Turf Talk Newsletter – 5 May, 2026

Sarah Whitelaw

This Thursday sees Race Coast Sales holding the 2026 Mixed Sale, featuring the Black Swan Stud Dispersal Sale.

Thursday’s auction looks to have plenty of appealing options for breeders and pinhookers, with the sale offering well performed mares, mares in foal to some of South Africa’s most exciting young stallions, and well bred yearlings and weanlings.

The Mixed Sale is set to take place at Black Swan Stud at 12:PM.

Understandably, Black Swan’s draft is set to take pride of place, and there should be plenty of interest when taking into consideration the quality of mare on offer.

A few highlight from this draft include:

Lot 7: Elusive Heart m Elusive Fort -Redeem My Heart
A very smart performer, Elusive Heart won seven times with her victories including the 2018 G3 Vasco Prix Du Cap. The daughter of Elusive Heart won or was placed in nine stakes races, and she hails from the same female line as current high-class performers Splittheeights, Stormwatch and William Robertson. She sells with a Sandringham Summit colt at foot.

Lot 9: Sylvie m Dupont -Simone
A winning three-parts sister to triple graded stakes winner Depardieu, Sylvie is a top-class broodmare whose six winners include three stakes winners. Not only is Sylvie the dam of two Listed Swallow Stakes winners, in the form of Almond Sea and Sarah respectively, but she is also the dam of 2024 G2 Betway Joburg Spring F and M Challenge queen Celtic Rumours. She sells in foal to Rafeef.

Lot 12: Helen’s Ideal m Ideal World -Tequila Blush
A three-parts sister to the dam of recent Listed In Full Flight Handicap winner Kaalvoet and G3 Track And Ball Oaks winner Zante, Helen’s Ideal won six times with her victories including triumphs in both the Listed Sweet Chestnut Stakes and Listed Stormsvlei Mile.

Lot 14: Pretty Betty m Master Of My Fate -Betty Burke
A half-sister to dual G3 winner Freedom Charter and Listed Sophomore Sprint winner Ernie, Pretty Betty was a very smart performer, with her five wins including scores in both the G3 Final Fling Stakes and Listed Ladies Mile. She sells in foal to champion Elusive Fort, the sire of both Ernie and Freedom Charter.

Lot 22: Field Flower m Silvano -Field Princess
From the immediate family of legendary racehorse and sire Bold Ruler, Field Flower won three times including the G1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas. At stud, she has produced six winners thus far including G1 Sun Met runner up and sire Last Winter. She was covered by red hot champion One World.

The 2026 Mixed Sale also offers a number of well related weanlings. This group includes:

Lot 29: f Charles Dickens -Lady Clarisse
From the first crop of champion Charles Dickens, this filly is out of a half-sister to G2 winner Paterfamilias -sired, like Charles Dickens, by Trippi.

Lot 30: f Vercingetorix -Mana Mou
By reigning champion sire Vercingetorix, and bred on the same cross as such G1 winners as Double Grand Slam, Mia Moo and Vernichey, this filly is out of a G3 winning half-sister to champion Mythical Flight.

Lot 31: f Elusive Fort -Pretty Betty
By the sire of recent stakes winners Kaalvoet and Littlemissmillion, this filly is out of a G3 winning half-sister to two Elusive Fort sired stakes winners.

Among the eye catching yearlings to be found on Thursday sale are the following:

Lot 50: f Jet Dark -Icy Gust
By five time G1 winner Jet Dark (whose first yearlings have proved so popular), this filly is out of a full-sister to Equus Champion Rio Querari.

Lot 54: c Elusive Fort -Silvan Star
By the sire of such G1 winners as Kommetdieding, Siren’s Call, Lauderdale and Out Of Your League, this colt is out of a G3 winning Silvano three-parts sister to the July winning champion Bold Silvano.

Lot 55: f Master Of My Fate -Tequila Blush
By the same sire as such high-class fillies as Golden Palm, Sentbydestiny and Zarina, this filly is a half-sister to three winners including Listed Sweet Chestnut Stakes/Listed Stormsvlei Mile winner Helen’s Ideal.

Mano Pandaram leads in Kudikaran after the latter had landed a double for the yard at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday (Picture: Julia Marnewick)

Randjesfontein-based Highveld trainer Mano Pandaram is one of the newest trainers in South Africa, having had his first runners in his name in January last year.

He is clearly good at what he does because he had his first winner with just his fifth runner and he had two raiders running in Saturday’s big Champions Season opening meeting and both of them won.

