Drumbeat saunters to an easy victory in the Gr 3 Zetland Stakes (Picture via Galloptv)
A highlight of Saturday’s racing from a South African point of view was the performance of a horse called Drumbeat in the UK as this horse is out of the Captain Al mare Cloth Of Cloud and he created such an impression that he is now 25/1 for next year’s Gr 1 Epsom Derby, which is probably the most famous horse race in the world.
There were also some eyecatching performances at Turffontein Inside on Saturday too and South Africans enjoyed success in Hong Kong on Sunday.
Drumbeat is by the stallion phenomenon Wootton Basett and is trained by the Ballydoyle maestro Aidan O’Brien.
The colt finished last of six on debut over seven furlongs at The Curragh.
However, he then showed encouraging improvement when a one length third to stablemates Wall Street (Sea The Stars) and Jesus Green (Ghaiyyath) in a maiden over a mile at Leopardstown.
Next up he won a won a seven furlong maiden at Gowran Park in a dead-heat finish.
He was stepped up in class in his next start and finished a respectable 2,75 length third in the Gr 2 Beresford Stakes over a mile at the Curragh to stablemate Noble Exhibit (Frankel). He was staying on at the finish of that race.
So it was not surprising to see him sent to England to run in Saturday’s Gr 3 Native Trail Zetland Stakes over a mile and two furlongs at Newmarket, a race that was interestingly won in 2007 by the Gr 1-producing South African-based sire Twice Over.
Drumbeat was sent off as the 10/11 favourite and relaxed surperbly in the running when covered up just off the pace.
He accelerated smartly when necessary and ran away with to win by 5,5 lengths under Ryan Moore.
That earned him quote of either 20/1 or 25/1 with the major bookmakers for next year’s Epsom Derby.
The strange part about it is that his Captain Al dam, Cloth Of Cloud, was a precocious speedster who won her first three starts from 1000m to 1160m, including the Gr 3 Pretty Polly Stakes over 1100m and the Gr 1 SA Nursery over 1160m.
Furthermore, Cloth Of Cloud was infamously temperamental and a very difficult ride, which ultimately led to her only having four career starts.
Drumbeat, on the other hand, looks to be relaxed in his racing style.
Cloth Of Cloud was out of the USA-bred Fusaichi Pegasus mare Our Table Mountain, who was named Equus Champion Broodmare as her progeny Cloth Of Cloud and the SA Fillies Guineas winner Silver Mountain won Gr 1s in the same season 2015/2016 season.
Our Table Mountain won a Listed race over 1200m and was Listed-placed over 1800m.
Cloth Of Cloud was bred by Highlands Stud and was purchased for R2.2 million at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale.
Blandford Bloodstock, Diane Nagle and Linda Shanahan were reportedly the purchasers.
Blandford Bloodstock is a Newmarket-based bloodstock agent, David and Diane Nagle of Barronstown Stud are Hall Of Fame breeders in Ireland and Linda Shanahan is from a prominent racing family in Ireland.
Drumbeat was bred by Barronstown Stud, but as luck would have it Cloth Of Cloud was sold in December 2024, fetching top price of 180,000 Gns in a Tattersalls online sale.
Cloth Of Cloud’s first runner by Galileo had to have wind surgery after two runs and only won one race thereafter.
Her next runner by No Nay Never is to date unplaced in six starts in Ireland.
When sold Cloth Of Cloud was in foal to Too Darn Hot, bred to Southern Hemisphere times.
She was purchased by Irish-based Bloodstock agent Hubie de Burgh.
The Turffontein meeting on Saturday was marred by the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic-winning Act Of War heroine catastrophically breaking down and having to be euthanased.
She was favourite for the day’s feature, the Non-Black Type Allez France Stakes over 2200m which saw the 6/1 shot Into Dancing catching the rank outsider Indian Ocean to lead home the six horse field.
Trent Mayhew was aboard Hazy Dazy and took a hard fall, but reportedly emerged from the incident alright.
Earlier, the Joe Soma-trained three-year-old Gimmthegreenlight gelding Green Fairway, a half-brother to Port Elizabeth Gold Cup winner Battleground (Futura), impressed when coming from off the pace to win a maiden over 1600m under Richard Fourie in just his second career start. The gelding is somewhat reminisecnt of the Soma-trained five times Gr 1 winner Got The Greenlight as he is tall and carries his head quite high and also wears a noseband and runs in the same red colours with black epaulettes and cap of Dayalan Chinsammy. The latter owns him in partnership with Gerald Frank & TKP Racing (Nom: Trevelen Pillay).
However, the most impressive performance of the day was by the Stuart Pettigrew-trained British-bred import Calla Lagoon. The five-year-old New Bay entire put himself in the Betway Summer Cup picture by coming from off the pace with a sustained finish to win a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600m under Philasande Mxoli. He was carrying 56kg off a 107 merit rating under the merit rated band conditions of the race and was officially not particularly well weighted, so it was a good performance. He also gave the impression he would relish the 2000m trip of the Summer Cup and he has in fact already proved that by running a good second in a class 3 handicap over a mile ad two furlongs at Pontefract in good to soft going in the UK. Calla Lagoon is now the joint third favourite for the Summer Cup in the Hollywoodbets’ ante-post market, shortening in from 25/1 to 25/2.
There was also a good performance later by the Weiho and Warwick Marwing-trained three-year-old Heavenly Blue gelding Lone Horizon, who won a MR 84 Handicap under Jason Gates off an 88 merit rating when stepped up to 1800m for the first time. He should pay to follow.
In Hong Kong on Sunday trainer Brett Crawford had his second win of the season, brought home by his trusted former stable jockey in Cape Toiwn Karis Teetan.
His South African compatriot Luke Ferraris had his fifth win of the season and is prominent on the Jockeys log.
