On the cover
James Crawford stable assistant Tim Woodruff draws the pole position gate for Hollywoodbets Durban July defending champion Oriental Charm, at the field unveiling function on Tuesday. Read more on page 6.
THE STAGE IS SET FOR 5 JULY!
The Final Field for the running of the 129th Hollywoodbets Durban July was revealed on Tuesday Credit: Candiese Lenferna
A capacity nationally representative field for the 129th renewal of the R5 million Hollywoodbets Gr1 Durban July was unveiled by Race Coast at the Theatre Of Champions on Tuesday morning.
Defending champion Oriental Charm, now in the care of young James Crawford, saddling his first July runners for his own account, returns to defend his crown and heads the weights, carrying 60kgs alongside two hometown challengers in See It Again and Gladatorian.
Justin Snaith bids for his sixth Hollywoodbets Durban July victory and saddles a trio, headed by the champion 3yo Eight On Eighteen, with Andrew Fortune riding Okavango and Tristan Godden getting a big opportunity on the highest-rated one-time winner in South Africa, Native Ruler, who pulled the widest gate of 18.
Eight On Eighteen’s participation in the great race has been a talking point for two months, with the connections keeping the public on a knife-edge until the final unveiling on Tuesday. It seems that there were concerns from the trainer about exposing the young galloper to the rough-andtumble of the Durban July, versus going the more ‘slam dunk’ route of the Gr1 Champions Cup at the end of the season.
Eight On Eighteen is owned in partnership by July-winning owner Nic Jonsson and businessman Johann Rupert, who has owned few horses and
gets a big opportunity to win a race that is on the bucket list of every owner, trainer, breeder and jockey countrywide.
Were he to win, Eight On Eighteen, who jumps from the 11 gate, is likely to surpass Sea Cottage’s 11-10 odds when winning the Durban July in 1967.
SA Champion jockey Richard Fourie will partner Eight On Eighteen and bids for his personal fourth trophy in the 2200m contest, having won it in dramatic fashion on Legislate (2014), Do It Again (2019) and Belgarion (2020). All of Fourie’s winner have been for Snaith.
While the iconic Syd Laird leads the honour boards with 7 Durban July winners, Snaith and Mike de Kock are both in line for a sixth, which would place them in the heady realm of the late great Terrance Millard.
Mike and Mat de Kock saddle the lightly exposed 3yo Immediate Edge, who galloped into the big race picture with an eyecatching win in the Gr3 Jubilee Stakes. He will be ridden by Callan Murray, who has just returned from a stint in Australia.
Former dual SA champion jockey Warren Kennedy, who has established his national champion credentials in his new home of New Zealand returns to ride Confederate for Fabian Habib. Kennedy is yet to win the July, having had his first ride in 2004 on the unplaced 100/1 shot Cousin John.
Candice Bass-Robinson, who became the first lady trainer to saddle a July winner when Marinaresco won in 2017, will be pleased that her Gr3 Final Fling Stakes winner Rainbow Lorikeet made the cut and enjoys the honour of being the only filly in the line-up. She also pulled a competitive 7 draw.
Rainbow Lorikeet is owned by Zac Bloch’s Yuppie
Syndicate and one imagines travel plans to fly out from London are being made as we speak. Interestingly, Querari’s daughter Rainbow Lorikeet is out of Nightingale, who ran fourth in the year that Marinaresco won, and was also Candice’s first Grade 1 winner.
Gqeberha star Bold Silvano won the July in 2011, and Alan Greeff makes the coastal journey with the exciting My Best Shot, who will jump from the 9 draw.
The big race selection panel were left with 24 entries after the scratching of the Snaith trio of Underworld, Magic Verse and Future Swing on Monday.
Trainer Justin Snaith saddles 3 in the big race | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Jockey Tristan Godden has been booked to ride Native Ruler | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
The official public gallops will be held at 06h30 for 07h00 on Thursday 26 June at Hollywoodbets Greyville. All are welcome for a coffee and pastry and the Winning Form will be on sale!
In the next 11 days there will be plenty of discussion and stories to be told. Enjoy the ride with us!
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer draws barrier 5 for The Real Prince | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
JULY BROTHERHOOD
Happy with a 3 gate! Glen Kotzen chats to Vinga Media’s Tawanda Taravinga at the final field announcement on Tuesday Candiese Lenferna
Glen and Nathan Kotzen are set to write their own page in the colourful history of the Hollywoodbets Durban July as brothers who have saddled runners in the same year in the big race.
Paarl-based Glen, who won the Durban July in 2009 with Big City Life, has On My Honour carrying the Woodhill Racing flag, while Summerveld resident Nathan saddles his hardknocking Gr1 soldier Royal Victory in the 129th renewal on Saturday 5 July.
The Sporting Post picked some seasoned racing brains to research when last two brothers had runners in the July together, and it was that mine of historical racing information Charles Laird, who came out tops and recalled the 1971 Durban July.
Charles’s Dad Russell won the 1971 Met with Night Off (Robbie Thompson), who went on to run just out of the money behind Mazarin (Bert Hayden) in the 1971 Durban July.
Mazarin was trained by Russell’s legendary brother Syd Laird, who holds the all-time of record of 7 Durban July winners.
“I remember the 1971 Met and July well. I was in boarding school as a 13-year-old and our teachers asked me to tip them a Met winner.
I went with my Dad’s other horse Adam’s Apple, who was owned by him and ridden
by Domingo D’Allende. Unfortunately, I got it wrong and wasn’t popular,” he laughed.
The brother-brother feat was repeated in 1974 when George Azzie’s Riboville (Martie Schoeman) won the Durban July, with Syd Laird’s Yataghan (Bert Hayden) third and Russell Laird’s Aegean (Herbie Lasker) in seventh.
Justin Snaith and Mike de Kock (now in partnership with son Mat), are on 5 Durban July winners each, and could draw level with the late Terrance Millard who won 6.
Beyong the Kotzens, brothers training in SA at the same time in the modern era include the likes of Gareth and Chesney van Zyl,
Syd Laird leads Mazarin (Bert Hayden) with owner Mrs Tenderini after the 1971 Durban July win | Credit: Supplied
Reza and Riaan van Reenen, Garth and Glen Puller, and Mike and Pat Riley. Are there any we have missed?
As always, any of our (probably more senior) readers who can add value to the facts, are welcome to post a comment by clicking here.
Royal Victors? Royal Victory drew 17 and here Nathan Kotzen and owner Peter Victor strategise a plan ahead of the big day | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
THE GLITTER AND THE GALLOP
There’s something magical about the world of horseracing that has always drawn a certain kind of person, especially those who love speed, style, and a bit of drama.
Now and then, celebrities get hooked too — buying horses, placing bets, soaking up the thrill of the track, and sharing their experiences on social media.
The presence of celebrities in racing can attract new fans and opens doors to broader audiences, especially younger ones.
Bobbie and Sophie Flay at the races | Credit: Sophie Flay on Instagram
Just as importantly, their investment and passion can inspire others to follow suit, injecting much-needed new blood.
Let’s take a look at some of the famous names across the globe who have found a special place in their hearts for horse racing, and why greater celebrity involvement should be encouraged in South Africa.
The British Royal Family and Arabian sheikhs have long had deep-rooted ties to horse racing, but it’s the movie stars, television
personalities, and sporting greats who wield real influence in capturing the public’s imagination.
Perhaps the most prominent celebrity racehorse owner of recent times is US TV
chef Bobbie Flay, who grew up attending Saratoga and Belmont race meetings and started buying racehorses in the early 2000s.
His first horse was Sophie’s Salad, named after his daughter. She was a good looker and while she never won a race, earned
Michael Owen at Manor House Stables | Credit: Manor House Stables
black-type status finishing third in a stakes contest.
Flay’s first big winner was More Than Real, who took the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, followed by 2016 Belmont Stakes champion, Creator, in which he was a minority partner.
A keen pedigree student, he bred Pizza Bianca, another Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner in 2021.Flay also last year
bought a share in the Aga Khan’s Dubawi stallion, Zarak.
An industry leader, Flay serves on the board of the New York Racing Association and earned an award for Thoroughbred retirement advocacy. He hosts fundraising events and supports non-profit organisations including the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.
Steven Spielberg, the Oscar-winning movie director of blockbusters such as E.T, Indiana
Odwa Ndungane with Isivunguvungu, flanked by Peter Muscutt (L) and Graham Motion | Credit: Hollywoodbets
Jones and Schindler’s List, co-owned Atswhatimtalkingabout, who ran fourth in the 2003 Kentucky Derby. He is also a shareholder in Biscuit Stables, Delaware.
Another film-maker, South African-born Gary Barber, former chairman and CEO of the MGM Group and co-founder of Spyglass Media, was responsible for dozens of top box office titles including Seabiscuit, Ace Ventura and Robocop.
He owned 2014 Canadian Horse Of The Year Lexie Lou and 2019 Preakness Stakes winner, War Of Will. He has also raced many runners in South Africa and Australia with Larry Nestadt, including Grade 1 stars Carnadore, Irish Flame and Russian Sage.
Their partnership still races locally and in Australia. Barber and Team Valor had a runner at Royal Ascot earlier this week.
Actress Elizabeth Banks, who starred in Seabiscuit, is a former Breeders Cup Ambassador. She has been a racetrack regular since the age of 10 and she said about big racing events: “I love the pageantry, the traditions, the clothes. It’s a magical place.”
Other prominent US celebrities who enjoy the sport and have raced in their own and partnership capacities include actors Jack Nicholson and Kevin Costner, musician MC Hammer and Olympic Gold Medalist, Bode Miller. Madonna, the Material Girl herself, has owned several racehorses and is known to make appearances at racing events to support them .
In the UK, Manchester United’s celebrated manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, is a lifelong racing fan. He started buying thoroughbreds at the height of his career and struck gold early as a member of the partnership who owned seven-time Group 1 winner, Rock Of Gibraltar.
More recently, he enjoyed big wins with Clan Des Obeaux, a dual winner of the King George VI Chase, and Protektorat, who placed in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Sir Alex’s involvement in both flat and jumps racing has made him one of the most visible celebrity owners in the UK. Another regular racegoer is former Tottenham Hotspur manager, Harry Redknapp.
Not far behind the Manchester United legend in popularity is former England
striker Michael Owen, who made a transition from scoring goals to breeding and racing thoroughbreds.
In 2006, he founded Manor House Stables, a state-of-the-art training facility that has been home to several top-class horses, initially under trainer Tom Dascombe, and more recently with Hugo Palmer.
With between 50-70 horses currently in training, Owen has also launched the Michael Owen Racing Club, offering fractional ownership to members at under £100 a month.
Owen likes to give his horses names that mean something to him personally. He also wants them to be catchy—like Brown Panther, named after his childhood teddy bear. Brown Panther won the 2015 Dubai Gold Cup.
In a 2024 interview, Owen said that public interest in his racing club has never been higher. “It’s really positive. I am ballsy,” he noted.
VENGI’S GOING PLACES
South Africa’s newest fully-fledged racehorse trainer hopes to saddle his first runners in a matter of weeks and is ‘beyond excited’ at the prospect of working as a member of one of South Africa’s leading teams.
It’s been a whirlwind 21 years since Vengi Masawi arrived in South Africa from Zimbabwe in 2004 on a successful feature raid as the Groom of Lisa Harris’ Triple Crown winner Earl Of Surrey, a versatile equine athlete, who also won Grade 1 sprints in an illustrious career.
Vengi told the Sporting Post on Tuesday that he enjoyed his South African trip so much that he ‘rushed back’ when an opportunity came.
“I worked for Gary Alexander for a few weeks at Turffontein before joining another former Zimbabwean, Sharon Patterson, at her spelling facility near Randjesfontein. After a while Mrs Patterson felt that I would do well in a big racing stable and she spoke to Diane de Kock. In 2007 she got me the job as a stable employee working alongside Mrs De Kock and their two-year-olds, which are prepped before full training and has always been separate from their main yard.”
Talking to us after the news had broken of his appointment to head the Hollywood Racing operation at the scenic Ashburton training centre near Pietermaritzburg, an emotional Vengi recounted the ‘wonderful’ people that had believed
in him and created the opportunities along the way that led to his current appointment.
“I have so many people to acknowledge. From Mr Anthony Delpech, the De Kock family, Mr Owen Heffer, and Trevor Brown, and all the team members along the way. A racing stable can never be a one man show, and the guy at the top is only as good as the sum total of the team effort,” he added.
