AMBLEWAY STARS IN THE SPOTLIGHT!

AMBLEWAY has produced plenty of graduates that are rising stars. Several have run top races in the recent KwaZulu-Natal champion season:

" GREYVILLE 1900m, a Gr 2, THANDOLWANI was favourite for the race having run a third in the Champion Stakes in Johannesburg and TROPICAL EMPIRE was also highly fancied. In the race TROPICAL EMPIRE found a devastating finish to come from the tail of the field to win going away with several lengths to spare. THANDOLWANI appeared to tire in the race and did not show what he had shown in his previous races in Gauteng, however he still has time to prepare for the July. " THE DRILL HALL STAKES, a Gr 2, another open race company, TROPICAL EMPIRE had run on very well at the finish to run a very good second for Messrs Pennells, Westwater and Meyer. This horse, having run two fantastic races including a Gr 2 at Greyville, now looks set to run in the July Handicap and will certainly give a good account of himself as he has an electrifying finish. " THE KRA GUINEAS, a Gr 2, this is a classic race for three-year old colts and we had two runners here: SHARK'S BAY and SEATTLE ICE. Both of these horses ran fantastic races with SHARK'S BAY running on from the tail of the field to run a very good third. Ian Sturgeon had to ride the horse as his regular jockey was injured and he rode an incredible race to come from off the pace to run third and SEATTLE ICE, who does not really enjoy the wet going, was very handy and stayed on for fourth. He will prefer the ground being a bit firmer - watch him again! " THE UMKOMAZI STAKES, a Gr 2, this is a two-year old feature for colts and one of the first of the juvenile features and we were delighted to see the Captain Al colt NEVER FOREVER who was out-paced at the beginning of his race but he ran on very well to finish third. Also in the race was FESTIVAL SPIRIT who had recently come second in a feature before that. " THE UMZIMKHULU STAKES, a Gr 2, here ASIAN AFFAIR was very unlucky as she was interfered with and just failed to catch the winner, On Her Toes, who won the fillies Guineas in her next start!

Watch all of these horses because they are all running consistently and I expect them to all run big races in their next feature races during this KZN winter season.

Jet Master is currently the Champion Stallion, being top of the sire log and we have two graduates of his that look like helping him stay there! LOVE IS IN THE AIR is a big, strong filly out of a Jungle Cove mare, has now won three starts. In her last two she pulverised her opposition over 1600m and over 1800m and she is now being prepared by Mike Bass for the Winter Oaks in Cape Town. Do watch her as she is a very strong filly, does have a very good turn of foot and certainly stays the distance very well.

JET TYCOON, a very big, strapping son of Jet Master, looks set for better things. He won his first two races in facile fashion for Geoff Woodruff and over 1200m won on both occasions by over four lengths. In his next start he was hot favourite, however did not find the same toe in this his KZN debut and finished third. He is being claimed as being a possible Champion and it will be interesting to see what he does over the season as he is a big horse and yet moves and effortlessly makes running look so very easy. Watch him in some of the forthcoming feature sprints.

There are some juveniles coming out now that are really looking useful. Craig Eudey has stepped out with the useful daughter of Victory Moon called ROCABAR. This filly ran a very good debut running placed and then in her second start pulverised the field to win in facile fashion over 1600m. She looks a useful filly and should train on to do better things!

BULSARA is a youngster trained by Gavin van Zyl for Mrs Oppenheimer and he came from the last of the field to win a great race over 1450m. He is a son of Silvano out of the useful race mare, Gay Regina. Later in the same week Gavin had another placed horse for Mrs Oppenheimer in her debut, IDLER, who ran on for fourth.

In Gauteng Robbie Sage has the useful son of Strike Smartly, FORESTATION, knocking on the door to win and he was very close in his last race running second. I expect him to be winning soon too for the team. Well done to you, Mrs Oppenheimer, for all your babies! I hope that as those unraced babies step out onto the track they continue to do well.

KING'S WING is a very handsome son of Rabah. He ran fourth in his debut and PRINCE PASEO, a son of new sire Toreador, ran third in his debut for Dennis Drier.

DIOR ADDICT, who is also trained by Gavin van Zyl, was placed and should win soon.

LAMORNA, a very good-looking daughter of Var, ran third for Michael Roberts, having her first run in KZN since her return from the Cape season.

Watch all of these babies as they are useful and should feature soon!

There are graduates that have won many races since being at kindergarten here at Ambleway including MAELSTROM. This big daughter of Western Winter, owned by Keith and Pauline Young, has had her problems and it was great to see her full of running to win her latest 1400m race for conditioner, Alistair Gordon. Well done to you all!

