This is an exciting time of the year in SA horse racing as the better horses get underway with their summer campaigns on the Highveld and in the Cape. These horses are apt to run improved numbers which portend strong showings as the season progresses. It can pay to make note of notable early
King Regent took out the three-legged Poly Challenge in the Eastern Cape on Friday, as the 4/10, odds- on favourite. Glen Kotzen’s entry again predictably proved much too strong for the locals having run 106’s on a couple of occasions. It was a strategic piece of race planning by Kotzen to select the Poly Challenge
Gimmie’s Countess (s/s 97 +++) stole the show at Durbanville on Saturday, winning the Diana Stakes (G3) with a performance of rare quality. Trainer Dean Kannemeyer rates her highly on her aptitude at work; did not have much to fear from the older fillies, so expected her to run well despite not being fully
Though the racing was postponed due to extreme weather in KZN, meetings went ahead elsewhere around the country with some good performances noted on the clock in Joburg, Cape Town and EP. Chasing Happiness (s/s 99) hit the top number at Turffontein in winning a sprint from Hierkommiebokkie (s/s 94). But Barbaresco (s/s 98
Whilst there were no Stakes races over the weekend, that did not preclude some Graded quality performances on the speed numbers. Unzen was backed into odds on favourite to win a Pinnacle Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday and went pretty much all the way to score an easy victory. Robbie Sage’s charge is deadly
King Regent (speed score 106) dominated a Poly sprint at Fairview on Friday. It’s rare for such a high number to be recorded in the Eastern Cape but Glen Kotzen (who has his string in great form) extracted a career best out of the five-year-old Dynasty gelding. He will be extremely hard to beat
The winners in various categories of the 2023/24 Equus Awards were announced in Cape Town on Thursday evening. It’s a forum to take stock of what constitutes thoroughbred excellence in South Africa. The panel uses various criteria to distinguish between the nominees and preserve for posterity the achievements of the elite. As regular readers
The notion of supporting horses from in -form stables is sound. Trainers get on hot streaks where everything clicks neatly into place. Conversely, some barns, even the big ones, can go through cold spells when their horses underperform. The reasons behind this are many-fold. Amongst the multiple factors which influence training results are changed
Super Sunday at Greyville is the obvious focus of this week’s racing newsletter - and there were some fine performances to record for posterity. Dave the King, who runs around 113 at a peak, came out fresh and firing in a race run to suit his sustained galloping style, proving best in the G1
Cape Lights came out on top in an exciting finish to the headliner at Turffontein on Saturday, recording a career best of 99. It was touch and go as Robbie Sage’s filly edged out another longshot, Key Element (also a career top of 98) and 2nd favorite, Celtic Rumors (s/s 97) in the 1400m