Bon adieu, MICHEL!
SPLASH A WORLD POOL
Season Finale
Set for a super Sunday
Part Of The Furniture
KZN racing bids Michel Nairac farewell
New SA Hall Of Famer
Mike de Kock honoured
Ravi’s Cousin To Stud Son of Vercingetorix retires
Hong Kong Season
Simply a success!
On the cover
Longstanding Gold Circle CEO Michel Nairac is a part of the furniture in KZN racing and ‘presides’ over his final major raceday on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Greyville. Candiese Lenferna took the photograph. Read more on page 08.
29/2025
A SUPER SUNDAY IN THE OFFING
The SA Champions Season reaches a glorious climax on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Greyville, with a bumper card of ten features starting at 12h15 and running through to 18h35.
The line-up is headed by the World Pool Gr3 Gold Cup, and includes an elite quartet of the World Pool Moment Of The Day Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes, the Gr1 Mercury Sprint, the HKJC Gr1 Champions Cup and the Gr1 Douglas Whyte Stakes.
Frank Robinson has a strong hand in the World Pool Gr3 Gold Cup over 3200m, with Madison Valley and Shoot The Rapids and he has another runner too, Field Marshall, whom he told Race
Coast would ensure a good pace. All three horses are owned by Sid Moodley. Frank was confident Shoot The Rapids could reverse the form with King Pelles from the Gr2 Durban Gold Vase over 3000m.
Shoot the Rapids was beaten 4,85 lengths in that race.
However, he is now 2kg better off and Frank added, “He had a flat run, he wasn’t right I should
Robinson 1-2: Madison Valley (Kaidan Brewer) holds off stablemate Shoot The Rapids in the 2024 DSTV Gr3 Gold Vase. Both run in Sunday’s Gold Cup | Credit: Pauline Herman
have scratched him. He hadn’t finished his food in the morning, but his temperature was fine, so I decided to run him, but he was definitely flat.”
Frank continued, “He is much better now, but I don’t think he will beat Madison Valley. That horse is flying. I can’t get him any better.”
He continued, “Madison Valley has been running against a different calibre of horse. The Gold Cup horses are generally from the Tote Derby and races like that and I don’t think any of those horses would have made the July cut.”
Madison Valley, on the other hand, finished fifth in the Hollywodbets Durban July and he proved he stays the Gold Cup trip last season by winning the Gold Vase over 3000m and then coming from way off the pace to run fifth in the Gold Cup.
Frank added, “He was eating up the ground and he has made much improvement since being gelded as he was a very coltish horse, he used to shout at the other horses and all that. He is much more focused now and in himself he looks amazing.”
Frank pointed out, “If you look at Madison Valley’s time for the July he would have won the consolation race by many lengths, he was 2,5 seconds faster than the consolation race winner.”
Last year both Madison Valley and Shoot The Rapids carried bottom weight in the Gold Cup of 54kg and Shoot the Rapids could well have won had he not been carried in at a crucial stage. He finished a neck second, while Madison Valley was stuck behind a vanguard of horses in the running and coming from a mile back ran on to be beaten just 2,30 lengths.
This year Madison Valley carries 59kg and Shoot
The Rapids carries 58kg, but both are much improved. Shoot The Rapids is drawn in pole position and Madison Valley has draw two.
Frank said about the Gold Vase form, “King Pelles will have to be very good to beat Shoot The Rapids this time. He is in a different space this time.”
He said about Field Marshall, “I am going to have to maybe sacrifice Field Marshall, because I can’t have a slow pace. But he can win from the front. When he won the Lonsdale (2400m), he was sitting right up there and he took over quite early too.”
He concluded, “But they are all in a very good space.”
Frank has Cat’s Pajama’s in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint and is surprised by his 50/1 odds.
He was beaten 16,95 lengths in the Gr 2 Golden Horse Sprint over this trip last time out at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, but Frank explained, “They were all coming over from the outside and horses drawn low were not able to get through the traffic if coming from off the pace, so we decided to go against his normal running style of leaving him alone and we sent him forward.”
Cats Pajamas clearly hated that tactic.
However, other than that run he has done little wrong. Over a trip too far in the WSB Guineas he was beaten 6,05 lengths and was only 5,45 lengths behind the probable best horse in the country, Eight On Eigteen. Before that Cats Pajamas had finished second in the Gr 2 Byerley Turk over 1400m and before that he had won two races on the trot over 1000m and 1400m respectively at Hollywoodbets Greyville and Hollywoodbets Scottsville.
The Rafeef gelding won the Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m on World Pool Gold Cup day last year and he should not be ignored in his attempt to win over the same course and distance on the same day this year.
Frank has a high regard for Mocha Blend, who finished third in the Gr 2 Woolavington 2000 last time out. He decided to leave her alone until the Gr 2 Bet With The World Gold Bracelet over 2000m to be run on Sunday as she is still maturing and he did not want to “hammer her”.
He said, “I am bringing her in without a run, but she is the sort of filly who I don’t think needs one. She has very good heart and lung capacity, you can gallop her and she won’t even blow out a candle.”
Frank is looking forward to the day as he reckons he has a fine team of five representing his Summerveld stable.
Frank Robinson – powerful hand on
MICHEL NAIRAC A LONG INNINGS AND WILL BE MISSED
After more than twenty years at the helm as Chief Executive Officer of Gold Circle, Michel Nairac is set to retire, on 31 July 2025.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the industry, Race Coast have named the opening race on World Pool Gold Cup day on Sunday 27 July in his honour.
The Listed Michel Nairac Appreciation Stakes, formerly the Darley Arabian, will be run at 12h15. During his tenure at Gold Circle, latterly Race Coast, Michel served under twelve different Chairpersons, but was the glue that held the team together through the initial honeymoon phase and then in the challenging times, compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic.
When Covid hit, with all the restrictions put in place by the Government, Michel’s major concerns were always staff welfare and horse welfare, in equal measure.
His open-door policy and the warm compassionate embrace of all who worked for Gold Circle, at whatever level, were hallmarks of his leadership style which earned him the respect and affection of employees.
Not that Michel was ever an ‘easy touch’ as he possesses the unique ability to balance the need
Michel Nairac and his son Jean Paul lead Gladatorian (Sean Veale) in | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
for a soft approach, with an equally tough set of negotiation skills when such was required.
Born and raised in Mauritius, his love of horses and the sport of horse racing was sparked at an early age and he rode in amateur races on the Indian Ocean island with some degree of success and during his early teens, turned his attention to mentoring and teaching youngsters to ride and care for horses.
‘Mentoring’ has been a personal characteristic throughout his life, always content to give more than he ever expected to receive in return. Michel arrived in South Africa in 1974 at the age of
19 with a view to completing his studies in Durban. He completed his articles in 1979 and to enhance his limited income at the time, became the lead singer in a band called ‘Blue Grass’, playing gigs in various pubs and clubs around the City.
In the early eighties he performed a number of shows celebrating the Jacques Brel era and to this day wastes no opportunity to delight the staff at private
Michel Nairac – loves his racing | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
functions with his natural talent. But the love of horses and horse racing remained in his blood, and in the mid-eighties the Mauritius Turf Club changed its buying policy, allowing for owners on the Island to purchase their own horses in South Africa, and hence Michel Nairac Bloodstock Agency was born.
Working initially with Andy Williams, Michel quickly developed lasting relationships with stakeholders in Mauritius and took the decision to fly solo two years later.
Locally he acted as Agent for a number of trainers at the various Sales around the country, including Ricky Maingard, Mike Miller and Willie Pieters.
One of his more notable acquisitions was Oaks winner, Respectable, who was also placed in the Rothmans Durban July and the 1991 Gold Cup.
Gilbey’s (now the Golden Horse Sprint) with Young Harvest.
He also had a share in Cape Derby winner Shah’s Star and more recently, Gladatorian has flown the flag for Michel and his Mauritian partners, and hopefully another top-level victory is just around the corner. Michel dabbled in breeding and the Grade 1 winner and Dubai export, Chocolicious, was bred from the mare Candy Box at Backworth Stud.
In 1998 Michel was appointed Vice Chairman of the KZN Owners & Trainers Association, a position which earned him a seat on the Board of the then newly formed Gold Circle during the corporatisation process.
A couple of years later the Chairman at the time, Chris Saunders, persuaded Michel to take over the office of CEO of Gold Circle and the rest as they say, is history.
Michel is married to Marie-Laure and the couple have three sons, Jean-Michel, Eric and Philippe.
