20201111 - Sporting Post Sprint Ver 1.5

Wednesday 11 November 2020 v

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Ticket… Chance!

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Candiese Lenferna

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Emperors Palace National 2yo Sale

Dream A Little Dream!

The Bloodstock South Africa Emperors Palace National 2yo Sale will be held almost three months later than normal at the TBA Sales Complex in Johannesburg on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November.

The sale starts at 10h30 on both days, with 394 lots coming under the hammer.

For registered buyers, the Zoom platform is also a great alternative – contact Ashley de Klerk on email ashley@bsa.co.za.

The National 2yo platform has traditionally been one of the South Africa’s best value for money sales and has produced a remarkable array of stars over the years, with past graduates including notable Gr1 winners like Asylum Seeker, Bela-Bela,

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Dane Julia, Irridescence, Jackson, J J The Jet Plane, Noah From Goa, River Jetez and The Apache.

Leading stallions represented on this year’s sale include Dynasty, Gimmethegreenlight, Ideal World, Master Of My Fate, Querari, Silvano, The United States, Trippi, Var, Vercingetorix and What A Winter.

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Candiese Lenferna

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Sires with their first local two-year-olds on offer include the likes of exciting prospects Admiral Kitten, Moofeed, Quasillo, Rafeef, Red Ray, and William Longsword.

The sale recently received a massive boost with graduates qualifying for R1,6 million worth of linked races for both sexes to be held in two different provinces.

Click here for the catalogue

A ‘tick of the box’ by the buyer will mean that the individual purchase could qualify for two R400 000 races – that’s R800 000 in total on offer in KwaZulu-Natal at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Vodacom Durban July Day 2021, and then just over a month later at Turffontein.

This innovative and rewarding Sales Race programme is offered in addition to the usual Added Stakes Incentive.

The four Bloodstock South Africa Emperors Palace National 2yo Sale linked races are: • Sales Race (1) run over 1300m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on 3 July 2021 – Fillies only

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• Sales Race (2) run over 1300m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on 3 July 2021 – Colts/geldings only • Sales Race (3) run over 1400m at Turffontein on 7 August 2021 – Fillies only • Sales Race (4) run over 1400m at Turffontein on 7 August 2021 – Colts/geldings only Enjoy a snapshot of each lot – click on www.sportingpost.co.za

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A Mystical End Of An Era v

A Prized

Commodity!

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When lot 224 steps into the TBA sales ring on Friday at the National 2yo Sale, it will mark the end of an era. A filly by SA Derby winner Wylie Hall, she is the last foal of Cheveley Stud’s remarkable ‘blue hen’ Mystic Spring.

Guineas, Cape of Good Hope Derby and Daily News 2000. Sadly, his all too brief career ended when he suffered a fatal injury in the 2005 Gr1 Vodacom Durban July.

The dam of two champions and five other stakes winners, Mystic Spring’s prowess as a broodmare has spilled over into the sales ring in a big way.

Over a period spanning more than a decade, eight of her dozen offspring offered at auction have sold for seven figures and often featured as a sales or near sales topper.

Mystic Spring’s second foal, a filly by Royal Academy’s close relative Goldkeeper, went through the TBA Sales ring when Rabiya had yet to make his debut and she was sold for just R70 000. Named Secret Of Victoria, she made a mockery of her modest purchase price, winning the Gr2 Southern Cross, Gr2 Sceptre and Gr3 Strelitzia Stakes after chasing champion Rock Opera home in the Gr1 Allan Robertson. Owned by the BBP Syndicate, she is now a priceless broodmare as the dam of Champion Sprint queen All Is Secret and Gr1 winner The Secret Is Out, both by Captain Al.

Mystic Spring’s first foal, the Jallad colt Rabiya, raced as a homebred for John and Karen Newsome and earned himself a championship award with his classic Gr1 treble of the Cape

The failure of Mystic Spring’s Joshua Dancer daughter Spring Lilac to reach her reserve at the 2005 National Sale proved fortuitous. Raced by the Kosters and the Newsomes, she won them the

We have long since run out of superlatives for this imported Royal Academy mare, whose achievements fill the entire catalogue page of her last foal!

Gr3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery before returning to Cheveley. She too, has been a regular consort of Captain Al and has produced Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas and Majorca victress Snowdance, as well as the stakes winners Victorian Secret and Juniper Spring to the late champion.

Rafiya, a full-sister to Rabiya, became her dam’s first million Rand foal when selling for R2,2 million. Money well spent considering she won the Listed East Coast Oaks for the partnership of Drakenstein Stud’s Gaynor Rupert and Avontuur’s Lindy Taberer.

