Picture: Chris van Niekerk, CTS Chairman.

Cape Thoroughbred Sales Steps Aside In The Interest Of Racing

Following on from the recent announcement of Cape Racing to launch its own thoroughbred sales division, Cape Thoroughbred Sales (“CTS”) has decided that now would be the appropriate time to step aside and exit the sales arena.

As explained by [Chairman] Chris Van Niekerk: “CTS was formed eleven years ago, with the aim of adding value to the South African thoroughbred racing landscape. The intended objective was achieved through the many successful sales that followed, as well as the establishment of the Cape Premier Sale in the Mother City convention centre, not only as a unique event, but as an auction on the international thoroughbred sales map. I believe that the decision by Cape Racing to form its own sales division is a positive development for racing. It is in this light, combined with our love for the game, that Bernard and I deem it appropriate to step aside at this time. Every action with the aim of creating a more viable future for our industry must be supported. I have the highest level of appreciation and gratitude for our small CTS team, and I am proud of all they have achieved.”

Added Managing Director Grant Knowles: “While there is obviously sadness to say goodbye to CTS, all racing lovers in the Cape, and probably nationwide, cannot help but be swept up in the wave of excitement and optimism that is Cape Racing today. I have no doubt that Greg Bortz and his team will show the same innovation and energy to the building of a sales company, as they have already demonstrated in other areas of the business.”

Details regarding the status of CTS’s already scheduled upcoming sales and sales races will be communicated in the days ahead.

Discussions with Cape Racing have been held to ensure that the current sales and racing calendar is not negatively impacted.

Picture: Team Gold on the way to the start before winning the Listed Topbet Spring Spree Stakes under JP van der Merwe on Saturday (JC Photos)

Kelly’s Olympics Gets More Gold

PEDIGREE PROFILE -TEAM GOLD

by Sarah Whitelaw

When Team Gold captured Saturday’s Listed Topbet Spring Spree Stakes at Turffontein, he became the third third stakes winner produced by his prolific dam Kelly’s Olympics. The latter, who hails from one of the most potent female lines in the American stud book, is currently responsible for five black type horses in total with Kelly’s Olympics already dam of graded stakes winners Olympic Owen (G3 Protea Stakes) and Speedy Suzy (G3 Pretty Polly Stakes).

The regally bred Kelly’s Olympics, who is also dam of Listed Syringa Handicap runner up Fly Philippa and the G3 placed Dame Kelly, always looked likely to enjoy success at stud.

A daughter of outstanding sire and broodmare sire Kingmambo (whose daughter Deceptive Charm is dam of last season’s G2 World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas winner Under Your Spell), Kelly’s Olympics was a smart, speedy performer who won four times from 1000m to 1200m. She put up arguably the best performance of her career when finishing third, to Equus Champion Texan Summer, in the 2005 G3 Southern Cross Stakes.

Out of a mare by Ogygian (whose daughters have also produced such notable G1 winning sires as Johannesburg and Street Boss), Kelly’s Olympics’ dam Ophidian, a half-sister to G2 Forego Stakes winner and successful sire American Chance, was a smart four time winner who captured North America’s Goodbye Halo Stakes.

Team Gold is directly descended in female line from the important taprootmare Exclusive. A daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Shut Out,

Exclusive produced five stakes winners notably Arlington Classic winner Exclusive Native. The latter was twice Champion Sire in the USA where his flagbearers included Triple Crown winner Affirmed and fellow Kentucky Derby winner Genuine Risk.

However, Exclusive’s influence was not limited to Exclusive Native -as she is the ancestress of numerous G1 winners including Blair House, Chief Honcho, Dance To Bristol, General Assembly, George Vancouver, General Assembly, Muhtarram, Poet’s Voice, and Versailles Treaty. The Trippi sired G1 Spinaway Stakes winner R Heat Lightning is another descended from Exclusive, while R Heat Lightning’s close relative East Breaks came to stud in South Africa.