To quote Michel, “Racing has been my Life”, and no doubt he will continue to savour the thrill of the sport from the touchlines.
Ed – for the edification of our more youthful readers, Jacques Romain Georges Brel was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed theatrical songs. He generated a large, devoted following— initially in Belgium and France, but later throughout the world. He wrote the song ‘Seasons In The Sun’, which became a worldwide hit in 1974 for singer Terry Jacks and reached Christmas number one in the UK in 1999 for Westlife.
As an Owner, Michel was fortunate to have enjoyed success at the highest level, winning the Gr1
Jacques Brel – a legend of his time | Credit: Supplied
SUNDAY’S
R10 MILLION PICK 6
ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?
Sunday’s World Pool Gold Cup raceday at Hollywoodbets Greyville is all set to be a fitting climax to a superb season of racing. With a Pick 6 carryover of R1 million likely to escalate the pool to R10 million, it’s a final chance to put the 2024/25 season balance sheet back in the black!
As is tradition, seasoned veteran William Milkovitch will oversee our Sporting Post Readers Gold Cup Pick6 Bash, as he did a few weeks ago in the Hollywoodbets Durban July near miss!
If you would like to participate, kindly e-mail williammilkovitch@yahoo.co.uk for further details of the Syndicate format and timelines.
Briefly, we will formulate two perms, one using approximately 80% of the kitty and 20% for our ‘saver’ or cover perm.
This time round, William will request participants to nominate two legs of the Pick 6 where we should go short (a banker or just two selections).
On the other side of the spectrum, he will again ask syndicate members to nominate another
Anton Marcus unsaddles 2018 Gold Cup winner It’s My Turn | Credit: Supplied
two races which they consider to be the most difficult. The popular vote will then assist him with a democratic idea of the permutation structure or weight.
With regards selections, players will be asked to nominate one horse for any four legs, and then select three horses in any of the other two legs of their choice.
All communications will be conducted via e-mail.
Minimum buy-in will be R100.
The banking details remain unchanged from previous and will be listed in the response invite email once you have sent William an e-mail of your intention to participate.
Cut-off time for participation/entry – 17h00 Friday 25 July
Cut-off time for payments/proof of payments – 12h00 Saturday 26 July
Cut-off time for submission of selections – 14h00 Saturday 26 July
Dissemination of proposed permutations – 20h00 Saturday 26 July
Dissemination of proof of bet/s placed – 09h30 Sunday 27 July
Should the racemeeting be abandoned, all deposits will be refunded.
A reminder that Tote betting on the big racemeeting opens on Thursday 24 July.
A STAYER IN ALL RESPECTS! NEBRAAS
One of South Africa’s best loved races from a crowd spectacle viewpoint, the World Pool Gold Cup, will be run at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday for what will be the 105th renewal.
One galloper who deserves a gold star for attendance is Sean Tarry’s 8yo Nebraas. The Vercingetorix gelding won the Gold Cup in 2021 beating Silver Host, then ran 8th behind Shangani in 2022, followed up with a third to stablemate Future Pearl in 2023, and finished eleventh behind last year’s winner, Master Redoute.
He is back for another shot at the beautiful trophy and if Nebraas had to win it on Sunday under
Hollywoodbets Durban July champion jockey Craig Zackey, he’d make history, and there likely wouldn’t be a dry eye in the house!
The Gold Cup was first run back in 1926, when the race was won by Sun Lad. The latter, carried all of 6 stone 8 (or 46 kgs!) to victory.
Sun Lad, who went off at odds of 9-1, was owned by leading owner-breeder Sir Abe Bailey,
Nebraas wins the Gold Cup in 2021 under Lyle Hewitson – he returns on Sunday | Credit: Supplied
who appropriately enough bred and owned the great staying sire Son In Law.
The first Gold Cup was contested over 3200m, and was worth, in total, 2,000 pounds.
The 1926 Gold Cup was one of just two wins for Sun Lad during the season, and he is unlikely to be regarded as one of the race’s better winners!
The first horse to win the Gold on two occasions was Humidor, who was victorious in 1933 and 1935. Humidor scored his first win carrying just 50 kgs, winning as a 5yo. Runner up, Candican, was giving the winner over two stone!
Two years later, the imported son of Galloper Lad carried 52.5 kgs to ensure himself a place in the
record books. Humidor was more impressive in his second win – winning by a length, with another five lengths back to the third placed finisher.
While Candican put up one of the greatest weight carrying achievements ever seen in the race, another gallant effort came in 1930, when Glen Albyn (Bridge of Earn) ran second under 9 stone 10 – or 136 lbs. He was beaten just half a length, giving the winner, Artist Glow, one stone.
To date, four horses have won the Gold twice, but the last horse to win South Africa’s premier staying race in consecutive years is Highland Night (Badger Land), who won the race in 2002 and 2003.
Tropicante (Paddy Wynne) wins the Gold Cup in 1989 beating Allied Party (Gerrit Schlechter) | Credit: Supplied
Only once, has there been a dead heat in the race – and that was back in 1977 when Don The Stripe and Pacer shared the spoils.
Since 1945, the greatest winning margin in the Gold Cup has been the four and a half length winning distance put up by Devon Air (Sparkler), who triumphed in 1984.
The late Charlie Barends won the Gold Cup seven times – also scoring back to back with Chez Monty (1949,1950).
SA BREEDERS SHINE INTERNATIONALLY
When Snellen captured the Gr3 Meld Stakes at Leopardstown in Ireland, it set the tone for a weekend which delighted several South African breeders.
A daughter of Paardeberg Stud’s flagship stallion Expert Eye, Snellen took on three male rivals in the 1800m event and after making up the rear for most of the journey, she found an impressive change of gear to take the lead close home and showed great courage to head favourite Purview on the line.
Ironically, the runner-up, a regally bred son of Kingman, represented the mighty Juddmonte,
the operation which, it should be remembered, sold her sire to South Africa!
With the foaling and breeding season just around the corner, Snellen’s latest stakes success and sixth overall could not have come at a more opportune time for her sire, whose first South African foals are eagerly awaited. It was a welcome return to top form for the filly, given that she had won the Listed Chesham
Gr3 Meld Stakes winner Snellen pictured at the Goffs London Sale | Credit: Supplied
‘On a global scale it has been quite a week for South African breeders, who, albeit in a limited way, continue to make their mark on the highly competitive stage that is international racing’
Stakes at Royal Ascot two years ago, which was also the scene of her unlucky second in the Kensington Park Stakes at this year’s Royal Meeting.
Paardeberg Stud’s Sally Bruss was suitably impressed with Snellen’s fighting spirit: “That’s the hallmark of Expert Eyes’ progeny, they are very courageous.”
That same quality was underlined by the Expert Eyes four-year-old Witness Stand, who attempted to make all in the Listed City Plate Stakes at Chester and went down fighting to surrender his lead in the very last stride.
As has become custom, Drakenstein Stud added to its growing bounty of international black type and one could not have asked for a more auspicious occasion, for the familiar light blue silks were represented in the prestigious Gr1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh by classy filly Wemightakedlongway.
An Irish-bred filly by Galileo’s son Australia, she races under the farm’s overseas moniker Cayton Park and entered the classic off a fourth place in the Gr1 Oaks at Epsom, prior to which she had won the Gr3 Salsabil Stakes at Navan.
Having made smooth progress, she forged to the lead at the quarter mark and for a fleeting moment there was the possibility of an historical first Irish Classic for the Ruperts. But it was not to be, the filly was collared inside the final 200m by favourite Minnie Hauk, who
The Rupert family’s Cayton Park Stud’s Wemightakedlongway chases Minnie Hauk home in the Irish Oaks Credit: Irish Racing
stretched away to complete the English/Irish Oaks double for the all-conquering Aidan O’Brien stable.
Take nothing away from the gallant runnerup, it took a really good one to defeat Wemightakedlongway, who incidentally was bred by O’Brien’s wife Ann Marie and is trained by son Joseph Patrick.
There was a measure of compensation for her loss however, when Cayton Park homebred Egoli won stylishly at Newbury for the second time in just three starts. The juvenile son of No Nay Never came home two lengths clear of his rivals and holds an entry for the Gr2 Gimcrack Stakes. He certainly boasts a stallion’s pedigree as his dam, the multiple stakes-placed Solar Gold, is a Sea The Stars half-sister to Gr1 Prix Jean Prat winner and successful sire Havana Gold.