Former SA Champion jockey Anthony Delpech, who is Manager of the Hollywood Racing operation, said that Vengi had been with their team since September 2024
“I have known Vengi for a long time from my days as stable jockey to Mike de Kock. He is a fantastic horseman and a thorough gentleman. He also has a passion for horses and for racing, and he will make a call to Mike (de Kock) or myself, to consult. He is always willing to learn, and I believe that he and Megan Trott will make a great team.”
As Anthony indicated, the 45-year-old Vengi joined Hollywood Racing as an Assistant Trainer based at their beautifully revamped pre-training and recovery facility at the Ashburton complex outside of
Pietermaritzburg.
Born and raised in Zimbawe, Vengi was educated at the Rusununguka Secondary School outside of Harare.
He spent much of his teenage years on the Woodleigh Stud Farm in East Mashonaland, where his father worked as a mechanic.
The farm was owned by Dubbles Draper, who was married to Graham Carey, the grandfather of Ridgemont Stud’s Craig Carey. The great Ipi Tombe, bred by Peter Moor, was born in the same region.
The early seeds of horsemanship were planted at Woodleigh where Vengi soaked everything up like a sponge and assisted with mare coverings on the farm. There were times, he concedes, when he ran away from school to be with horses.
Vengi met businessman Brian Makwabarara, who is well known in Zimbabwe and South Africa as an auctioneer and racehorse owner.
Brian assisted Vengi in securing a job at Borrowdale Park, where he joined then champion trainer Lisa Harris at the height of her success.
Venga credits Lisa with much of his foundation knowledge of stable management and treatment of injuries. He rode work and handled her top horses Double Bluff, Divine Wisdom and Zimbabwean champion Earl Of Surrey – a horse that was to change his life!
After joining the De Kock team assisting with their 2yo’s, Vengi moved to the main stable after veterinarian Dr Terry Casey was impressed with the way he bandaged and treated an injured runner.
“Dr Casey asked, ‘who did this, it is very well done’ and he mentioned it to Mr. De Kock. I applied my
A proud Vengi Masawi is now a licenced trainer | Credit: JC Photos
knowledge and experience from Zimbabwe and that day it paid off.”
Against the background of De Kock’s travels around the world, the extent of Vengi’s duties grew as he worked closely with erstwhile assistant trainer John Buckler and became a stalwart in the stable.
Diane de Kock enrolled him at the Summerhill School Of Excellence in 2012, where he studied under Heather Morkel with the guidance of Mick Goss’s renowned multiple championship-winning team. Vengi fondly recalls the experience of learning.
“We worked in teams, there was obviously a lot of academic work aside from the physical work with stallions, mares and foals and it was a priceless experience. We were each assigned a group of mares, my team leader was the exceptional Denali Mtshali and I was lucky to get the grey mare Jordie.
She was the first to foal down with a colt they named Rabada. He became a champion and a stallion, and I am proud to this day of being the only graduate at the time to deliver what would later be a stallion!”
“Mathew was a teacher to me. He’d draw up a list of questions from Australia and then mark my answers and discuss them afterwards until I was ready. I am so happy that Mat has come home!”
Vengi also enjoyed working with jockeys Anthony Delpech, Callan Murray and Randall Simons and said they were like brothers to him in the stable.
“Callan (Murray) actually bought my wedding ring when I got married in Zimbabwe,” recalls Vengi with a smile.
Due to his knack with problematic horses, Vengi was asked to assist with the temperamental star Igugu, who needed two handlers to lead her in the parade ring and elsewhere. He also worked closely with horse behaviour therapist Malan du Toit, whose help was called in after another tricky customer Hawwaam’s controversial scratching at the start of the 2018 Durban July.
At the time, Mat de Kock suggested that Vengi apply for an Assistant Trainers licence and helped him with the various test questions ahead of his written examination.
“I learnt a great deal from Malan, he is very good. We discovered that Hawwaam preferred being led into the stalls from his front side, so I’d take him by the reins and walk backwards into the stalls and then I’d crawl out and away from underneath the pens. I was going to join the horse when he was moved to the UK, but he was injured and returned
here to stud. We’re all looking forward to see his progeny on the tracks. He was a top horse.”
While Hawwaam was the best he’d worked with, Vengi also has fond memories of Majmu, Soqrat and Triple Crown winner Malmoos.
Mike de Kock labelled Vengi ‘an excellent, intelligent horseman with people skills’.
“These attributes give him a bright future in racing. He’s been a big asset to our yard, having progressed through the ranks. We are truly proud that he is now a trainer in his own right.”
Vengi has two school-going daughters of 13 and 6 and tells us that his wife sadly passed away during covid-19 in 2021.
“Thanks to the wonderful support of caring people like Mrs Diane de Kock, my daughters go to an excellent school in Johannesburg and are looked after by my sister. But I am very aware that they are growing up fast and need a father figure. I miss them terribly and am planning to try and bring them to live under the same roof as me. There are some good schools here in Pietermaritzburg.”
Good luck, Vengi!
BEFORE YOU BID… A
Held 48 hours before the 129th renewal of the R5 million Hollywoodbets Gr1 Durban July, the KZN Yearling Sale will draw buyers from across South Africa.
Champion Quid Pro Quo was offered for sale at the 2023 KZN Yearling Sale, and bought back for just R60 000 by her breeder.
This season’s high-class two-year-olds Charming Cheetah and Quickstepgal are both graduates of the 2024 sale.
The KZN Yearling Sale is set to take place at the lavish Suncoast Casino in Durban on 3 July The auction will commence at 10h00 on Thursday 3 July and promises once again to prove very popular.
Many of the country’s top farms have drafts on offer, while prominent stallions represented in this catalogue include Fire Away, Gimmethegreenlight, Master Of My Fate, New Predator, One World, Querari, Rafeef, Vercingetorix, and What A Winter.
The Sprint is interactive - enjoy our lot-bylot snapshot in sire alpha order
ASCOT ROYAL FAMILIES!
Ascot Stud is famed for the quality of broodmares which reside there.
The farm is home to mares hailing from some of the very best thoroughbred families in the world. Some of the families will be represented at the 2025 KZN Yearling Sale, where Ascot Stud will be offering six yearlings, with resident sires Global View and Heavenly Blue responsible for all six lots.
A few potential standouts include:
By the same sire as smart performers Truth, Three Rocks and Zinovi, this colt is a half or full brother to four winners. His dam Al Bella
Lot 5: Dear Doc c Heavenly Blue -Al Bella
Ascot Resident Global View – sire of SA Horse Of The Year, Dave The King | Credit: Pauline Herman
is a full-sister to the dam of Listed World Pool With Tabgold Darley Arabian winner Get Impressed and three-parts sister to champion sire Captain Al.
Lot 106: Silva Streaker c Heavenly Blue -Kwacha
Out of a stakes placed daughter of the increasingly successful broodmare sire Tiger Ridge, this colt’s granddam is a half-sister to three graded stakes winners led by multiple G1 winning champion Arabian Lass. Further back, this is also the female line of G1 Cape Racing Presents The Cape Guineas winner Russian Rock and international sensations, Minding, Henry Longfellow and Vaguely Noble.
Lot
By the same sire as Horse Of The Year Dave The King and the charismatic Global Drummer, this filly is out of a winning half-sister to the stakes placed Gimmethegreenback. From the same family as New Zealand champion Uncle Remus, this filly also hails from the same family as classic winners Mesa and Faraway.
This draft can be found in Blocks D and E at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
143: Hazel f Global View -Peanut Butter
BEAUTIES BLACK SWAN
Black Swan Stud will be offering two beautifully bred fillies at the upcoming KZN Yearling Sale.
Sired by Elusive Fort and Master Of My Fate, both fillies hail from powerful families, and both yearlings have plenty of paddock value.
Lot
71: f Master Of My Fate - Field Flower
This filly shares her inform stallion with current stars Atticus Finch (Gr1 Betway Summer Cup), Golden Palm (Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Nursery), and Anotherdanceforme
(Listed Dahlia Plate, Listed East Cape Fillies Nursery). From the same female line as legendary racehorse and sire Bold Ruler, this half-sister to Gr1 Sun Met runner up and sire Last Winter is out of the Silvano sired
Gr1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas winner Field Flower. She is a strong, well proportioned type who walks well and with purpose. She is hard to fault on conformation.
Black Swan boss Peter de Beyer – looking forward to sale | Credit: Supplied
Lot 172: f Elusive Fort - Silvan Star
Champion Elusive Fort has sired a plethora of good horses, including G1 Vodacom Durban
July/Gr1 World Sports Betting Cape Town Met winning sire Kommetdieding. This filly is out of Gr3 Final Fling Stakes winner, and equine millionaire, Silvan Star, a three-parts sister to July winning champion Bold Silvano. She is
strong, correct and a good active walker, with a well proportioned body. A deep chest and a strong, sloping shoulder make her an eye catching prospect.
These two fillies can be found in Block D at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
TO BOWL THEM OVER RABADA QUARTET BLOOMHILL’S
The well performed Rabada looks set to be well represented at the 2025 KZN Yearling Sale.
One of the best horses of his generation, and a grandson of the legendary stallion Storm Cat, Rabada won five of ten starts with his victories including wins in both the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes and Gr1 Daily News 2000 (a race won previously by the likes of Dynasty and Vercingetorix).
From limited opportunities, Rabada has come up with a host of useful winners including Soldier’s Eye, Ermelo, Honorable Member, Addabar and Zatara Magic.
Bloomhill Stud will be offering four yearlings by Rabada at this year’s KZN Yearling Sale.
Lot 22 – (f) Rabada ex Bindella
A half-sister to four winners including the stakes placed Waka Waka, this filly is out of a three-time winning daughter of Jallad and her granddam is a daughter of former champion sire Green Dancer.
Lot 52 – (c) Rabada ex Deep River Woman
This colt’s dam won twice, and his high-class third dam is very closely related to the dam of multiple Australian champion sire Snitzel.
Lot 124– (f) Rabada ex Me Time
Out of a Gr3 placed daughter of multiple champion sire Gimmethegreenlight, this filly hails from the same family as such Gr1 winners as Royal Meeting, Van Halen and Rock Opera.
Lot 175 – (c) Rabada ex Sols Gold
A half-brother to a multiple winner, this colt is out of a four-time winning own-sister to Gr3 Fillies Mile runner up I Like It and half-sister to Gr3 winner Lady Magpie.
These four yearlings can be viewed from Block F at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
ON A CLEAR DAY…
Blue Sky Thoroughbreds will be presenting a large and imposing draft at the upcoming KZN Yearling Sale.
One of the most striking things about this string is the quality of stallion represented here. From such top-class stallions as Fire Away, New Predator, One World, and Querari, to promising young stallion Chimichuri Run, Blue Sky Stud’s consignment offers something for every budget.
Brilliant Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint winner Chimichuri Run has some very well-bred members of his first crop in this draft. Sunday Seventh, a winning half-sister to globetrotting champion Jay Peg, has a Chimichuri Run filly (Lot 186) on offer, as does Rich Man’s Gold mare Water Is Gold (Lot 205)
The latter is the dam of five winners led by G3 Strelitzia Stakes winner Neptune’s Rain.
Other attractive sorts by Chimichuri Run on offer include the colt (Lot 136) out of smart racemare Nikiya and the filly (Lot 173) out of Silvano’s six-time winning daughter Silver Inspiration.
The increasingly successful One World is the
sire of a colt (Lot 171) whose dam won six and ran third in the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes, while another top stallion, Querari, has three on offer including a filly (Lot 69) out of a four-time winning daughter of Kahal and stakes winning Silvano mare Silver Fantasy.
Quid Pro Quo was an exceptional champion at two, and Blue Sky will be offering two threeparts sisters to that star filly at the KZN Sale.
Miss Charisma (Lot 51) is a daughter of Lance and Quid Pro Quo’s Listed Ruffian Stakes winning half-sister Daring Diva, while fellow Lance filly Certainlydifferent (Lot 150) is out of another half-sister to that Equus Champion.
Blue Sky Thoroughbreds KZN Yearling Sale draft can be found in Blocks B and C at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
BEST ON OFFER! BOLAND
These are just a few of the top-class horses offered by Boland Stud at past renewals of the KZN Yearling Sale. Eugene Freeman will be bringing another highquality draft to the 2025 sale, with Boland’s string including yearlings sired by Fire Away, Gimmethegreenlight, Hawwaam, Malmoos, Querari and Rafeef.