That price was surpassed twelve months later when Western Winter daughter Shamrock Spring became the National Yearling sale’s joint top-priced lot to a winning bid of R3-million from Blandford Bloodstock.

Mystic Spring’s next two foals, Meezah, a Goldkeeper full sister to Secret Victoria and Mystic Jet, a colt

by Jet Master, added to their dam’s

Candiese Lenferna

Mystic Spring’s daughter Bela-Bela wins the SA Fillies Guineas

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#224 - Wylie Hall x Mystic Spring

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fine sales record when selling for R1,2 -million apiece.

In 2012, Cheveley broke with tradition, sending Mystic Spring’s Jet Master filly Touch The Sky to the Cape Premier Yearling Sale. Snapped up by Varsfontein Stud for R1,1-million, the grey won them the Listed Oaks Trial and Syringa Handicap and earned Gr1 black type by running third in the Woolavington 2000.

Varsfontein’s appreciation of fine families knows no bounds and they returned to the well once more when Mystic Spring’s next foal, a Dynasty filly, was offered at the 2014 National 2YO Sale. It took a sales-topping bid of R1,4-million to secure the grey, which would ultimately prove to be a sound investment. Named Bela-Bela, she became her dam’s second Gr1

winner with victory in the Woolavington 2000 and was voted the 2016 season’s Champion Three-year-old Filly. At four she added both the Gr1 Majorca Stakes and Garden Province Stakes before retiring to the Varsfontein paddocks.

Buyers also clamoured for Mystic Spring’s next foal, the Captain Al colt Secret Captain, who changed hands for an even million. He became a classic winner when awarded the Gr2 Guineas at Greyville on the disqualification of winner Janoobi.

A repeat mating with the late Klawervlei champion yielded a filly and she was to become Mystic Spring’s highest-priced offspring. Notwithstanding her lack of inches and a January birth date, she fetched the second-highest price of R3,6-million at the 2017 National Sale.

The successful bidder was again Gaynor Rupert, who had lost Rafiya in a

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breeding accident. Named Sempre Libre, she never raced and has just dropped her first foal, a Trippi filly.

Mystic Spring’s love affair with the sales ring continued at last year’s 2YO Sale where she was responsible for the joint top-priced lot, an R800,000 Dynasty own brother to Bela-Bela.

Few superlatives remain to describe Mystic Spring, who is now in honourable retirement at Cheveley Stud.

As for her last offspring, not even a late October foaling date is likely to deter any serious breeder/owner from digging deep for what is undoubtedly a prized commodity!

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A Power Dynasty Top Cape breeders Ridgemont Highlands will be offering a superb draft at this week’s Emperors Palace National 2yo Sale.

The Robertson farm will be offering two-year-olds sired by high-class stallions Dynasty, Flower Alley, Gimmethegreenlight, Rafeef, Silvano, Trippi, Twice Over, Var and What A Winter, to name but a few, making it a hugely exciting consignment indeed.

The farms deceased top sire Dynasty, whose numerous high-class progeny include the 2020 Vodacom Durban July winner Belgarion, has two lots in this draft. Rebel (Lot 166) is a filly out of Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery winner Kings Temptress, while Conifer (Lot 190) is a half-brother to Gr1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks winner Pine Princess, and out of a stakes placed daughter of champion sire Badger Land.

Recently pensioned five times South African champion sire Silvano also has two lots on offer. Look Homeward (Lot 54) is a regally bred three-parts sister to the Silvano sired

Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Silver Mountain, while Tirpitz (Lot 101), a half-brother to promising filly Capitana, is a colt out of a winning Galileo daughter of Irish Oaks runner up Ice Queen.

Ridgemont Highlands Gr1 winning young sire Rafeef has two lots from his first crop on offer. His duet includes a half-brother (Lot 21) to seven winners notably Gr1 SA Derby third Noble Secret, and a colt (Lot 203) out of a 3 time winning own sister to R8 million plus earner Illuminator.

Champion sprinter What A Winter, responsible for three Gr1 winners last season, has a well-bred filly on offer.

Humdinger (Lot 138) is a daughter of Off To Stud Handicap winner Himalayan Hill.

This consignment also includes the only two-year-old by champion sire Trippi on offer at this year’s National 2YO Sale.

Unique Power (Lot 103) is a colt out of a five time winning, stakes placed half-sister to the dam of Gr3 winner O Tamara, and this is the family of Gr1

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winner Love Is In The Air and dual Gold Bracelet winner Running Brave, among others.

