Turf Talk Newsletter – 7 April, 2026

See It Again gives Craig Zackey a second Gr 1 win on a day in which he also had a Gr 2 win and one other win (JC Photos)

Justin Snaith was elated on Saturday while holidaying in Mauritius as two of his yard’s biggest stars, See It Again (Twice Over) and Double Grand Slam (Vercingetorix), landed weight for age Gr 1s at Turffontein Standside.

See It Again and Okavango (Master Of My Fate), both owned by stalwart Durban-based owner Nick Jonsson, gave the yard an exacta in the HKJC Premier’s Champions Challenge and Snaith has said they will both be aimed at the Gr 1 R10 million Hollywoodbets Durban July.

Double Grand Slam won the TAB Empress Club Stakes, proving herself the best older female in the land, and Snaith said, “Double Grand Slam will target the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint and the Gr1 Garden Province. There’s unfinished business in the sprint after her luckless run last year and we’re eager to set the record straight.”

It was the fourth career Gr 1 win for See It Again, who was bred by Drakenstein Stud, and it was his second wfa Gr 1 win this season, adding to his win in the WSB Met. He now undoubtedly has the status of best middle distance horse in the country.

It was also a fourth career Gr 1 win for the Varsfontein Stud-bred Double Grand Slam, who is owned by Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert), Messrs D D MacLean & Gary Player Stud Farm (Pty) Ltd.

Snaith said about See It Again’s Champions Challenge triumph, “See It Again was always travelling like the winner, he never really looked in danger and didn’t give us any anxious moments as he was perfectly handled by Craig Zackey. He cruised into the race with plenty in hand and, when asked, asserted himself decisively over his stablemate Okavango.

This victory is the culmination of three months of meticulous planning, and finally conquering the altitude is incredibly satisfying. It’s been a long-standing challenge for us, one we’ve worked at through years of trial and error, so to see it all come together like this is immensely rewarding.

Thanks to 4Racing and in particular, Joe Soma for being so accommodating.”

The Snaith participants on the day stayed at Joe Soma’s yard upon arriving at Turffontein on Friday morning after traveling up from their Summerveld base.

Snaith continued, “I watched the race with my brother and family in Mauritius, and it was a moment of real pride and joy. More than anything, it’s a testament to the team behind the horse. Nick Jonsson’s support has been unwavering – his loyalty and passion for the game are second to none, and success like this is thoroughly deserved. He’s not just an owner, but a true friend.

A huge effort from the team on course – Gokhan Terzi and Jenna Le Roux had everything spot on, with valuable support from Frank Robinson, who brought his experience from Summerveld. Andrew Fortune was also instrumental behind the scenes, always willing to lend a hand – even down to feeding the horses when he wasn’t in the saddle. There are many others who played their part – thank you!

And, as always, credit to Drakenstein Stud – phenomenal breeders year in and year out. Their horses are tough, resilient, and full of class.

I hope the punters capitalised on the day!

Justin Snaith added, “There’s not much more I can ask of Double Grand Slam – she’s the standout filly of her generation and continues to prove it every time she steps onto the track. She’s been an absolute joy to train, and on the strength of today’s sensational performance, she’s far from finished on the racetrack.

Craig Zackey gave her a superb ride. The instructions were simple: sit on her for as long as possible, and he executed it perfectly. He barely moved a muscle, and when he finally asked, she showed an incredible turn of foot, quickening through the gears to win with authority and with plenty in hand. She displayed her sheer brilliance.

It’s a privilege to train for owners like Gaynor Rupert, Gary Player and Dave Maclean. They never apply pressure and handle defeat with as much grace as they celebrate success – that’s the mark of true racing people.

A huge thank you to the entire team – Jenna Le Roux, Gokhan Terzi, Frank Robinson, Andrew Fortune, Robbie Miller, and many others behind the scenes. This result is the product of months of planning and collective effort. New Turf Carriers get our horses to their races swiftly and safely.

We were also very well looked after by 4Racing and Joe Soma – their hospitality was outstanding, and we are extremely grateful.

Hopefully punters were able to capitalise on the double, and we appreciate the continued support on the Highveld.

