Readers of this newsletter know by now that speed figures over 100 are especially noteworthy in the South African context. On Saturday, we were treated to seven races yielding such scores thus making it onto our (extended) highlights package. Warrior (speed figure 107 +) was super-impressive downing Rascallion (s/s 106) and Kommetdieding in the
Bingwa has run ever -better speed figures of 99 – 104 – 106, and now 108 in winning the Onamission Mile (Grade 2) at Turffontein on Saturday. The son of Pathfork was particularly well ridden into a handy position from draw 14 by Chase Maujean who, together with trainer Dorrie Sham, must take plenty
Drakenstein Stud have been proven very wise to source USA sire, Trippi, (a winner of the Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes when three-years-old,) as he’s gone on to do a great job since moving to South Africa. He was the Equus Champion sire of 2015/16 and has sired more than 80 stakes winners around the
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