European champion Twice Over has two juveniles on offer, notably Team Gold (Lot 163), a half-brother to graded stakes winning two-yearolds Olympic Owen and Speedy Suzy, while inform sire Gimmethegreenlight’s sole offering is Brightandbeautiful (Lot 55), a filly out of a half-sister to Australian champion Grand Armee.

The ever successful Var, whose current flag bearers include Anything Goes, Rivarine and Vardy, has Bard Of Avon (Lot 297), a three-parts brother to the Var sired Gr2 winner Schippers.

Jallad’s Gr1 placed daughter Kiss Of Kate, dam of Umngeni Handicap winner Kissable, has a Flower Alley colt (Lot 169) on sale, while Tirza, dam of dual Gr3 winner Goodtime Gal, has a Flower Alley filly (Lot 352) on the auction.

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A Quality Quartet!

The picturesque Winterbach Stud, nestled just outside of Stellenbosch, will be offering four smart youngsters on behalf of leading owner Sunil Devachander at the Emperors Palace National 2yo Sale this week.

Winterbach Stud is run by Hendrik Winterbach and his son, Hendrik Winterbach Jnr. Between them they have over 25 years of experience of stud management experience, including foaling and sales prep.

Hendrik Winterbach Snr was the recipient of The Equus Award: Broodmare of the Year in 2006 and the Winner of the Exceptional International Achievement Award for Irridescence and Perfect Promise in 2006.

The farm’s draft, all offered as agent, is made up of lots sired by all of Flower Alley, Querari, Oratorio and Twice Over-all proven Gr1 sires!

Flow Forever (Lot 186) is a colt by Flower Alley, whose top male runners include champions I’ll Have Another and Lukes Alley. This well bred colt is a half-brother to three smart winners, notably exported Racing Association Stakes winner and Gr1 Cape Guineas runner up Viva Rio, and further back this is the family of the very promising filly Bequest.

Viva Rio and Bequest’s hugely successful sire Oratorio is represented here by Rios Kiss (Lot 241), a half-sister to two winners including the promising Second Base -a winner of two of his first three starts to date, and further back, this is the family of Cape Guineas

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winner Kilindini and champion Kiss Of Peace.

Querari, consistently among South Africa’s leading producers, is the sire of Supreme Quest (Lot 330), and this filly, a half-sister to 4 winners, is out of a full-sister to Graham Beck runner up Lightning Lecture and half-sister to the dam of champion Edict Of Nantes.

Twice As Wild (Lot 382) is a filly by European champion Twice Over, the sire of, among others, dual Vodacom Durban July winner Do It Again. This well bred filly is out of Spook Express Handicap heroine Wild Ash-whose third dam won the Italian Oaks.

Chase Liebenberg

Exported stakes winner Viva Rio – has a Flower Alley half brother on the sale

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Candiese Lenferna

Top trainer Glen Kotzen looks for another champion

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Hope Springs Eternal

It’s In Our Hands The long delayed 2020 Emperors Palace National 2yo Sale that commences at 10h30 on Thursday is expected to be another watershed moment as South African horseracing and breeding bravely tries to dig itself out of a hole.

Between the Covid-19 pandemic, the collapse of Phumelela, gross mismanagement of the industry over decades, 1990’s level stakes, and seemingly no light at the end of the export protocol tunnel, these are tough days in anybody’s book.

The issue is that the current state of affairs is not noise pollution – it’s not a fire drill either. The fire is blazing and if we ever believed that racing is directionless and hates itself, then we now have the proof in the hand and are living it.

While there are clearly lengthy legal and corporate processes to walk through, from Gambling Boards to Banks and other entities, MOD and

the Phumelela Business Rescue Practitioner have been quiet – too quiet.

Who is in charge and why is nobody talking or sending the right messages?

The Racing Association will pull the plug this month on their stakes subsidy and, in this environment, investors are called on to dig deep into their wallets with a vote of confidence in the industry. An industry that is rudderless, lacks direction and can’t manage a fundamental platform like its own global shop window, Tellytrack. The broadcast medium hardly promotes the sport – betting turnover, which one would think would be a major priority, is not in the spotlight and post lockdown, it’s really not clear what has been done – if anything - to promote and embrace the punter and the owner.

But this is a funny old game and prior to the National Yearling Sale held over two days at the end of July, there was similar scepticism. And it wasn’t a bloodbath.

“There was plenty of money at the top end of the market but less so at the

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bottom. Even so, I think the National Yearling Sale indicated optimism for the industry in these extraordinary times,” recalled Form Bloodstock’s Jehan Malherbe in a report at the time.