Multiple champion sire Gimmethegreenlight is represented here by a colt (Lot 46) whose first three dams are all black type performers. A half-brother to the useful Twenty Drachma’s, this colt is out of the stakes winning Querari mare Dagmar.
Dagmar’s top-class sire Querari has four yearlings on offer. His quartet includes a fullbrother (Lot 64) to the brilliant Cruise Control, a colt (Lot 141) out of a stakes placed daughter of Captain Al, and a filly (Lot 122) out of a winning half-sister to Listed Oaks Trial winner Chariot Of Gold.
The increasingly successful Rafeef is another
top-class stallion represented in Boland’s KZN string. The former G1 Computaform Sprint is responsible for a filly (Lot 45) out of a stakes placed daughter of Var, with this filly bred on the same Rafeef/Var cross as Gr1 winning sires Master Archie and Thunderstruck. Rafeef, whose top-class daughter Frances Ethel was sold at the 2022 KZN Yearling Sale, is also the sire of a colt (Lot 179) out of Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery winner Springs Of Carmel.
Other appealing lots to be found here include the Malmoos half-sister (Lot 144) to the promising Dark Matter and the Fire Away colt (Lot 207) who was produced by the Var sired Listed In Full Flight Handicap winner Wishful Eye.
This draft can be found in Blocks F and G at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
TAKE A VIEW!
Classy gelding Global Drummer proved to be a real star in the Eastern Cape.
The son of Global View, and 2019 National Sale purchase, won six of his first seven starts, with Global Drummer’s winning streak including triumphs in all of the Listed East Cape Nursery, Listed Dahlia Plate, Listed Champion Juvenile Cup and Listed Racing Association Stakes.
The gelding won 15 of 26 starts with Global Drummer banking more than R820 000 in prize money.
Heuningsfontein Stud will be offering a Global View filly (Lot 105), Perfect Sparkler, bred on similar lines to the wonderful Global Drummer at this year’s KZN Yearling Sale.
This filly, who also shares her sire with champion Dave The King, is like Global Drummer out of a mare by a Mr Prospector line horse, with Perfect Sparkler sporting an 11-time winner as her second dam.
Leon Lotz is very upbeat on this filly, and he had the following comments to make about her: “She is a well-balanced, athletic and speedy looking. This filly is bred on similar lines to Global Drummer.”
This filly can be found in Block F at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
QUALITY COUNTS! KLAWERVLEI
Klawervlei Stud, South Africa’s champion breeders on numerous occasions, will be offering a top-class draft at this year’s KZN Yearling Sale.
Remarkably, each yearling offered in this string was sired by a Gr1 winning stallion, with the likes of Malmoos, Querari, Rafeef and Twice Over all represented here.
The increasingly successful Rafeef has three yearlings on offer, including Star Galaxy (Lot 138), a filly out of a winning full-sister to Gr3 winner
Sovereign Spirit, and a colt (Lot 200) whose dam, a winning daughter of outstanding sire Uncle Mo, hails from the same female line as current stars
Henri Matisse and Mon Petit Cherie (the latter sired by Rafeef).
The ever consistent Querari, whose flagbearers include this season’s Gr1 Wilgerbosdrift H F
Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes winner Cosmic Speed, has two regally bred yearlings on offer.
Captivating, whose dam is a half-sister to three North American graded stakes winners including champion sire Philanthropist, has a Querari filly (Lot 31) on sale, while Perfectproportions, a twicewinning own-sister to champion and outstanding sire Vercingetorix, has a colt (Lot 145) by Querari on sale.
Other attractive prospects on offer include the Malmoos filly (Lot 37), whose three-time winning dam is a half-sister to Gr1 S A Classic winner
Pierre Jourdan, and the Twice Over colt You Made Me Look (Lot 109). The latter is a colt from the immediate family of champions Kayf Tara and Opera House, with You Made Me Look’s fourth dam Gr1 Irish Oaks winner Colorspin.
This string can be viewed from Block D at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
AN IMPRESSIVE HISTORY RIVERTON
Riverton Stud have consistently produced top-class horses, and their record at the KZN Yearling Sale is an impressive one.
Among the high-class performers sold by Riverton in KZN are the likes of Al Mariachi, Pearl Of Asia and Same Jurisdiction.
Duncan Barry will be offering two smart colts at this year’s KZN Yearling Sale, with this pair including a half-brother to the aforementioned Gr1 Mercury Sprint winner Pearl Of Asia.
Duncan Barry and Robbie Hill at Suncoast a year ago | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Duncan had the following comments to make about his KZN Sale draft:
Lot 9: c Horizon ex Asiatic Pearl
By Silvano’s close relative Horizon, this colt is a halfbrother to three winners including Mercury Sprint winner Pearl Of Asia. His third dam is G1 Arc-En-Ciel Paddock Stakes winner Perfect Order. He is a big, strong, well-balanced colt!
Lot 55:c Malmoos ex Durban Bourbon
By Triple Crown winner Malmoos (whose yearlings averaged over R530 000 at this year’s National Sale), this three-parts brother to the classy One More is from the same family as such Gr1 winners as Bavarian Beauty, Lucky Lad and VJ’s Angel. This is a high quality, good walking colt!
These two colts can be found in Block D at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
SUPER SIX SUMMERVIEW’S
Summerview Stud, long term supporters of the KZN Yearling Sale, will be offering a very smart string at the 2025 Durban auction.
The Summerveld based farm will be offering six yearlings at this year’s KZN Yearling Sale, with their draft made up of yearlings sired by Chimichuri Run, Futura, Hawwaam, and Soqrat.
Champion and triple Gr1 winner Soqrat, whose progeny include 2025 Listed World Sports Betting Sledgehammer winner I Salute You and the classy filly Sohot Sowhat, has three lots on offer.
So Indi (Lot 98) is a filly out of Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes winner Indi Anna, while Crimson Clover (Lot 114) is a colt whose granddam is Gr2 The Nursery winner Spring Clover. Soqrat is also the sire of a filly (Lot 11) from the immediate family of such Gr1 winners as Follow The Falcon, On Her Toes, Querari Falcon and Savannah Queen.
Joy N Hope (Lot 103) is a Futura colt out of a stakes placed daughter of Vercingetorix, while champion Hawwaam is responsible for Just Carter (Lot 107). The latter is out of a three-time winning half-sister to the dam of millionaire Cartel Captain.
Last, but not least, is the Chimichuri Run filly Tears Of The Sun (Lot 183), with this filly’s granddam a half-sister to champion Damasco.
This draft can be found in Block B at the Suncoast Casino in Durban.
DANON PLATINA’S GREY SHOWS COURAGE ALL THE WAY!
A springboard for top horses over the decades, the R500 000 Gr3 Langerman throws up its share of drama and Saturday’s renewal stayed true to form with an objection by the rider of the 50-1 runner-up giving the Snaith team some nervous post-race moments.
Won last year by the current Hollywoodbets Durban July newsmaker Eight On Eighteen in a race scarred by the shock withdrawal by of the 5-10 favourite One Stripe due to elevated TCO2 levels, Saturday’s Langerman result went to the Stipes boardroom.
Muzi Yeni drives the grey Absolutely Yes to victory as Pay The Palace (Corne Orffer) threatens down the inside Credit: Chase Liebenberg
Seven quality two-year-olds went to post after news that the unbeaten and well-supported Happy Verse fell on being saddled. That would not have inspired confidence in the handsome son of Vercingetorix’s supporters. He was passed fit by the Vet but failed to produce anything. His modest effort could also be attributed to the going and we hope that he bounces back.
In the race itself, Muzi Yeni rode the least fancied of the Snaith quartet in recent Listed Somerset 1200 winner Absolutely Yes, who made every inch of the running on the testing ground.
Going into the final 250m, Absolutely Yes bumped the Piet Steyn-trained 50-1 shot Pay The Palace (Corne Orffer) on his inside. Yeni kept riding with his crop in his right hand and held a 0,40 length advantage to the line, with the handsome grey clocking 93,56 secs for the 1500m.
Corne Orffer immediately lodged an objection on the grounds of interference on behalf of the runner-up. This was overruled, which one feels was the right call, despite the bump, an incident which may still see Yeni on the red carpet.
Exported star One Stripe’s Erik The Red halfbrother Vapour Trail (25-1) overshadowed his more fancied stablemate Dreamworld, who ran out of the money, with a cracking effort for third, a half length behind Pay The Palace.
Randolph Hearst (4-1) capped the quartet, a further 0,20 lengths back in fourth.
Clearly the underfoot conditions didn’t favour some, but the fairytale factor was underscored by the Steyn’s runner-up Pay The Palace, who cost only R70 000 at the Cape Yearling Sale – a black Friday special in terms of some of the bigticket flashy models around him.
An R800 000 National Yearling Sale graduate, Absolutely Yes, who races in the 2024 Hollywoodbets Durban July winning partnership of Greg Bortz, Gina Goldsmith and Leon Ellman, took his career statistics to date to 3 wins with a place from 5 starts and stakes of R606 376.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, the winner is a son of the Deep Impact stallion Danon Platina, Japan’s Champion 2YO Colt of 2014.
The winner is out of the five-time winning Tiger Ridge mare, Maybe Yes, a winner of the 2014 Gr2 KZN Fillies Guineas and also Gr1 placed in the Garden Province Stakes.
Part-owner Gina Goldsmith who selected the grey at sales leads in Absolutely Yes (Muzi Yeni) with Greg Bortz and the Snaith Team | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
RUMBLES! MARSHALL THUNDER
A Klawervlei-bred daughter of South Africa’s Champion Sire elect Vercingetorix, Ukuduma, a R2,6 million National Yearling Sale graduate, went all the way under a finely judged ride by Gavin Lerena to shade the well-supported Electromagnetism and win the R250 000 Listed Irridescence Stakes at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
With the sun winning the battle against a good few days of inclement weather, the underfoot conditions were testing but the results were not
rough and champion title chasers Gavin Lerena and Richard Fourie were two wins apiece, after the former rode a cracker here.
Gavin Lerena keeps Ukuduma at her task down the inside as Electromagnetic (Aldo Domeyer) flies late Credit: Chase Liebenberg
Only seven fillies lined up in the 1500m contest, and it was the Vaughan Marshall-trained Ukuduma who led the charge early from She’s My World and Take It As Red.
In the run for home, Ukuduma (5-1) kept up her gallop as Aldo Domeyer switched the tote favourite Electromagnetism (15-10) out for her run at the 300m.
While Electromagnetism was eating up the ground,and looked set to make it three on the
trot, Ukuduma held on gamely to beat her a short head in a time of 94,24 secs.
She’s My World (5-2) stayed on for third a further 1,75 lengths back. The rest were well beaten.
Gavin Lerena admitted that he wanted to give Ukuduma a chance.
“She’s out of the gates so quickly, so we led. She’s not the biggest girl around, but she’s got a heart and she’s a trier,” he added.
A winning partnership – Vaughan Marshall and Gavin Lerena | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
A R2,6 million National Yearling Sale buy, the winner has two victories on the board for stakes of R198 813.
Raced by Mukund Gujadhur, Grant Knowles, John Koster, Lance and Delma Sherrell, Ukuduma was bred by Klawervlei Stud. A daughter of Vercingetorix (Silvano) she is out of
the top-class Thunder Dance, a dual Gr1 winning daughter of Jet Master. Ukuduma means ‘thunder’ in Zulu.
SNAITH’S GOOD FORTUNE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL
SA champion trainer Justin Snaith maintained his 100% record in the R650 000 KZN Breeders Mile when the Blue Sky Thoroughbreds bred 3yo Legal Counsel beat a wide gate under the guidance of the top-notch Andrew Fortune to win the headline feature on the local breeders annual raceday at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.
Snaith’s previous runner and winner in the non black-type KZN Breeders Mile was the Dynasty gelding Nexus, who won in the hands of Piere Strydom in 2022.
On Sunday, his winner was another son of a Durban July winner in the stable’s 2014 hero Legislate. His name is Legal Counsel and he looks progressive – winning rider Andrew
Andrew Fortune guides Legal Counsel to a smart win | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Fortune suggesting, ‘he’ll just about win again on Hollywoodbets Durban July day!’
Whether the top yard decide to run Legal Counsel in a fortnight will depend on how the gelding pulls up, but he didn’t have a particularly hard race on the day.
Brought across from his wide gate by the astute Fortune, Legal Counsel (2-1) stalked the pacesetter Go Grayson Go (14-1) all the way around and when asked the question in the straight, he stamped his authority to register a 1,40 length victory in a time of 97,92 secs.