Rounding out the weekend’s array of black type action was the brave effort of Gimme A Nother in the famed Oppenheimer silks. The Jell-owned champion, now in the care of Graham Motion, was sent off as the hot favourite in Sunday’s Gr2 Canadian Stakes at Woodbine and after doing the donkey work up front under ex-pat jockey Ryan Munger, she was nabbed on the line. Unbeaten in South Africa, this daughter of Gimmethegreenlight has now finished second in three of her four stateside starts.
On a global scale it has been quite a week for South African breeders, who, albeit in a limited way, continue to make their mark on the highly competitive stage that is international racing.
A BETTING DAY OF NOTE!
Record betting pools are expected at the 2025 World Pool Gold Cup race meeting on Sunday.
A Pick 6 carryover of R1 million should achieve a pool of R10 million for the exotic, which gets underway in the fourth race @ 14h35.
A quartet carryover of R500 000 on the seventh race (16h35), the World Pool Gold Cup, should result in a pool of R2 million.
All races at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the day will be World Pool events.
Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, and Swinger bets will be commingled with international pools and average World Pool totals are expected to be massive!
Expect Exacta pools of up to R3 million, Win and Place pools of up to R10 million, and pools of R15 million or more for Swingers and Quinellas! These international pools are commingled by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Please take note that place bets on all races on the day will pay out on the first three horses past the post only.
Tote betting opens on Thursday 24 July.
DE KOCK TO BE INDUCTED ON WORLD POOL GOLD CUP DAY
The South African Hall of Fame has announced the induction of legendary trainer Mike de Kock, with a formal ceremony to be held at Sunday’s Hollywoodbets Greyville on Gold Cup Day.
A similar honour was recently bestowed on Ormond Ferraris at a Turffontein meeting. The Hall of Fame recognises extraordinary South Africans, with past inductees including Nelson
Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Gary Player — icons whose achievements have shaped the nation’s history.
“Mike de Kock is a true icon of South African horse racing,” said SA Hall of Fame Chairman Johnny Burger. “He is a pioneer whose legacy has elevated the sport and South Africa’s sporting reputation both locally and internationally.”
With a career spanning over 35 years, across five continents, in 10 countries and boasting Group race victories in 8 countries, De Kock ranks among the most accomplished and respected racehorse trainers in the world. His induction is more than a personal achievement — it’s a celebration of a legacy that has redefined South African horse racing on the global stage.
De Kock responded earlier this week: “This is a wonderful honour and privilege for me, for which I thank the Hall of Fame. It’s great to receive industry accolades, but recognition on a national level is a step up. For that, I am most grateful.”
Racing fans have a short memory, even when it comes to legends. Let’s track back a few
decades: De Kock’s international successes in Dubai and elsewhere stretch back to the year 2000, when he won his first international Group race in the United States with the legendary Horse Chestnut , before the advent of the Dubai World Cup Carnival.
In 2003 he secured a memorable Dubai World Cup night double, with Ipi Tombe in the Gr1 Dubai Duty Free and Victory Moon in the Gr2 UAE Derby.
Plenty more have followed since then, with his Dubai base providing a springboard for successes in Hong Kong, with the likes of Iridescence , Eagle Mountain , Archipenko and Variety Club , and Singapore , with Lizard’s Desire
Mike de Kock with Kevin Shea, a potent combination | Credit: Supplied
In 2015, Mike even took on the American Triple Crown with Mubtaahij , the colt doing him credit by finishing fourth in American Pharoah’s Belmont.
Mike’s list of illustrious runners includes the mentioned international winners, and also the likes of Right Approach, Grey’s Inn, Sun Classique, Soft Falling Rain, Irish Flame, Igugu, Shea Shea, Vercingetorix and Bold Silvano , with several successful stallions among them, including South Africa’s current star sire, Vercingetorix .
In South Africa, he has won all the major races at least once, including five Grade 1 Durban July’s, nine Grade 1 Summer Cups and three Grade 1 Cape Mets.
He’s also won the SA Triple Crown with Horse Chestnut as well as Malmoos , and the Triple Tiara with Igugu. Mother Russia, Ilha Da
Vitoria, Majmu, Alboran Sea, Hawwaam, Rafeef, Soqrat and Dave The King are other notable names on the honour roll.
Asked to single out one special runner among his many stars, De Kock said: “It still has to be Horse Chestnut. He was the greatest of them all. Who knows what heights he might have reached had he not been injured.”
Now 61, De Kock reflected on the years gone by: “I had certain goals and ambitions, but even if I tried, I couldn’t have written this script. I just showed up, and life and racing did the rest. Great horses appeared when we least expected it, and my team and I evolved with them. I’ve also been fortunate to have my wife Diane as both a partner in life and an integral part of the team. Her support made a real difference, especially during the years of constant travel. She’s been a pillar throughout.”
Mike with Horse Chestnut and the late Mrs Bridget Oppenheimer after the 1999 SA Derby | Credit: JC Photos
He recalled several sharp turning points that shaped his remarkable journey, starting with one fateful day in December 1988, when his then-boss, Ricky Howard-Ginsberg, passed away unexpectedly.
De Kock was left with a stable of promising horses and a loyal band of patrons who urged him to take over the yard and “run with it.” He initially declined but eventually relented, setting in motion one of the most storied training careers in the sport’s history.
It started with a Grade 1 win by the filly Evening Mist , who defeated Singing Boy and Aquanaut in the Administrators Champion Stakes (later known as the Summer Cup) in April, 1989.
Click on the image below to read the full story online…
Training Mubtaahij before the Kentucky Derby Credit: Supplied
30 YEARS AGO MERCURY SPRINT
The sixth race on World Pool Gold Cup day is the R1 million Gr1 Mercury Sprint. We thought we’d look back at our report on the 1995 renewal, for sentimentality’s sake.
ARCSA’s shared Champion Sprinter Awards allowed the media to hype the 19 August 1995 R100 000 Mercury Sprint at Clairwood Park as a race to decide just who is the best sprinter in training.
Bookmakers took a similar view, and priced up the Gr1 Weight For Age event as something of a match race. You could get a double figure quotation about any of the other ten runners, and the result underlined the complete superiority of the ‘big two’.
Flobayou, as always, raced a couple of lengths off the leaders as Taban disputed the early lead with Syrian Blue and Casey’s Honour. Taban held a clear lead approaching the last 200m, but could not prevent the inevitable. Eric Sands’ charge sped on by over the last 100m and there was the best part of two lengths between them at the post. Bold Thatch (Glen Hatt) put up a smashing effort to finish third.
The Mercury Sprint was the second Gr1 success of Flobayou’s career (after the Cape Flying Championship at Milnerton in January), and it marked his tenth win from only 13 lifetime starts overall.
The five-year-old resident of Eric Sands’ Milnerton stable, owned by former Lord Mayor of London, Sir Robert Bellinger, will doubtless now be rested for an assault on the principal sprints of the Cape season – the Diadem Stakes, the Merchants, and the Flying Championship. Flobayou achieved the remarkable feat of winning the lot as a four-year-old, something we cannot recall being accomplished before.
Flobayou dominated the sprint division in the mid-nineties, to the extent that he was named Joint Horse of the Year in 1995.
Karl Neisius guides Mercury Sprint winner Flobayou to victory as Taban (Munro) chases him home | Credit: Supplied
SEASON CLIMAX
Descendants of the late, great Galileo look poised to make their mark at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday. LOOK OUT FOR THE
His dual graded stakes winning son Global View is the sire of reigning South African Horse Of The Year Dave The King, who is out to defend his Champions Cup title when he lines up in Sunday’s HKJC Gr1 Champions Cup.
Global View is also sire of Silva City, a runner in the Gr2 Debutante on Sunday.
Another son of Galileo, and 2016 Gr1 Ranvet Stakes winner, The United States is well represented on Sunday’s card.
Handsome Ascot resident Global View is a son of Galileo – and has his SA Horse Of The Year son Dave The King defending his Champions Cup title on Sunday | Credit: Pauline Herman
In the World Pool With Race Coast Gr2 Debutante, The United States is represented by the promising Keukenhof, while Tin Pan Alley is his runner World Pool Moment Of The Day Gr1 Champion Stakes.
In the World Pool Gr3 Gold Cup, The United States is represented by Navajo Nation, while his daughter Indian Ocean is set to contest the Bet With The World Gr2 Gold Bracelet. The United States’ final runner at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday is his daughter Rodeo Drive, who lines up in the HKIR In December Listed Umngeni Handicap.