CAPTAIN HERCULES won again for Mr and Mrs Beck and trainer Ormand Ferraris over a sprint race. This is a very consistent Captain Al horse. He was out of a mare that we schooled here some years ago, SIBONGELI. Continue to watch him as he just seems to keep finding and still shows plenty of speed.

An older horse, ECHO OF THUNDER, that we spelled here seems to have found a new lease on life. This horse, trained by Sean Tarry for Chris van Niekerk, has come out and won a few races recently, the latest being over 1600m. Well done to you all!

Michael Roberts has had success lately with quite a few horses from Ambleway including SPLENDID NEWS who won two races in a row over a sprint distance. This daughter of London News really has found her ability with blinkers and she has won two good races for Messrs S & R White. Michael also had a great day when DORIAN GRAY won his third race and BARINOVA won her maiden for his wife Vera on the same day. An incredible double for the family! The latter filly looks very useful and is out of an English mare that the Roberts' own and it will be interesting to follow the progeny of this mare as we have just sent in her well-grown son by Kabool to the yard.

Michael then had another double a week later at Greyville where BOLD PRINCESS, a beautiful daughter of Dolphin Street pulverised her field to win her maiden very easily for Sydney Cassell and family. Later in the day he had a very good win with TIRADE, a handsome son of Western Winter who had come back from a rest. This was his second start after his rest and he was full of running in the sprint race to win a very good race for Field Spring Racing. Well done to you, Michael, may your stable continue to fire!

In Johannesburg SWINGING JET won again from the Woodruff yard for owner/breeders Pat and Henry Devine and she is another daughter of Jet Master. MISTY MOONLIGHT won again for St. John Gray, her trainer, and BELOTTO FLASH, a daughter of Belotto, came down in class having competed in some feature sprints - and now for her new connections - over 1000m. This latter Auzzie import was fancied by myself when she was here and I am delighted to see that she is still doing very well on the track!

Another Auz import from the first string of horses that was imported here by Chips Pennells & Partners was MOI PARK and she has really turned out to be ultra-consistent. She was one of the fillies that I really liked in that group as she was well-balanced and seemed to be an honest type and she certainly has proved that to win her fifth race for her owners.

In Port Elizabeth LA DESTINA won again for owner/breeder Bill Nelson and a surprise packet is PUSA MOYA. Since this filly has been relocated to Port Elizabeth she has won several sprint races in a row now and she really is doing well for Gary Player who bred her and races her with Bobby Jamieson.

Several horses have broken their maidens and look very useful. Included are two horses Dennis Drier trains that were bred at Scott Bros. BET ON BLUE was purchased at the Horses In Training Sale and was fancied on her debut. However, she was very green. When she was put over 1400m she won very well for Messrs Gooderson, Blank and de Klerk. CANDY TUFT, also a daughter of Mogok out of the useful mare Candlelabra, owned and bred by Des Scott and Robert Muir, unfortunately met a very useful horse on her first start and was beaten to second place. Next time out she pulverised her field over a sprint and won by over five lengths. Congratulations! She really looks like being a useful type of filly.

Kumran Naidoo won with three graduates of ours - WHERE'S SHEBEEN and FAAH TOO FAST. These two were formerly with Craig Eudey. Kumran then won with the Mogok horse BUTAINE that he had purchased from us at the Horses In Training Sale in Durban last year. TAKE OVER TARGET shed his maiden very easily for his connections and conditioner Tony Rivalland. Well done to you all!

There are plenty of horses that have been placed that deserve watching including FLOWER POWER, GOLDEN PARACHUTE, FANTASTIC LADY, DAUNTLESS DELANCE, COUNT IVANSKI, HOT EMBER, BOLD APPLICATION, INDECENT OBSESSION, BOLD WONDER, COMPASSION, MONT D'OR, HARBOUR LIGHT, FOX DOT COM, REIGN AND RULE, IRISH DARLING, FREE TO BE, BISMARCK, SAND DOLLAR, FOLLOW YOUR DREAM, MAJOR STORM, SIYAVANA, ELEGANT ASPECT and STRING OF STARS. Do watch these.

The recent Michael Holmes Sale was a sign of the current recession and also a result of some weaker pedigrees of the horses sold. The forthcoming sale we hope will be a little bit stronger - that is going to be at the beginning of July - the Sibiya KZN Sale - where it will be interesting to see how other KwaZulu-Natal yearlings are sold in addition to some other horses from around the country. We will see you there.

During June I am going to visit my son, Michael, in England for a week and I will be away from 4 to 14 June so please contact Rosie, who will be caring for my horses in my absence. Her cell phone number is 082 460 3554 so she will be able to assist you if you have queries or wish to visit your horses.

Enjoy the KZN Champion season and don't forget to watch all the Ambleway graduates because I am sure they are going to all continue to run well!

JANE TROTTER