Cherry Ano (7-2), regarded as the right horse by many pundits, had every chance but had to be content with second. His winning turn in the holiday province looks overdue.
Frikkie Greyling’s Go Grayson Go stayed on a further neck back in third, with the Highveld raider Soldier’s Eye capping the quartet.
Sean Tarry’s Dantonfromsandton plodded into fifth and 4,55 lengths off the winner, appearing not to stay the mile.
Always full of chirps, Andrew Fortune, who rode a double on the afternoon, paralleled the winner on horse to human terms with his colleague, Grant van Niekerk.
“He causes havoc wherever he goes, but he’s a proper horse,” added Fortune.
Full of praise for his staunch owners, Justin Snaith’s words that his team would be buying more KZN-bred horses would have been music to the ears of local breeders enjoying their day in the new-look Durban View Room.
Raced by Jonathan Bloch, Etienne Braun, Tony Cotterell, Jessica Koster, and the Stonebridge family, Legal Counsel was bred by Blue Sky Thoroughbreds and is a son of Dynasty stallion Legislate out of the twice-winning Silvano mare, Imperial Wish.
A R450 000 BSA August 2yo Sale purchase, Legal Counsel has won 4 of his 8 starts with 1 place to his credit and took his stakes bank to R653 639.
LOOKS WORTH FOLLOWING LEGAL COUNSEL
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 this week’s Time Is Money, we look at some of the performances of the past weekend and hopefully provide thoughts on a few ‘to follow’!
Hollywoodbets Greyville 22 June
Track
Condition
Going: Good (turf) –Standard (poly)
Penetrometer: 22 (turf)
Rain: Last 7 days Nil
Irrigation turf: Last 24 hours Nil –Last 7 days 25mm
False Rail turf: 8m
Wind: 5-20km/h North, North Easterly head wind
Course Variant: 0,83s slow (turf) –0,57s fast (poly)
KZN Breeders Mile (NBT) 1600m (turf)
There was no pace on in the early stages of the afternoon’s top liner, and then comfortably
running the slowest of the three races rounding the turn, this was clearly a very false paced affair. Indeed, Go Greyson Go drawn nine was soon at the head of affairs and the well supported favourite LEGAL COUNSEL (drawn 10) raced second. In what was a very tightly bunched field when the race developed into a sprint at the top of the straight, the son of Legislate quickened well and under just hands and heels took up the running 350m out. He ran on strongly in the closing stages of the race and under a typical ride from Andrew Fortune, he won much more easily than the official 1,4 lengths would suggest. Andrew spoke very highly of this horse after the race.
Maiden Juvenile Plates 1400m (turf)
The only other two events on the ten race program to be run on turf were both maiden juvenile plates over 1400m. Just 14/100th of a second separated the winners of these with the opener, contested by the boys, being
the quicker. The well supported favourite BLACKJACK RANDALL fairly flew out of the stalls and in next to no time was two lengths clear. This son of Danon Platina kept up a healthy gallop throughout, and running on strongly in the straight, he went on to score with authority by three and three quarters.
Clifton Stud KZN Breeders 1200
In what proved to be by far the faster of the two 1200m events on the poly, Tara Star registered her fifth career victory. Taken straight to the front by Richard Fourie, this daughter of Just As Well set honest sectionals throughout. She ran on strongly in the closing stages of the race and under a determined ride, held off a strong challenge from the always handy Silver Tudor by a half. Interestingly, this was Tara Star’s first start on the poly.
Fastest Times:
1200m poly (2) Tara Star 69,59
1400m poly (2) Poursomesugaronme 82,75
1400m turf (2) Blackjack Randall 86,18
400-finish turf Act Of Grace 23,21
400- finish poly The Gliding Fish 22,19
Hollywoodbets Kenilworth 21 June
Track Condition
Going: Soft (both tracks)
Penetrometer: 28 straight – 30 bend
Rain: Last 24 hours 2mm –Last 7 days 32,5mm
Irrigation: Last 7 days Nil
False Rail: Original position back straight: 1,5m spur at 460m
Wind: 10-18km/h North Westerly tail wind
Course Variant: 0,6s slow (straight) –0,44s slow (bend)
Gr3 Langerman 1500m
Topping the bill in the soft conditions on the winter course on Saturday was the Gr3 Langerman for 2yo’s, and here we saw a very gutsy performance from the Danon Platina gelding ABSOLUTELY YES. Taken straight to the front by Musi Yeni , Justin Snaith’s charge led throughout. He raced two lengths clear for most of the journey and rounding the turn had the field well strung out. The 50/1 rank outsider of the party Pay The Palace had raced second and when that one moved up to challenge 250m out, he looked a serious threat. Absolutely Yes answered every call on the run to the line though, and held on to score by just under a half. Interestingly, the fastest 400m to finish time in this race was recorded by the fourth placed Randolph Hearst and that despite choking up in running and later being reported as coughing by the vet. It is also worth noting that Randolph Hearst recorded the fastest 400m to finish time of the day when very narrowly beaten in his previous start. One to keep tabs on.
Irridescence Stakes (L) 1500m
Run in a time 0,68 seconds slower than that of the Langerman, the deposed favourite
UKUDUMA (2/1 to 5/1) made the running in the listed Irridecence Stakes. Determinedly taken straight to the front by Gavin Lerena, the daughter of Vercingetorix was allowed to dictate throughout even though the pace was not a strong one. She ran on well in the straight and 150m from home looked to have the field comfortably beaten. Running on from sixth position some four lengths off the pace though, was the heavily supported favourite Electromagnetism (7/2 into 15/10) and quickening particularly well below the distance, she only failed to get up on the nod.
Three 1400m Races
The opening maiden juvenile plate was the quickest of the three maiden events over 1400m and here victory went to the highly regarded STAR MAJOR. Backed into even money from 5/2 at the track, James Crawford’s charge raced fourth, some 3,5 lengths off a fair pace set by the friendless newcomer United Front (4/1 out to 16/1). United Front (troublesome loading) kept on strongly in the straight and at the line he had the rest comfortably beaten. Star Major meanwhile moved up smartly between the 400m and 200m, but was then faced with a tight gap between United Front and the inside running rail. Undeterred though, jockey Luyolo
Mxothwa bided his time and after bravely taking the gap below the distance they got up to score by a neck.
Quickies
Easily 8,5 lengths off the pace turning for home, the lightly raced Horizon filly APRICITY recorded the fastest 400m to finish time of the afternoon when runner up in the fillies division of the maiden juvenile plate over 1400m.
Running on from towards the rear, the 3yo daughter of One World MARITZBURG
MEMORY was fairly flying at the finish when getting up in the very last stride to win the quicker of the two 1200m events, a Class 4 for fillies & mares.
Fastest Times:
1000m (2) Dean Street
1200m (2) Maritzburg Memory 73,29
1400m (3) Star Major 87,32
1500m (2) Absolutely Yes 93,56
NO FUN FOR FORTUNE
It’s not often that a jockey is charged with two opposing of nature contraventions in the same race. That’s what happened to Andrew Fortune when he rode Fun Zone in the Listed Stormsvlei Stakes at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on 25 May.
Firstly, Fortune was charged with a contravention of Rule 58.10.2 (read with Guideline M on the use of the crop) in that as the rider of Fun Zone he misused his crop by striking her more than 12 times (14 in total) which was not warranted when considering the circumstances of the race. Fortune signed an admission of guilt and was fined R6 950 and suspended for 14 days (Dates: 06/07/2025 to 19/07/2025 both dates inclusive)
In the same race, Fortune was charged with a contravention of Rule 62.2.3 in that as the rider of
Fun Zone, he failed to ride his mount out to the end of the race to the satisfaction of the Stipendiary Stewards, thereby prejudicing his chances of obtaining second place.
Fortune signed an Admission of Guilt and was suspended for 21 days (Dates: 20/07/2025 to 09/08/2025 both dates inclusive).
Andrew Fortune signed an admission of guilt | Credit: Chase Liebenberg
WOODHILL DARLING GETS THE GOLD!
Paarl-based Glen Kotzen has enjoyed a vintage season campaigning tirelessly in three different centres and the Woodhill Racing boss was in the feature winner’s enclosure again at Fairview on Friday when the 3yo Sweetie Darling found extra under Chad Little to win the R150 000 East Cape Breeders Stakes (F&M).
With Ellorix dumping national log-leading apprentice Brevan Plaatjies at the gates and withdrawn, thirteen fairer sex gallopers jumped at the 1200m marker in the
non black-type feature, with Sahara Cat and Lovegrass leading the stamped early.
Chad Little gets low on Sweetie Darling, with 2nd and 3rd obscured, and 4th-paced Priscilla Maisey (Malesela Katjedi, blue cap) just making it into the photo | Credit: Pauline Herman
Into the final stages, it came down to a three-cornered tussle, with Little extracting a little more out of the game 40-1 Sweetie Darling to beat the year older Montelena (20-1) by a short head in a time of 71,26 secs.
The mare Gimme’s Lass (5-1) loomed dangerously late, but was a neck back in third, with the 33-1 Priscilla Maisey completing the quartet.
The top four finished with 0,65 lengths of each other.
The favourite Splicethemainbrace finished a 33 lengths last and must have gone wrong in running. We shall await the Stipes report.
A R150 000 Cape Yearling Sale purchase, the winner was bred by Patricia Devine Investments and is by
Royal Mo (Uncle Mo) out of the twice-winning Captain Al mare, Captain’s Darling.
Raced by Brendon and Ryan Fegen, Sweetie Darling has now won 4 races with 1 place from 13 starts for stakes of R435 913.
Up to this race riding honours were shared evenly, while Kelly Mitchley saddled a double.
The next Fairview racemeeting is on 27 June.
Chad Little, Juan Nel and Charlize Lotz celebrate the win | Credit: Pauline Herman
STIPES SOUND WARNING ON CROP TRANSGRESSIONS
The NHA’s Gqeberha Stipendiary Board have warned local rider Sandile Khathi that his transgressions of the crop misuse rule are becoming ‘untenable’ and if he is found to have contravened rule 58.10.2 (in conjunction with guideline M) in future engagements, a more stringent sanction would be considered.
Rule 58.10.2 states that no rider shall misuse a crop or use a crop in an unnecessary or excessive manner or use a crop on any part of a horse’s head . Riders are restricted to 12 strikes in a race.
After the running of the eighth race at Fairview on Friday, Khathi was charged with a contravention of Rule 58.10.2 (read with Guideline M on the use of the crop) in that as the rider of Makhachev he misused his crop
Sandile Khathi salutes on recent winner, Midway | Credit: Pauline Herman
by striking his mount 17 times (the limit is 12), which was not deemed warranted by the Stipes, when considering the circumstances of the race.
The 12-1 Makhachev was beaten a half length by Gimme More Time (Muzi Yeni) but finished a head in front of the 6-1 Master Forester (Richard Fourie).
The narrow margin and excessive use of the crop will have the Master Forester supporters pondering the justice of Makhachev keeping second spot. Our rules do not allow for an objection in this instance.
Khathi signed an admission of guilt and was fined R20 000, and suspended for seven days. His suspension dates from 21/06/2025 to 27/06/2025, both dates inclusive.
Chad Little rode a cracker to win the feature East Cape Breeders Stakes on Sweetie
Darling in a tight finish but the victory was dampened when he was also charged with a contravention of Rule 58.10.2 after he misused his crop by striking the filly one over the limit. This was deemed unwarranted when considering the circumstances of the race.
Little signed an admission of guilt and was fined R3 000.
Andrew Fortune appeared before the Board after the running of the fifth race and was questioned with regards to his riding of Bethel.
He explained that this gelding did not feel sound while proceeding to the start and did not stride out freely in running.
As a consequence, he did not persevere with his riding from the 500m.
Fortune was further questioned as to whether he had reported this matter to the Stipendiary Stewards.
He confirmed that he had not made a report. The top jockey’s attention was drawn to the rules pertaining to a Jockey being obligated to report any circumstances which, in his opinion, would affect the performance of his mount.
In view of the Veterinary Surgeon’s report regarding Bethel , this gelding is suspended in terms of Rule 49.7 and a Veterinary Certificate is required prior to racing.
A Jockey representative approached the Stipendiary Board with concerns after the second race regarding a patch on the course at approximately the 1000m. The Board contacted the Track Manager to address these concerns. An undertaking was given by the Track Manager to stamp the area concerned and level it in an attempt to avoid further complications.