His chief mission on Saturday was with the two-year-old maiden Kudikaran.

This The United States gelding started 15/10 favourite for a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m.

He had previously put in two fine runs on the Highveld, finishing a 3,20 length third to the exciting prospect Turn It Up over 1160m on debut followed by a 4,30 length fourth of four in the Gr 2 TAB SA Nursery over 1160m.

Mano grew up in a family who were members of Durban’s famously passionate population of Indian punters and hence he often names his horses as a reflection of his culture.

He said, “There are a lot of Indians in racing and it is also good to add your own footprint and flair to racing by bringing in your own beliefs and culture. It is also imformative, because everyone will then ask what the name means.”

Some of the names have historical associations and others have humorous associations etc.

Truro Legacy is an example of a horse he named to reflect history as it refers to the SS Truro, the ship that brought the first 342 indentured Indian labourers to South Africa.

Kudikaran, on the other hand, is a humorous term derived from the Tamil language referring to a person who drinks too much.

Kudikaran certainly did not run like a drunkard!

The athletic colt broke well from draw two under Serino Moodley, although he did initially veer to his left.

However, he managed to track back and find the rail, where he sat on the quarters of the leader Tiger Magic.

It was a bit concerning that he had not had cover throughout, but he nevertheless kicked well coming off the false rail to join Tiger Magic in front.

A thrilling three-way battle ensued between that pair and Scots Wae Hae on the inside.

However, it was Kudikaran who found extra under pressure in the final 100m to win by 0,40 lengths from Tiger Magic with Scots Wae Hae next best.

Considering it did not pan out perfectly for him, Kudukaran looks to have a bright future.

Mano said on Monday, “He is eating up nicely and moving well, so we are considering going for The Sales race at Turffotein on Sunday (R400,000 4Racing SA Sales Cup over 1160m).”

He added, “If he is not all well for that then I will lean towards bringing him down to Hollywoodbets Scottsville at the end of the month. There is no rush and there are quite a few options.”

He said about Kudikaran’s ideal distance, “He is not a sprinting type, but I knew he would settle going around the Greyville turn and I knew he would have the speed for the 400m burst. Babies mature at different rates so although he’s looking for further, he is still maintaining his speed, so you don’t try and change the horse while he still has sprinting ability. If he was not showing speed anymore then I would wait for Hollywoodbets Greyville and go for the 1400m, but 1200m looks to be the right distance for him at the moment.”

Mano bought Kudikaran at the BSA Nationals after first spotting him on a tour of the stud farms.

He said, “He caught my eye conformationally and was one of the horses I had marked in my catalogue.”

He had to splash out R800,000 to secure him.

Mano also brought the maiden Snow Moon down for Saturday’s meeting and he won a D Stakes event over 1400m on the poly.

Many were surprised Mano was taking on winners with a maiden having his 17th start, but he said, “He was qualified at the ratings of the race he was running in. Being a bit of an older horse he had strengthened up nicely and was beginning to show some nice work. I also thought he would enjoy the poly because he shows strong work on the sand at home.”

Snow Moon was also in fact well weighted under the D Stakes Conditions.

He was actually officially the best weighted male runner and was 2kg better off than the favourite Gorgeous Dude.

Nevertheless, he went off at 33/1.

He was handy in the running and as a horse who would probably have preferred further he enjoyed the good pace .

Tristan Godden also wisely gave him room to use his big stride.

Snow Moon he ran on well in the straight to just get up.

Some questioned how Mano was able to get his trainer’s license after doing just two years as an assistant.

However, he in actual fact only had a “closed” trainer’s license, meaning he was only able to train his own horses.

He owns all 35 of his horses, but he can train for others now, because a closed license automatically becomes an open one after a year.

Mano’s interest in the sport began with betting.

He and his family and many others in the Durban community view betting on racing as less of a gamble than games of chance as it offers the opportunity to “crunch the numbers and beat the system.”

He himself was particularly attracted to the top races like the July and the Daily News.

Mano was a successful businessman and when he could afford it he decided to venture into ownership with the backing of his family.

One horse became two and it steadily expanded.

Alec Laird was his first trainer, then he moved over to Ashley and Andrew Fortune and then to Mike Azzie.

He said, “I could see things were not settling wherever I went, so I applied first for my stables employee license and then my assistant’s license.”

He worked out of Paul Matchett’s yard while becoming qualified.

Mano puts a lot of thought into feed and horse care, as well as his training regime and uses the most advanced methods.