An aggregate of R87m, saw a 37,4% decline on the 2019 figure of R139m.

The average was R295 136, a 7,2% decline on 2019, while the median was R160 000, a decline of 8,6%. Ten horses sold for six figure sums.

The reason for the decline was definitely pandemic-related as many breeders couldn’t wait forever and needed the cash flow. 184 lots of the 479 catalogued were either withdrawn or not sold.

It’s going to be an interesting two days and surely an opportunity to buy a dream at a reasonable price.

Cover Image: ‘‘At the sales: Dean Kannemeyer – deep in study!” - Image courtesy of Candiese Lenferna

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The Weekend Merits v

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Chase Liebenberg

The National Horseracing Authority Handicappers have published their assessments of the weekend’s two stakes features at Kenilworth.

Listed Laisserfaire Stakes (Handicap) Hello Winter Hello has had her rating raised from 96 to 99 following her win in the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes (handicap) for fillies and mares over 1100m at Kenilworth on Saturday 7 November. The Handicappers were unanimous in their view that runner-up Phil’s Dancer made for the most appropriate line horse, and as such her rating remains unchanged on 98.

The winner aside, there were no other increases for any other runners, but four horses received rating drops.

Boomps A Daisy drops from 88 to 86, Hildegarde is down from 97 to 95, Delta Queen was cut from 98 to 95, and lastly Bad Habit is down to 83 from 85.

Chase Liebenberg

Crome Yellow has had his rating raised from 104 to 106 after he captured the Listed Woolavington Stakes over 2400m at Kenilworth on Saturday. The Handicappers elected to use 4th placed Cat Daddy as the line horse here, which leaves his rating unchanged on 101.

In rating the race this way, 2nd placed Holy Warrior runs to a mark of 98, but because the specific conditions of the race do not allow a ratings increase for placed horses he remains on a mark of 84. It follows that no other horses – aside from the winner – received a ratings’ increase either, but three horses were given a drop.

Magnificent Seven is down from 108 to 106, Kampala Campari drops from 114 to 110, and lastly Cedar Man is down from 98 to 95.

Media release by NHRA on Tuesday 10 November 2020

The Listed Woolavington Stakes 19

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Our Saffer v

22 Ricardo Le Grange

Michael Lee

In Singapore

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Proudly flying the South African flag in Singapore, trainer Ricardo Le Grange saddled a superb hat-trick at Kranji on Saturday and reinforced his position in the toughest year for racing all over the world.

yourselves like Marsh and Guy Shirtliff, Fred Crabbia and Bernard Kantor,” he says with enthusiasm.

Talking to the Sporting Post earlier this week, Ricardo was still on a high after his treble at Kranji on Saturday.

But he admits readily that there is a part of his heart and soul that will always live on in South Africa.

“I follow the South African racing closely and I note there is plenty of reciprocal interest on that side too. I’m fortunate to enjoy staunch support from the likes of a wide spread of patrons, including familiar names to

“Singapore is wonderfully run. The government housing schemes; the schooling; the hospitals – they are world class. But there is something special about South Africans. One probably has to live abroad to really

Ricardo loves life in Singapore. He has been there close on two decades.

appreciate the beauty and unique character of the country and its people. I have friends from Singapore, Australia and other countries. But the South African is different,” he says as he moves on to our racing.

“Were it not for the export protocols, we’d probably be there bidding in Joburg this week as the SA-bred has proven that they are genuine value for money and can compete with the best on the world stage. But if I purchase a horse in Australia, he can be in my yard in six weeks. It’s sadly a really big ask in terms of time, money

Singapore turf club at dawn

23 Pauline Herman

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Singapore Turf Club has focussed on the higher level races. About 80% of our features have been cut 50%. But we also have big feature stakes – like the SG$1 million Gold Cup in two weeks’ time, where we hope to have a runner.”

He explains that the lower level races, from Class 1 at SG$100 000, through to maidens at SG$75 000, make ownership very viable.

“We go right down to SG$20 000 for a maiden race restricted to 4 and 5yo’s.

That’s not bad for really ordinary horses that are battling!”

Horses also get paid a SG$1350 appearance fee.

Ricky and his God-child and stress to bring a horse across from South Africa.”

He explains that the out of kilter SA racing financial dynamic of cost

of keep versus stakes, exacerbated through Covid-19, has not been felt as hard in Singapore.

“We didn’t escape entirely, but the

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“There are conditions, but broadly, depending on the field size, if you don’t win or run last, you could enjoy a cheque. It helps a lot and is paid by the club as a credit to the owner’s keep account.”

