Mark van Deventer Staging the Cape Premier Yearling Sale at the International Convention Centre in Cape Town is a massive logistical undertaking. Credit is due to the Cape Thoroughbred Sales team that it proceeded so smoothly, and vendors would be pleased at the final aggregate realised of R155,225,000. Sharp buyers from abroad competed with discerning
Mark van Deventer Jockey Aldo Domeyer elevated an otherwise mundane midweek meeting at Kenilworth to a remarkable occasion when saluting on all six of his rides at massive accumulative odds of 14 263 – 1. Domeyer has long been one of the Cape’s better race-riders, with Wednesdays fine achievement taking him up to an elite
Profiles of all runners in The Sun Met with their best speed figures to date 1. LEGAL EAGLE (Sean Tarry) - 114, 112, 116, 113. Champion for powerful connections. Paired two tremendous figures in Cape. Uses high % stalk and pounce tactics. Favoured by the compressed weight scale for this race. 2. MAC DE LAGO
Mark van Deventer William Longsword overcame a wide draw and a cross-country posse of top three year olds to win the R1 million (Grade 1) Grand Parade Cape Guineas at Kenilworth on Saturday. Gold Standard chased hard in second with favourite, Table Bay finding only a weak finish after racing upfront to keep third. Long-shot
‘No horse can go as fast as the money you put on it,” is the wise cautionary from Earl Wilson heeded by prudent bettors. However, knowing exactly how fast horses run remains an essential part of the handicapping puzzle and was the key to identifying long-shot Just Sensual as a possible winner of the R1
Mark van Deventer Illuminator, the inaugural winner of the CTS Million Dollar in January 2016, died of complications from colic on Tuesday. He was found thrashing around in his box last week and swiftly attended to by his groom in the early hours of the morning. Illuminator sustained cuts to his head and leg, and
Mark van Deventer Disregarded in the betting market at 28-1, Gold Standard swept past the entire field in the Kenilworth straight to score a tremendous win in the 1600m Grade 2 Selangor Cup at Kenilworth over the weekend. The race has historically been used as a key pointer to important Classics like the Guineas and
“I hope to get on a roll today,” Justin Snaith declared before racing started on Saturday at Durbanville. Eight races later he had swept half the card, including a 1-2 finish in the Listed Settler’s Trophy with promising staying filly Francia and East Cape Derby winner, Captain Splendid. “Now is the time for us
The horse racing industry in South Africa employs, directly or indirectly, around 100 000 people. Core insiders like jockeys, trainers, grooms, vets and equine therapists work specifically with the horses themselves, but many others who derive their income from racing are involved on the betting side. They include bookmakers, tote sellers and call centre operatives
When race-goers scan the card for Wednesday’s Kenilworth meeting they will notice the unfamiliar listing of M. Steyn, in-between stalwart brothers, Andries and Piet Steyn. This new trainer willing to take the plunge in a tough profession is young Margot, daughter of Piet, a salt-of-the-earth character in Cape racing. “I realise this is not a