He spares no expense and leaves no stone unturned.

He is capable of thinking out of the box and looks likely to go places in a profession he is obviously enjoying and getting a lot of satisfaction out of.

He comes with one of the best references too, from the legendary Piere Strydom, who described him as one of the nicest trainers to ride for as he said he did not put jockeys under any unnecessary pressure.

Snow Moon’s win on Saturday provides a good case study for A, B, C, D, Middle Stakes races and how the weights can have an affect on the result (Picture: Chase Liebenberg)

Snow Moon’s win was called a “bomb” result at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday as he had drifted out from about 7/1 to 33/1.

However, he should have drifted the other way as he had been showing good form in the maidens and he was well treated under the conditions of the D Stakes race.

A “D Stakes” race is a merit rated band race and the highest band in D Stakes races is 64-66 and that band is set to carry 61,5kg.

Snow Moon was officially merit rated 68 and the rule if a horse is rated higher than the top band is an allocation of half-a-kilogram per point, meaning Snow Moon would have been set to carry 62,5kg had he not been a maiden.

However, there is a condition in a D Stakes race that a maiden gets an allowance of 1kg, meaning Snow Moon only had to carry 61,5kg.

It was surprising that Gorgeous Dude was the favourite, because he is merit rated 55, meaning he was at the bottom of his band, the 55-57 band, which were set to carry 57kg. That means he was automatically 1kg under sufferance with any horses who were at the top of their band and he was 2kg under sufferance with Snow Moon due to the latter’s 1kg allowance.

In a handicap the 68 rated Snow Moon would have given the 55 rated Gorgeos Dude 6,5kg, but in this race he only gave him 4,5kg.

Snow Moon won at odds of 33/1 and in second place was Sail To The Moon at odds of 25/2.

Sail to the Moon was merit rated 66, meaning he was at the top of the highest band, the 64-66 band, and therefore he was 1kg well in with the 9/4 shot Gorgeous Dude.

Gorgeous Dude finished a 1,10 length third ahead of the best weighted horse in the race, the 68 rated filly Saudi Sweep. She was rated 68 so was effectively on the top of her band, plus she received a 2,5kg gender allowance. Furthermore, she had 2,5kg claimer Blaine Marx-Jacobson aboard. Her run has to be considered disappointing at the weights, but it is never easy for the girls to run against the boys.

In fifth place was the horse who vied for favouritism, the 5/2 shot Send Me, and yet he was a horse rated 64 and thus on the bottom of his band.

Being at the top or bottom of the band doesn’t automatically enhance or scupper a horse’s chances respectively.

It is wise to check how the horse fared the last time it ran in such a merit rated band event.

For example, if it had been on top of its band last time and failed then being top of the band again isn’t going to be much of an advantage.

There is an occasional dream scenario for punters that can happen in these Stakes races.

For example, the horse Boogiefield won a B Stakes race over 1600m in his penultimate start, despite being rated 87, which meant he was on the bottom of his 87-89 band.

He was raised to 90, which gives him the opportunity to run in a Middle Stakes race over 1600m and be on top of the 87-90 band.

If he was able to win the B Stakes race while falling into the 87-89 band off an 87 then it stands to reason that he will hardly be any worse off in a Middle Stakes race as he will once again be carrying the same weight as the 87, 88 and 89 rated horses and will only be worse off with the 90 rated horses.

Unfortunately, there don’t look to be any 1600m Middle Stakes races in the next few weeks in Cape Town.

Picture: Global View

Cape Breeders

Ascot Stud’s G1 sire Global View gained a handsome boost to his pedigree on Saturday when his close relative Stark Contrast won the G1 American Turf Stakes. (Global View himself won the American Turf Stakes back in 2014).

A three-year-old Caravaggio colt, Stark Contrast boldly underscored his true talents with an elite-level breakthrough in the $1-million American Turf.

The Michael McCarthy trained colt raced in midpack early before angling five wide for the stretch run, steadily reeling in front-runner Honey Dutch, who had opened a four-length lead, then kicking clear to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

The victory marked Stark Contrast’s fourth win, all on turf, from seven career starts and third in a stakes, including the G3 Zuma Beach Stakes Santa Anita prior to a second in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar. He entered Saturday’s race off a runner-up finish in the G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks.

Stark Contrast’s third dam is Egyptian Queen (by Storm Cat), the dam of Global View.

The blue blooded Egyptian Queen also ranks as the granddam of G1 Churchill Downs Stakes winning sire Gun Pilot.