The United States is also the sire of Big Joe, an eye catching debut winner at Turffontein last Saturday.
Yet another son of Galileo, the ill-fated Kingsbarns, is the broodmare sire of
the World Pool Moment Of The Day Gr1 Champion Stakes hopeful Malmesbury Missile (Gimmethegreenlight), with the latter a son of Kingsbarns’ champion daughter Gabor.
Galileo is also the paternal grandsire of the late New Predator, who is set to have runners in the World Pool Moment Of The Day Gr1 Champion Stakes (Charming Cheetah) and Listed Michel Nairac Appreciation Stakes (Busstopinhounslow).
Galileo is the broodmare sire of Gr1 Mercury Sprint contender Mrs Browning as well as Gr3 Gold Cup contenders Bournemouth and King Pelles.
The mighty son of Sadler’s Wells has enjoyed tremendous success in South Africa both as a sire and broodmare sire, with his handful of
local runners headed by champions Igugu and Mahbooba, as well as graded stakes winners Alvaro, Il Saggiatore, Rain Gal, and Sidera.
Notable South African Gr1 winners whose dams were sired by Galileo include Dyce (by William Longsword), Green With Envy (by Gimmethegreenlight), Hero’s Honour (by Await The Dawn), Legend Of Arthur (by Lancaster Bomber), and Aragosta (by Rafeef). Remarkably, Aragosta, Hero’s Honour and Legend Of Arthur all won the Gr1 SA Derby.
Galileo is also the damsire of this season’s top-class three-year-old filly Mon Petit Cherie, winner of both the Gr2 Western Cape Fillies
Championship and World Sports Betting Gr2 Fillies Guineas, and runner up in the Ridgemont Gr1 Garden Province Stakes.
This season alone, Galileo mares have produced six individual black type winners, who have won nine graded or listed races.
At the time of writing, Galileo had four sire sons registered as standing at stud in South Africa, with his outstanding son Frankel represented here by Frantastic and Sharp Frank.
The iconic Galileo | Credit: Supplied
AUSSIE RACING IS ‘TOP HEAVY’
Decorated horseman Joe Waldron has returned to New Zealand from Melbourne to open a South Island stable, saying it is becoming increasingly difficult to compete in Australia.
Based in Te Awamutu when initially training in New Zealand, Waldron said he felt the South Island was a better option for his return, and he has secured a dozen boxes at Wingatui.
A former international eventer, Waldron has spent the past six years in Melbourne and he is looking forward to plying his trade on home soil.
“The decision to come home was mainly based around wanting to come home. I was missing the New Zealand lifestyle and family and friends,” Waldron said.
Waldron also cited the increasing competitive nature of racing in Australia as another major factor and felt the move back to New Zealand
was the best choice to help further his training career.
“Australian racing is becoming more topheavy every season, it is dominated by the big stables,” he said.
“Realistically, you need to have 100 horses to be relevant, and I don’t really have an ambition to train a huge team of horses.
“Training in New Zealand, especially down here (at Wingatui), you can have a smaller team in work and still be competitive, which I am really looking forward to.”
The Straight Daily News
RACE COAST PIPPA
One door closes, another opens. The recent winding down of equine operations at the internationally renowned Avontuur Estate signalled the end of an era in South African racing and breeding.
But for their popular and longstanding General Manager Pippa Mickleburgh it also coincides with the start of a brand-new personal challenge.
South Africa’s new generation racing operator, Race Coast has announced that Philippa Lianne Vincent Mickleburgh, known to all of us as ‘Pippa’, will join their dynamic team, with a spectrum of responsibilities that includes customer service, staff training and mentorship, management of the raceday experience, Cape Turf Club member relations, and in the Cape Racing Sales domain, she will focus on vendor relations.
Race Coast Executive Racing and Bloodstock Justin Vermaak told the Sporting Post that Pippa’s excellent reputation and standing, as well as her 35 years at Avontuur, had honed a unique skill set and understanding of the industry, that would be invaluable to a team focused on raising the bar in all facets of their business.
“Avontuur’s world-class standards applied in the diversity of their operations, from breeding champions to customer service in the sales arena, and their award-winning restaurant, and is a microcosm of what we are striving to achieve at Race Coast. Pippa’s vast experience and her no-nonsense roll-up-thesleeves approach is the tonic that will inspire our youthful team to perform at the standard required to take us to the next level. We are privileged to welcome her on board,” added Vermaak.
A Durban-born daughter of a racing journalist, Pippa worked for British flat racing trainer Sir Henry Cecil in the early 1980’s. Sir Henry was
national champion trainer ten times, five of which were in the 80’s, and the young woman, hungry for knowledge and skills, was relishing life in a job that was to set her on the path to success.
A holiday at home with her parents was to be a gamechanger that would plot her destiny.
The late Pat O’Neill called from Broadlands Stud. Their neighbours Hoog Eind Stud needed someone. Pippa didn’t hesitate. A few years later Tony Taberer approached Pippa to fill the post of Stud Manager at Avontuur. In 1999 Pippa became General Manager, a position she held with distinction, until 30 June 2025.
Our well-documented history speaks volumes of Avontuur’s 21st century sales-ring success, led by Pippa and her team, and two great stallions in Var and Oratorio.
Pippa Mickleburgh became a National Horseracing Authority board member in September 2022 and has tendered her resignation to pursue her new challenge at Race Coast.
Pippa told the Sporting Post that she is excited and looking forward to joining the Race Coast team.
“I have been fortunate to gain a wide experience in sales and hospitality on both sides of the fence, as it were, and my brief is to create an international standard experience across the board. That is looking after vendors and buyers at the sales, enhancing the international buying bench, while on raceday overseeing the front-of-house and ensuring that we go
beyond our guests’ expectations. So, all told, it’s a wide-ranging, stimulating and exciting new challenge for me!” concluded Pippa.
A vibrant new force in South African horse racing, Race Coast was spawned from the merger of Gold Circle’s operations in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape-based Cape Racing, united under the Hollywoodbets banner.
Committed to modernising all aspects of the industry with integrity, while rebuilding the foundation of a legacy that will last beyond our lifetimes, through ensuring the preservation of the rich tradition of a sport that dates back
over a century in South Africa, Race Coast has endorsed a philosophy to reignite a passion for the sport, while attracting a new and diverse audience.
They couldn’t have picked a better playmaker than Pippa Mickleburgh!
Herman Brown Jnr celebrates the milestone victory | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
Twelve years after a change of career, internationally experienced trainer Herman Brown Jnr. showed that he hasn’t lost his magic touch when he saddled his first runner back to win at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on a blue-sky Cape winter Tuesday afternoon.
Brown, who is the proverbial ham in the sandwich between Justin Snaith and James Crawford at Race Coast’s Futura Park Training Centre in Philippi, is no greenhorn, having trained 1100 winners in South Africa and several Group winners during his nine-year stint in Dubai.
His international successes include the Gr1 Dubai Duty Free with Jay Peg, two Gr1 Singapore Cups with Jay Peg and Gitano Hernando respectively, and three Gr2 Al Fahidi Fort’s with Linngari (x2) and Bankable.
His charge Mourilyan finished third in the 2009 Gr1 Melbourne Cup, the first South African trainer to achieve the feat.
On Tuesday, he admitted to feeling ‘nervous’, prior to the fourth race, a low-key R90 000 Open Maiden, where the 4yo Twice Over gelding The Night Ferry returned from an 11-week break.
The Maine Chance bred galloper was purchased out of the Snaith yard for R124 000 on the BSA June Online Auction and provided an immediate return for his new owners
Mr Y & Mrs F Ebrahim, Herman Brown (Jnr), T O Herbold & Suran Chetty.
The Night Ferry (17-2) led from gun to tape under Grant van Niekerk to beat Superhero (17-2) by 0,30 lengths in a time of 101,74 secs. The 5-4 favourite Gold Giboski was three quarters of a length back in third.
Richard Fourie has cut Gavin Lerena’s lead by 25% as the Championship chase hots up | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
On leaving the industry, Brown handed over his Summerveld stable to his long-time assistant, Frank Robinson, and purchased a wine farm in Franschhoek. He also ventured into property development, only to realise that every industry requires a certain streetwise acumen that can’t be gained overnight.
He has a small string at Philippi, with a number of unraced youngsters in the mix.