A second concern, with regard to the gusting cross winds, was brought to the attention of the Board. The Jockeys were advised to race one off the rail and allow each other space to avoid any unforeseen situations which may arise.
After a power failure following the running of the second race, it was reported to the Stewards that the sweat box was not working. This matter was brought to the attention of the Racing Operator. As a result of this, no jockeys were sanctioned with regard to overweights on the afternoon.
SUSPENDED FORTUNE FINED &
The National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa (the NHA) confirms that at an Inquiry held in Durban on Monday, 23 June 2025, Jockey Andrew Fortune was charged with a contravention of Rule 62.2.2.
The particulars being that as the rider of CHERRY OH BABY, he failed to ride this horse in a competent and professional manner in Race 1 at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse on 7 May 2025.
Andrew Fortune – found guilty | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Jockey Fortune pleaded not guilty but was found guilty of the charge.
After considering the evidence presented, including testimony by trainer Mike de Kock, the Inquiry Board imposed a penalty of a suspension from riding in races for a period of twenty-eight (28) days, fourteen (14) of which are suspended for a period of one (1) year.
Further, a fine of R20 000 (twenty thousand rand) was imposed, of which R10 000 (ten thousand rand) is suspended for a period of one (1) year.
The penalty of a suspension and fine are conditional on Mr Fortune not being found guilty of a contravention of Rule 62.2.2, within the stipulated time frame.
Jockey Fortune has the right of appeal against both the finding and the penalty imposed.
Media release by the NHA on Monday, 23 June 2025 – additional reporting by SP Editorial Staff
GAYNOR RUPERT PATIENCE REWARDED… WHILE BARRY IRWIN’S PURPLE PATCH CONTINUES
Wasn’t it great to see South African-bred Distant Winter open her stateside campaign on a winning note late last week?
It was very much a case of patience rewarded, as the Drakenstein homebred returned to action 16 months after she had closed out her local career in the 2023 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Gr2 Golden Slipper at Hollywoodbets Greyville, where she finished fourth.
The reason for this lengthy absence? The daughter of What A Winter had been sidelined due to injury, according to Drakenstein owner Gaynor Rupert: “She cracked a hip and was in rehab for quite some time.”
Gaynor Rupert – enjoying success internationally | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Kudos to the veterinarians, as the filly showed no ill-effect of the injury with her exhilarating, latecharging victory at Delaware Park.
Her victory wasn’t the only cause for celebration this past weekend. On the final day of the Royal Ascot meeting, juvenile colt Thesecretadversary caught the eye with a fast-finishing second in the Listed Chesham Stakes.
Drakenstein’s British division Cayton Park Stud races and bred the colt in partnership with Coolmore.
A half-brother to the Irish stakes winner Too Soon To Panic, the Stack-trained colt is out of Oratorio’s Gr3 winning daughter Scream Blue Murder, who just happens to be a half-sister to the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint runner-up Gibraltar Blue. She was trained by Mike de Kock for Klawervlei Stud and won all of the Gr2 KRA Fillies Guineas, Gr2 Tibouchina, Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge, in addition to which she beat the boys in the Gr3 Joburg Spring Challenge. International racing outfit Team Valor, whose ties with South African racing go back a long way, was also in clover at the Royal meeting when Quai De Bethune hung
Gibraltar Blue – family connection wins at Ascot for Cayton Park | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
tough to win the Golden Gates Stakes on the final day’s undercard. Raced in partnership, the threeyear-old Persian King colt is trained by Andrew Balding.
If that wasn’t enough, Team Valor earned further bragging rights, with four-year-old filly Uluru claiming the Listed EBF Martin Molony Stakes across the Irish Sea at Limerick.
By Zoffany out of a Galileo mare, the Joseph O’Brien-trained four-year-old opened her stakes account in style to win the 2500m race by just
over a length. It was a well-deserved maiden stakes win for the filly, who already boasted small black type, courtesy of a second in the Gr3 Prix de Psyche and a third in the Listed Prix Charles Laffitte.
Team Valor is certainly having a fine time of it lately.
“We have won eight of our last 15 starts, it’s insane,” Team Valor founder and chief executive Barry Irwin enthused. When you’re hot, you’re hot!
Barry Irwin – enjoying the dazzling run | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
Barry also had news of champion filly Quid Pro Quo, who was purchased in a further sign of growing enthusiasm for South African bloodstock following the lifting of an EU travel ban.
“She is booked on a July 17 flight to France where she will be trained by Jerome Reynier,” he confirmed.
All going smoothly, the Lance filly will be targeted at next year’s Dubai Carnival, where it is hoped she will follow in the footsteps of former standout Team Valor purchases Ipi Tombe and Irridescence.
A champion at two and a dual Gr1 winner of the Allan Robertson Championship and Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes, Quid Pro Quo ran only twice at three this season. In her most recent start, she finished third behind Spumante Dolce and VJ’s Angel in the Wilgerbosdrift Gr2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas. Prior to that, she handed male rivals a 2,50-length drubbing in the Gr2 Betway Dingaans.
TVI acquisition Quid Pro Quo – will be trained in France by Jerome Rynier | Credit: Candiese Lenferna
ROYAL GR1 GLORY DOCKLANDS PIPS ROSALLION TO
Harry Eustace is now a Group 1-winning trainer after Docklands (14/1) edged out 5/2 favourite Rosallion in a thrilling finish to the Gr1 Queen Anne Stakes on Day on Tuesday.
Ascot specialist Docklands, who finished second in the meeting’s curtain-raiser 12 months ago and won the Britannia Stakes in 2023, challenged on the far side of the 10 runners, with Rosallion coming through on the near side.
Despite jockey Mark Zahra dropping his whip entering the final furlong, Docklands found plenty for pressure to deny Rosallion by a nose and make
amends for an unlucky defeat at Epsom Downs 10 days ago.
Runner-up Rosallion, winner of the Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes on this card last year, took a nice step forward from his third in the Gr1 Lockinge Stakes. Cairo (100/1) outran his odds in third for Alice Haynes, just edging out the unlucky Notable Speech.
Mark Zahra drives Docklands up to score a narrow win | Credit: Megan Coggin
Eustace said: “I have lost my voice, I am afraid; that was pretty sweet. It was tough watching, and the photo was tough. I wasn’t happy with the pace early on; Docklands did his usual thing, just stepped slow and I was cursing him to be honest, but he is just an absolute star.
“He has been an absolute legend for us and, if ever there was a track where you’d want a horse that’s a specialist, it’s here because it is the best racing. At about the furlong marker, I thought Rosallion was really coming at us, but God he was so brave that last furlong. He has been frustrating, but only because I feel he deserves to have won the odd race more than he has.
“In a curious way, he got trapped in a pocket and didn’t have a hard race at Epsom, and it probably just put him spot on. You have multiple Group 1 winners in there, Guineas winners from last year, and we’re the most exposed horse probably, but he loves the track which is a big plus.
“It sounds boring but the work and the effort that everyone at home puts into our horses, that is the reason we are here and I can’t thank them enough. More importantly, I can’t thank Terry [Henderson] and OTI enough. They got offered a huge amount of money after he won the Britannia, but they wanted to enjoy a good
racehorse and roll the dice, and thankfully it has paid off.
“That is mainly thanks to Docklands [coming back to form after global travels]. He has the most unbelievable mind and constitution. He loves being a racehorse, he loves it every single day, and he is very competitive.”
Zahra, who dropped his whip in the closing stages, said: “I was so scared about the whip rules, I thought it would just be easier to throw it away at the 200m!
“It was a very slow speed and I just crept as much as I could. I got room at the right time and Docklands burst through and kept responding, kept responding.Amazing, what an amazing feeling. Unbelievable. I have to thank the boys that put me on him. One of the top days of my career for sure.Hearing all the Aussies over the fence, even though the horse is English, you’d have thought he was Aussie by all the screams; amazing experience for unbelievable people. Harry has been pumping me up the whole way. This just started as a stop-off on the way to a trip to Ibiza, so to turn into a massive win like this is very special. The closer we got, the more Harry filled me with confidence and he was right. Both Docklands’ runs this season have been really
good. I rode him in Hong Kong with blinkers, whereas blinkers off today, and just looking at him in the field, he is a completely different horse.”
Richard Hannon said of Rosallion: “He is still a top-class miler. I thought he had it there. Well done to the winners. It was an extremely good race. He did everything for a win, you can’t ask for much more than that. He has done us proud and we are delighted. I’ll be alright in 10 minutes! He’s beaten an awful lot of champions in that race. Hit the front, got done on the line, horrible! But nobody died and he’s run a great race.”
Cairo’s jockey Silvestre de Sousa said: “It was a good run. He is a horse who has been placed in Group races, and he deserves to be in a place like that. It was a shame there was not much of a pace on, but he ran a blinder.”
Notable Speech’s trainer Charlie Appleby said: “It is disappointing when you have a race like that and they’ve gone the pace they have. That’s racing – I’ve seen it many times before and we will see it plenty of times going forward. From our point of view, it was a bit hard to watch. He was sat there, travelling like he was, and you knew it was going to turn into a sprint. When you have to start manoeuvring left to right and they are
sprinting, you know you are losing momentum and ground.
“We will put it behind us and he has run a solid race. I take on board what William said afterwards and, if you wanted to pigeon-hole him into a trip now that he is older and stronger, then seven furlongs is his gig. I still wouldn’t walk away without taking a good strong view of the Sussex again, but we all know the City Of York Stakes is going to be one hell of a race this year.”
Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)
Docklands (OTI Racing) Harry Eustace 5-9-02
Mark Zahra 14/1
Rosallion (Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum) Richard Hannon 4-9-02 Sean Levey 5/2F
Cairo (Refai Alghraiban) Alice Haynes 5-9-02
Silvestre de Sousa 100/1
10 ran
Harry Eustace – 3rd Royal Ascot winner
Mark Zahra – 1st Royal Ascot winner
JIM GOLDIE FIRST ROYAL ASCOT WINNER FOR
Jim Goldie celebrated a first Royal Ascot success after his progressive sprinter American Affair (11/1) landed the Gr1 King Charles III Stakes under Paul Mulrennan on Day 1 last Tuesday.
A significant improver through the handicap ranks since the beginning of last season, American Affair did not enjoy the rub of the green when fifth in the G2 Temple Stakes at Haydock Park.
However, with no trouble in running today, the fiveyear-old moved into contention before digging deep
to fend off a sustained challenge from Frost At Dawn (28/1) by a neck. Regional (9/1), second in this race 12 months ago, finished third.
Goldie has had horses hit the frame at Royal Ascot before, including Sir Chauvelin in the 2018 Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes.
Paul Mulrennan drives American Affair to a superb win | Credit: Megan Coggin
Goldie said: “I have trained the family for three generations, so it’s very sweet. This horse’s grandfather [Orientor] had his day here [at the Shergar Cup], so we’re pretty lucky that we can breed horses like that.
“American Affair is just getting faster. We went seven furlongs at Wetherby in his maiden, but we’ve learnt to run him over the right trip. We took him back to five and he is just getting better and better.
“I was quite confident he could do it today. He has the talent. I knew he was probably one of the fastest horses in the race, but it’s how you control that. We’ve come down a day early, got him relaxed and it all fell into place. It means a lot.”
Mulrennan said: “It all went pretty smooth, I got a lovely tow along there. We just tweaked a couple of things today – we put a hood on him. The last day nothing went right at Haydock. Jim has always had a lot of faith in American Affair, and he is a good horse.
“I first won his maiden on him over seven furlongs around Wetherby, which is hard to believe. And then he started getting sharper and sharper. I rode him one day at York over seven and he proper latched on and I said to Jim ‘I think this lad could be a
sprinter’. He has just got quicker as he’s got older, as do a lot of sprinters.
“I am a northern jockey. I am riding Monday-toFriday horses. To get here, just to come here and have a ride here is special. This is our Olympics. You’re riding with Ryan Moore, Christoph Soumillon and William Buick, the best jockeys in the world.
The best horses, trainers, owners are all here –it’s a big stage.
“At this stage of my career, I probably have more years behind me than I have in front of me. It is hard enough to get rides here, so it’s nice to come down here and have a ride, but to win a Group 1 here is very special. The last time I had a Royal Ascot winner [Dandino], I had jet black hair!
“Jim has been very good to me the last few years. He is a master trainer. He can get inside a horse’s head. He is not afraid to tweak things around, run them over different trips and that’s what I’ve learned off him – it is an amazing sport.
“We are not spending massive money at the sales.