Congratulations to Varsfontein Stud on breeding yet another Gr1 champion.”

Snaith was full of praise for groom Sokhe Mwelase, who is known to the yard as “Isaac”.

He said, “Isaac is the trusted handler behind both Double Grand Slam and See It Again. He spends more time with them than anyone else, and his natural feel, patience, and understanding of horses make him truly exceptional at what he does.”

Curious Girl is a comfortable winner of the SA Derby and is one of four Graded winners for Richard Fourie on the day (three Gr 2s and one Gr 1) (JC Photos)

When the Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Curious Girl converted favouritism in the Gr 1 TAB SA Derby, she not only became the first filly to win this iconic race for 108 years, but she also confirmed the late Mauritzfontein Stud-based stallion Fort Wood to be the king of the SA Derby.

Curious Girl is by Futura, who is a son of the Fort Wood stallion Dynasty.

She is out of Ideal World mare Idaho, who is in turn out of the Fort Wood mare Laurel Tree.

Fort Wood himself produced the greatest SA Derby winner of all time,  Horse Chestnut, and also produced the SA Derby winner Elusive Fort.

Elusive Fort himself produced the SA Derby winner Out Of Your League.

Fort Wood’s son Dynasty produced the SA Derby winner Irish Flame.

And Now Dynasty’s son Futura has produced the SA Derby winner Curious Girl, meaning Fort Wood’s influence on the SA Derby has stretched to a third generation sire.

Furthermore, the SA Derby winner Bouquet-Garni (Strike Smartly) was out of a Fort Wood mare and so was the SA Derby winner Malmoos.

Curious Girl herself is from the same family as Bouquet-Garni, so had a pedigree steeped in SA Derby history and she can now add her own name to the list of winners.

Curious Girl became the tenth filly in history to win the SA Derby, but she was the first filly to win it since Noble Lady, who won it on Boxing Day in 1917.

Curious Girl was the seventh SA Derby winner for Mike de Kock and the first since he has partnered with his son Mathew.

It was a third SA Derby victory for Richard Fourie, who was a late replacement for Gavin Lerena, who had to pull out injured a couple of days before the race.

Riyo Stud are the breeders of Curious Girl, who never looked like losing after traveling beautifully throughout.

Jumping from draw two she found a handy spot three horses back on the rail and loped along under Fourie in a perfectly relaxed manner.

On her outside the eventual runner up, the Gareth van Zyl-trained KZN raider Sanali Kahle, was not as relaxed and seemed to have taken quite a strong hold.

Fourie wisely went for home early in the straight knowing his filly’s stamina capacity and how well she had traveled in the running.

Sanali Kahle ran on strongly initially to challenge but could not match the filly in the final 400m and she ran out a comfortable 1,20 length winner.

She was receiving 2,5kg from the boys and also carried 2,5kg less than the subsequent Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks winner Littlemissmillion, but her time was 1,14 seconds quicker than than the latter’s time.

Outsider Master Spy ran on well from last for a 2,20 length third and he was followed by the Deby trial (Hawwaam Stakes) winner Diogenes with Copper Eagle next best.

Hollywood Racing own both Curious Girl and Sanali Kahle.

Riyo Stud is owned by Gill Thomson, who was the joint-owner of 2010 Durban July winner, the Mike de Kock-trained Bold Silvano.

The De Kock website published a report on their success on Saturday.

Read the De Kock website report here

Buffalo Storm Cody scores a second career Gr 1 win and he and Taxi To The Moon gave Tony Peter a Gr 1 exacta (JC Photos)

The Tony Peter-trained Buffalo Storm Cody (Buffalo Bill Cody) remains on a rating of 132 after winning the Gr 1 TAB Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday by an easy 1,90 lengths from stablemate Taxi To The Moon. It was Buffalo Storm Cody’s second career Gr 1 victory and it was the first leg of a Graded race four-timer for Richard Fourie on the day (one Gr 1 and three Gr 2s).

Taxi To The Moon on 119 was made the line horse and this meant the only raises were to the 3,30 length fifth-placed Mount Pinatubo (up from 109 to 113) and to the 3,0 length sixth-placed Mover And Shaker (up from 109 to 112).