In the SA Jockey Championship title chase, Richard Fourie cut Gavin Lerena’s winning margin of 16 by 25% with 4 winners on the afternoon. Lerena, who experienced a rare blank day, is on 266, with Fourie on 254. Brevan Plaatjies continues to grow in confidence and got Mont Loisir home for Piet Botha in the final race to shade African Prince (JP van der Merwe) in a grandstand finish. Plaatjies is set to be crowned SA Champion
Apprentice – his lead now stands at 9 over nearest opponent, Trent Mayhew, who has been frustratingly stuck on 21 winners for over a month.
Justin Snaith was the only trainer on the day to saddle a double and is all set to comfortably register his sixth national championship title when the sun sets on the 2024/25 season on Thursday 31 July.
The next Race Coast fixture in the Cape is at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday 26 July, which is a double-header day with Turffontein.
With the weatherman forecasting fine weather in Cape Town for the rest of this week, that will be something to look forward to as an appetizer to the World Pool Gold Cup raceday at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
EARLY CAREER HIGH LOUW’S ON AN
A momentous day for 17-year-old Dezahn Louw | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Rachel Venniker’s winning comeback, a milestone moment for apprentice Dezahn Louw, and Gavin Lerena’s leapfrog into a solid lead in the SA jockey championship chase.
Those were some of the highlights to come out of Sunday’s Hollywoodbets Scottsville racemeeting.
Returning from a three-month break following an incident at the starting stalls at Summerveld, Rachel Venniker bounced back to winning form at only her second ride back when the Michael Roberts-trained Miss Kansas shed her maiden at her third start in good style.
The One World half-sister to Gr1 winner Miss Florida started at 18-10 and scored a popular win.
A less popular winner for punters was Tienie Prinsloo’s Last Winter filly Sneeuwitjie, who scored a knockout victory in the Pick 6 second leg when she won at any price to give seventeen-year-old apprentice Dezahn Louw a first career victory.
Drawn wide at 12 and racing in the blinkers for the first time, the Hopes And Dreams Studbred 2yo raced in the silks of Suzette Viljoen and fought her rider early on.
Rachel Venniker shows no after effects as she drives Miss Kansas to victory | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
But when allowed to stride, she kept going under a calm and balanced ride to hold the low-flying odds-on favourite Flying South.
Young Louw is sponsored by Drakenstein Stud, and hails from Macassar, near Somerset West.
Gavin Lerena rode four winners (50% of the card) on Sunday, and each one for a different trainer. His first was the most eye-catching, with Dean Kannemeyer’s Varsfontein Studbred first-timer Green Gateway winning a cracker, despite running green on debut.
Lerena followed up with Bad Medicine (Alyson Wright), Vision To Achieve (Paul Gadsby), and Dafne’s Daughter (Justin Snaith).
It has been a decade since Lerena wore his first SA Champion jockey crown and the Gauteng-based rider looks well set to repeat
the feat. Reigning champion Richard Fourie is a consistent threat, but seemingly not stretching himself as he did in his record-breaking last term.
Lerena on the other hand will remember the 2011/2012 season where his big lead was diminished to virtually nothing in the final month.
History shows that he was still one winner clear of Anton Marcus entering the final meeting at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth but registered a blank, with the irrepressible Marcus riding a double and clinching the title by a solitary win!
Gavin Lerena’s first of four – Green Gateway impresses on debut | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
TELEPHONE CONVERSATION GARETH VAN ZYL FINED
The National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa (NHA) confirms that at an Inquiry held in Durban on Tuesday, 15 July 2025, which was adjourned and reconvened on Monday, 21 July 2025, Trainer Gareth van Zyl was charged with a contravention of Rule 72.1.18.
The particulars being that, as a licensed Trainer, he verbally abused a licensed official involved in the administration or control of racing during a telephone conversation on Tuesday, 17 June 2025.
Trainer van Zyl pleaded not guilty but was found guilty of the charge.
After considering the evidence presented, as well as van Zyl’s record in relation to this type of contravention, the Inquiry Board
imposed a fine of R10 000 (ten thousand rand) of which R5000 (five thousand rand) is wholly suspended for a period of two years on condition that he is not found guilty of a similar offence during that period.
Gareth van Zyl has the Right of Appeal against both the finding and the penalty imposed.
Media release by the NHA on Monday, 21 July 2025.
Gareth van Zyl pleaded not guilty | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
FAVOURITE COUSIN IS OFF TO STUD
Naidoo | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
History tells the story!
Cousin Casey’s boom sire Vercingetorix, an Equus champion racehorse of his time, stands his tenth season and is well on his way to being crowned national champion, while the new champion’s Dad Silvano (Lomitas) was a champion globetrotting racehorse of his time, and a multiple champion sire here.
Cousin Casey’s dam Bretton Woods is a fullsister to Equus Champion and Durban July winner, Big City Life.
The Equus Champion 2yo colt of his year, Cousin Casey raced to the age of 5 this season, and had one start, whereafter he was injured and retired to stud.
Rated 125 at peak, Cousin Casey won 5 races (1 x Gr1, 2 x Gr2, 1 x L) from 1400m to a mile, with 13 places, and earned over R3,6 million.
He ran one of his greatest races in defeat, when beaten just 0,30 lengths by Oriental Charm in the 2024 Hollywoodbets Durban July (2200m), when conceding 3 kgs to the winner.
Mr Handsome! Cousin Casey ticks all the boxes | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Passionate owner Ravi Naidoo, who campaigned the popular champion under his Kalinga brand, is being assisted by Form Bloodstock’s Jehan Malherbe and Freeman Stallions’, John Freeman.
Ravi told the Sporting Post that he was grateful and privileged that Cousin Casey would stand under a yellow and black flag at Mauritzfontein.
“Hallowed ground steeped in legend and history. I must express my gratitude to Steven and Jessica Jell,” he added.
Click here for the brochure.
There are 40 shares for sale at R80 000 plus vat each, and shareholders will enjoy double nominations for the first four years.
John Freeman has reported multiple share sales, since the news broke of Cousin Casey’s second phase career move late this week.
Cousin Casey’s service fee is set at R10 000, with a deposit of R2 000 and R8 000 at live foal.
The son of Vercingetorix’ new home Mauritzfontein has a long and impressive history and has churned out stars of the turf for decades.
Enquiries to:
Having operated previously as a remount station for the British Army during the Boer War, Mauritzfontein was bought by Harry and Bridget Oppenheimer in 1945. The couple became involved in horse racing shortly after the war, in the 1940s.
Kimberley was headquarters of the De Beers Mining Company, of which Harry Oppenheimer was Chairman, and he held a seat in Parliament from 1948-1957. Mauritzfontein is only 15 minutes from the centre of Kimberley, so it seemed the perfect place to build their home from home and begin their breeding operations. Since its establishment, Mauritzfontein has become one of the great thoroughbred nurseries in South Africa, with early top stallions including the likes of Janus, Wilwyn and Free Ride.
The farm also owes a great deal of its success to the late champion sire Fort Wood, and Cousin Casey will stand alongside Ideal World, Danon Platina and Digital Age.
On his arrival at Mauritzfontein on Friday, the vastly experienced Nigel Page said. ‘he’s a cracker!’
Exciting times lie ahead!
GATEWAY TO DREAMS
An important scientific complimentary tool of the trade for punters and racing enthusiasts, sectional timing data can enhance both the form study and horseracing viewing experience on both KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape race meetings.
In Time Is Money this week we look at the two recent KZN racemeetings and some smart performances, particular Dean Kannemeyer’s first-timer Green Gateway who won first up at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Hollywoodbets Scottsville 20 July
Track Condition
Going:
Good to Soft (both tracks)
Penetrometer: 25 (both tracks)
Rain:
Last 24 hours 4mm –
Last 7 days 6mm
Irrigation: Last 24 hours Nil –
Last 7 days 4mm
False Rail: 9m
Wind: 10-15km/h North, north easterly tail wind Course Variant: 0,24s fast
Race Coast Maiden Juvenile Plate 1200m
The only 1200m race on the card got proceedings underway in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday and here the R2,2M purchase GREEN GATEWAY opened his account at the first time of asking.
Allowed to flirt with 6/10 at one stage, the son of Gimmethegreenlight lost two lengths on leaving the stalls and very quickly found
himself at the back. Once into stride though he soon began to make up the deficit and was already positioned close up in fifth going through halfway.
He struck the front shortly after passing the 300m marker and with the rest well beaten, he held off a determined challenge from Mohave Prince by three quarters of a length. Green Gateway raced green, hung in and shifted on taking up the running. He can improve plenty.