A lot of them are homebred horses. They are not the most straightforward all of them but fair play to Jim and all his team, they keep churning out winners year after year.”
Winning breeder and part-owner John McGrandles said: “American Affair is probably the only horse here with a Glasgow postcode in his passport!I got the mare from Jim after she’d finished racing. We had two foals out of her but unfortunately lost her. We’ve got another mare by Orientor as well, and she’s gone back to Washington DC, just hoping we might do it again. We keep the mares at home; I have been involved with horses since I was six. My wife is a veterinary surgeon – and we’re off to the Highland Show tomorrow with sheep! This horse is the biggest winner we’ve had, yes. And the horse’s stable name is Charlie and he’s won the King Charles!”
Runner-up Frost at Dawn’s trainer William Knight said: “I thought the stiff five furlongs really suited her and it’s just annoying to not get the win. I’ve always had belief in this horse and campaigned her aggressively in that sense and we’ll continue to do so. I think she’s run a blinder there today and we’ll stick at five furlongs – that’s her trip.”
Ed Bethell said of third-placed Regional: “He is an amazing horse. He has taken his owners on an amazing journey and I’m hugely appreciative of the horse and Callum [Rodriguez]. Obviously, I would have loved to win, but this is horse racing and the winner and second were faster than us and that’s the bottom line. I entered him in the Prix Maurice
de Gheest and I would like to go there – a flat six furlongs at Deauville on some nice ground would probably play to his strengths and then we’d like to go to the Sprint Cup.”
Henry Dwyer said of last year’s winner Asfoora, who dead-heated for fifth: “Oisin [Murphy] was just of the opinion we got stuck on the wrong part of the track. Even though she loomed at the 150-metre mark like she had a fair chance, she probably just felt the pinch for having to do a fair bit to get into the race. There’s not much for us at home so it will be Goodwood, York and beyond hopefully.”
King Charles III Stakes (Group 1)
1. American Affair (Barraston Racing & J Goldie) Jim Goldie 5-9-07 Paul Mulrennan 11/1
2. Frost At Dawn (Abdulla Al Mansoori) William Knight 4-9-04 Mickael Barzalona 28/1
3. Regional (Future Champion Racing Regional) Ed Bethell 7-9-07 Callum Rodriguez 9/1
20 ran - 3/1F Believing (11th)
• Jim Goldie – 1st Royal Ascot winner
• Paul Mulrennan – 2nd Royal Ascot winner
JUDDMONTE’S
STARS AT ROYAL ASCOT CHAMPION MILER
Field Of Gold confirmed himself as the champion miler of his generation with a stunning three-and-a-half length success in the Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes on Royal Ascot Day 1 last Tuesday.
The son of Kingman, a winner of this race in 2014, lined up after a dominant victory in the Gr1 Irish 2,000 Guineas and was sent off the 8/11 favourite to turn the tables on his Newmarket conqueror Ruling Court.
Always travelling smoothly, John & Thady Gosden’s star cruised into contention and put
the race to bed with a scintillating turn of foot, in what was an armchair ride for Juddmonte’s new retained rider Colin Keane.
Henri Matisse (4/1) emerged from the pack to finished second, without ever looking likely to trouble the winner, with Ruling Court (4/1) staying on to take third.
Colin Keane steers Field Of Gold to a five star performance | Credit: Megan Coggin
John Gosden said: “That was a great performance. Oisin [Murphy] did a nice job doing an even pace [on Windlord]. Colin had a lot of horse and, for a second, I thought, ‘Whoops, this is Ascot – it climbs all the way to the finish line, and we’ve gone a bit soon’. I didn’t watch him, I looked back – you always have to look back for the dangers, and fortunately, none was coming.
“Field Of Gold had always impressed as a two-year-old, but he was a big boy and slightly outgrew himself. We ran him in France, which was a mistake in the end. It wasn’t the ground. He was too free in front and didn’t finish up. We should have run him in the Dewhurst, I regret that.
“Then this year he has been exemplary in everything he has done. Look, he is a pleasure to train because he’s a pretty laid-back character, which is very useful. It was never the plan to go to Ireland, it became the plan, so he’s had a trial, two Guineas and this. It’s a lot of racing and we’re not even beginning to be halfway through the season.
“Maybe we will freshen and go to the Sussex, something like that. I think if he hadn’t run in Ireland, I would have probably been keen to go to the Eclipse. But when they win like that, they
make it look easy, but they are taking a lot out of themselves, so I wouldn’t want to be seen as someone trying to run him back in the Eclipse quick off this.”
Keane said: “Good horses make it look easy. It was a very good renewal of the race. I don’t know when the last time three Guineas winners clashed, but Field Of Gold was very good at the Curragh and very good again today.
“I was happy enough [with track position]. I was beside the three main rivals. I thought Ryan was always going to be behind us somewhere. If anything, the leaders probably didn’t bring us far enough and we got there plenty soon, but he’s tough and genuine.
“I am fortunate enough to be riding him and, at this moment, he is the best horse I have sat on.
I am in a very privileged position. I have been lucky enough to join this team. It is a very new relationship and to get a horse like him so early on is amazing. I’ve had nothing compared to this in recent years, so it’s a very special day.”
His Highness Prince Saud bin Khalid of Juddmonte said: “We are very fortunate to have a horse of this calibre, not only winning but the style by which he won was very impressive,
wasn’t it? Being a son of Kingman makes it even more of a value to all of us. It is Prince Khalid’s legacy.
“I am very thankful for the trainer, the jockey and all the Juddmonte staff; we are all very indebted to them. I hope everyone enjoyed it. I hope it has contributed to horseracing at large. He is a wonderful horse.”
Aidan O’Brien said of runner-up Henri Matisse: “We are very happy. You are never happy when you get beat, but he still ran a very good race. I think we will stay at a mile. We had it in our heads that he would go to the Sussex Stakes after, so we’ll see, but that’s what was in our heads.”
Third-placed Ruling Court’s trainer Charlie Appleby said: “William said he was never really travelling comfortably, and obviously at this level you need to be able to get up and travel on the bridle, give your horse a breather, to try to go through those gears at the business end.
“It’s going back to where we felt we were in the spring – we felt we were a mile and a quarter horse. He won the Guineas, and we were then gung-ho to go to the Derby – I still think it was the right decision not to run on the ground.
“It is never ideal to have to regroup and run somewhere else, but I don’t think that was our undoing today. The horse is fine and one thing we’ll be doing from now on is stepping up in trip. I think it might be a bit soon to say we’ll be jumping on to the Eclipse, but we’ll be working back from the Juddmonte.”
St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)
1. Field Of Gold (Juddmonte) John & Thady Gosden 3-9-02 Colin Keane 8/11F
2. Henri Matisse (S Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith, Merriebelle Irish Farm Ltd) Aidan O’Brien IRE 3-9-02 Ryan Moore 4/1
3. Ruling Court (Godolphin) Charlie Appleby 3-9-02 William Buick 4/1
7 ran
• *John & Thady Gosden – 67th Royal Ascot winner
• Colin Keane –3rd Royal Ascot winner
*includes wins in John Gosden’s own right
BUICK’S BRILLIANCE AS OMBUDSMAN WINS PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES
Ombudsman (7/1) opened his Group 1 account in scintillating fashion as he overcame trouble in running to claim the Gr1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes on Royal Ascot Day 2 on Wednesday.
Held up by William Buick, the Godolphin colt was forced to switch a couple of times in the straight but, once in the clear, stormed home
to beat last year’s QIPCO Champion Stakes winner Anmaat by two lengths.
William Buick gets Ombudsman home | Credit: Megan Coggin
See The Fire (7/2) was two and a half lengths further back in third, while the 13/8 favourite Los Angeles came home fifth after tracking the strong pace set by his stablemate Continuous.
Ombudsman has now won five of his six starts for John & Thady Gosden, with the fouryear-old’s sole defeat coming at the hands of Almaqam in the G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown Park last month.
This was a 70th Royal Ascot success for John Gosden, who already has four winners on the board at this year’s meeting alongside his son and co-trainer Thady.
John Gosden said: “The plan was to just relax off the pace, which was strong and set up for Los Angeles, who is a real dour, long-striding staying horse, but to that extent we knew we’d be comfortable where we were. It was just the question of when you get in the straight, would you get the luck? William wasn’t in a position where he could swing around the field; it was more a case of waiting for the gap. And he was very patient, but I knew when he got a gap at the furlong pole, that this horse has an extraordinary turn of foot. So he was patient and he was rewarded.
“I think it is all down the owner Sheikh Mohammed, because when we bought him with Anthony Stroud, I said, ‘look, he’s an immature horse, give me a chance with him’, and he said, ‘take as long as you like’. Sheikh Mohammed is without doubt the easiest owner
I’ve ever trained for. Now Ombudsman has fully grown and developed – a proper four-year-old
–the owner is getting rewarded. When you are a trainer, it’s very nice to train for people who aren’t putting the pressure on.
“Ombudsman is a mile-and-a-quarter horse. William said he has a lot of speed. He has a wonderful turn of foot and has done nothing but grow in stature. I think we had him spot on. He is a horse who, because he hasn’t overraced this year, you could be looking at the Eclipse with.”
Buick said: “This place tames lions. It is so special to win here because it’s so tough. Everyone comes here in great form and everyone is doing their very best, of course.
“Ombudsman was stepping up in grade today. I rode him at home, and he was really well. He’d have been a very unlucky loser, wouldn’t he? I was looking for room and had to switch him a couple of times, but he has won with a
bit in hand. I was very impressed with what he did there, and he picked up instantly from me having to switch his course.
“I think for the moment he is a fast mile-and-aquarter horse. That was a strong run mile and a quarter, they went hard, and he has a great turn of foot. I am sure stepping him up to a mile and a half will be spoken about, but I wouldn’t have thought that discussion would need to be had just yet.”
Owen Burrows said of Anmaat: “No real excuses. He has run an absolute blinder again. He has come there to win, and credit to John’s horse, who just picked up a bit better than us. We know that he has a preference for a bit of juice in the ground, but Jim [Crowley] said I can’t make that as an excuse. Possibly he can quicken on softer ground when others perhaps can’t. But as I say, I’m not making any excuses.
The Eclipse has been mentioned, but we will just see how he comes out of this. York, Irish Champion… I think back here in October is probably his main aim because, all being well, we should have juice in the ground.”
See The Fire’s jockey Oisin Murphy said: “That was a career-best. The race set up for a closer – it was an end-to-end gallop. A good run.”
Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1)
1. Ombudsman (Godolphin) John & Thady Gosden 4-9-02 William Buick 7/1
2. Anmaat (Shadwell Estate Company Ltd)
Owen Burrows 7-9-02 Jim Crowley 5/1
3. See The Fire (Jeff Smith) Andrew Balding 4-8-13 Oisin Murphy 7/2
8 ran - 13/8F Los Angeles (5th)
• *John & Thady Gosden – 70th Royal Ascot winner
• William Buick – 37th Royal Ascot winner *includes John Gosden’s wins in his own right
Trawlerman had a two-length break on his rivals turning for home and that margin only widened once his stamina kicked in. Eventual runner-up Illinois briefly looked a threat before his run petered out, with Dubai Future a further seven lengths back in third.
This was a fifth Gold Cup success for Trawlerman’s co-trainer John Gosden, following three-time winner Stradivarius and Courage Mon Ami, whom he trained in partnership with his son Thady.
Trawlerman’s winning time of 4m 15.02s eclipsed the previous course record of 4m 16.92s set by Rite Of Passage 15 years ago.
Gosden said: “Trawlerman just goes off. I said to William ‘what did you do?’ and he said, ‘I threw the reins at him, he can judge pace better than me’, and off they went together and picked it up from five out. He is an out-and-out galloper and William judged it perfectly – it is not an easy thing to do over two and a half miles.
“On the basis he stays, if anyone is going to go by him, they will know they have been in a race, but they never got to him because he simply outstayed them. He is a wonderful old
horse, and a great team look after him. He is a favourite, part of the furniture really.
“He ran Kyprios to a length last year and they were both all out. I think he deserved, with Kyprios not here, to come back and show that he is a proper horse. We like the Cup races and those lovely staying horses. I remember the great horses – Lester Piggott rode Sagaro and he could turn the last six furlongs in 1m.12s flat. That is what I like, a horse than can go the distance and then go, and you can’t catch them. That is style.”
