited about.

All told, the family has bred more than 300 stakes winners over the last 100 years, including 29 champions and eight Hall of Famers: Bold Ruler, Buckpasser, Easy Goer, Heavenly Prize, Inside Information, Personal Ensign, Searching, and Seabiscuit.

Dinny Phipps was the grandson of Mrs. Henry Carnegie Phipps, whose Wheatley Stable bred 13 champions, including Seabiscuit, High Voltage, Misty Morn, Bold Ruler, Bold Lad, Successor, and Bold Bidder. His father, Ogden Phipps, also had his own breeding and racing operation, campaigning such luminaries as Buckpasser, Numbered Account, and Relaxing. He also was chairman of The Jockey Club (1964-1974).

“My kids and my nieces and nephews weren’t able to be here for Orb, but everybody is here today,” Phipps said of his entourage for this year’s Derby. “We always maybe thought what this feeling would be like to be together and do it. It far surpasses it.

“The one person that is not here today, that I just want to recognize, is our mother (Andrea), who’s back at home watching. We all got a chance to talk to her right after the race. We were here, obviously, with my dad 13 years ago, and really because of the two of them, we have kept this going. Very thankful we did.

“This is in our blood and we love it. When we were looking for partners, the Violas and our family are very, very close. It was just a natural to try to do this together. And just super thankful that we have.”

Viola, the billionaire owner of the NHL’s Florida Panthers, previously enjoyed a Kentucky Derby win in 2017 with Always Dreaming, who he campaigned in another partnership.

Phipps Stable is renowned for breeding and racing elite females, including 1988 champion older mare Personal Ensign, who was undefeated in 13 career starts. She produced several Grade 1 winners, most notably champion filly My Flag, Miner’s Mark, and Traditionally as well as Our Emblem, sire of 2002 Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem. She was named the 1996 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.

Many other Phipps fillies trace to the famed foundation mare La Troienne.

Ogden Phipps II said the fact that his great-grandmother (Gladys Mills Phipps), grandfather, and father invested in and cared for great fillies gave them an incredible base from which to grow.

“We would call them foundation mares,” he said. “And I think we’ve been fortunate enough to have a bunch of them. And obviously, Carrumba (dam of Golden Tempo) has certainly become one now. And she also gave us some great thrills as a racehorse as well.”

Phipps Stable’s homebred Bernardini mare Carrumba won the 2016 Top Flight Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct and placed in several other graded stakes, including the 2016 Ogden Phipps (G1) at Belmont Park. Golden Tempo was foaled at the Hancock family’s Claiborne Farm, where for decades the Phipps have partnered with the Paris, Ky., farm to foal, raise, and retire their runners.

“I think the fact that we kept our broodmare band intact and continued to invest along the way, and obviously, partnering with the Violas where they allowed us to continue to breed to the great stallions, Curlin in this instance, that’s how we have been able to keep doing it and taking care of our girls,” Phipps said.

Pulito said that maintaining a modern-day racing stable called for some changes in recent years, including reducing the size of their broodmare band.

“In the last 10 years, I think we made several changes,” she said. “We don’t have as big of a broodmare band as when my grandfather was alive or when my father was alive. My grandfather probably had 40 broodmares. We keep between 16 and 20 now.

“And we brought in partners, and we’ve sold more horses at auction than we have ever in the past. And that’s to breed better stallions and get better fillies at the end of the day.”

Pulito said they started sending horses to DeVaux to train two years ago.

“I live in Kentucky, and I love the way she works with horses,” she said. “I love the way she develops a horse. […] We thought Golden Tempo would be a great match, and it was.”

Pulito, who resides in Lexington with her husband, David, and two children, is active in the Thoroughbred community. She is a member of the board of directors of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. She became a member of The Jockey Club in 2009.

Previously, Pulito served in a variety of television production capacities through the years with CBS Sports, The Golf Channel, and NTRA/Breeders’ Cup.