What sport means to us ED SMITH When you go to watch a Test, you participate in a ritual that is a part of civilised existence Lunchtime on the Nursery Ground at Lord's: watching sport as a civic activity © Getty ImagesAt the Lord's Test this week I will renew an annual ritual. Every year,
The 2015/16 season has just been completed, generating a mass of performance –based statistics. Most of these stats don’t actually add to our body of knowledge - even the most dim-witted horseplayers can distinguish between the very best industry professionals and incompetent battlers, with the data just confirming the obvious. But a more subtle interpretation
The Equus Awards will be held on 16 August in Johannesburg to honour outstanding achievements in the horseracing industry. On Monday night, Lanzerac Hotel in the Cape Winelands hosted the precursor to the national ceremony with the 2016 Cape Racing and Breeders Awards. Most of the categories had unanimous winners, though a few verdicts generated
Neil Bruss setting off to Saudi Arabia Mark van Deventer Trainer Neil Bruss who has worked in many racing jurisdictions during an accomplished career stretching over four decades, is on the move again. He will be going back to Saudi Arabia, lured by tempting financial incentives and disillusioned by prospects in South Africa. A former
The fabulous filly, Inara won yet another Grade 1 when scoring in the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m at Greyville on Saturday. She has now won at the highest level in all major centres which is a notably rare achievement. After recording two wins in Grade 1 contests at the Cape as a
The long awaited Winter rains have finally hit Cape Town, turning the Kenilworth track soggy over the weekend. The official penetrometer reading was only 23mm at the start of the meeting, disputed by jovial Greg Ennion, “They must have measured the going with an ice-cream stick – it’s already much softer than that.” The
Former champion jockey, Basil Marcus is recuperating at home after a serious seizure. No clear diagnosis has been made as yet, but a recent brain scan may provide some clues, according to son Adam, the Cape based trainer. The incident was totally unexpected, with Marcus suddenly collapsing. As Adam related, “We thought he was
The trainer has one of the principal roles in horse racing. Winning is the name of the training game and though the complicated means of achieving success require specific expertise, the trainers’ core task is to send out a fit thoroughbred primed to race competitively in an event where it has a realistic chance of
Whilst accolades were deservedly bestowed on Grade 1 two year old sprint winners The Secret Is Out and Always In Charge at Scottsville on Saturday, trainer Joey Ramsden’s potentially top notch juveniles Miranda Frost and Attenborough were cooling their heels far from the limelight at home base in the Cape. This follows illness and an
Of all the specialist jobs in a niche business like horse racing, being a commentator is perhaps the most scarce skill, with no more than ten people currently occupying that role in South Africa. These rare individuals perch in a small booth, amidst the rafters, high up on the grandstand, using powerful binoculars to spot