AMBLEWAY'S JULY HANDICAP TRIO!

July fever grips KwaZulu-Natal and we are delighted to have three graduates from Ambleway flying the flag in the country's premier race! KAPIL, THANDOLWANI and TROPICAL EMPIRE are all big runners in the July Handicap having all drawn well and shown good recent form in the big races!

KAPIL went from here to Dubai and returned after a win there and since "coming home" has not put a foot wrong. This son of Jallad was nursed back to his best by conditioner Stan Elly and has been placed in top graded races in the Cape and here in KwaZulu-Natal. He has run from the back of the field in all of his races to finish placed in the Queen's Plate Gr1, Cape Met Gr1, Drill Hall Stakes Gr2, and now recently ran a cracking race to beat July runner River Jetez and run second to Pocket Power in the Gold Challenge Gr1. He runs from draw five and has won the Guineas at Greyville so is well suited to the track! Watch him as I really believe he will give James Drew and Mike Fullard, his enthusiastic owners, a big shout over the final stretch in the July.

THANDOLWANI has been the unluckiest horse when it comes to draws and at last he has drawn well for this big race - No. 7. He has given his conditioner, Craig Eudey, plenty of exposure as he was bought at a very reasonable price and has turned out to be a star. He was in his first string of horses when he took out his trainer's licence. He has travelled to Gauteng and run into the money in the big races there: the November Handicap G2, the Summer Cup Gr1, and the Champion Challenge Gr1. He also loves Greyville and has won there often and recently was placed in the King's Cup, a Gr3. He did disappoint in the Greyville 1900m where he found a flat patch. However, do watch him as he has plenty in his favour; apart from a good draw - a light weight and a very big heart! Good luck to his enthusiastic owners, Neil, Ian, Stuart, Craig and the rest of the team who I know will be very enthusiastic and excited on the big day.

TROPICAL EMPIRE arrived from Australia as a yearling to Ambleway and was my pick of the string that Michael Roberts and Ivan Moore had purchased for owners Chips Pennells, Gary Westwater and Johan Meyer. He was always a compact, racy individual and he certainly turned out to be a very good horse, improving with age. He was raced over sprints as a youngster and has been found to stay in latter years as he has matured. He performed well for Michael Roberts his former trainer when he was third in the Christmas Handicap and then won the race named after him, the Michael Roberts Handicap, a listed race. He has now moved to Duncan Howells and for him has run well in the Drill Hall Stakes Gr2, and then came from the back of the field to win the Greyville 1900 Gr2, very easily over the same track. This last race is often seen as a pointer for the older horses in the July and he is also well-drawn at poll position. He has a handy weight and a good draw and he does like this track - certainly a big runner for his connections.

Apart from the big race we have graduates running in other features on the same day including the juvenile feature race, the Golden Horseshoe, a Gr1 over 1400m. Here we have a useful son of Captain Al, NEVER FOREVER, who runs in the race. He has come off a string of very good runs in features - in the Umkomazi Stakes he was placed at Scottsville and then ran a cracking fourth in the Gold Medallion, a Gr1. In this race he was outpaced and at the end flew up to finish under a length off the winners. The Gold Medallion is one of the most prestigious races for two-year olds and I think he will really enjoy this trip over 1400m and has won at Greyville already, so is suited to the track. Good luck to his owners, James Drew and Mike Fullard and to conditioner, Dennis Drier, who is having a great run at the moment.

We also have a few very useful three-year old graduates from Ambleway that have won features in their last starts. LOVE IS IN THE AIR beat her fancied stable companion Tremair to win the Stormsvlei Fillies' Mile, a listed race, by over two lengths. In my last newsletter I pointed out that she was going places and she certainly is and her conditioner, Mike Bass, is now aiming her towards the Winter Oaks in Cape Town. She is a very big daughter of Jet Master who has a relentless gallop and seems to find more at the end of her races so she certainly will stay well. I am delighted for her owner/breeders Pat and Henry Devine as they have found themselves a new star in the making out of their star stallion Jet Master. The champion stallion having already produced South Africa's current undisputed champion horse Pocket Power and the sprinting champion JJ The Jet Plane who is running successfully overseas. This filly gives Henry and Pat their own horse to watch and to enjoy and to follow their career. Their last champion was the Garden Province winner SOFT LANDING who won her first Gr1 at three years of age. So let's hope this filly can follow suit for them. We will also watch and follow her full sister COSMIC JET who has now gone to Justin Snaith and we will be interested to see what she does there.

SHARKS BAY is a very racy son of Canny Lad (Australia). He has been contesting some big races for three-year olds and recently competed against older horses in the Post Merchants, a Gr2. He raced mid-field and just when he was about to make his run met with traffic problems but still managed to find a way through and win well. This was the most awesome race because he really looked like he would not get there and showed a devastating turn of foot and lots of guts to get to the finish and win. It was a very impressive win as well as he was racing against older horses and I think that conditioner, Dennis Drier, is certainly going to aim him at some of the feature sprints over the next few months. He had been trying further as a three-year old running in the Byrley Turk 1400m and in the Guineas over 1600m prior to the sprint, and now has come back to sprint distances and certainly looks like he enjoys this trip. Congratulations to his owners Steve Sturlese, Greg Blank and George Naidoo from the Summerveld Trust. You certainly look like you have a useful sprinter for the future.