Four 1400m Races
A half of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1400m and marginally the fastest of these was the maiden plate won by the easy to back MEERKAT MOON. Freely available at 16/1 on the off Mark Dixon’s charge led throughout. They were the third slowest to reach the 600m pole, but interestingly, they were then considerably faster than the other races in the 600m to 200m segment.
The well exposed favourite Catch A Penny challenged strongly over the final 150m and in what proved to be a real thriller, the Willow Magic gelding held on by the narrowest of margins. The 400m to finish time recorded by Catch A Penny proved to be the fastest of the afternoon.
Two 1000m Races
The Class 4 event for fillies won by VISION TO ACHIEVE was the faster of the two 1000m races on the card, but surprisingly, it was only run 0,43 seconds faster than the maiden plate. Up with the speed throughout, the daughter of Vercingetorix kept on strongly at the business end of the race to beat the always prominent Happy Analia by just under a half.
Quicker to the halfway mark, the friendless Blazing Beauty set brisk fractions in the maiden event and with the rest well beaten she was only collared late by the favourite MISS KANSAS.
Quickies
Apprentice Dezahn Louw registered his first ever win when guiding the 80/1 shot SNEEUWITJIE (troublesome loading) to victory in the fillies maiden plate over 1400m. Taken straight to the front from a wide draw, the 2yo Last Winter filly kept on gamely at the business end of the race to beat the faster finishing odds on favourite Flying South (also trouble loading). Fastest
Live Streaming www.galloptv.co.za B Stakes
1000m
Although just seven went to post for the afternoon’s top liner on Wednesday, there was plenty of speed in the race and so it was no surprise that it was run much quicker than the only other event over the distance, a D Stakes. Blue Holly got away best, whilst the not so well drawn eventual winner TWENTY ONE MAY raced unsettled in fourth. Duncan Howells’ charge ran on strongly when given rein early in the straight and won well by half a length from the always handy FUTURE FLO (7/2 into 14/10 favourite). Twenty One May recorded a 400m to finish time of 22,21 which was the fastest for that segment of the afternoon.
Three 1200m Races
Three of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1200m. The closing Hollywoodbets Class 4 event was comfortably the fastest of these and here we saw a smart performance from the Gimmethegreenlight gelding GIMMETHEGOODLIFE. The aptly named Superfast made the running and recording consistent sections throughout, kept on strongly at the business end of the race. Tony Peter’s charge had always been travelling well just two lengths away in third though, and went on to score going away after taking up the running 250m from home. Gimmethegoodlife has now won two from three on the poly.
Hollywoodbets Greyville (poly) 16 July
Track Condition
Going: Standard Rain: Last 24 hours Nil –Last 7 Days 3mm Wind: 7-28km/h South Easterly tail wind
Course Variant: 0,06s fast
Two 1800m Races
The two 1800m races on the card were both Class 4 events with the quicker being that won by the lightly raced 3yo CORRUPT. Initially priced up as the 5/2 favourite, Mike & Matthew De Kock’s charge drifted alarmingly on course and was eventually sent off at 6/1. The pace set by the newly installed favourite Afropolitan
(3/1 out to 33/10) was a fair one and the field soon became quite strung out. Only 4,5 lengths off the pace in third though, the son of Erupt was always well positioned to strike. Barely a length separated the first five 150m out and in what proved to be a thrilling finish Corrupt got the verdict by three quarters.
Quickies
Although not impressive when winning the first race on the card, an open maiden over 1200m, the One World colt BLAST FROM THE PAST (4/1 out to 8/1) in the interviews after the
race was said to have been showing signs of being a top horse at home, but apparently has a breathing issue. One to keep tabs on.
Fastest Times:
1000m (2) Twenty One May 57,76
1200m (3) Gimmethegoodlife 70,30
1800m (2) Corrupt 108,73
400m-fin Twenty One May 22,21
FRANKEL FILLY LOOKS DESTINED FOR BIGGER
went the way of the
The Frankel filly was coming off a hard-fought victory over her stablemate Whirl at Epsom, who subsequently had outstayed Group 1 winning four-year-old filly Kalpana in the Gr1 Pretty Polly Stakes.
The Ballydoyle trained Minnie Hauk didn’t look to have things her own way again with Epsom Oaks fourth Wemightakedlongway having first run on the 2/11 favourite at the top of the straight.
The eventual runner-up went past the frontrunning Island Hopping but wasn’t able to get away and Minnie Hauk gradually asserted and was readily on top at the line.
With her receiving both age and sex allowances in the Arc in October she is currently the 12/1
ante-post favourite but Aidan O’Brien is blessed with so many top-class middle-distance stars this season caution is advised until her autumn campaign is confirmed.
Aidan O’Brien tasted Group 2 success earlier on the card when his two-year-old filly True Love had too much class for her three rivals in the sixfurlong Railway Stakes.
Always prominent, Ryan Moore shook her loose a furlong out and she came home five-lengths to the good over her stablemate Puerto Rico. She looks destined for bigger things being the first filly in 34 years to capture this Curragh juvenile feature.
The No Nay Never filly boosted her stablemate and subsequent easy Coventry Stakes winner
Frankel’s Minnie Hauk (Ryan Moore) completes Oaks double | Credit: Juddmonte
The Juddmonte Irish Oaks run over the weekend
shortpriced favourite Minnie Hauk.
Gstaad who gave her 5lb and a beating when they met at Navan in May when Gstaad was making his debut.
The final Group race on the card, the Gr2 Curragh Cup, went the way of Al Riffa, trained by Joseph O’Brien, who beat the Queen’s Vase fourth and Irish Derby eighth Shackleton in convincing fashion by five lengths.
Content to sit off the early pace by Dylan Browne McMonagle, the Wootton Bassett horse showed a good turn of foot to put daylight between himself and his rivals, fully justifying his 4/5 odds. His previous start was at the royal meeting where he finished second in the Hardwicke beaten nearly two-lengths by global superstar Rebels Romance.
His previous start was at the royal meeting where he finished second in the Hardwicke beaten nearly two-lengths by global superstar Rebels Romance.
The Godolphin ace lines up in a high-class renewal of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday, where he is likely to meet Jan Brueghel, Calandagan and Kalpana, amongst others.
LUCKY MAGIC GLITTERS IN SELANGOR MILE
Karaka graduate Lucky Magic (NZ) (Mendelssohn) secured a place in Malaysian racing history on Sunday with a triumph in the inaugural RM1m Selangor Mile (1600m).
The winner’s share of that seven-figure prize lifted Lucky Magic past RM660,000 in prize-money – the equivalent of more than NZ$260,000.
He was a $35,000 purchase from Prima Park’s Karaka 2022 draft and was later knocked down for $75,000 when prepared in Prima Park’s 2022 Ready to Run Sale draft.
Lucky Magic has been a star on the rise in recent months, winning seven of his last nine starts leading into the Selangor Mile, and it was all part of a long-range plan to peak on
the day of Malaysia’s mega-rich feature for four-year-olds.
“I always knew Lucky Magic could win the Selangor Mile,” trainer HY Cheng said. “I promised the owner the win and I am just so happy my expectation is proven correct. He will win many Cups, for sure.”
Lucky Magic was ridden by Ridzuan Shafiq and took up a handy position in fifth, one off the rail.
Lucky Magic staving off the challenge of Good Star | Credit: Selangor Turf Club
Shafiq angled him into clear air at the top of the straight and pushed the button. A brilliant turn of foot soon carried Lucky Magic into a clear lead at the 200-metre mark, and he found more in the final stages of the race to turn back a late challenge from Good Star (Shalaa) and win by a neck.
“I have ridden him five times this year and he is better than ever,” Shafiq said. “He is a fighter. Just when Good Star got to us, he fought back. He is now more mature and learning to relax in his races.”
Lucky Magic has now had a total of 13 starts for eight wins and two placings.
Sunday’s third placegetter Antipodean (NZ) (Derryn) is also a Karaka graduate, having been bought by trainer Simon Dunderdale for $23,000 from the 2022 Ready to Run
Sale. His 17-start career has produced 10 wins, six placings and more than RM450,000 (NZ$177,000).
The 2025 edition of the Ready to Run Sale will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre on Thursday 13 & Friday 14 November with Breeze Ups to be held at Te Rapa Racecourse on Monday 13 & Tuesday 14 October.
Entries for the Sale are open now and close Friday, 01 August. To nominate your rising two-year-olds for the 2025 Ready to Run Sale, visit NZB’s online portal.