When asked about the cost of keep, Ricardo says that the basic is SG$3300

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per month, to an all-in of SG$4000.

As South Africans, and with the rand at around R11-40 to their dollar, we naturally tend to convert and might start seeing telephone numbers. But Ricardo suggests that it’s important to remember that when paying dollars, the owner is also racing for dollars.

We asked him about Grooms wages and labour issues.

“There are thankfully no labour issues. We have excellent staff.

A Groom earns in the region of SG$2200 per month. That is a very liveable wage here. As I mentioned earlier, the government have an excellent subsidised housing scheme. Really top-class and well managed,” he adds.

Ricky visits the yard with his sister-in-law, nephew and brother, Daniel

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On his prospects for the season, which runs until late December, he tells of his hopes of getting Senor Don, who runs at Kranji this coming

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resident in Singapore since 2001 and says that he has learnt to ride the wave of racing’s ups and downs.

From humble beginnings as a stud farm assistant, Ricardo was licenced as an assistant trainer in 1993 her in the land of his birth.

He worked for Joey Soma before joining Patrick Shaw in 1998. From their first winner Kiwi Brooke, the pair enjoyed much success here, which continued when the duo made the lifechanging move to Singapore in 2001.

It is well documented that he was an integral part of Shaw’s multiple successes at the highest level at Kranji, including a Singapore champion trainer title in 2011 and the rise to prominence of what is Singapore’s most famous racehorse of modern times, Rocket Man. Ricardo went solo in December 2016, and achieved instant success opening his account quickly when winning the Gr3 Fortune Bowl with Big Brother in January 2017. He also won the Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup and the Gr2 Saas Fee Stakes in the same year.

His 65 winners in his first season was a record, and with 22 winners on the board after an unprecedented disrupted 2020 season, his 12% win strike-rate and 35% place strike-rate keep him positive and always looking to grow his string in one of the world’s most desirable racing jurisdictions.

Sunday, to qualify for the S$1 million Gr1 Singapore Gold Cup on 21 November.

The 2000m race, a handicap, is the third leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series.

“Senor Don, an Argentinian-bred by Senor Candy, has won three of his twelve career starts. He has his fourth run in Singapore on Sunday, and I’d really like to qualify him for the Gold Cup. But he needs to win on Sunday.

He is fit and well so we go in with hope!” he adds as he proudly reflects on his treble on Saturday.

From 65 horses at his peak, the 47 year old has rationalised to a post hard lockdown level of a population of 33 horses, and says he is really not complaining.

“It’s good to have my string hitting form.

Saturday’s hat-trick was very pleasing for the team and we are proving very competitive – as shown by our position on the trainer’s log,” says the man who has only ever worked under two top trainers – the still toiling Gr1 legend Joey Soma and the now retired, Patrick Shaw.

Educated at St John Bosco’s College at Daleside, Meyerton, Ricardo has been

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The Sporting Post Sprint is interactive.

Click on the live links throughout and enjoy the read!

SUGGESTIONS? Please email editor@sportingpost.co.za

Win More Than v

R500 000 Free Entry!

Free lunches? Everyone knows they don’t exist anymore – and that’s not only unique to horseracing.

But the reloaded Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge offers the next best thing.

South Africa’s leading bookmakers re-launched their popular competition after a similar challenge was cut short by the Coovid-19 lockdown earlier this year.

And they are back, with bigger and better prizes.

In the inimitable Hollywoodbets style, the rules are brief and simple: • Enter with your name, nickname or pseudonym;

• Pick your winner for each race held at a Hollywoodbets KZN racecourse;

A glance at the list of the Daily Prize winners (top-20) from the first leaderboard, we note:

• Check your place on the leaderboard as the meeting progresses;

(2) players found 4 winners

• If you get lucky, collect daily prizes, and monthly prizes, eg.: If you put your back into it and tip all the winners on the card, there is R500 000 up for grabs. Hollywoodbets seems to think THAT this is unlikely, so they are adding a R25,000 ‘carry-over’ to that pool for every meeting it’s not won to provide even more encouragement – and a possible ‘magic million’ in December!

(6) players had 6 winners – that was from an 8 race card!

So how hard is it to win that R500 000?

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(12) players had 5 winners each

Read more here

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Godolphin’s Essential Quality wins the $2 million Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

Breeders’ Cup Big Hitters A number of stallions and broodmares, both living and deceased, made big impressions at the Breeders’ Cup meeting, which was held at Keeneland on Friday and Saturday.

