Ranking racehorses with accuracy is a lot harder than other sports, where outcomes tend to be more predictable over time. There is less fluctuation in the rankings of top football, rugby, cricket teams, for example, and even individual sports like athletics, golf and tennis have relatively stable hierarchies. Racing “chaos” is part of the
It’s been a while since this newsletter covered Gauteng racing in any detail, but some recent significant performances show that the Joburg Spring season is now fully underway with the better horses making an impact as the oddsmakers expect. Desert Miracle (speed score 97 +) was most impressive gapping her rivals at Turffontein on
The Matchem and Diana Stakes were run over the same distance at Durbanville half an hour apart yet could not have been more different in terms of their race shapes. The winner of the former, Seeking the Stars ran extremely hard early and was decelerating at the finish whilst the field merely jogged along
Seeking the Stars, (by Vercingetorix ex Schism), kept his perfect 1400m record intact when winning the Grade 3 Matchem Stakes at Durbanville on Saturday in a forceful display of front-running. He was expertly piloted by Anton Marcus, getting across adeptly from draw 11 then sustaining a strong gallop to outpoint stable mate, Silver Operator
One of the things that punters look for are horses suited to the distance. It would seem an obvious fundamental factor when studying the past performances. However, Daniel O Sullivan, an Australian form expert from the Rating Bureau suggests there is very little difference in betting profits in some widely accepted, conventional categories, including
The month of September is when the better Gauteng based horses start prepping for the Highveld Spring season. MK’s Pride and Under Your Spell had competed with distinction at the top-level last term and they duly resumed with assured victories at Turffontein. The early pace is Mk Pride’s 1450m race was very slow, so
Both Stakes races over the weekend at Turffontein produced strong performances measured against the clock. An in-form Vaseem (speed score 100) won the Spring Spree for Roy Magner, with three-year-old Elusive Fort filly, Big Burn achieving a top figure of 104 in a close finish to the Ladies Stakes. She has done well previously
There are myriads of ways for arriving at a selection in a horse race. For some, it may be as simple as choosing the best weighted runner, following the top jockey, or picking a course and distance specialist with good recent form. Others may utilize very detailed decision models, aided by computer power and
The Equus Award winners for 2021 were announced during the past week to celebrate the current peak level of thoroughbred performances in South Africa. As usual, some divisions were straight-forward with predictable winners selected unanimously, whilst others must have generated plenty of debate amongst the panelists and caused subsequent controversy/public argument. Regular readers of
A game as multi- facetted and with such a long history as horse racing, is rich in quotes. Entire books could be compiled based on the quirky, wise and significant words spoken by a cross section of personalities that have contributed to the sport’s legacy. Below are a few to enlighten us - or