Karaka 2026 will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 25 – 29 January, the iconic week on the international sales calendar marking the 100th National Yearling Sale in New Zealand.
HONG KONG 24/25 SEASON
A SUCCESS STORY CONTINUES
This past season, Hong Kong horseracing enjoyed total racecourse attendance of over 1,7 million, including a record 195 786 Mainland tourists, plus international visitors.
This was a significant 110% increase on the 93 000 Mainland tourists who visited last season.
In particular, major racedays set new records for tourist attendance, with the Chinese New Year Raceday, BMW Hong Kong Derby and FWD Champions Day meetings each attracting 9,000 tourists.
These included high-end international tourists for our flagship LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and FWD Champions Day.
The HKSAR Chief Executive’s recognition of horse racing tourism in his Policy Address created new momentum for the Club to take racing tourism to the next level, as did the
incorporation of racing tourism into the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 and the establishment of a ground-breaking strategic partnership between the Club and China Travel Service (Holdings) Hong Kong Limited to strengthen the promotion of tourism within the Greater Bay Area, including racecourse tourism.
To enhance the quality of the race-going experience for both regular and tourist racegoers, the Club launched new and upgraded dining and entertainment venues at the racecourses.
These included The Beat and Vantage at Happy Valley Racecourse, providing an innovative
Pyrotechnics Show lights up the sky | Credit: HKJC
digital racecourse experience utilising artificial intelligence, while at Sha Tin Racecourse the opening of the renovated Champion Circle and Inner Circle in time for visitors attending FWD Champions Day strengthened the Club’s capability to receive both high-end and general tourists.
The Club also strengthened its famous Happy Wednesday brand at Happy Valley Racecourse – one of the must-dos for tourists visiting Hong Kong – with nine different themed race-night parties, boosting total attendance for the season to around 548,000, a 3.9% increase.
At the thrilling season finale meeting at Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesday, there was an exciting jockey parade, with all our jockeys thanking racing fans for their support during the season.
“It has been a real pleasure to welcome so many tourists from overseas and the Mainland to our racecourses and to see how much they appreciate the unique quality of our racecourse experience, which is truly like no other. Next season there will be even more to impress them, including an entirely new arrival experience at Sha Tin Racecourse,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said.
To strengthen online-to-offline engagement, the HKJC Priority Programme has been upgraded to enhance the customer experience in earning and redeeming WINS Rewards throughout the year.
Customers can now enjoy greater flexibility in redeeming rewards for racecourse food and beverage offerings at our venues, as well as spending on “Gift at Races,” all while enjoying
Jockeys
exclusive Priority services and privileges such as behind-the-scenes racing-related events.
The Classic 3-in-1 App has also been enhanced to offer a more interactive and personalised experience. Racing fans can explore a wider variety of content, including tailored racing analytics and real-time event broadcasts.
Additionally, the racecourse digital experience continues to improve, with new features such as racecourse wayfinding and venue booking now available within the app, making visits more seamless and enjoyable.
Turnover
In total, racing fans enjoyed 88 race meetings this season, including seven summer series fixtures, comprising 847 Hong Kong races and 393 overseas simulcast races.
Total racing wagering turnover for the season was HK$138.85 billion, representing a 3.0% increase on the 2023/24 season. This is a very encouraging return to growth after the 4.5% decline last season and reflects the success of strategies introduced last year.
The growth in racing turnover was driven primarily by optimised jackpot offerings, improved field sizes, increased Mainland and international sports tourism, and the continued success of globalising Hong Kong Racing via commingling combined with the Club’s international simulcast under World Pool Strategy. Hong Kong has developed into a centre of excellence for global racing wagering.
Notably, Hong Kong races attracted record commingling turnover of HK$31.76 billion, a 10.1% increase on the 2023/24 season. This strong trend reflects the high profile of Hong
Racing fans enjoy a day of exciting races and activities at the Season Finale meeting at Happy Valley | Credit: HKJC
Kong racing internationally, with 26 countries and more than 70 partners now commingling on Hong Kong racing.
A notable highlight was achieved at the Chinese New Year Raceday in January, with commingling turnover surging by 23.7% to HK$510.4 million, setting a new record in the process and surpassing HK$500 million for the first time.
Hong Kong fans were able to enjoy more of the world’s finest races this season thanks to the Government’s approval of additional simulcasts. The Club offered 393 simulcast races in 2024/25 season, a 7% increase on
the 368 during the previous 12 months, with enhanced racing information being provided for overseas customers. The simulcast schedule focused on showcasing the world’s Top 100 Group/Grade 1 races, highlighting the global nature of Hong Kong wagering.
In total, 71 overseas races that had been in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities’ (IFHA) Top 100 at least once during the previous three years were simulcast, up from 61 the previous season. Overall, turnover on simulcasting (including World Pool commingling) for the season was up by 2.3% to HK$13.11 billion.
Thanks to the rise of racing tourism, the two racecourses welcome large crowds of visitors from overseas and mainland China throughout the season | Credit: HKJC
With the approval of the HKSAR Government to progressively increase the number of simulcast events over the coming two racing seasons, starting from 2025/26, the maximum number of simulcast days will be increased from 37 to 53 in 2025/26 and to 70 in 2026/27, while the maximum number of simulcast races will be increased from 25 currently to 40 from 2025/26 and to 55 from 2026/27.
This will enable the Club’s simulcast fixtures to cover most of the IFHA’s World’s Top 100 Group/Grade 1 races and subsequently enhance our ability to combat illegal horse race betting and solidify Hong Kong’s position in global horse racing wagering.
Through the World Pool, the Club aims to offer global parimutuel wagering with deep liquidity on the very best international races.
This season, the number of World Pool races increased from 258 to 296 including, for the first time, all 12 of the Club’s Group 1 races as well as top races from New Zealand.
Commingling turnover into the World Pool (excluding Club races) recorded an 8.4% increase over last season.
TOMMO’S FINAL CALL
AND THE CURTAIN FALLS
The curtain came down on a commentary and TV career spanning 60 years on Tuesday evening when Derek Thompson, better known as Tommo, called his final race at Wolverhampton.
The Racing Post reports that Thompson, who first commentated at a point-to-point meeting aged 15, became a familiar face during 28 years with Channel 4 Racing and an unlikely social media star thanks to his catchphrase: “Are you well?”
His career also included a spell with BBC Radio, when he became a Grand National commentator at the age of 22, while he also worked for Sheikh Mohammed in Dubai and defeated the future King Charles III in a charity race.
Two races were named in his honour at Wolverhampton: The It’s A Photo – Big Fella EBF Restricted Maiden Fillies’ Stakes and the Thanks For Everything Tommo –Happy Retirement Handicap, his final ever
commentary.
Robert Cooper, who worked with Thompson at Sky Sports Racing before his retirement last year, was in attendance, and he said: “He’s a character and I think people genuinely love his patter at the races.
“There have always been plenty of Tommoisms in his commentaries, but every caller has a different style and his have always been pretty accurate. He’s been around for a long time and did a great job on Channel 4. He always tried to make things quite fun. He’s genuinely enthusiastic and it’s infectious. He’ll stay busy and I’m sure there’s not a betting shop in the country he’s not opened or closed. The last race is named after him, so I’ll be there until the end – it’s a bit churlish for anybody
Derek Thompson – a true character | Credit: Supplied
hoping to slip away early to leave an empty room when he’s finished. I’d imagine he’ll be quite emotional about it all.”
Cooper was involved in a famous clip with Thompson at Hereford, when the latter in the studio said to Cooper, “Oh, you’ve been joined by a beautiful lady”, to which Cooper replied, “It’s a man actually, Derek”.
The clip went viral years later when shared by the Accidental Partridge X account and was even mentioned on BBC’s Graham Norton Show in 2019. Reflecting on that moment, Cooper added: “It’s 25 seconds of amusement.”
Thompson was joined at Wolverhampton by friends and family, while the track made a
presentation alongside the jockeys to mark his final meeting.
“We wanted to make sure Tommo could celebrate his career alongside friends and family, so were delighted they could join us for the evening,” said Wolverhampton’s executive director David Ideson.
www.racingpost.com
AUGUST’S VIRTUAL MAGIC
BOASTS QUALITY
A breeding right to the world’s most prolific sire – by elite level strike rate – will stand alongside a swag of stakes performed fillies and mares in next month’s Magic Millions August Virtual Sale, with the initial catalogue unveiled on Monday.