Magical Sky (Willow Magic) can add a third poly victory to her CV (Candiese Lenferna Photography) 

Andrew Harrison (Race Coast)

Punters face a competitive card on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville today where the exotics are likely to pay healthy dividends for those astute followers of form.

It starts in the first where Siyabamelela has been knocking at the door for some time now and although she carries top weight she was close-up on the poly last start and should put in another big effort in this Open Maiden. Danger may be Wedding Vow who made sudden improvement at her penultimate start and not far back next time out. Cape form is generally stronger than local and she is not visiting to sample the KZN air. Miss Danon has been improving slowly but also has a wide draw to contend with. She is back to a sprint and gets first time blinkers.

Dean Kannemeyer saddles his only runner on the day in De Gulden who takes on older horses but won well at just her second start after a promising Cape debut. She also has the best of the draw. Biggest threat should come from Whatastar who has shown up well in two starts since her maiden win. All three have been on the poly and she is down in class. Acacia’s Blossom is back on her favoured surface and with a 2.5kg claimer aboard she should be competitive.

In the first leg of the Place Accumulator Magical Sky is something of a poly specialist with her last two wins coming over course and distance. She rarely runs a poor race. Catch A Penny won first up on the poly after showing smart Cape form and although she is 3.5kg worse off with Magical Sky she looks capable of further improvement. Kythera is another into the mix as she showed up well first run back from a lengthy lay-off and is lightly race and must have a winning chance.

Glen Kotzen could hold the key to the first leg of the Pick 6. Takethegreenlight was touched off in his local debut and is lightly raced. He steps up in trip and could be the stable elect ahead of the filly Vixen’s War who is tried and tested over the trip and overdue a win. Peeping Tom is in good form of late for Doug Campbell being runner-up in his last two and narrowly beaten on the poly last run.

The fifth is an open handicap but Many Waters has run his best races on the poly and took on stronger when a close-up second last time out. Circle Of Grace is a veteran galloper but has been up against stronger of late. The switch to poly can often bring out the best in older horses. State Capital has shown some recent improvement and has another light weight while Arctic Fury found some market support last outing and is seldom far back and with a handy weight could go all the way.

Mark Dixon has had a run of form of late and sends out Master Du Rouvray in the sixth. The gelding may only now be reaching his peak and won well last time out on the poly. Although shouldering top weight he looks capable. The Wolf was three lengths behind Master Du Rouvray when last they met and has been consistent. He meets his rival on 3kg better terms so must have a strong chance of turning the tables. Prince Of Troy is lightly raced and steps up in trip for the first time. He has a handy galloping weight and is one to watch in the market. Takeyourbestshot has come well on the poly and not one to leave out of any calculations.

The seventh is another competitive handicap. Next Of Kin found one too good for him at his last two but was beaten by a good one last time out and from a handy draw can go one better. Of the balance, World Of Our Own has jumped up the handicap after winner his last two. He gets a 4kg claimer aboard and can still have the wood on Pied Piper who was a length behind him last time out. The 4kg claim could see World Of Our Own confirm that result but it should be close. Sierra Sagrada is up from the Cape but has not been out since July last year after shedding his maiden. The Vaughan Marshal stable is in hot form and Keagan de Melo is aboard. Any market support must be taken seriously.

The ninth is another tricky handicap where Spring Kiss returns from a break but has dropped in the handicap. On her best she will be a big runner. Mystique Rouge is something of a poly specialist and was narrowly beaten last time out. She is comfortable over the trip and rates a strong chance. Jazz Diva has the best of the draw and has shown up well in her last two on the poly. She gets 4kg relief from the saddle.

The last is wide open but Chara Sands goes well over course and distance and had a difficult draw on the turf last run. He has a good draw and a 4kg claimer aboard that should see him competitive. Danger could be Cappellino who is holding form. His last win came over course and distance and he should feature prominently. Lunch Money has the widest draw but is never far back of late. While Zoombomber goes well on the poly and has the best of the draw.

Picture: Sha Tin

At The Races tipster Tim Carroll is back with expert analysis for nine races at Sha Tin on Wednesday, plus his three best bets.

This Wednesday sees a competitive nine-race card on the all-weather at Sha Tin getting underway at 12H45am SA Time and the feature of the meeting is race 8, the Class 3 Camellia Handicap, over 1 mile, offering more than £200,000 in prize money.

Now onto this week’s selections:

Click here for a comprehensive guide to the meeting