There were decreases for Truth (down from 120 to 119), Chocolate Soldier (108 to 106)  and Luhamba Phambili (112 to 110).

See It Again remains on 130 after his Gr 1 HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge win, while runner up Okavango was raised two points to 125.

The line horse was the 114-rated 3,60 length third-placed Olivia’s Way, who received 2,5kg from the boys.

The Equator was dropped from 117 to 115.

Double Grand Slam was raised from 122 to 125 after her 5,40 length victory in the Gr 1 TAB Empress Club Stakes.

The runner up Minogue was raised from 112 to 114.

The line horse was 3,0 length third-placed Callmegetrix.

Fourth-placed Kisshoten was raised from 107 to 109, while sixth-placed Golden Palm was lowered from 115 to 112 after a disappointing ten length defeat.

In the SA Derby Curious Girl  had run to a 100 rating in her previous start, but there was an operator’s condition stating that the winner of that race, the Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial, could not be raised more than six points. She has now been officially raised to 100 and was used as the line horse for the SA Derby off a mark of 100. Curious Girl received 2,5kg from the boys and so there were raises for the runner up Sanali Kahle (97 to 103), Master Spy ( to 102), Diogenes ( to 99), Titans Of War (91 to 95), Bellerephon (89 to 92) and there was a decrease for Copper Eagle (100 to 97).

In the SA Oaks the winner Littlemissmillion was raised from 107 to 114, while runner up Hazy Dazy remains on 117. The 7,40 length third-placed Daisy Jones was used as the line horse off her 108 rating.

The Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes saw the 106-rated Money Heist being used as the line horse, which meant runner up One Eye On Vegas was raised one point to 107, while the winner Cats Pajamas stayed untouched on 119.

There were decreases for Main Defender (130 to 126) and Cosmic Speed (122 to 120).

Good Day Sunshine gives Vercingetorix a first of two Graded wins on the day (Gr 2 and Gr 1) and the second of three wins overall on the day and gives her dam Miss Florida a second stakes winner this season(JC Photos)  

It was fitting on Saturday that on a day in which prolific Durban-based owner Nick Jonsson scored a Gr 1 exacta and moved into second place in the national owners championships that the first Gr 1 winner he both owned-and-bred, Miss Florida (Captain Al), had a Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Nursery winner, the Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Good Day Sunshine.

This is now Miss Florida’s second stakes winner, the first being Good Day Sunshine’s three-year-old stablemate, the Canford Cliffs colt Miami Mountain, who won the Gr 3 TAB National Currency Sprint over 1100m in February.

Miss Florida, who is out of the Trippi mare Diva’s Daughter, has only had three runners to date and so already having two Graded winners augurs well for her future.

She has a yearling full-brother to Good Day Sunshine and was covered by Vercingetorix in 2024 too, with a registration of the resulting progeny from the latter mating still pending.

Good Day Sunshine, who was bred by Ridgemont and is owned by them in partnership with Devin Heffer, is unbeaten in two starts and gave sire phenomenon Vercingetorix the first of two Graded winners on the day and the second of three winners overall.

Vercingetorix’s other Graded winner on the day was Gr 1 TAB Empress Club Stakes winner Double Grand Slam.

Vercingetorix goes to 15 stakes winners for the season of 21 races, so is on track to break the SA record he set last season of 23 stakes winners in a season (of 33 races).

Jonsson, who has won the WSB Met for the last four years running with four different horses, has gone about R2,5 million ahead of third-placed Sabine Plattner on the national owners log.

Mauritzfontein, Khaya Stables and Drakenstein are next best.

Jonsson is about R7.8 million behind runaway leaders Hollywood Racing.

Perfect General has been tipped to win the 8th race (Picture: Kenneth Chan)

One of At The Races tipster Tim Carroll’s best bets won at 3/1 on Monday and he heads next to Happy Valley on Wednesday where he previews all nine races.

This Wednesday sees a competitive nine-race meeting from Happy Valley getting underway at 12H40 SA Time and there are three Class 3 handicaps on the card with the feature being race 7, the Glenealy Handicap, over 1 mile, offering prize money of more than £200,000.