The Magic Millions Virtual Sale format has proven successful with a string of seven figure results including Espiona, Marabi and Sheeza Belter, and will again showcase a quality line up of stock on Tuesday, 05 August.
This year’s edition will see a breeding right to champion Newgate Farm based sire Extreme Choice go under the hammer alongside two shares in Cool Archie’s sire Cool Aza Beel and the ultra-consistent, super sire in All Too Hard.
Standing this spring at a fee of A$330,000 (incl. GST), Extreme Choice has firmly established himself as one of the globe’s hottest stallions. He is the fastest Australasian stallion this century to sire five individual Group One winners, delivering an elite-level performer every 23 runners — a strike rate unmatched in the modern era.
His strike rate (4.17%) of Group One winners to runners is truly elite. Superseding the legendary sires Frankel, Galileo, Dubawi, Redoute’s Choice, I Am Invincible, Snitzel and
Vienna Princess (Craig Williams) wins the Twilight Glow Stakes on Zipping Classic Day at Caulfield Racecourse Credit: The Image is Everything – Bronwen Healy & Darren Tindale Photography
Written Tycoon, just to name a few.
To stand alongside recently announced star sprinter Olentia, a host of high-quality race fillies will feature in the catalogue — including the blue blooded racemare Vienna Princess.
An earner of over A$1.1 million, Vienna Princess won a Listed Twilight Glow Stakes in Melbourne and a A$1 million Silver Eagle in Sydney during a high-class racing career.
A daughter of Snitzel, Vienna Princess spent her racetrack career in the best of company under the tutelage of master horseman Chris Waller.
The classy performer beat an elite group of Group One winners including Benedetta, Deny Knowledge, Amelia’s Jewel, Legarto, Madame Pommery, Ruthless Dame, Startantes and Knight’s Choice.
Vienna Princess is a half-sister to the Group Two Danehill Stakes winner First Settler, an exciting young stallion standing his first season at Yulong in 2025.
Recent stakes winning mare Fortunate Kiss will also go under the hammer along with stakes performers Left Field, Mixed Spice, Regal Vow and Express Yo’self straight off the track and ready for the breeding barn.
The dams of stakes performers Big Parade and Micro are also in the catalogue along with halfsisters to Hitotsu and Cool Archie and stakes performed mares Champ Elect and Echo Gal.
To view the current Virtual Sale catalogue, click here or download via the Equineline Catalog App on iPad.
Final entries close on Monday, 28 July.
30 TH DUBAI WORLD CUP
SET FOR 28 MARCH 2026
The stage is set for another thrilling season of world-class racing at the iconic Meydan Racecourse, as Dubai Racing Club announces the dates for the 2025/26 Dubai Racing Carnival.
Spanning 17 spectacular racemeetings, the season kicks off on Friday, 07 November 2025, and reaches its dramatic conclusion on Saturday, 28 March 2026 with the 30th running of the Dubai World Cup.
The Dubai World Cup meeting—renowned as one of global horseracing’s most prestigious sporting and social occasions—will mark a historic milestone in 2026, celebrating three decades since its inaugural race in 1996.
Fans and racing enthusiasts from across the globe can expect an unforgettable night of celebration under the lights of Meydan.
Four major feature days anchor the season, each blending top-tier racing with signature Dubai hospitality and entertainment:
‘Festive Friday’ – 19 December 2025: The holiday spirit kicks off with the AED 1 million Gr2 Maktoum Mile, headlining a high-quality card.
‘Fashion Friday’ – 23 January 2026: Elegance meets excitement in a full Pattern-race line-up, led by the AED 3.68 million Gr1 Al Maktoum Challenge, offering a coveted Bonus Scheme berth into the Dubai World Cup.
The Dubai Racing Carnival kicks off on 07 November | Credit: DRC
Emirates Super Saturday – 28 February 2026: A cornerstone of the Carnival, this key prep day features the Gr2 Al Maktoum Classic, a ‘win and you’re in’ race with direct implications for the Dubai World Cup.
Dubai World Cup – 28 March 2026: The world’s most spectacular race day – the grand finale, where champions are crowned and racing history is made.
Sheikh Rashed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Racing Club, commented: “The Dubai World Cup is firmly established as one of the world’s great sporting and social spectacles. As we prepare for its 30th edition in 2026, a milestone to be truly celebrated, we look forward to welcoming the finest horses, jockeys, and connections from around the world.
The 16 lead-up meetings of the Dubai Racing Carnival promise exceptional competition and international flair.
Thanks to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Carnival continues to elevate Dubai’s position on the global racing stage.”
Ali Al Ali, CEO and Board Member, Dubai Racing Club, added: “we are extremely proud of the growth of both the Dubai World Cup and Dubai Racing Carnival over the past three decades. Under the guidance of our leaders, we are working hard to ensure that we fulfil their visions and make the 30th Dubai World Cup a truly unforgettable experience for both horse racing professionals and race fans.”
Click here for the full Emirates Racing Association fixture list.
AT THE OFFICE JUST ANOTHER WEEK
Wayne Agrella is a familiar name amongst last week’s licence renewals as the Sporting Post keeps you in the loop with the latest National Horseracing Authority Calendar, published on Friday 18 July 2025. The calendar is a summary of the week’s
penalties and registrations and is an easyread snapshot of information. We will endeavour to catch up with Wayne Agrella and find out what his plans are.
Click on the image below to read the calendar:
Thisiswhatitmeans (Marco van Rensburg) wins on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
GEOFF ARMITAGE
WILL BE FONDLY REMEMBERED
A memorial service for leading breeder Geoff Armitage, who passed away peacefully on Sunday 13 July 2025 at the age of 95, was held on Monday 21 July at St Peter’s Anglican Church in Plettenberg Bay.
The Armitage family has been involved in horse racing since Jim Armitage established Rathvale Stud just outside Standerton in the Eastern Transvaal in 1935.
He had two sons, Geoff, father of James, who runs Sandown Stud), and followed 14 years later by the late Trevor Armitage, of Beach Beauty fame.
Geoff & Ann Armitage | Credit: Supplied
Geoff Armitage moved to Rhodesia in 1964 and started farming about an hour’s drive from Salisbury.
With four mares from Standerton, he founded Sandown Stud in 1968.
It was the halcyon period of Zimbabwean breeding and racing, the country producing horses of the ilk of international champion Ipi Tombe, Zimbabwean Triple Crown winner Match Winner, Battle Maiden, Stay Alert – first equine millionaire in Zimbabwe, The Toff, Swashbuckler, Air Alert and Gallant Light.
Geoff’s policy of offering all of his colts for sale as yearlings and racing the fillies so that the best could be returned to stud proved a sound one and Sandown was the country’s leading breeder for 24 years.
They stood stallions such as Royal Wink (loaned from Jim for a season), Quintipor, Nissr and Pochard, before Alistair Brown helped them procure Goldkeeper.
There are no Gr1 races in Zimbabwe, so Geoff had to wait until 2003 for his first Gr1 winner, when the Neil Bruss-trained Battle Maiden
snatched the Garden Province Stakes by a nose from Ilha Da Vitoria.
The Armitages were also involved in tobacco, maize and cattle farming in Zimbabwe, where they were based on three separate farms.
Geoff and Ann stood the successful sires Quintipor (by Kalydon), Nissr (Nijinsky II) and Goldkeeper (Mr Prospector), but later moved Goldkeeper down to Ceres, where he stood for a few seasons at the Cheveley Stud.
Geoff’s son James, and his wife Joy, are currently based at Sandown Stud, home today of stallions, Soqrat (AUS) and Pathfork (USA). Nigel Dorward said: “One of Mother Nature’s
finest gentlemen. Inspiring, generous, competitive and loyal, Geoff Armitage will be greatly missed.”
Geoff Armitage is survived by his wife Ann, daughter Katherine, son James, and six grandchildren.
Our condolences and sympathies are extended to his family and friends.
Rest in peace Geoff – your legacy lives on in Southern African breeding and racing.
Sandown Stud | Credit: Supplied
T R A I NER S Name
J O CK E YS results up to: 2025-07-23
Mr
19,912,406 11,284,569 9,446,219 6,706,188 8,611,719 30,162,116 15,371,085 14,697,906 11,457,969 11,311,181
27,175,188 23,369,475 11,232,031 8,946,563 34,770,135 36,179,269 32,942,560 19,045,234 14,629,413
32,512,939 27,045,475 16,647,353 13,339,761 BREEDERS
S I RE S
36,206,777 26,384,391 19,891,758 17,963,163 17,298,353