Team Gold’s success also once again underlined the merit of his sire Twice Over. The latter, who made a sensational start to his stud career with his first crop headed by dual G1 Vodacom Durban July winner Do It Again and G1 Gold Medallion victor Sand And Sea, had a tremendous season in 2021-2022 where Twice Over was represented by G1 Cape Guineas winner Double Superlative as well as the graded stakes winners Do It Again and Smorgasbord.

Picture: Durbanville (Terrance Welch).

Hollywoodbets Durbanville Race Card For First HWB Spring Country Series Meeting

Greg Bortz Speaks About The Launch Of This Series Too.

The First meeting of the Spring Country Series is being held at Hollywoodbets Durbanville tomorrow (Wednesday).

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL COLOUR RACE CARD

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO GREG BORTZ SPEAK ABOUT THE LAUNCH

Hollywoodbets are offering a number of interesting betting opportunities on the meeting including:

Trainer With Most Winners.
Jockey With Most Winners
Justin Snaith Number Of Winners
Odd/Even Numbers Most Winners

The first Punters Challenge for a Western Cape meeting will also add to the interest. You just have to have a Hollywoodbets account to be able to enter this competition for free and have a chance of winning a share of R5,000 or a bonus of R200,000 if you select every winner for the meeeting.

Picture: Nature Strip (thoroughbreddailynews.com)

Nature Strip Australian Racehorse of the Year For Second Time

Chris Waller’s 7th Successive Horse Of The Year Award And Tenth Successive Champion Group 1 Trainer Title

RacingVictoria.com.au

Trainer Chris Waller continued his dominance of the Australian Racehorse of the Year Award after his superstar sprinter Nature Strip was crowned the nation’s best horse for a second time at the 2022 Racing Awards in Melbourne on Saturday night (3 September 2022).

Following a season which saw him finally win The Everest before taking his tally of Australian Group 1s to eight with victory in the Darley Sprint Classic at Flemington and the Furphy T J Smith Stakes at Randwick, Nature Strip capped a stellar campaign when he conquered the world in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot (UK) in June.

The coronation brought up a remarkable seventh straight success for Waller-trained horses, following previous wins for Winx (2016-19), Nature Strip (2020) and the 2021 Australian Racehorse of the Year recipient Verry Elleegant, who finished second in this year’s award behind her stablemate.

Waller’s success did not end there, with his stable accepting the awards for Champion Sprinter and Champion Stayer, won respectively by Nature Strip and last year’s Lexus Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant, whilst he was presented with the Bart Cummings Award as Australia’s Champion Group 1 Trainer for a remarkable 10^th straight season.

The man who piloted Nature Strip and Verry Elleegant to their 2021-22 successes, James McDonald, was also honoured as the Champion Group 1 Jockey for a second year running.

The closest contest of the night came in the Champion 3YO Colt or Gelding category, with James Cummings’ magnificent colt Anamoe just edging out the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained warrior Hitotsu by 164 votes to 159.

Hitotsu outscored his rival by three Group 1 wins to two last season, but the breathtaking manner of Anamoe’s victory in the Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas may just have swayed the voting panel, made up of racing media and handicappers from each state and territory.

The Champion Middle Distance Award went the way of Annabel Neasham’s stable star Zaaki, who cruised to victory in the Group 1 Paramount+ Stakes at Flemington last spring before returning in style in the autumn to claim The Seppelt Wines All-Star Mile at the same venue.

Other award winners were Gary Portelli’s flying filly Fireburn (Champion 2YO); David Vandyke’s Channel 7 Queensland Oaks winner Gypsy Goddess (Champion 3YO Filly); the flying grey Saunter Boy, who took out the Champion Jumper Award for the Maher and Eustace stable and Yarraman Park’s I Am Invincible who was crowned Champion Sire.