On the juvenile front we have had several runners compete successfully: including the strong son of Strike Smartly FORESTATION. He has been unlucky in some of his earlier races running on for Robbie Sage but starting his runs too early and thus being placed instead of winning. Pierre Strydom was given the ride recently and being a brilliant judge of pace he let the horse loose at the very end of the race to win very well over 1200m. This is a beautiful colt owned and bred by Mrs Bridget Oppenheimer and he does look set to make his mark on the track. We have had quite a few of Mrs Oppenheimer's other babies grace the track and be placed in their last starts and CASHEW NUT and BALSARA have already won for her. We do look forward to some more of them gracing the track over the next few months.

Another very impressive looking juvenile KINGS WINGS won over 1200m for Dennis Drier. This very handsome youngster by Rabah was placed in his debut and has now won for Greg Blank, Alan Burke and Eric Burgess. I hope he continues to improve.

We have had many older graduates winning in KwaZulu-Natal of late - RISE AGAIN won her second start for Dennis Drier and the Backworth Stud connections. CONNOR McLEOD at last broke his maiden for Craig Eudey and his team of enthusiastic owners. In Gauteng CHIFFON won again for her owner/breeder, Eric Smith, and BERNABEU won again for his breeders with his new trainer Lucky Houdelakis and THE GIANT, a very big son of Giant's Causeway won again for Ian Longmore and Alec Laird.

In Port Elizabeth we had another win by ELEGANT ASPEN, a daughter of Martinelli. She won again for her owners - Team Valour and MOON BALLOON, a son of Montjeu broke his maiden for Des Scott and Rupert Plersche - well done to you! USEMELIKA who has been knocking on the door in all his races since he has started training in Port Elizabeth under Alain Greeff won again for Graham and Rhona Beck.

In Kimberley SHADOW SPORT, a very strong daughter of Sports World won again for Basil and Betty Linington. Congratulations to you and to trainer Tobie Spies.

The horses that were placed this month which need watching are: ZIZOU, CANDY TUFT, ANT OF AUGUSTA, SYNCHRONISADA, BUTAINE, MONT D'OR, LA NEGRITA, NORSE SKY, LEOPARD TREE, SEATTLE ICE, ANUTHABAA, PATAYA BEACH, LAURELS, AMERICAN JET, PUSA MOYA, CAPTAIN HERCULES, LA DESTINA, WOODLAND QUEEN, FOLLOW YOUR DREAM, DANCING DAZZLER and BOLD PRINCESS.

We spent a super ten days in the UK visiting our son Michael who has been working there for three years. While we were there we were able to spend a few days in Newmarket. It was the most motivating, fantastic experience to spend time with some of the best equine athletes around. Firstly we spent a morning in Mike de Kock's yard where we were able to see quite a few of the international stars including Archipenko who galloped on Newmarket Rowley Mile track and horses like Eagle Mountain who is now back in work. They are looking really great! We also spent time seeing a lot of the horses from the South African connection including our current sprint star, JJ The Jet Plane and we also saw South African campaigner from last year Sun Classique and BIARRITZ who has just arrived in Newmarket. It was great to spend time with Mike and chat to him about his horses and to be able to see all the facilities that they do have in Newmarket from the treadmills, walking rings and the amount of and different variety of tracks that they can work on on the heath. It was a great morning there and we have to thank Mike and the team for spending their time with us.

We also spent an afternoon at the Darley Stud where we were able to drive around the farm and see all the different facilities provided as well as seeing their fantastic stallions that they have. One of the top horses that they have at the moment is the new stallion called New Approach who was last year's Derby winner and also was Champion European Two-Year Old of his time. He is still being let down and still looks a really racy individual. A new horse that has just arrived there is Manduro (pictured) who was the World Champion Horse of 2007. He comes from Germany and is the most beautifully put together, neat, balanced horse. It will be interesting to see what these two new stallions do there in England. There were also other stalwarts including Dubai Destination, Dubawi, Tiger Hill and a few other sons of Danehill. Last but not least was one of the top sires Singspiel who has already been a star at stud and produced many good horses. He has produced many Gr1 winning juvenile sprinters, milers and classic horses as well as record-breakers over 7 and 10 furlongs. He is obviously getting a bit older now but is still looking fantastic.

We have to thank the team from the McVeigh practice who accommodated and hosted us for those few days. John's team in England and Newmarket were fantastic - Anthony, Fernando, Dave Timson and Duncan were all great and helped organize our trip there to be really fantastic and very memorable. Thank you very much all of you for all your assistance in making our trip so great!

The next yearling sale is at Sibaya on 2 - 3 July 2009. We will be there.

Enjoy the big races over the forthcoming month!

See you there!

JANE TROTTER