The much missed Shamardal, whose sire Giant’s Causeway ran second in

the 2000 BC Classic, made his mark at this year’s Breeders’ Cup meeting.

Shamardal’s daughter Tarnawa provided legendary trainer Dermot Weld with a first success at the Breeders’ Cup meeting when victorious in the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Turf, and his son Lope De Vega is also

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the sire of Friday’s hugely impressive Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Aunt Pearl.

Lope De Vega, also sire of former Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord, is also responsible for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Mile third Lope Y Fernandez.

Tamarkuz Media

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Into Mischief looks on course to be champion sire in North America for a second year running after the results of the Breeders Cup. His son Authentic landed the Classic, while his daughter Gamine scorched home to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Another daughter, Dayoutoftheoffice ran second in Friday’s Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Into Mischief, whose progeny include 8 Gr1 winners, has now produced four Breeders’ Cup stars, with his previous winners being Goldencents and Covfefe.

Tapit, champion sire in the USA in 2014, 2015 and 2016, supplied a sixth individual Breeders’ Cup winner when his unbeaten son Essential Quality captured Friday’s Gr1 TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Essential Quality is the second Tapit to land the Juvenile following champion Hansen in 2011.

Tapit’s dominance at the Breeders’ Cup was further underlined when his Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winning son Tapizar’s daughter Monomony Girl

won the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Saturday.

It was a second Distaff triumph for Monomoy Girl, who had also won the race back in 2018. Another son of Tapit, Tapiture, is the sire of Dirt Mile runner up Jesus’ Team, while Tapit mare Gloria S is the dam of Filly & Mare Turf third Harvey’s Lil Goil.

Danehill mare Senta’s Dream joined an elite group of mares to produce more than one Breeders’ Cup winner when her son Order Of Australia (Australia) won Saturday’s Gr1 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile over stablemates Circus Maximus and Lope Y Fernandez.

Senta’s Dream, whose daughter Iridessa (Ruler Of The World) won the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, joins the likes of Hasili (Banks Hill, Intercontinental), Win Approval (World Approval, Miesque’s Approval), Primal Force (Awesome Again, Macho Uno), Leslie’s Lady (Mendelssohn, Beholder), and Sweet Life (Sweet Catomine, Life Is Sweet) as mares who have produced more than one Breeders’ Cup winner.

A brilliant, four and a quarter length winner of the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup

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Juvenile in 2010, champion Uncle Mo supplied a Breeders’ Cup winner on Friday but so did his Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winning son Nyquist!

With Uncle Mo’s son Golden Pal victorious in the 2020 Gr2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (another son of Uncle Mo, Lipizzaner ran fourth in the Juvenile Turf Sprint), Nyquist’s first crop daughter Vequist all but ensured she would be named Eclipse Champion 2YO Filly for 2020 when she landed Friday’s Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies - with Uncle Mo daughter Girl Daddyrunning third in the Juvenile Fillies.

NIPPETS

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Trumped The US presiden�al elec�on s�ll hasn't ended for one person who bet £1 million on Joe Biden to be the next president. The huge wager was placed late last month on Be�air, the world's largest online be�ng exchange. The 'winner' can't yet collect their £540 000 profit and original stake. A spokesperson for Be�air said on Monday that the "market will be se�led once the result has been officially confirmed." The US presiden�al elec�on has sha�ered records for Be�air. The contest a�racted £567 million in bets, making it the largest event of any kind in the pla�orm's 20-year history.

The Hayes ‘n Lows!

Trainer David Hayes enjoyed his first winner at Happy Valley in over fi�een years when Fearless Fire won on Sunday. It capped a roller coaster week for Hayes, who watched his son Ben Hayes and nephew Tom Dabernig train Personal winner of the VRC Oaks. On the low side, Hayes' promising unraced 3yo Always Beauty died from a heart a�ack at the stables in Conghua, then Harmony N Blessed broke through the barriers before the fourth race at Happy Valley when short priced favourite and had to be scratched.

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NIPPETS

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More Mischief Authen�c, the Gr1 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic and Gr1 Kentucky Derby winner , has been re�red to B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthri� Farm in Lexington, where he will stand in 2021 for a fee of $75,000. By reigning champion sire Into Mischief, alongside whom he will stand, Authen�c became his sire’s most accomplished horse to date, with earnings of $6,191,200 with his sixth win from eight starts. He was raced by Hughes in partnership with 5300 MyRacehorse owners.