Discussing plans for Trawlerman, Gosden said: “I think he should be aimed at coming back next year, and he shouldn’t be overraced at all in between. Do not be surprised if you don’t see him again until the Henry II next year. That could be a reality. I will discuss it with Sheikh Mohammed, but he doesn’t need to be going to all these races. He might come back here in the autumn, he’s won that before, and then put him away.”
On his resurgent season, Gosden said: “Last year was tricky. We didn’t have the horses and it didn’t quite work out but everybody has worked very hard. We have aimed at this for four, five, six months. Some horses are aimed
Dubai Future’s trainer Saeed bin Suroor said:
“He ran really well, and he stayed. Now we will drop him back to two-mile races, maybe Goodwood. I said to James McDonald to drop him in and get him to relax, but also that as a Dubawi, he must have speed. He is an amazing horse, who has won over a mile and a half and a mile and a quarter.”
3. Dubai Future (Godolphin) Saeed bin
Suroor 9-9-04 James McDonald 28/1
8 ran
• *John & Thady Gosden – 71st Royal Ascot winner
• William Buick – 38th Royal Ascot winner
*includes wins in John Gosden’s own right
1. Trawlerman (Godolphin) John & Thady Gosden 7-9-04 William Buick 85/40F
2. Illinois (D Smith, S Magnier & M Tabor)
Aidan O’Brien IRE 4-9-03 Ryan Moore 9/4
Gr1 Gold Cup
RICHARD KINGSCOTE RIDES LONG-SHOT TO BIG WIN
Time For Sandals (25/1) completed a remarkable Group 1 double for trainer Harry Eustace as she caused an upset under Richard Kingscote in the Gr1 Commonwealth Cup on Royal Ascot Day 4,on Friday.
Racing alone down the middle of the track entering the final furlong, the Sands Of Mali filly showed a great attitude to deny stands’ side duo Arizona Blaze (28/1) and Rayevka (20/1) by a neck and a half-length.
Runner-up in last season’s Gr2 Lowther Stakes, Time For Sandals had placed in both of her starts
this year, most recently going down narrowly in a Gr3 contest at Chantilly.
Eustace has had a meeting to remember, with Docklands providing him with a first Group 1 success in the Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday. Eustace said: “The last race just gave us enough confidence, as the most concerning part was the
Time For Sandals and Richard Kingscote after the upset victory | Credit: Megan Coggin
draw [1]. After Karl’s filly [Venetian Sun] came out of stall one, everyone just stayed there and we had plenty of pace. It is the first time Time For Sandals has had a fast horse to follow. We were, I don’t want to say very confident, but we just felt we hadn’t seen the best from her for one reason or another. My voice is in dire straits!
“She always shaped up to being pretty good. At home, we felt we had excuses for her. She has never run a bad one and was always right there, but she just had not quite put it all together. We were always confident in a race like this, where there would be fast horses taking her along – that is really what she needed. Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t dream we would get here, but she’s always been pretty good.
“It has been an extraordinary week, and that is all down to the team at home. I stand here and talk to you on camera, but they are the ones up in the mornings, feeding them, riding them, checking them – it’s all the little things all the way through and I can’t thank them enough. The owners are relatively new and this is the second ever horse they have had. They are pretty lucky people.”
Kingscote said: “It all went smoothly. We were a little bit alone in the last furlong, but she stuck her neck out. I think Harry was a little worried about
the draw until the first winner came from one, and it helped that Oisin’s horse had plenty of speed. Wherever I’m drawn, I like to be around speed, so it worked out well for us.
“Newbury [in the Fred Darling Stakes] was a test to see where we go for the year and what sort of trip she wanted. She didn’t quite get home and, even today over the six, she travelled very strongly. In France she was left alone in front for a bit long, but we’ve learnt about her and she’s learnt about racing each run and has improved. She did a fantastic piece of work a couple of weeks ago, so I was hopeful today.
“As you know, Royal Ascot winners are hard to come by. She was up in grade, so she had to do better than what she had been doing, but she has progressed. A Royal Ascot Group 1 has always been a dream, so I am delighted. Harry is a lovely man to ride for – I am delighted for him.
Two Group 1 winners at Royal Ascot is a massive achievement.”
Eustace’s father, James, who won the 1998 Royal Hunt Cup with Refuse To Lose, said: “It is like magic, like a dream; it has been absolutely superb. It is so wonderful because the Queen Anne was a marker. The two boys [Harry and David] are competitive and David obviously did really well
in Australia. David has now got to emulate his uncle, who did train a Royal Ascot winner from Hong Kong, Cape Of Good Hope. So now David has got to try and emulate that and Harry has to try and win a Melbourne Cup! If we did anything, we instilled a work ethic in them – hopefully by example rather than by a long tom – but we were so lucky from day one that they loved the whole thing. They learnt an awful lot in the tack room and they both knew what they wanted to do. We tried to make Harry go to university. He went to Edinburgh for two years, enjoyed himself immensely and then dropped out, went to Australia and worked in racing and hasn’t looked back.”
Adrian Murray said of Arizona Blaze said: “It was a big run. He never runs a bad race and always turns up on the day. When he came home the last time, he was a little bit flat and not himself, so he was probably a little under the weather when he ran. We put that behind us and were very confident of a good run. I couldn’t believe the price! We are most likely to go for the Nunthorpe. He is entered in the July Cup, as well, but probably the Nunthorpe.”
Rayevka’s trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said: “This is a filly we needed to switch off. We have no choice and she is still learning how to race. Unfortunately, we didn’t have one to take her a little bit further in to the race, but she picked up
very nicely and it is a very good performance to be third. I always liked her. I took her to the Cheveley Park last season because I always thought she was a talented filly, but mentally she was not ready. We decided to change tactics completely in her last run and see what she could do, and she was very convincing that day. She is entered in the Prix Maurice de Gheest and will definitely stay at this sort of trip. She might be able to do seven furlongs but she will have to switch off.”
Commonwealth Cup (Group 1)
1. Time For Sandals (Mr & Mrs D Bevan) Harry Eustace 3-8-13 Richard Kingscote 25/1
2. Arizona Blaze (Amo Racing Limited & Giselle De Aguiar) Adrian Murray IRE 3-9-02 David Egan 28/1
3. Rayevka (Aga Khan Studs SCEA) Francis-Henri Graffard FR 3-8-13 Mickael Barzalona 20/1
21 ran - 6/4F Shadow Of Light (5th)
• Harry Eustace – 4th Royal Ascot winner
• Richard Kingscote – 7th Royal Ascot winner
CORONATION STAKES KNOCKOUT!
Unconsidered 33/1 outsider Cercene caused a shock in the Gr1 Coronation Stakes on Royal Ascot Day 4 on Friday as she dug deep to repel the challenge of French-trained favourite Zarigana.
In what was a first Group 1 success for both trainer Joseph Murphy and jockey Gary Carroll, Cercene tracked a strong pace before finding generously to win by a half-length. Zarigana
(6/4F) looked a danger before her run petered out, with January (8/1) a length further back in third.
Cercene powers home to beat the favourite Zarigana | Credit: Megan Coggin
Third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas on her penultimate start, Cercene becomes the longest-priced winner of the Coronation Stakes. She is also a second Royal Ascot winner for her dam Tschierschen, who produced 2021 Britannia Stakes scorer Perotto. Murphy said: “This is 50 years of work by the family, going from a small yard, switching from National Hunt to Flat, and buying horses and believing that they are going to be good. It is a lifetime’s ambition to have a Group One winner.
“Cercene is by Australia – a sire I love – and her half-brother won the Britannia, so the pedigree was there. If she was an inch bigger, I wouldn’t have her.
“Cercene travelled well and Gary gave her a great ride. We were thinking that being by Australia that she would stay well. She was headed and came back again. She waited for something to head her, but she is very tough and a dream to train.
“When you look back at the [Irish] Guineas, in the last furlong, she passed three horses. I remember her very first run in Gowran, she was last then she flew turning in and was third –another 20 yards and she would have won.
“I have been training for 50 years. Fifty years waiting for a Group One winner, but we have been second and third in Group Ones. So we’ve been knocking on the door, but didn’t open it – today, we opened it.”
Carroll said: “This is unbelievable. I have been riding a long time now and been placed in plenty of Group One races. This is my first one and, if I was ever to ride a Group One winner, I wanted it to be for Joe Murphy. I have been riding for him since I was a 7lb claimer and he has been very good to me. I am delighted I can repay him.
“Cercene ran a blinder at the Curragh, where the slow pace didn’t suit. We went a bit better gallop there today. She got to the front a furlong and a half out and she waited. Then the French horse came and headed me. To be fair to this one, she is not big, but she is very tough and stuck her head out for me.
“This is hugely satisfying. Group One races are so hard to come by, and good horses are very hard to come by. To do this at Royal Ascot is magic.”
Zarigana’s trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said:
“I need to buy a pair of blinkers, probably! It was very interesting what the jockey said. He said she travelled really nicely, like easily on the bridle, but as soon as she hit the front, she completely changed her attitude and threw her head up. It is very frustrating, but we try our best with her. She is a very talented filly and didn’t disgrace herself.
“You always think you can win easily, and she has the ability to win easily, but we didn’t get the job done today. I am lucky she is owned by a fantastic breeding operation – and she has earned her place there. We don’t need to put a pair of yellow blinkers on her. She will produce fantastic stock that will come here and beat everybody. It is very hard to be competitive here, and to win is even harder. You come with very talented horses, but today I think we can’t complain. We have had two fillies placed in Group One races and they earned their places at stud, so for the operation it is very positive.”
Princess Zahra Aga Khan said: “Zarigana has already earned her place at stud. She is a lot like her grandmother [Zarkava] – slightly nuts! The important thing is that both fillies today have come home safe and well – that is what really matters. They are two very important fillies.”
Aidan O’Brien said of January: “She ran OK. The race was little bit messy early, but Ryan said she ran well. We think she will come forward a little bit. Maybe one of the fillies’ races at Newmarket next, something like that.”
Coronation
Stakes (Group 1)
1. Cercene (Shane Stafford) Joseph Murphy
IRE 3-9-02 Gary Carroll 33/1
2. Zarigana (Exors of the late H H Aga Khan)
Francis-Henri Graffard FR 3-9-02 Mickael
Barzalona 6/4F
3. January (D Smith, S Magnier, M Tabor)
Aidan O’Brien IRE 3-9-02 Ryan Moore 8/1
11 ran
• Joseph Murphy – 1st Royal Ascot winner
• Gary Carroll – 3rd Royal Ascot winner
FRENCH BREAKTHROUGH LAZZAT IS HOME JAMES IN
Lazzat (9/2) continued a fine week for Wathnan Racing on Royal Ascot Day 5 on Saturday as he became the first French-trained winner of the Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in the post-war era.
In a race that developed into a straight shoot-out between Lazzat and Japanese raider Satono Reve, it was James Doyle’s mount that kept finding to repel the well-backed 2/1 favourite by a half-length. Wathnan’s other runner Flora Of
Bermuda finished third, a further three lengths behind.
Trained by Jerome Reynier, Lazzat warmed up for Royal Ascot with an easy five-and-a-half-
James Doyle salutes on Lazzat | Credit: Megan Coggin
length success at Chantilly, after which he was purchased by Wathnan. The high-profile owner has now had five winners this week.
Reynier, celebrating a first Royal Ascot success, said: “Lazzat won at the top level as a threeyear-old in the Maurice de Gheest in Deauville but, after having been all the way to Australia and Hong Kong, I was a bit scared that it was going to be tough. We have obviously been trying him over a mile to open his options, but he is a pure sprinter and we will stick to the sprinting distances over straight courses in the future.
“That was a pretty tough challenge [from Satono Reve]. I have been watching all his races and he always comes late. James had a really good feeling with the horse and, when the Japanese horse came to him, Lazzat put his ears back and tried again – he said there was no way he was going to pass him today.
“The July Cup is coming a little quickly, so maybe we will defend his crown in the Maurice de Gheest. We also have the Sprint Cup and we can be back here in October because he can handle any ground. If the ground is heavy, he can do it as well. He’s a very good champion. “Today everything went right for once, and we
are happy to have a first Royal Ascot winner, especially for Wathnan and Nurlan Bizakov as a breeder. I am very happy for the connections involved.”
Doyle said: “I can’t take any credit for this –Jerome and his team told me all about him. His former jockey [Antonio Orani] before did a great job bringing him through the ranks. He rode him in Australia when he ran such a good race in the Golden Eagle.
“We had all bases covered and Jerome was very confident. He said all week ‘don’t worry about the ground, everything is fine’. We mapped the pace out and thought if I end up leading, I end up leading, and he said ‘don’t worry, he won’t stop’.