The votes for the finalists in each category of the 2022 Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards were as follows:

Australian Racehorse of the Year

Nature Strip (189 votes)
Verry Elleegant (114)
Incentivise (46)
Hitotsu (36)
Anamoe (20)

Champion 2YO

Fireburn (210)
She’s Extreme (78)
Sheeza Belter (46)
Best Of Bordeaux (32)
Daumier (31)

Champion 3YO Filly

Gypsy Goddess (117)
Fangirl (99)
Startantes (57)
Hinged (52)
Barb Raider (33)

Champion 3YO Colt or Gelding

Anamoe (164)
Hitotsu (159)
Home Affairs (59)
Mazu (44)
Artorius (4)

Champion Sprinter

Nature Strip (219)
Eduardo (94)
Home Affairs (71)
Forbidden Love (25)
Lost And Running (12)

Champion Middle Distance

Zaaki (111)
Think It Over (86)
Incentivise (81)
Anamoe (68)
Duais and State Of Rest (both 36)

Champion Stayer

Verry Elleegant (198)
Incentivise (116)
Hitotsu (75)
Duais (42)
Montefilia (4)

Champion Jumper

Saunter Boy (70)
Heberite (38)
Vanguard (15)
Flying Agent (12)
Britannicus and Elvison (both 9)

Picture: Calvin Ngcobo’s family celebrating at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Monday (Candiese Lenferna)

Calvin Ngcobo’s Family Celebrate His Win On Monday

Candiese Lenferna Photography

The Glen Kotzen-trained Jay Peg gelding American Dream won the first race on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly yesterday (Monday) and winning rider Calvin Ngcobo’s family were on hand to cheer him home and celebrate (see picture above headline).

Picture: Mike Egerton won the equestrian category of the 2022 World Sports Photography Awards with the above picture.

Mike Egerton’s World Sports Photography 2022 Winning Picture (Equestrian Category)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL THE SHORTLISTED PICTURES

Picture: Irontail (Pathfork) gives Marco van Rensburg and Corne Spies a double together on the day (JC Photos).

Doubles For Van Rensburg/Spies And Matchett

Muzi Yeni moved into the lead in the SA Jockey’s Championship with a single winner at the Vaal today. He is on 24 winners for the season, one clear of Keagan de Melo and Kabelo Matsunyane.

Meanwhile, Corne Spies and Marco van Rensburg had a double today.

Paul Matchett also sent out a double.

Spies has now had four winners this season at a strike rate of 8%

Matchett has had six winners at 13.33%.

Van Rensburg has had nine winners at 11.69%.

Today’s Question

What was the largest ever field in a British flat race and how did the race have a link to South African racing?

Picture: The Lincoln Handicap is run on the opening day of the British flat season every year and always attracts a big field. (Britishracecourses.org).

Durbanville Wednesday Fields

Today’s Question Answer

The 1948 Lincoln Handicap, which was still at that time being run at the Carholme course in Lincoln, had 58 runners.

It remains the biggest field in British racing history.

The one mile race down the straight was won by the Arthur Budgett-trained Commissar (Sir Cosmo) who was ridden by Bill Rickaby, brother of Fred Rickaby and cousin of Lester Piggott.

Fred Rickaby, a twice British champion apprentice rider, trained with great success in South Africa.

Two of his many big wins were in the 1967 July with Jollify (dead-heated with Sea Cottage) and in the 1969 July with Naval Escort.

He trained Met winner and twice Queen’s Plate-winner Sledgehammer (NZ) (Stunning), whom Michael Roberts has often said was the best horse he ever rode in SA.

Fred was SA’s leading trainer in 1975.

Bill had a stint as a jockey in SA before World War II.

Fred and Bill’s aunt Lilian Iris Rickaby was Lester Piggott’s mother.

Today the maximum size field allowed for the Lincoln Handicap, which is now run at Doncaster racecourse, is 22.

Picture: The start of the 1948 Lincoln Handicap (Racingpost.com)

Turf Talk Newsletter – 6 September 2022