Sands Special

Veteran Milnerton trainer Eric Sands trained his first feature winner of an illustrious career when Harry Herson’s Prince Galahad won the Jack Stubbs Memorial Handicap back in the day with Glen Puller in the saddle. Sands has always had the Cape Guineas as a priority and he looks to have a serious candidate for the classic in the shape of the Wicklow Stud-bred O�oman Empire, who made it two out of two when bea�ng fellow sophomore stablemate All Lit Up in facile fashion at Kenilworth on Saturday. A son of Gimmethegreenlight, the winner is out of the UK-bred Elusive Quality mare, Ankara. He looks nicely bought at R300 000 off the 2019 Emperors Palace Na�onal Yearling Sale.

Prized Pudding SA Horse Of The Year Summer Pudding made it eight wins from eight starts when she turned a Fillies & Mares Pinnacle Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday into a well-paid preparatory gallop for the forthcoming World Sports Be�ng Gr1 Gauteng Summer Cup. A ruling big-race favourite with Hollywoodbets, she shortened to 22-10 for the 2000m handicap on 28 November, a�er a faultless return in her first start as a 4yo.

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The late Garth Miller & good friend, Basil Nelson

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Garth Miller Passes Away Top racehorse owner and breeder Garth Miller has passed away. A nominee of the BBP Syndicate, Garth passed away suddenly from a heart attack. He would have turned 72 on 17 November.

Regular Sporting Post reader, and his partner in racing passion, Basil Nelson tells us that he and Garth met around nineteen years ago.

They unknowingly shared a passion for thoroughbred horses.

“In my profession as an Accountant, Garth was one of my clients at that time. Following a meeting at his home, a glance at a photograph on a wall led to a friendship and partnership that I will value forever.”

The result of their meeting was the purchase of the beautifully related Goldkeeper filly Secret of Victoria in 2004.

Secret Of Victoria overcame a fractured sesamoid early.

In 2005 ran she ran second in the Gr1 Allan Robertson at Hollywoodbets Scottsville to Rock Opera after having won the Gr3 Strelitzia Stakes at Clairwood.

She would go on to win both the Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes and Sceptre Stakes at four.

From the same Equus Champion family as Snowdance and Bela-Bela, she has produced seven winners from as many runners, amongst which the Gr1 winning full sisters All Is Secret and The Secret Is Out. The former earned championship honours with victories in the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship and Thekwini Stakes, and went on to claim the Gr1 Mercury Sprint in open company at three.

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In an ironic twist of timing, Secret Of Victoria’s legendary dam Mystic Spring has her last foal on this coming week’s BSA National 2yo in lot 224.

“As a pharmacist Garth was the true professional in whom his clients had the utmost confidence. I think that his jovial and communicative abilities complimented his professional attributes completely.

Rest in peace, my friend and colleague,” said Basil in a tribute to a man he enjoyed many memorable moments with on the track.

We join Basil in extending deepest sympathies to Garth’s family, including Linda and his children Jade and Scott, as well as his many friends and associates.

Racing has lost a staunch supporter.

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updated 2020-11-10

TRAINERS Name

Runs

Mr P A Peter Mr S J Snaith Mr P F Matche� Mr S G Tarry Mr St John D Gray

288 381 265 199 206

Wins Win% 39 51 25 22 26

13.5 13.4 9.4 11.1 12.6

2nd

3rd

28 46 25 19 23

25 41 20 25 27

Other Places Place %

Win Stake (R)

Total Stakes (R)

30.2 33.3 26.0 34.2 32.5

1,597,450 1,481,675 1,093,950 1,023,050 1,089,000

2,396,675 2,386,775 1,789,300 1,777,325 1,747,350

Other Places Place %

Win Stake (R)

Total Stakes (R)

2,516,650 1,324,800 2,163,100 1,888,000 1,299,400

3,872,375 1,817,600 3,177,750 2,760,300 1,862,700

34 40 24 24 17

87 127 69 68 67

JOCKEYS Name

Runs Wins Win%

2nd

3rd

Mr L Hewitson Mr G M Cheyne Mr W B Kennedy Mr S Khumalo Mr K de Melo

422 244 306 199 237

54 25 34 23 23

47 34 31 22 27

60 53 39 39 34

14.2 21.7 12.7 19.6 14.3

69 30 60 23 39

170 89 125 68 89

40.3 36.5 40.8 34.2 37.6

BREEDERS Name

B.T. B.T. Total Runrs Runs AEPR Wnrs Wins Winrs/ Places Winrs Wins Stakes (R) Rnrs %

Klawervlei Stud Wilgerbosdri� & Mauritzfontein Summerhill Stud (Pty) Ltd Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert) Varsfontein Stud