“I could feel him [Satono Reve] coming all right, but you won’t get a more genuine horse than Lazzat. He really pinned his ears back when he joined me, and he was always going to see him off.
“I thought he was my banker of the week. I feel a bit guilty because we have only picked the horse up a couple of weeks ago, and obviously I landed on him. I have to say a huge thank you to the whole team, a big thanks to everyone.”
Richard Brown of Wathnan said: “It has been an amazing week and that has capped it off. What
an amazing horse race. Lazzat locked up with the Japanese horse and they have gone a long way clear in a six-furlong sprint. That was an absolutely phenomenal race to watch, and to be on the lucky side is just amazing; what a horse.
“A huge credit to Nurlan Bizakov, who bred the horse and has a lot of the family. We are very lucky they sold him to us. They Japanese horses are very hard to beat. They have worldclass breeding operations. When you saw him [Satono Reve] come in, he was a monster walking round here.
“We are very privileged to be involved with a horse of this quality. It really has been special. I was saying to somebody that, before working for Wathnan, I used to come here and absolutely hate the place because you couldn’t get a winner! But there has been a lot of investment and a huge amount of hard work from all these guys. This is the cherry on top.”
Satono Reve’s jockey Joao Moreira said: “We went into the race with a lot of confidence. The horse was well in himself, but we bumped into a very good horse today. Halfway through, I thought I had him done, but he just had another kick and kept attacking the line. I was closing up again and my horse ran really well. We thought
we had a really good crack but, unfortunately, we just bumped into a really good horse. I can’t complain, he tried his very best.”
On Flora Of Bermuda, Brown added: “She has run an absolute blinder. She was a little free early, I need to watch it again, but she is so consistent. I would be hopeful that one of these might drop her way. She had some very good horses behind her. These two [Lazzat and Satono Reve] have obviously gone a long way clear, but she was best of the rest.”
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1)
1. Lazzat (Wathnan Racing) Jerome Reynier FR 4-9-05 James Doyle 9/2
2. Satono Reve (Hajime Satomi) Noriyuki Hori
JPN 6-9-05 Joao Moreira 2/1F
3. Flora Of Bermuda (Wathnan Racing) Andrew Balding 4-9-02 PJ McDonald 12/1
14 ran
• Jerome Reynier –1st Royal Ascot winner
• James Doyle – 26th Royal Ascot winner
LEAD THE WAY COOLMORE, GOSDENS & MOORE
After a fantastic five days of action-packed racing, Coolmore partnerships claimed the leading owner award at Royal Ascot for a third consecutive year, and sixth in total, as they edged out Wathnan Racing by virtue of a countback of placed horses.
Both owners saw their colours carried to victory five times, with Coolmore taking the prize thanks to three second-place finishes.
Horses owned by partnerships of Sue Magnier, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and Westerberg dominated the juvenile contests earlier in the week, with Gstaad taking the Coventry Stakes,
MV Magnier presented with the trophy by Michael Halford | Credit: Megan Coggin
True Love winning the Queen Mary Stakes and Charles Darwin striking in the Norfolk Stakes.
Coolmore horses also captured two of the leading middle-distance prizes for three-yearolds on Thursday. Garden Of Eden provided her owners with a third consecutive Ribblesdale Stakes win, while Trinity College made all to take the Hampton Court Stakes in the colours of Paul Smith.
MV Magnier of Coolmore said: “It means a lot to everyone. The guys and everyone put everything into this week, and for Aidan and Ryan to do such a good job, it is incredible. We are very grateful.
“We are very lucky to have The King and Queen present every day this week. It is a big deal for our business. It has been a great week. It is why we get up in the morning.”
Aidan O’Brien saddled all five Coolmore winners, although he was pipped to the leading trainer award by John and Thady Gosden, who collected the prize as a partnership for a second time following 2021.
The Gosdens also enjoyed five victories over the meeting but clinched the award on the final day after Spy Chief finished second in
the Jersey Stakes, a fourth runner-up finish for the co-trainers during the week compared to O’Brien’s three seconds.
Highlights for the Clarehaven Stables team included a stunning display from Field Of Gold in the battle of the Guineas winners in Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes.
Ombudsman unleashed an exhilarating turn of foot to triumph in Wednesday’s highlight, the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, while 2024 Gold Cup runner-up Trawlerman went one place better with a dominant win in Thursday’s staying showpiece.
John and Thandy Gosden | Credit: Megan Coggin
The 2023 Queen Mary Stakes scorer Crimson Advocate registered a second Royal Ascot victory in Wednesday’s Duke Of Cambridge Stakes, with French Master also getting on the scoresheet in the final race on Tuesday, the Copper Horse Stakes.
Ryan Moore – again! | Credit: Megan Coggin
John Gosden said: “Our week started very strongly with the right races. Everyone working at home had the horses spot-on, and they have run very well since, finishing second and third and second and third, and that of course counts towards winning this when you are at five winners with Aidan O’Brien.
“Thady has been with me about eight years already – and the rest – so, poor chap, it must be getting a bit annoying! But there is nothing like this meeting, it is our Olympics, and it is great to win this. Without him, I wouldn’t be as on the ball at all. It has been a great combination.”
was a peerless miler, but he has shown the electric turn of foot his sire had. It was a great race with all three Guineas winners in the same race. He is very exciting for Juddmonte and for all of us.”
Ryan Moore collected the top jockey award for a 12th time, having registered seven successes over the five days.
In addition to partnering all five of Coolmore’s winners, Moore teamed up with Willie Mullins to take the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes on Ethical Diamond and the Queen Alexandra Stakes on Sober.
Thady Gosden added: “It has been a terrific week. I think the highlight must be Trawlerman. He has been in the yard five years, he is by Golden Horn and he wears his heart on his sleeve. He is the most genuine horse and, in his races, will do everything, but when you are with him in person, he is a kind, sweet, gentle soul. For him to run the race he did having come second last year – what a fantastic result for the horse and for the sport.
“Field Of Gold is a horse who has just improved and improved and improved. His sire Kingman
Moore said: “It is great to ride seven winners. Aidan’s horses were in great form all week and, when you are riding for Aidan and Willie, you are going to ride winners.”
Final Standings
Trainer – Trainer Standings – Royal Ascot 2025
Jockey – Jockey Standings – Royal Ascot 2025
Owner – Owner Standings – Royal Ascot 2025
DESERT BLOSSOMS AT ASCOT
The hugely influential Green Desert again made his mark at this year’s Royal Ascot meeting.
Green Desert son Invincible Spirit is the sire of Kingman and Territories, whose sons Field Of Gold and Lazzat won the Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes and Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes respectively at the Royal meeting last week.
Invincible Spirit is also the sire of Thursday’s Britannia Stakes winner Arabian Story, while
Kingman’s French classic winning son Persian King is the sire of Saturday’s Golden Gates Stakes winner Quai De Bethune.
Lazzat is, in fact, inbred to Green Desert, with his dam Lastochka a daughter of Australia (whose dam is a granddaughter of Green Desert).
Invincible Spirit - Green Desert ex Rafha | Credit: Irish National Stud
Yet another son of Invincible Spirit, Born To Sea, is the broodmare sire of Thursday’s impressive Gr2 Norfolk Stakes winner Charles Darwin, while Invincible Spirit’s high-class son Ghostwriter ran third in Saturday’s Gr2 Hardwicke Stakes.
The high-class sire Havana Grey is another inbred to the excellent Green Desert. Havana Grey made his presence felt at the Royal meeting with his sons Havana Hurricane and Azizam finishing first and third respectively in Wednesday’s Listed Windsor Castle Stakes. Havana Grey is also the sire of Friday’s Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes winner Adrestia.
However, Green Desert’s underrated son Cape Cross enjoyed even more success, with Cape Cross’ sire sons and broodmare daughters both excelling at the 2025 Royal Ascot meet.
Cape Cross’s outstanding sons Sea The Stars and Golden Horn both made their mark at Ascot.
Sea The Stars, whose daughter Understudy ran second in Thursday’s Gr2 Ribblesdale Stakes, is the broodmare sire of both Copper Horse Stakes winner French Master and Gr2 Queen’s Vase victor Carmers, while his paternal half-brother Golden Horn was responsible for Trawlerman, a seven length winner of Thursday’s Gr1 Gold Cup.
Another son of Cape Cross, Gr1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Awtaad, is the sire of both Tuesday’s Ascot Stakes winner Ascending and Friday’s Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes winner Ethical Diamond, as well as Wednesday’s Gr1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes runner up Anmaat.
Cape Cross, broodmare sire of Tuesday’s Listed Wolferton Stakes hero Haatem (Phoenix Of Spain), is also the sire of outstanding racemare Ouija Board, whose dual Derby winning son Australia enjoyed some excellent results at Royal Ascot this year. Responsible for 2025 Gr1 Betfred Derby winner Lambourn, Australia enjoyed big-race success as both a sire and broodmare sire at Royal Ascot this year. Australia’s three-year-old daughter Cercene became her sire’s seventh Gr1 winner when she won Friday’s Gr1 Coronation Stakes.
Another daughter of Australia, Lastochka, is the dam of the aforementioned Lazzat. The latter has won eight of just 11 starts, with the gelding’s six blacktype, wins including a victory in the 2024 Gr1 Prix Maurice de Gheest.
It is safe to say that Cape Cross, who also appears in the pedigree of this year’s Gr1 Betfred 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court (third in Tuesday’s Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes), remains a hugely underappreciated factor in classic pedigrees.
FORMER SA CHAMPION’S PEAK HONG KONG SUCCESS
Former SA champion jockey Keagan de Melo rejoiced in the biggest win of his Hong Kong riding career on Sunday with a 25/1 victory aboard Copartner Prance for trainer Francis Lui in the HK$4,2 million Gr3 Premier Cup Handicap at Sha Tin.
Keagan de Melo steers Copartner Prince to victory
| Credit: HKJC
Pressing forward from gate five in the ninerunner contest, Copartner Prance defiantly maintained his position at the head of the field throughout the race as Victor The Winner sat second. Happy Together made a late lunge, missing by only a head, as Lui’s charge savoured narrow success in 1m 21.15s (13.51, 22.33, 22.94, 22.37).
Race favourite Packing Hermod battled into third, while Patch Of Theta was fourth, rounding out Lui’s trio in the race. De Melo, 31, is a Group 1-winning rider in South Africa and has 12 wins this season, including today’s first at Group 3 level in Hong Kong.
“Francis was pretty simple with the tactics. He said if Victor The Winner doesn’t want to go forward, take up the running and ride him for his fractions and I thought the horse pulled it off nicely.
“It’s a big relief. Obviously, numbers don’t lie. My rides have gone down and my winners have gone down but I’m a positive person and I just keep my head up and keep fighting,” De Melo said. “Thanks to all the trainers that do support me – I really do appreciate it.”
Raced by the Copartner Spirit Syndicate, Copartner Prance is now an eight-time winner in Hong Kong with earnings of HK$14.87 million. The Epaulette gelding’s previous career peak was six wins in succession last season.
“It’s a real honour to be in this position and thanks to Francis and his team. The horse’s turned out phenomenally and I think he got the right fractions,” De Melo said.
Lui, 66, was crowned champion trainer last season and is renowned for handling retired superstar Golden Sixty. Starting out as an apprentice jockey in Hong Kong in the early 1970s, Lui was licenced as a trainer in 1996/97.
“I think the jockey controlled the pace very well. We always thought 1400 (metres) would suit him but we tried once before and he was too keen – at the end of the season, he’s more relaxed. I’m very happy to get more and more winners,” Lui said.
20 JUNE ‘25 NHA CALENDAR UPDATE
The Sporting Post presents the National Horseracing Authority calendar per 20 June 2025. The calendar is a summary of the past week’s penalties and registrations and is an easy-to-read snapshot of information.
The trifecta effect! Chase Liebenberg captured the racing action at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth last Tuesday (Image for illustration purposes only)
Mr
18,603,781 10,436,100 9,285,906 6,382,000 6,463,750 27,344,426 14,229,708 14,088,363 11,005,500 9,857,856
26,127,219 22,179,063 19,573,881 10,353,875 8,096,906 33,500,246 31,447,513 28,766,111 17,587,464 13,519,544 J
32,333,213 30,659,101 24,540,294 15,287,048 12,512,573 BREEDERS
32,864,709 22,268,878 18,483,874 16,653,328 16,091,441 S I RE S T R A I NER S