280 189 164 105

715 465 422 270

12,552 18,527 14,871 21,855

53 45 40 33

58 58 44 45

18.9 23.8 24.4 31.4

225 152 95 109

2 1 2 1

2 1 2 1

3,514,500 3,501,675 2,438,788 2,294,800

81

205 24,573

21

27

25.9

66

5

6

1,990,425

SIRES Name

Runrs Runs AEPR

Master Of My Fate 131 Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) 127 86 Var (USA) 138 Querari (GER) 74 Vercingetorix

341 315 218 367 175

17,898 17,221 23,981 14,927 23,352

B.T. Wnrs Wins Winrs/ Places Winrs Rnrs % 31 31 28 31 27

35 36 37 35 32

23.7 24.4 32.6 22.5 36.5

126 105 77 126 68

See all the detailed standings - Click here

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1 1 1 0 2

B.T. Wins

Total Stakes (R)

1 1 2 0 2

2,344,625 2,187,025 2,062,375 2,059,975 1,728,025

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Eyes On The Top! One of the highest-profile fixtures in the Nations League takes place on Saturday as world champions France visit European champions Portugal.

These sides shared the points in a goalless draw at the Stade de France last month but with both teams eyeing the top spot on the log, we should be in for a thrilling contest.

Chad Nagel writes that both sides have picked up 10 points from their four matches in Group 3 in League A, but Portugal are top of the group on goal difference.

Portugal vs France | Saturday 14 November | 21h45 To Win Portugal Win 31/20

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Draw 43/20 France 7/4 Portugal After back-to-back scoreless draws against Spain (friendly) and France, Portugal returned to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over Sweden in Lisbon last month, with Liverpool star Diogo Jota involved in all three goals,

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scoring a brace and assisting Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva.

Jota is the joint top scorer in Group A3 alongside Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku with three goals, while Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has two to his name. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is back in Fernando Santos’ squad after missing the win against Sweden due to Covid-19.

With Ronaldo available and the likes of Jota, Bernardo, Ruben Dias, Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix, the titleholders will be confident of beating Didier Deschamps’ team, especially after having the better goalscoring opportunities in France.

Full squad: Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Olympique Lyon), Rui Patricio (Wolverhampton), Rui Silva (Granada) Defenders: Joao Cancelo (Manchester City), Nelson Semedo (Wolverhampton), Jose Fonte (Lille), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Ruben Semedo (Olympiakos), Mario Rui (Napoli), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Domingos Duarte (Granada) Midfielders: Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain), Ruben Neves (Wolverhampton), William Carvalho (Real Betis), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Renato Sanches (Lille), Joao Moutinho (Wolverhampton), Sergio Oliveira (Porto) Forwards: Bernardo Silva

(Manchester City), Diogo Jota (Liverpool), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Francisco Trincao (FC Barcelona), Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid), Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton), Paulinho (Braga)

Full squad:

France

Defenders: Lucas Digne (Everton), Leo Dubois (Olympique Lyon), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Clement Lenglet (FC Barcelona), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)

Following their 2-1 win over Croatia in Zagreb where Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann scored, France stretched their unbeaten run to 12 games and recorded their 10th victory.

Les Bleus will be aiming to maintain their unbeaten record while they look to hand Portugal their first defeat of 2020.

Deschamps’ men, who reached the final of the last Euros and won the World Cup, fancy their chances of winning every time they step onto the field, but the likes of Mbappe, Griezmann, N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba have to all be at their best against Santos’ star-studded Portugal.

Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano’s exclusion from France’s squad raises eyebrows as many regard him as the best young centre-back in the world, but Deschamps has put his faith in Kurt Zouma whose been one of the standout defenders in the Premier League so far this season, keeping seven clean sheets for Chelsea in all competitions while scoring three goals.

Whoever Deschamps decides to play in defence will need to be rock-solid on Saturday as they come up against the most lethal attacker in the world, Ronaldo, as well as the in-form Jota and Bruno, who has five goals in seven games for Manchester United.

Goalkeepers: Benoit Costil (Girondins Bordeaux), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Mike Maignan (Lille), Steve Mandanda (Olympique Marseille)

Midfielders: N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Steven Nzonzi (Stade Rennais), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham Hotspur), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich), Houssem Aouar (Olympique Lyon) Forwards: Wissam Ben Yedder (AS Monaco), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (FC Barcelona), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Marcus Thuram (Borussia Monchengladbach) Prediction: Portugal (31/20) I think it will be another tight contest like it was when these sides met last month, but with the game being played in Portugal, I’m backing the titleholders to end France’s unbeaten run.

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